bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Susceptibility of Bifidobacteria of Animal Origin to Selected
Antimicrobial Agents
Authors: Mayrhofer Sigrid , Mair Christiane , Kneifel Wolfgang , Domig Konrad J.
Published: April 2011

Strains of the genus Bifidobacterium are frequently used as probiotics, for which the absence of acquired antimicrobial resistance has become an important safety criterion. This clarifies the need for antibiotic susceptibility data for bifidobacteria. Based on a recently published standard for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bifidobacteria with broth microdilution method, the range of susceptibility to selected antibiotics in 117 animal bifidobacterial strains was examined. Narrow unimodal MIC distributions either situated at the low-end (chloramphenicol, linezolid, and quinupristin/dalfopristin) or high-end (kanamycin, neomycin) concentration range could be detected. In contrast, the MIC distribution of trimethoprim was multimodal. Data derived from this study can be used as a basis for reviewing or verifying present microbiological breakpoints suggested by regulatory agencies to assess the safety of these micro-organisms intended for the use in probiotics.
Benzyl Isothiocyanate Inhibits Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Cultured and Xenografted Human Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Sehrawat Anuradha , Singh Shivendra V.
Published: April 2011

We showed previously that cruciferous vegetable constituent benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) inhibits growth of cultured and xenografted human breast cancer cells and suppresses mammary cancer development in a transgenic mouse model. We now show, for the first time, that BITC inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human breast cancer cells. Exposure of estrogen-independent MDA-MB-231 and estrogen-responsive MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines and a pancreatic cancer cell line (PL-45) to BITC resulted in upregulation of epithelial markers (e.g., E-cadherin and/or occludin) with a concomitant decrease in protein levels of mesenchymal markers, including vimentin, fibronectin, snail, and/or c-Met. The BITC-mediated induction of E-cadherin protein was accompanied by an increase in its transcription, whereas BITC-treated MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited suppression of vimentin, snail, and slug mRNA levels. Experimental EMT induced by exposure to TGFβ and TNFα or Rb knockdown in a spontaneously immortalized nontumorigenic human mammary epithelial cell line (MCF-10A) was also partially reversed by BITC treatment. The TGFβ-/TNFα-induced migration of MCF-10A cells was inhibited in the presence of BITC, which was partially attenuated by RNA interference of E-cadherin. Inhibition of MDA-MB-231 xenograft growth in vivo in female athymic mice by BITC administration was associated with an increase in protein level of E-cadherin and suppression of vimentin and fibronectin protein expression. In conclusion, this study reports a novel anticancer effect of BITC involving inhibition of EMT, a process triggered during progression of cancer to invasive state. Cancer Prev Res; 4(7); 1107–17. ©2011 AACR.
Different Risk Factor Profiles between Silent Brain Infarction and Symptomatic Lacunar Infarction
Authors: Kim Mi-Hwa , Moon Ju-Sun , Park So-Young , An Se-A , Kim Ok-Joon , Kim Nam-Keun , Oh Seung-Hun
Published: April 2011

Background/Aims: It is generally assumed that silent brain infarction (SBI) and symptomatic lacunar infarction (sLAC) share common vascular risk factors and their pathogeneses are known to be similar. However, few studies have conducted a risk factor profile analysis of the two diseases in a single study design. Methods: This study included 64 subjects with SBI lesions, 140 patients with sLAC, and 342 controls by retrospective investigation of brain MRI. Topographic findings and vascular risk factor profiles were compared. Results and Conclusion: Compared to the controls, the SBI group was found to be associated with hypertension (p = 0.002) and elevated plasma total homocysteine level (p = 0.02). The sLAC group was found to be associated with hypertension (p = 0.001), diabetes (p = 0.004), smoking (p = 0.002), ischemic heart disease (p = 0.01) and hyperlipidemia (p = 0.04). In the present study, risk factor profiles of the SBI and sLAC were not exactly the same, indicating a different pathogenesis between the two diseases.
Surgical Results and Microscopic Analysis of the Tissue Reaction following Implantation and Explantation of an Intraocular Implant for Epiretinal Stimulation in Minipigs
Authors: Menzel-Severing Johannes , Sellhaus Bernd , Laube Thomas , Brockmann Claudia , Bornfeld Norbert , Walter Peter , Roessler Gernot
Published: April 2011

Aims: For the purpose of visual rehabilitation of subjects with photoreceptor degeneration, an implantable microelectronic device for epiretinal stimulation was developed. Our study aimed to show whether implantation and explantation could be conducted safely and to investigate tissue compatibility. Methods: The device was implanted in 5 Göttinger minipigs. Four weeks later, the implant was surgical- ly removed. Histopathological examination that followed aimed at detecting inflammatory or proliferative changes. Stains used were hematoxylin and eosin, leukocyte common antigen, CD68 and glial fibrillary acidic protein. A grinding technique was used to visualize the retinal tissue in conjunction with the retinal tacks. Results: The implantation of the devices was successful in all cases. The explantation was complicated by intraoperative hemorrhages. Complete explantation could only be achieved after modifying the implantation strategy. Histopathology revealed a mild degree of cystic disaggregation of the retina. Immunohistochemically, an increased glial fibrillary acidic protein expression of Müller cells was found, which shows a moderate glial cell activation. Inflammatory cells were absent. Using the grinding technique, tissue adjacent to the retinal tacks showed a mild gliosis. Discussion: The viability of implantation and explantation of the implant in minipigs has been shown. The absence of immunoreactive cells or a considerable glial reaction suggest that the device may be considered safe and suitable for further implantation in humans.
Changes of the Retina and Intrinsic Survival Signals in a Rat Model of Glaucoma following Brinzolamide and Travoprost Treatments
Authors: Park Hae Young Lopilly , Kim Jie Hyun , Lee Dong Eun , Lee Joo Hwa , Park Chan Kee
Published: April 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the changes of the retina and the intrinsic survival signals of the retina by brinzolamide (Azopt®) and travoprost (Travatan®) in a rat model of chronic ocular hypertension. Methods: Chronic ocular hypertension was induced by cauterization of three episcleral veins. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining was performed and the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was examined to evaluate changes of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) apoptosis and glial cell activation. Western blot analyses of the bcl-2 family and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) were done to identify changes of the intrinsic survival signaling pathway in the retina. Results: GFAP expression and TUNEL staining revealed significant decreases in RGC apoptosis and glial cell activation after brinzolamide and travoprost administration; bcl-2 and bcl-xL expression were significantly increased after intraocular pressure elevation and it was further increased with brinzolamide and travoprost treatment. This enhancement of survival signaling may have contributed to the decrease in RGC apoptosis. However, the role of ERK signaling was not significant. Conclusions: Decrease in retinal damage and increased intrinsic survival signals suggests the neuroprotective potential of brinzolamide and travoprost in an animal model of chronic ocular hypertension, but further studies are required.
Oral Eosinophilic Ulcer, an Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated CD30+ Lymphoproliferation?
Authors: Abdel-Naser M.B. , Tsatsou F. , Hippe S. , Knolle J. , Anagnostopoulos I. , Stein H. , Zouboulis C.C.
Published: April 2011

Eosinophilic ulcer of the oral mucosa is a benign lesion of unclear pathogenesis mostly affecting the tongue. It has been suggested to represent a reactive pattern to several stimuli. We report on a 12-year-old boy who presented with a painless infiltrating ulcer on the gingiva of the lower jaw, which was covered by necrotic yellowish slough. There were no pathologic features of the jawbones or regional lymph nodes. Histopathological, immunohistochemical and gene rearrangement studies were in agreement with eosinophilic ulcer with predominant oligoclonal CD3+ and CD30+ T lymphocytes expressing the Epstein-Barr virus membrane protein. The ulcer resolved within 4 weeks and follow-up for 3 years revealed no evidence of recurrence. Epstein-Barr virus may have played a role in triggering this reactive lymphoproliferative disorder.
Does ICA Occlusion Frequently Have Intracerebral Hemorrhage after IV Tissue Plasminogen Activator Therapy for Ischemic Stroke?
Authors: Kimura Kazumi , Sakai Kenichiro , Iguchi Yasuyuki , Shibazaki Kensaku , Sakamoto Yuki
Published: April 2011

Background/Aims: The main predictors of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are clinical stroke severity and large ischemic lesions. Therefore, ICA occlusion as severe stroke is thought to frequently have ICH after tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ICA occlusion more frequently had ICH after t-PA therapy compared with other occluded arteries. Subjects andMethods: We prospectively studied consecutive stroke patients treated with t-PA within 3 h of onset. We investigated the frequency of ICH after t-PA therapy for each occluded artery. Results: 165 patients were enrolled. Initial MRA demonstrated ICA occlusion in 38 patients, M1 in 48, M2 in 28, and BA and PCA in 12. At 24 h after t-PA infusion, 113 (68.5%) patients (non-HT group) did not have hemorrhagic transformation, 37 (22.4%; HI group) had hemorrhagic cerebral infarction and 15 (9.1%; ICH group) had ICH. The ICH group most frequently had M2 occlusion, NIHSS ≧15, and ≧1/3 of the MCA territory among the three groups. The frequency of ICH was 2.6% in no occlusion, 10.5% in ICA occlusion, 6.3% in M1, 21.4% in M2, and 8.3% in PCA and BA (p = 0.1016). Conclusion: Patients with ICA occlusion did not have ICH more frequently after t-PA therapy in comparison to other occluded arteries.
Intracellular Leptin-Signaling Pathways in Hypothalamic Neurons: The Emerging Role of Phosphatidylinositol-3 Kinase-Phosphodiesterase-3B-cAMP Pathway
Authors: Sahu Abhiram
Published: April 2011

Leptin is secreted primarily by fat cells and acts centrally, particularly in the hypothalamus, to reduce food intake and body weight. Besides the classical JAK2 (Janus kinase-2)-STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription-3) pathway, several non-STAT3 pathways play an important role in mediating leptin signaling in the hypothalamus. We have demonstrated that leptin action in the hypothalamus is mediated by an insulin-like signaling pathway involving stimulation of PI3K (phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase) and PDE3B (phosphodiesterase-3B), and reduction in cAMP levels, and that a PI3K-PDE3B-cAMP pathway interacting with the JAK2-STAT3 pathway constitutes a critical component of leptin signaling in the hypothalamus. It appears that defective regulation of multiple signaling pathways in the hypothalamus causes central leptin resistance, a major cause of obesity. In this regard, we have shown that leptin resistance in hypothalamic neurons following chronic central infusion of this hormone is associated with a defect in the PI3K-PDE3B-cAMP, and not due to compromised signaling in the JAK2-STAT3 pathway. Similarly, the PI3K, but not the STAT3, pathway is impaired in the hypothalamus during the development of diet-induced obesity. Additionally, our recent work suggests that suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 negatively regulates the PI3K pathway of leptin signaling in the hypothalamus, a mechanism expected to play a significant role in diet-induced obesity. Together, the PI3K-PDE3B-cAMP pathway appears to emerge as a major mechanism of leptin signaling in the hypothalamus in regulating energy balance.
Sleep Characteristics in Children with Growth Hormone Deficiency
Authors: Verrillo Elisabetta , Bizzarri Carla , Cappa Marco , Bruni Oliviero , Pavone Martino , Ferri Raffaele , Cutrera Renato
Published: April 2011

Background/Aims: Growth hormone (GH) is preferentially secreted during slow wave sleep and the interactions between human sleep and the somatotropic system are well documented, although only few studies have investigated the sleep EEG in children with GH deficiency (GHD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the sleep structure of children with dysregulation of the GH/insulin-like growth factor axis. Methods: Laboratory polysomnographic sleep recordings were obtained from 10 GHD children and 20 normal healthy age-matched children. The classical sleep parameters were evaluated together with sleep microstructure, by means of the cyclic alternating pattern (CAP), in GHD patients and compared to the control group. Results: GHD children showed a significant decrease in total sleep time, sleep efficiency, movement time and in non-rapid eye movement sleep stage 2. Although some indicators of sleep fragmentation were increased in GHD children, we found a general decrease in EEG arousability represented by a significant global decrease in the CAP rate, involving all CAP A phase subtypes. Conclusions: The analysis of sleep microstructure by means of CAP, in children with GHD, showed a reduction of transient EEG amplitude oscillations. Further studies are needed in order to better clarify whether GH therapy is able to modify sleep microstructure in GHD children, and the relationships between sleep microstructure, hormonal secretion and neurocognitive function in these patients.
ACCF/AHA/HFSA 2011 Survey Results: Current Staffing Profile of Heart Failure Programs, Including Programs That Perform Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Device Implantation
Authors: Jessup Mariell , Albert Nancy M. , Lanfear David E. , Lindenfeld JoAnn , Massie Barry M. , Walsh Mary Norine , Zucker Mark J.
Published: April 2011

Objectives—

There have been no published recommendations about staffing needs for a heart failure (HF) clinic or an office setting focused on heart transplant. The goal of this survey was to understand the current staffing environment of HF, transplant, and mechanical circulatory support device (MCSD) programs in the United States and abroad. This report identifies current staffing patterns but does not endorse a particular staffing model.

Methods—

An online survey, jointly sponsored by the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF), American Heart Association (AHA), and the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), was sent to the members of all 3 organizations who had identified themselves as interested in HF, heart transplant, or both, between March 12, 2009, and May 12, 2009.

Results—

The overall response rate to the 1823 e-mail surveys was 23%. There were 257 unique practices in the United States (81% of total sites) and 58 international sites (19%); approximately 30% of centers were in a cardiovascular group practice and 30% in a medical school hospital setting. The large majority of practices delivered HF care in both an inpatient and outpatient environment, and slightly more centers were implanting MCSDs (47%) than performing cardiac transplantation (39%). Most practices (43%) were small, with <4 staff members, or small- to medium-sized (34%), with 4 to 10 staff members, with only 23% being medium (11–20 staff) or large programs (>20 staff). On average, a US HF practice cared for 1641 outpatients annually. An average HF program with transplant performed 10 transplants. Although larger programs were able to perform more transplants and see more outpatient HF visits, their clinician staffing volume tended to double for approximately every 500 to 700 additional HF visits annually. The average staffing utilization was 2.65 physician full-time equivalents (FTEs), 2.21 nonphysician practitioner (nurse practitioner or physician assistant) FTEs, and 2.61 nurse coordinator FTEs annually.

Conclusions—

The HF patient population is growing in number in the United States and internationally, and the clinicians who provide the highly skilled and time-consuming care to this population are under intense scrutiny as a result of focused quality improvement initiatives and reduced financial resources. Staffing guidelines should be developed to ensure that an adequate number of qualified professionals are hired for a given practice volume. These survey results are an initial step in developing such standards.
Microskills Training
Authors: Ridley Charles R. , Kelly Shannon M. , Mollen Debra
Published: April 2011

For more than four decades, the microskills approach has been the dominant paradigm for training entry-level counseling students. At its inception, the model met a critical need: instruction in discrete counseling behaviors, which at the time was conspicuously missing from training curricula. Although these behaviors have become essential components of training in counseling psychology and other mental health specialties, the authors’ reexamination of the literature leads them to question the overall adequacy of the model. After reviewing prominent textbooks in the field and evaluating the research on microskills training, the authors identify five serious limitations of the model. While respecting and retaining the positive features of the microskills approach, its limitations bespeak the need to develop training paradigms that embrace a broader model of counselor competence.
“We’re Using Up the Earth. It’s Almost Gone”: A Return to the Post-Apocalyptic Future in Margaret Atwood’s The Year of the Flood
Authors: Brooks Bouson J.
Published: April 2011

Margaret Atwood reflects in her 2009 novel The Year of the Flood, as she does in her 2003 novel Oryx and Crake, not only on feminist but also on humanist and posthumanist concerns, as she questions the very survival of humankind in an era of environmental destruction, excessive consumption, unregulated biotechnological experiments and pandemic viruses. Offering a strident critique of the contemporary culture of unbridled consumption, Atwood, in Year, draws on and literalizes the trope of corporate cannibalism in describing her Americanized and corporation-controlled world. In a similar way, she draws on and extends a related idea she has long made use of in her fiction — that of the male commodification and consumption of women — as she tells the intertwined stories of Toby and Ren, two female pleebland survivors of the pandemic plague and former members of the God’s Gardeners, an eco-religious cult and resistance group. Invoking the idea of degeneration as she expresses her long-held fears about environmental and social decline, Atwood looks to religion — specifically eco-religion — as she seeks evidence of our ethical capacity to find a remedy to humanity’s ills.
“They kill on Wednesdays”: Janet Frame, Modernity and the Holocaust
Authors: Evans Patrick
Published: April 2011

Janet Frame’s third novel Faces in the Water (1961) is now agreed to be more than the autobiographical documentary some took it for on publication, and instead a consciously wrought work of art dealing with themes crucial to twentieth-century thought. These themes are sometimes indirectly indicated by means of a rhizomic method, whereby crucial images and phrases appear and reappear in a particular novel, story or poem, or throughout her corpus, without commentary or obvious synthesis. At times, this exploration involves single words or phrases. Beginning with her use of the Serbo-Croatian “Istina” and the Hebrew “Mavet” to form her protagonist’s name, an exploration of Frame’s references to the Holocaust in the novel, themselves few in number, reveals her awareness of the connections between the utopianism of Western modernity, the industrialized processing of animals for consumption, the Holocaust and the treatment of psychiatric patients. In this she anticipates the work of significant public intellectuals in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
Cosmopolitanism and the Specificity of the Local in World Literature
Authors: Lazarus Neil
Published: April 2011

Taking its cue from recent scholarship de-linking the idea of “modernity” from the idea of “the West”, this article advocates the notion of “world literature” as the body of literature that has, in the last 150 to 200 years, registered and encoded the social logic of modernity. Building on Franco Moretti’s postulation of a single world-literary system (structured not merely by difference but also by inequality) and on the theoretical work of Fredric Jameson, the article traces some of the ways in which the local detail of peripheral modernity is represented in literary texts by Thomas Mofolo, Patrick Chamoiseau, Lao She, Rohinton Mistry, Ivan Vladislavic and others, demonstrating that there is no necessary contradiction between the ideas of the “universal” and the “local” or the “national”, but that, on the contrary, there are only local universalisms (and, for that matter, only “local cosmopolitanisms”), which it becomes the task of readers to situate as completely as they can.
Teacher Education Effectiveness: Quality and Equity of Future Primary Teachers’ Mathematics and Mathematics Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Authors: Blömeke Sigrid , Suhl Ute , Kaiser Gabriele
Published: April 2011

The effectiveness of teacher education was examined by taking two indicators into account: future teachers’ mean achievement on a paper-and-pencil test as an indicator of quality, and the variability of teacher achievement due to background characteristics as an indicator of equity. In detail, the effects of gender and language on mathematics content knowledge and mathematics pedagogical content knowledge were examined. The analyses were embedded in the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement’s Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics, and they referred to primary teachers from 15 countries in their final year of teacher education. The study revealed significant cultural differences in the effectiveness of teacher education. Gender and language effects could be decomposed into direct and indirect effects. The latter represented a combination of differential choices of teacher education programs according to background and differential achievement of teachers from these programs. Implications for educational policy in the United States are discussed.
The use of two common palliative outcome measures in clinical care and research: A systematic review of POS and STAS
Authors: Bausewein C , Le Grice C , Simon ST , Higginson IJ
Published: April 2011

The Palliative Care Outcome Scale (POS) and the Support Team Assessment Schedule (STAS) are outcome measures assessing quality of care in palliative care patients. This review aims to appraise their use in clinical care and research. Five electronic databases were searched (February 2010) for original papers describing the validation or use of POS and/or STAS. Of the 83 papers included, 43 studies were on POS, 39 on STAS and one study using both. Eight STAS studies validated the original version, four an adaptation; 20 studies applied the STAS in another culture and 19 in other languages. POS papers reported included: 14 adapted POS versions, 12 translations of the POS and 15 studies of use in different cultures. Both measures have been used in cancer, HIV/AIDS and in mixed groups. POS has also been applied in neurological, kidney, pulmonary and heart disease. Both tools were used in different areas such as the evaluation of care or interventions, description of symptom prevalence and implementation of outcome measures in clinical practice. Overall, they seem to be well accepted tools for outcome measurement in palliative care, both in clinical care and research.
Effect of immobilized interfacial layer on the maximum filler loading of polystyrene/silica nanocomposites
Authors: Mortezaei Mehrzad , Mohammad Hossein Navid Famili  , Mohammad Reza Kalaee
Published: April 2011

The effects of filler particle size and volume fraction on the immobilized interfacial layer volume and maximum filler loading of filled polymers are investigated using polystyrene-containing silica nanoparticles. The samples are prepared by solution-mixing method to obtain a better dispersion of silica particles, and dynamic rheometry is used to study viscoelastic behavior of these composites in the melt state. Addition of silica particles increases the glass-transition temperature; this phenomenon is intensified by decreasing the silica particle size. By decrease in size of silica particles, glass transition of filled polymer increases simultaneously with increase of interfacial layer volume fraction, which is related to increase in the total surface area of silica particles. Furthermore, the growth of immobilized interfacial layer volume fraction reduces the maximum filler loading as the filler particle size decreases.
Seizures Triggered by July 4th Fireworks in an 8-Year-Old Girl With Perinatal Stroke
Authors: Brosch Jared R. , Golomb Meredith R.
Published: April 2011

Warnings regarding fireworks displays as a possible seizure-producing stimulus have been around for several years, but there is a lack of well-documented cases. This case describes photic- and/or pattern-induced seizures that appeared to be triggered by July 4 fireworks. This 8-year-old girl with hemiplegic cerebral palsy and known seizure disorder because of perinatal right middle cerebral artery stroke had a cluster of seizures within minutes of the onset of a professional fireworks display. The seizures stopped when the child’s eyes were covered and she was taken away from the scene. The importance of photic- and pattern-induced seizures in children is discussed.
Congenital Brain Tumors: Diagnostic Pitfalls and Therapeutic Interventions
Authors: Manoranjan Branavan , Provias John P.
Published: April 2011

Congenital brain tumors are rare, accounting for 0.5% to 4% of all pediatric brain tumors. A 10-year retrospective study based on autopsy and neurosurgical clinical reports with a diagnosis of congenital/fetal/neonatal brain tumor identified 6 cases. Four cases were diagnosed antenatally by neuroradiology. Clinical outcomes in 5 cases resulted in death; 1 patient with choroid plexus papilloma underwent successful resection of the tumor and is still alive. Tumor pathologies consisted of 2 teratomas, 2 choroid plexus papillomas, 1 gemistocytic astrocytoma, and 1 glioblastoma multiforme. A literature review of all fetal cases specific to the pathologies presented in this series was also performed. Relative to the literature, this series contains a rare case of congenital gemistocytic astrocytoma. This series further sheds light on the diagnostic, histological, prognostic, and therapeutic differences between congenital brain tumors and tumors of the same pathology in older pediatric and adult populations.
Persistence of Hypsarrhythmia in Children Beyond the Age of Three Years
Authors: Kulandaivel Kandan , Khurana Divya S. , Carvalho Karen S. , Melvin Joseph J. , Legido Agustin , Valencia Ignacio
Published: April 2011

Occurrence of hypsarrhythmia after the age of 3 years is rare. The objective of this study is to describe a group of patients who have persistence of hypsarrhythmia after the age of 3 years. The authors retrospectively reviewed the EEGs of 24 patients with hypsarrhythmia. Electroencephalographies (EEGs) were scored using a hypsarrhythmia scale. The clinical data of 7 patients with EEG scores greater than 9 at ages ≥3 years were analyzed. The mean age was 5.7 years (range, 3-8.7 years). EEG background amplitudes ranged from 200 to 500 µV in 5 patients and it was greater than 500 µV in the other 2. Six patients had electrodecremental responses. The etiology was developmental in 3 patients, mitochondrial disease in 2, and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in 2. Our study suggests that a subgroup of patients with hypsarrhythmia may not transition to a Lennox-Gastaut pattern or normalization after the age of 3 years.
Three Cases of Cerebellar Hypoplasia and Vitamin A Deficiency
Authors: Scott Ori , Goez Helly R.
Published: April 2011

Studies in animal models have established that intra-uterine vitamin A deficiency can hinder hindbrain formation; however, reports of such a phenomenon in humans had not been published until recently, when our group presented the case of an infant diagnosed with pontocerebellar hypoplasia and vitamin A deficiency. We currently report the cases of 3 infants with cerebellar hypoplasia and hypovitaminosis A, whose vitamin A consumption was determined to be adequate, and whose mothers had no such deficiency. We suggest a possible pathophysiology whereby a mutation in the gene coding for cytoplasmic retinol-binding protein II, which is expressed both in the placenta and the yolk sac (during fetal development) and in the absorptive intestinal cells, can cause vitamin A deficiency, forming hindbrain anomalies. Validation of our hypothesis will require further research, including fetal vitamin A measurements and hindbrain examination in cytoplasmic retinol-binding protein II knockout animals.
Age, Retirement, and Health as Factors in Volunteering in Later Life
Authors: Komp Kathrin , van Tilburg Theo , van Groenou Marjolein Broese
Published: April 2011

Volunteering in later life attracts attention because its benefits older volunteers, voluntary associations, and society. Unfortunately, researchers and practitioners struggle with the complexity of predicting who volunteers. The authors ask whether a rough identification of older volunteers solely based on age is possible. The authors answer this question by means of structural equation modeling, analyzing international survey data. The findings show that the direct effect of age on the time older people spend volunteering is negligible. Moreover, the age patterns in volunteering created by retirement and declining health are weak. Those findings make age an unsuitable indicator for volunteering in later life. The authors recommend that voluntary organizations and policy makers use personal characteristics, such as health status, when defining their target groups for programs that encourage volunteering. In addition, researchers should not use an age group when referring to the third age, meaning the active and productive part of old age.
Pacific Islanders’ Perceived Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes
Authors: Siaki Leilani A. , Loescher Lois J.
Published: April 2011

Purpose: To explore literature on Pacific Islanders’ perceived risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. Method: A search of literature databases for English-language perceived risk research published from 2000 to 2008. Results: Few studies targeting perceived risk of CVD ( n = 6) and diabetes ( n = 4) included minority participants. No studies targeted Pacific Islanders exclusively. Overall, Pacific Islanders and other minority groups inaccurately perceive their risk of these conditions. No studies explored cultural relevancy or measurement of perceived risk. Implications: Perceived risk, an integral part of health behavior change theories, is greatly understudied in Pacific Islanders. Perceived risk research for CVD and diabetes is sparse for any minority group. More research is needed to develop socioculturally appropriate interventions that promote accurate risk perceptions for both diseases and facilitate adoption of health behaviors. Ultimately, these behaviors will reduce the onset and devastating consequences of CVD and diabetes in Pacific Islanders and other minority populations.
Summary of Lessons Learned When Working With Translators and Interpreters in Research
Authors: Phillips Linda R.
Published: April 2011

This is a response to the articles in the special section written by Jones & Boyle, Baird, Siaki, and Sheppard.
Shared Conceptualizations and Divergent Experiences of Counseling Among African American and White Older Adults
Authors: Joo Jin Hui , Wittink Marsha , Dahlberg Britt
Published: April 2011

Research findings suggest that older adults prefer counseling for depression treatment; however, few older adults use counseling services. In this article we present the results of our analysis of semistructured interviews with 102 older adults to explore conceptualizations of counseling and impediments to use among African American and White older adults. We found that older adults believe counseling is beneficial; however, use was hindered in multiple ways. Older adults were skeptical about establishing a caring relationship with a professional. African American older adults did not mention social relationships to facilitate depression care, whereas White older adults described using personal relationships to navigate counseling services. African American older men were least familiar with counseling. Our findings suggest that African American and White older adults share a strong cultural model of counseling as beneficial; however, significant impediments exist and affect older adults differentially based on ethnicity.
Understanding the Barriers to Use of Free, Proactive Telephone Counseling for Tobacco Dependence
Authors: Sheffer Christine E. , Brackman Sharon L. , Cottoms Naomi , Olsen Mary
Published: April 2011

We sought to gain an empirical and practical understanding of the barriers experienced by residents of the Mississippi River Delta in Arkansas to using the free, proactive telephone counseling (quitline) for tobacco dependence. Barriers included a lack of appropriate telephone service, lack of knowledge about the quitline, and lack of trust in the providers, as well as multiple root causes to seeking and achieving abstinence from tobacco, including stress related to the poor socioeconomic context and concerns about negative health effects of quitting. A strong belief in the role of faith was expressed. Participants suggested strategies for increasing knowledge and trust levels, but were not hopeful about addressing root causes. Given the considerable resources being allocated to quitlines and the burden of tobacco use and disease in lower socioeconomic and minority groups, understanding utilization of quitlines by these groups has implications for policy development, the promotion of quitlines, and the provision of alternate tobacco treatment services.
Heading Into Fatherhood—Nervously: Support for Fathering From Online Dads
Authors: Fletcher Richard , StGeorge Jennifer
Published: April 2011

Men are becoming increasingly aware of and keen about the promises of involved fathering, and there is growing recognition of the need to support fathers, especially in the postnatal period. However, there is limited evidence of how best to offer this support. In this article, we investigate a new avenue of support that is gaining popularity in the public health sector: the Internet. Using qualitative methods, we examine messages in an asynchronous online chat room for new fathers to reveal how fathers themselves requested, offered, and received social support. Features of their communication style included humor and self-disclosure. An emergent, overarching purpose of their communications was to make fathering more “visible,” and to encourage each other to engage confidently and wholeheartedly in fathering.
Implementing and Maintaining Nurse-Led Healthy Living Programs in Forensic Inpatient Settings: An Illustrative Case Study
Authors: Prebble Kate , Kidd Jacquie , O'Brien Anthony , Carlyle Dave , McKenna Brian , Crowe Marie , Deering Daryle , Gooder Claire
Published: April 2011

BACKGROUND: Healthy living programs (HLPs) within the context of mental health units are an applied response to the concerns of metabolic syndrome and the associated physical illnesses to which people with serious mental illness are susceptible. OBJECTIVE: To illustrate how nurses, with other health professionals and service users, have established and maintained HLPs in two locked forensic mental health units in New Zealand. DESIGN: This illustrative case study adopts a multimodal approach to data collection and analysis. Across two programs, interviews were undertaken with service users ( n = 15) and staff ( n = 17), minutes of meetings were analyzed for major decision points, and clinical notes were reviewed to identify which service-user health status measures (body mass index, glucose tolerance test results, blood pressure, and medication use) were recorded. RESULTS: Similarities were identified in the way the HLPs were implemented and maintained by champions who advocated for change, challenged staff attitudes, secured funding, and established new systems and protocols. Successful implementation depended on involvement of the multidisciplinary team. Each program operated within a different physical environment and adopted its own philosophical approach that shaped the style of the program. The HLPs had an impact on nurses, other staff, and on the culture of the institutions. The programs raised dilemmas about restrictions and risk versus autonomy and self-management. CONCLUSION: Understanding the effects of the clinical and philosophical contexts in which HLPs are established and the way challenges and benefits are affected by context has practical significance for the future development of health programs in forensic settings, prisons, and general mental health units.
A Process Evaluation of START NOW Skills Training for Inmates With Impulsive and Aggressive Behaviors
Authors: Shelton Deborah , Wakai Sara
Published: April 2011

AIM: To conduct a formative evaluation of a treatment program designed for inmates with impulsive and aggressive behavior disorders in high-security facilities in Connecticut correctional facilities. METHOD: Pencil-and-paper surveys and in-person inmate interviews were used to answer four evaluation questions. Descriptive statistics and content analyses were used to assess context, input, process, and products. FINDINGS: A convenience sample of 26 adult male (18) and female (8) inmates participated in the study. Inmates were satisfied with the program (4-point scale, M = 3.38, SD = 0.75). Inmate hospital stays were reduced by 13.6%, and psychotropic medication use increased slightly (0.40%). Improved outcomes were noted for those inmates who attended more sessions. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the formative evaluation were useful for moving the START NOW Skills Training treatment to the implementation phase. Recommendations for implementation modifications included development of an implementation team, reinforcement of training, and attention applied to uniform collection of outcome data to demonstrate its evidence base.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Health Care Fraud Enforcement Disguised as Reform and What It Means for Home Health and Hospice Providers
Authors: Markette Robert W.
Published: April 2011

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act presents new challenges to home health and hospice providers. This article discusses those challenges, along with the impacts that may result from this Act’s implementation. Compliance programs and disclosure are among the implications presented.
Doing More with Less: Payment Cuts Meet Profit Margins and Patient Care in Home Care Response to National Health Care Reform
Authors: Cabin William D.
Published: April 2011

This article is based on a telephone-based focus group with five Medicare home health agency executives conducted August 19, 2010. The purpose of the focus group was to discuss the primary actual and anticipated impacts of the national health care reform law, and related regulatory actions, and coping strategies. Themes were identified based on the conversation, with illustrative comments from the participants.
Why Take an HIV Test? Concerns, Benefits, and Strategies to Promote HIV Testing Among Low-Income Heterosexual African American Young Adults
Authors: Wallace Scyatta A. , McLellan-Lemal Eleanor , Harris Muriel J. , Townsend Tiffany G. , Miller Kim S.
Published: April 2011

A qualitative study examined perceptions of HIV testing and strategies to enhance HIV testing among HIV-negative African American heterosexual young adults (ages 18-25 years). Twenty-six focus groups (13 male groups, 13 female groups) were conducted in two low-income communities (urban and rural). All sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data analysis was completed using AnSWR software. Many participants expressed that learning one’s HIV status, regardless of the result, was a benefit of taking an HIV test because this was perceived to produce emotional relief. Additional benefits included the avoidance of unknowingly spreading the virus, being offered treatment access if HIV-positive, and taking time to assess and modify risky sexual behaviors if HIV-negative. If diagnosed HIV-positive, HIV testing concerns included the recognition of one’s mortality, the experience of social stigma, and concerns about accessing affordable treatment. Recommended promotion strategies included the use of HIV-positive individuals, pop culture icons, and the media to promote HIV testing messages.
The importance of being present
Authors: Dumitrescu Delia
Published: April 2011

In-depth interviews and survey evidence from French and Belgian party members are used to show that the presence of posters in elections is primarily intended to signal the strength of the party’s campaign. Consistent with parties’ optimal strategies, only major parties use the presence of posters to signal their power. Minor parties use them to inform the public. The findings shed light on previously unexplored elite behaviour in comparative settings and provide additional evidence of the importance of neighbourhood visual cues in elections.
Depression partially mediates the relationship between alexithymia and somatization in a sample of healthy children
Authors: Allen Laura B. , Qian Lu  , Tsao Jennie C.I. , Hayes Loran P. , Zeltzer Lonnie K.
Published: April 2011

A link between alexithymia and somatization has been widely established, yet little is known about different factors that may influence this relationship. Evidence supporting the idea of psychopathology as a mediator has been presented but not widely tested, particularly in children. The present study examined depressive symptoms as a mediator of alexithymia and somatization in a sample of healthy children in order to better understand the alexithymia—somatization link from a developmental perspective. Results indicated that depression significantly partially mediated this relationship, at least for two facets of alexithymia (difficulty identifying and describing feelings). Possible mechanisms, implications, and directions for future research are discussed.
Circuits of power, circuits of pleasure: Sexual scripting in gay men’s bottom narratives
Authors: Hoppe Trevor
Published: April 2011

This article explores the meanings 18 HIV-negative gay male participants in San Francisco attributed to their positional identity as ‘bottoms’. In particular, I analyze two dominant, mutually constitutive sets of sexual scripts participants invoked in their bottom narratives: first, that bottoms are men who desire to produce pleasure for their partners; and second, that bottoms are men who desire to submit sexually to their partners. I argue that these scripted conceptions both give possibility to and constrain the ways in which participants interpret and experience their sexual practices and desires. I conclude by examining how these scripts operate as structurated social phenomena that shape the ways in which participants are able to navigate scenarios in which these scripts conflict directly with ‘safer sex’ scripts, potentially resulting in what I term ‘pleasure/risk dilemmas’.
A multilevel test of Allport’s contact conditions
Authors: Koschate Miriam , van Dick Rolf
Published: April 2011

This study tests the relative predictive power of Allport’s contact conditions in reducing intergroup bias with a multilevel model. In addition, it is argued that a fourth contact condition, cooperation, mediates the relationships between the first three contact conditions (authority support, equal status, goal interdependence) and intergroup bias, rather than being an independent predictor. A multilevel model with N = 266 individuals within k = 48 work groups in a larger mail order company shows that equal status and goal interdependence negatively predict intergroup bias, with goal interdependence as the stronger predictor. These effects are partially mediated by cooperation. However, while authority support is predictive of intergroup cooperation, no relationship with intergroup bias emerged. Theoretical and practical implications of the relative predictive power of contact conditions and the mediation by cooperation are discussed.
Can friendships be bipartisan? The effects of political ideology on peer relationships
Authors: Poteat V. Paul , Mereish Ethan H. , Liu Marcia L. , Nam J. Sophia
Published: April 2011

Although political ideology has been examined extensively as a predictor of individual differences, it has been absent in the interpersonal relationships literature. Political ideology may have strong effects on friendship patterns because of its polarizing nature. Findings among actual friendship groups (Study 1) indicated a degree of similarity in peers’ political ideology alignments, but also suggested that liberals and conservatives were comfortable with some level of bipartisanship among their friends. In an experimental condition with hypothetical peers (Study 2), individuals’ political ideology predicted their reported friendship potential (perceived similarity and desire for friendship) with gay-affirming and gay-disapproving peers whose ideologies were not explicitly indicated. This effect of political ideology on friendship potential was significant over and above the effect predicted by individuals’ similarity or dissimilarity on sexual minority attitudes with these peers. Findings highlight the overarching relevance of political ideology as a factor that contributes to friendship patterns.
Airborne Fungi Inactivation Using an Absorption Dehumidification System
Authors: Wang Ya-Fen , Chung Tsai-Wang , Jian Wei-Ming
Published: April 2011

The evaluation of airborne fungal inactivation efficiency by a pilot absorption dehumidification system was investigated in this study. The comparison of two liquid desiccants, TEG (triethylene glycol) and LiCl (lithium chloride), was also illustrated. Two one-stage Anderson samplers of 400 orifices attached to malt extract agar plates with the addition of chloramphenicol were installed in the inlet and outlet of the absorption dehumidification system to collect airborne fungi. The results showed that the best fungal inactivation efficiency, 93.2%, was obtained for TEG absorption system under the conditions: air flow rate, 1.5 kg·m-2 s-1; liquid flow rate, 4.97 kg·m -2 s-1; liquid inlet concentration, 89.5%; and liquid inlet temperature, 24.5°C. Most of the fungal inactivation efficiencies for TEG absorption system were higher than that for LiCl absorption system. The result implied that keeping at room temperature was a better strategy when operating an absorption dehumidification. The study also provided measurement data for the evaluation of fungal inactivation efficiency for liquid desiccants in pilot test and demonstrated the feasibility of an absorption dehumidification system for inactivating airborne fungi to maintain a better indoor air quality environment. The result would provide useful information for application of the absorption dehumidification system to air-conditioning industries for maintaining healthy indoor environments.