bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High aspect ratio fine pattern transfer using a novel mold by nanoimprint lithography
Authors: Sakamoto J. , Fujikawa N. , Nishikura N. , Kawata H. , Yasuda M. , Hirai Y.
Published: November 2011

To conduct our research, a Si mold with a high aspect nano trench pattern was fabricated using a new edge lithography process, and the pattern was replicated into PMMA films on Si wafer by thermal nanoimprint lithography. By using edge lithography, a SiO2 circular line pattern of 35 nm width and 3.5 μm height was obtained and the aspect ratio became 100. The Cr patterns were fabricated by a lift-off process by using the high aspect SiO2 nano patterns, and the Si substrate was etched by the advanced plasma etching of the gas switching process. A Si trench pattern of 25 nm width and 1.0 μm depth was obtained, and these Si trench patterns were used for nanoimprint molds. The aspect ratios of the nano trench patterns were about 10. The nano trench patterns were replicated into PMMA films with various molecular weights by thermal nanoimprint lithography. The pattern replication failed when the PMMA resins of 50 and 120 k molecular weights were used. It is found that the PMMA pattern was often broken during the demolding process and its strength was very important for the successful pattern replication of the high aspect pattern. A PMMA line pattern of 30 nm width and 230 nm height was successfully fabricated when the PMMA resin of 996 k molecular weight was used.
COMMENTS ON THE DUAL-BRST SYMMETRY
Authors: KRISHNA S. , SHUKLA A. , MALIK R. P.
Published: November 2011

In view of a raging controversy on the topic of dual-Becchi–Rouet–Stora–Tyutin (dual-BRST/co-BRST) and anti-co-BRST symmetry transformations in the context of four (3+1)-dimensional (4D) Abelian two-form and 2D (non-)Abelian one-form gauge theories, we attempt, in our present short note, to settle the dust by taking the help of mathematics of differential geometry, connected with the Hodge theory, which was the original motivation for the nomenclature of "dual-BRST symmetry" in our earlier set of works. It has been claimed, in a recent set of papers, that the co-BRST symmetries are not independent of the BRST symmetries. We show that the BRST and co-BRST symmetries are independent symmetries in the same fashion as the exterior and co-exterior derivatives are independent entities belonging to the set of de Rham cohomological operators of differential geometry.
MOND'S ACCELERATION SCALE AS A FUNDAMENTAL QUANTITY
Authors: BERNAL TULA , CAPOZZIELLO SALVATORE , CRISTOFANO GERARDO , DE LAURENTIS MARIAFELICIA
Published: November 2011

Some quantum-cosmic scaling relations indicate that the MOND acceleration parameter a0could be a fundamental quantity ruling the self-gravitating structures, ranging from stars and globular clusters up to superclusters of galaxies and the whole observed universe. We discuss such coincidence relations starting from the Dirac quantization condition ruling the masses of primordial black holes.
FORMULATION OF THE SPINOR FIELD IN THE PRESENCE OF A MINIMAL LENGTH BASED ON THE QUESNE–TKACHUK ALGEBRA
Authors: MOAYEDI S. K. , SETARE M. R. , MOAYERI H. , POORAKBAR M.
Published: November 2011

In 2006 Quesne and Tkachuk (J. Phys. A: Math. Gen.39, 10909, (2006)) introduced a (D+1)-dimensional (β, β′)-two-parameter Lorentz-covariant deformed algebra which leads to a nonzero minimal length. In this work, the Lagrangian formulation of the spinor field in a (3+1)-dimensional space–time described by Quesne–Tkachuk Lorentz-covariant deformed algebra is studied in the case where β′ = 2β up to first order over deformation parameter β. It is shown that the modified Dirac equation which contains higher order derivative of the wave function describes two massive particles with different masses. We show that physically acceptable mass states can only exist for [Formula: see text]. Applying the condition [Formula: see text] to an electron, the upper bound for the isotropic minimal length becomes about 3 ×10-13m. This value is near to the reduced Compton wavelength of the electron [Formula: see text] and is not incompatible with the results obtained for the minimal length in previous investigations.
GROUND-STATE WIGNER FUNCTIONAL OF LINEARIZED GRAVITATIONAL FIELD
Authors: GARCÍA-COMPEÁN HUGO , TURRUBIATES FRANCISCO J.
Published: November 2011

The deformation quantization formalism is applied to the linearized gravitational field. Standard aspects of this formalism are worked out before the ground state Wigner functional is obtained. Finally, the propagator for the graviton is also found within the context of this formalism.
SEARCHES FOR DIJET RESONANCES AT HADRON COLLIDERS
Authors: HARRIS ROBERT M. , KOUSOURIS KONSTANTINOS
Published: November 2011

We review the experimental searches for new particles in the dijet mass spectrum conducted at the CERN [Formula: see text], the Fermilab Tevatron Collider, and the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The theory of the QCD background and new particle signals is reviewed, with emphasis on the choices made by the experiments to model the background and signal. The experimental techniques, data, and results of dijet resonance searches at hadron colliders over the last quarter century are described and compared. Model independent and model specific limits on new particles decaying to dijets are reviewed, and a detailed comparison is made of the recently published limits from the ATLAS and CMS experiments.
Compensatory responses to upper airway obstruction in obese apneic men and women
Authors: Chin Chien-Hung , Kirkness Jason P. , Patil Susheel P. , McGinley Brian M. , Smith Philip L. , Schwartz Alan R. , Schneider Hartmut
Published: November 2011

Defective structural and neural upper airway properties both play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea. A more favorable structural upper airway property [pharyngeal critical pressure under hypotonic conditions (passive Pcrit)] has been documented for women. However, the role of sex-related modulation in compensatory responses to upper airway obstruction (UAO), independent of the passive Pcrit, remains unclear. Obese apneic men and women underwent a standard polysomnography and physiological sleep studies to determine sleep apnea severity, passive Pcrit, and compensatory airflow and respiratory timing responses to prolonged periods of UAO. Sixty-two apneic men and women, pairwise matched by passive Pcrit, exhibited similar sleep apnea disease severity during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, but women had markedly less severe disease during non-REM (NREM) sleep. By further matching men and women by body mass index and age ( n = 24), we found that the lower NREM disease susceptibility in women was associated with an approximately twofold increase in peak inspiratory airflow ( P = 0.003) and inspiratory duty cycle ( P = 0.017) in response to prolonged periods of UAO and an ∼20% lower minute ventilation during baseline unobstructed breathing (ventilatory demand) ( P = 0.027). Thus, during UAO, women compared with men had greater upper airway and respiratory timing responses and a lower ventilatory demand that may account for sex differences in sleep-disordered breathing severity during NREM sleep, independent of upper airway structural properties and sleep apnea severity during REM sleep.
Morphometric changes in the human pulmonary acinus during inflation
Authors: Hajari A. J. , Yablonskiy D. A. , Sukstanskii A. L. , Quirk J. D. , Conradi M. S. , Woods J. C.
Published: November 2011

Despite decades of research into the mechanisms of lung inflation and deflation, there is little consensus about whether lung inflation occurs due to the recruitment of new alveoli or by changes in the size and/or shape of alveoli and alveolar ducts. In this study we use in vivo 3He lung morphometry via MRI to measure the average alveolar depth and alveolar duct radius at three levels of inspiration in five healthy human subjects and calculate the average alveolar volume, surface area, and the total number of alveoli at each level of inflation. Our results indicate that during a 143 ± 18% increase in lung gas volume, the average alveolar depth decreases 21 ±5%, the average alveolar duct radius increases 7 ± 3%, and the total number of alveoli increases by 96 ± 9% (results are means ± SD between subjects; P < 0.001, P < 0.01, and P < 0.00001, respectively, via paired t-tests). Thus our results indicate that in healthy human subjects the lung inflates primarily by alveolar recruitment and, to a lesser extent, by anisotropic expansion of alveolar ducts.
Arteriolar Function in Visceral Adipose Tissue Is Impaired in Human Obesity
Authors: Farb Melissa G. , Ganley-Leal Lisa , Mott Melanie , Liang YanMei , Ercan Bahadir , Widlansky Michael E. , Bigornia Sherman J. , Fiscale Antonino J. , Apovian Caroline M. , Carmine Brian , Hess Donald T. , Vita Joseph A. , Gokce Noyan
Published: November 2011

Objective—

The purpose of this study was to characterize the relationship between adipose tissue phenotype and depot-specific microvascular function in fat.

Methods and Results—

In 30 obese subjects (age 42±11 years, body mass index 46±11 kg/m
2
) undergoing bariatric surgery, we intraoperatively collected visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue and characterized depot-specific adipose phenotypes. We assessed vasomotor function of the adipose microvasculature using videomicroscopy of small arterioles (75–250 μm) isolated from different fat compartments. Endothelium-dependent, acetylcholine-mediated vasodilation was severely impaired in visceral arterioles, compared to the subcutaneous depot (
P
<0.001 by ANOVA). Nonendothelium dependent responses to papaverine and nitroprusside were similar. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase inhibition with N
ω
-nitro-
l
-arginine methyl ester reduced subcutaneous vasodilation but had no effect on severely blunted visceral arteriolar responses. Visceral fat exhibited greater expression of proinflammatory, oxidative stress-related, hypoxia-induced, and proangiogenic genes; increased activated macrophage populations; and had a higher capacity for cytokine production ex vivo.

Conclusion—

Our findings provide clinical evidence that the visceral microenvironment may be intrinsically toxic to arterial health providing a potential mechanism by which visceral adiposity burden is linked to atherosclerotic vascular disease. Our findings also support the evolving concept that both adipose tissue quality and quantity may play significant roles in shaping cardiovascular phenotypes in human obesity.
Regulation of Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor-γ by Angiotensin II Via Transforming Growth Factor-β1–Activated p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Subramanian Venkateswaran , Golledge Jonathan , Heywood Elizabeth B. , Bruemmer Dennis , Daugherty Alan
Published: November 2011

Objective—

Peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) ligands attenuate angiotensin II (Ang II)–induced atherosclerosis through interactions with vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC)–specific PPARγ in hypercholesterolemic mice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism of Ang II–mediated intracellular regulation of PPARγ in VSMCs.

Methods and Results—

Incubation of cultured mouse aortic VSMCs with Ang II for 24 hours reduced abundance of PPARγ protein, mRNA, and transcriptional activity (
P
<0.001). This effect was attenuated by an angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonist, losartan. Ang II–induced PPARγ reduction was dependent on stimulation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 as demonstrated using either a neutralizing antibody or small interfering RNA (siRNA). Ang II–induced TGF-β1 secretion was dependent on epidermal growth factor receptor kinase activation through reactive oxygen species production. Inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase by SB203580 or siRNA inhibited both Ang II– and TGF-β1–induced PPARγ reduction. Blockade of TGF-β1 decreased p38 phosphorylation induced by Ang II. siRNA–mediated inhibition of histone deacetylase 3 attenuated p38-mediated reductions in PPARγ abundance.

Conclusion—

These findings suggest that Ang II decreases PPARγ abundance in cultured VSMCs via an angiotensin type 1 receptor–dependent secretion of TGF-β1 via phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and histone deacetylase 3.
The Acute Effects of Changes to AV Delay on BP and Stroke Volume
Authors: Manisty Charlotte H. , Al-Hussaini Ali , Unsworth Beth , Baruah Resham , Pabari Punam A. , Mayet Jamil , Hughes Alun D. , Whinnett Zachary I. , Francis Darrel P.
Published: November 2011

Background—

The AV delay optimization of biventricular pacemakers (cardiac resynchronization therapy) may maximize hemodynamic benefit but consumes specialist time to conduct echocardiographically. Noninvasive BP monitoring is a potentially automatable alternative, but it is unknown whether it gives the same information and similar precision (signal/noise ratio). Moreover, the immediate BP increment on optimization has been reported to decay away: it is unclear whether this is the result of an (undesirable) decrease in stroke volume or a (desirable) compensatory relief of peripheral vasoconstriction.

Methods and Results—

To discriminate between these alternative mechanisms, we measured simultaneous beat-to-beat stroke volume (flow) using Doppler echocardiography, and BP using finger photoplethysmography, during and after AV delay changes from 40 to 120 ms in 19 subjects with cardiac pacemakers. BP and stroke volume both increased immediately (
P
<0.001, within 1 heartbeat). BP showed a clear decline a few seconds later (average rate, −0.65 mm Hg/beat;
r
=0.95 [95% CI, 0.86–0.98]); in contrast, stroke volume did not decline (
P
=0.87). The immediate BP increment correlated strongly with the stroke volume increment (
r
=0.74,
P
<0.001). The signal/noise ratio was 3-fold better for BP than stroke volume (6.8±3.5 versus 2.3±1.4;
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

Improving AV delay immediately increases BP, but the effect begins to decay within a few seconds. Reassuringly, this is because of compensatory vasodilatation rather than reduction in cardiac function. Pacemaker optimization will never be reliable unless there is an adequate signal/noise ratio. Using BP rather than Doppler minimizes noise. The early phase (before vascular compensation) has the richest signal lode.
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Therapy in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Koyak Zeliha , de Groot Joris R. , Van Gelder Isabelle C. , Bouma Berto J. , van Dessel Pascal F.H.M. , Budts Werner , van Erven Lieselot , van Dijk Arie P.J. , Wilde Arthur A.M. , Pieper Petronella G. , Sieswerda Gertjan T. , Mulder Barbara J.M.
Published: November 2011

Background—

The value of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) is unknown. We investigated the long-term outcome after ICD implantation and developed a simple risk stratification score for ICD therapy.

Methods and Results—

A total of 136 adults with CHD and ICD (mean age±SD, 41±13 years; 67% male) were identified from 10 tertiary referral centers in the Netherlands and Belgium. The indication for ICD implantation was primary prevention in 50% of patients. Diagnoses included tetralogy of Fallot (51%), septal defects (20%), (congenitally corrected) transposition of the great arteries (13%), and other (16%). Thirty-nine patients (29%) received appropriate ICD shocks during a median follow-up of 4.6 years. Secondary prevention indication (hazard ratio [HR], 3.6; 95% CI, 1.3–9.5;
P=
0.009), coronary artery disease (HR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.0–7.2;
P=
0.042), and symptomatic nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT; HR, 9.1; 95% CI, 2.8–29.2;
P=
0.001) were associated with appropriate ICD shocks. A risk score was developed to evaluate the likelihood of appropriate ICD shocks. The 8-year survival curve to first appropriate shocks was 94%, 57%, and 26% for low-, intermediate-, and high-risk patients, respectively. In primary prevention, symptomatic NSVTs (HR, 8.0; 95% CI, 2.3–27.1;
P=
0.001) and subpulmonary ventricular dysfunction (HR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.2–12.6;
P
=0.02) were associated with appropriate shocks in univariable analysis. Inappropriate shocks occurred in 41 patients (30%). In addition, 40 patients (29%) experienced 45 implantation-related complications.

Conclusions—

Adults with CHD and ICDs receive high rates of appropriate and effective shocks. Patients with secondary prevention indication, coronary artery disease, and symptomatic NSVT are at highest risk of receiving appropriate ICD shocks. ICD implantation is accompanied by considerable morbidity, including inappropriate shocks and procedure- related complications.
Niacin Inhibits Vascular Inflammation via the Induction of Heme Oxygenase-1
Authors: Wu Ben J. , Chen Kang , Barter Philip J. , Rye Kerry-Anne
Published: November 2011

Background—

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a cytoprotective protein whose expression is consistently associated with therapeutic benefits in a number of pathological conditions such as atherosclerotic vascular disease and inflammation. Niacin is a pleiotropic drug that slows the progression of coronary artery disease and increases serum levels of the HO-1 enzymatic product bilirubin. This study asks if the cardioprotective properties of niacin involve the induction of HO-1.

Methods and Results—

New Zealand White rabbits received chow or chow supplemented with 0.6% (wt/wt) niacin for 2 weeks. Acute vascular inflammation was induced in the animals by placing a nonocclusive silastic collar around the left common carotid artery. At 24 hours after collar implantation, serum bilirubin and vascular, liver, and spleen HO-1 messenger RNA levels were significantly increased. Vascular inflammation was decreased in the niacin-supplemented animals compared with control. Treatment of the animals with tin protoporphyrin-IX, a global HO inhibitor, or HO-1 small interfering RNA to knock down carotid artery HO-1 attenuated the ability of niacin to inhibit vascular inflammation. Treatment of cultured human coronary artery endothelial cells with niacin increased HO-1 expression by activating the nuclear factor-E2–related factor 2/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway and inhibiting tumor necrosis factor α–induced endothelial inflammation. The antiinflammatory effects of niacin in human coronary artery endothelial cells were mimicked by bilirubin and abolished by incubation with tin protoporphyrin-IX and knock down of nuclear factor-E2–related factor 2.

Conclusions—

Niacin activates HO-1 in vivo and in vitro. Induction of HO-1 may be partly responsible for the vascular protective properties of niacin.
Assessment of Carotid Plaque Stability Based on the Dynamic Enhancement Pattern in Plaque Components With Multidetector CT Angiography
Authors: Horie Nobutaka , Morikawa Minoru , Ishizaka Shunsuke , Takeshita Tomonori , So Gohei , Hayashi Kentaro , Suyama Kazuhiko , Nagata Izumi
Published: November 2011

Background and Purpose—

Recent studies have investigated plaque morphology to determine patients who are at high risk of carotid atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated whether a difference in dynamic enhancement pattern in plaque components could be useful to assess plaque stability with multidetector CT angiography.

Methods—

Fifty-nine lesions with moderate to severe carotid atherosclerosis in 51 patients (33 symptomatic, 18 asymptomatic) were consecutively included. Early- and delayed-phase images were obtained in 3 equivalent axial slices with multidetector CT angiography. Hounsfield units (HU) in the early phase were subtracted from those in the delayed phase in plaques (ΔHU) and compared with clinical features, MRI-based plaque characteristics, and histological findings with 20 surgical specimens acquired from carotid endarterectomy.

Results—

The ΔHU was significantly higher in asymptomatic than that in symptomatic presentation (
P
=0.02). With MRI, a higher ΔHU was negatively correlated with signal intensity on T1-weighted imaging (
r
=−0.56,
P
<0.0001). Histology confirmed that ΔHU was positively correlated with fibrous tissue (
r
=0.67,
P
=0.001) and negatively correlated with a lipid-rich necrotic core with hemorrhage (
r
=−0.70,
P
<0.001). Moreover, less neovascularization and inflammation was found in plaques with a higher ΔHU.

Conclusions—

Delayed-phase images provide information regarding the dynamic change in contrast media from the early arterial phase. An increase in HU from the early phase on multidetector CT angiography indicates plaque stability with more fibrous tissue and a less lipid-rich necrotic core, intraplaque hemorrhage, and neovascularization.
Sulcal Effacement on Fluid Attenuation Inversion Recovery Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Hyperacute Stroke
Authors: Kim Suk Jae , Ha Yeon Soo , Ryoo Sookyung , Noh Hyun Jin , Ha Sam-Yeol , Bang Oh Young , Kim Gyeong-Moon , Chung Chin-Sang , Lee Kwang Ho
Published: November 2011

Background and Purpose—

The clinical significance of sulcal effacement has been widely investigated in CT studies, but the results are controversial. In this study, we evaluated the presence of perisylvian sulcal effacement (PSE) on fluid attenuation inversion recovery MRI and hypothesized that PSE may be related to collateral flow status together with hyperintense vessels on fluid attenuation inversion recovery in hyperacute stroke. In addition, we investigated whether an association between PSE and clinical outcome could be found in these patients.

Methods—

Consecutive patients with acute middle cerebral artery infarcts within 6 hours of symptom onset were included. All patients had internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery occlusion and underwent MRI including FLAIR. The presence of PSE and hyperintense vessels on fluid attenuation inversion recovery and the collateral status and occurrence of early recanalization (ER) on conventional angiography were evaluated.

Results—

Of 139 patients, 79 (56.8%) had PSE. Multivariate testing revealed PSE was independently associated with collateral status. The association between hyperintense vessels and collaterals was different depending on PSE. Compared to PSE-positive and ER-negative patients, PSE-negative and ER-negative patients (odds ratio, 4.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.12–15.17) and PSE-negative and ER-positive patients (odds ratio, 34.62; 95% confidence interval, 5.75–208.60), but not PSE-positive and ER-positive patients, were more likely to experience favorable clinical outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score ≤2 at 3 months).

Conclusions—

PSE is independently associated with collateral status in patients with acute middle cerebral artery stroke. Moreover, PSE in conjunction with recanalization status can predict clinical outcomes in these patients.
Two-Dimensional Imagination in Contemporary Japanese Women's Performance
Authors: Anan Nobuko
Published: November 2011

Contemporary Japanese visual artist Murakami Takashi's theory of “superflat” Japanese arts and culture is nationalist and masculinist. However, women artists—including Yanagi Miwa and the performers of the Takarazuka Revue and Kegawa-zoku—use two-dimensional aesthetics to challenge the nationalist and masculinist construction of Japanese womanhood.
The Cerebellum Generates Motor-to-Auditory Predictions: ERP Lesion Evidence
Authors: Knolle Franziska , Schröger Erich , Baess Pamela , Kotz Sonja A.
Published: November 2011

Forward predictions are crucial in motor action (e.g., catching a ball, or being tickled) but may also apply to sensory or cognitive processes (e.g., listening to distorted speech or to a foreign accent). According to the “internal forward model,” the cerebellum generates predictions about somatosensory consequences of movements. These predictions simulate motor processes and prepare respective cortical areas for anticipated sensory input. Currently, there is very little evidence that a cerebellar forward model also applies to other sensory domains. In the current study, we address this question by examining the role of the cerebellum when auditory stimuli are anticipated as a consequence of a motor act. We applied an N100 suppression paradigm and compared the ERP in response to self-initiated with the ERP response to externally produced sounds. We hypothesized that sensory consequences of self-initiated sounds are precisely predicted and should lead to an N100 suppression compared with externally produced sounds. Moreover, if the cerebellum is involved in the generation of a motor-to-auditory forward model, patients with focal cerebellar lesions should not display an N100 suppression effect. Compared with healthy controls, patients showed a largely attenuated N100 suppression effect. The current results suggest that the cerebellum forms not only motor-to-somatosensory predictions but also motor-to-auditory predictions. This extends the cerebellar forward model to other sensory domains such as audition.
Temporal- and Spatial-Scale Dependence of Three CMIP3 Climate Models in Simulating the Surface Temperature Trend in the Twentieth Century
Authors: Sakaguchi Koichi , Zeng Xubin , Brunke Michael A.
Published: November 2011

Motivated by increasing interests in regional- and decadal-scale climate predictions, this study systematically analyzed the spatial- and temporal-scale dependence of the prediction skill of global climate models in surface air temperature (SAT) change in the twentieth century. The linear trends of annual mean SAT over moving time windows (running linear trends) from two observational datasets and simulations by three global climate models [Community Climate System Model, version 3.0 (CCSM3.0), Climate Model, version 2.0 (CM2.0), and Model E-H] that participated in CMIP3 are compared over several temporal (10-, 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-yr trends) and spatial (5° × 5°, 10° × 10°, 15° × 15°, 20° × 20°, 30° × 30°, 30° latitudinal bands, hemispheric, and global) scales. The distribution of root-mean-square error is improved with increasing spatial and temporal scales, approaching the observational uncertainty range at the largest scales. Linear correlation shows a similar tendency, but the limited observational length does not provide statistical significance over the longer temporal scales. The comparison of RMSE to climatology and a Monte Carlo test using preindustrial control simulations suggest that the multimodel ensemble mean is able to reproduce robust climate signals at 30° zonal mean or larger spatial scales, while correlation requires hemispherical or global mean for the twentieth-century simulations. Persistent lower performance is observed over the northern high latitudes and the North Atlantic southeast of Greenland. Although several caveats exist for the metrics used in this study, the analyses across scales and/or over running time windows can be taken as one of the approaches for climate system model evaluations.
The Southern Ocean and Its Climate in CCSM4
Authors: Weijer Wilbert , Sloyan Bernadette M. , Maltrud Mathew E. , Jeffery Nicole , Hecht Matthew W. , Hartin Corinne A. , van Sebille Erik , Wainer Ilana , Landrum Laura
Published: November 2011

The new Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4), provides a powerful tool to understand and predict the earth’s climate system. Several aspects of the Southern Ocean in the CCSM4 are explored, including the surface climatology and interannual variability, simulation of key climate water masses (Antarctic Bottom Water, Subantarctic Mode Water, and Antarctic Intermediate Water), the transport and structure of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, and interbasin exchange via the Agulhas and Tasman leakages and at the Brazil–Malvinas Confluence. It is found that the CCSM4 has varying degrees of accuracy in the simulation of the climate of the Southern Ocean when compared with observations. This study has identified aspects of the model that warrant further analysis that will result in a more comprehensive understanding of ocean–atmosphere–ice dynamics and interactions that control the earth’s climate and its variability.
Global Warming Effects on U.S. Hurricane Damage
Authors: Emanuel Kerry
Published: November 2011

While many studies of the effects of global warming on hurricanes predict an increase in various metrics of Atlantic basin-wide activity, it is less clear that this signal will emerge from background noise in measures of hurricane damage, which depend largely on rare, high-intensity landfalling events and are thus highly volatile compared to basin-wide storm metrics. Using a recently developed hurricane synthesizer driven by large-scale meteorological variables derived from global climate models, 1000 artificial 100-yr time series of Atlantic hurricanes that make landfall along the U.S. Gulf and East Coasts are generated for four climate models and for current climate conditions as well as for the warmer climate of 100 yr hence under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emissions scenario A1b. These synthetic hurricanes damage a portfolio of insured property according to an aggregate wind-damage function; damage from flooding is not considered here. Assuming that the hurricane climate changes linearly with time, a 1000-member ensemble of time series of property damage was created. Three of the four climate models used produce increasing damage with time, with the global warming signal emerging on time scales of 40, 113, and 170 yr, respectively. It is pointed out, however, that probabilities of damage increase significantly well before such emergence time scales and it is shown that probability density distributions of aggregate damage become appreciably separated from those of the control climate on time scales as short as 25 yr. For the fourth climate model, damages decrease with time, but the signal is weak.
Serum N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Levels Are Associated With Functional Capacity in Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease
Authors: Fan Jin , Jouni Hayan , Khaleghi Mahyar , Bailey Kent R. , Kullo Iftikhar J.
Published: November 2011

We hypothesized that higher serum levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) are associated with lower functional capacity in patients with peripheral arterial disease ([PAD] n = 481, mean age 67, 68% men). Functional capacity was quantified as distance walked on a treadmill for 5 minutes. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to the distance walked: >144 yards (group 1, n = 254); 60 to 144 yards (group 2, n = 80); <60 yards or did not walk (group 3, n = 147). The association between NT-pro-BNP levels and the ordinal 3-level walking distance was assessed using multivariable ordinal logistic regression analyses that adjusted for several possible confounding variables. Higher levels of NT-pro-BNP were associated with a lower ordinal walking category independent of possible confounders (odds ratio [OR] 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28-1.77; P < .001). In conclusion, higher levels of NT-pro-BNP are independently associated with lower functional capacity in patients with PAD and may be a marker of hemodynamic stress in these patients.
High Levels of Serum Uric Acid Predict Severity of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Duran Mustafa , Kalay Nihat , Akpek Mahmut , Orscelik Ozcan , Elcik Deniz , Ocak Ayse , Inanc Mehmet Tugrul , Kasapkara H. Ahmet , Oguzhan Abdurrahman , Eryol Namik K. , Ergin Ali , Kaya Mehmet Gungor
Published: November 2011

We aimed to elucidate the relation between serum uric acid (SUA) level and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in nondiabetic, nonhypertensive patients (n = 246) with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Severity of CAD was assessed by the Gensini score. One, 2, and 3 or more diseased vessels were identified in 87 (35.4%), 55 (22.4%), and 104 (42.2%) patients, respectively. Patients with hyperuricemia had higher Gensini score, high number of diseased vessels, critical lesions, and total occlusion. Serum uric acid level was significantly associated with number of diseased vessels. Serum uric acid was an independent risk factor for multivessel disease by univariate analysis. High levels of SUA associated with the severity of CAD in nondiabetic, nonhypertensive patients with ACS.
Global Justice and the Plight of Filipino Domestic Migrant Workers
Authors: Urbano Ryan
Published: November 2011

Recent labor migration from third-world countries can be symptomatic of an unjust global order. In a third-world country like the Philippines, this unjust global order can be exemplified in the plight of its overseas migrant workers. This paper specifically examines the case of Filipino domestic migrant workers vis-à-vis global justice in the light of Thomas Pogge’s institutional moral analysis. Its key claim is that the present global set-up is a determining cause of global injustice that engenders global poverty. As a result, scores of Filipinos, mostly women, are driven to engage in domestic labor abroad that exposes them to certain grave risks. It further argues that poverty in third-world countries like the Philippines cannot only be explained by domestic factors such as graft and corruption, unclean elections, increasing population, the moral probity and industriousness of the citizens, etc., but also in terms of how the underlying rules of the present global order are unjustly shaped by certain affluent and politically-influential countries. By applying Pogge’s institutional moral analysis, this study hopes to understand better the diaspora and plight of Filipino domestic migrant workers in a wider context and provide an alternative to the theory of domestic labor migration.
Explaining Racial/Ethnic Gaps in Spatial Mismatch in the US: The Primacy of Racial Segregation
Authors: Stoll Michael A. , Covington Kenya
Published: November 2011

Despite declines in racial segregation across most US metropolitan areas in recent years, racial and ethnic minorities still display uneven geographical access to jobs but consistently inferior to that of Whites. This article provides a detailed analysis of the factors driving racial and ethnic gaps in spatial mismatch conditions across US metropolitan areas. Using data primarily from the 1990 and 2000 US censuses, and the 1994 and 1999 US Department of Commerce's zip code business pattern files, descriptive, multivariate and decompositional evidence is generated to address why Blacks and to a lesser extent Latinos display greater degrees of spatial mismatch than Whites. The results indicate that, among many other factors including job sprawl, racial segregation in housing markets is the most important. The models indicate that racial differences in spatial mismatch conditions, particularly between Blacks and Whites, should be eliminated in 45–50 years if racial segregation levels continue to decline in the future at rates similar to those observed over the 1990s.
Who Are “Overseas Chinese Ethnic Minorities”? China’s Search for Transnational Ethnic Unity
Authors: Barabantseva Elena
Published: November 2011

This article examines why, how, and with what implications the term “overseas Chinese ethnic minorities” has recently entered the official scholarly discourse and policy discussions on overseas Chinese in the People’s Republic of China. Through examining policy documents, reports, scholarly publications, and interviews with officials and scholars, the article shows that the shaoshu minzu category has permeated the discourse on overseas Chinese to steer the dual efforts of the Chinese authorities to overcome the Han-centricity of overseas Chinese studies in China and to mobilize transnational “ethnic unity” among Han and non-Han overseas Chinese. By way of highlighting a possible response to the government initiatives toward overseas Chinese ethnic minorities, the article also considers a written account of a Kazakh Dungan who took part in a government-sponsored tour to China in search of his “historic roots.” The analysis presented in the article points to a pervasive character of state power directed at totalizing heterogeneous transnational identities and reducing them to fixed categories. These transnational efforts emphasize unity over variety and cohesion over diversity within the Chinese nation. The inherently dichotomous understanding of diversity within the Chinese nation where the Han majority is contrasted to China’s ethnic minorities informs the People’s Republic of China’s transnational nation-building efforts.
Validation of the Portuguese Version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device–Self-Report With a Focus on Delinquent Behavior and Behavior Problems
Authors: Pechorro Pedro , Maroco João , Poiares Carlos , Vieira Rui Xavier
Published: November 2011

The main objectives of the present study were to validate a Portuguese version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device–Self-Report and to evaluate the predictive importance of some constructs in discriminating between inmate delinquent youth and community youth. With a total of 760 participants, male ( n = 543) and female ( n = 217), divided in an inmate forensic sample ( n = 250) and a community sample ( n = 510), the authors were able to demonstrate psychometric properties that justify its use with the Portuguese juvenile population, in terms of factor structure, internal consistency, temporal stability, convergent validity, divergent validity, concurrent validity, and cutoff score. The predictive importance of psychopathic traits, self-reported delinquent behavior, and behavior problems on the prediction of sample membership (forensic vs. community) was established by binary logistic regression.
Informal Social Support Among Returning Young Offenders
Authors: Martinez Damian J. , Abrams Laura S.
Published: November 2011

Informal social support has long been touted as a key to success for young offenders, but little empirical work has concretized these benefits. This article explores the dynamics of informal social support for returning young offenders (ages 14-24), particularly in the context of peers and family members. The authors use a metasynthesis methodology to examine 13 qualitative articles and dissertations published in the United States from 1998 through 2010. Analysis of these texts found two major themes related to informal support from peers and family members. Young offenders “walked a fine line” with their peers, who provided not only a sense of belonging and possibly a route to material assistance but also temptations and opportunities to reengage with criminal activity. Family members provided the supports and comforts of “the ties that bind” but with potentially unrealistic expectations and reenactment of old roles and negative dynamics. Through this metasynthesis, the authors forge an understanding of informal social support that complicates its presumed benefits for the reentry of young offenders.
Predictors of Pain and Function in Patients With Symptomatic, Atraumatic Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears
Authors: Harris Joshua D. , Pedroza Angela , Jones Grant L. ,   The MOON (Multicenter Orthopedic Outcomes Network) Shoulder Group, Baumgarten Keith M. , Bishop Julie Y. , Brophy Robert H. , Carey James L. , Dunn Warren R. , Holloway G. Brian , Kuhn John E. , Ma C. Benjamin , Marx Robert G. , McCarty Eric C. , Poddar Sourav K. , Smith Matthew V. , Spencer Edwin E. , Vidal Armando F. , Wolf Brian R. , Wright Rick W.
Published: November 2011

Background: Although the prevalence of full-thickness rotator cuff tears increases with age, many patients are asymptomatic and may not require surgical repair. The factors associated with pain and loss of function in patients with rotator cuff tears are not well defined.

Purpose: To determine which factors correlate with pain and loss of function in patients with symptomatic, atraumatic full-thickness rotator cuff tears who are enrolled in a structured physical therapy program.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: A multicenter group enrolled patients with symptomatic, atraumatic rotator cuff tears in a prospective, nonrandomized cohort study evaluating the effects of a structured physical therapy program. Time-zero patient data were reviewed to test which factors correlated with Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) index and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores.

Results: A total of 389 patients were enrolled. Mean ASES score was 53.9; mean WORC score was 46.9. The following variables were associated with higher WORC and ASES scores: female sex ( P = .001), education level (higher education, higher score; P < .001), active abduction (degrees; P = .021), and strength in forward elevation ( P = .002) and abduction ( P = .007). The following variables were associated with lower WORC and ASES scores: male sex ( P = .001), atrophy of the supraspinatus ( P = .04) and infraspinatus ( P = .003), and presence of scapulothoracic dyskinesia ( P < .001). Tear size was not a significant predictor (WORC) unless comparing isolated supraspinatus tears to supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and subscapularis tears ( P = .004). Age, tear retraction, duration of symptoms, and humeral head migration were not statistically significant.

Conclusion: Nonsurgically modifiable factors, such as scapulothoracic dyskinesia, active abduction, and strength in forward elevation and abduction, were identified that could be addressed nonoperatively with therapy. Therefore, physical therapy for patients with symptomatic rotator cuff tears should target these modifiable factors associated with pain and loss of function.
A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of 100 Cases of Arthroscopic Acromioplasty
Authors: Koh Kyoung Hwan , Laddha Mukesh S. , Lim Tae Kang , Lee Jong Hyuk , Yoo Jae Chul
Published: November 2011

Background: A hooked-type acromion has been suspected to correlate with higher rotator cuff tear or impingement syndrome. However, correlation of acromial shape after acromioplasty with the rotator cuff retears and clinical results has not been studied before.

Purpose: To assess the shape of the acromion after arthroscopic acromioplasty and to see if there is any relation with the rotator cuff retears and clinical results.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: One hundred consecutive patients who underwent acromioplasty using a posterior cutting block technique accompanied by rotator cuff repair were included in this study. The decision was made to perform acromioplasty intraoperatively after confirmation of external impingement. Postoperative acromial shape was evaluated according to whether the acromion was flat, curved, or hooked on coronal and sagittal planes on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at a mean 13.4 months after surgery. Retear rates and clinical scores were compared between the hooked acromion and the others on postoperative MRI.

Results: Preoperatively, only 29 patients had a hooked acromion on either coronal or sagittal plane MRI. After acromioplasty of those 100 patients, 23 still showed a hooked acromion. Twenty-six of 29 preoperatively hooked acromions were changed to nonhooked acromions, and 20 of 23 postoperatively hooked acromions had been nonhooked acromions preoperatively. No difference was found in the retear rate with respect to the postoperative acromial shape. Clinically, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score was not different between the hooked acromion and the other group (82 vs 85, P = .099). However, the Constant score of the hooked acromion group was lower than that of the other group (74 vs 85, P = .036). Ninety-four of 100 patients were contacted again for the evaluation of the ASES score at a mean 36.5 months (range, 29-45 months) and showed no difference between the hooked acromion and the other group (87 vs 87, P = .903).

Conclusion: Even with a standard posterior cutting block technique during acromioplasty, 23% of patients still showed a hooked acromion after arthroscopic acromioplasty. Using the signs of coracoacromial ligament impingement as an indication for acromioplasty might lead to hooked acromions postoperatively, which were nonhooked acromions preoperatively. However, the retear rate showed no difference according to the postoperative acromial shape.
Valproic Acid in Dementia
Authors: Dolder Christian R. , Nealy Kimberly L. , McKinsey Jonathan
Published: November 2011

Valproic acid is widely used in the treatment of behavioral disturbances in patients with dementia; however, there is uncertainty about its dosing and studies have reported mixed findings. The current article examines published trials of valproic acid in the treatment of patients with dementia to identify whether an optimal dosing strategy exists. Secondarily, valproic acid dosing from published studies is compared with a real-world 5-year sample of valproic acid prescribing. Twenty studies met selection criteria and were included in the review. Based primarily on uncontrolled trials and the current retrospective study, valproic acid serum levels between 40 and 60 mcg/mL and relatively low doses (ie, 7-12 mg/kg per d) are associated with improvements in agitation in some patients with dementia. At the same time, similar valproic acid levels produced no significant behavioral improvements in most placebo-controlled studies and led to substantial side effects in some patients. Considerable trial design differences exist between controlled and uncontrolled trials. Overall, valproic acid appears to have limited efficacy as monotherapy in many patients with dementia. Its optimal role may be in combination with other psychotropics as a treatment of agitation associated with dementia.
Treatments for Methamphetamine Abuse
Authors: Brackins Todd , Brahm Nancy C. , Kissack Julie C.
Published: November 2011

Methamphetamine (METH) use and dependence is a serious public health concern with implications across multiple areas from societal impact to burden on psychiatric and medical resources. An estimated 8% of admissions to substance abuse treatment programs are related to stimulants with METH/amphetamine abuse. To date, effective pharmacotherapy options to enhance abstinence have not been identified. The objective of this article is to critically review the literature of METH treatment options. Preclinical research and human research with compounds not yet available commercially in the United States will not be included. A literature review was conducted for research on pharmacological treatments for METH use and addiction. Trial information on the use of sertraline, bupropion, mirtazapine, modafinil, dextroamphetamine, ondansetron, risperidone, aripiprazole, baclofen, and gabapentin was reviewed. Aripiprazole trials appeared in the reviewed literature more frequently than the other medications. Based on the findings of this review, no single medication demonstrated consistent efficacy and each trial contained a variety of methodological limitations.
Nonprofit Governance Research
Authors: Cornforth Chris
Published: November 2011

This article examines some of the main limitations of research on the governance of nonprofit organizations. It argues that there are limitations in both the way governance has been conceptualized and the ways in which it has been researched. It suggests that research has focused too narrowly on the boards of unitary organizations, and ignored both the wider governance system and the more complex multilevel and multifaceted governance structures that many organizations have evolved. It also argues that the dominant research designs employed have been cross-sectional and positivist in orientation. As a result, too little attention has been paid to board processes and change and how they are influenced by contextual and historical factors. Based on this analysis, some new directions for nonprofit governance research are briefly mapped out.