bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Residual Tumor Autophagy Marker LC3B Serves as a Prognostic Marker in Local Advanced Breast Cancer after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
Authors: Chen Sheng , Jiang Yi-Zhou , Huang Liang , Zhou Ruo-Ji , Yu Ke-Da , Liu Yin , Shao Zhi-Ming
Published: October 2013

Purpose: This study sought to investigate the prognostic value of the autophagy marker microtubule–associated protein chain 3B (LC3B) in patients with residual tumors after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) for locally advanced breast cancer (LABC).

Patients and Methods: The expression of LC3B in residual breast cancer cells was assessed by immunohistochemistry in surgical specimens from 229 patients diagnosed with histologically proven invasive breast cancer. All patients underwent NCT followed by mastectomy and were considered nonpathologic complete responders (non-pCR) after a pathologic evaluation. The prognostic value of various clinicopathologic factors was evaluated.

Results: The LC3B density was similar between the peripheral and central area of the tumors (P = 0.328) but was significantly lower in the extratumoral area (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, LC3B density, which correlated with Beclin-1 expression, Ki-67 index, and breast cancer subtype, served as an independent prognostic factor for both relapse-free survival (RFS; P = 0.012) and overall survival (OS; P = 0.008); the prognostic value of LC3B was most significant in triple-negative patients. Using a combination of LC3B expression and the status of residual involved lymph nodes, the patients were classified into four groups with different risks of relapse and death (P < 0.001 for RFS and P = 0.003 for OS).

Conclusion: LC3B can be used as a prognostic marker in patients with non-pCR after NCT for breast cancer, which highlights the importance of autophagy in the biologic behavior of chemoresistant cancer cells. Furthermore, evaluating and targeting autophagy in the neoadjuvant setting may help prevent disease relapse in patients with non-pCR. Clin Cancer Res; 19(24); 6853–62. ©2013 AACR.
The Novel VEGF Receptor/MET–Targeted Kinase Inhibitor TAS-115 Has MarkedIn VivoAntitumor Properties and a Favorable Tolerability Profile
Authors: Fujita Hidenori , Miyadera Kazutaka , Kato Masanori , Fujioka Yayoi , Ochiiwa Hiroaki , Huang Jinhong , Ito Kimihiro , Aoyagi Yoshimi , Takenaka Toru , Suzuki Takamasa , Ito Satoko , Hashimoto Akihiro , Suefuji Takashi , Egami Kosuke , Kazuno Hideki , Suda Yoshimitsu , Nishio Kazuto , Yonekura Kazuhiko
Published: October 2013

VEGF receptor (VEGFR) signaling plays a key role in tumor angiogenesis. Although some VEGFR signal-targeted drugs have been approved for clinical use, their utility is limited by associated toxicities or resistance to such therapy. To overcome these limitations, we developed TAS-115, a novel VEGFR and hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET)-targeted kinase inhibitor with an improved safety profile. TAS-115 inhibited the kinase activity of both VEGFR2 and MET and their signal-dependent cell growth as strongly as other known VEGFR or MET inhibitors. On the other hand, kinase selectivity of TAS-115 was more specific than that of sunitinib and TAS-115 produced relatively weak inhibition of growth (GI50 > 10 μmol/L) in VEGFR signal- or MET signal-independent cells. Furthermore, TAS-115 induced less damage in various normal cells than did other VEGFR inhibitors. These data suggest that TAS-115 is extremely selective and specific, at least in vitro. In in vivo studies, TAS-115 completely suppressed the progression of MET-inactivated tumor by blocking angiogenesis without toxicity when given every day for 6 weeks, even at a serum-saturating dose of TAS-115. The marked selectivity of TAS-115 for kinases and targeted cells was associated with improved tolerability and contributed to the ability to sustain treatment without dose reduction or a washout period. Furthermore, TAS-115 induced marked tumor shrinkage and prolonged survival in MET-amplified human cancer–bearing mice. These data suggest that TAS-115 is a unique VEGFR/MET-targeted inhibitor with improved antitumor efficacy and decreased toxicity. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(12); 2685–96. ©2013 AACR.
Targeting Sphingosine Kinase Induces Apoptosis and Tumor Regression for KSHV-Associated Primary Effusion Lymphoma
Authors: Qin Zhiqiang , Dai Lu , Trillo-Tinoco Jimena , Senkal Can , Wang Wenxue , Reske Tom , Bonstaff Karlie , Del Valle Luis , Rodriguez Paulo , Flemington Erik , Voelkel-Johnson Christina , Smith Charles D. , Ogretmen Besim , Parsons Chris
Published: October 2013

Sphingosine kinase (SPHK) is overexpressed by a variety of cancers, and its phosphorylation of sphingosine results in accumulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and activation of antiapoptotic signal transduction. Existing data indicate a role for S1P in viral pathogenesis, but roles for SPHK and S1P in virus-associated cancer progression have not been defined. Rare pathologic variants of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma arise preferentially in the setting of HIV infection, including primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), a highly mortal tumor etiologically linked to the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). We have found that ABC294640, a novel clinical-grade small molecule selectively targeting SPHK (SPHK2 >> SPHK1), induces dose-dependent caspase cleavage and apoptosis for KSHV+ patient-derived PEL cells, in part through inhibition of constitutive signal transduction associated with PEL cell proliferation and survival. These results were validated with induction of PEL cell apoptosis using SPHK2-specific siRNA, as well as confirmation of drug-induced SPHK inhibition in PEL cells with dose-dependent accumulation of proapoptotic ceramides and reduction of intracellular S1P. Furthermore, we demonstrate that systemic administration of ABC294640 induces tumor regression in an established human PEL xenograft model. Complimentary ex vivo analyses revealed suppression of signal transduction and increased KSHV lytic gene expression within drug-treated tumors, with the latter validated in vitro through demonstration of dose-dependent viral lytic gene expression within PEL cells exposed to ABC294640. Collectively, these results implicate interrelated mechanisms and SPHK2 inhibition in the induction of PEL cell death by ABC294640 and rationalize evaluation of ABC294640 in clinical trials for the treatment of KSHV-associated lymphoma. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(1); 154–64. ©2013 AACR.
Crizotinib, a c-Met Inhibitor, Prevents Metastasis in a Metastatic Uveal Melanoma Model
Authors: Surriga Oliver , Rajasekhar Vinagolu K. , Ambrosini Grazia , Dogan Yildrim , Huang Ruimin , Schwartz Gary K.
Published: October 2013

Uveal melanoma is the most common primary intraocular malignant tumor in adults and half of the primary tumors will develop fatal metastatic disease to the liver and the lung. Crizotinib, an inhibitor of c-Met, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), and ROS1, inhibited the phosphorylation of the c-Met receptor but not of ALK or ROS1 in uveal melanoma cells and tumor tissue. Consequently, migration of uveal melanoma cells was suppressed in vitro at a concentration associated with the specific inhibition of c-Met phosphorylation. This effect on cell migration could be recapitulated with siRNA specific to c-Met but not to ALK or ROS1. Therefore, we developed a uveal melanoma metastatic mouse model with EGFP–luciferase-labeled uveal melanoma cells transplanted by retro-orbital injections to test the effect of crizotinib on metastasis. In this model, there was development of melanoma within the eye and also metastases to the liver and lung at 7 weeks after the initial transplantation. When mice were treated with crizotinib starting 1 week after the transplantation, we observed a significant reduction in the development of metastases as compared with untreated control sets. These results indicate that the inhibition of c-Met activity alone may be sufficient to strongly inhibit metastasis of uveal melanoma from forming, suggesting crizotinib as a potential adjuvant therapy for patients with primary uveal melanoma who are at high risk for the development of metastatic disease. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(12); 2817–26. ©2013 AACR.
AKR1B10, a Transcriptional Target of p53, Is Downregulated in Colorectal Cancers Associated with Poor Prognosis
Authors: Ohashi Tomoko , Idogawa Masashi , Sasaki Yasushi , Suzuki Hiromu , Tokino Takashi
Published: October 2013

p53 is one of the most important tumor suppressor genes, and it is frequently inactivated in various cancers. p53 modulates various cellular functions, such as apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest via transcriptional regulation. Recently, p53 has been reported to be involved in a wide range of cellular metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, glutaminolysis, and the antioxidant response. To understand the functional mechanism of p53, it is important to find out the direct transcriptional targets of p53. In this study, aldo-keto reductase family 1, member B10 (AKR1B10) was identified as a direct target of the p53 family by cDNA microarray analysis after comparing the mRNA expression of control and H1299 cells that overexpressed with p53 family members. In addition, we found that the expression of AKR1B10 was significantly decreased in colorectal cancers and adenomas as compared with normal colon tissues. Knockdown of AKR1B10 significantly inhibited p53-induced apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells, whereas the overexpression of AKR1B10 enhanced p53-induced apoptosis and inhibited tumor proliferation in vivo. Furthermore, low expression of AKR1B10 in colon cancer patients was correlated with decreased survival and poor prognosis. These results suggest that decreased expression of AKR1B10 could disrupt the tumor suppressive function of p53, which result in decreased survival in colorectal cancer patients. In summary, AKR1B10 may be a novel prognostic predictor and a novel therapeutic target for colorectal cancer.

Implications: AKR1B10, a transcriptional target of p53, is also a novel prognostic and therapeutic molecule in colorectal cancer. Mol Cancer Res; 11(12); 1554–63. ©2013 AACR.
Increased Activation and Differentiated Localization of Native and Phosphorylated STAT3 in Nasal Polyps
Authors: Linke Robert , Pries Ralph , Könnecke Michael , Bruchhage Karl Ludwig , Böscke Robert , Gebhard Maximilian , Wollenberg Barbara
Published: October 2013

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a multifactorial disease; the underlying mechanisms of cell signalling are not fully understood. STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) is a phosphokinase and a key signalling molecule implicated in cell cycle regulation. We studied the distribution and expression of STAT3 to examine the role of STAT3 in the pathogenesis of CRSwNP. Methods: We investigated tissue samples of the nasal polyps and inferior turbinate of patients with CRSwNP as well as samples of the inferior turbinate of subjects without chronic sinusitis. The expression levels of STAT3 and its activated form pSTAT3 were analysed using Western blotting, protein array, DNA microarray and immunohistochemistry. Results: No significant differences were found in STAT3-mRNA levels between the samples of nasal polyps and inferior turbinates of the same patient. However, the amount of pSTAT3 was increased in the polyp tissue compared to the inferior turbinates from both CRSwNP patients and control subjects (p < 0.01), indicating an activation of STAT3 in polyps. We identified a varying distribution pattern of pSTAT3; pSTAT3 was primarily found in superficial epithelial cells but not in the basal layer of the epithelium of the turbinate, whereas pSTAT3 was located in all layers of the epithelium of the polyp and mostly noted in the basal layer. Conclusions: Our results of the activation and varying localisation of STAT3 and its phosphorylated form in nasal polyps suggest that pSTAT3 plays a crucial role in the proliferative development of nasal polyps.
EGG and Acoustic Analyses of Different Voice Samples: Comparison between Perceptual Evaluation and Voice Activity and Participation Profile
Authors: Kankare Elina , Liu Dong , Laukkanen Anne-Maria , Geneid Ahmed
Published: October 2013

Objective: This study investigated whether different electroglottographic (EGG) parameters may be used to estimate voice quality and loading related to it, and whether voice quality is related to self-estimation of voice problems and laryngeal status. The effect of sample type was also considered. Methods: EGG and acoustic signals of a sustained vowel [a:] (90 dB6 cm) and text reading during noise exposure were recorded from 93 female kindergarten teachers. Analyses were made from the sustained vowel and vowel [a:] from a stressed word. Contact quotient (CQ) was calculated. Maximum velocity of increase in contact area inferred from derivative (MDEGG) was examined. Fundamental frequency was calculated from the EGG signal. From the acoustic signal sound pressure level (SPL) was computed and pressedness in voice quality was evaluated perceptually. Self-evaluation was made with Voice Activity and Participation Profile (VAPP). Indirect laryngoscopy was also performed. Results: Pressedness in voice correlated with EGG results only for the sustained vowel, and better with MDEGG than CQ values. VAPP and laryngeal evaluation did not correlate with the acoustic or EGG parameters or with perception. Conclusions: MDEGG is worth testing as an indicator of impact stress. Sustained vowel at a controlled SPL is more suitable for voice quality evaluation than a long stressed vowel from connected speech.
Circulating Leptin Concentrations in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhou Lin , Yuan Cheng , Zhang Jingying , Yu Rongbin , Huang Mao , Adcock Ian M. , Yao Xin
Published: October 2013

Background: Weight loss is a clinically important risk factor indicating a poor prognosis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Leptin is an important regulator of food intake and energy expenditure. Objectives: To conduct a meta-analysis to determine whether the level of leptin is related to the disease status of COPD. Methods: Studies published before December 2012 were identified by searching PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Database. Observational studies comparing circulating leptin levels between COPD patients and healthy controls were included. Data were independently extracted by two investigators and analyzed using Stata 12.0 software. Results: Ten articles were included in the meta-analysis. Circulating leptin levels were correlated with the body mass index (BMI) as well as percent fat mass in stable COPD patients. The correlation coefficient tended to be weaker during exacerbation. A positive correlation between leptin and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels was found in COPD exacerbations, while it disappeared in patients with stable disease. Most studies indicated that circulating leptin levels in stable COPD patients were not significantly different from those in healthy controls when adjusted for gender and BMI, whilst leptin levels tended to elevate in exacerbation groups. Conclusions: The normal regulatory mechanism of leptin is maintained in stable COPD patients despite weight loss. The additional correlation between leptin and TNF-α during exacerbations may support the closer association of leptin with changes in nutritional parameters and suggests its valuable role in the evaluation of systemic inflammatory responses in COPD patients during exacerbation, which merits further study.
Promoter Methylation of CYP19A1 Gene in Chinese Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients
Authors: Yu Ying-Ying , Sun Cui-Xiang , Liu Yin-Kun , Li Yan , Wang Li , Zhang Wei
Published: October 2013

Aims: This study aimed to examine the methylation status of the CYP19A1 promoter region in Chinese polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. Methods: A case-control study was designed that involved 10 PCOS patients and 10 controls. Ovary tissues obtained from 10 women with PCOS and 10 healthy controls were matched for body mass index and age. Methylation of CYP19A1 promoter was detected by methylation-specific PCR. CYP19A1 expression was measured by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Results: The methylation level of CYP19A1 promoter in PCOS samples was significantly higher than in controls (0.698 ± 0.192 vs. 0.210 ± 0.064, p < 0.01). A significant downregulation of CYP19A1 mRNA and protein expression levels was observed in PCOS ovary tissues. Furthermore, the scatter plot revealed that promoter methylation was inversely correlated with CYP19A1 mRNA level (Pearson's correlation -0.820, p < 0.01). Conclusion:CYP19A1 expression is frequently repressed in PCOS ovaries due to the promoter hypermethylation. CYP19A1 promoter hypermethylation may play a key role in the pathogenesis of PCOS.
Incidental Finding of Lamellar Calcification of the Falx Cerebri Leading to the Diagnosis of Gorlin-Goltz Syndrome
Authors: Saulite I. , Voykov B. , Mehra T. , Hoetzenecker W. , Guenova E.
Published: October 2013

Here, we report the case of an incidental finding of lamellar calcification of the falx cerebri in a routine computed tomography scan of the head after an accidental trauma. This lamellar calcification led to the diagnosis of Gorlin-Goltz syndrome (GGS) in the patient and her daughter. Lamellar calcification of the falx cerebri is a pathognomonic feature of GGS. Our case report highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary diagnostic approach to GGS.
Incidence and Predictors of End-Stage Renal Disease in Outpatients With Systolic Heart Failure
Authors: Bosselmann Helle , Gislason Gunnar , Gustafsson Finn , Hildebrandt Per R. , Videbaek Lars , Kober Lars , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Tonder Niels , Rossing Kasper , Christensen Stefan , Kamper Anne-Lise , Heaf James , Schou Morten
Published: October 2013

Background—

Renal dysfunction is an important prognostic factor in heart failure (HF), but whether this dysfunction progresses to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is unknown. Therefore, we examined incidence and predictors of ESRD in outpatients with HF.

Methods and Results—

Patients with systolic HF were identified in The Danish Heart Failure database and new-onset ESRD from the Danish Registry on Dialysis. Renal function was estimated by The Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation and patients grouped by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)—group I: ≥60 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
, group II: 30 to 59 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
, group III: 15 to 29 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
, group IV: <15 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
. Cox hazard models for time to ESRD, to death, and the composite end point of ESRD or death were constructed and predictors of ESRD identified. A total of 8204 patients were included in the analyses. Median age was 70 years (Q, 61–77), 28% were women, median left ventricular ejection fraction was 30% (Q, 24–40), and median eGFR was 68 (Q, 51–85) mL/min per 1.73 m
2
. Forty-one patients developed ESRD (1.3/1000 patient-years). Baseline eGFR group II (
P
<0.001), eGFR group III (
P
<0.001), eGFR group IV (
P
<0.001), uncontrolled hypertension (
P
=0.049), need of diuretics, and age <60 years (
P
=0.016) were associated with time to ESRD.

Conclusions—

ESRD is rare in outpatients with systolic HF and is mainly observed in patients with an eGFR <30 mL/min per 1.73 m
2
. A low eGFR, age <60 years, need of diuretics, and uncontrolled hypertension identify patients with an increased risk for ESRD.
Age-Associated Defects in EphA2 Signaling Impair the Migration of Human Cardiac Progenitor Cells
Authors: Goichberg Polina , Kannappan Ramaswamy , Cimini Maria , Bai Yingnan , Sanada Fumihiro , Sorrentino Andrea , Signore Sergio , Kajstura Jan , Rota Marcello , Anversa Piero , Leri Annarosa
Published: October 2013

RETRACTION

This article has been retracted:

Circulation
. 2019;139:e2–e2. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000643
Choosing the Appropriate Forecasting Model for Predictive Parameter Control
Authors: Aleti Aldeida , Moser Irene , Meedeniya Indika , Grunske Lars
Published: October 2013

All commonly used stochastic optimisation algorithms have to be parameterised to perform effectively. Adaptive parameter control (APC) is an effective method used for this purpose. APC repeatedly adjusts parameter values during the optimisation process for optimal algorithm performance. The assignment of parameter values for a given iteration is based on previously measured performance. In recent research, time series prediction has been proposed as a method of projecting the probabilities to use for parameter value selection. In this work, we examine the suitability of a variety of prediction methods for the projection of future parameter performance based on previous data. All considered prediction methods have assumptions the time series data has to conform to for the prediction method to provide accurate projections. Looking specifically at parameters of evolutionary algorithms (EAs), we find that all standard EA parameters with the exception of population size conform largely to the assumptions made by the considered prediction methods. Evaluating the performance of these prediction methods, we find that linear regression provides the best results by a very small and statistically insignificant margin. Regardless of the prediction method, predictive parameter control outperforms state of the art parameter control methods when the performance data adheres to the assumptions made by the prediction method. When a parameter's performance data does not adhere to the assumptions made by the forecasting method, the use of prediction does not have a notable adverse impact on the algorithm's performance.
Domain-general Signals in the Cingulo-opercular Network for Visuospatial Attention and Episodic Memory
Authors: Sestieri Carlo , Corbetta Maurizio , Spadone Sara , Romani Gian Luca , Shulman Gordon L.
Published: October 2013

We investigated the functional properties of a previously described cingulo-opercular network (CON) putatively involved in cognitive control. Analyses of common fMRI task-evoked activity during perceptual and episodic memory search tasks that differently recruited the dorsal attention (DAN) and default mode network (DMN) established the generality of this network. Regions within the CON (anterior insula/frontal operculum and anterior cingulate/presupplementary cortex) displayed sustained signals during extended periods in which participants searched for behaviorally relevant information in a dynamically changing environment or from episodic memory in the absence of sensory stimulation. The CON was activated during all phases of both tasks, which involved trial initiation, target detection, decision, and response, indicating its consistent involvement in a broad range of cognitive processes. Functional connectivity analyses showed that the CON flexibly linked with the DAN or DMN regions during perceptual or memory search, respectively. Aside from the CON, only a limited number of regions, including the lateral pFC, showed evidence of domain-general sustained activity, although in some cases the common activations may have reflected the functional-anatomical variability of domain-specific regions rather than a true domain generality. These additional regions also showed task-dependent functional connectivity with the DMN and DAN, suggesting that this feature is not a specific marker of cognitive control. Finally, multivariate clustering analyses separated the CON from other frontoparietal regions previously associated with cognitive control, indicating a unique fingerprint. We conclude that the CON's functional properties and interactions with other brain regions support a broad role in cognition, consistent with its characterization as a task control network.
Post-Agreement Negotiations in the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Regime
Authors: Melamud Mordechai (Moti)
Published: October 2013

Abstract

When considering the concept of post-agreement negotiations (PAN), the CTBT presents a particularly interesting case, because of its elusive status caused by the unusually long time lag between the treaty’s adoption in 1996 and its still unattained entry into force. For almost two decades, negotiations on key elements have been ongoing in the Preparatory Commission (PrepCom) in preparation for entry-into-force as required by the treaty. This article explores the challenges of PAN in the framework of the PrepCom and its place in the CTBT regime evolution. Using four factors in regime development – adjustment, maintenance, cybernetics and exogenous factors – the work of the PrepCom concerning verification is analyzed. Technical and political issues are described as examples from the PrepCom’s work since the opening of the CTBT for signature illustrating regime building through post agreement negotiations.
CTBT On-Site Inspection: A Special Case of Post-Agreement Negotiation
Authors: Melamud Mordechai (Moti)
Published: October 2013

Abstract

This article examines negotiations expected to be conducted during actual implementation after entry-into-force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). It analyzes the negotiations to be undertaken with regards to on-site inspection (OSI) procedures, and their unique character as post-agreement negotiations (PAN) is identified. In particular, the OSI negotiations will be conducted at the Executive Council (EC) level and will analyze whether violations of the treaty have occurred. This discussion further explores another level of negotiation that will occur during the OSI, between the inspected state and the inspection team, concerning the technical details of implementation. Our analysis demonstrates how these inspection negotiations will likely have an impact, well beyond the OSI itself, on the PAN in the EC regarding OSI, and further on PAN in policymaking organs, and thus on regime evolution.
Multilevel Regimes and Asserting the “Right to Negotiate:” Fitting the Public into Post-Agreement Negotiation
Authors: Spector Bertram I.
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Emerging changes to post-agreement negotiation structures and actors can have important implications for the process and outcome of negotiated agreements. These innovations include the coexistence of negotiated global and regional regimes on the same policy issue, as well as civil society organizations that assert their “right to negotiate” at the domestic level to promote national compliance with regime standards and provisions. The evolution of these factors within the post-agreement negotiations of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) is used as a case study. Globalization and communications technology trends play a major role in promoting these changes.
Is Reconciliation Negotiable?
Authors: Rosoux Valérie
Published: October 2013

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to question some basic assumptions regarding reconciliation after wars and mass atrocities. Indeed, how can numerous policy-makers, practitioners, and scholars contend that reconciliation is necessary while it is often distrusted and rejected by victims? Are there not cases where calls for reconciliation would prove to be fruitless and even detrimental for peace and/or democracy? To answer these questions, it is worth looking at the interactions between reconciliation and negotiation. Beyond a theoretical interest, this question has a direct impact for practitioners; a better understanding of the issue is actually a sine qua non condition for more efficient interventions. In terms of methodology, this study refers to various examples as illustrative cases (Afghanistan, Rwanda, South-Africa, and the Franco-German case). Its objective is not to capture the complexity of each case study but to determine to what extent reconciliation can be considered as negotiable.
Politics of Cinema in Hashemite Iraq
Authors: Bishop Elizabeth
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Hashemite Iraq was better integrated into the global cinema that other Arab countries. Baghdad audiences loved film noir, and the US succeeded in displacing the UK as a source of newsreels, as well. During the Cold War’s first decade, Hollywood continued to pump inexpensive productions and aged celluloid through Iraq, including films made under US government contracts. Local viewers responded thoughtfully to such films, engaging themes such as responsibility and guilt. Against this general background, specific allegations that testing of weapons delivery systems for germ warfare continued after the end of the Korean War, are assessed in the light that public health authorities reported a series of outbreaks of meningitis among audiences in Baghdad cinemas.
Lorsque le derviche tourneur était un mystique nomade : Sabûhî Ahmed Dede. Du marquage territorial et des personnalites marquantes
Authors: Ambrosio Alberto Fabio
Published: October 2013

Abstract

Sabûhî Ahmed Dede (d. 1647) is one of the most emblematic and original characters of Ottoman Sufism from the 17th century. Effectively Sabûhî fits into the great tradition of the mevlevî, without however neglecting the other Sufi traditions present in Anatolia. In particular, his tendency to embrace bektaşî and above all kalenderî Sufism makes him an interesting personality which enables one to get to know better the characteristic of Sufism and especially of the Ottoman type to be affiliated to several confraternities of diverse mystical tendencies. Some of Sabûhî’s Ottoman verses, translated for the first time in French, illustrate this tendency to a slightly antinomic Sufism, open to different traditions. In the 17th century of the Ottomans and of Anatolia characterized by a debate which opposed on Sufism a greater loyalty to Islamic law, Sabûhî is representative of a long tradition of the nomad traveler open to discovering the Sufi universe in its entirety.
On a scale of one to five, who are you? Mixed methods in identity research
Authors: Monrad Merete
Published: October 2013

While identity researchers are utilizing a variety of methods, the potential advantages of combinations of qualitative and quantitative methods remain largely unexploited. This article discusses the interplay of methods, theoretical content and meta-theoretical assumptions in identity research and calls for the use of mixed methods. The article applies a symbolic interactionist perspective and discusses what aspects of identification different methodological approaches provide insight into. It is discussed how different methodologies imply different assumptions about identity, particularly regarding the stability of identities, the constitution of identities and the conception of meaning. The influential quantitative Burke–Tully approach is brought into focus and compared to different qualitative approaches, particularly narrative interviews. A quantitative self-report measure neglects the narrative, performative and embodied quality of identification. However, the quantitative approach of Burke and Tully enables the systematic, standardized comparison of individuals making it possible to examine patterns of identification in large populations. Since different methods enable the study of different aspects of identity, while remaining blind to other aspects, mixed methods may contribute to more complete insights into identity processes. Importantly, mixed methods may be used to examine patterns available to the outside observer and the lifeworld of the individual actor and thus to both explain and understand.
“Binders of Bayonets for Big Bird”
Authors: Conners Joan L.
Published: October 2013

Consistent with other media covering the 2012 presidential campaign, political cartoons attended to the events surrounding the three presidential debates between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. While political cartoons offer a humorous visual commentary, they are part of the campaign media narrative, and are perhaps more memorable than many stories or columns themselves. This analysis discusses the attention to and portrayal of particular candidate performance in the 2012 presidential debates, and how particular statements or behavior was visually demonstrated in political cartoons, and also discusses the implication of such portrayals and attention in cartoons.
Successful Practices for the Strategic Use of Political Parody and Satire
Authors: Young Dannagal G. , Holbert R. Lance , Jamieson Kathleen Hall
Published: October 2013

On November 28 and 29, 2012, ten scholars of political parody and satire and six parody/viral video producers met at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania to share their expertise, discuss the democratic uses of parody, and develop a set of strategies to guide the successful use of political parody in generating positive democratic outcomes. The symposium, P6: Professors and Practitioners Pontificate on Political Parody and Persuasion, was cosponsored by the Center for Political Communication at the University of Delaware and funded in part by a grant from the Omidyar Network’s Democracy Fund. The meeting served as a follow-up to the yearlong Annenberg Public Policy Center online project, FlackCheck.org . FlackCheck.org , the sister site to its companion FactCheck.org , is an educational site that uses entertaining visual formats and humor to inform the public and debunk false political claims. The November conference began with a keynote from Trevor Potter, former head of the FEC and lawyer to Stephen Colbert and his satirical—though very real—super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow.
The cardiovascular risk marker asymmetric dimethylarginine is elevated in asymptomatic, untreated HIV-1 infection and correlates with markers of immune activation and disease progression
Authors: Hudson Careen L , Zemlin Annalise E , Ipp Hayley
Published: October 2013

Background

As lifespan in HIV infection increases, cardiovascular disease has emerged as a cause of morbidity and mortality. Asymmetric dimethylarginine is an established marker of endothelial dysfunction and predicts cardiovascular events. The role of asymmetric dimethylarginine in HIV-related cardiovascular disease has not been established. Our aim was to determine whether asymmetric dimethylarginine concentrations were elevated in treatment naïve, HIV-infected subjects and to correlate these with markers of immune activation and disease progression.

Methods

Serum samples were collected from HIV-positive and -negative subjects attending a primary health care clinic over a 12-month period. Asymmetric dimethylarginine concentrations were measured and correlated with CD4 count, viral load, hsCRP, IL-6, IgG, adenosine deaminase and CD8/38 T lymphocytes.

Results

Sixty HIV-positive participants (mean age 32.0 years) and 20 HIV-negative controls (mean age 32.4 years) were studied. All were of black ethnicity. The mean asymmetric dimethylarginine concentration in the infected group measured 0.67  µmol/L (95% CI 0.62–0.72  µmol/L) which was significantly higher than in the control group of 0.48  µmol/L (95% CI 0.40–0.56  µmol/L). Asymmetric dimethylarginine correlated inversely with CD4 counts and positively with IgG, adenosine deaminase and CD8/38 T lymphocytes. No significant correlation was found with hsCRP, IL-6, or viral load.

Conclusion

We demonstrated that asymmetric dimethylarginine is elevated in HIV infection, in patients with relatively well-preserved CD4 counts not yet on anti-retroviral treatment. We showed significant correlations of asymmetric dimethylarginine with CD8/38 T lymphocytes, IgG and adenosine deaminase, suggesting that T-cell activation and the adaptive immune response underlie asymmetric dimethylarginine elevation in this population.
A 21-year retrospective outcome study of New South Wales forensic patients granted conditional and unconditional release
Authors: Hayes Heather , Kemp Richard I , Large Matthew M , Nielssen Olav B
Published: October 2013

Aim:

To retrospectively examine the outcomes of forensic patients found not guilty by reason of mental illness (NGMI) in New South Wales (NSW) and subsequently released into the community, as measured by reoffending, conditional release revocation and psychiatric hospital readmission.

Method:

Data were collected from the NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT) files for all patients who received an NGMI verdict between January 1990 and December 2010, and who were released into the community during this period. The outcome measures of conditional release revocation and psychiatric hospital readmission were extracted from these files. Information about subsequent criminal charges, convictions and penalties were obtained from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research’s reoffending database.

Results:

During the 21-year period studied, 364 offenders received an NGMI verdict and were placed under the supervision of the MHRT. Of these, 197 were released into the community, including 85 who were granted unconditional release. Over a follow-up period averaging 8.4 years, 18% of conditionally released patients reoffended, 11.8% were convicted of a further offence, 8.7% were charged with a violent offence, 3.1% were convicted of a violent offence and 3.7% were sentenced to a term of imprisonment. Five (3.1%) conditionally released forensic patients received a further NGMI verdict. One-quarter of the conditionally released patients had their conditional release revoked and half were readmitted to hospital. Of the forensic patients granted unconditional release, 12.5% were charged with an offence, 9.4% received convictions for an offence, 6.3% were charged with a violent offence and 4.7% were convicted of a violent offence, in a mean follow-up period of 7.6 years. None committed a further serious offence resulting in a term of imprisonment, nor a second NGMI verdict.

Conclusions:

The results of this study suggest that the treatment and rehabilitation of forensic patients in NSW, together with the decision-making procedures of the MHRT, is effective in protecting the community from further offending by forensic patients.
Social contacts and depression in middle and advanced adulthood: Findings from a US national survey, 2005–2008
Authors: McKenzie Lindsey E , Polur Ram N , Wesley Cholrelia , Allen Jessica D , McKeown Robert E , Zhang Jian
Published: October 2013

Aim:

Empirical evidence has linked social contacts with mental stability. The aim is to assess how social contacts are associated with depression among the general population.

Methods:

We analysed the data of 5,681 adults aged 40 or older, who completed a depression screening as a part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005–2008. Depression was ascertained using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), a nine-item screening instrument asking about the frequency of depression symptoms over the past two weeks. A PHQ score of 10 or higher was defined as depression.

Results:

The prevalence of depression was 5.54% (SE = 0.64) and 8.49% (SE = 0.71), respectively, among men and women. The association between social contacts and depression were more salient among men than women. The odds ratios (ORs) of depression were 2.43 (95% CI = 1.44−4.10), 2.42 (95% CI = 1.37−4.28), 1.00 (reference) and 1.94 (95% CI = 0.80−4.71), respectively, among men who never attended church, attended occasionally, weekly and more than weekly. The corresponding ORs were 1.79 (95% CI = 1.10−2.91), 1.72 (95% CI = 1.06−2.80), 1.00(reference) and 0.98 (95% CI = 0.52−1.84) for women. Compared with the respondents who had 10 or more friends, the ORs of depression were 4.01 (95% CI = 1.89−8.50) and 1.86 (95% CI = 0.92−3.79), respectively, for men and women who had no close friends.

Conclusions:

The current study concluded that traditional social contacts remain strongly associated with depression in the digital era. Digital social networking is one of the biggest growing industries, creating a new platform to make social contacts. There is an urgent need to explore how to maximize the potential of digital social networking to strengthen social bonds while minimizing its negative effects.
A simulation study of appointment scheduling in outpatient clinics: Open access and overbooking
Authors: Lee Sangbok , Min Daiki , Ryu Jong-hyun , Yih Yuehwern
Published: October 2013

Patient appointment scheduling (AS) in outpatient clinics is a widely studied subject and plays an important role in facilitating the efficient use of clinical resources and patients’ timely access to quality care. This paper considers two AS systems: open access (OA) and overbooking (OB). Clinics make strategic decisions on selecting an AS system and then make tactical decisions on the efficient or optimal use of the system based on the selection. This study proposes some guidelines for the strategic choice of an AS system. For this purpose, we conduct a discrete-event simulation to compare the two AS systems under various environments. We employ four performance measures for the comparison: overtime work, the proportion of unmet demand, in-clinic waiting times, and the use of appointment time slots. For the analysis, we devise an integrated measure representing a linear combination of the four measures. We divide the analysis into two phases. In the first phase, well-performed OA and OB policies are separately identified, and in the second phase, the two scheduling systems with the identified policies are compared. We find overbooking is more robust to various clinic environments and performs better than open access in general. Along with that result, we additionally suggest some rules for determining best open access and overbooking policies.
C.S. Lewis: Apologetics and the poetic imagination
Authors: Guite Malcolm
Published: October 2013

This article argues that for Lewis the interplay between Reason and Imagination is crucial. His own conversion to Christianity involved a profound reconciliation of these two faculties which he had previously experienced in tension and opposition. Consequently the imaginative element in his subsequent writing, literary and apologetic as well as his fiction, is an essential part of the message itself, of the truth he is trying to articulate. It places Lewis in a Coleridgean tradition and suggests that his approach is, if anything, more relevant now, and generative of new and helpful approaches to apologetics, than it was when he pioneered it.
Neither Welcomed, Nor Refused
Authors: Jou Chin
Published: October 2013

This article illuminates what it was like for African Americans dining at majority-white restaurants in New York City before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Primary sources include: records of the Committee on Civil Rights in East Manhattan (the CCREM, an organization that investigated New York restaurant and housing sector discrimination in the 1950s), the personal papers of the CCREM’s secretary, contemporaneous newspaper accounts of restaurant discrimination, and 1950s travel guides for African Americans. This article argues that unlike southern cities, where Jim Crow laws clearly demarcated color lines in public accommodations, color lines in New York City restaurants were more ambiguous. Although African Americans were frequently discriminated against in New York restaurants, they were seldom refused service outright. Rather, the discrimination they experienced was more oblique—though no less benign—than in the South.
Privatization, Devolution, and Jimmy Carter’s National Urban Policy
Authors: Neumann Tracy
Published: October 2013

This article examines the role and influence of neighborhood organizations, state governments, and city officials in urban policy formation during the Carter Administration. In 1978, Jimmy Carter released the United States’ first comprehensive national urban policy, A New Partnership to Conserve America’s Communities. With its emphasis on voluntarism, decentralization, and public–private partnerships, the national urban policy accelerated the devolution of social policy begun under the Nixon Administration and laid the foundation for Reagan’s retrenchment. Looking beyond the urban policy deliberations to the activities of two other Carter initiatives, the National Commission on Neighborhoods and the White Conference on Balanced Growth and National Economic Development, demonstrates that state and local officials and neighborhood advocates were complicit in establishing and legitimating urban policies predicated on privatization and devolution.
A proposed IPC-based clustering method for exploiting expert knowledge and its application to strategic planning
Authors: Chiu Tzu-Fu
Published: October 2013

In order to exploit the professional knowledge of the patent office examiners (implied in the IPC assignment) in the clustering process, a modified method (IPC-based clustering) has been proposed and applied to strategic planning. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated by comparison with two existing methods: K-Means and TwoStep of SPSS Clementine using the DB index and Dunn index. Afterwards, the IPC-based clustering (accompanied by link analysis) was applied to a practical domain (strategic planning) using the patent data of thin-film solar cell, so as to understand the possibility of implementing it in the management areas. According to the experimental results, the technical topics have been identified, and suggested strategies for companies have been generated for assisting the decision-making of top management. Finally, in future work the proposed method will be employed to other kinds of patent data to test its performance and applied to other practical domains to examine its feasibility in different management areas.
Rethinking Hybridity in Postcolonial Contexts: What Changes and What Persists? The Tunisian case of Poulina’s managers
Authors: Yousfi Hèla
Published: October 2013

Drawing on postcolonial studies of management, this article highlights the importance of adopting a contextualized approach to hybridization processes that, first, takes into account the importance of the historical and cultural contexts from which hybridity emerges and, second, helps to identify the elements that change as well as those that persist when western management practices are imported into developing countries. Using a discursive analysis, this article shows the ambivalent nature of the accounts given by managers (trained in western traditions) of the Tunisian company Poulina as they explain how they modernized their company through the implementation of a US management model. The managers’ ambivalence takes on two distinct forms. First, while they seem to have internalized the rhetoric of modernization in insisting on how they used the US management model to overcome the ‘dysfunctional’ family-based organizational system, they simultaneously express resistance by detaching themselves from the French colonial organizational model. Second, when they describe the implementation of the US management practices and how workers resisted them, it seems that they have implicitly negotiated and reinterpreted these practices via a local cultural framework of meaning. Based on these findings, I argue that hybridity is best understood as an interweaving of two elements – the transformation of practices and cultural continuity – in which identity construction, local power dynamics and cultural frameworks of meaning jointly shape the hybridization process of management practices.
Obstructive bioprosthetic mitral valve thrombus: Management options?
Authors: Alshehri Halia Z , Ismail Magdi , Ibrahim Mohamed F
Published: October 2013

Bioprosthetic valve thrombosis is an extremely rare event, therefore, long-term anticoagulation can be avoided. There is limited experience in the diagnosis and treatment of such a situation. We present the case of a patient with a porcine mitral bioprosthesis who presented with acute pulmonary edema, likely secondary to obstructive valve thrombosis. A favorable outcome was observed after conservative anticoagulant treatment.