bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improvement in Myocardial Function by Terminalia arjuna in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Khaliq Farah , Parveen Adila , Singh Savita , Gondal Ranjana , Hussain M. Eijaz , Fahim Mohammad
Published: May 2013

Vascular complications are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in diabetic patients. Herbal drugs are increasingly being used in the treatment of cardiovascular disorders. The present study was designed to examine the therapeutic potential of Terminalia arjuna bark extract in improving myocardial function in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. After 8 weeks of STZ administration, rats showed a decline in left ventricular pressure (LVP), maximal rate of rise and fall in LVP (LV [dP/dt] max and LV [dP/dt] min), cardiac contractility index (LV [dP/dt] max/LVP), and rise in LV end-diastolic pressure. Altered lipid profile, oxidative stress, and increased levels of endothelin 1 (ET-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) along with histological changes in heart and pancreas were observed in diabetic rats. T arjuna significantly attenuated cardiac dysfunction and myocardial injury in diabetic rats. It also reduced oxidative stress, ET-1, and inflammatory cytokine levels. The decreased body weight, heart rate blood pressure, and raised blood sugar in diabetic rats did not improve after T arjuna therapy. Results suggest that T arjuna bark extract improves the altered myocardial function in diabetic rats possibly through maintaining endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities, decreasing ET-1 and cytokine levels.
Factor VIII in the Setting of Acute Ischemic Stroke Among Patients With Suspected Hypercoagulable State
Authors: Chang Tiffany R. , Albright Karen C. , Boehme Amelia K. , Dorsey Adrianne , Sartor E. Alton , Kruse-Jarres Rebecca , Leissinger Cindy , Martin-Schild Sheryl
Published: May 2013

Background:

Elevation of factor VIII is associated with higher risk of large vessel arterial occlusions including stroke.

Methods:

Factor VIII levels were examined in consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) presenting to a single center between July 2008 and May 2012. Factor VIII levels exceeding the laboratory reference range were considered elevated (>150%).

Results:

Factor VIII level was elevated in 72.4% (84 of 116) of the patients. Elevated factor VIII level was more frequent in blacks, diabetics, and patients who were anemic. Patients with elevated factor VIII had higher median baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS; 5 vs 2, P = .0295) and twice the frequency of neuroworsening (21.4% vs 9.4%), but discharge NIHSS and modified Rankin Scale were similar in the groups.

Conclusions:

High factor VIII level was found in the majority of tested patients with AIS. Several baseline differences were found between patients with normal and high factor VIII levels, but no differences were identified in outcome.
Acquired Hemophilia A
Authors: Yang Yanhui , Xue Feng , Shi Hao , Wang Hongmei , Zhang Lei , Ji Linxiang , Yang Renchi
Published: May 2013

Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare bleeding disorder caused by the autoantibody directed against factor VIII in patients without previous history of a bleeding disorder. We retrospectively analyzed the characteristics and outcomes of 49 patients with AHA diagnosed in our center from February 1994 to October 2012. Twenty-four patients with acute bleeding episodes were treated with prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) at a relative low dose of 30 to -50 U/kg/d and achieved good outcomes without any adverse reaction. Corticosteroids alone or in combination with cyclophosphamide were used as the first-line therapy to eradicate the inhibitors. In 39 evaluable patients, 35 (89.7%) achieved complete remission (CR). This study demonstrates that when bypassing agents such as recombinant activated factor VII and activated PCCs are not affordable or available, low dose PCC is effective and safe to control acute bleeding in patients with AHA. First-line therapy achieved good outcomes with a CR rate of 89.7%.
Violence Against Women in the Context of War
Authors: Holt Maria
Published: May 2013

In times of war, women are likely to experience, in addition to the “normal” violence of peacetime, random cruelties perpetrated by the enemy against all members of the community. During research conducted with Palestinian refugees and Shi’i Muslims in Lebanon, women described various forms of violence and, in this article, I examine violence suffered by women in the context of conflict from three perspectives: victimization, trauma, and resistance. I argue that traumatic events have the effect of obliterating identity, but they can also strengthen the resolve to resist.
Cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis associated with letrozole
Authors: Digklia Antonia , Tzika Evangelia , Voutsadakis Ioannis A
Published: May 2013

Aromatase inhibitors are increasingly used in the treatment of early and metastatic breast cancer. They can produce various skin adverse effects but are only rarely associated with cutaneous vasculitis. We report the first case of cutaneous vasculitis clearly associated with the use of aromatase inhibitor letrozole.
Pilot study to assess toxicity and pharmacokinetics of docetaxel in patients with metastatic breast cancer and impaired liver function secondary to hepatic metastases
Authors: Eckmann Karen , Michaud Laura B , Rivera Edgardo , Madden Timothy L , Esparza-Guerra Laura , Kawedia Jitesh , Booser Daniel J , Green Marjorie C , Hortobagyi Gabriel N , Valero Vicente
Published: May 2013

Background:

Limited clinical data are available regarding the safety of docetaxel in metastatic breast cancer patients with liver dysfunction.

Methods:

Eligible patients had breast cancer with impaired liver function secondary to hepatic metastases and were candidates for docetaxel therapy. They were assigned to one of five groups on the basis of total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase levels. All other causes of liver dysfunction were excluded, and bile duct obstruction was corrected, if possible, prior to study entry. Patients received docetaxel every three weeks. The chemotherapy dose was chosen on the basis of the patient’s level of hepatic dysfunction and escalated as tolerated. The primary outcome of this study was safety. The secondary outcomes were pharmacokinetic data and efficacy in terms of time to disease progression.

Results:

Twenty-three patients were enrolled. No unexpected toxicities occurred. Grade 3/4 fatigue (65%), neutropenia (30%), myalgias (26%), neutropenic fever (26%), vomiting (9%), and rash (9%) were the most common serious adverse events. The median time to progression was three months (range 1–18 months). Pharmacokinetic results indicated that patients with more severe hepatic dysfunction may have been underdosed based on our conservative dosing strategy.

Conclusions:

Docetaxel can be administered to patients with metastatic breast cancer and liver dysfunction after dose attenuation. However, because of a narrow therapeutic index in this clinical setting, therapy should be closely monitored with subsequent dose escalation when possible.
Isotretinoin maintenance therapy for glioblastoma: A retrospective review
Authors: Chen Sheree E , Choi Shauna S , Rogers Jane E , Lei Xiudong , De Groot John F
Published: May 2013

Objectives

The current standard treatment of glioblastoma includes maximal safe surgical resection, radiation, and temozolomide. Although isotretinoin has been used for maintenance therapy to delay tumor recurrence, this approach has not been proven to be effective. The objectives of the study are to compare the overall survival, progression-free survival and tolerability of isotretinoin maintenance therapy in patients who received isotretinoin maintenance therapy to patients who did not receive this treatment.

Methods

This study is a retrospective review of adult patients with glioblastoma treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center from 2004 to 2009. Patients who underwent surgical resection, radiation with concurrent temozolomide, and adjuvant treatment with temozolomide were included in the control group, and compared to similarly treated patients who received isotretinoin maintenance following adjuvant temozolomide.

Results

Eighteen patients who received isotretinoin maintenance therapy and 70 control patients were included in the analysis. Progression-free survival was 25.3 months with maintenance therapy versus 8.3 months for those not receiving maintenance ( p = 0.04). There was no difference in the 2-year or 3-year overall survival estimates ( p = 0.11). The common toxicities of isotretinoin included dermatologic-, metabolic-, and psychiatric-related adverse effects.

Conclusions

Isotretinoin maintenance therapy was associated with increased progression-free survival, but did not increase the overall survival in this retrospective review. The potential benefit of maintenance therapy should be weighed against toxicities and negative impact on quality of life in this patient population.
GCSF with or without chemotherapy compared to Plerixafor with GCSF as salvage mobilization regimen in patients with multiple myeloma and lymphoma: Collection effectiveness and cost effectiveness analysis
Authors: Abdel-Rahman Fawzi , Tuffaha Haitham W , Sharma Shanta , Jazar Husam Abu , Hussein Nilly , Saad Adnan , Rawi Omar Al , Hussein Ayad
Published: May 2013

Introduction

Plerixafor is a novel mobilizing agent of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) in lymphoma and multiple myeloma (MM) patients whose cells mobilize poorly. Due to the substantial cost associated with its use, we aimed to compare the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of Plerixafor + GCSF (PG) versus GCSF ± Chemotherapy (GC) as salvage mobilization regimens.

Methods

The charts of consecutive lymphoma and MM patients who had undergone at least one previous attempt of PBSCs mobilization that failed or resulted in an insufficient cell dose for transplant between 2007 and 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients identified received salvage mobilization with GC (prior to 2009) or PG after Plerixafor’s FDA approval. Data collected included demographics, medical histories, apheresis yields and transplant outcome. The cost effectiveness analysis was from the perspective of the Jordanian Ministry of Health. The incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated by dividing the difference in cost by the difference in effectiveness for the two regimens.

Results

Five patients received GC and twelve received PG. A minimum CD34+ cell dose of 2 × 106 cells/kg was collected from 8 patients (67%) in the PG group compared to 3 (60%) in the GC group ( p=0.79). The average costs were US$8570 and US$25,700 for the GC group and the PG group, respectively. The ICER was US$244,714 per successful stem cell collection.

Conclusion

Salvage Plerixafor use showed a non-significant improvement in PBSCs collection with a significant increase in cost. Prospective comparative effectiveness studies are warranted to inform the optimal salvage mobilization regimen. To our knowledge, this is the first study from the Middle East to describe the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of Plerixafor.
Women Who Sexually Offend Display Three Main Offense Styles
Authors: Gannon Theresa A. , Waugh Greg , Taylor Kelly , Blanchette Kelly , O’Connor Alisha , Blake Emily , Ó Ciardha Caoilte
Published: May 2013

This study examined a theory constructed to describe the offense process of women who sexually offend—the Descriptive Model of Female Sexual Offending (DMFSO). In particular, this report sets out to establish whether the original three pathways (or offending styles) identified within United Kingdom convicted female sexual offenders and described within the DMFSO (i.e., Explicit-Approach, Directed-Avoidant, Implicit-Disorganized) were applicable to a small sample ( N = 36) of North American women convicted of sexual offending. Two independent raters examined the offense narratives of the sample and—using the DMFSO—coded each script according to whether it fitted one of the three original pathways. Results suggested that the three existing pathways of the DMFSO represented a reasonable description of offense pathways for a sample of North American women convicted of sexual offending. No new pathways were identified. A new “Offense Pathway Checklist” devised to aid raters’ decision making is described and future research and treatment implications explored.
A Longitudinal Examination of the Developmental Executive Function Hierarchy in Children With Externalizing Behavior Problems
Authors: Tillman Carin , Brocki Karin C. , Sørensen Lin , Lundervold Astri J.
Published: May 2013

Objective: Using a 4-year longitudinal design, we evaluated two hypotheses based on developmental executive function (EF) hierarchy accounts in a sample of children with externalizing problems. Method: The participants performed EF tasks when they were between 8 and 12 years ( M = 9.93), and again approximately 4 years later when they were between 12 and 15 years ( M = 13.36). Results: Inhibition in middle childhood predicted working memory (WM) 4 years later. Further, deficits in inhibition and sustained attention were more prominent in middle rather than late childhood, whereas poor WM was salient throughout these periods. Conclusions: These findings support the hypotheses that EFs develop hierarchically and that EF deficits in ADHD are more prominent in actively developing EFs. They also emphasize ADHD as a developmental disorder.
Cavernous sinus syndrome due to osteochondromatosis in a cat
Authors: Perazzi Anna , Bernardini Marco , Mandara Maria T , De Benedictis Giulia M , De Strobel Francesca , Zotti Alessandro
Published: May 2013

A 1-year-old sexually intact male Korat cat was referred for ophthalmological consultation due to anisocoria. Mydriasis with external ophthalmoplegia and absence of pupillary light responses in the right eye and nasofacial hypalgesia were seen. Cavernous sinus syndrome (CSS) was suspected. Bilateral deformities of the jaw and phalangeal bones, severe spinal pain and abnormal conformation of the lumbar spine were also present. Radiographic examination revealed several mineralised masses in the appendicular and axial skeleton, indicative of multiple cartilaginous exostoses. For further investigation of the CSS-related neurological deficits, the cat underwent computed tomography (CT) examination of the skull. CT images revealed a non-vascularised, calcified, amorphous mass originating from the right lateral skull base and superimposing on the sella turcica. Based on the severity of diffuse lesions and owing to the clinical signs of extreme pain, the cat was euthanased. A diffuse skeletal and intracranial osteochondromatosis was diagnosed histologically.
Transsplenic portal scintigraphy using 99mTc-pertechnetate for the diagnosis of portosystemic shunts in cats: a retrospective review of 12 patients
Authors: Vandermeulen Eva , Combes Anaïs , de Rooster Hilde , Polis Ingeborgh , de Spiegeleer Bart , Saunders Jimmy , Peremans Kathelijne
Published: May 2013

Portosystemic shunts (PSS), congenital or acquired, occur uncommonly in the feline population. The diagnostic approach is similar to one in dogs suspected of a PSS based on the clinical signs and haematological and biochemical changes. Diagnostic imaging, however, is key for the confirmation of a PSS. Although abdominal ultrasound is the first-choice diagnostic imaging modality, the results are not always unequivocal. Transsplenic portal scintigraphy (TSPS) using 99mTc-pertechnetate is a well-established technique in canine medicine, providing relatively fast and easy confirmation of the presence or absence of a PSS. As the prevalence of PSS is much lower in the feline population, this technique has not been widely used in cats. This retrospective study of 12 cases gives an overview of the potential of TSPS in the diagnostic work-up of PSS in cats (2005–2012).
Unusual rib metastasis in two cats with pulmonary carcinoma
Authors: Keenihan Erin K , Lynch Shasta , Priestnall Simon L , Harrington Norelene T , Benigni Livia , Lamb Christopher R
Published: May 2013

Two cats had chronic respiratory signs associated with pulmonary carcinoma. In each case, computed tomography demonstrated similar pulmonary masses, pleural fluid and osteolytic expansile rib lesions as a result of local costal spread. This is the first report of feline primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma with local spread to the ribs, causing osteolysis. Although pleural involvement is common with this neoplasm, local spread to ribs is rarely reported.
Foam-core, curved composite sandwich panels under blast
Authors: Fatt Michelle S Hoo , Gao Yifei , Sirivolu Dushyanth
Published: May 2013

An elastic-plastic model was developed for predicting the blast response of a foam-core, curved composite sandwich panel. A multi-layered approach was used to distinguish facesheets and core deformations. Core compressibility and transverse shear through the thickness were accounted for using linear displacement fields through the thickness. The predicted solution from the elastic-plastic model was shown to compare well with FEA from ABAQUS Implicit. A parametric study showed that blast resistance of the sandwich shell is increased by allowing cores to undergo plastic crushing. Very thick and shallow shells derive much of their resistance to blast from core crushing. Strong, dense foam cores did not increase the blast resistance of the curved sandwich panel but allowed facesheets to fracture while the core remained elastic.
Free vibration analysis of three-parameter functionally graded material sandwich plates resting on Pasternak foundations
Authors: Kamarian Saeed , Yas Mohammad Hossein , Pourasghar Aminallah
Published: May 2013

Based on the three-dimensional elasticity theory, this paper focuses on the free vibration characteristics of functionally graded sandwich rectangular plates resting on Pasternak foundations. The two-constituent functionally graded plate consists of ceramic and metal. These constituents are graded through the thickness according to a three-parameter power-law distribution. The benefit of using the considered power-law distribution is to illustrate and present useful results arising from symmetric, asymmetric and classic profiles. In this research work, a detailed parametric study is carried out to highlight the influences of different profiles of fiber volume fraction, three parameters of power-law distribution and two-parameter elastic foundation modulus on the vibration characteristics of the functionally graded sandwich plates.
The reproduction of biological ‘race’ through physical education textbooks and curriculum
Authors: McDonald Brent
Published: May 2013

This paper examines the usage of ‘race’ in high school physical education textbooks in Australia. In particular, it examines the concept of biological ‘race’ in connection with human performance in sport. DNA studies do not indicate that separate classifiable subspecies (races) exist within modern humans. A content analysis of physical education textbooks in Australia suggests that they are sites that continue to perpetuate myths of ‘race’ and the ‘science’ related to it. As such the utilization of biological ‘race’ as a variable for athletic performance naturalizes embedded biases, is anti-scientific and is potentially indicative of other racist practices within education. Further this commonsense understanding of biological ‘race’ continues to develop uncritically and unchecked. University students in the fields of exercise science and physical education generally develop from students who excelled in high school physical education (PE). The power of curriculum and pedagogy result in the reproduction of biological ‘race’ that has become reified in the field of physical education.
Understanding recovery in children following traffic-related injuries: Exploring acute traumatic stress reactions, child coping, and coping assistance
Authors: Marsac Meghan L , Donlon Katharine A , Hildenbrand Aimee K , Winston Flaura K , Kassam-Adams Nancy
Published: May 2013

Millions of children incur potentially traumatic physical injuries every year. Most children recover well from their injury but many go on to develop persistent traumatic stress reactions. This study aimed to describe children’s coping and coping assistance (i.e., the ways in which parents and peers help children cope) strategies and to explore the association between coping and acute stress reactions following an injury. Children ( N = 243) rated their acute traumatic stress reactions within one month of injury and reported on coping and coping assistance six months later. Parents completed a measure of coping assistance at the six-month assessment. Children used an average of five to six coping strategies (out of 10), with wishful thinking, social support, and distraction endorsed most frequently. Child coping was associated with parent and peer coping assistance strategies. Significant acute stress reactions were related to subsequent child use of coping strategies (distraction, social withdrawal, problem-solving, blaming others) and to child report of parent use of distraction (as a coping assistance strategy). Findings suggest that children’s acute stress reactions may influence their selection of coping and coping assistance strategies. To best inform interventions, research is needed to examine change in coping behaviors and coping assistance over time, including potential bidirectional relationships between trauma reactions and coping.
A Framework for Modelling Non-Steady-State Concentrations of Semivolatile Organic Compounds Indoors – I: Emissions from Diffusional Sources and Sorption by Interior Surfaces
Authors: Guo Zhishi
Published: May 2013

Over the past two decades, more than 20 mass transfer models have been developed for building materials, furnishings, and consumer products as contaminant sources, sinks, and barriers. While these models have greatly improved our understanding of contaminant movements in buildings, their applications in the real world have been somewhat limited because of the incompatibility and computational complexity of the models. In this paper, a framework is proposed for modelling the dynamic concentrations of semivolatile organic compounds in indoor media. Based on a discretization method, which transfers continuous models into discrete counterparts, this framework can perform the functions of the existing mass transfer models and, at the same time, solves the model incompatibility problem and reduces the computational complexity. This framework complements and supplements the existing multimedia semivolatile organic compound models by providing more details of the distribution of semivolatile organic compounds among indoor media, helping check the validity of certain assumptions that have been used in those steady-state models, and providing more flexibility to allow evaluation of risk management options such as source removal, encapsulation, and variable ventilation rate. This framework will be described in two parts. Part I, this paper, discusses the representation of diffusional sources and sorption by interior surfaces. Interactions of semivolatile organic compounds with particulate matter will be discussed in a subsequent publication.
Modeling and verification of a missile launcher system
Authors: Işık Ç , Ider SK , Acar B
Published: May 2013

The launcher models used in most of the previous studies have few degrees of freedom that cannot possibly capture many important motion characteristics. In this work, a flexible multibody model of a missile launcher system is built. The fixed, azimuth and elevation platforms and the launching pod are modeled as flexible bodies. Both the normal vibration modes and constraint modes are considered. Modes that do not contribute significantly to the total strain energy are eliminated to reduce simulation time. The joint flexibility effects are also included to the model by spring-damper elements. For the plume force and the motor thrust, experimental data are utilized. The forces transmitted to the base of the launcher system and the azimuth platform displacements during the launch are determined. Launching tests show good conformity with the simulation results, thus revealing that the developed model provides a realistic representation of the system.
Kings and commoners: Agroecology meets consumer culture
Authors: Smaje Chris
Published: May 2013

The global agrifood system is examined in various scholarly literatures, including consumption studies, which are not well integrated. This paper presents data on producer–consumer relations from a small agroecology (vegetable box) scheme in England in order to ground an analysis of ‘ethical consumption’ within this wider agrifood context. It draws on the work of Daniel Miller in particular in order to theorise consumer motivations among box scheme customers, while critiquing the implicit ‘eco-pragmatism’ of Miller and of other consumption sociologies. Employing a range of perspectives – including McKim Marriott’s transactional analysis and the agrarian populist impetus in the food sovereignty movement – the paper articulates a revised green critique of contemporary consumerism which, it is argued, can illuminate some of the theoretical presuppositions of consumption theory and inform emerging efforts to establish agroecology and sustainable food production.
Associations between the angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphism and susceptibility to sarcoidosis: A meta-analysis
Authors: Song Gwan Gyu , Kim Jae-Hoon , Lee Young Ho
Published: May 2013

Introduction:

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the insertion (I) or deletion (D) of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) polymorphism confers susceptibility to sarcoidosis.

Methods:

A meta-analysis on the associations between the ACE I/D polymorphism and sarcoidosis was conducted.

Results:

Seventeen comparison studies consisting of 1556 cases and 2381 controls were available for the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis revealed a significant association between the D allele and sarcoidosis (OR 1.206, 95% CI 1.049–1.386, p = 0.009). An ethnicity-specific meta-analysis of the DD+ID genotype showed an association with sarcoidosis in East Asians (OR 1.342, 95% CI 1.041–1.729, p = 0.023). An association was found between the DD genotype of the ACE I/D polymorphism and sarcoidosis (OR 1.251, 95% CI 1.070–1.463, p = 0.005). Furthermore, stratification by ethnicity indicated an association between the DD genotype and sarcoidosis in Europeans (OR = 1.215, 95% CI = 1.010–1.462, p = 0.039).

Conclusions:

Our meta-analysis demonstrates that the ACE I/D polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to sarcoidosis in European and East Asian populations.
Pioglitazone enhances the blood pressure-lowering effect of losartan via synergistic attenuation of angiotensin II-induced vasoconstriction
Authors: Kong Xiang , Ma Ming-zhe , Qin Li , Zhang Yan , Li Xiao-yong , Wang Guo-dong , Su Qing , Zhang Dao-you
Published: May 2013

Introduction:

This study was designed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of synergistic antihypertensive effect produced by combination therapy of losartan and pioglitazone in metabolic syndrome (MS) rats.

Materials and methods:

An MS model was induced by feeding rats a high-fat, high-sodium diet and 20% sucrose solution. Losartan (20 mg/kg/day), pioglitazone (10 mg/kg/day), and their combination were orally administered for eight consecutive weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured using the tail-cuff method and carotid arterial catheterization, respectively. The aortas were isolated and in vitro vascular reactivity studies were performed. The protein expression of angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), phosphorylated eNOS and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase subunit p47phox, level of nitrotyrosine as well as activity of eNOS and NADPH oxidase in aortas of MS rats were detected.

Results:

After eight weeks of treatment, the SBP and MAP in the losartan (115 ± 5 and 106 ± 6 mmHg), pioglitazone (130 ± 6 and 118 ± 6 mmHg), and combination therapy (105 ± 6 and 98 ± 5 mmHg) groups were lower than those in the model group (150 ± 8 and 136 ± 9 mmHg). Combination therapy of losartan and pioglitazone reduced BP more than either monotherapy, and showed additive effects on improving endothelial dysfunction and abolishing the increased vascular responsiveness to angiotensin II. These synergistic effects were associated with further reductions in protein expression of p47phox and AT1, NADPH oxidase activity, and nitrotyrosine level.

Conclusions:

Our data indicate that combined treatment exerts more beneficial effects on lowering BP and improving vascular lesions.
Deferring virtue: The new management of students and the civic role of schools
Authors: Ben-Porath Sigal
Published: May 2013

The expectation that schools resuscitate civic virtues and create a vibrant civic and public sphere competes with a more powerful contemporary demand on schools, namely, that they generate equal opportunity and mobility, especially for poor and minority youth. This equal opportunity is framed solely in the context of grades on standardized tests. The effort to improve the educational achievement of youth from underserved communities is undertaken through strict behavior management practices, particularly in charter networks that are seen as more successful. These, I suggest, pose the risk of undermining the opportunity students have to develop and practice civic virtues. I raise the possibility that schools teach different kinds of civic virtue to different kinds of children.
Conditional Bureaucratic Discretion and State Welfare Diffusion under AFDC
Authors: Parinandi Srinivas
Published: May 2013

In this article, I evaluate whether a state's level of bureaucratic discretionary authority with respect to welfare policy makes that state more or less likely to participate in policy diffusion with other states that share similar levels of bureaucratic discretionary authority. Using data on levels of access to welfare services in the late Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) era (1976–90), I find that bureaucrats across states who are granted high-discretionary authority engage in policy diffusion with one another. Diffusion based on similarity in discretionary authority is more pronounced when bureaucrats possess high compared with no discretion and does not occur when bureaucrats possess low discretion. Moreover, diffusion between high-discretion bureaucrats operates concurrently with geographic- and economic-driven forms of diffusion that have been well documented in the policy diffusion literature. Results demonstrate that a state's choice of how much discretion to give bureaucrats can open or close channels of diffusion that are available to policymakers in that state.
Measuring State House Speakers' Formal Powers, 1981–2010
Authors: Mooney Christopher Z.
Published: May 2013

The cross-sectional variation among state legislative leaders' formal powers provides a unique opportunity to test a variety of hypotheses of the American legislative process that involve the causes and effects of these powers. But to date, measures of these powers have been developed primarily for single years or biennia, limiting their applicability, especially for drawing causal conclusions. In this note, I develop an index of state House speakers' formal powers for each biennia from 1981 to 2010 (for even-year-election states) and from 1982 to 2009 (for odd-year-election states).
Vibrational Affect
Authors: Gershon Walter S.
Published: May 2013

This article examines the theoretical, methodological, and practical possibilities of sound for qualitative research. Moving from an understanding that sounds are a form of vibrational affect, the author argues that sound can be articulated as resonance and knowledge in ways that are significant to human experiences of sensation and signification. These conceptualizations of sound are then used to articulate processes of data collection, analysis, and representation for a sounded methodological practice called sonic ethnography. In keeping with the tone and tenor of this special issue and the developing field of sound studies, the third section considers whether sounds need to be categorized as “data” to be of value to qualitative researchers. A final brief section describes the construction and sounds presented in the accompanying sound/work that serves as a performative example of how sounded representations of sonic ethnography can function in practice. The associated sound/work can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/vibrationalaffect/gershon .
Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Barreto Philipe de Souto
Published: May 2013

Our understanding on the pathophysiology and clinical aspects related to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) have been largely improved since the first case recorded in the medical literature in the beginning of the 20th century. Regarding the age of onset of AD, an important change seems to have happened in the last century: from several AD cases reported in middle aged and young adults in the first half of the 20th century, the age of onset of AD seems to have increased at the end of that century and the beginning of the 21st century. Since the 1-century-long time interval is very narrow to make a hypothesis on a genetic modification, it is possible that modifiable risk factors of AD played a role in increasing the age of onset of AD. Although the exact etiology of AD remains unknown, experts currently agree that it is multifactorial, being the result of complex interactions among genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, nutrition, and smoking. In the present article, we briefly discuss how lifestyle trends in the last century may have contributed to the increase in the age of onset of AD, and propose future directions for research on AD and lifestyle factors.
The Poetry of Politics
Authors: Joffe Carole
Published: May 2013

Katha Pollitt, longtime columnist for The Nation and one of the country’s leading political commentators, was recently interviewed by sociologist Carole Joffe. The interview offers Pollitt’s views on such subjects as the state of the feminist movement, academic feminism, the 2012 elections, and sociology.
Immigration Reform
Authors: Rodríguez Nestor
Published: May 2013

The phrase immigration reform has been around since the early history of the country, and its meaning varies according to different social perspectives of whether to admit more immigrants or limit their numbers. Sociologist Nestor Rodríguez argues that while immigration reform may open the door for some new immigrants, invariably it keeps other immigrants out, sometimes because of restrictive regulations adopted by the administering government agencies.
Arab Winter
Authors: Kurzman Charles , Fahmy Dalia F. , Gengler Justin , Calder Ryan , Whitson Sarah Leah
Published: May 2013

Five experts, Charles Kurzman, Dalia F. Fahmy, Justin Gengler, Ryan Calder, and Sarah Leah Whitson comment on whether or not the promise of an Arab Spring of democracy and freedom has withered.
Transnational Gender Vertigo
Authors: Hoang Kimberly Kay
Published: May 2013

Sociologist Kimberly Kay Hoang explores sex work and international migration, how sex workers-turned-wives become breadwinners.
Disaster Porn!
Authors: Recuber Timothy
Published: May 2013

The term disaster porn has evolved over time, from an epithet directed at extreme depictions of suffering in the developing world, to a broader critique today of all sorts of disaster-related media—even fictional Hollywood blockbusters. Sociologist Timothy Recuber examines how disaster porn, in all its iterations and for all its flaws, is a vital political terrain in which publics are at least implicitly asked to struggle with the social significance of the suffering of others.
Breaking Barriers to Climate Justice
Authors: Foran John , Widick Richard
Published: May 2013

Sociologists John Foran and Richard Widick explore the nature of the current global impasse on climate change negotiations, and argue that an emerging alliance among progressive nations and climate justice movements, and especially youth, offers grounds for cautious optimism.
Walking like a Man?
Authors: Barber Kristen , Kretschmer Kelsy
Published: May 2013

SlutWalk marches have emerged to protest the blaming of women for their own sexual assault. Sociologists Kristen Barber and Kelsy Kretschmer consider the different ways men participate in SlutWalk, and how their participation at times both supports and undermines the feminist goals of the event.
Reproducing the Nation
Authors: Altıok Özlem
Published: May 2013

Sociologist Özlem Altıok discusses the recent efforts to further restrict abortion in Turkey. She argues that these efforts are part of an effort to manage the population by disciplining women’s fertility under a new “reproductive governmentality.”
Reality Queens
Authors: Gamson Joshua
Published: May 2013

How did queens rule come to rule reality television? Sociologist Joshua Gamson argues that the rise of segmented cable television, and of consumption-friendly subgenres, have invited style gurus, best-gay-friends, and queer worlds into the refracted spotlight.
On the Wings of a Fantasy
Authors: McGettigan Timothy
Published: May 2013

Sociologist Timothy McGettigan argues that science is the most effective means ever invented to transform fantasies into reality. He discusses how DARPA stimulates scientific progress by challenging scientists to pursue fantasies, and nowhere is this better illustrated than in the 100 Year Starship project.
Juvenile in Justice
Authors: Ross Richard
Published: May 2013

The research, interviews, images, and findings that are represented in juvenile-in-justice.com are the result of Richard Ross’s continuing project that has lasted over six years, involved hundreds of institutions, and over 1,000 kids that are detained and confined. They are the voices of the youngest, least heard, from families with the least resources from neighborhoods with the least power.
Aging Trends in Homeless Populations
Authors: Culhane Dennis P. , Metraux Stephen , Byrne Thomas , Stino Magdi , Bainbridge Jay
Published: May 2013

Longitudinal data suggests that the single adult homeless population is going through a demographic transition, where the overall population is aging but there are indications that a younger cohort may be emerging. Scholars Dennis P. Culhane, Stephen Metraux, Thomas Byrne, Magdi Stino, and Jay Bainbridge argue that interventions at both ends of this transition: housing the aging and increasingly infirm elements of this population while diverting at-risk younger populations from homelessness, have the potential to make a lasting reduction in this population.
The Gun Control Paradox
Authors: Schuman Howard , Presser Stanley
Published: May 2013

Sociologists Howard Schuman and Stanley Presser explore how proponents of requiring police permits for purchasing a gun are the majority of the public and say they feel more strongly about the issue than do opponents. But when it comes to taking action on the issue, it is the opponents who form the clear majority.
Marx on Finance
Authors: Meister Robert
Published: May 2013

Fredric Jameson’s new reading of Marx’s Capital, vol. 1 uses Marx’s account of the accumulation of capital in the form of producer goods to argue that a rising rate of structural unemployment is a fundamental tendency of capitalism as Marx understood, thereby challenging a “workerist” view of how Marx though capitalism could eventually end. Scholar Robert Meister argues that Jameson fails to grasp the role financial thinking in Marx’s account of the dual role of producer goods as both means of production and financial assets, and uses this account to sketch a view of the role of financial asset markets in production that builds on a Marxian foundation.
Living “Single”
Authors: Smock Pamela J.
Published: May 2013

Sociologist Pamela J. Smock reviews two recent monographs on the topic of singlehood. One, Going Solo, is authored by sociologist Eric Klinenberg and the other, Single: Arguments for the Uncoupled, is authored by English professor Michael Cobb.
Learning from Women’s Studies
Authors: Berger Michele Tracy
Published: May 2013

Scholar Michele Tracy Berger examines the transformational role of women’s studies in higher education during the last 40 years. Women’s studies with its commitment to interdisciplinarity, and emphasis on scholarship, teaching and activism provides an important model for the academy.
A Populist Sociology
Authors: Bute Monte
Published: May 2013

Sociologist and union activist Monte Bute debunks crème de la crème sociology and its caste system of lords and commoners. He defends the profession’s peasantry with a lucid and persuasive representation of what teaching, scholarship, and service might look like under a more populist sociology.
Robert Moses and the Visual Dimension of Physical Disorder
Authors: Chronopoulos Themis
Published: May 2013

In the 1950s, the Committee on Slum Clearance of the City of New York, headed by Robert Moses, published twenty-six site-specific slum clearance brochures. A major portion of each one of these brochures attempted to demonstrate the blighted conditions that prevailed in the area to be redeveloped. These sections included maps, statistics, descriptions, and photographs. Moses wanted to keep the texts in the brochures short and allow the photographs and the illustrations to demonstrate the shortcomings of the areas designated as slums. This article analyzes the photographs that appeared in the “Demonstration of Slum Conditions” (later renamed to “Demonstration of Blight”) section of the brochures and raises a number of questions concerning the process and the paradigm under which Moses’s slum clearance organization was operating. Both the process and the paradigm of slum clearance in New York City involved elected officials, planning commissioners, and even the judiciary.
The Fiction of Sovereignty and the Real State of Exception: Giorgio Agamben’s Critique of Carl Schmitt
Authors: McLoughlin Daniel
Published: May 2013

Agamben is perhaps best known for his analysis of the “logic of sovereignty” drawn from Carl Schmitt. This article examines the critique of sovereignty that Agamben develops through his reading of Walter Benjamin’s messianism. For Agamben, Schmitt’s analysis of sovereignty claims that the state of exception is a juridical condition, in that the law survives its suspension in the form of the “force-of-law.” Drawing on Benjamin, Agamben argues that sovereignty is a fiction that covers over the originary inoperativity of the law and the illegitimacy of authority. The purpose of Agamben’s analysis is to open space for a new understanding of the relationship between law and political action that responds to the contemporary crisis of tradition.
Clinical and radiological outcomes of the Ivory arthroplasty for trapeziometacarpal joint osteoarthritis with a minimum of 5 years of follow-up: a prospective single-centre cohort study
Authors: Goubau J. F. , Goorens C. K. , Van Hoonacker P. , Berghs B. , Kerckhove D. , Scheerlinck T.
Published: May 2013

We present the results of a 5 year prospective follow-up study on the functional outcome after total replacement of the trapeziometacarpal joint with the Ivory prosthesis (Memometal, Stryker Corporate, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA) in 22 patients. The female to male ratio was 21:1 and the mean age was 66 (range 54–78) years. The mean follow-up period was 67 (range 60–77) months after operation. Patient satisfaction was high. The mobility of the operated thumb was restored to a range of motion comparable to the contralateral thumb. Key pinch and grip strength improved by 13% and 31%, respectively. Overall function, according to Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) score, improved by 59%. Pain decreased by 85% according to the numerical rating scale. Radiological evaluation revealed no loosening of the implant after 5 years except in one patient who required revision due to polythene wear with secondary joint instability. Another patient had asymptomatic polythene wear that required no revision but remains in follow-up. The 5 year overall survival of the prosthesis was 95%. These medium-term results suggest that the Ivory arthroplasty is a reliable option for treating advanced trapeziometacarpal arthritis, because it appears to give a very good functional outcome and has the potential for long-term survival rates.
No correlation between sonographic and electrophysiological parameters in carpal tunnel syndrome
Authors: Żyluk A. , Walaszek I. , Szlosser Z.
Published: May 2013

A prospective study was carried out to investigate any correlation between electrophysiological and sonographic findings in patients with a clinical diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. A total of 113 patients (113 wrists) in 90 women and 23 men, with a mean age of 60 years, underwent sonographic and electrophysiological examination. Fifty-five patients (48%) had mild, 43 (38%) moderate and 12 (11%) had severe conduction disturbances and three patients had normal conduction. Sonographic measurements showed a cross-sectional area of the median nerve of 9.9 mm2 at the forearm and 17.8 mm2 at the tunnel inlet. The mean anteroposterior diameter (height) of the nerve at the tunnel inlet was 2.7 mm, and the lowest height inside the tunnel was 1.8 mm. No correlation was found between sonographic and electrophysiological parameters.
Comparison of palmar fixed-angle plate fixation with K-wire fixation of distal radius fractures (AO A2, A3, C1) in elderly patients
Authors: Goehre F. , Otto W. , Schwan S. , Mendel T. , Vergroesen P. P. , Lindemann-Sperfeld L.
Published: May 2013

The objective of this prospective, randomized, controlled trial was to compare the results of two operative techniques used for the treatment of unstable distal radius fractures in elderly patients classified as AO types A2, A3, and C1. Patients were treated with either fixed-angle volar plates or K-wires using a combined Kapandji and Willenegger technique. The functional results were determined after 3, 6, and 12 months. We included 40 patients aged over 65 years. Twenty-one patients were treated with plate fixation and 19 with K-wire fixation. The functional results, after 1 year, were nearly the same in both treatment groups, suggesting that either method is suitable for the treatment of unstable distal radius fractures of AO types A2, A3, and C1 in elderly patients. Sixteen of 21 patients with plate fixation and 17 of 19 patients with K-wire fixation present good results as assessed by the Castaing score. The median DASH score was three in both groups after 1 year. The patients with plate fixation were able to resume activities of daily living 4 weeks earlier. The most common complication was an intermediate post-traumatic median nerve irritation. Both methods are suitable for the treatment of elderly patients with unstable distal radius fractures of AO types A2, A3, and C1. If early functional post-operative care is important, palmar fixed-angle plate fixation is an ideal treatment approach. Otherwise, K-wire fixation is an effective, minimally invasive method with comparable clinical results.