bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chronic methylphenidate administration in mice produces depressive‐like behaviors and altered responses to fluoxetine
Authors: Brookshire Bethany R. , Jones Sara R. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractMethylphenidate (MPH) is a psychostimulant used in the treatment of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adults. Increasing abuse rates of this drug have raised questions regarding the effects of chronic, high‐dose MPH administration. Although the effects of chronic MPH exposure have been well‐documented in regard to reward‐related behaviors in adolescent and adult animals, there are few studies of the effects of MPH on depressive‐like behaviors and antidepressant responses, particularly in adult models. We examined the effects of chronic (14 days) high‐dose (20 mg/kg i.p.) MPH exposure on locomotor activity and forced swim test behavior in C57Bl/6J mice. We show that MPH treatment ameliorates the locomotor suppression seen in response to fluoxetine. In addition, chronic MPH treatment produces depressive‐like effects in the forced swim test, with decreased latency to first immobility and a trend toward increased immobility. These effects are reversed with acute fluoxetine administration, in contrast to saline‐treated animals, which show no response to fluoxetine. The induction of depressive‐like behaviors after chronic MPH treatment in adult mice is in agreement with previous studies in adolescent rats, and the marked alterations in fluoxetine responses implicate alterations in the serotonin system and possibly the dopamine system produced by MPH. Synapse 66:844–847, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An improved exclusive region scheduling algorithm‐based timeslot allocation scheme for mmWave WPANs
Authors: Zou Weixia , Hu Yucong , Li Bin , Zhou Zheng , Cui Zhifang 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTThis article focuses on improving the system capacity of 60‐GHz wireless personal area networks (WPANs) and presents an effective time slot allocation scheme for spatial reuse, which combines the existing exclusive region (ER)‐based scheduling algorithm with simple power control. In the study, the concept of ER for concurrent transmissions is introduced first. Considering the large path loss in the millimeter‐wave band and the characteristics of typical indoor multipath channels, we generalize the signal propagation model as well as ER radius for 60‐GHz WPANs. Then, we propose an improved ER‐based scheduling algorithm, which employs power control instead of constant transmitting power. In this algorithm, devices are assumed to receive data at the receiver sensitivity, which refers to the minimum receiving power to ensure the reliability for communications. Implementation feasibility is provided within the current standards framework. Some more practical analysis based on the beamforming codebook specified by of the IEEE 802.15.3c standard is also developed. In addition, the impact of the antenna radiation efficiency and receiver sensitivity is discussed. Computer simulations validate the excellent performance of the proposed scheme, which can significantly improve the channel capacity under different antenna configurations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Leisure Inequality in the United States: 1965–2003
Authors: Sevilla Almudena , Gimenez-Nadal Jose I. , Gershuny Jonathan 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThis article exploits the complex sequential structure of the diary data in the American Heritage Time Use Study (AHTUS) and constructs three classes of indicators that capture the quality of leisure (pure leisure, co-present leisure, and leisure fragmentation) to show that the relative growth in leisure time enjoyed by low-educated individuals documented in previous studies has been accompanied by a relative decrease in the quality of that leisure time. These results are not driven by any single leisure activity, such as time spent watching television. Our findings may offer a more comprehensive picture of inequality in the United States and provide a basis for weighing the relative decline in earnings and consumption for the less-educated against the simultaneous relative growth of leisure.
Effects of breaking seed tubers on yield components of the tuber crop Plectranthus edulis
Authors: TAYE MULUGETA , LOMMEN W. J. M. , STRUIK P. C. 
Published: May 2012

SUMMARYPlectranthus edulis is an ancient tuber crop, cultivated in Ethiopia, which produces stem tubers on stolons below the ground; however, agronomic and physiological information on this crop is scarce. Three field experiments were carried out at each of two locations (Awassa and Wondogenet, Ethiopia). Expt 1 dealt with the effects of breaking a seed tuber into different numbers of seed pieces before planting, Expt 2 assessed the effect of the weight of the seed tuber piece and Expt 3 investigated the effect of planting different numbers of seed pieces per planting hole. Cultivar Lofuwa was planted in Awassa, whereas cvar Chankua was planted in Wondogenet. Breaking seed tubers in Expt 1 resulted in more main stems/hill, more tubers and smaller individual tubers. In Wondogenet, the tuber yield also increased. Breaking did not affect the number of stolons/m2. Expt 2 indicated that when only one seed piece was planted per planting hole, smaller seed pieces gave fewer stems, fewer stolons and fewer tubers/m2, smaller tubers and lower tuber yields. Expt 3 showed that planting more seed pieces/planting hole gave more stems, more stolons and more tubers/m2, thus increasing tuber fresh yield/m2, whereas the mean tuber weight was not consistently affected. Across all experiments, the tuber yield increased when the number of main stems increased up to three main stems/m2. Higher tuber yields resulting from experimental treatments were either achieved by an effect on number of tubers alone or by combined effects on number of tubers and mean tuber weight, but not by an effect on mean tuber weight alone. The number of small tubers was high in all experiments. Breaking a seed tuber into two or three pieces before planting them in one planting hole consistently resulted in increased numbers of main stems and tuber yield.
Ocular and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in response to bone-conducted vibration in patients with probable inferior vestibular neuritis
Authors: Manzari L , Burgess A M , Curthoys I S 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackground and aims:Previous evidence shows that the n10 component of the ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential indicates utricular function, while the p13 component of the cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential indicates saccular function. This study aimed to assess the possibility of differential utricular and saccular function testing in the clinic, and whether loss of saccular function affects utricular response.Methods:Following vibration conduction from the mid-forehead at the hairline, the ocular n10 component was recorded by surface electromyograph electrodes beneath both eyes, while the cervical p13–n23 component was recorded by surface electrodes over the tensed sternocleidomastoid muscles.Results:Fifty-nine patients were diagnosed with probable inferior vestibular neuritis, as their cervical p13–n23 component was asymmetrical (i.e. reduced or absent on the ipsilesional side), while their ocular n10 component was symmetrical (i.e. normal beneath the contralesional eye).Conclusion:The sense organ responsible for the cervical and the ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials cannot be the same, as one response was normal while the other was not. Reduced or absent saccular function has no detectable effect on the ocular n10 component. On vibration stimulation, the ocular n10 component indicates utricular function and the cervical p13–n23 component indicates saccular function.
Racializing Jewishness: Zionist Reponses to National Indifference in Interwar Czechoslovakia
Authors: Lichtenstein Tatjana 
Published: May 2012

In anticipation of Czechoslovakia's 1930 population census, one observer, writing in the ZionistJüdische Volksstimme, assessed the importance of this statistical event for the Jewish nationalist movement:To us the upcoming census is more than merely a way to obtain reliable data about changes and demographic developments among the Jewish people. We are anticipating an increase in the number of Jews choosing “Jewish nationality,” and thus for us the census, much more so than for other peoples in this state, is an event of national importance […] once the Jewish public becomes aware of the significance of the census, it will be pointless for the other nationalities to attempt to restore their own ranks by decimating the Jewish nation in Czechoslovakia.
The effects of ageing and website ergonomic quality on internet information searching
Authors: CHEVALIER ALINE , DOMMES AURÉLIE , MARTINS DANIEL 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTSince the 1990s, the number of websites and web users, especially older users, has increased extensively. Despite the rapid growth in the number of websites, a significant number of ergonomic violations still hinder the information search activity performed by web users. As ageing is associated with reduced working memory capacity, inhibition failure, slowing of processing speed and more generally impaired executive functioning, older adult web users may experience difficulties while searching for information, especially when the website includes ergonomic violations, such as usability and accessibility violations. In this experiment, the navigation activities of younger and older web users were compared while they were searching for information on a website that met ergonomic guidelines and on a website that included ergonomic violations. The participants then performed a free, delayed-recall task to assess their mental representation of the website they had just navigated. The main findings showed that ageing had a negative impact on search performance but few effects on mental representation built by participants. On the contrary, the ergonomic quality of the website had an impact on search performance and mental representation built by the participants.
Developing a framework for the use of discount rates in actuarial work ‐ Abstract of the London discussion
Authors: Cowling Charles 
Published: May 2012

This abstract relates to the following paper:CowlingC.A., FranklandR., HailsR.T.G., KempM.H.D., LosebyR.L., OrrJ.B., and SmithA.D.Developing a framework for the use of discount rates in actuarial work. British Actuarial Journal, doi:10.1017/S1357321712000013
Routinization and medicalization of palliative care: Losses, gains and challenges
Authors: Floriani Ciro Augusto , Schramm Fermin Rolland 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThis article investigates some of the criticisms that have been directed at the hospice movement in the process of interaction with the traditional Western healthcare system, such as those relative to its routinization and medicalization. It also aims to review some of the consequences of this process of institutionalisation for the field of end-of-life care: surveillance and control over the process of dying, at the expense of decisions preferably based on the patient and that patient's ability to decide how to die, with the loss of wider objectives originally established by the movement, such as unconditional reception for the patient. Based on these criticisms, some considerations are made regarding the moral implications and risks related to this specific mode of action, the hospice way of care.
Catastrophic impact of typhoon waves on coral communities in the Ryukyu Islands under global warming
Authors: Hongo Chuki , Kawamata Hideki , Goto Kazuhisa 
Published: May 2012

Typhoon‐generated storm waves generally cause mechanical damage to coral communities on present‐day reefs, and the magnitude and extent of damage is predicted to increase in the near future as a result of global warming. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of potential future scenarios of reef ecosystems is of prime interest. This study assesses the current status of coral communities on Ibaruma reef, Ryukyu Islands, on the basis of field observations, engineering and fluid dynamic models, and calculations of wave motion, and predicts the potential effects of a super‐extreme typhoon (incident wave height,H = 20 m; wave period, T = 20 s) on the reef. On the present‐day reef, massive corals occur in shallow lagoons and tabular corals occur from the reef crest to the reef slope. The observed distribution of corals, which is frequently attacked by moderate (H = 10 m, T = 10 s) and extreme (H = 10 m, T = 15 s) typhoons, is consistent with the predictions of engineering models. Moreover, this study indicates that if a super‐extreme typhoon attacks the reef in the near future, massive corals will survive in the shallow lagoons but tabular corals on the reef crest and reef slope will be severely impacted. The findings imply that super‐extreme typhoons will cause a loss of species diversity, as the tabular corals are important reef builders and are critical to the maintenance of reef ecosystems. Consequently, reef restoration is a key approach to maintaining reef ecosystems in the wake of super‐extreme typhoons.
Fluorescence lifetime snapshots reveal two rapidly reversible mechanisms of photoprotection in live cells of
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Amarnath Kapil , Zaks Julia , Park Samuel D. , Niyogi Krishna K. , Fleming Graham R. 
Published: May 2012

Photosynthetic organisms avoid photodamage to photosystem II (PSII) in variable light conditions via a suite of photoprotective mechanisms called nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ), in which excess absorbed light is dissipated harmlessly. To quantify the contributions of different quenching mechanisms to NPQ, we have devised a technique to measure the changes in chlorophyll fluorescence lifetime as photosynthetic organisms adapt to varying light conditions. We applied this technique to measure the fluorescence lifetimes responsible for the predominant, rapidly reversible component of NPQ, qE, in living cells of
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
. Application of high light to dark-adapted cells of
C. reinhardtii
led to an increase in the amplitudes of 65 ps and 305 ps chlorophyll fluorescence lifetime components that was reversed after the high light was turned off. Removal of the pH gradient across the thylakoid membrane linked the changes in the amplitudes of the two components to qE quenching. The rise times of the amplitudes of the two components were significantly different, suggesting that the changes are due to two different qE mechanisms. We tentatively suggest that the changes in the 65 ps component are due to charge-transfer quenching in the minor light-harvesting complexes and that the changes in the 305 ps component are due to aggregated light-harvesting complex II trimers that have detached from PSII. We anticipate that this technique will be useful for resolving the various mechanisms of NPQ and for quantifying the timescales associated with these mechanisms.
HCS-Analyzer: open source software for high-content screening data correction and analysis
Authors: Ogier Arnaud , Dorval Thierry 
Published: May 2012

Abstract
Motivation: High-throughput screening is a powerful technology principally used by pharmaceutical industries allowing the identification of molecules of interest within large libraries. Originally target based, cellular assays provide a way to test compounds (or other biological material such as small interfering RNA) in a more physiologically realistic in vitro environment. High-content screening (HCS) platforms are now available at lower cost, giving the opportunity for universities or research institutes to access those technologies for research purposes. However, the amount of information extracted from each experiment is multiplexed and hence difficult to handle. In such context, there is an important need for an easy-to-use, but still powerful software able to manage multidimensional screening data by performing adapted quality control and classification. HCS-analyzer includes: a user-friendly interface specifically dedicated to HCS readouts, an automated approach to identify systematic errors potentially occurring during screening and a set of tools to classify, cluster and identify phenotypes of interest among large and multivariate data.
Availability: The application, the C# .Net source code, as well as detailed documentation, are freely available at the following URL: http://hcs-analyzer.ip-korea.org.
Contact: dorvalt@ip-korea.org
Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Pure acoustic wave propagation in transversely isotropic media by the pseudospectral method
Authors: Chu Chunlei , Macy Brian K. , Anno Phil D. 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTSeismic wave propagation in transversely isotropic (TI) media is commonly described by a set of coupled partial differential equations, derived from the acoustic approximation. These equations produce pure P‐wave responses in elliptically anisotropic media but generate undesired shear‐wave components for more general TI anisotropy. Furthermore, these equations suffer from instabilities when the anisotropy parameter ε is less than δ. One solution to both problems is to use pure acoustic anisotropic wave equations, which can produce pure P‐waves without any shear‐wave contaminations in both elliptical and anelliptical TI media. In this paper, we propose a new pure acoustic transversely isotropic wave equation, which can be conveniently solved using the pseudospectral method. Like most other pure acoustic anisotropic wave equations, our equation involves complicated pseudo‐differential operators in space which are difficult to handle using the finite difference method. The advantage of our equation is that all of its model parameters are separable from the spatial differential and pseudo‐differential operators; therefore, the pseudospectral method can be directly applied. We use phase velocity analysis to show that our equation, expressed in a summation form, can be properly truncated to achieve the desired accuracy according to anisotropy strength. This flexibility allows us to save computational time by choosing the right number of summation terms for a given model. We use numerical examples to demonstrate that this new pure acoustic wave equation can produce highly accurate results, completely free from shear‐wave artefacts. This equation can be straightforwardly generalized to tilted TI media.
Guidelines adherence and hypertension control at a tertiary hospital in Malaysia
Authors: Ahmad Nafees , Hassan Yahaya , Tangiisuran Balamurugan , Meng Ong Loke , Aziz Noorizan Abd , Ahmad Fiaz‐ud‐Din , Atif Muhammad 
Published: May 2012

AbstractRationale, aims and objectives  Existing literature suggests that doctors' poor adherence with guidelines is one of the major contributing factors to suboptimal control of hypertension. This study aims to evaluate doctors' adherence with Malaysian clinical practice guideline (CPG 2008) in a tertiary care hospital, and factors associated with guideline adherence and hypertension control.Methods  This was a cross‐sectional study conducted at Hospital Pulau Pinang, Penang, Malaysia. Prescriptions written by 26 enrolled doctors to 650 established hypertensive outpatients (25 prescriptions per enrolled doctor) were noted on visit 1 along with patients' demographic and clinical data. The noted prescriptions were classified either as compliant or non‐compliant to CPG (2008). Five hundred twenty (80%) of the enrolled patients (20 patients per enrolled doctor) were followed for one more visit. Blood pressure (BP) noted on visit 2 was related to the prescription written on visit 1. SPSS 16 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for data analysis.Results  Three hundred forty‐nine (67.1%) patients received guidelines compliant pharmacotherapy. In multivariate analysis, hypertension clinic had significant negative association with guidelines adherence. Two hundred sixty‐five patients (51%) were at goal BP on visit 2. In multivariate analysis, angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors and guidelines adherence had significant positive, while renal disease, diabetes mellitus and diabetic clinic had significant negative association with hypertension control.Conclusions  An overall fair level of adherence with guidelines and better control of hypertension was observed. Guidelines compliant practices resulted in better control of hypertension. The gaps between what guidelines recommend and clinical practice were especially seen in the pharmacotherapy of uncomplicated hypertension and hypertension with diabetes mellitus and renal disease.
De novo DNA methylation activity of METHYLTRANSFERASE 1 (MET1) partially restores body methylation in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Zubko Elena , Gentry Matt , Kunova Andrea , Meyer Peter 
Published: May 2012

SummaryArabidopsis METHYLTRANSFERASE 1 (MET1) controls faithful maintenance of cytosine methylation at CG sites in repetitive regions and central body regions of active genes. If MET1 is removed in a mutant background, CG methylation is lost and is only restored in specific heterochromatic regions that have maintained competence for re‐methylation due to the presence of small RNAs and the RNA‐directed DNA methylation pathway that controls de novo DNA methylation functions. We analysed re‐methylation at a locus that loses body methylation in an met1 mutant. We found that body methylation at this locus is at least partially restored when MET1 is re‐introduced into the met1 mutant background, either via genetic cross or DNA transfer. Re‐methylation is region‐specific but random with respect to individual CG targets, does not require passage through the germline, and its efficiency appears to be influenced by transcription. This suggests that, at least at some loci, MET1 has de novo methylation activity that can restore lost body methylation patterns. We propose that this activity helps to stabilize body methylation patterns, and the random target site selection probably also enhances the variability of body methylation patterns.