bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increased Circulation of Galectin-3 in Cancer Induces Secretion of Metastasis-Promoting Cytokines from Blood Vascular Endothelium
Authors: Chen Chen , Duckworth Carrie A. , Zhao Qicheng , Pritchard David Mark , Rhodes Jonathan M. , Yu Lu-Gang
Published: February 2013

Purpose: Cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6 and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) are important metastasis promoters. This study has investigated the functional significance of the increased circulation of galectin-3, a common feature in patients with cancer and in particular those with metastasis, on cytokine secretion from the blood vascular endothelium in cancer.

Experimental Design: The effects of galectin-3 on secretion of cytokines from human microvascular lung endothelial cells were assessed in vitro by cytokine array and in vivo in mice. The consequences of galectin-3–induced cytokine secretion on endothelial cell behaviors were determined, and the relationship between the levels of circulating galectin-3 and cytokines in patients with colorectal cancer with and without metastasis was investigated.

Results: Galectin-3 at pathologic concentrations found in patients with cancer induces secretion of IL-6, G-CSF, sICAM-1, and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor from blood vascular endothelial cells in vitro and in mice. These cytokines autocrinely/paracrinely interact with the vascular endothelium to increase the expressions of endothelial cell surface adhesion molecules integrinαvβ1, E-selectin, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1, resulting in increased cancer cell–endothelial adhesion and increased endothelial cell migration and tubule formation. In patients with metastatic colon cancer, higher serum galectin-3 levels correlated significantly with increased serum G-CSF, IL-6, and sICAM1 concentrations.

Conclusion: The increased circulation of galectin-3 in patients with cancer induces secretion of several metastasis-promoting cytokines from the blood vascular endothelium that enhances endothelial cell activities in metastasis. Targeting the actions of circulating galectin-3 in patients with cancer therefore represents a promising therapeutic strategy to reduce metastasis and improve survival. Clin Cancer Res; 19(7); 1693–704. ©2013 AACR.
Early Postnatal Lesion of the Medial Dorsal Nucleus Leads to Loss of Dendrites and Spines in Adult Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Marmolejo Naydu , Paez Jesse , Levitt Jonathan B. , Jones Liesl B.
Published: February 2013

Research suggests that the medial dorsal nucleus (MD) of the thalamus influences pyramidal cell development in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in an activity-dependent manner. The MD is reciprocally connected to the PFC. Many psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, affect the PFC, and one of the most consistent findings in schizophrenia is a decrease in volume and neuronal number in the MD. Therefore, understanding the role the MD plays in the development of the PFC is important and may help in understanding the progression of psychiatric disorders that have their root in development. Focusing on the interplay between the MD and the PFC, this study examined the hypothesis that the MD plays a role in the dendritic development of pyramidal cells in the PFC. Unilateral electrolytic lesions of the MD in Long-Evans rat pups were made on postnatal day 4 (P4), and the animals developed to P60. We then examined dendritic morphology by examining MAP2 immunostaining and by using Golgi techniques to determine basilar dendrite number and spine density. Additionally, we examined pyramidal cell density in cingulate area 1 (Cg1), prelimbic region, and dorsolateral anterior cortex, which receive afferents from the MD. Thalamic lesions caused a mean MD volume decrease of 12.4% which led to a significant decrease in MAP2 staining in both superficial and deep layers in all 3 cortical areas. The lesions also caused a significant decrease in spine density and in the number of primary and secondary basilar dendrites on superficial and deep layer pyramidal neurons in all 3 regions. No significant difference was observed in pyramidal cell density in any of the regions or layers, but a nonsignificant increase in cell density was observed in 2 regions. Our data are thus consistent with the hypothesis that the MD plays a role in the development of the PFC and, therefore, may be a good model to begin to examine neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia.
Negative Correlation between Affective Symptoms and Prefrontal Activation during a Verbal Fluency Task: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study
Authors: Sawa Masayo , Yamashita Hidehisa , Fujimaki Koichiro , Okada Go , Takahashi Terumichi , Yamawaki Shigeto
Published: February 2013

Only a few studies have examined the relationships between affective symptoms, cognitive function (e.g. verbal fluency), quality of life (QOL), and brain activation in a nonclinical population. The aim of the present study was to assess these relationships and examine the underlying cortical mechanisms in a nonclinical population. Fifty-two healthy male volunteers were assessed for depressive symptoms using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), for apathy using the Apathy Scale, and QOL using the Medical Outcomes Study short-form 36-item questionnaire (SF36). The volunteers also performed a verbal fluency test (VFT) while hemoglobin concentration changes were assessed on the surface of the frontal cortex using 24-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The SDS and Apathy Scale scores showed significant negative correlations with the scores of most of the SF36 subscales. Frontal activation had a significant negative correlation with the SDS scores and the Apathy Scale. These results suggest that the degree of affective symptoms is associated with a lower QOL in a nonclinical population, and that cortical hypoactivation during a VFT measured by NIRS may objectively identify individuals with a high degree of affective symptoms.
Comparison of Wavelet Transform and Time-Domain Analysis of Second Trimester Uterine Artery Doppler Waveforms in Screening for Pre-Eclampsia
Authors: D'Antonio Francesco , Hamilton Paul , Pinnock Ralph , Bhide Amar , McVeigh Gary , Thilaganathan Basky
Published: February 2013

The aim of this study was to compare time-domain waveform analysis of second-trimester uterine artery Doppler using the resistance index (RI) with waveform analysis using a mathematical tool known as wavelet transform for the prediction of pre-eclampsia (PE). This was a retrospective, nested case-cohort study of 336 women, 37 of whom subsequently developed PE. Uterine artery Doppler waveforms were analysed using both RI and waveform analysis. The utility of these indices in screening for PE was then evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves. There were significant differences in uterine artery RI between the PE women and those with normal pregnancy outcome. After wavelet analysis, significant difference in the mean amplitude in wavelet frequency band 4 was noted between the 2 groups. The sensitivity for both Doppler RI and frequency band 4 for the detection of PE at a 10% false-positive rate was 45%. This small study demonstrates the application of wavelet transform analysis of uterine artery Doppler waveforms in screening for PE. Further prospective studies are needed in order to clearly define if this analytical approach to waveform analysis may have the potential to improve the detection of PE by uterine artery Doppler screening.
Rosuvastatin Reloading before Cardiac Surgery with Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Authors: Kuhn Elmar W. , Liakopoulos Oliver J. , Deppe Antje C. , Slottosch Ingo , Neef Klaus , Sterner-Kock Anja , Madershahian Navid , Choi Yeong H. , Wahlers Thorsten
Published: February 2013

Background/Purpose: Recent evidence suggests that statin-mediated cardioprotection after chronic statin therapy decreases over time and can be reactivated by preprocedural high-dose statin reloading therapy. We tested in a porcine cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) model whether statin-related cardioprotection is further enhanced by a preoperative rosuvastatin reloading therapy. Methods: Control (n = 6), rosuvastatin-pretreated (n = 6; 20 mg/day for 7 days p.o.) and rosuvastatin-reloaded (n = 6; p.o. treatment plus 0.10 mg/kg/h i.v. during surgery) pigs (Deutsche Landrasse) were subjected to CPB for 2 h with 1 h of cardioplegic cardiac arrest. Systemic hemodynamics, cardiac index (CI), coronary blood flow (CBF) and left ventricular (LV) function [pressure-volume area (PVA), preload recruitable stroke work (PRSW)] were determined before and 4 h after CPB. Myocardial expression (PCR) and protein content (Western blot) of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) were measured, and right coronary relaxation was assessed postmortem. All data are given as mean ± SD. Results: Preoperative plasma LDL, HDL and cholesterol did not differ between treatment groups. Compared to control, oral treatment improved post-CPB CI, CBF, first derivative of maximal LV-pressure (LVdp/dt) and PVA (p < 0.05). Significant enhancement was achieved with perioperative reloading therapy (CI: 5.2 ± 1.0 vs. 3.9 ± 1.5 l/min/m2; CBF: 76 ± 32 vs. 43 ± 8 ml/min; LVdp/dt: 1,980 ± 333 vs. 1,249 ± 461 mm Hg/s; PVA: 6,954 ± 941 vs. 3,252 ± 1,822 mm Hg·ml; p < 0.05) with improved in vitro NO-dependent coronary relaxation (102 ± 10 vs. 79 ± 14%; p = 0.003). Irrespective of recapture therapy statin pretreatment augmented myocardial eNOS and PTEN (p < 0.05), but failed to increase cardiac eNOS or PTEN expression after CPB. Conclusions: Periprocedural statin reloading therapy enhances myocardial and coronary function after cardiac surgery with CPB and may therefore provide a valuable therapeutic approach for the reduction of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Differentiation Patterns of Embryonic Stem Cells in Two- versus Three-Dimensional Culture
Authors: Pineda Emma T. , Nerem Robert M. , Ahsan Tabassum
Published: February 2013

Pluripotent stem cells are attractive candidates as a cell source for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering therapies. Current methods of differentiation result in low yields and impure populations of target phenotypes, with attempts for improved efficiency often comparing protocols that vary multiple parameters. This basic science study focused on a single variable to understand the effects of two-dimensional (2D) versus three-dimensional (3D) culture on directed differentiation. We compared mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) differentiated on collagen type I-coated surfaces (SLIDEs), embedded in collagen type I gels (GELs), and in suspension as embryoid bodies (EBs). For a systematic analysis in these studies, key parameters were kept identical to allow for direct comparison across culture configurations. We determined that all three configurations supported differentiation of ESCs and that the kinetics of differentiation differed greatly for cells cultured in 2D versus 3D. SLIDE cultures induced overall differentiation more quickly than 3D configurations, with earlier expression of cytoskeletal and extracellular matrix proteins. For 3D culture as GELs or EBs, cells clustered similarly, formed complex structures and promoted differentiation towards cardiovascular phenotypes. GEL culture, however, also allowed for contraction of the collagen matrix. For differentiation towards fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells which actively remodel their environment, GEL culture may be particularly beneficial. Overall, this study determined the effects of dimensionality on differentiation and helps in the rational design of protocols to generate phenotypes needed for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Acute Painful Stress and Inflammatory Mediator Production
Authors: Griffis Charles A. , Crabb Breen Elizabeth , Compton Peggy , Goldberg Alyssa , Witarama Tuff , Kotlerman Jenny , Irwin Michael R.
Published: February 2013

Background: Proinflammatory pathways may be activated under conditions of painful stress, which is hypothesized to worsen the experience of pain and place medically vulnerable populations at risk for increased morbidity. Objectives: To evaluate the effects of pain and subjective pain-related stress on proinflammatory activity. Methods: A total of 19 healthy control subjects underwent a single standard cold-pressor pain test (CPT) and a no-pain control condition. Indicators of pain and stress were measured and related to inflammatory immune responses [CD8+ cells expressing the integrin molecule CD11a (CD811a), interleukin (IL)-1 receptor agonist (IL-1RA), and IL-6] immediately following the painful stimulus and compared to responses under no-pain conditions. Heart rate and mean arterial pressure were measured as indicators of sympathetic stimulation. Results: CPT was clearly painful and generated an activation of the sympathetic nervous system. CD811a increased in both conditions, but with no statistically significantly greater increase following CPT (p < 0.06). IL-1RA demonstrated a non-statistically significant increase following CPT (p < 0.07). The change in IL-6 following CPT differed significantly from the response seen in the control condition (p < 0.02). Conclusions: These findings suggest that CP acute pain may affect proinflammatory pathways, possibly through mechanisms related to adrenergic activation.
Relationship between Serum Uric Acid Level and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Pre- and Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Moon Seong-Su
Published: February 2013

Background/Aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging health problem worldwide. No study specifically examining the relationship between serum uric acid level (UA) and NAFLD in females according to menopausal status has been reported. We conducted this study in order to assess the association of UA with NAFLD in pre- and postmenopausal women. Methods: A total of 487 female subjects (221 premenopausal and 266 postmenopausal) with a normal UA, who underwent a health check-up, were enrolled in this study. NAFLD was defined as a hepatic steatosis observed on liver ultrasonography in the absence of a secondary cause. Results: Among postmenopausal women, a higher UA was observed in subjects with NAFLD than in those without (3.95± 0.10 vs. 4.38 ± 0.80 mg/dl, p = 0.001). Results of multiple correlation analysis revealed a significant association between UA and NAFLD in postmenopausal subjects after adjusting for confounding variables including age, body mass index and the presence of metabolic syndrome (β coefficient 1.149, 95% confidence interval 1.055–1.910, p = 0.021). However, no association in premenopausal women was observed. Conclusions: UA within the normal range showed an association with NAFLD, not in premenopausal women, but in postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women with increased levels of serum uric acid were more likely to have NAFLD than those without increased levels.
Acute Toxoplasmosis Mimicking Melanoma Metastases: Review of Conditions Causing False-Positive Results on 18F-FDG PET/CT
Authors: Ivanova K. , Glatz K. , Zippelius A. , Nicolas G. , Itin P.
Published: February 2013

Invasive malignant melanoma is the most common fatal form of skin cancer. Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography demonstrates a very high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of melanoma metastases. Here, we report an unusual case of toxoplasma lymphadenitis in a male adult patient mimicking a malignant cervical lymphadenopathy. Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which is usually asymptomatic in immunocompetent hosts.
How Many Years of Life Did the Fall of the Berlin Wall Add? A Projection of East German Life Expectancy
Authors: Vogt Tobias C.
Published: February 2013

Background: In the two decades since reunification, East Germans have experienced a large increase in life expectancy and a convergence with the West German mortality level. This gain in life expectancy appears even more impressive if we assume a different scenario in which the Berlin Wall did not fall, and the old East Germany still existed. Objective: This analysis takes into account that East German mortality would not have remained static without reunification. Thus, it shows how many years of life expectancy were actually added by the fall of the Berlin Wall. Method: The analysis shows the improvements for single age groups by projecting life expectancy based on mortality levels during the 1970s and 1980s using the Lee-Carter method. I use national-level data for both sexes for East Germany before reunification. Results: I find that, without reunification, current life expectancy at birth among East Germans would be 4.0 years lower for females and 5.7 years lower for males. I also show that older East Germans were the main demographic beneficiaries of reunification. Female and male mortality improvements in the age groups above 60 contributed up to 80% to the actual gains in life expectancy. Conclusions: Had the Berlin Wall not fallen, East German mortality would not have remained static but improved at a far slower rate. Thus, this counterfactual approach shows for the first time how many years of life were actually gained by reunification and how much of these gains were attributable to mortality improvements among the elderly.
Skeletal-Related Events in Metastatic Prostate Cancer and the Number Needed to Treat: A Critical Consideration
Authors: Schmitz-Dräger Bernd J. , Weiß Claudia , Ebert Thomas , Dörsam Joachim , Bismarck Ekkehardt
Published: February 2013

Purpose: With stage migration induced by early diagnosis of prostate-specific antigen, the course of disease for prostate cancer (PCa) patients has changed. Increasingly, patients undergo long-term androgen ablation with consecutive risks including osteoporosis and pathologic fractures. A recent randomized trial found that the RANK ligand inhibitor denosumab was more effective preventing skeletal-related events in patients with metastatic PCa as compared to treatment with the bisphosphonate zoledronic acid. This improved efficacy was linked to an increase of side effects. Methods: The present analysis compares results reported for both substances using a number needed to treat analysis approach. Based upon these findings, risk-benefit calculations were performed. Results: The results demonstrate that for patients with bone metastatic castration-resistant PCa, decision for or against treatment with either denosumab or zoledronic acid must not only consider efficacy but needs to balance the desired effects versus potential side effects. This is of specific relevance since life expectancy is limited in this patient cohort with end-stage disease. Conclusions: Further scientific efforts are necessary to identify optimal dosing and application intervals for denosumab and zoledronic acid as well as to answer the question of optimal duration of treatment. These findings will directly impact the risk versus benefit relations for both therapeutic options.
Lung Stem and Progenitor Cells
Authors: Ardhanareeswaran Karthikeyan , Mirotsou Maria
Published: February 2013

Over the past few years, new insights have been added to the study of stem cells in the adult lung. The exploration of endogenous lung progenitors as well as the study of exogenously delivered stem cell populations holds promise for advancing our understanding of the biology of lung repair mechanisms. Moreover, it opens new possibilities for the use of stem cell therapy for the development of regenerative medicine approaches for the treatment of lung disease. Here, we discuss the main types of lung epithelial progenitor populations; the potential of endothelial progenitors, mesenchymal stem cells and embryonic stem cells for lung therapy, as well as summarize the cellular mechanisms involved.
Considerations for the Development of an Undergraduate Curriculum in Geriatric Medicine
Authors: Singler K. , Sieber C.C. , Biber R. , Roller R.E.
Published: February 2013

Background: Although the number of older patients is increasing in almost all medical specialties, the interest of medical students in geriatrics as a career is still low. Because quality of medical education and educators strongly influences student career decisions, it is important to develop curricula that motivate students to become self-directed, lifelong learners in the field of geriatric medicine. Objectives: We evaluated training aspects in terms of time, core content of teaching goals, and quality of undergraduate geriatric education in medical schools in Austria and Germany. Methods: A standardized paper questionnaire was sent to all 36 German and 4 Austrian medical faculties to evaluate quantitative aspects, content, and quality of pregraduate medical education in geriatrics. Results were compared to the recommendations of the Geriatric Medicine Section of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). Results: A total of 33/36 (92 of the German medical faculties) and 4/4 (100 of the Austrian medical faculties) responded to the questionnaire. In most of the faculties, geriatric medicine was taught as an independent discipline in the core curriculum, with learning objectives absent in almost one third of the faculties. A medical student's first contact with geriatric medicine occurred on average during the second clinical year (median 8th semester). Although the content of geriatric curricula strongly varied among the faculties, core knowledge as recommended by the UEMS was integrated into most of the curricula. Teaching strategies regarding the development of attitudes and skills also recommended by the UEMS were identified in the curriculum of only some faculties. Conclusions: Geriatrics seems to be an established subject in most German and Austrian faculties. However, the current data clearly indicate highly variable quality in geriatric pregraduate training at German and Austrian universities. Because curricula should prepare young people using competence-based training and assessment methods, room for improvement remains not only in terms of structure, but also regarding quality of training to develop self-directed lifelong learners.
Impact of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists on Changes in Cardiac Structure and Function of Left Ventricular Dysfunction
Authors: Li Xiaobo , Qi Yue , Li Yuqiong , Zhang Shanshan , Guo Shujie , Chu Shaoli , Gao Pingjin , Zhu Dingliang , Wu Zhijun , Lu Lin , Shen Weifeng , Jia Nan , Niu Wenquan
Published: February 2013

Background—

A comprehensive evaluation of the benefits of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists on cardiac remodeling is lacking. We aimed to evaluate the impact of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists on changes in cardiac structure and function of left ventricular dysfunction.

Methods and Results—

Articles were identified by online searches in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases before June 2012, by hand searches of reviews and relevant journals, and by contact with the authors. Qualified articles were restricted to randomized controlled trials. There were, respectively, 12, 4, and 3 qualified trials that randomized 572, 647, and 407 patients to spironolactone, canrenoate, and eplerenone, and 531, 655, and 395 patients to placebo or active treatment, respectively. Overall, under mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist treatment there was improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (weighted mean difference, 2.97; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.26–3.67;
P
<0.0005), left ventricular end-systolic and end-diastolic volume index (weighted mean difference, −5.64; 95% CI, −7.94 to −3.34;
P
<0.0005 and weighted mean difference, −7.46; 95% CI, −11.63 to −3.3;
P
<0.0005), serum amino-terminal peptide of procollagen type-III (weighted mean difference, −1.12; 95% CI, −1.49 to −0.74;
P
<0.0005), B-type natriuretic peptide (weighted mean difference, −67.06; 95% CI, −91.24 to −42.88;
P
<0.0005), peak velocities of early mitral inflow (E; weighted mean difference, −9.57; 95% CI, −12.98 to −6.17;
P
<0.0005), and E wave deceleration time (weighted mean difference, 7.08; 95% CI, 4.07–10.09;
P
<0.0005). There was low probability of heterogeneity and publication bias.

Conclusions—

Our findings demonstrate that mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist treatment may exert beneficial effects on the reversal of cardiac remodeling and improvement of left ventricular function.
Temporal Changes in Retinal Microvascular Caliber and Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
Authors: Lupton Samantha J. , Chiu Christine L. , Hodgson Lauren A.B. , Tooher Jane , Lujic Sanja , Ogle Robert , Wong Tien Yin , Hennessy Annemarie , Lind Joanne M.
Published: February 2013

The microvasculature plays an important role in regulating cardiovascular changes in pregnancy, but changes in microvasculature have been difficult to document in vivo. This study objectively quantifies changes in the maternal retinal arteriolar and venular caliber over the course of healthy pregnancy. Healthy pregnant women (n=53) were recruited from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia. Retinal images and mean arterial blood pressures (MAP) were collected at 13, 19, 29, and 38 weeks of gestation and at 6-month postpartum. Retinal vessels were analyzed and summarized as the central retinal arteriolar equivalent and central retinal venular equivalent. Central retinal arteriolar equivalent and central retinal venular equivalent were corrected for MAP. Paired
t
tests were performed comparing consecutive time points, with a significance level of
P
<0.01. There was a decrease in MAP between 13- and 19-week gestation (
P
=0.001) followed by a return to baseline from 19 weeks to delivery. This was correlated by an increase in vessel caliber between 13- and 19-week gestation (central retinal arteriolar equivalent:
P
<0.001, central retinal venular equivalent:
P
=0.007) and a return to baseline from 19 weeks to delivery. There were no differences in the central retinal arteriolar equivalent or central retinal venular equivalent (both uncorrected and corrected for MAP) between nulliparous and parous women. The pattern of dilatation and constriction in the microvasculature mirrored the changes in MAP throughout pregnancy, reflecting changes in peripheral resistance. This study provides insights into physiological changes in the microvasculature throughout a healthy pregnancy. These results can be used as a baseline with which to compare the changes observed in pathological conditions of pregnancy.
‘Can they really identify mental health problems at the age of three?’ Parent and practitioner views about screening young children’s social and emotional development
Authors: Alexander Karyn E , Brijnath Bianca , Mazza Danielle
Published: February 2013

Objective:

To report the views of parents, general practitioners and practice nurses on the proposed changes to incorporate social and emotional health checks of three-year-olds into the Healthy Kids Check, a one-off pre-school health assessment delivered through general practice.

Method:

Participants were recruited from three socio-culturally diverse urban areas of Melbourne for a qualitative study involving 28 parent interviews and six focus groups with a total of 40 practitioners. Participants discussed child social and emotional development, health-seeking and preventive health care for young children. Transcripts were thematically analysed.

Results:

Common themes showed: (i) Although both parents and practitioners were receptive to the idea of social and emotional screening, parents had limited knowledge about mental health issues for young children and the need for early intervention. (ii) All groups questioned the current capabilities of practice staff to identify problems, and practitioners expressed a need for further training and tools. (iii) Parents and practitioners cautioned that screening may increase parental anxiety and lead to unnecessary referrals. Practitioners countered this with examples of cases not recognised by parents. (iv) Participants questioned the value of earlier identification of problems without effective and accessible therapeutic pathways.

Conclusions:

For programmes to be effective, parents need to be reminded of the benefits of early intervention and encouraged to attend preventive health appointments. Practitioners require further training and tools specific to the primary care setting. Further investment in specialist and allied health services is considered essential to assure better outcomes for young children’s mental health following screening and referral. Practitioners welcome a more collaborative relationship with other professionals (e.g. early educators) in assessing children’s social and emotional development. General practice has the capability but requires a more structured approach to assessing the social and emotional health of young children.
“The Behavioral Foundations of Social Politics: Evidence from Surveys and a Laboratory Democracy”
Authors: Barber Benjamin , Beramendi Pablo , Wibbels Erik
Published: February 2013

The dominant theoretical approaches in the comparative political economy of the welfare state provide alternative accounts for why some governments spend more on social policies than others. In the first, poor voters seek to increase their current income by taxing the rich, and social policy serves to redistribute income from the rich to the poor. In the second account, voters seek social insurance against future job loss, and social policy serves as an insurance mechanism rather than a redistributive one. Both of these accounts share the assumption that voters can clearly distinguish between the redistributive and insurance elements of public policy and, therefore, that individual-level characteristics (income, labor market risks) systematically shape preferences over social policy. Our goal is to examine the soundness of that behavioral assumption. We do so with a laboratory experiment that involves economic production, voting on taxation and fiscal transfers. We treat subjects with social policies that vary in their level of redistribution and insurance to examine how this impacts their preferred tax rate. We complement the experimental evidence with data from original survey questions that assess voters’ knowledge of the distributive characteristics of different social policies in the U.S. Evidence from both settings suggest only marginal support for behavioral underpinnings of the standard insurance model, particularly as the empirical setting more closely approximates the real world.
Publishing anti-apartheid literature: Athol Fugard’s Statements plays
Authors: Davis Caroline
Published: February 2013

This article addresses the creation of Athol Fugard’s plays not as performances or as texts, but as material objects, and examines how the meaning and value of his plays were constructed through the interventions of his publisher. The paper draws attention to the sharp distinction in the way that Fugard’s performances and published plays have been received, most acutely with respect to the plays Sizwe Bansi is Dead, The Island and Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act. These plays directly addressed and attacked apartheid legislation and enforcement. In performance in South Africa between 1972–1973 they were regarded as radical and subversive by the South African authorities as well as by audiences and critics. The Oxford University Press edition of this trilogy, Statements: Three Plays (1974), was by contrast packaged as a literary and commercial product that circulated free from censorship. This essay explores the reasons for this dichotomy through a detailed author/publisher case study of the publication history of the plays. It analyses the means by which Fugard was re-branded as an “Oxford author” through the book’s publication in the Oxford Paperback Series, and assesses the impact of this brand on the reception of Fugard’s plays. The published book was also a more individualistic creative product than the performances of the plays: the Press applied a conventional model of authorship which served to defuse the radical, interracial partnership between Fugard and his co-writers Winston Ntshona and John Kani. Likewise, the political content was neutralized as the plays were promoted as allegorical literary works of universal significance. By these means, it is argued, Fugard was successfully incorporated into the literary establishment in the UK, the USA and South Africa under apartheid.
A simulation-based decision support system for workforce management in call centers
Authors: Sencer Asli , Basarir Ozel Birgul
Published: February 2013

Workforce management is critical in call centers, where thousands of calls are handled by hundreds of agents every day. In a call center, where the call arrival rates tend to fluctuate during the day, the agent allocation plans are required to be planned flexibly and the number of operating call center agents ought to be updated whenever needed, in order to keep the customer satisfaction level over a predefined level. Workforce plans are usually generated by the use of queuing models that are based on Erlang C calculations. However, they have assumptions that oversimplify the real system and jeopardize the validation of the model. At this point, the simulation models, which do not have such restrictive assumptions, are effective in calculating the required number of agents for each time period and measuring the performance of a given shift schedule. In this study, a simulation-based decision support system (DSS) is developed that runs on real-time data for one of the largest call centers in Turkey. The graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are designed in accordance with the man–machine interaction consideration to increase the usability, functionality and effectiveness of the DSS. It is shown that the combination of the advantages of simulation with a flexible and user-friendly DSS environment provides more effective and efficient workforce planning and performance reporting in call centers.
Spatial Impacts, Local Labour Market Characteristics and Housing Prices
Authors: Osland Liv , Thorsen Inge
Published: February 2013

This paper takes as a starting-point a model where spatial variation in housing prices is explained by urban attraction and labour market accessibility effects. Using data from a region in south-west Norway, estimation results are found to be encumbered, however, with significant spatial effects. The spatial Durbin model is used to account for this and to provide estimates of direct and indirect impacts. In addition, hypotheses are tested that some of the spatial variation in housing prices reflects local labour market characteristics. Some support is found for a hypothesis that a model specification should account for sub-centres located at some distance from the central parts of the region. The indirect impacts estimated in the spatial Durbin model suggest that spatially related misspecifications of implicit elasticities in the ordinary least squares model are mainly due to negative externalities close to areas of high labour market accessibility.
Cuba’s New Socialism
Authors: Piñeiro Harnecker Camila
Published: February 2013

Three main ideological positions are behind the debate over current changes in Cuba: the statist position, which seeks to perfect a top-down, state socialism; the economicist position, which defends market socialism; and the self-managementist position, which favors democratic socialism and worker participation in company decision making. These visions largely coincide in maintaining that Cuba’s main long-term goal should be a more just society, liberated from economic hardship, but they differ markedly in the way they understand justice and freedom and thus socialism. Consequently, different Cubans tend to set different short- and medium-term goals and to propose different means for reaching them. All three make legitimate points that need to be considered in the making of strategic decisions. However, pursuing more democracy would appear more desirable than conferring inordinate power on state functionaries who pledge to represent the interests of society or on resourceful economic actors who direct from the shadows an “invisible hand” that affects us all.

Tres principales posiciones ideológicas están detrás del debate sobre cambios contemporáneos en Cuba: la posición estadista, la cual busca perfeccionar un socialismo del Estado de arriba para abajo; la posición economicista, que defiende el socialismo de mercado; y la posición autogestionaria, que favorece el socialismo democrático y la participación de los trabajadores en las decisiones empresariales. Estas visiones coinciden en gran parte en mantener que el objetivo de largo plazo debería ser una sociedad más justa, liberada de apuros económicos. Pero se distinguen marcadamente en el modo en que se entiende la justicia y la libertad y por ende el socialismo. Por consiguiente distintos cubanos tienden a establecer diferentes metas de corto y mediano plazo, y a proponer diferentes caminos para llegar allí. Todos los tres hacen puntos legítimos que se tienen que considerar en la elaboración de decisiones estratégicas. Sin embargo, la búsqueda de más democracia parecería ser más deseable que el conferir poderes desproporcionados a funcionarios del Estado quienes prometen representar los intereses de la sociedad, o ponerlo en manos de actores económicos hábiles quienes dirigen desde las sombras la “mano invisible” que nos afecta a todos.
Short Interfering RNA against Bax Attenuates TNFα‐Induced Ototoxicity in Rat Organ of Corti Explants
Authors: Dinh Christine , Bas Esperanza , Dinh John , Vu Ly , Gupta Chhavi , Van De Water Thomas R.
Published: February 2013

Objective

Evaluate the effectiveness of short interfering RNA against Bax (Bax siRNA) as a treatment for tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)–induced auditory hair cell (HC) loss in rat organ of Corti (OC) explants.

Study Design

Basic science.

Setting

Basic science laboratory, University of Miami Ear Institute.

Methods

Organ of Corti explants dissected from 3‐day‐old rats were cultured in control media, TNFα, and TNFα + Bax siRNA at 0, 48, and 72 hours in vitro. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, HC viability studies, immunofluorescence, and confocal microscopy were performed. Analysis of variance with post hoc testing was used with P <. 05 considered significant.

Results

The TNFα‐damaged explants demonstrated significant decreases in viable HCs in the basal turn with corresponding increased levels of Bax gene and protein expression, compared with control explant levels. The levels of viable HCs and Bax gene and protein expression in TNFα + Bax siRNA‐treated explants approached levels measured in control explants. Immunolocalization studies showed increased Bax protein expression in basal turn HCs in TNFα‐treated explants, whereas control explants and TNFα + Bax siRNA–treated explants had low levels of Bax expression.

Conclusion

TNFα initiates the programmed cell death of auditory HCs in OC explants through upregulation of proapoptotic Bax gene and protein expression. Bax siRNA blocks TNFα‐induced apoptosis of HCs by decreasing the TNFα‐induced levels of Bax mRNA and protein expression in treated explants. Bax siRNA is an effective treatment for TNFα‐induced ototoxicity in OC explants in vitro and has great potential to be a therapeutic agent against trauma/inflammation‐induced hearing loss.
Effects of surface-bound and intravenously administered heparin on cell-surface interactions: inflammation and coagulation
Authors: Johnson G , Curry B , Cahalan L , Prater R , Biggerstaff J , Hussain A , Gartner M , Cahalan P
Published: February 2013

Intravenous administration of heparin and heparin-bonded extracorporeal circuits are frequently used to mitigate the deleterious effects of blood contact with synthetic materials. The work described here utilized human blood in a micro-perfusion circuit to experimentally examine the effects of intravenous and surface-bound heparin on cellular activation. Activation markers of coagulation and of the inflammatory response were examined using flow cytometry; specifically, markers of platelet, monocyte, polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN), and lymphocyte activation were quantified. The results indicate that surface-bound heparin reduces the inflammatory response whereas systemically administered heparin does not. This finding has important implications for blood-contacting devices, particularly within the context of recently elucidated connections between inflammation pathways and coagulation disorders. Data presented indicate that surface-bound heparin and intravenously administered heparin play distinct, but vital roles in rendering biomaterial surfaces compatible with blood.
Clinical application of olfactory ensheathing cells in the treatment of spinal cord injury
Authors: Rao Yaojian , Zhu Wenxiao , Liu Huijuan , Jia Chunxia , Zhao Qingan , Wang Yongjun
Published: February 2013

Objectives

To investigate the safety and therapeutic efficacy of autologous olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) transplantation in cervical spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods

Patients with cervical SCI of >6 months’ duration were treated with autologous OECs, injected into the area surrounding the SCI under magnetic resonance imaging guidance, twice a week for 4 weeks. Patients were evaluated before treatment and at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months post-treatment, using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale, the ASIA sensory and motor score and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score.

Results

Eight patients were recruited to the study. Three months after treatment, ASIA and FIM scores had improved significantly compared with pretreatment, though by 1 year no further significant improvements in the ASIA score were seen. The return of substantial sensation and motor activity in various muscles below the injury level was observed in three patients during follow-up. In addition, bladder function was restored in two patients. There were no serious complications postoperatively or during the follow-up period.

Conclusions

This study provides preliminary evidence of the safety and possible efficacy of autologous OEC transplantation.
Twenty-first century breakdown: Negotiating new regulatory regimes in the Nordic lands
Authors: Martin Cathie Jo
Published: February 2013

National policy-makers vary enormously in their repudiation of liberalism, with a resurgence of government controls and coordination in the Nordic countries. This article questions how new organising principles are adopted in response to fundamental economic transformations, and explores institutional structures underpinning the social relations of production. Institutions defining the social relations of production regulate class coordination within the political, and class conflict within the economic spheres. Variations in capacities for coordination have a critical impact on the ability of nations to adjust their regulatory regimes in response to major economic transformations.
In search of politically sustainable growth regimes
Authors: Petit Pascal
Published: February 2013

Is finance-led capitalism politically sustainable? Finance-led growth regimes have been identified as unstable regimes of accumulation, and the question of whether they can be monitored by modes of regulation and thus be politically sustainable is highly debatable. This paper lists the pros and cons of arguments for their sustainability, and considers alternatives beyond the present situation of transition.
Regulation beyond growth
Authors: Durand Cédric , Légé Philippe
Published: February 2013

De-growth theses point to a renewal of critical thinking able to link intellectual research projects and social movements. This paper provides an overview of some of the strands of arguments that are mobilised to criticise the ‘growth obsession’, and explains why issues raised by de-growth proponents are at odds with the regulationist research strategy. Both approaches are then critiqued for missing the connection between crisis tendencies and capitalist social property. However, the Gramscian–regulationist inheritance of paying accurate attention to institutional forms in shaping macroeconomic dynamics is still much needed in order to explore transition paths beyond growth.
Fears and hopes: The crisis of the liberal-productivist model and its green alternative
Authors: Lipietz Alain
Published: February 2013

The present world crisis is not a mere financial crisis, but the crisis of the liberal-productivist model of development, dominant from 1980. This article analyses the crisis — an over-accumulation crisis stemming from the weakness of labour-share, combined with a double ecological crisis (food, energy/climate) — in its social and ecological dimensions, according to the concepts of regulation theory. Due to its ecological aspects, the exit from the crisis could not be a globalised reproduction of the Roosveltian New Deal. This paper proposes a ‘blueprint for a Green Deal’ to answer the challenges of the complex social, ecological and financial crisis.
Effects of aqueous extraction on the performance and properties of polypropylene/wood composites from Phoenix dactylifera and Acacia tortilis wood
Authors: Aref Ibrahim , Nasser Ramadan , Ali Ilias , Al-Mefarrej Hamad , Al-Zahrani Saed
Published: February 2013

Polypropylene/wood composites were prepared by melt blending technique using a twin screw extruder and subsequently ASTM samples were also prepared by injection molding technique. Untreated and pre-treated particles of Phoenix dactylifera and Acacia tortilis woods are used in this study to investigate the effect of pre-treatments on the different properties of polypropylene/wood composites. The tensile strength of the wood composites was evaluated by ASTMD-638 method and it was found to be higher than the neat polypropylene. The effect of incorporation of wood particles on the melting temperature ( T m), crystallization temperature ( T c) and relative crystallinity ( X c) was also studied and reported. The viscoelastic properties of the PP/wood composites were evaluated. The temperature sweep experiments reveals that the composites storage modulus ( G′) has higher values than the neat polypropylene at elevated temperature. The water uptake test showed that the composite samples have improved water repletion properties. Water uptake of untreated PP/date palm composites increased from 0.042% after 2 h to 0.12% after 120 h of immersion time. Pre-treated date palm reduced water uptake to 0.077% after 120 h of immersion time. Similar trend was also observed for the composites prepared from A. tortilis wood. The interaction between the wood and the polymer matrix was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique. The interfacial and the distribution of the wood particles in the polymer matrix were also investigated by scanning electron microscopy.