bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Triglycerides and Heart Disease
Authors: Goldberg Ira J. , Eckel Robert H. , McPherson Ruth
Published: April 2011

The purpose of this article is to review the basic and clinical science relating plasma triglycerides and cardiovascular disease. Although many aspects of the basic physiology of triglyceride production, its plasma transport, and its tissue uptake have been known for several decades, the relationship of plasma triglyceride levels to vascular disease is uncertain. Are triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, their influence on high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein, or the underlying diseases that lead to defects in triglyceride metabolism the culprit? Animal models have failed to confirm that anything other than early fatty lesions can be produced by triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. Metabolic products of triglyceride metabolism can be toxic to arterial cells; however, these studies are primarily in vitro. Correlative studies of fasting and postprandial triglycerides and genetic diseases implicate very-low-density lipoprotein and their remnants and chylomicron remnants in atherosclerosis development, but the concomitant alterations in other lipoproteins and other risk factors obscure any conclusions about direct relationships between disease and triglycerides. Genes that regulate triglyceride levels also correlate with vascular disease. Human intervention trials, however, have lacked an appropriately defined population and have produced outcomes without definitive conclusions. The time is more than ripe for new and creative approaches to understanding the relationship of triglycerides and heart disease.
Acrolein Inhalation Prevents Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor–Induced Mobilization of Flk-1
+
/Sca-1
+
Cells in Mice
Authors: Wheat Laura A. , Haberzettl Petra , Hellmann Jason , Baba Shahid P. , Bertke Matthew , Lee Jongmin , McCracken James , O'Toole Timothy E. , Bhatnagar Aruni , Conklin Daniel J.
Published: April 2011

Objective—

Acrolein is a toxic chemical present in tobacco, wood, and coal smoke, as well as automobile exhaust. Because exposure to these pollutants is associated with an increase in cardiovascular disease risk, we studied the effects of acrolein on Flk-1
+
/Sca-1
+
cells that are involved in vascular repair.

Methods and Results—

In adult male C57BL/6 mice, inhalation of acrolein (1 part per million [ppm], 6 hours/day for 4 days or 5 ppm for 2 or 6 hours) led to the formation of protein-acrolein adducts in the bone marrow and diminished levels of plasma nitric oxide metabolites and circulating Flk-1
+
/Sca-1
+
but not Sca-1
+
-only cells. Acrolein exposure increased the number of apoptotic Flk-1
+
/Sca-1
+
cells in circulation and increased bone marrow–derived cells with endothelial characteristics (DiI-ac-low-density lipoprotein [DiI-acLDL]/UE-lectin and Flk-1
+
/Sca-1
+
) in culture. Deficits in the circulating levels of Flk-1
+
/Sca-1
+
cells were reversed after 7 days of recovery in acrolein-free air. Exposure to acrolein blocked vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/AMD3100-stimulated mobilization of Flk-1
+
/Sca-1
+
but not Sca-1
+
-only cells and prevented VEGF-induced phosphorylation of Akt and endothelial nitric oxide synthase in the aorta.

Conclusion—

Inhalation of acrolein increases apoptosis and suppresses the circulating levels of Flk-1
+
/Sca-1
+
cells while increasing these cells in the bone marrow and preventing their mobilization by VEGF. Exposure to acrolein-rich pollutants could impair vascular repair capacity.
Apoptosis Signal–Regulating Kinase 1 Deficiency Accelerates Hyperlipidemia-Induced Atheromatous Plaques via Suppression of Macrophage Apoptosis
Authors: Yamada Sohsuke , Ding Yan , Tanimoto Akihide , Wang Ke-Yong , Guo Xin , Li Zhi , Tasaki Takashi , Nabesima Atsunori , Murata Yoshitaka , Shimajiri Shohei , Kohno Kimitoshi , Ichijo Hidenori , Sasaguri Yasuyuki
Published: April 2011

Objective—

The pathogenic role of macrophage apoptosis in atherosclerosis is still debatable, but it is considered to be a suppressor of plaque progression in early stages but a promoter of plaque necrosis in advanced stages. Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase that plays a pivotal role in stress-induced apoptosis. In the current study, we investigated the functions of ASK1 in hyperlipidemia-induced atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results—

We generated ASK1 and apolipoprotein E (apoE) double-knockout mice (ASK1
−/−
/apoE
−/−
) and analyzed atherosclerosis in ASK1
−/−
/apoE
−/−
mice fed a high-cholesterol diet for 12 weeks. ASK1
−/−
/apoE
−/−
mice had accelerated hyperlipidemia-induced atherosclerosis, which was characterized by less apoptosis of macrophages and fewer necrotic areas, and more macrophages and elastolysis compared with apoE
−/−
mice. Bone marrow transplantation from ASK1
−/−
or wild-type to apoE
−/−
mice confirmed the above observation that the recipient mice of ASK1
−/−
donors had more pronounced hyperlipidemia-induced atherosclerosis than recipient mice of wild-type donors.

Conclusion—

These findings suggest that ASK1 suppresses hyperlipidemia-induced atherosclerosis via increased macrophage apoptosis and that ASK1 may cause pronounced plaque vulnerability via necrotic core development.
Exercise Protects Against Myocardial Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury via Stimulation of β
3
-Adrenergic Receptors and Increased Nitric Oxide Signaling: Role of Nitrite and Nitrosothiols
Authors: Calvert John W. , Condit Marah E. , Aragón Juan Pablo , Nicholson Chad K. , Moody Bridgette F. , Hood Rebecca L. , Sindler Amy L. , Gundewar Susheel , Seals Douglas R. , Barouch Lili A. , Lefer David J.
Published: April 2011

Rationale:

Exercise training confers sustainable protection against ischemia–reperfusion injury in animal models and has been associated with improved survival following a heart attack in humans. It is still unclear how exercise protects the heart, but it is apparent that endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) play a role.

Objective:

To determine the role of β
3
-adrenergic receptors (β
3
-ARs), eNOS activation, and NO metabolites (nitrite and nitrosothiols) in the sustained cardioprotective effects of exercise.

Methods and Results:

Here we show that voluntary exercise reduces myocardial injury in mice following a 4-week training period and that these protective effects can be sustained for at least 1 week following the cessation of the training. The sustained cardioprotective effects of exercise are mediated by alterations in the phosphorylation status of eNOS (increase in serine 1177 and decrease in threonine 495), leading to an increase in NO generation and storage of NO metabolites (nitrite and nitrosothiols) in the heart. Further evidence revealed that the alterations in eNOS phosphorylation status and NO generation were mediated by β
3
-AR stimulation and that in response to exercise a deficiency of β
3
-ARs leads to an exacerbation of myocardial infarction following ischemia–reperfusion injury.

Conclusions:

Our findings clearly demonstrate that exercise protects the heart against myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury by stimulation of β
3
-ARs and increased cardiac storage of nitric oxide metabolites (ie, nitrite and nitrosothiols).
Weighting Components of Composite End Points in Clinical Trials
Authors: Hong Keun-Sik , Ali Latisha K. , Selco Scott L. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Saver Jeffrey L.
Published: April 2011

Background and Purpose—

Conventional analysis of vascular prevention trials assigns equal weight to disparate vascular events in a composite end point at variance with the public's perception of their differential impact on health outcome. This study sought to apply the disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) metric to differential weighting individual vascular end points in trial analyses.

Methods—

DALY values for the most common major end points in vascular prevention trials (nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, and vascular death), were derived by using World Health Organization Global Burden of Disease Project methodology. The standardized DALYs for each event were applied to recent major primary and secondary vascular prevention trials and to hypothetical model trials.

Results—

Standardized DALYs lost were 7.63 for nonfatal stroke, 5.14 for nonfatal myocardial infarction, and 11.59 for vascular death. In the published trials analyses, the direction of treatment effects was consistent between DALY and standard event analysis, but the rank order of treatment effect changed for 10 of 18 trials. The DALY analysis also permitted derivation of number-needed-to-treat values to gain 1 DALY: 2.1 for anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation, 2.7 for carotid endarterectomy in symptomatic stenosis, and 4.7 for clopidogrel added to aspirin in acute coronary syndrome. Hypothetical trial analyses demonstrated that the DALY metric more finely discriminates treatment effects.

Conclusions—

Compared with a nonfatal myocardial infarction, a nonfatal stroke causes a 1.48-fold greater loss and vascular death a 2.25-fold greater loss of DALY. DALY analysis integrates these valuations in a summary metric reflecting the net impact of therapy on patient and societal health, complementing conventional end point analyses.
Interobserver Variability of Grading Scales for Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Degen Lieveke A.R. , Dorhout Mees Sanne M. , Algra Ale , Rinkel Gabriël J.E.
Published: April 2011

Background and Purpose—

Worldwide, different scales are used to assess the clinical condition on admission after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. In addition to the prognostic value, the inter-rater variability should be taken into account when deciding which scale preferably should be used. We assessed the interobserver agreement of the commonly used World Federation of Neurological Surgeons, the Hunt and Hess, and the Prognosis on Admission of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage scales.

Methods—

In a cohort of 50 subarachnoid hemorrhage patients, 103 paired assessments were performed on the 3 admission scales by 2 independent observers per assessment with a total of 57 different raters. Patients were assessed during the first week after the hemorrhage. The interobserver agreement was calculated using quadratic (weighted) kappa statistics.

Results—

The weighted kappa value of the Prognosis on Admission of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage scale was 0.64 (95% CI, 0.49–0.79), of the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons scale was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.48–0.73), and of the Hunt and Hess scale was 0.48 (95% CI, 0.36–0.59).

Conclusions—

The Hunt and Hess scale showed the lowest interobserver agreement, whereas agreement of the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons and Prognosis on Admission of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage scales was similar with overlapping CI.
Transfer Delay Is a Major Factor Limiting the Use of Intra-Arterial Treatment in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Prabhakaran Shyam , Ward Edward , John Sayona , Lopes Demetrius K. , Chen Michael , Temes Richard E. , Mohammad Yousef , Lee Vivien H. , Bleck Thomas P.
Published: April 2011

Background and Purpose—

The development of comprehensive stroke centers within hub-and-spoke stroke networks offers the opportunity to increase the proportion of acute ischemic stroke patients treated with intra-arterial therapies (IAT). Interhospital transfer delays will be critical in evaluating the success of this strategy.

Methods—

We collected data on consecutive patients who were transferred to our institution for possible IAT. We defined transfer time as time elapsed from initial transfer call to arrival at our hospital and assessed whether transfer time was a predictor of emergent angiography using multivariable logistic regression.

Results—

Among 132 patients referred for IAT, 53 (40.2%) were excluded on clinical grounds. The remaining 79 (59.8%) patients (mean age, 61 years; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, 18; 49.4% male) were analyzed. Sixty-one of 79 (77%) patients underwent emergent angiography for IAT. The median hospital-to-hospital distance was 14.7 (interquartile range, 8.5–21.9) miles and median transfer time was 104 (interquartile range, 80–135) minutes. Transfer time was 33% lower among those who underwent emergent angiography (100.6 versus 149.0 minutes;
P
<0.001). Adjusting for relevant covariates, transfer time remained an independent predictor of emergent angiography (OR, 0.975; 95% CI, 0.956–0.995;
P
=0.014). The odds of treatment decrease by 2.5% for every minute of transfer time.

Conclusions—

Delay in hospital-to-hospital transfer is a common reason that acute ischemic stroke patients are excluded from interventional therapy. The likelihood of receiving IAT decreases rapidly by increasing transfer time. Specific goals for transfer time should be considered in future quality standards for hub-and-spoke–organized stroke networks.
A New Therapeutic Strategy for Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Smadja Didier , Chausson Nicolas , Joux Julien , Saint-Vil Martine , Signaté Aïssatou , Edimonana Mireille , Jeannin Séverine , Bartoli Blaise , Aveillan Mathieu , Cabre Philippe , Olindo Stéphane
Published: April 2011

Background and Purpose—

Intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (IV tPA) frequently fails to recanalize proximal middle cerebral artery (MCA-M1) obstructions, preventing favorable outcomes. Only neurointerventional procedures prevail in these cases, but well-equipped centers remain scarce. A new therapeutic strategy consisting of a second IV thrombolysis with low-dose tenecteplase was applied.

Methods—

Consecutive patients with an MCA-M1 occlusion that did not reopen at the end of IV tPA perfusion received IV tenecteplase (0.1 mg/kg). Partial or complete thrombolysis in myocardial infarction recanalization (Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction grade 2/3) and intracerebral hemorrhage were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging ≈24 hours later. Clinical outcomes at 3 months were evaluated with the modified Rankin score.

Results—

Among 40 patients with MCA-M1 occlusions who received IV tPA, 13 were treated according to the protocol of sequential combined IV thrombolytics. Baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 15. At a mean of 16.8 hours after IV thrombolysis, the recanalization rate was 100% (2 with Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction grade 2, 11 with Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction grade 3). Intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 4 of 13 (31%) patients, with no symptomatic hemorrhage. Good clinical outcomes (modified Rankin score=0/1) were achieved in 9 of 13 (69%) patients. Functional outcomes were very similar to those of 13 patients with early IV-tPA recanalization. Among 4 patients treated as protocol violations, 1 presented with a lack of recanalization and a parenchymal hematoma type 2.

Conclusions—

For patients with MCA-M1 occlusions treated with IV tPA but without early recanalization, a second bolus of IV tenecteplase (0.1 mg/kg) may be a relatively safe, effective, and easy option in carefully selected cases, but additional studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Globally Gridded Satellite Observations for Climate Studies
Authors: Knapp Kenneth R. , Ansari Steve , Bain Caroline L. , Bourassa Mark A. , Dickinson Michael J. , Funk Chris , Helms Chip N. , Hennon Christopher C. , Holmes Christopher D. , Huffman George J. , Kossin James P. , Lee Hai-Tien , Loew Alexander , Magnusdottir Gudrun
Published: April 2011

Geostationary satellites have provided routine, high temporal resolution Earth observations since the 1970s. Despite the long period of record, use of these data in climate studies has been limited for numerous reasons, among them that no central archive of geostationary data for all international satellites exists, full temporal and spatial resolution data are voluminous, and diverse calibration and navigation formats encumber the uniform processing needed for multisatellite climate studies. The International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) set the stage for overcoming these issues by archiving a subset of the full-resolution geostationary data at ~10-km resolution at 3-hourly intervals since 1983. Recent efforts at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center to provide convenient access to these data include remapping the data to a standard map projection, recalibrating the data to optimize temporal homogeneity, extending the record of observations back to 1980, and reformatting the data for broad public distribution. The Gridded Satellite (GridSat) dataset includes observations from the visible, infrared window, and infrared water vapor channels. Data are stored in Network Common Data Format (netCDF) using standards that permit a wide variety of tools and libraries to process the data quickly and easily. A novel data layering approach, together with appropriate satellite and file metadata, allows users to access GridSat data at varying levels of complexity based on their needs. The result is a climate data record already in use by the meteorological community. Examples include reanalysis of tropical cyclones, studies of global precipitation, and detection and tracking of the intertropical convergence zone.
Ocean Preconditioning of Cyclone Nargis in the Bay of Bengal: Interaction between Rossby Waves, Surface Fresh Waters, and Sea Surface Temperatures*
Authors: Yu Lisan , McPhaden Michael J.
Published: April 2011

An in-depth data analysis was conducted to understand the occurrence of a strong sea surface temperature (SST) front in the central Bay of Bengal before the formation of Cyclone Nargis in April 2008. Nargis changed its course after encountering the front and tracked along the front until making landfall. One unique feature of this SST front was its coupling with high sea surface height anomalies (SSHAs), which is unusual for a basin where SST is normally uncorrelated with SSHA. The high SSHAs were associated with downwelling Rossby waves, and the interaction between downwelling and surface fresh waters was a key mechanism to account for the observed SST–SSHA coupling.

The near-surface salinity field in the bay is characterized by strong stratification and a pronounced horizontal gradient, with low salinity in the northeast. During the passage of downwelling Rossby waves, freshening of the surface layer was observed when surface velocities were southwestward. Horizontal convergence of freshwater associated with downwelling Rossby waves increased the buoyancy of the upper layer and caused the mixed layer to shoal to within a few meters of the surface. Surface heating trapped in the thin mixed layer caused the fresh layer to warm, whereas the increase in buoyancy from low-salinity waters enhanced the high SSHA associated with Rossby waves. Thus, high SST coincided with high SSHA.

The dominant role of salinity in controlling high SSHA suggests that caution should be exercised when computing hurricane heat potential in the bay from SSHA. This situation is different from most tropical oceans, where temperature has the dominant effect on SSHA.
High-Resolution Imaging of the Ocean Surface Backscatter by Inversion of Altimeter Waveforms
Authors: Tournadre Jean , Chapron Bertrand , Reul Nicolas
Published: April 2011

This paper presents a new method to analyze high-resolution altimeter waveforms in terms of surface backscatter. Over the ocean, a basic assumption of modeling altimeter echo waveforms is to consider a homogeneous sea surface within the altimeter footprint that can be described by a mean backscatter coefficient. When the surface backscatter varies strongly at scales smaller than the altimeter footprint size, such as in the presence of surface slicks, rain, small islands, and altimeter echoes can be interpreted as high-resolution images of the surface whose geometry is annular and not rectangular. A method based on the computation of the imaging matrix and its pseudoinverse to infer the surface backscatter at high resolution (~300 m) from the measured waveforms is presented. The method is tested using synthetic waveforms for different surface backscatter fields and is shown to be unbiased and accurate. Several applications can be foreseen to refine the analysis of rain patterns, surface slicks, and lake surfaces. The authors choose here to focus on the small-scale variability of backscatter induced by a submerged reef smaller than the altimeter footprint as the function of tide, significant wave height, and wind.
The Affective Paradox
Authors: Consedine Nathan S. , Magai Carol , Horton David , Brown William M.
Published: April 2011

Despite generally more challenging developmental, environmental, economic, health, and social contexts, minority populations in the United States often report a lower frequency of many negative affects. In some views, such findings reflect a reporting or response bias among minority groups. However, an alternate view suggests that reports of negative emotion differ because minorities do not consciously experience certain discrete emotions as frequently. A study of 1,364 women from six ethnic subpopulations tested this thesis using trait anger as an exemplar. As expected, linear regressions demonstrated that while social desirability explained some ethnic variance in anger reports, a measure of repressive coping explained additional variance in trait anger and eliminated ethnic effects; social desirability no longer predicted trait anger once repressive coping was controlled. Results are discussed in terms how of how developmentally oriented, emotion regulation theories may supplement reporting bias conceptualizations of affective differences across ethnic groups. Implications and directions for future research are given.
Cross-Cultural Comparisons of 5-Year-Olds’ Estimating and Mathematical Ability
Authors: Muldoon Kevin , Simms Victoria , Towse John , Menzies Victoria , Guoan Yue
Published: April 2011

Recent research suggests that both the accuracy and linearity of number estimations are a source of difficulty in mathematical learning. There is also a range of evidence to suggest that children in East Asia are typically mathematically precocious compared to Western peers. Bringing these strands of work together, we discuss number line estimations involving an ability match study of children growing up in the United Kingdom and China. This article confirms that the quality of children’s number estimation is associated with some—but by no means all—early number problems. However, contrary to earlier studies, young Chinese children do not display more linear number scales in advance of (and potentially as a driver for) their math skills. Instead, their number estimations are not more accurate than those from an older Western sample with equivalent mathematical ability. The development of linearity in numerical representations takes a complex developmental path in multiple cultures.
Pancultural Associations Between Perceived Parental Acceptance and Psychological Adjustment of Children and Adults
Authors: Khaleque Abdul , Rohner Ronald P.
Published: April 2011

This meta-analysis tests the pancultural generalizability of two central postulates drawn from parental acceptance-rejection theory (PARTheory). The meta-analysis is based on 66 studies involving 19,511 respondents from 22 countries on five continents. All studies used the child and adult versions of the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaires for Mothers and for Fathers as well as the child and adult versions of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire. Results of analyses showed that the mean unweighted and weighted effect sizes of correlations between perceived maternal and paternal acceptance with offspring’s psychological adjustment were significant for both children and adults across all cultures studied. The results also showed that the mean weighted effect size of the correlation between paternal acceptance and psychological adjustment was significantly stronger than the mean weighted effect size of the correlation between maternal acceptance and psychological adjustment for children (but not for adults).
A “Day in the Lives” of Four Resilient Youths
Authors: Theron Linda , Ann Cameron Catherine , Didkowsky Nora , Lau Cindy , Liebenberg Linda , Ungar Michael
Published: April 2011

Grounded in the examples of four impoverished, relocated youths (two Sesotho-speaking orphans in South Africa and two Mexican immigrants in Canada), we explore cultural factors as potential roots of resilience. We triangulate rich qualitative findings (visual, dialogical, and observational) to foreground the particular, as well as acknowledge the universal, in explicating resilience in transitional contexts. Resilience-promoting cultural practices rely on adults to function as custodians of protective practices and values and on youth actively to accept their roles as cultural cocustodians. Our findings urge service providers toward forefronting the specific cultural context of young people in their therapeutic interventions and toward purposefully championing resilience-promoting cultural values and practices.
An Empirically Derived Classification System for Juvenile Firesetters
Authors: Del Bove Giannetta , Mackay Sherri
Published: April 2011

Despite the heterogeneity of juvenile firesetters, the literature lacks empirically based classification systems. Existing typologies have been descriptive, arbitrarily segregate subtypes based on univariate characteristics, and lack empirical validation. In the present investigation, cluster analysis was used to develop a classification of juvenile firesetters based on both fire-specific and general individual and environmental variables associated to firesetting severity and recidivism. Participants included 240 firesetters aged 4 to 17 and primary caretakers who were referred to The Arson Prevention Program for Children. Findings indicate that juvenile firesetters are a heterogeneous group that can be empirically separated into conventional-limited, home-instability-moderate, and multi-risk-persistent firesetters. These subtypes differ on fire-specific characteristics, individual and environmental variables, and firesetting recidivism and general outcome. The implications of this classification system for conducting fire-risk assessments and implementing prevention and treatment strategies are also discussed.
Assessing the impact of NGOs on intergovernmental organizations: The case of the Bretton Woods Institutions
Authors: Kelly Robert E.
Published: April 2011

The response of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) to the pressure of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) is undertheorized. Scholarship on NGOs around IGOs is frequently idiosyncratic and laudatory, and we lack cumulation for cross-IGO generalizations about NGO impact within the frame of established international relations (IR) theory. From the central three IR paradigms (realism, liberalism, and constructivism) I elaborate a null and three alternative hypotheses to explain why an IGO would respond to NGO pressures. I benchmark these hypotheses to empirical indicators of NGO impact on IGOs. I then ‘test drive’ this framework against the highly relevant, easily cross-comparable Bretton Woods Institutions. I find that the World Bank responds functionally to NGO pressure: NGO outreach serves its mission efficiency. The International Monetary Fund responds defensively: NGOs are an organizational threat to be managed.
Effects of parenting style and involvement in sibling conflict on adolescent sibling relationships
Authors: Milevsky Avidan , Schlechter Melissa J. , Machlev Moshe
Published: April 2011

This study examined relationships among maternal and paternal parenting styles, patterns of involvement in adolescent sibling conflict, and sibling relationship quality. Students ( N = 272) in grades 9 and 11 from a public high school in a metropolitan area of the Northeastern US completed measures of parenting styles, parental sibling conflict intervention styles, sibling closeness, sibling support, and sibling warmth and conflict. An authoritative parenting style was associated with sibling support and closeness. Cluster analyses identified gender-specific patterns of parental involvement. Participants reporting maternal or paternal coaching involvement style reported greater sibling warmth compared with those who did not report such patterns. The results highlight indirect and direct relationships between parental behavior and sibling relationship quality. In addition, the study identifies the existence of a meaningful typology of parental involvement in sibling conflict.
Cell Lines Derived From Feline Fibrosarcoma Display Unstable Chromosomal Aneuploidy and Additionally Centrosome Number Aberrations
Authors: Erichsen J. von , Hecht W. , Löhberg-Gruene C. , Reinacher M.
Published: April 2011

The purpose of the study was to evaluate clonality and presence of numerical chromosomal and centrosomal aberrations in 5 established feline fibrosarcoma cell lines and in a fetal dermal fibroblast cell line as a control. The clonality of all cell lines was examined using limited-dilution cloning. The number of chromosomes was counted in metaphase spreads. The immunocytochemical analysis of centrosome numbers was performed by indirect immunofluorescence using a monoclonal antibody that targets γ-tubulin, a well-characterized component of centrosomes. Monoclonal cell populations could be established from all cell lines. In all feline fibrosarcoma cell lines, the number of chromosomes deviated abnormally from the normal feline chromosome number of 2n = 38, ranging from 19 to 155 chromosomes per cell. Centrosome hyperamplification was observed in all 5 feline fibrosarcoma cell lines with a proportion of cells (5.7 to 15.2%) having more than 2 centrosomes. In the control cell line, only 0.6% of the cells had more than 2 centrosomes. In conclusion, the examinations revealed that centrosome hyperamplification occurs in feline fibrosarcoma cell lines. The feline fibrosarcoma cell lines possessed 10 to 25 times as many cells with centrosome hyperamplification as the control cell line. These observations suggest an association of numerical centrosome aberrations with karyotype instability by increasing the frequency of chromosome missegregation. The results of this study may be helpful for further characterization of feline fibrosarcomas and may contribute to the knowledge of cytogenetic factors that may be important for the pathogenesis of feline fibrosarcomas.
Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Mutations Associated With Infantile-Onset Myoclonic Epilepsy
Authors: Frye Richard E.
Published: April 2011

Epilepsy syndromes with onset in the first year of life, especially when they include myoclonic features, have special significance since they are associated with long-term developmental and neurological abnormalities. Dravet’s severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy is especially interesting as it is associated with fever-provoked seizures and mutations in the alpha subunit of the sodium channel (SCN1A) in about one-third of the cases. Here, we report 2 children who had clinical features of severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy without mutations in the SCN1A gene who were found to have mitochondrial DNA mutations associated with Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy. These 2 children demonstrated markers of mitochondrial dysfunction, drug-resistant epilepsy, and dysfunction of nonneurological systems. These cases demonstrate that mitochondrial DNA mutations, especially those associated with Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy, should be considered in cases of myclonic epilepsy starting in infancy, especially when mutations in the SCN1A gene are not found.
Psychiatric and Autistic Comorbidity in Fragile X Syndrome Across Ages
Authors: Gabis Lidia V. , Baruch Yael Kesner , Jokel Ariela , Raz Raanan
Published: April 2011

Fragile X syndrome is caused by CGG trinucleotide repeat expansion within the fragile X mental retardation 1 gene, when repeat number exceeds 200. The typical psychiatric profile of fragile X syndrome patients includes cognitive and behavioral deficits, psychiatric comorbidity, and autistic characteristics. Specific psychiatric features have not yet been clarified, specifically in relationship to age and genetic characteristics. The objective of this study was to characterize psychiatric comorbidities in subjects with fragile X syndrome at different ages. Subjects with fragile X syndrome and their unaffected siblings were recruited and their parents filled out functional-behavioral and psychiatric comorbidities questionnaires. Adolescents with fragile X syndrome showed decreased prevalence of functional-behavioral deficits. Incidence and severity of most psychiatric comorbidities were lower in older subjects. Incidence of generalized anxiety disorder increased with age in the fragile X syndrome group. The typical profile of patients with fragile X syndrome changes with age. Unaffected siblings exhibit anxiety and motor tics.
Cardiac Involvement in Nonketotic Hyperglycinemia
Authors: Al-Shareef Ibraheem , Arabi Mariam , Dabbagh Omar
Published: April 2011

Nonketotic hyperglycinemia is an autosomal recessive disorder of glycine metabolism characterized by the accumulation of glycine in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid with elevated cerebrospinal fluid to serum glycine ratio. The disease primarily affects the central nervous system, and has not been previously associated with myocardial involvement. In this article, the authors report an infant with nonketotic hyperglycinemia, who was found to have progressive left ventricular hypertrophy and dysfunction. His older sibling, who had a similar neurologic presentation, died of dilated cardiomyopathy as stated by the parents. The authors speculate that glycine may have a role in the development of cardiac dysfunction. The incidence of cardiac involvement may be under-diagnosed. They suggest the need for a cardiac evaluation in confirmed cases of nonketotic hyperglycinemia.
Sterilization for Individuals With Mental Disabilities: The Other Half of the Equation
Authors: Weisleder Pedro
Published: April 2011

Medical ethics can be defined as the study of moral values and judgments as they apply to medicine. Healthcare providers, or for that matter all who make contributions to the field of medicine, are regularly confronted by ethical dilemmas. Like other predicaments, ethical dilemmas require thoughtful consideration. The overarching goal of Ethical Crossroads is to provide a forum for opinions on a contemporary ethical challenge that, at least tangentially, impacts the practice of child neurology.
Infant Formula, Tea, and Water Supplementation of Latino Infants at 4-6 Weeks Postpartum
Authors: Wojcicki Janet M. , Holbrook Katherine , Lustig Robert H. , Caughey Aaron B. , Muñoz Ricardo F. , Heyman Melvin B.
Published: April 2011

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months-of-age. The authors examined prevalence and risk factors for use of infant formulas, water, and teas at 4-6 weeks in Latino infants in the San Francisco Bay Area, a group at high risk for future obesity. They recruited a cohort of pregnant Latina women (N = 201). Infant dietary recall and postpartum depressive symptoms were assessed at 4-6 weeks. The authors found that 105 women (53.1%) were feeding infant formulas and 48 (25.4%) were supplementing with tea or water. Of those providing water or tea, 60.0% were providing daily supplementation. In multivariate analyses, risk for infant supplementation with water or tea was associated with postpartum depressive symptoms (relative risk, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.0), cesarean delivery (relative risk, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-2.9), and infant formula use (relative risk, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.6). Early supplementation with water or teas and infant formulas should be discouraged in Latinos, given the high frequency observed in this population.
Lessons From a Global Learning Virtual Classroom
Authors: Patterson Lynn M. , Carrillo Paula Botero , Salinas Rigoberto Solano
Published: April 2011

As institutions of higher education adopt more global learning initiatives to improve global competencies and increase global citizenship among their students, the creative implementation of intercultural exchanges is critical. This article is a reflection on the experiences of implementing a virtual classroom linking students at Kennesaw State University (KSU) and Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios (Uniminuto). The virtual classroom is designed to address global competencies in the areas of knowledge, empathy, acceptance, foreign language ability, and intercultural teamwork. This article outlines the project history, specific class activities, challenges faced in implementation, and recommendations for modifying a future course and for adaptation at other universities.
The International Connections of Religious Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Karram Grace
Published: April 2011

Over the past decade, the largest growth in Sub-Saharan Africa’s private higher education has been among institutions with religious affiliations. This article examines the rise of private, religious higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa with international affiliations. Using an analysis of multiple stakeholders from the region and international community, the rationales and implications of religion higher education Africa are considered. Accreditation, quality assurance, funding, and development assistance are explored as key issues within African higher education. This article concludes with a discussion of the global divide between secular and religious ideologies and calls for more research into the impacts of religious higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Moving Beyond Soering: U.S. Prison Conditions as an Argument Against Extradition to the United States
Authors: Ross Jeffrey Ian
Published: April 2011

Over the past two decades, the European Union, via the European Human Rights Commission, has prevented the extradition of certain individuals to the United States based on a limited number of exceptions. This article suggests that the time is ripe to use the argument that high levels of prison violence and poor medical care, violates Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (hereafter European Convention), and Article 4 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (hereafter FREU). Additionally, the passage of the Prison Litigation Reform Act violates Article 13 of the European Convention and Article 47 of the FREU, and thus signatories to this document are well within their rights to block extradition to the United States. This legal defense however, does not prevent EU members from prosecuting and incarcerating individuals wanted by the United States in their own country once extradition proceedings have concluded.
American Muslim Investment in Civil Society
Authors: Djupe Paul A. , Calfano Brian R.
Published: April 2011

Using data from a national survey of 465 American Muslims conducted just after the 2008 election season, the authors assess whether American Muslims are invested in the practices (political discussion, especially across lines of difference) and norms (tolerance) that many theorists suggest are crucial to the maintenance of liberal democracy. The authors find that American Muslims tend to be intolerant of acts against religion. The authors’ explanation draws on intergroup relations theory, finding that post–September 11, 2001, discrimination served an educational function boosting tolerance, and disagreement in Muslim social networks tends to depress tolerance unless it is with an in-group discussion partner.
Brain Connectivity
Authors: Gong Gaolang , He Yong , Evans Alan C.
Published: April 2011

It has been well known that gender plays a critical role in the anatomy and function of the human brain, as well as human behaviors. Recent neuroimaging studies have demonstrated gender effects on not only focal brain areas but also the connectivity between areas. Specifically, structural MRI and diffusion MRI data have revealed substantial gender differences in white matter–based anatomical connectivity. Structural MRI data further demonstrated gender differences in the connectivity revealed by morphometric correlation among brain areas. Functional connectivity derived from functional neuroimaging (e.g., functional MRI and PET) data is also modulated by gender. Moreover, male and female human brains display differences in the network topology that represents the organizational patterns of brain connectivity across the entire brain. In this review, the authors summarize recent findings in the multimodal brain connectivity/network research with gender, focusing on large-scale data sets derived from modern neuroimaging techniques. The literature provides convergent evidence for a substantial gender difference in brain connectivity within the human brain that possibly underlies gender-related cognitive differences. Therefore, it should be mandatory to take gender into account when designing experiments or interpreting results of brain connectivity/network in health and disease. Future studies will likely be conducted to explore the interdependence between gender-related brain connectivity/network and the gender-specific nature of brain diseases as well as to investigate gender-related characteristics of multimodal brain connectivity/network in the normal brain.
Family Members’ Experiences of Everyday Life When a Child Is Dependent on a Ventilator
Authors: Lindahl Berit , Lindblad Britt-Marie
Published: April 2011

Children using mechanical ventilation for survival represent a small, but growing, vulnerable population in society. The aim of this study was to describe the existing qualitative research that examined family members’ experiences when a child is dependent on ventilator at home. A metasynthesis is an interpretative integration of qualitative research findings based on a systematic literature search. Twelve original research reports focusing on the life situation of ventilator- and technology-dependent children and their families published between 1998 and 2006 were selected as data. Themes from the metasynthesis included experiences of the ill child, siblings, and parents and the meaning of space and place. These findings provide an understanding of the family members’ experiences when a child is dependent on a ventilator for survival. Recommendations for future research with this population of families include a greater focus on professional support systems and family strengths and the use of longitudinal research methods using observation and interviews.
The Nature and Scope of Stressful Spousal Caregiving Relationships
Authors: Davis Linda Lindsey , Gilliss Catherine L. , Deshefy-Longhi Tess , Chestnutt Deborah H. , Molloy Margory
Published: April 2011

The caregiving literature provides compelling evidence that caregiving burden and depressive symptoms are linked with stressful care relationships, however, relational difficulties around caregiving are seldom described in the literature. This article presents findings from content analysis of baseline interviews with 40 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) spousal caregivers enrolled in a home care skill-training trial who identified their care relationship as a source of care burden. Disappointment and sadness about the loss of the relationship; tension within the relationship; and care decision conflicts within the relationship were recurrent themes of relational stress in caregiving. These spousal caregivers had relationship quality scores below the mean and burden and depressive symptom scores above the means of other caregivers in the study. These findings provide support for developing dyadic interventions that help spouses manage relational losses, care-related tensions, and care decision-making conflicts.
It Starts With Access!
Authors: Vandall-Walker Virginia , Clark Alexander M.
Published: April 2011

The critical illness of an adult constitutes a crisis for the patient’s family. They relinquish primary responsibility for the physical well-being of the patient to health providers, but remain involved, working to get through the situation. What constitutes this “work”? Results of two grounded theory studies revealed that family members were engaged first in the pivotal work of gaining access because of their overarching need to be present with and for their critically ill relative. Other work included patient-related work, nurse/physician-related work, and self-related work. These findings extend our understanding of their experiences beyond current knowledge and paternalistic perceptions of burden, stress and coping, and need recognition and fulfillment. Critical care nurses are exhorted to support family members in their work by removing barriers to patient, staff, and information access and to partnering opportunities.
She’s Always Dancing!
Authors: Travisano Richard V.
Published: April 2011

This poem is an attempt to capture the activeness and vitality of an individual's interaction style.
Living With Cancer? Come As You Are
Authors: Parry Diana C. , Glover Troy D.
Published: April 2011

This performance text explores how people “craft liveable truths” after a cancer diagnosis. Interviews with 26 members of Gilda’s Club, a meeting place for people whose lives have been touched by cancer, serve as the data source for the study. Weaving together excerpts from the interviews, a composite character named Henry is created to explore stories of diagnosis, changes in relationships, and the healing nature of shared experiences. Henry’s interactions with his doctor, daughter, and “cancer friends” reveal his struggle for dignity, hope, and transcendence throughout his cancer journey. This story is about living, not dying, with cancer. It is simultaneously a text about emotions (fear, happiness, friendship, anxiety, sadness, and optimism) and the institutional processes that shape them. The text invites a discussion of “emotion work” and institutional thinking fostered by support groups such as Gilda’s Club.
Understanding Another Person and Cooley’s Principle of Sympathetic Introspection: Consciousness in the Study of Human Life and Experience II
Authors: Witz Klaus G. , Sung Ah Bae
Published: April 2011

This article looks at the problem of intersubjectivity, that is, how it is possible that a person can come to subjectively understand the subjective experience and larger state of another person, focusing almost exclusively on how this problem is addressed in qualitative studies using the “Participant as Ally—Essentialist Portraiture” methodology and Cooley’s principle of “sympathetic introspection.” The first four sections illustrate some of the features of the essentialist approach that lead to such understanding. For example, the investigator focuses on larger holistic impressions she gets from particular “significant” passages that she regards as giving a sense of the participant’s consciousness and nature as a person (Section 1). The last two sections argue that practice of essentialist portraiture suggests that there is in everyone’s self, in her “I,” a level where there is a subtle understanding of the consciousness and being of every possible “being a human being.”
Nonlinear morphoelastic plates I: Genesis of residual stress
Authors: McMahon Joseph , Goriely Alain , Tabor Michael
Published: April 2011

Volumetric growth of an elastic body may give rise to residual stress. Here a rigorous analysis is given of the residual strains and stresses generated by growth in the axisymmetric Kirchhoff plate. Balance equations are derived via the Global Constraint Principle, growth is incorporated via a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient, and the system is closed by a response function. The particular case of a compressible neo-Hookean material is analyzed, and the existence of residually stressed states is established.