bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular mechanisms of the immunological abnormalities in hyper‐IgE syndrome
Authors: Minegishi Yoshiyuki , Saito Masako
Published: January 2012

Hyper‐IgE syndrome (HIES) is a primary immunodeficiency characterized by atopic dermatitis associated with extremely high serum IgE levels and susceptibility to staphylococcal skin abscesses and pneumonia. Recent studies have identified dominant negative mutations in the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 gene (STAT3) as a major molecular cause of classical hyper‐IgE syndrome, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this syndrome remain unclear. We recently showed that the impaired development of interleukin 17 (IL‐17)–producing T helper cells (Th17 cells) due to defective IL‐6 and IL‐23 signaling in T cells, and the impaired generation of induced regulatory T (iTreg) cells from defective IL‐10 signaling in dendritic cells, may account for the immunological abnormalities of hyper‐IgE syndrome. These findings open up possibilities for exploring new approaches to the treatment of HIES patients.
DOCK8 deficiency
Authors: Su Helen C. , Jing Huie , Zhang Qian
Published: January 2012

The discovery that loss‐of‐function mutations in the gene DOCK8 are responsible for most forms of autosomal recessive hyper‐IgE syndrome and some forms of combined immunodeficiency without elevated serum IgE has led to studies into the immunopathogenesis of this disease. In this review, we relate the clinical features of this disease to studies using patients’ cells and a mouse model of Dock8 deficiency, which have revealed how DOCK8 regulates T and B cell numbers and functions. The results of these studies help to explain how the absence of DOCK8 contributes to patients’ susceptibility to viral, fungal, and bacterial infections. However, unanswered questions remain regarding how the absence of DOCK8 also leads to high IgE and allergic disease, predisposition for malignancy, and unusual clinical features, such as CNS abnormalities and autoimmunity, observed in some patients.
Inherited defects causing hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytic syndrome
Authors: de Saint Basile Geneviève , Ménasché Gaël , Latour Sylvain
Published: January 2012

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) manifests as the uncontrolled activation of T lymphocytes and macrophages infiltrating multiple organs. Molecular studies of individuals with HLH have demonstrated in most of these conditions a critical role of granule‐dependent cytotoxic activity in the regulation of lymphocyte homeostasis, and have allowed the characterization of key effectors regulating cytotoxic granule release. The cytolytic process may now be considered a multistep process, including cell activation; the polarization of cytotoxic granules toward the conjugated target cell; the tethering, priming, and fusion of the cytotoxic granules with the plasma membrane; and the release of their contents (perforin and granzymes) into the intercellular cleft, leading to target cell death. Cytolytic cells have a second effector function involving the production of cytokines, principally γ‐interferon, which is secreted independently of the exocytosis cytotoxic granule pathway. An analysis of the mechanisms underlying HLH has identified γ‐interferon as a key cytokine inducing uncontrolled macrophage activation, and thus represents a potential therapeutic target.
DNA repair: the link between primary immunodeficiency and cancer
Authors: de Miranda Noel FCC , Björkman Andrea , Pan‐Hammarström Qiang
Published: January 2012

The adaptive component of the immune system depends greatly on the generation of genetic diversity provided by lymphocyte‐specific genomic rearrangements. V(D)J recombination, class switch recombination (CSR), and somatic hypermutation (SHM) constitute complex and vulnerable processes that are orchestrated by a multitude of DNA repair pathways. When inherited defects in certain DNA repair proteins are present, lymphocyte development can be compromised and, consequently, patients can develop primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs). PID patients often have a strong predisposition for cancer development as a result of genomic instability generated from defective DNA repair mechanisms. Tumors of lymphoid origin are one of the most common PID‐associated cancers, likely due to DNA lesions resulting from defective V(D)J, CSR, and SHM. In this review, we describe PID syndromes that confer an increased risk for cancer development. Furthermore, we discuss the role of the affected proteins in tumorigenesis/lymphomagenesis.
Perspectives on common variable immune deficiency
Authors: Park Joon H. , Resnick Elena S. , Cunningham‐Rundles Charlotte
Published: January 2012

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is considered to be a collection of genetic immune defects with complex inheritance patterns. While the main phenotype is loss of B cell function, the majority of the genetic mechanisms leading to CVID remain elusive. In the past two decades there have been increasing efforts to unravel the genetic defects in CVID. Here, we provide an overview of our current understanding of the genetic basis of these defects, as revealed over time by earlier linkage studies in large cohorts, analysis of families with recessive inheritance, targeted gene approaches, and genome‐wide association studies using single nucleotide polymorphism arrays and copy number variation, and whole genome studies.
Newborn screening for primary immunodeficiencies: beyond SCID and XLA
Authors: Borte Stephan , Wang Ning , Óskarsdóttir Sólveig , von Döbeln Ulrika , Hammarström Lennart
Published: January 2012

Primary immunodeficiencies (PID) encompass more than 250 disease entities, including phagocytic disorders, complement deficiencies, T cell defects, and antibody deficiencies. While differing in clinical severity, early diagnosis and treatment is of considerable importance for all forms of PID to prevent organ damage and life‐threatening infections. During the past few years, neonatal screening assays have been developed to detect diseases hallmarked by the absence of T or B lymphocytes, classically seen in severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCID) and X‐linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA). As described in this review, a reduction or lack of T and B cells in newborns is also frequently found in several other forms of PID, requiring supplemental investigation and involving the development of additional technical platforms in order to help classify abnormal screening results.
The Mu‘tazila in Islamic History and Thought
Authors: Campanini Massimo
Published: January 2012

The Mu‘tazila was a current of thought that flourished in Iraq in the third/ninth century, but whose creative influences continued at least into the twelfth century. It had a fundamental role in Islamic history and thought, particularly in the early period when it became the state theology under the ‘Abbasid caliph al‐Ma’mun. The Mu‘tazila developed a type of rationalism, partly influenced by Greek philosophy, based around three fundamental principles: the oneness and justice of God, human freedom of action and the creation of the Qur’an. During the history of Islamic thought, these ideas were challenged and then abandoned in the name of an orthodoxy that found expression particularly in Ash‘arism. Despite this crisis, the Mu‘tazila survived in Islamic thought, most importantly in relation to Shi‘ite theology. In modern times it has seen a revival, at a moment when the evolution of Islamic history has been obliged to confront the modern world. Many contemporary Islamic thinkers have looked to the rationalism of the Mu‘tazila and its principles in an attempt to give new life to Islamic thought, seeking to equip it to face the challenges of history.
Falciparum malaria parasitemia index for predicting severe malaria
Authors: TANGPUKDEE N. , KRUDSOOD S. , KANO S. , WILAIRATANA P.
Published: January 2012

Introduction:  While hyperparasitemia is considered an important indicator for the development of severe malaria, there is currently no consensus on the quantitative definition of hyperparasitemia. This study was conducted to establish a cutoff point for peripheral parasitemia among patients with Plasmodium falciparum malaria, to define severe malaria.

Methods:  The clinical presentations of 200 uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria, and 189 severe P. falciparum malaria, patients, admitted to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand, were analyzed.

Results:  A peripheral parasitemia of 0.5% was found to be the optimal cutoff point for defining severe malaria, demonstrating highest sensitivity (85.1%), specificity (62.0%), and accuracy (73.2%).

Conclusion:  Symptoms of severe falciparum malaria depend on many factors. For the definition of hyperparasitemia in areas of low or seasonal transmission, peripheral parasitemia of 0.5% might be considered a cutoff point for discrimination between severity levels. This value might be useful for the clinical management of malaria, particularly in hypo‐endemic areas, unstable transmission areas, and other areas with similar transmission patterns.
Seed and trichome morphology of the Egyptian Fagonia (Zygophyllaceae) with emphasis on their systematic implications
Authors: Abdel Khalik K. , Hassan N. M. S.
Published: January 2012

Seed and trichome morphology of 13 taxa representing the genus Fagonia in Egypt have been studied using light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Macro‐ and micro‐morphological characters, including seed shape, seed size, seed coat sculpture, trichome density and structure were studied to evaluate their systematic significance. Seed shape and trichome density were found to have only minor taxonomic value, but seed coat sculpturing and trichome structure proved to be valuable characters. These characters offer evidence to combine certain species, e.g. Fagonia kassasii and F. schimperi in F. bruguieri, Fagonia microphylla in F. scabra and Fagonia thebaica in F. arabica. However, F. sinaica, F. tristis, F. boveana and F. isotricha should be maintained as separate species. Generally, the different patterns of seed and trichome morphology are useful in delimitation of species within the genus Fagonia, but they could not be used to characterize groups of related species.
Annual variation in floral phenology and pollen production in a 25‐year‐old plantation of Tectona grandis
Authors: Khanduri Vinod Prasad
Published: January 2012

Teak is a timber tree that is widely distributed in the tropics. Several studies on pollination and reproductive biology have been conducted, but generally information on flowering phenology and annual variation in total pollen production per tree is lacking. The reproductive phenology as well as flower‐ and pollen grain production of individuals in a population is important to theoreticians, field biologists and plant breeders, as they determine the distribution of genotypes within populations and influences the degree of differentiation among populations. This study reports flowering phenology and variation in total flower, fruit‐ and pollen production per tree in teak in a 25‐year‐old plantation across three consecutive years (2006–2008). The results show that the date of onset and end of flowering was highly variable across years. The longest flowering period of 93 days was observed in 2006. There was an asynchrony in the number of open flowers due to differences in time of anthesis among individuals (± 2 days) and inflorescences within individuals (± 6 h). The production of pollen grains per tree in 2007 was 33%, i.e. 16% more compared to 2006 and 2008. The fruit production per tree was 42% and 27% higher in 2007 compared to 2006 and 2008. Concentration of pollen grains (both on jelly‐coated microscopic slides and stigmas) were highest between noon and 2 pm. At this time, the stigmatic pollen load ranged between 4–8 pollen grains per stigma, which is sufficient for fruit development. The study concludes that the asynchronization of the flower opening might give rise to a high amount of self‐pollination in the stand, ultimately leading to poor fruit setting. Also, the large production of flowers and pollen per tree induced geitonogamy and decreased female fitness, as T. grandis is preferentially an out‐crossing species.
Clarifying and developing analyses of biodiversity: towards a generalisation of current approaches
Authors: Pavoine Sandrine
Published: January 2012

1. Quadratic entropy (QE) was developed as a fundamental function for measuring the diversity within a collection, such as a community, or population, from indices of abundance and distance among categories, such as species or alleles. Based on a literature review in the fields of genetics, ecology and statistics and new developments, I analyse the potential of this function for biodiversity studies.

2. Quadratic entropy was established as a generalisation of well‐known diversity indices, and has been widely used in molecular ecology and genetics research. It is now integrated within more general frameworks for analysing functional and phylogenetic diversity in ecology.

3. Quadratic entropy can be maximised by removing categories, and several collections can share the maximum diversity, even with highly distinct compositions. Clarifying these statements, I identify all potential indices of the abundance of the categories that maximise QE.

4. By quantifying changes in diversity when mixing collections together, QE can measure differences among collections. Here, I provide a geometric interpretation of these differences that demonstrates their relevance as classical geometric distances.

5. A critical aspect of these distances is obtained if QE is strictly concave; that is, diversity always strictly increases by mixing distinct collections together. More generally, QE can be used to evaluate the effects of various factors on diversity in a framework designated ANOQE (analysis of QE). Generalising ANOVA (analysis of variance), ANOQE uses QE to measure distances between centroids.

6. Importantly, QE is estimated from sampled data and thus requires estimators. Based on these estimators, tests have been developed to compare levels of diversity. Tests of factor effects are evaluated by parametric, jackknife, bootstrap and permutational approaches. However, the procedures associated with these tests that have been suggested thus far only treat a few factors.

7. There is an urgent need for the development of such approaches in biology to deal with experimental factors, observed population and community structure, and different spatial and temporal scales. Together, QE and the ANOQE procedure are likely to have a critical impact on all scientific disciplines interested in any form of diversity.
Systematic Synthesis of Large Displacement Contact-Aided Monolithic Compliant Mechanisms
Authors: Nagendra Reddy B. V. S. , Naik Sujitkumar V. , Saxena Anupam
Published: January 2012

A single-piece contact-aided compliant mechanism (CCM) deforms to use one or many contact interactions to deliver the prescribed intricate input–output functionality. We present an automated synthesis procedure to design CCMs to trace large, non-smooth paths. Such paths can be traced by rigid-body or partially compliant mechanisms as well but the complexity, bulkiness and the presence of hinges is a disadvantage in terms of increased friction, backlash, need for lubrication, noise, and vibrations. In designing CCMs, both curved frame and two-dimensional finite elements are employed to represent the continuum and simulate the formation of contact sites. A contact site is one that allows relative rotation/sliding of a deforming member with respect to the neighboring one it is in contact with. The proposed design algorithm uses commercial software for large displacement contact analysis. The overall procedure automatically determines the CCM topology, feature shapes and sizes, and therefore the number (e.g., single or multiple) and nature (e.g., stiction or sliding) of contact sites. It systematically favors the continuum designs with lower function values when the synthesis problem is posed using a minimization objective. Synthesis of CCMs is exemplified for path generation applications though the proposed method can be employed for any generic kinematic task.
Reliability and validity of three pain provocation tests used for the diagnosis of chronic proximal hamstring tendinopathy
Authors: Cacchio Angelo , Borra Fabrizio , Severini Gabriele , Foglia Andrea , Musarra Frank , Taddio Nicola , De Paulis Fosco
Published: January 2012

Background

The clinical assessment of chronic proximal hamstring tendinopathy (PHT) in athletes is a challenge to sports medicine. To be able to compare the results of research and treatments, the methods used to diagnose and evaluate PHT must be clearly defined and reproducible.

Objective

To assess the reliability and validity of three pain provocation tests used for the diagnosis of PHT.

Methods

Ninety-two athletes with (N=46) and without (N=46) PHT were examined by one physician and two physiotherapists, who were trained in the examination techniques before the study. The examiners were blinded to the symptoms and identity of the athletes. The three pain provocation tests examined were the Puranen–Orava, bent-knee stretch and modified bent-knee stretch tests. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) based on the repeated measures analysis of variance were used to analyse the intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability, while sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and likelihood ratios were used to determine the validity of the three tests.

Results

The ICC values in all three tests revealed a high correlation (range 0.82 to 0.88) for the interexaminer reliability and a high-to-very high correlation (range 0.87 to 0.93) for the intraexaminer reliability. All three tests displayed a moderate-to-high validity, with the highest degree of validity being yielded by the modified bent-knee stretch test.

Conclusion

All three pain provocation tests proved to be of potential value in assessing chronic PHT in athletes. However, we recommend that they be used in conjunction with other objective measures, such as MRI.
Physical activity and all-cause mortality in older women and men
Authors: Brown Wendy J , McLaughlin Deirdre , Leung Janni , McCaul Kieran A , Flicker Leon , Almeida Osvaldo P , Hankey Graeme J , Lopez Derrick , Dobson Annette J
Published: January 2012

Background

Regular physical activity is associated with reduced risk of mortality in middle-aged adults; however, associations between physical activity and mortality in older people have been less well studied. The objective of this study was to compare relationships between physical activity and mortality in older women and men.

Methods

The prospective cohort design involved 7080 women aged 70–75 years and 11 668 men aged 65–83 years at baseline, from two Australian cohorts – the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health and the Health in Men Study. Self-reported low, moderate and vigorous intensity physical activity, socio-demographic, behavioural and health characteristics were assessed in relation to all-cause mortality from the National Death Index from 1996 to 2009; the median follow-up of 10.4 (women) and 11.5 (men) years.

Results

There were 1807 (25.5%) and 4705 (40.3%) deaths in women and men, respectively. After adjustment for behavioural risk factors, demographic variables and self-reported health at baseline, there was an inverse dose – response relationship between physical activity and all-cause mortality. Compared with women and men who reported no activity, there were statistically significant lower hazard ratios for women who reported any activity and for men who reported activities equivalent to at least 300 metabolic equivalent.min/week. Risk reductions were 30–50% greater in women than in men in every physical activity category.

Conclusions

Physical activity is inversely associated with all-cause mortality in older men and women. The relationship is stronger in women than in men, and there are benefits from even low levels of activity.
Features-Based Deisotoping Method for Tandem Mass Spectra
Authors: Yuan Zheng , Shi Jinhong , Lin Wenjun , Chen Bolin , Wu Fang-Xiang
Published: January 2012

For high-resolution tandem mass spectra, the determination of monoisotopic masses of fragment ions plays a key role in the subsequent peptide and protein identification. In this paper, we present a new algorithm for deisotoping the bottom-up spectra. Isotopic-cluster graphs are constructed to describe the relationship between all possible isotopic clusters. Based on the relationship in isotopic-cluster graphs, each possible isotopic cluster is assessed with a score function, which is built by combining nonintensity and intensity features of fragment ions. The non-intensity features are used to prevent fragment ions with low intensity from being removed. Dynamic programming is adopted to find the highest score path with the most reliable isotopic clusters. The experimental results have shown that the average Mascot scores and F-scores of identified peptides from spectra processed by our deisotoping method are greater than those by YADA and MS-Deconv software.
Inhibition of the Nedd8 System Sensitizes Cells to DNA Interstrand Cross-linking Agents
Authors: Kee Younghoon , Huang Min , Chang Sophia , Moreau Lisa A. , Park Eunmi , Smith Peter G. , D'Andrea Alan D.
Published: January 2012

The Fanconi anemia pathway is required for repair of DNA interstrand cross-links (ICL). Fanconi anemia pathway–deficient cells are hypersensitive to DNA ICL–inducing drugs such as cisplatin. Conversely, hyperactivation of the Fanconi anemia pathway is a mechanism that may underlie cellular resistance to DNA ICL agents. Modulating FANCD2 monoubiquitination, a key step in the Fanconi anemia pathway, may be an effective therapeutic approach to conferring cellular sensitivity to ICL agents. Here, we show that inhibition of the Nedd8 conjugation system increases cellular sensitivity to DNA ICL–inducing agents. Mechanistically, the Nedd8 inhibition, either by siRNA-mediated knockdown of Nedd8-conjugating enzymes or treatment with a Nedd8-activating enzyme inhibitor MLN4924, suppressed DNA damage–induced FANCD2 monoubiquitination and CHK1 phosphorylation. Our data indicate that inhibition of the Fanconi anemia pathway is largely responsible for the heightened cellular sensitivity to DNA ICLs upon Nedd8 inhibition. These results suggest that a combination of Nedd8 inhibition with ICL-inducing agents may be an effective strategy for sensitizing a subset of drug-resistant cancer cells. Mol Cancer Res; 10(3); 369–77. ©2012 AACR.
Nicknaming as a Mode of Black Resistance
Authors: Masaka Dennis , Gwaravanda Ephraim Taurai , Mukusha Jowere
Published: January 2012

This article focuses on the nicknaming of White farmers by indigenous Black people of Zimbabwe as one way through which they expressed their utter discontentment about the way White settlers treated indigenous Black farmworkers and surrounding Black communities during and after the colonial era. It notes that such nicknames played a vital communicative role that reflected the nature of the existing relations between White farmers and Black indigenous people. First, the article characterizes the concepts of naming and nicknaming. Second, it notes that nicknames that were given to colonial White farmers depicted quite variant relations that existed between White farmers and their Black subjects. Grounded on the theoretical framework of Afrocentric theory, the article situates Black people’s resistance to White colonial settlers’ brutality via such communicative nicknaming within the broader context of misplaced colonial perceptions about Africans.
Combining Formal and Functional Approaches to Topic Structure
Authors: Zellers Margaret , Post Brechtje
Published: January 2012

Fragmentation between formal and functional approaches to prosodic variation is an ongoing problem in linguistic research. In particular, the frameworks of the Phonetics of Talk-in-Interaction (PTI) and Empirical Phonology (EP) take very different theoretical and methodological approaches to this kind of variation. We argue that it is fruitful to adopt the insights of both PTI’s qualitative analysis and EP’s quantitative analysis and combine them into a multiple-methods approach. One realm in which it is possible to combine these frameworks is in the analysis of discourse topic structure and the prosodic cues relevant to it. By combining a quantitative and a qualitative approach to discourse topic structure, it is possible to give a better account of the observed variation in prosody, for example in the case of fundamental frequency (F0) peak timing, which can be explained in terms of pitch accent distribution over different topic structure categories. Similarly, local and global patterns in speech rate variation can be better explained and motivated by adopting insights from both PTI and EP in the study of topic structure. Combining PTI and EP can provide better accounts of speech data as well as opening up new avenues of investigation which would not have been possible in either approach alone.
Pitch Contour Matching and Interactional Alignment across Turns: An Acoustic Investigation
Authors: Gorisch Jan , Wells Bill , Brown Guy J.
Published: January 2012

In order to explore the influence of context on the phonetic design of talk-in-interaction, we investigated the pitch characteristics of short turns (insertions) that are produced by one speaker between turns from another speaker. We investigated the hypothesis that the speaker of the insertion designs her turn as a pitch match to the prior turn in order to align with the previous speaker’s agenda, whereas non-matching displays that the speaker of the insertion is non-aligning, for example to initiate a new action. Data were taken from the AMI meeting corpus, focusing on the spontaneous talk of first-language English participants. Using sequential analysis, 177 insertions were classified as either aligning or non-aligning in accordance with definitions of these terms in the Conversation Analysis literature. The degree of similarity between the pitch contour of the insertion and that of the prior speaker’s turn was measured, using a new technique that integrates normalized F0 and intensity information. The results showed that aligning insertions were significantly more similar to the immediately preceding turn, in terms of pitch contour, than were non-aligning insertions. This supports the view that choice of pitch contour is managed locally, rather than by reference to an intonational lexicon.
Revisiting the Association of LMX Quality With Perceived Role Stressors
Authors: Jian Guowei
Published: January 2012

Although earlier research on leader-member exchange (LMX) theory supported a negative linear relationship between LMX quality and role stressors, recent studies suggest that a more complex, nonlinear relationship may exist between LMX quality and variables traditionally associated with it. Based on communication research of LMX and social exchange theory, the aim of this article is to revisit the relationship between LMX quality and role stressors by reconceptualizing their associations and testing the hypotheses of an inverted U relationship. A survey study among immigrant employees revealed differential effects of LMX quality on role stressors. In particular, with role conflict and role overload LMX quality was found to have an inverted U relationship, but a negative linear relationship with role ambiguity. These findings challenge the prevailing assumptions and carry significant theoretical and practical implications.
The Impact of Oakland Freedom School’s Summer Youth Program on the Psychosocial Development of African American Youth
Authors: Bethea Sharon L.
Published: January 2012

The present investigation considers the program outcomes of one community youth project, Leadership Excellence Inc., Oakland Freedom Schools. Oakland Freedom Schools are culturally relevant 6-week summer Language Arts enrichment programs for primarily inner-city African American youth aged 5 to 14 years. In this study, 79 African American youth participated. Results indicated that involvement in Oakland Freedom Schools positively influenced racial identity and youth views toward African/African American culture and precepts. The results also indicated an increase in pretest to posttest scores on social skills strategies and future commitment to social action. There were no statistically significant increases in attitudes toward reading and self-concept.
Talented Young Writers’ Relationships With Writing
Authors: Olthouse Jill M.
Published: January 2012

Through a qualitative research design, the author explored how eight talented young creative writers related to their craft. The construct, “relationship with writing,” emerged as the study’s overarching theme; this theme includes students’ influences, goals, values, identity, and emotions as these relate to writing. The findings indicated identity development and the expression of an authentic self were central to students’ relationships with writing. Multiple positive influences led students to view writing as a means to understand and express their identities. Students valued academic writing, but felt creative writing was more congruent with their emotions, goals, and values. Overall, students’ relationships with writing can be described as positive, personal, and context dependent.
A study on the structure of the Chinese information policy domain framework
Authors: Ma Feicheng , Jiang Tingting , Fu Zhenzhen , Zhao Hongbin
Published: January 2012

Information policies, the guidelines and standards for the macro information management of a nation, play an important role in the course of informationization in China. Owing to the absence of an authoritative framework of Chinese information policies, this research generated a comprehensive, three-level classification of information policy domains, based on policy data collected from Chinalawinfo.com , owned by the Legal Information Centre of Peking University. We constructed the first level with general domains derived from the theory of information’s life cycle. The second- and third-level domains were then determined according to the results of our clustering analysis, and their keywords were enriched and standardized using the Chinese Classification and Subject Headings System. The significance of this research is not only that it has identified blind spots existing in information policy making and research, but also that the new Chinese information policy domain framework will help regulate informationization in China.
The effect of attachment orientation priming on pain sensitivity in pain-free individuals
Authors: Rowe Angela C. , Carnelley Katherine B. , Harwood James , Micklewright Daniel , Russouw Lauren , Rennie Charlotte L. , Liossi Christina
Published: January 2012

The current study examined the causal relationship between secure and anxious attachment orientations and pain sensitivity in a pain-free sample. In a double blind repeated measures study, a cold pressor task was used to induce acute pain in 95 participants before and after priming them with a secure or anxious attachment orientation or a neutral prime. Measures of pain threshold, tolerance, catastrophizing and intensity were taken. Compared to the neutral prime, secure and anxious primes resulted in higher tolerance and threshold. The experimental conditions did not differ in reported pain intensity or pain catastrophizing. These findings suggest a causal relationship between attachment experiences and pain sensitivity that may be of interest to those devising and researching pain management interventions.
Gamma-frequency neuronal activity is diminished in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a pharmaco-MEG study
Authors: Wilson Tony W , Wetzel Martin W , White Matthew L , Knott Nichole L
Published: January 2012

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder affecting approximately 4–7% of children and persisting in 2–5% of adults. The core symptoms include pervasive inattention and inappropriate levels of hyperactivity-impulsivity. High-frequency gamma activity has been implicated in the temporal binding of stimulus properties across cortical areas, and is known to be crucial for complex information processing and attentional processes in particular. Thus, we evaluated the amplitude of gamma-frequency neural responses in adults with and those without ADHD, and tested whether stimulant medications, the most common treatment for ADHD, modulate gamma activity in affected adults. Participants underwent two sessions (~75 min apart) of auditory stimulation using stimuli known to elicit 40 Hz gamma-band responses as magnetoencephalography data were acquired. Between sessions, the ADHD group (who were in maintenance therapy) were administered their daily stimulant medication and both groups were told to relax. The primary results indicated that gamma activity was weaker in the ADHD group during session one (pre-drug), but not session two (post-drug), and that gamma activity significantly increased following stimulant administration in adults with ADHD. These results suggest that ADHD is associated with reduced cortical gamma activity and that stimulants may ameliorate this abnormality.
The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, escitalopram, enhances inhibition of prepotent responding and spatial reversal learning
Authors: Brown Holden D , Amodeo Dionisio A , Sweeney John A , Ragozzino Michael E
Published: January 2012

Previous findings indicate treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) facilitates behavioral flexibility when conditions require inhibition of a learned response pattern. The present experiment investigated whether acute treatment with the SSRI, escitalopram, affects behavioral flexibility when conditions require inhibition of a naturally biased response pattern (elevated conflict test) and/or reversal of a learned response pattern (spatial reversal learning). An additional experiment was carried out to determine whether escitalopram, at doses that affected behavioral flexibility, also reduced anxiety as tested in the elevated plus-maze. In each experiment, Long-Evans rats received an intraperitoneal injection of either saline or escitalopram (0.03, 0.3 or 1.0 mg/kg) 30 min prior to behavioral testing. Escitalopram, at all doses tested, enhanced acquisition in the elevated conflict test, but did not affect performance in the elevated plus-maze. Escitalopram (0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg) did not alter acquisition of the spatial discrimination, but facilitated reversal learning. In the elevated conflict and spatial reversal learning test, escitalopram enhanced the ability to maintain the relevant strategy after being initially selected. The present findings suggest that enhancing serotonin transmission with an SSRI facilitates inhibitory processes when conditions require a shift away from either a naturally biased response pattern or a learned choice pattern.
Pharmacokinetics and central nervous system effects of the novel dopamine D3 receptor antagonist GSK598809 and intravenous alcohol infusion at pseudo-steady state
Authors: te Beek ET , Zoethout RWM , Bani MSG , Andorn A , Iavarone L , Klaassen ES , Fina P , van Gerven JMA
Published: January 2012

GSK598809 is a novel selective dopamine D3 receptor antagonist, currently in development for the treatment of substance abuse and addiction. In a blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study, effects of single oral doses of 175 mg GSK598809 were evaluated in healthy volunteers. Pharmacokinetics, central nervous system (CNS) effects and potential for interactions with alcohol were evaluated, using an alcohol infusion paradigm and analysis of eye movements, adaptive tracking, visual analogue scales, body sway, serum prolactin and verbal visual learning test. Adverse effects of GSK598809 included headache, dizziness and somnolence. Plasma concentration of GSK598809 was maximal 2–3 hours postdose and decreased with a half-life of roughly 20 hours. CNS effects were limited to prolactin elevation and decreased adaptive tracking. Co-administration of GSK598809 and alcohol did not affect alcohol pharmacokinetics, but caused a 9% decrease of Cmax and a 15% increase of AUC of GSK598809. CNS effects of co-administration were mainly additive, except a small supra-additive increase in saccadic reaction time and decrease in delayed word recall. In conclusion, GSK598809 causes elevation of serum prolactin and a small decrease in adaptive tracking performance. After co-administration with alcohol, effects of GSK598809 are mainly additive and the combination is well tolerated in healthy volunteers.
“Haitian Paradox” or Dark Side of the Security-Development Nexus? Canada’s Role in the Securitization of Haiti, 2004–2009
Authors: Walby Kevin , Monaghan Jeffrey
Published: January 2012

Drawing on analysis of government records obtained using Access to Information Act requests, the author examines the securitization of Canada’s aid program to Haiti between 2004 and 2009. The author discusses how Canadian agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), and the Canadian International Development Agency, were involved in capacity-building initiatives that focused on police reform, border surveillance, and prison construction/refurbishment across Haiti in the aftermath of a coup that ousted the democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The author demonstrates how these efforts at securitization resulted in what officials referred to as the “Haitian Paradox,” whereby reorganization of the Haitian National Police force led to higher arrest rates and jail bloat, creating conditions that violated rather than ameliorated human rights. While the securitization project may have been based on the rule of law and human rights in Canadian policy makers’ official discourse, in practice these securitization efforts exacerbated jail overcrowding, distrust of police, and persecution of political opposition. The author therefore demonstrates one way that international development, aid, and criminal justice intersect, with emphasis on the transnational aspects of RCMP and CSC activities.
The Use of Life and Death as Tools in Plea Bargaining
Authors: Ehrhard-Dietzel Susan
Published: January 2012

Given its severity, the death penalty may play a unique role in plea bargaining, unlike that of a lesser maximum sentence of life without parole, which involves the defendant’s loss of his freedom but not the loss of his life. The possibility of a death sentence may be powerful incentive for the defense to accept a plea bargain; accordingly, prosecutors may use the death penalty as leverage to induce a guilty plea in death-eligible cases. Interviews with prosecutors and defense attorneys in a state where the maximum punishment for murder is death and a state where the maximum punishment for murder is life without parole are used to explore the role of the death penalty as leverage in plea bargaining, as compared to the role of a maximum sentence of life without parole. Findings suggest that prosecutors are not necessarily inclined to charge capital murder in order to induce a guilty plea, given considerations including ethics and financial cost, considerations that are largely absent from decision making in cases where the maximum possible sentence is life without parole.
Openness to Experience and Mortality in Men
Authors: Turiano Nicholas A. , Spiro Avron , Mroczek Daniel K.
Published: January 2012

Objectives: We examined whether specific facets are more robust predictors of mortality risk than overall trait openness in a sample of older men. Methods: The current investigation used data from 1,349 men from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study. From 1990-1991 to 2008, 547 (41%) had died. We used exploratory factor analysis to extract facets of openness, followed by proportional hazards modeling to examine 18-year mortality risk. Results: Two facets emerged from the openness adjectives: intellect and creativity. In the fully adjusted model, only creativity predicted mortality risk. A 1- SD increase in creativity was associated with a 12% decrease in mortality risk. Discussion: The study demonstrated that consideration of facets allows for a more precise understanding of the personality–health association. Higher levels of creativity predict longer survival in a sample of older men which provides preliminary support of the protective role creativity has on health even at advanced ages.
Trajectories of Social Engagement and Mortality in Late Life
Authors: Thomas Patricia A.
Published: January 2012

Objective: There is a dearth of empirical research examining how patterns of stability and change in social engagement affect mortality. This study uses social integration theory within a life course framework to examine trajectories of social engagement over time and how those patterns relate to mortality. Method: Data are drawn from the Americans’ Changing Lives survey, a nationally representative panel study, with mortality information spanning from 1986 to 2005. Results: Even after controlling for known predictors of mortality, membership in a trajectory of high and slightly increasing social engagement was related to lower risk of mortality. Sociodemographic, health condition, and health behavior variables mediated the impact of the other social engagement trajectories on mortality. Discussion: Findings suggest the importance of maintaining high levels of social engagement over time for the health of older adults.
Representations of loneliness in children’s drawings
Authors: Misailidi Plousia , Bonoti Fotini , Savva Georgia
Published: January 2012

This article reports the results of a study which aimed to examine the development of children’s ability to depict loneliness in their drawings. Seventy-eight children and 20 adults took part in the study. Participants were first asked a series of questions assessing their conceptions of loneliness, and were then invited to draw a picture that conveys loneliness. The resulting drawings were coded and scored for the presence of the two dimensions of loneliness: cognitive and emotional. First, the authors examined the use by participants of graphic indicators denoting deficiencies in one’s social relations resulting to loneliness (cognitive dimension); second, they assessed the expressive strategies participants employed to convey the negative affect that typically accompanies loneliness in their drawings (emotional dimension). Finally, the authors tested the relationship between children’s definitions of loneliness with their drawings of the construct. The results show a clear developmental progression in children’s pictorial representations of loneliness. Whereas the majority of young children represented loneliness as the absence of a social network, older children used graphic indicators to convey both the absence of a social network and the sadness that accompanies loneliness. In contrast to children, adults consistently included symbolic or metaphoric graphic indicators in their drawings to convey the negative affect accompanying the experience of loneliness.
Development of a vehicle stability control strategy for a hybrid electric vehicle equipped with axle motors
Authors: Bayar Kerem , Wang Junmin , Rizzoni Giorgio
Published: January 2012

This study focuses on the benefits of utilizing the axle electric motors of hybrid electric vehicles for vehicle stability control. In that context, a differential braking and driving vehicle stability control strategy that is developed for a hybrid electric sport utility vehicle equipped with axle motors is presented. The developed strategy that is based on integrated electrohydraulic braking and axle motor torque control is compared with the production vehicle stability control schemes, by real-time simulations of extreme steering maneuvers, using controller and vehicle models built in the MATLAB/Simulink environment. The comparison is made in terms of the stability and performance, and also from an energy consumption standpoint which is an important feature of hybrid electric vehicles.
Issues in performing a network meta-analysis
Authors: Senn Stephen , Gavini Francois , Magrez David , Scheen André
Published: January 2012

The example of the analysis of a collection of trials in diabetes consisting of a sparsely connected network of 10 treatments is used to make some points about approaches to analysis. In particular various graphical and tabular presentations, both of the network and of the results are provided and the connection to the literature of incomplete blocks is made. It is clear from this example that is inappropriate to treat the main effect of trial as random and the implications of this for analysis are discussed. It is also argued that the generalisation from a classic random-effect meta-analysis to one applied to a network usually involves strong assumptions about the variance components involved. Despite this, it is concluded that such an analysis can be a useful way of exploring a set of trials.
The network meta-analytic-predictive approach to non-inferiority trials
Authors: Schmidli Heinz , Wandel Simon , Neuenschwander Beat
Published: January 2012

In non-inferiority clinical trials, a test treatment is compared to an active-control rather than to placebo. Such designs are considered when placebo is unethical or not feasible. The critical question is whether the test treatment would have been superior to placebo, had placebo been used in the non-inferiority trial. This question can only be addressed indirectly, based on information from relevant historical trials with data on active-control and placebo. The network meta-analytic-predictive approach to non-inferiority trials is based on a network meta-analysis of the data from the historical trials and the non-inferiority trial, and the prediction of the putative test vs. placebo effect in the non-inferiority trial. The approach extends previous work by incorporating between-trial variability for all relevant parameters and focusing on the parameters in the non-inferiority trial rather than on population means. Two prominent examples with binary outcomes are used to illustrate the approach.
A National Survey of Hospice Administrator and Pharmacist Perspectives on Pharmacist Services and the Impact on Medication Requirements and Cost
Authors: Latuga Natalie M. , Wahler Robert G. , Monte Scott V.
Published: January 2012

Symptom management at the end of life relies heavily on medications. For this reason, pharmacists are an ideal addition to the interdisciplinary hospice team (IDT). The aim of this study is to characterize the utilization of pharmacists in hospices from the hospice administrator and pharmacist perspectives and to determine the impact utilization has on per diem medication requirement and costs. Surveys were sent to 2824 hospice administrators and 658 pharmacists to obtain their perceptions on what clinical, administrative, and dispensing services were being performed. Responses were returned by 9.4% of administrators and 12.6% of pharmacists. The majority of administrators and pharmacists reported a mix of clinical, administrative, and dispensing responsibilities. Medication requirements and costs were not significantly impacted as the administrator’s perception of pharmacist clinical, administrative, or dispensing time increased from 0% to 100%.