bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Explicitly Stochastic Parameterization of Nonorographic Gravity Wave Drag
Authors: Eckermann Stephen D.
Published: March 2011

A straightforward methodology is presented for converting the deterministic multiwave parameterizations of nonorographic gravity wave drag, currently used in general circulation models (GCMs), to stochastic analogs that use fewer waves (in the example herein, a single wave) within each grid box. Deterministic discretizations of source-level momentum flux spectra using a fixed spectrum of many waves with predefined phase speeds are replaced by sampling these source spectra stochastically using waves with randomly assigned phase speeds. Using simple conversion formulas, it is shown that time-mean wave-induced drag, diffusion, and heating-rate profiles identical to those from the deterministic scheme are produced by the stochastic analog. Furthermore, in these examples the need for bulk intermittency factors of small value is largely obviated through the explicit incorporation of stochastic intermittency into the scheme. When implemented in a GCM, the single-wave stochastic analog of an existing deterministic scheme reproduces almost identical time-mean middle-atmosphere climate and drag as its deterministic antecedent but with an order of magnitude reduction in computational expense. The stochastically parameterized drag is also accompanied by inherent variability about the time-mean profile that forces the smallest space–time scales of the GCM. Studies of mean GCM kinetic energy spectra show that this additional stochastic forcing does not lead to excessive increases in dynamical variability at these smallest GCM scales. The results show that the expensive deterministic schemes currently used in GCMs are easily modified and replaced by cheap stochastic analogs without any obvious deleterious impacts on GCM climate or variability, while offering potential advantages of computational savings, reduction of systematic climate biases, and greater and more realistic ensemble spread.
The Greenland Ice Sheet Response to Transient Climate Change
Authors: Ren Diandong , Fu Rong , Leslie Lance M. , Chen Jianli , Wilson Clark R. , Karoly David J.
Published: March 2011

This study applies a multiphase, multiple-rheology, scalable, and extensible geofluid model to the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). The model is driven by monthly atmospheric forcing from global climate model simulations. Novel features of the model, referred to as the scalable and extensible geofluid modeling system (SEGMENT-Ice), include using the full Navier–Stokes equations to account for nonlocal dynamic balance and its influence on ice flow, and a granular sliding layer between the bottom ice layer and the lithosphere layer to provide a mechanism for possible large-scale surges in a warmer future climate (granular basal layer is for certain specific regions, though). Monthly climate of SEGMENT-Ice allows an investigation of detailed features such as seasonal melt area extent (SME) over Greenland. The model reproduced reasonably well the annual maximum SME and total ice mass lost rate when compared observations from the Special Sensing Microwave Imager (SSM/I) and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) over the past few decades.

The SEGMENT-Ice simulations are driven by projections from two relatively high-resolution climate models, the NCAR Community Climate System Model, version 3 (CCSM3) and the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate 3.2, high-resolution version [MIROC3.2(hires)], under a realistic twenty-first-century greenhouse gas emission scenario. They suggest that the surface flow would be enhanced over the entire GrIS owing to a reduction of ice viscosity as the temperature increases, despite the small change in the ice surface topography over the interior of Greenland. With increased surface flow speed, strain heating induces more rapid heating in the ice at levels deeper than due to diffusion alone. Basal sliding, especially for granular sediments, provides an efficient mechanism for fast-glacier acceleration and enhanced mass loss. This mechanism, absent from other models, provides a rapid dynamic response to climate change. Net mass loss estimates from the new model should reach ~220 km3 yr−1 by 2100, significantly higher than estimates by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report 4 (AR4) of ~50–100 km3 yr−1. By 2100, the perennial frozen surface area decreases up to ~60%, to ~7 × 105 km2, indicating a massive expansion of the ablation zone. Ice mass change patterns, particularly along the periphery, are very similar between the two climate models.
Lagrangian Drifter Dispersion in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Berti Stefano , Santos Francisco Alves Dos , Lacorata Guglielmo , Vulpiani Angelo
Published: March 2011

In the framework of Monitoring by Ocean Drifters (MONDO) project, a set of Lagrangian drifters were released in proximity of the Brazil Current, the western branch of the subtropical gyre in the South Atlantic Ocean. The experimental strategy of deploying part of the buoys in clusters offers the opportunity to examine relative dispersion on a wide range of scales. Adopting a dynamical systems approach, the authors focus their attention on scale-dependent indicators, like the finite-scale Lyapunov exponent (FSLE) and the finite-scale (mean square) relative velocity (FSRV) between two drifters as a function of their separation and compare them with classic time-dependent statistical quantities like the mean-square relative displacement between two drifters and the effective diffusivity as functions of the time lag from the release. The authors find that, dependently on the given observable, the quasigeostrophic turbulence scenario is overall compatible with their data analysis, with discrepancies from the expected behavior of 2D turbulent trajectories likely to be ascribed to the nonstationary and nonhomogeneous characteristics of the flow, as well as to possible ageostrophic effects. Submesoscale features of ~O(1) km are considered to play a role, to some extent, in determining the properties of relative dispersion as well as the shape of the energy spectrum. The authors also present numerical simulations of an ocean general circulation model (OGCM) of the South Atlantic and discuss the comparison between experimental and model data about mesoscale dispersion.
Association Between Telomere Length and C-Reactive Protein and the Development of Coronary Collateral Circulation in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Solorio Sergio , Murillo-Ortíz Blanca , Hernández-González Martha , Guillén-Contreras José , Arenas-Aranda Diego , Solorzano-Zepeda Francisco J. , Ruiz-Avila Rene , Mora-Villalpando Carmen , de la Roca-Chiapas Jose M. , Malacara-Hernández Juan M.
Published: March 2011

Background: Coronary collateral circulation is a stabilizer factor in myocardial ischemia. We attempted to establish a link between collateral circulation, C-reactive protein (CRP), and telomere shortening. Patients and Methods: A case-control study was performed in patients with (group A) and without (group B) coronary collaterals using coronariography. The patients were males, CRP levels and telomere length in circulating leucocytes were measured; Student t test and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Results: The study included 40 patients aged 53.9 ± 7.0 years (20 per group). Group A exhibited lower CRP levels (2.76 ± 3.34 vs 4.04 ± 3.38; P = .004); whereas telomere length was shorter in group B (2.3 ± 6.9 kb vs 6.1 ± 5.9 kb; P < .0001). Conclusions: Collateral circulation was associated with telomere shortening and elevation of CRP levels.
Increasing Leisure Time Physical Activity is Associated With Less Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome in Healthy Middle-Aged Men
Authors: Behre Carl Johan , Bergström Göran , Bergstro Schmidt Caroline
Published: March 2011

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by a constellation of factors that confer an increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is well-known that physical activity (PA) has a protective role on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, mainly through its favorable effects on traditional risk factors such as body mass and blood pressure (BP). We assessed the prevalence of MetS in a population-based sample of 58-year-old men with respect to leisure-time PA and also to occupational PA. The results showed an inverse linear association (P < .05) between leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and MetS in this group. In conclusion, this study suggests that PA has an important role in controlling MetS.
Viewpoint Tethering for Remotely Operated Vehicles: Effects on Complex Terrain Navigation and Spatial Awareness
Authors: Hollands Justin G. , Lamb Matthew
Published: March 2011

Objective: The effect of viewpoint on the navigation of complex terrain and on spatial awareness was examined with the use of a simulated remotely operated vehicle.

Background: The ability to build terrain models in real time may soon allow remote vehicular control from any viewpoint. A virtual tether couples the viewpoint to the vehicle’s position and orientation, but shows more of the terrain than a fully immersive egocentric display. In this sense, it provides visual momentum by providing a view that incorporates egocentric and exocentric qualities.

Method: For this study, 12 participants navigated a simulated vehicle across complex virtual terrain using five different display viewpoints: egocentric, dynamic tether, rigid tether, 3-D exocentric, and 2-D exocentric. While navigating, participants had to avoid being seen by simulated enemy units. After the navigation task, participants’ spatial awareness was assessed using a recognition task.

Results: The tethered displays minimized the time during which the participant’s vehicle was visible to enemy positions. The egocentric display was more effective than exocentric displays (2-D or 3-D) for navigation, and the exocentric displays were more effective than egocentric for time seen during navigation and the recognition task. The tethered displays produced intermediate results for navigation and recognition.

Conclusion: Viewpoint tethering produced the most effective displays for minimizing time seen, but tethered displays were less effective than egocentric and exocentric displays for navigation and recognition, respectively.

Application: A tethered display is recommended for applications in which it is necessary to understand the relation of nearby locations to one’s own location.
Influence of Task Combination on EEG Spectrum Modulation for Driver Workload Estimation
Authors: Lei Shengguang , Roetting Matthias
Published: March 2011

Objective: This study investigates the feasibility of using a method based on electroencephalography (EEG) for deriving a driver’s mental workload index.

Background: The psychophysiological signals provide sensitive information for human functional states assessment in both laboratory and real-world settings and for building a new communication channel between driver and vehicle that allows for driver workload monitoring.

Methods: An experiment combining a lane-change task and n-back task was conducted. The task load levels were manipulated in two dimensions, driving task load and working memory load, with each containing three task load conditions.

Results: The frontal theta activity showed significant increases in the working memory load dimension, but differences were not found with the driving task load dimension. However, significant decreases in parietal alpha activity were found when the task load was increased in both dimensions. Task-related differences were also found. The driving task load contributed more to the changes in alpha power, whereas the working memory load contributed more to the changes in theta power. Additionally, these two task load dimensions caused significant interactive effects on both theta and alpha power.

Conclusion: These results indicate that EEG technology can provide sensitive information for driver workload detection even if the sensitivities of different EEG parameters tend to be task dependent.

Application: One potential future application of this study is to establish a general driver workload estimator that uses EEG signals.
Course of life satisfaction in patients with depressive and addictive disorders after therapeutic intervention
Authors: Büssing Arndt , Heusser Peter , Mundle Götz
Published: March 2011

Background/Aim: To analyse the course of life satisfaction during the clinic stay of patients with depressive and/or addictive disorders.

Methods: In a cohort study, 199 patients with depressive and addictive diseases were asked to complete a series of questionnaires at the start and the end of their psychotherapeutic treatment (on average 4.2 ± 2.3 weeks later). The questionnaires were the Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale (BMLSS), the Positive Life Construction/Contentedness/Well-Being Scale from the ERDA (Emotional/Rational Disease Acceptance) questionnaire, Beck’s Depression Inventory and the revised Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R).

Results: The psychotherapeutic interventions improved the clinical situation of the patients and resulted in strong effects with respect to positive life construction ( d = 1.07) and moderate effects on life satisfaction ( d = 0.71). Stronger effects were noted in patients with depressive disorders ( d = 0.80) than in patients with addictive disorders ( d = 0.69). Regression analyses revealed that pre-treatment life satisfaction can be explained negatively by an escape-avoidance strategy (Escape from Illness), and positively by positive life construction. In contrast, post-treatment life satisfaction can be explained negatively by psychological distress and depression, and positively by positive life construction and living with a partner.

Conclusion: The hypothesis that life satisfaction changes are associated with the clinical situation of patients was confirmed. In particular, patients with depressive disorders profited from the psychotherapeutic interventions.
A community–academic partnership develops a more responsive model to providing depression care to disadvantaged adults in the US
Authors: Dobransky-Fasiska Deborah , Nowalk Mary Patricia , Cruz Mario , McMurray Michelle L. , Castillo Enrico , Begley Amy E. , Pyle Pamala ,   RNDC-Community Partners, Pincus Harold Alan , Reynolds Charles F. , Brown Charlotte
Published: March 2011

Background: Socioeconomically disadvantaged adults experience greater healthcare disparities and increased risk of depression compared to higher-income groups.

Aim: To create a depression care model for disadvantaged adults utilizing service agencies, through a community–academic partnership.

Methods: Using participatory research methods, an organizational needs assessment was performed to ascertain depression care needs, identify barriers to clients receiving treatment, and marshal resources. Interviews and surveys were conducted with community organizational leaders. Focus groups were conducted with clients who used the service agencies.

Results: Interviews and surveys identified barriers including discontinuity of care and unmet basic needs for food, housing, health insurance and transportation. Focus groups enriched the understanding of barriers including lack of motivation to seek depression care, lack of social support and needed resources for the uninsured, underinsured and homeless. The findings were used to develop a depression care model combining depression management with motivational interviewing to evaluate and meet needs, and peer education to motivate and provide support.

Conclusions: This partnership facilitated the development of a community-driven intervention that academic researchers acting alone could not realize. To provide depression care to socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals, the intervention must include mitigating solutions to barriers.
Mental vulnerability as a risk factor for depression: A prospective cohort study in Denmark
Authors: Østergaard Ditte , Dalton Susanne Oksbjerg , Bidstrup Pernille Envold , Poulsen Aslak Harbo , Frederiksen Kirsten , Eplov Lene Falgaard , Johansen Christoffer , Mortensen Erik Lykke
Published: March 2011

Background and Aim: Mental vulnerability (i.e. a tendency to experience psychosomatic symptoms, mental symptoms or interpersonal problems) is associated with various diseases. This study investigated whether mental vulnerability is associated with hospitalization for depression.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted of six cohorts from the population of Copenhagen County, Denmark, with baseline information on mental vulnerability, lifestyle, social factors and comorbidity collected in 1976, 1982–84, 1991 and 1997–98 ( N = 11,862). By register-linkage information on hospital contacts for affective disorders were obtained from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register. The association between mental vulnerability and depression was examined using Kaplan-Meier plots allowing for death as competing risk and Cox proportional-hazard models adjusting for possible confounders.

Results: The cohort of 11,862 persons yielded a mean follow-up time of 12.3 years with 170 persons hospitalized with depression. The adjusted hazard ratio for hospitalization for depression associated with mental vulnerability was 1.23 (95% CI, 1.16–1.31) per step on the most used 12-item scale.

Conclusions: Mental vulnerability may be a risk factor for depression. Early identification and treatment of depression are essential for preventing chronic depression, reduced social functioning and disability. Psychiatric interviews should be used to evaluate whether the criteria for depression are fulfilled, but it may furthermore be relevant to identify persons who may be at risk of developing depression in the long term. The possibility of using, for example, the mental vulnerability scale for such purpose should be further investigated.
Major depression across West Bank: A cross-sectional general population study
Authors: Madianos Michael G. , Sarhan Adnan Lufti , Koukia Evmorfia
Published: March 2011

Background: In recent decades entire populations have been living under chronic strain, apprehension and violence. This is the case for Palestinians. Despite the increased volume of mass media attention on this situation, little is known about the psychological effects of this condition on this population.

Aims: The study was designed to investigate the lifetime and one-month prevalence of major depression episode (MDE) in a multi-stage sample of 916 adult Palestinians drawn from the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

Methods: The survey was based on personal interviews and was carried out from February to September 2007. The clinical examination used DSM-IV criteria for the detection of MDE, extracted from SCID-I. Data, suicidal behaviour, previous help seeking, medication use and exposure to trauma were also collected.

Results: Lifetime and one-month prevalence of MDE was found to be 24.3% and 10.6%, respectively. Male Palestinians suffered from slightly higher rates of MDE than their female counterparts, but this difference was not statistically significant. Being widowed and living in towns in West Bank also increased the likelihood to develop MDE. A comparison of prevalence rates in refugee and non-refugee populations showed no significant differences. This could be explained by the fact that though refugees were forcibly displaced, they were living among compatriots (non-refugees), thus both groups were experiencing the same sociopolitical adversities. Being also exposed to traumatic events increased the risk of suffering from MDE.

Conclusions: This study provides evidence that a population under continuous strain and apprehension, living in unremitting socioeconomic deprivation, is more likely to suffer from major depression.
TGF-β1 Promotes Migration and Invasion of Salivary Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma
Authors: Dong L. , Wang Y.X. , Li S.L. , Yu G.Y. , Gan Y.H. , Li D. , Wang C.Y.
Published: March 2011

Salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) is one of the most common subtypes of salivary gland carcinomas and frequently metastasizes to distant organs. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that promote SACC metastasis. In this study, we report that transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 was highly expressed in the highly metastatic SACC-LM cell line as compared with its parental low-metastatic SACC-83 cell line. Exogenous addition of TGF-β1 induced Smad2 phosphorylation and promoted the migration and invasion of SACC-83 cells. Consistently, the inhibition of endogenous TGF-β1 signaling in SACC-LM cells by an inhibitor specific to the type I TGF-β1 receptor (TβRI) suppressed cell migration and invasion. Moreover, we found that TGF-β1 expression was significantly increased in human primary SACC samples with metastasis. Taken together, our results suggest that TGF-β1 may play a crucial role in SACC metastasis.
Epithelial Integrins with Special Reference to Oral Epithelia
Authors: Larjava H. , Koivisto L. , Häkkinen L. , Heino J.
Published: March 2011

Adhesion of epithelium to the extracellular matrix is crucial for the maintenance of systemic and oral health. In the oral cavity, teeth or artificial dental implants penetrate the soft tissue of the gingiva. In this interface, gingival soft tissue needs to be well attached via the epithelial seal to the tooth or implant surface to maintain health. After injury or wounding, epithelial tissue rapidly migrates to form the initial epithelial cover to restore the barrier against infection. These events are crucially dependent on deposition of extracellular matrix and proper activation and function of integrin receptors in the epithelial cells. Recent experimental evidence suggests that epithelial integrins also participate in the regulation of periodontal inflammation. In this review, we will discuss the structure and function of epithelial integrins and their extracellular ligands and elaborate on their potential role in disease and repair processes in the oral cavity.
Nurturing Students’ Strengths
Authors: Borrero Noah
Published: March 2011

Framed within the growing population of English language learners (ELLs) in urban schools, this study examined the learning experiences of bilingual Latino/a students who were taught to serve as on-site interpreters at their inner-city K-8 school in California. Participants in the Young Interpreters Program had significantly higher scores in Reading Comprehension and Paraphrasing at posttest in comparison with their classmates. In addition, interview data revealed students’ increased efficacy in their abilities as interpreters and students. The use of an asset approach to educating ELLs in urban schools is discussed.
Civic Culture, Sub-cultures, Non-traditionalism and Progressive Policy
Authors: Rosdil Donald
Published: March 2011

Even as some observers criticise its insularity and excessive dependence on political economy approaches, urban politics research has recently witnessed a profusion of studies employing cultural methods. This paper will review how researchers have used cultural methods in explaining political outcomes. It will argue that, in the US context, a sub-cultural model based on a traditionalism/non-traditionalism dichotomy offers greater potential than other approaches to account effectively for progressive strategies which seem illogical within a political economy framework. Finally, it explains how growing non-traditionalism and the global economy jointly explain the increasing acceptability of progressive development among both urban residents and corporate interests in US post-industrial cities. The paper illustrates these claims by applying this framework to development outcomes in Seattle and Las Vegas.
Global Linkages, the Chinese High-tech Community and Industrial Cluster Development
Authors: Chou Tsu Lung , Ching Chia-Ho , Fan Shu-min , Chang Jung-Ying
Published: March 2011

The development of industrial clusters in China has become a subject of international interest, but attention has primarily focused on government efforts to attract FDI to promote industrial clusters and regional development. The local process which supports the rise and growth of clusters driven by the domestic firms has been relatively ignored in this debate. Thus, this article considers the analytical framework of strategic coupling and uses a case study of the Wuxi semiconductor industry to investigate the cluster formation, dynamics and effects driven by domestic, rather than FDI, firms with the mediating role of the transnational Chinese technical community, the state and domestic firms. It concludes that the rise and growth of the semiconductor domestic-led cluster in Wuxi is not dependent on FDI, but instead results from the dynamic interplay of several elements. Effects of technology spillover from the government-funded research institutions, as well as mutual competition and co-operation in technological emulation among domestic firms are important elements for the development of the domestic-led cluster. Moreover, all these elements lie within the strategic coupling of the regional assets and the transnational Chinese technical community, mediated by the state. It is the the state that has mobilised regional assets to negotiate with overseas technology talent for strengthening global linkages and facilitating the entrepreneurial knowledge absorption of domestic leading firms—a feature which has not been theoretically observed in Western countries.
A Minority-status Perspective on Intergroup Relations: A Study of an Ethnic Chinese Population in a Small Italian Town
Authors: Nielsen Ingrid , Paritski Olga , Smyth Russell
Published: March 2011

This study models the effects on attitudes and behaviour of intergroup contact between minority-status Chinese residents and majority-status residents in the Tuscan city of Prato in Italy. The study contributes to theory by building upon Allport’s original contact thesis through modelling the effects of intimate and non-intimate contact on behaviour, over and above their effects on attitudes in a setting in which a high proportion of the minority-status residents are international migrants. Results indicate that neither friendship nor non-friendship contact have significant effects on minority Chinese residents’ attitudes towards majority-status residents; however, minority Chinese residents who report having more friends among majority-status residents report more positive behaviour towards them. This result demonstrates the utility of not only differentiating between more intimate friendship contact and incidental non-friendship contact, but also differentiating between attitudinal and behavioural measures in the assessment of intergroup relations.
From Dutch Dispersal to Ethnic Enclaves in the UK
Authors: van Liempt Ilse
Published: March 2011

Since 2000, a considerable number of Somalis with Dutch passports have started to move from cities and small towns in the Netherlands, which were relatively mixed, to residential environments in the UK with much higher concentrations of Somalis and other immigrants. This paper examines experiences of integration and segregation in the Netherlands and the UK by interviewing some of these Somalis. What do their experiences teach us about segregation and integration? It was found that current understandings of segregation and integration are too focused on cultural aspects, and overlook structural factors that obstruct immigrants’ integration. They also give rise to an inability to imagine immigrants’ own feelings of belonging and their transnational orientations.
The Level of Service Inventory-Revised (Lsi-R) and Australian Offenders
Authors: Hsu Ching-I , Caputi Peter , Byrne Mitchell K.
Published: March 2011

The Level of Service Inventory—Revised (LSI-R) assesses the risk of reoffending and identifies criminogenic need characteristics of offenders. Despite the assessment’s popularity, its factor structure remains under-researched. Inconsistency in published research may be attributed to the misuse, and inappropriate statistical analyses, of the LSI-R subscale scores. The present study explored the factor structure of the LSI-R, at the item level, using a sample of Australian offenders. Binary exploratory factor analysis found a five-factor solution for male offenders and a four-factor solution for female offenders. Using these data to “recalibrate” the LSI-R, sensitivity and specificity comparisons of the original and modified LSI-R were undertaken. With specific attention to Indigenous status and types of sentence orders served, sensitivity and specificity improvements were observed. Findings are discussed in terms of the value of exploring latent constructs and validating assessment tools, as well as the potential impact on the management and rehabilitation of Australian offenders.
Interest-group capacities and infant industry development: State-sponsored growth in organic farming
Authors: Halpin Darren , Daugbjerg Carsten , Schvartzman Yonatan
Published: March 2011

Both interest-group and public-policy scholars accept that groups are important to policy formulation and implementation because they hold valuable capacities. However, the literature has not dealt with whether, and how, groups develop capacities. In this article, we examine the question of group capacity development by focusing on the adaption of specific groups to evolving policy contexts. Taking the example of organic farm policy we look at the impact that divergent policy strategies aimed at growing this infant industry sector have had on the way related industry groups have evolved in four countries. This comparative study supports our argument that policy strategy is one key force in shaping the capacities that groups develop over time.
Does Early Paternal Parenting Promote Low-Income Children’s Long-Term Cognitive Skills?
Authors: Coley Rebekah Levine , Lewin-Bizan Selva , Carrano Jennifer
Published: March 2011

Although scholars and policy makers herald the promotive influence of fathers’ parenting involvement, limited research has carefully delineated effects of fathers’ parenting on low-income children’s development and whether early contributions from fathers confer long-term protective effects. Using data from the Three-City Study ( N = 261), analyses assessed whether fathers’ parenting practices during early childhood showed long-term links with low-income children’s cognitive skills through middle childhood. Results found that fathers’ warm and stimulating parenting predicted enhanced reading and math skills for children in middle childhood, whereas fathers’ restrictive discipline predicted lower reading and math skills. These links were independent of mothers’ parenting and emerged controlling for a range of child and family characteristics. Associations between fathers’ parenting and children’s cognitive skills were similar across both resident and nonresident fathers and across African American and Hispanic families.
Excluding Mothers-in-Law
Authors: Marx Jonathan , Miller Lee Q. , Huffmon Scott
Published: March 2011

With whom do parents discuss medical and behavioral child-rearing questions? In a telephone survey of 167 parents (49 fathers and 118 mothers) in the southern United States, the authors found that mothers express a clear preference for their own mother’s advice as opposed to that of their mother-in-law. Fathers are less likely to consult any relative and show little preference for their own mothers in seeking parenting advice. Directions for further research are discussed.
The Development of an Immunohistochemical Method to Detect the Autophagy-Associated Protein LC3-II in Human Tumor Xenografts
Authors: Holt Sarah V. , Wyspianska Beata , Randall Kevin J. , James Dominic , Foster John R. , Wilkinson Robert W.
Published: March 2011

Autophagy is believed to be an important process during tumorgenesis, and in recent years it has been shown to be modulated in response to a number of conventional anticancer agents. Furthermore, the development of targeted small molecule inhibitors, such as those to the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway, has presented a molecular link between the disruption of this signalling cascade and the process of autophagy. The cellular consequence of stimulating or inhibiting autophagy in cancer cells is not completely understood, so it is important that this process be monitored, along with antiproliferative and apoptotic biomarkers, in the preclinical setting. The field of autophagy is still evolving, and there is a constantly changing set of criteria for the assessment of the process in cells, tissues, and organs. The gold standard technique for analyzing autophagy in mammalian cells remains transmission electron microscopy, which has many limitations and is often difficult to perform on in vivo tissue including human tumor xenografts. In order to monitor autophagy in human tumor xenogaft tissue, we have taken the approach to develop an immunohistochemical (IHC) method for the detection of the autophagosome-associated protein, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), in human tumor xenografts. After synthesis, LC3 is cleaved to form LC3-I, and upon induction of autophagy, LC3-I is conjugated to the lipid phosphatidylethanolamine to form LC3-II, which is tightly bound to the membrane of the autophagosome. It is thought that detection of endogenous LC3-II by IHC could be difficult because of the relatively low level of expression of the protein. Here we present the validation of an IHC method to detect LC3 in human tumor xenografts that we believe is able to distinguish LC3-I from LC3-II. It is hoped that this assay can become a useful tool for the detection of autophagy in preclinical xenograft models and determine the effects of anticancer therapies on the autophagic process.
A Twenty-Eight-Day Mechanistic Time Course Study in the Rhesus Monkey with Hepatitis C Virus Protease Inhibitor BILN 2061
Authors: Stoltz James H. , Stern Jerry O. , Huang Qihong , Seidler Randolph W. , Pack Franklin D. , Knight Brian L.
Published: March 2011

BILN 2061 is a potent, reversible inhibitor of hepatitis C virus NS3/NS4A serine protease. Early clinical proof of principle with the drug was offset by the results of subsequent safety studies in Rhesus monkeys revealing cardiotoxicity that featured myocardial vacuolation corresponding to mitochondrial swelling. Here we describe an investigation into the nature, onset, and reversibility of the lesion, and an assessment of potentially predictive biomarkers for the change. Rhesus monkeys were orally administered 1,000 mg/kg/day BILN 2061 and either necropsied after one, three, fourteen, or twenty-eight doses or afforded a ten-week recovery period. The results of electrocardiographic and plasma troponin I and T measurements were unaffected by BILN 2061, but cardiac myocytic vacuolation, correlated with mitochondrial swelling, was observed after three or more doses. Echocardiographic traces obtained after twenty-eight consecutive days of dosing revealed two animals with diminished left ventricular cardiac ejection fraction. One animal was immediately necropsied and exhibited marked cardiotoxicity. The other was afforded a ten-week treatment-free period during which the left ventricular ejection fraction returned to normal. All recovery animal hearts were microscopically and ultrastructurally normal. High-dose BILN 2061 cardiotoxicity in Rhesus monkeys appeared early in the treatment regimen and exhibited reversibility. A reliable biomarker has yet to be identified.
Measurement of Quality of Life in Menopausal Women
Authors: Shin Hyunjeong , Shin Hye Sook
Published: March 2011

Use of a wide variety of quality of life (QoL) instruments, each measuring a different aspect of menopause with a different type of underlying scale, has been a major problem in menopause research. The aim of this review was to identify instruments developed for menopausal women and evaluate the psychometric properties and appropriateness of instruments for the study of QoL in menopausal women. Seven measures from 16 papers were chosen for the review. The psychometric evaluations were conducted based on quality judgment criteria. Of the seven measures reviewed in this study, the psychometric quality scores of Women’s Health Questionnaire (WHQ) was the highest. However, the result indicates that most instruments of menopause-specific QoL need further testing and evaluation of the various aspects of their psychometric properties. In addition, future research assessing psychometric properties with cross-cultural samples may be beneficial in adapting measures to specific context and study populations.
A systematic review and synthesis of the quantitative and qualitative evidence behind patient-centred goal setting in stroke rehabilitation
Authors: Rosewilliam Sheeba , Roskell Carolyn Anne , Pandyan AD
Published: March 2011

Objective: To map out from the literature the nature, extent and effects of application of patient-centred goal setting in stroke rehabilitation practice.

Design: Systematic review.

Data sources: A search was conducted in the Cochrane (Wiley), AMED, Medline (EBSCO), Embase, Sports discuss, Medline (Ovid) and CINAHL databases. Secondary search based on references from the preliminary search was undertaken.

Review methods: Quantitative and qualitative studies that included aspects of patient-centredness and goal setting in stroke patients from 1980 to June 2010 were collected. Studies were scrutinized for relevance and quality based on published methodology. The findings were synthesized by aggregating the themes from the qualitative studies and relating them to relevant findings from the quantitative studies.

Results: Eighteen qualitative and eight quantitative and one mixed method study conducted in stroke rehabilitation services ranging from acute to community rehabilitation were included. Themes that emerged were related to perceptions of patients and professionals regarding patient-centredness, nominal adoption of this concept, consequences of discrepancies in the perceptions and practice, related ethical conflicts, challenges to application and strategies to improve its application. The effects of following patient-centred goal-setting practice have been studied mostly with weak methodologies and studies show some benefit with psychological outcomes.

Conclusion: Patient-centred goal setting is minimally adopted in goal-setting practice due to various barriers. Since the effects of incorporating this concept have not been evaluated rigorously it is suggested that further research is essential to investigate its effect on patient outcomes.
Cardiomyopathy in α-Kinase 3 (ALPK3)–Deficient Mice
Authors: Van Sligtenhorst I. , Ding Z-M. , Shi Z-Z. , Read R. W. , Hansen G. , Vogel P.
Published: March 2011

Cardiomyopathy developed in mice deficient for α-kinase 3 (ALPK3), a nuclear kinase previously implicated in the differentiation of cardiomyocytes. Alpk3–/– mice were produced according to normal Mendelian ratios and appeared normal except for a nonprogressive cardiomyopathy that had features of both hypertrophic and dilated forms of cardiomyopathy. Cardiac hypertrophy in Alpk3–/– mice was characterized by increased thickness of both left and right ventricular (LV and RV) walls and by markedly increased heart weight and increased heart weight/body weight and heart weight/tibia length ratios. Magnetic resonance imaging studies confirmed the increased thickness in both septal and LV free walls at end-diastole, although there was no significant change in LV wall thickness at end-systole. Myocardial hypertrophy was the predominant feature in Alpk3–/– mice, but several changes more typically associated with dilated cardiomyopathy included a marked increase in end-diastolic and end-systolic LV volume, as well as reduced cardiac output, stroke volume, and ejection fractions, suggesting LV chamber dilation. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a 50% reduction in both septal and free wall LV contractility in Alpk3–/– mice. Interstitial fibrosis and inflammation were notably absent in Alpk3–/– mice; however, light and electron microscopy revealed altered cardiomyocyte architecture, characterized by reduced numbers of abnormal intercalated discs being associated with mild disarray of myofibrils. These lesions could account for the impaired contractility of the myofibrillar apparatus and contribute to the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy in Alpk3–/– mice.
Swine as Models in Biomedical Research and Toxicology Testing
Authors: Swindle M. M. , Makin A. , Herron A. J. , Clubb F. J. , Frazier K. S.
Published: March 2011

Swine are considered to be one of the major animal species used in translational research, surgical models, and procedural training and are increasingly being used as an alternative to the dog or monkey as the choice of nonrodent species in preclinical toxicologic testing of pharmaceuticals. There are unique advantages to the use of swine in this setting given that they share with humans similar anatomic and physiologic characteristics involving the cardiovascular, urinary, integumentary, and digestive systems. However, the investigator needs to be familiar with important anatomic, histopathologic, and clinicopathologic features of the laboratory pig and minipig in order to put background lesions or xenobiotically induced toxicologic changes in their proper perspective and also needs to consider specific anatomic differences when using the pig as a surgical model. Ethical considerations, as well as the existence of significant amounts of background data, from a regulatory perspective, provide further support for the use of this species in experimental or pharmaceutical research studies. It is likely that pigs and minipigs will become an increasingly important animal model for research and pharmaceutical development applications.
Outcomes of Revision Arthroscopic Type II Superior Labral Anterior Posterior Repairs
Authors: Park SangDo , Glousman Ronald E.
Published: March 2011

Background: Outcomes of arthroscopic type II superior labral anterior posterior (SLAP) repairs have been reported with success. However, published data regarding outcomes of revision arthroscopic type II SLAP repairs are lacking.

Hypothesis: Outcomes of revision arthroscopic type II SLAP repairs are inferior to those of primary repairs.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed to identify patients who had undergone revision arthroscopic type II SLAP repairs at our institution. Patients who underwent concomitant rotator cuff repairs or labral repairs for instability were excluded. Twelve patients were contacted, and the following outcome data were prospectively gathered: American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, patient satisfaction level, return to work, return to sports, and physical examination. Demographics and intraoperative report data were also collected from the charts.

Results: The mean age at the time of revision arthroscopic type II SLAP repairs was 32.6 years (range, 19-67 years) with a mean follow-up of 50.5 months (range, 8-81 months). There were 5 workers’ compensation patients and 6 overhead athletes. Pain was the chief complaint at the time of initial and revision SLAP repairs. The mean ASES score was 72.5, patient satisfaction level was 6.4 (scale of 0-10), mean return to work was at 57.8% of the previous level, and mean return to sports was at 42.2% of the previous level. In overhead athletes, mean return to sports was at 41.3% of the previous level, and none of the 4 baseball players returned to preinjury level. The mean values for all outcome data and range of motion values were lower in workers’ compensation patients. There were no reported complications, but 2 patients required additional arthroscopic surgeries.

Conclusion: Arthroscopic revision type II SLAP repairs yield worse results than primary repairs as reported in the literature, with workers’ compensation patients and overhead athletes doing especially worse. A larger prospective study of this relatively rare procedure is needed to better determine which patients may benefit from this procedure.
Arthroscopic Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament With Hamstring Tendon Autograft and Fresh-Frozen Allograft
Authors: Sun Kang , Zhang Jihua , Wang Yan , Xia Changsuo , Zhang Cailong , Yu Tengbo , Tian Shaoqi
Published: March 2011

Background: Most studies of allograft versus autograft for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction have been of bone–patellar tendon–bone; outcome reports evaluating anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with hamstring tendon autograft versus allograft are rare.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to compare the clinical outcome of arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with hamstring tendon autograft versus allograft.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods: Between 2000 and 2004, 208 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study were prospectively randomized into autograft (n = 104) or allograft (n = 104) groups. All hamstring tendon allografts were fresh-frozen and obtained from a single certified tissue bank. All the operations were done by the same surgeon with the same surgical technique. Femoral and tibial fixation was by means of an EndoButton and a bioabsorbable interference screw augmented with a staple, respectively. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively. Evaluations included detailed history, physical examination, functional knee ligament testing, KT-2000 arthrometer testing, Harner vertical jump and Daniel 1-legged hop tests, Lysholm score, Tegner score, the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) standard evaluation form, Cincinnati knee score, and radiographs.

Results: Of these patients, 186 (autograft, n = 91; allograft, n = 95) were available for full evaluation. Demographic data were comparable between groups. The mean follow-up was 7.8 years for both groups. There were no statistically significant differences according to the evaluations of the outcome aforementioned between the 2 groups except that patients in the allograft group had a shorter operation time than the autograft group. Seven patients (7.7%) in the autograft group and 8 (8.4%) in the allograft group had a side-to-side difference >5 mm. Eighty-five patients (93.4%) in the autograft group and 86 (90.5%) in the allograft group were normal or nearly normal according to the overall IKDC. According to the subjective IKDC, the average scores were 89 and 90 points, respectively, for the autograft and allograft groups. The mean Lysholm and Tegner scores were 89 points and 7.7 points, respectively, for the autograft group and 90 points and 7.6 points, respectively, for the allograft group. For the Cincinnati knee score, the average scores were 90 and 91 points, respectively, for the autograft and allograft groups.

Conclusion: Both groups of patients achieved almost the same satisfactory outcome at an average of 7.8 years of follow-up. Fresh-frozen hamstring tendon allograft is a reasonable alternative choice to autograft for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
Motivations for Gang Membership in Lagos, Nigeria
Authors: Salaam Abeeb Olufemi
Published: March 2011

The current study explores the major challenges (in the form of risk factors) that may influence unemployed youths’ involvement in gang and criminal activity in Lagos, Nigeria. A combination of techniques (e.g., oral, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires) were used for the data collection. The computed outcomes establish some of the major conditions (e.g., large families, rural/urban migration, poverty, and police corruption) faced by the vulnerable youths before turning to gang and criminal activity as an alternative opportunity to improve their lot in life. The possible implications of the current findings on risk-focused prevention strategies are discussed.