bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Deductive Reasoning Ability, Test Anxiety, and Standardized Test Scores in a Latino Sample
Authors: Rich John D. , Fullard William , Overton Willis
Published: April 2011

One Hundred and Twelve Latino students from Philadelphia participated in this study, which examined the development of deductive reasoning across adolescence, and the relation of reasoning to test anxiety and standardized test scores. As predicted, 11th and ninth graders demonstrated significantly more advanced reasoning than seventh graders. Error response patterns revealed a steady, age-related increase in the ability to use falsification strategies. Test anxiety was not related to reasoning performance. These results are discussed in terms of developmental theories of deductive reasoning. Negative correlations between deductive reasoning and standardized test scores for 11th graders are discussed in light of accountability standards required by the No Child Left Behind Act.
Ethnic Pride and Cardiovascular Health Among Mexican American Adults Along the U.S.-Mexico Border
Authors: de Heer Hendrik Dirk , Balcazar Hector G , Lee Rosenthal E. , Cardenas Victor M , Schulz Leslie O.
Published: April 2011

This study addressed the association between items from the General Acculturation Index (GAI) and cardiovascular health. Specifically, we assessed whether ethnic pride was associated with health outcomes after controlling for items regarding language, place where the childhood was spent, and ethnic interaction. The study was a cross-sectional analysis of demographic and clinical data from a border population of Mexican American adults ( n = 316) at risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Outcomes included smoking and diabetes status, Framingham risk, and metabolic syndrome. Ethnic pride was associated with lower diabetes prevalence, lower Framingham risk, and fewer risk factors for metabolic syndrome but was not associated with smoking status. Ethnic pride was not associated with the other acculturation items of the GAI. Among an at-risk border population, ethnic pride functioned independently of other acculturation indicators. Ethnic pride may act as a protective factor for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and CVD risk status.
Pancreatic Enzyme Supplementation for Patients Receiving Enteral Feeds
Authors: Ferrie Suzie , Graham Christie , Hoyle Matthew
Published: April 2011

Background: Pancreatic enzyme supplementation is an important part of management for a number of gastrointestinal conditions. For patients who are unable to swallow pancreatin capsules or granules, enteral feeding tubes can be used to administer the pancreatic enzyme. This presents challenges given the unique format of the pancreatic enzyme supplements, with common problems including tube blockage and loss of the enzyme's effect. Methods and Results: A novel technique is described for administration of pancreatic enzyme via feeding tubes. For gastrically placed tubes, this involves opening the pancreatin capsules and suspending the enzyme microspheres in thickened acidic fluid (such as the mildly thickened or “nectar‐thick” fruit juice used for dysphagia) for delivery into the feeding tube. This technique minimizes tube blockage by preventing the enzyme from clumping in the tube. For jejunally placed tubes, enzyme microspheres can be crushed and activated with sodium bicarbonate before flushing into the tube, or the activated enzyme mixture can be added to enteral feeds. Conclusions: Pancreatic enzyme supplementation can continue while patients receive enteral feeding. Using the described technique can help to avoid tube blockage and maintain optimal enzyme activity.
Railway carriage simulation model to study the influence of vertical secondary suspension stiffness on ride comfort of railway carbody
Authors: Abood K H A , Khan R A
Published: April 2011

A mathematical model of a railway carriage moving on tangent tracks is constructed by deriving the equations of motion concern the model in which single-point and two-point wheel–rail contacts are considered. The presented railway carriage model comprises front and rear simple conventional bogies with two leading and trailing wheelsets attached to each bogie. The railway carriage is modeled using 31 degrees of freedom which govern vertical displacement, lateral displacement, roll angle, and yaw angle dynamic response of wheelset, whereas vertical displacement, lateral displacement, roll angle, pitch angle, and yaw angle dynamic response carbody and each of the two bogies were also studied. Linear stiffness and damping parameters of longitudinal, lateral, and vertical primary and secondary suspensions are provided to the railway carriage model. Combination of linear Kalker’s theory and non-linear Heuristic model is adopted to calculate the creep forces introduced at wheel and rail contact patch area. Computer-aided simulation is constructed to solve the governing differential equations of the mathematical model using Runge–Kutta fourth-order method. Principle of limit cycle and phase plane approach is applied to realize the stability and evaluate the concerning critical hunting velocity at which the railway carriage starts to hunt. The numerical simulation model is used to study the influence of vertical secondary suspension spring stiffness on the ride passenger comfort of railway carbody at speeds below and at critical hunting velocity. High magnitudes of vertical secondary spring stiffness suspension introduce undesirable roll and yaw dynamic responses in which affect ride passenger comfort at critical hunting velocity.
Theorizing the complexities of discursive and material subjectivity: Agential realism and poststructural analyses
Authors: Højgaard Lis , Søndergaard Dorte Marie
Published: April 2011

This article seeks to address the theoretical foundations of subjectivity as co-constituted by discursive and material/technological forces. Our ambition is to develop a conceptual framework that draws from Science and Technology Studies and related “new materialist” frameworks and poststructuralist analyses in order to develop analytics that embrace the complexities we face in our empirical work. We discuss the potentialities and weaknesses of the two theoretical frameworks at a conceptual level as well as through an empirical case on peer bullying in schools. The discussion leads us to a redefinition of the concept of subjectivity that emphasizes the multiplicity of enacting forces including human as well as non-human, material/technological actors; and that underlines the importance of a conceptualization of all actors as simultaneously enacting and enacted forces.
Hurricanes and climate in the Caribbean during the past 3700 years BP
Authors: Malaizé B. , Bertran P. , Carbonel P. , Bonnissent D. , Charlier K. , Galop D. , Imbert D. , Serrand N. , Stouvenot Ch. , Pujol C.
Published: April 2011

A multiproxy analysis of lacustrine sediments cored in Grand-Case Pond at Saint-Martin, north of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, reveals three distinct climatic periods for the last 3700 years. From 3700 to ~2500 yr cal. BP and from 1150 yr cal. BP to the present, carbonate mud deposition occurred in connection with pond lowstands. These periods were also punctuated by severe drought events, marked by gypsum laminae, and hurricane landfalls, leading to marine sand inputs into the pond. The intermediate time interval, from 2500 to 1150 yr cal. BP, is typified by black organic mud deposition, suggesting that hypoxic to anoxic conditions prevailed at the pond bottom. These were probably linked with a perennial pond highstand and reflect more uniform and wetter climatic conditions than today. The carbon isotopic composition of the ostracod Perissocytheridea bisulcata shows that the lowest δ13C values are recorded during the hypoxic periods, as a consequence of bacterial recycling of isotopically depleted organic matter. Such a climatic history agrees closely with that documented from other records in the Caribbean area, such as the Cariaco Basin, central coast of Belize or Barbados. By constrast, discrepancies seem to emerge from the comparison between hurricane activity recorded at Saint-Martin on the one hand and Vieques (Puerto Rico) on the other hand. We explain this apparent contradiction by a balance between two distinct storm paths in response to latitudinal shifts of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Stronger storm activity over the Gulf coast and the inner Caribbean Sea is favoured by a southern position of the ITCZ in connection with dry climatic conditions. Plausible links with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) are also suggested.
Native Americans, regional drought and tree island evolution in the Florida Everglades
Authors: Bernhardt Christopher
Published: April 2011

This study uses palynologic data to determine the effects of regional climate variability and human activity on the formation and development of tree islands during the last ~4000 years. Although prolonged periods of aridity have been invoked as one mechanism for their formation, Native American land use has also been hypothesized as a driver of tree island development. Using pollen assemblages from head and near tail sediments collected on two tree islands and documented archeological data, the relative roles of Native Americans, climate variability, and recent water-management practices in forming and structuring Everglades tree islands are examined. The timing of changes recorded in the pollen record indicates that tree islands developed from sawgrass marshes ~3800 cal. yr BP, prior to human occupation. Major tree island expansion, recorded near tail sediments, occurred ~1000 years after initial tree island formation. Comparison of the timing of pollen assemblages with other proxy records indicates that tree island expansion is related to regional and global aridity correlated with southward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Local fire associated with droughts may also have influenced tree island expansion. This work suggests that Native American occupation did not significantly influence tree island formation and that the most important factors governing tree island expansion are extreme hydrologic events due to droughts and intense twentieth century water management.
Antioxidant potential of Cymbopogon citratus extract: alleviation of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic oxidative stress and toxicity
Authors: Koh Pei Hoon , Mokhtar Ruzaidi Azli Mohd. , Iqbal Mohammad
Published: April 2011

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of Cymbopogon citratus against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-mediated hepatic oxidative damage in rats. Rats were administrated with C. citratus extract (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg b.w.) for 14 days before the challenge of CCl4 (1.2 ml/kg b.w. p.o) on 13th and 14th days. Hepatic damage was evaluated by employing serum biochemical parameters (alanine aminotransferase-ALT, aspartate aminotransferase-AST and lactate dehydrogenase-LDH), malondialdehye (MDA) level, reduced GSH and antioxidant enzymes (catalase: CAT, glutathione peroxidase: GPX, quinone reductase: QR, glutathione S-transferase: GST, glutathione reductase: GR, glucose-6-phosphate dehyrogenase: G6PD). In addition, CCl4-mediated hepatic damage was further evaluated by histopathological examination. However, most of these changes were alleviated by prophylactic treatment of animals with C. citratus dose dependently ( p < 0.05). The protection was further evident through decreased histopathological alterations in liver. The results of the present study indicated that the hepatoprotective effect of C. citratus might be ascribable to its antioxidant and free radical scavenging property.
Molecular model of naphthalene-induced DNA damage in the murine lung
Authors: Karagiannis Tom C , Li Xuelei , Tang Michelle M , Orlowski Christian , El-Osta Assam , Tang Mimi LK , Royce Simon G
Published: April 2011

Airway epithelial damage and repair represents a novel therapeutic target in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. An established mouse model of airway epithelial damage involves the Clara cell cytotoxicity of parenterally administered naphthalene, an important environmental toxicant with genotoxic and carcinogenic potential. The objective of the current study was to investigate naphthalene-induced toxicity and to identify and quantify DNA double-strand breaks in a murine naphthalene model of airway epithelial damage. Male C57/BL6 mice were injected with 200 mg/kg naphthalene and culled at 12-, 24-, 48- and 72-h time points. Lung function and bronchoalveolar lavage was performed and the lungs were dissected for histological analysis and for quantitation of DNA double-strand breaks using γH2AX as a molecular marker. Mice injected with naphthalene had increased epithelial denudation, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cellularity and reactivity to nebulized methacholine chloride as compared to corn oil vehicle controls. Histological changes were most pronounced at the 12- and 24-h time points. DNA double-strand breaks, quantitated as the number of γH2AX foci per cell, were highest at the 24- and 48-h time points. All parameters had decreased at the 72-h time point, consistent with airway re-epithelization and cellular repair. Our findings indicate a time-dependent accumulation of γH2AX foci in mouse airway epithelial cells following administration of naphthalene. Naphthalene airway epithelial injury constitutes a model of DNA double-strand breaks in mice, which can be adapted as a suitable model for further investigation of genotoxic damage for evaluating the efficacy of potential therapeutics.
Effect of sweet almond oil on survival rate and plasma cholinesterase activity of aluminum phosphide-intoxicated rats
Authors: Saidi Hossein , Shojaie Shayan
Published: April 2011

Introduction: Aluminum phosphide (ALP), as an effective pesticide and a substance used for protecting rice during storage, has become one of the commonest causes of poisoning and even suicide in developing countries including Iran and India. The authors aimed to study the efficacy of sweet almond oil as an antidote in ALP toxicity. Methods: The present experimental study was conducted over 35 rats. The animals were divided into four groups: one group as the control group and three other groups which received ALP alone or ALP and sweet almond oil with different time intervals. In addition to estimating the survival rate of the animals, plasma cholinesterase activity as a possible factor affected in ALP poisoning was evaluated. Results: Treatment by intragastric irrigation of sweet almond oil resulted in significant reduction of mortality. Moreover, mean plasma cholinesterase levels were inhibited in groups receiving ALP. Conclusion: Oral sweet almond oil, if especially used immediately after poisoning with ALP, improves the survival rate.
Narrowing of airway caused by ingestion of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide
Authors: Bozdemir MN , Yildiz M , Seyhanlı ES , Gurbuz S , Kilicaslan I , Karlidag T
Published: April 2011

Although ingestion of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) is rare, it carries a high risk of morbidity and mortality. This paper reports the first such case from Turkey in which a 70-year-old man unintentionally ingested MEKP in his kitchen. The patient was brought into the emergency department (ED) within 1 hour of ingestion, with the symptoms of sore throat, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting. Visual examination of the oropharynx revealed minor burns and uvular edema. A laryngoscope examination performed in the ED showed superficial mucosal injury with edema of the oropharynx, uvula, posterior pharynx, epiglottis, arytenoids and vocal cords. Lateral cervical radiography revealed a narrowing of airway due to a thickened epiglottis. After the diagnostic evaluation was completed, the patient was admitted to the gastroenterology intensive care unit for monitoring of adverse reactions. During follow-up, the patient made an uneventful recovery. Ingestion of MEKP generally results from accidental ingestion from a container. Therefore, these containers should be kept in safe places. In addition, the priority following the ingestion of MEKP should be given to maintain open and adequate airway in the ED.
Empirical Modelling of Capital Structure
Authors: Al-Najjar Basil
Published: April 2011

This article provides evidence about the determinants of capital structure in developing countries through studying non-financial Jordanian firms. We detect that capital structure choice in Jordan is influenced by similar set of factors suggested in the developed markets, namely, institutional ownership, profitability, business risk, asset tangibility, asset liquidity, market-to-book and firm size. The findings are consistent with the related studies in both developed and developing countries. In addition, we report that Jordanian firms have target capital structure ratios and that they adjust relatively quickly to their targets.
Financial Development, Internationalisation and Firm Value
Authors: O’Connor Thomas
Published: April 2011

In this article I show that both aspects of financial development, namely, liberalisation and deepening, and financial internationalisation proxied using cross-listings in the US creates value for emerging market firms. Financial deepening, or more precisely, stock market deepening enhances value. In contrast, bank sector deepening only serves to reduce value because it is associated with large-scale corporate expansion and a fall in market capitalisation. Like others, I document a cross-listing premium for Level 2/3 cross-listings in the US. The cross-listing premium is typically less than the gains from financial liberalisation, but they are similar in magnitude over the period examined.
The Self-consciousness of Post-imperial Nations
Authors: Rothermund Dietmar
Published: April 2011

Self-consciousness is a state of mind induced by a feeling of being critically observed by others. Former colonial powers have experienced this feeling to an increasing extent in recent years. These experiences were similar among several nations such as the British, the Dutch, the Belgians, the French, the Portuguese and the Japanese, but so far no comparative studies have been made which show the common features of such self-conscious responses. In the present article an attempt has been made to do this for the nations mentioned here. It is interesting to note that inspite of the fact that the era of decolonisation has passed some time ago, the most intensive debates on the colonial experience have arisen only now. The presence of immigrants from the ex-colonial nations in the respective metropolitan countries has contributed to the poignancy of such debates.
Water Security or Security of Water? A Conceptual Analysis
Authors: Thapliyal Sangeeta
Published: April 2011

The present article tries to understand the concept of water security. What is the threshold beyond which water qualifies to be a security issue? Do our security concerns emanate from the conflictual interests emanating from demand and supply, riparian rights of the intra- or inter-state actors or the ownership of the resource? Does the resource study get special attention from the people, national or international actors, when water falls within the security zone? Do efforts to meet the requirements of people and state end up in securitising water as a resource.
Outcome Studies of Social, Behavioral, and Educational Interventions
Authors: Fraser Mark W. , Guo Shenyang , Ellis Alan R. , Thompson Aaron M. , Wike Traci L. , Li Jilan
Published: April 2011

This article describes the core features of outcome research and then explores issues confronting researchers who engage in outcome studies. Using an intervention research perspective, descriptive and explanatory methods are distinguished. Emphasis is placed on the counterfactual causal perspective, designing programs that fit culture and context, and developing nuanced explanations for program outcomes. Five emerging challenges are discussed: (a) adapting interventions to the contexts and cultures in which programs are to be implemented, (b) avoiding potentially false attributions of program failure due to differential implementation, (c) making causal inferences from observational data with propensity score analysis (PSA), (d) examining person-centered outcomes in program evaluation, and (e) adjusting for rater effects in longitudinal research.
Include Them and They Will Tell You: Learnings From a Participatory Process With Youth
Authors: MacDonald Jo-Ann M. , Gagnon Anita J. , Mitchell Claudia , Di Meglio Giuseppina , Rennick Janet E. , Cox Joseph
Published: April 2011

Encouraging youth voice, visibility, and active participation in adolescent-related research is strongly advocated in the literature. In this article, we describe how participatory approaches informed by arts-based methods (e.g., reflective writing, dramatization) were used with adolescents to enhance the research process in an exploratory study designed to develop and evaluate prevention resources for sexual risk-taking behaviors.Youth aged 15 to 17 years participated in iterative focus groups conducted over a 1-year period in school settings in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Descriptions of our experiences, strategies, and insights provide evidence for guiding practice to optimize adolescent participation in research.
Ethical Reflections
Authors: Bishop Emily C. , Shepherd Marie L.
Published: April 2011

Being reflexive and providing these reflections for public scrutiny is often considered a key element of ethical, rigorous qualitative research. Prevalent conceptualizations of reflexivity, however, need interrogating and sharpening. We aim to contribute to this by examining reflexive practice, and in particular researchers’ reflexive accounts, through the lens of the narrative paradigm. Our aim is to demonstrate that acknowledging the role of narrative reconstruction in reflexivity creates more ethical research, and that it is therefore crucial for researchers to more explicitly recognize this. Both authors present an analysis of one particular exchange between interviewer and participant. This analysis highlights that despite our best efforts at “doing reflexivity,” both immediately following and when reflecting back on an interview, there are influential factors that escape our gaze. Reflections of the past are particularly imperfect. Without fully recognizing this, we are not utilizing all the tools available for ensuring honest, ethical research.
Dual Conversations
Authors: O’Dougherty Maureen , Schmitz Kathryn H. , Hearst Mary O. , Covelli Michaela , Kurzer Mindy S.
Published: April 2011

In this article, we explore an area little researched within the literature on body dissatisfaction: the content and functions of body talk. We interviewed 60 diverse, college-educated women aged 18 to 30 in the urban United States about how social contacts talked about their bodies. Half the women, and by their reports, half their contacts ( N = 295) endorsed some ideal body, most often the thin model. The other half favored a “healthy,” “average” range in body size, shape, and/or appearance. Excepting family members, contacts gave mostly positive comments about women’s bodies or appearance, or made no comments. Many critiqued their own bodies, however, as did nearly half the women participants. We suggest that these women exempted others, but not themselves, from critical body surveillance, rendering contestation of the ideal theoretical. We also suggest that the parallel airing of self-criticism repeatedly circulated through speech, if not through practice, the imperative to regulate one’s own gendered body toward unattainable normativity.
Tests of Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance in the United States and Australia Using the Adult Version of the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire
Authors: Gomez Rapson , Rohner Ronald P.
Published: April 2011

This study uses confirmatory factor analysis procedures to examine the factor structure of the mother and father versions of the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) and their measurement invariance across ratings provided by 314 Australian adults and 509 adults in the United States. The adult version of the PARQ is a 60-item self-report instrument designed to measure adults’ perceptions of maternal and paternal acceptance-rejection during childhood. The questionnaire contains four scales measuring warmth/ affection, hostility/aggression, indifference/neglect, and undifferentiated rejection. Results of analyses support the proposed four-factor model. All but six items in the father version and all items in the mother version show invariance across the two national groups. Overall, the results indicate support for the factorial model of the PARQ, as well as measurement equivalence across the national groups tested.
Tell Me What You Did Today: A Visual Cueing Strategy for Children With ASD
Authors: Murdock Linda C. , Hobbs Jan Q.
Published: April 2011

A multiple-baseline design across participants was utilized to investigate the effects of a visual cueing system (VCS) on the ability of three children with Autism Spectrum Disorders to retell the events of their school day. The VCS comprised consistent pictures but text that changed to reflect each day’s activities. The participants utilized the VCS in a complete form and later in a partial form to respond to the prompt, “Tell me what you did today.” All 3 participants demonstrated increases in the number of events they were able to report. The skill was largely maintained through generalization and follow-up phases. Large effect sizes and positive social validity were evidenced.
Integrating Classwide Early Literacy Intervention and Behavioral Supports
Authors: Volpe Robert J. , Young Gregory I. , Piana Maureen G. , Zaslofsky Anne F.
Published: April 2011

Kindergarten Peer Assisted Learning Strategies and directly teaching and reinforcing behavioral expectations are empirically supported interventions for building early literacy skills and increasing on-task behavior, respectively. Previous research has not investigated the application of both academic and behavior interventions simultaneously to prevent reading failure. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of KPALS with and without a classroom management strategy (CMS) consisting of posting and teaching classroom expectations and reinforcing them via a token economy for 20 kindergarten students from an urban elementary school in the northeastern United States. Results indicated an increase in the level of active engagement and teacher-directed instruction with the implementation of KPALS and CMS. Moreover, a clear improvement in students’ academic skills occurred with the addition of the CMS. Future research and practical implications are discussed.
Suicide attempts in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Stenager Elsebeth Nylev , Jensen Børge , Stenager Maria , Stenager Kirstina , Stenager Egon
Published: April 2011

The purposes of the study were (1) to estimate the risk of suicide attempts in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in Denmark and compare the risk to the background population in the County of Funen, Denmark; (2) to estimate the risk of suicide attempts in MS patients receiving immunomodulating therapy compared with untreated patients. The Danish MS Registry, the Danish MS Treatment Registry and the Suicide Attempt Registry are linked and merged together using a person identification number given to all persons residing in Denmark. Among 404 MS patients, 15 patients had attempted suicide, although no increased risk for suicide attempts was found in MS patients. No difference in number of suicide attempts in treated and untreated patients was found.
Incidence of multiple sclerosis in Iceland, 2002–2007: a population-based study
Authors: Eliasdottir Olöf Jona , Olafsson Elias , Kjartansson Olafur
Published: April 2011

Background: We conducted a study to determine the incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) among the whole Icelandic population during a 6-year period (2002–2007).

Methods: We included all Icelandic residents diagnosed with MS during the study period. Cases were identified from records of the only neurology department in Iceland, plus the records of all practicing neurologists and all radiology departments. All patients had experienced at least two confirmed MS relapses (i.e. clinically definite MS) or had primary progressive MS as defined by the Poser criteria.

Results:We identified 136 individuals who met the inclusion criteria, including 102 (75%) women. The mean age at diagnosis was 36.3 years (women 35.7 years, men 38.3 years). Average annual incidence was 7.6 per 100,000 population. All but one patient (99%) had an MRI study done at diagnosis and 61% of these (83/135) fulfilled the Barkhof criteria for diagnosis of MS; one had a normal MRI. A visual evoked potential test was done in 68% (93/136) at the time of diagnosis and 44% (41/93) were abnormal. Spinal fluid was obtained from 78% (106/136), and 75% (80/106) had oligoclonal bands.

Conclusion:A total population study is the most reliable method of determining the spectrum of clinical symptoms and the results of investigations in MS patients at diagnosis.
A functional p.82G>S polymorphism in the RAGE gene is associated with multiple sclerosis in the Chinese population
Authors: Li Keshen , Zhao Bin , Dai Dawei , Yao Songpo , Liang Wandong , Yao Lifen , Yang Ze
Published: April 2011

Background: The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and its proinflammatory ligand, S100-calgranulins, are critically implicated in the pathological progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). A functional polymorphism within the V-type immunoglobulin domain of RAGE gene, p.82G>S (c.557G>A), has been shown to affect ligand binding affinity and thus may affect susceptibility to MS.

Methods: The RAGE p.82G>S polymorphism was genotyped in 144 MS patients and 156 healthy controls using polymerase chain reaction – restriction fragment length polymorphism. A replication study was performed on a second cohort comprising 138 patients and 150 controls. The relationship between the RAGE p.82G>S polymorphism and circulating levels of soluble RAGE (sRAGE), a secreted decoy receptor against RAGE signaling, was also investigated.

Results: In both initial and replication cohorts, an increased MS risk was detected in RAGE p.82G>S variant allele carriers (odds ratio [OR] = 1.786, p = 0.0134 and OR = 1.732, p = 0.0210, respectively). This association signal persisted in subgroups of women and patients with relapsing–remitting MS. Moreover, compared with the wild-type 82GG carriers, carriers of the variant allele presented a faster progression of disability and a reduced serum sRAGE level.

Conclusions: The present study provides preliminary evidence that the gain-of-function p.82G>S polymorphism in the RAGE gene is associated with an increased risk of MS in the Chinese population.
Occurrence of antibodies against natalizumab in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients treated with natalizumab
Authors: Sørensen Per Soelberg , Hyldgaard Jensen Poul Erik , Haghikia Aiden , Lundkvist Malin , Vedeler Christian , Sellebjerg Finn , Koch-Henriksen Nils , Fogdell-Hahn Anna , Myhr Kjell-Morten , Hillert Jan , Gold Ralf
Published: April 2011

Background: In the clinical trials about 9% of natalizumab treated multiple sclerosis (MS) patients generated anti-natalizumab antibodies, of which 6% were persistent and 3% transient. The occurrence of antibodies reduced serum levels of natalizumab, decreased bio-efficacy, and abrogated the therapeutic efficacy.

Objective: The objective was to assess the frequency of anti-natalizumab antibodies in an unselected cohort of patients from four different countries.

Methods: We measured anti-natalizumab antibodies in a large cohort of 4881 unselected patients from four MS centres that systematically measured antibodies in patients treated with natalizumab. We applied the same ELISA assay developed by Biogen Idec and used in the pivotal trials of natalizumab.

Results: Antibodies occurred in 4.5% (95% confidence interval, CI: 4.0–5.1%) of the patients, and were persistent in 3.5% (95% CI: 3.0–4.0%) and transient in 1.0% (95% CI: 0.7–1.3%) of the patients. The frequencies of permanently antibody positive patients did not show statistically significant differences between the four centres, whereas the frequencies of transiently antibody positive patients showed some variations.

Conclusion: The frequencies of antibodies appeared to be of the same magnitude in the four centres, but might be less than in the pivotal studies of natalizumab.
‘‘What are you?’’ A recurring question in a cross-cultural psychiatrist’s life and career
Authors: Hsiao-Rei Hicks Madelyn
Published: April 2011

This article contributes to the Transcultural Psychiatry special issue of autobiographical articles on: ‘‘The Personal and the Professional: Lives and Careers of Cultural Psychiatrists.’’ The author describes influences and themes in her professional development as a cross-cultural psychiatrist and academic. Growing up as a part-Chinese, part-white child in rural Midwestern America resulted in frequently being asked: ‘‘What are you?’’ This abrupt, bald, but essential question eventually became a useful tool in the productive, repeated re-working of identity, values, and goals throughout her personal and professional life. Experiences of being an outsider, family histories, and early observations of racism are linked to later interests in cross-cultural psychiatry, ethics, and the protection of vulnerable populations. She describes her research on cross-cultural measurement, depression, suicidality, domestic violence and violence in war. Issues of career advancement and internal conflict are described for women academics who occupy three simultaneous, primary roles: academic, doctor and mother. The theme of ‘‘crossing,’’ as in ‘‘cross-cultural,’’ indicates the effort and intention required to move between races, cultures, classes, intellectual disciplines, personal and professional identities, clinical and academic roles, and social roles allocated to men and women.
Drawing together psyche, soma and spirit: My career in cultural psychiatry
Authors: Dein Simon
Published: April 2011

In this article I discuss my career in cultural psychiatry. I begin by examining the influence of my personal background on my interests in cultural psychiatry and religion and health. I then discuss my research, which has focused upon two areas: the cognitive and phenomenological parallels between religious experiences and psychopathological states, and relationships between biomedicine and religious healing in diverse cultural contexts. Finally, I discuss plans for future research and teaching.
Psychiatric epidemiology and international mental health as a career in cultural psychiatry
Authors: Kohn Robert
Published: April 2011

Psychiatric epidemiology is one of the many paths to a career in cultural psychiatry. Psychiatric epidemiology has made numerous substantive contributions to cultural psychiatry. Areas in which psychiatric epidemiologists have contributed to cultural psychiatry include the undertaking of cross-national comparisons, studying the mental health of populations of importance to cultural psychiatry, studying risk factors that are of cultural importance such as immigration and social class, studying trauma, examining the role of stigma in cultural settings, and investigating cultural influences on mental health service delivery. This article highlights examples from the author’s own research examining cross-national comparisons, trauma, and mental health service delivery. Research is vital to enable the field of cultural psychiatry to be a vibrant, evidence-based discipline within psychiatry.
Indigenizing mental health services: New Zealand experience
Authors: Durie Mason
Published: April 2011

Mental health services in New Zealand have been significantly altered by Māori cultural values. Since 1980, a monocultural approach has given way to the incorporation of Māori language, Māori health perspectives, and Māori psychological frameworks in the assessment, treatment, and care of patients. Māori provider organizations, an expanded Māori health workforce, and Māori leadership have been crucial catalysts for the transformation. The shifts have paralleled similar changes in other sectors, reflecting a broader societal movement within which indigeneity has received greater acknowledgement. The author’s bicultural background, psychiatric training, and inclusion in Māori networks were important for promoting the transformation.
A career in culture and psychiatry research: Reflections on forty-plus years
Authors: Beiser Morton
Published: April 2011

The report chronicles a 44-year career in cultural psychiatry spent at Duke, Cornell, Harvard, the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, and Ryerson Universities. It describes my studies in a rural community in Nova Scotia, in traditional villages in Senegal, West Africa, on Canadian First Nations reserves and American Indian reservations, in refugee camps in Southeast Asia, among immigrant and refugee communities in Canada, in Ethiopia, and in Israel. The report summarizes major findings resulting from these research efforts, and discusses contributions to theory as well as potential implications for practice as well as policy. The article concludes with reflections about the present state of cultural psychiatry, raises concerns about where the field seems to be in danger of going wrong, and offers suggestions about what needs to be done next.
A personal journey into cultural psychiatry
Authors: Westermeyer Joseph
Published: April 2011

The two primary audiences for this article are psychiatrists interested in a cultural psychiatry career and academic as well as healthcare leaders who are in a position to support cultural psychiatry training. In addition to describing my own personal journey through cultural psychiatry, this report includes strategic recommendations for becoming a cultural psychiatrist as well as rationales for supporting a cadre of cultural psychiatrists in the coming decades. A World Health Organization (WHO) sponsored program for training clinicians in addictions is described. Finally, the account summarizes those clinical, research, educational, consultative, and leadership roles that cultural training influenced during my career.
Reflections on the road to becoming a cultural psychiatrist
Authors: Noda Fumitaka
Published: April 2011

The reasons why I became a transcultural psychiatrist in a country considered to be culturally homogeneous are presented. Efforts to nurture cultural psychiatry in Japan through the activities of the Japanese Society of Transcultural Psychiatry are described. Experiences in Vancouver, Canada in the 1980s formed the basis of my cultural psychiatric research. Research on the mental health of Japanese community in Vancouver and on ethnic minorities in Japan is discussed. Specific examples are included to explain how unique Japanese cultural traits can affect diagnosis and treatment. The future of Japanese cultural psychiatry in a global context is considered.
The influence of developmental, education, and mentorship experiences on career paths in cultural psychiatry
Authors: Boehnlein James K.
Published: April 2011

Career paths in cultural psychiatry and other areas of medicine often are influenced by a combination of developmental, academic and training experiences. One of the satisfactions for the cultural psychiatrist is the opportunity to integrate lifelong interests that are not central to medical training, such as anthropology, philosophy, history or geography into one’s daily work and career path, and this is not necessarily just applicable to clinical work or research. A background in social sciences can be very helpful in navigating the political and interpersonal challenges of working in an academic medical center or designing effective education programs across the career spectrum in medicine. This article traces the development of my career in academic cultural psychiatry and illustrates the way my clinical and academic interests were influenced both by early developmental and educational experiences and by positive career experiences as a clinician, teacher and researcher in the context of effective mentorship and professional peer relationships. The future of cultural psychiatry is exciting and its continued growth will be dependent on effective nurturance of young physicians who have a broad vision of the important place of cultural psychiatry and how it influences medicine, mental health, and society at large.
The making of a multicultural psychiatrist
Authors: de Figueiredo John M.
Published: April 2011

The author grew up in Goa, a unique bicultural setting on the western coast of India. Goa came under Portuguese rule in 1510 AD and remained under the Portuguese until 1961 when it became part of India. The Indian and Portuguese cultures interacted in Goa and led the Goans to create an interesting blend in which elements of both cultures were made to reconcile. The author reviews his experiences in this setting and describes how his family background, his search for roots, and his exposure to two religions, two languages, and two cultures fostered his decision to study medicine, his passion for transcultural psychiatry, and eventual pursuit of an academic career in this field in the United States. Research and reflections are presented on the impact of colonization, migration, and acculturation, and the importance of the construct of demoralization.
The peripatetic cultural psychiatrist: Reflections on a forty-five year longitudinal study of a South India village
Authors: Ullrich Helen E.
Published: April 2011

This article presents one woman’s odyssey, which began with a career in linguistics and later incorporated cultural psychiatry. While engaged in fieldwork as a linguist, studying the syntactic structure of Havyaka Kannada and dialectal accommodation among the castes in a South India village, I developed language skills and rapport with the village residents. Then I transferred my community-wide rapport to research on depression as a cultural psychiatrist. The articles I wrote on depression and its relationship to socialized passivity and endorsed assertiveness in progressive generations of South Indian women, illustrate the impact of change on mental health. The cultural background from my community-based longitudinal study of more than forty-five years has contributed to my understanding disorders in Indian patients living in a globalized world.
Impact of polymorphisms in the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Orenes-Piñero Esteban , Hernández-Romero Diana , Jover Eva , Valdés Mariano , Lip Gregory YH , Marín Francisco
Published: April 2011

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a clinically heterogeneous autosomal dominant heart disease characterised by left ventricular hypertrophy in the absence of another cardiac or systemic disease that is capable of producing significant wall thickening. Microscopically it is characterised by cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, myofibrillar disarray and fibrosis. The phenotypic expression of HCM is multifactorial, with the majority of cases occurring secondary to mutations in genes encoding the sarcomere proteins. In conjunction with the genetic heterogeneity of HCM, phenotypic expression also exhibits a high level of variability even within families with the same aetiological mutation, and may be influenced by additional genetic factors. Polymorphisms of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) represent an attractive hypothesis as potential disease modifiers, as these genetic variants alter the ‘activation status’ of the RAAS, which leads to more left ventricular hypertrophy through different pathways. The main objective of this review is to provide an overview of the role of different polymorphisms identified in the RAAS, in patients with HCM.
Traumatic Brain Injury in Intimate Partner Violence: A Critical Review of Outcomes and Mechanisms
Authors: Kwako Laura E. , Glass Nancy , Campbell Jacquelyn , Melvin Kristal C. , Barr Taura , Gill Jessica M.
Published: April 2011

The prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) is striking, as are its consequences to the lives of women. The IPV often includes physical assault, which can include injuries to the head and attempted strangulation injuries. Both types of injuries can result in traumatic brain injury (TBI). The TBI sustained during IPV often occurs over time, which can increase the risk for health declines and postconcussive syndrome (PCS). Current studies have identified sequelae of cognitive dysfunction, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression in women experiencing IPV, yet, most fail to determine the role of TBI in the onset and propagation of these disorders. Although imaging studies indicate functional differences in neuronal activation in IPV, they also have not considered the possibility of TBI contributing to these outcomes. This review highlights the significant gaps in current findings related to neuropsychological complications and medical and psychosocial symptoms that likely result in greater morbidity, as well as the societal costs of failing to acknowledge the association of IPV and TBI in women.
A Systematic Review of Prevalence Studies of Gender-Based Violence in Complex Emergencies
Authors: Stark Lindsay , Ager Alastair
Published: April 2011

Current methods to estimate the incidence of gender-based violence in complex emergencies tend to rely on nonprobability samples. Population-based monitoring is undertaken relatively infrequently. This article provides a systematic review of published literature that represents attempts to quantify the magnitude of gender-based violence in emergency settings. Searches adopted a Boolean procedure, which led to initial selection of material that was then reviewed against set criteria. Only 10 studies met the final criteria for inclusion. Intimate partner violence, physical violence, and rape were the three categories of violence most frequently measured. Rates of intimate partner violence tended to be quite high across all of the studies—much higher than most of the rates of wartime rape and sexual violence perpetrated by individuals outside of the home. Direct comparisons of rates of violence were hindered by different case definitions, recall periods, and other methodological features. Recommendations for future studies are offered based on lessons learned from the studies reviewed.
Strategic Challenges of PMTCT Program Implementation in Ethiopia
Authors: Balcha Taye T. , Lecerof Susanne S. , Jeppsson Anders R.
Published: April 2011

Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the achievement of the prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) program and to describe the strategic challenges of its implementation in the the Oromia region, Ethiopia. Methods: PMTCT program reports were collected over a period of 12 months from 25 zones of Oromia region. The health facilities in these zones include 28 hospitals and 84 health centers. The reports were analyzed with regard to international and national policies, guidelines, and priorities. Meanwhile, in-depth interviews were conducted with key informants from the government and an nongovernmental organization (NGO). Results: The reports showed that 72 277 (47%) pregnant women who attended antenatal care were tested for HIV. Although 1461 (65%) HIV-positive women walked away without intervention, 1579 (71%) babies born to HIV-positive mothers did not access prophylactic medicine. Interviews with key informants revealed that stakeholders’ inertia to coordinated action, disconnect between the regional office and service providers at the grassroots, and an unclear national policy on HIV were major challenges to the program. Conclusion: Addressing policy issues and setting clear purposes for all partners need a committed local leadership and program ownership at regional and federal levels.