bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suppression of spikes during posttetanic hyperpolarization in auditory neurons: the role of temperature, Ih currents, and the Na+-K+-ATPase pump
Authors: Kim Jun Hee , von Gersdorff Henrique
Published: July 2012

In vivo recordings from postsynaptic neurons in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB), an auditory brain stem nucleus, show that acoustic stimulation produces a burst of spikes followed by a period of hyperpolarization and suppressed spiking activity. The underlying mechanism for this hyperpolarization and reduced spiking is unknown. Furthermore, the mechanisms that control excitability and resting membrane potential are not fully determined for these MNTB neurons. In this study we investigated the excitability of principal neurons from the MNTB after high-frequency afferent fiber stimulation, using whole cell recordings from postnatal day 15–17 rat brain stem slices. We found that Na+-K+-ATPase activity mediates a progressive hyperpolarization during a prolonged tetanic train and a posttetanic hyperpolarization (PTH) at the end of the train, when postsynaptic action potentials failed to fire. Raising the temperature to more physiological levels (from 22 to 35°C) depolarized the resting membrane potential of both presynaptic and postsynaptic cells and decreased the latency of action potential firing during PTH. Higher temperatures also reduced the presynaptic calyx action potential failure rates by 50% during presynaptic PTH, thus increasing the safety-factor for presynaptic spiking. The effect of temperature on hyperpolarization-activated cation current ( Ih) is reflected in the resting potential at both pre- and postsynaptic neurons. We thus propose that temperature-sensitive Na+-K+-ATPase activity and Ih contribute to set the resting membrane potential and produce a brief period of suppressed spiking (or action potential failures) after a prolonged high-frequency afferent tetanus.
Neural time course of visually enhanced echo suppression
Authors: Bishop Christopher W. , London Sam , Miller Lee M.
Published: July 2012

Auditory spatial perception plays a critical role in day-to-day communication. For instance, listeners utilize acoustic spatial information to segregate individual talkers into distinct auditory “streams” to improve speech intelligibility. However, spatial localization is an exceedingly difficult task in everyday listening environments with numerous distracting echoes from nearby surfaces, such as walls. Listeners' brains overcome this unique challenge by relying on acoustic timing and, quite surprisingly, visual spatial information to suppress short-latency (1–10 ms) echoes through a process known as “the precedence effect” or “echo suppression.” In the present study, we employed electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate the neural time course of echo suppression both with and without the aid of coincident visual stimulation in human listeners. We find that echo suppression is a multistage process initialized during the auditory N1 (70–100 ms) and followed by space-specific suppression mechanisms from 150 to 250 ms. Additionally, we find a robust correlate of listeners' spatial perception (i.e., suppressing or not suppressing the echo) over central electrode sites from 300 to 500 ms. Contrary to our hypothesis, vision's powerful contribution to echo suppression occurs late in processing (250–400 ms), suggesting that vision contributes primarily during late sensory or decision making processes. Together, our findings support growing evidence that echo suppression is a slow, progressive mechanism modifiable by visual influences during late sensory and decision making stages. Furthermore, our findings suggest that audiovisual interactions are not limited to early, sensory-level modulations but extend well into late stages of cortical processing.
Developmental plasticity of multisensory circuitry: how early experience dictates cross-modal interactions
Authors: Sarko Diana K. , Ghose Dipanwita
Published: July 2012

Normal sensory experience is necessary for the development of multisensory processing, such that disruption through environmental manipulations eliminates or alters multisensory integration. In this Neuro Forum, we examine the recent paper by Xu et al. ( J Neurosci 32: 2287–2298, 2012) which proposes that the statistics of cross-modal stimuli encountered early in life might be a driving factor for the development of normal multisensory integrative abilities in superior colliculus neurons. We present additional interpretations of their analyses as well as future directions and translational implications of this study for understanding the neural substrates and plasticity inherent to multisensory processing.
Song tutoring in presinging zebra finch juveniles biases a small population of higher-order song-selective neurons toward the tutor song
Authors: Adret Patrice , Meliza C. Daniel , Margoliash Daniel
Published: July 2012

We explored physiological changes correlated with song tutoring by recording the responses of caudal nidopallium neurons of zebra finches aged P21–P24 (days post hatching) to a broad spectrum of natural and synthetic stimuli. Those birds raised with their fathers tended to show behavioral evidence of song memorization but not of singing; thus auditory responses were not confounded by the birds' own vocalizations. In study 1, 37 of 158 neurons (23%) in 17 of 22 tutored and untutored birds were selective for only 1 of 10 stimuli comprising broadband signals, early juvenile songs and calls, female calls, and adult songs. Approximately 30% of the selective neurons (12/37 neurons in 9 birds) were selective for adult conspecific songs. All these were found in the song system nuclei HVC and paraHVC. Of 122 neurons (17 birds) in tutored birds, all of the conspecific song-selective neurons (8 neurons in 6 birds) were selective for the adult tutor song; none was selective for unfamiliar song. In study 2 with a different sampling strategy, we found that 11 of 12 song-selective neurons in 6 of 7 birds preferred the tutor song; none preferred unfamiliar or familiar conspecific songs. Most of these neurons were found in caudal lateral nidopallium (NCL) below HVC. Thus by the time a bird begins to sing, there are small numbers of tutor song-selective neurons distributed in several forebrain regions. We hypothesize that a small population of higher-order auditory neurons is innately selective for complex features of behaviorally relevant stimuli and these responses are modified by specific perceptual/social experience during development.
Intrinsic physiological properties of rat retinal ganglion cells with a comparative analysis
Authors: Wong Raymond C. S. , Cloherty Shaun L. , Ibbotson Michael R. , O'Brien Brendan J.
Published: July 2012

Mammalian retina contains 15–20 different retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types, each of which is responsible for encoding different aspects of the visual scene. The encoding is defined by a combination of RGC synaptic inputs, the neurotransmitter systems used, and their intrinsic physiological properties. Each cell's intrinsic properties are defined by its morphology and membrane characteristics, including the complement and localization of the ion channels expressed. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that the intrinsic properties of individual RGC types are conserved among mammalian species. To do so, we measured the intrinsic properties of 16 morphologically defined rat RGC types and compared these data with cat RGC types. Our data demonstrate that in the rat different morphologically defined RGC types have distinct patterns of intrinsic properties. Variation in these properties across cell types was comparable to that found for cat RGC types. When presumed morphological homologs in rat and cat retina were compared directly, some RGC types had very similar properties. The rat A2 cell exhibited patterns of intrinsic properties nearly identical to the cat alpha cell. In contrast, rat D2 cells (ON-OFF directionally selective) had a very different pattern of intrinsic properties than the cat iota cell. Our data suggest that the intrinsic properties of RGCs with similar morphology and suspected visual function may be subject to variation due to the behavioral needs of the species.
TGF-β and αvβ6 Integrin Act in a Common Pathway to Suppress Pancreatic Cancer Progression
Authors: Hezel Aram F. , Deshpande Vikram , Zimmerman Stephanie M. , Contino Gianmarco , Alagesan Brinda , O'Dell Michael R. , Rivera Lee B. , Harper Jay , Lonning Scott , Brekken Rolf A. , Bardeesy Nabeel
Published: July 2012

The TGF-β pathway is under active consideration as a cancer drug target based on its capacity to promote cancer cell invasion and to create a protumorigenic microenvironment. However, the clinical application of TGF-β inhibitors remains uncertain as genetic studies show a tumor suppressor function of TGF-β in pancreatic cancer and other epithelial malignancies. Here, we used genetically engineered mouse models to investigate the therapeutic impact of global TGF-β inhibition in pancreatic cancer in relation to tumor stage, genetic profile, and concurrent chemotherapy. We found that αvβ6 integrin acted as a key upstream activator of TGF-β in evolving pancreatic cancers. In addition, TGF-β or αvβ6 blockade increased tumor cell proliferation and accelerated both early and later disease stages. These effects were dependent on the presence of Smad4, a central mediator of TGF-β signaling. Therefore, our findings indicate that αvβ6 and TGF-β act in a common tumor suppressor pathway whose pharmacologic inactivation promotes pancreatic cancer progression. Cancer Res; 72(18); 4840–5. ©2012 AACR.
SOX4 Induces Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition and Contributes to Breast Cancer Progression
Authors: Zhang Jianchao , Liang Qian , Lei Yang , Yao Min , Li Lili , Gao Xiaoge , Feng Jingxin , Zhang Yu , Gao Hongwen , Liu Dong-Xu , Lu Jun , Huang Baiqu
Published: July 2012

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a developmental program, which is associated with breast cancer progression and metastasis. Here, we report that ectopic overexpression of SOX4 in immortalized human mammary epithelial cells is sufficient for acquisition of mesenchymal traits, enhanced cell migration, and invasion, along with epithelial stem cell properties defined by the presence of a CD44high/CD24low cell subpopulation. SOX4 positively regulated expression of known EMT inducers, also activating the TGF-β pathway to contribute to EMT. SOX4 itself was induced by TGF-β in mammary epithelial cells and was required for TGF-β–induced EMT. Murine xenograft experiments showed that SOX4 cooperated with oncogenic Ras to promote tumorigenesis in vivo. Finally, in clinical specimens of human breast cancer, we found that SOX4 was abnormally overexpressed and correlated with the triple-negative breast cancer subtype (ER−/PR−/HER2−). Our findings define an important function for SOX4 in the progression of breast cancer by orchestrating EMT, and they implicate this gene product as a marker of poor prognosis in this disease. Cancer Res; 72(17); 4597–608. ©2012 AACR.
Targeting the Glyoxalase Pathway Enhances TRAIL Efficacy in Cancer Cells by Downregulating the Expression of Antiapoptotic Molecules
Authors: Taniguchi Hiroya , Horinaka Mano , Yoshida Tatsushi , Yano Kimihiro , Goda Ahmed E. , Yasuda Shusuke , Wakada Miki , Sakai Toshiyuki
Published: July 2012

Methylglyoxal is an essential component in glycolysis and is known to be an inducer of apoptosis. Glyoxalase I (GLO1) metabolizes and inactivates methylglyoxal. GLO1 is known to be overexpressed in cancer cells and causes resistance to anticancer agents. We show for the first time that methylglyoxal treatment or the silencing of GLO1 enhances sensitivity to the promising anticancer agent TRAIL in malignant tumor cells. Methylglyoxal suppressed the expression of antiapoptotic factors, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), survivin, cIAP1, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL, without affecting TRAIL receptors, DR4 and DR5. Knockdown of XIAP or survivin by siRNA also enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis, indicating that downregulation of XIAP and survivin expression by methylglyoxal contributes to the enhancement of TRAIL activity. Furthermore, methylglyoxal decreased NF-κB activity with or without TRAIL treatment. On the other hand, the knockdown of GLO1 by siRNA enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis via the downregulation of XIAP and survivin expression. In conclusion, our results strongly suggest that sensitivity to TRAIL is increased by inhibition of the glyoxalase pathway and that the combination of TRAIL with methylglyoxal or glyoxalase inhibitors may be useful for a novel combination chemotherapy. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(10); 2294–300. ©2012 AACR.
A Clinical Risk Prediction Model for Barrett Esophagus
Authors: Thrift Aaron P. , Kendall Bradley J. , Pandeya Nirmala , Vaughan Thomas L. , Whiteman David C. ,   for the Study of Digestive Health
Published: July 2012

Barrett esophagus is the only known precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma. As definitive diagnosis requires costly endoscopic investigation, we sought to develop a risk prediction model to aid in deciding which patients with gastroesophageal reflux symptoms to refer for endoscopic screening for Barrett esophagus.

The study included data from patients with incident nondysplastic Barrett esophagus (n = 285) and endoscopy control patients with esophageal inflammatory changes without Barrett esophagus (“inflammation controls”, n = 313). We used two phases of stepwise backwards logistic regression to identify the important predictors for Barrett esophagus in men and women separately: first, including all significant covariates from univariate analyses and then fitting non-significant covariates from univariate analyses to identify those effects detectable only after adjusting for other factors. The final model pooled these predictors and was externally validated for discrimination and calibration using data from a Barrett esophagus study conducted in western Washington State.

The final risk model included terms for age, sex, smoking status, body mass index, highest level of education, and frequency of use of acid suppressant medications (area under the ROC curve, 0.70; 95%CI, 0.66–0.74). The model had moderate discrimination in the external dataset (area under the ROC curve, 0.61; 95%CI, 0.56–0.66). The model was well calibrated (Hosmer–Lemeshow test, P = 0.75), with predicted probability and observed risk highly correlated.

The prediction model performed reasonably well and has the potential to be an effective and useful clinical tool in selecting patients with gastroesophageal reflux symptoms to refer for endoscopic screening for Barrett esophagus. Cancer Prev Res; 5(9); 1115–23. ©2012 AACR.
Distribution and Risk Profile of Paroxysmal, Persistent, and Permanent Atrial Fibrillation in Routine Clinical Practice
Authors: Chiang Chern-En , Naditch-Brûlé Lisa , Murin Jan , Goethals Marnix , Inoue Hiroshi , O’Neill James , Silva-Cardoso Jose , Zharinov Oleg , Gamra Habib , Alam Samir , Ponikowski Piotr , Lewalter Thorsten , Rosenqvist Mårten , Steg Philippe Gabriel
Published: July 2012

Background—

There is a paucity of international data on the various types of atrial fibrillation (AF) outside the highly selected populations from randomized trials. This study aimed to describe patient characteristics, risk factors, comorbidities, symptoms, management strategy, and control of different types of AF in real-life practice.

Methods and Results—

Real-life global survey evaluating patients with atrial fibrillation (RealiseAF) was a contemporary, large-scale, cross-sectional international survey of patients with AF who had ≥1 episode in the past 12 months. Investigators were randomly selected to avoid bias. Among 9816 eligible patients from 831 sites in 26 countries, 2606 (26.5%) had paroxysmal, 2341 (23.8%) had persistent, and 4869 (49.6%) had permanent AF. As AF progressed from paroxysmal to persistent and permanent forms, the prevalence of comorbidities, such as heart failure (32.9%, 44.3%, and 55.6%), coronary artery disease (30.0%, 32.9%, and 34.3%), cerebrovascular disease (11.7%, 10.8%, and 17.6%), and valvular disease (16.7%, 21.2%, and 35.8%), increased, and the prevalence of lone AF decreased. Similarly, there was an increase in mean CHADS
2
[cardiac failure, hypertension, age, diabetes, stroke (doubled)] score (1.7, 1.8, and 2.2), and more than half of patients (51.0%, 56.7%, and 67.3%) qualified for oral anticoagulants. Almost 90% of patients received ≥1 antiarrhythmic drug, but >60% had European Heart Rhythm Association symptom scores from II to IV. Furthermore, 40.7% of persistent and 49.8% of permanent AF patients were still in AF with a heart rate >80 beats per minute.

Conclusions—

This survey disclosed high cardiovascular risks and an unmet need in daily practice for patients with any type of AF, especially those with the permanent form.
Effect of Bipolar Electrode Spacing on Phrenic Nerve Stimulation and Left Ventricular Pacing Thresholds
Authors: Biffi Mauro , Foerster Laurie , Eastman William , Eggen Michael , Grenz Nathan A. , Sommer John , De Santo Tiziana , Haddad Tarek , Varbaro Annamaria , Yang Zhongping
Published: July 2012

Background—

Phrenic nerve stimulation (PNS) is a common complication of cardiac resynchronization therapy when left ventricular (LV) pacing occurs via a coronary vein. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of bipolar electrode spacing on PNS and LV pacing thresholds.

Methods and Results—

Electrophysiology catheters with standard (2 mm-5 mm-2 mm) or modified (1 mm-5 mm-1 mm) interelectrode spacing was, respectively, inserted in a posterior/lateral cardiac vein in a randomized order in 6 anesthetized dogs via jugular access. The phrenic nerve was dissected via a left minithoracotomy and repositioned over the vein as close as possible to one of the electrodes. The presence of PNS was verified (ie, PNS threshold <2 V at 0.5 ms in unipolar configuration). Bipolar pacing was delivered using the electrode closest to the phrenic nerve as the cathode, and multiple bipolar electrode spacing configurations were tested. During bipolar pacing, PNS threshold increased as bipolar electrode spacing was reduced (
P
<0.05), whereas LV pacing thresholds did not change significantly (
P
>0.05). Compared with a standard bipolar electrode spacing of 20 mm for LV leads, 1 and 2 mm bipolar electrode spacing resulted in a PNS threshold increase of 5.5±2.2 V (
P
=0.003) and 2.8±1.7 V (
P
<0.001), respectively. Similarly, PNS threshold increased by 6.5±3.7 V with 1 mm and by 3.8±1.9 V with 2 mm bipolar pacing (both
P
<0.001), compared with unipolar pacing.

Conclusions—

This study suggests that reducing LV bipolar electrode spacing from the standard 20 mm to 1 or 2 mm may significantly increase the PNS threshold without compromising LV pacing thresholds.
Videoscopic Left Cardiac Sympathetic Denervation for Patients With Recurrent Ventricular Fibrillation/Malignant Ventricular Arrhythmia Syndromes Besides Congenital Long-QT Syndrome
Authors: Coleman Mira A. , Bos J. Martijn , Johnson Jonathan N. , Owen Heidi J. , Deschamps Claude , Moir Christopher , Ackerman Michael J.
Published: July 2012

Background—

Treatment options for patients with recurrent ventricular arrhythmias refractory to pharmacotherapy and ablation are minimal. Although left cardiac sympathetic denervation (LCSD) is well established in long-QT syndrome, its role in non–long-QT syndrome arrhythmogenic channelopathies and cardiomyopathies is less clear. Here, we report our single-center experience in performing LCSD in this setting.

Methods and Results—

In this institutional review board–approved study, we retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of all patients (N=91) who had videoscopic LCSD at our institution from 2005 to 2011. Data were analyzed for the subset (n=27) who were denervated for an underlying diagnosis other than autosomal dominant or sporadic long-QT syndrome. The spectrum of arrhythmogenic disease included catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (n=13), Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome (n=5), idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (n=4), left ventricular noncompaction (n=2), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n=1), ischemic cardiomyopathy (n=1), and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (n=1). Five patients had LCSD because of high-risk assessment and β-blocker intolerance, none of whom had a sentinel breakthrough cardiac event at early follow-up. Among the remaining 22 previously symptomatic patients who had LCSD as secondary prevention, all had an attenuation in cardiac events, with 18 having no breakthrough cardiac events so far and 4 having experienced ≥1 post-LCSD breakthrough cardiac event.

Conclusions—

LCSD may represent a substrate-independent antifibrillatory treatment option for patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia syndromes other than long-QT syndrome. The early follow-up seems promising, with a marked reduction in the frequency of cardiac events postdenervation.
Fluoroscopic Screening of Asymptomatic Patients Implanted With the Recalled Riata Lead Family
Authors: Liu Jeffrey , Rattan Rohit , Adelstein Evan , Barrington William , Bazaz Raveen , Brode Susan , Jain Sandeep , Mendenhall G. Stuart , Nemec Jan , Razak Eathar , Shalaby Alaa , Schwartzman David , Voigt Andrew , Wang Norman C. , Saba Samir
Published: July 2012

Background—

The Food and Drug Administration recently issued a class I recall of the St. Jude Medical Riata implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead presumably because of increased risk of electric failure and mechanical separation via inside-out abrasion. We sought to examine the incidence and time dependence of inside-out abrasion in asymptomatic patients implanted with the Riata lead.

Methods and Results—

Asymptomatic patients implanted with the Riata lead at our institution were offered voluntary fluoroscopic screening in 3 views. Electric testing of the Riata lead with provocative isometric muscle contraction was performed at the time of fluoroscopic screening. Of the 245 patients undergoing fluoroscopic screening, 53 (21.6%) patients showed clear evidence of lead separation. Of these externalized leads, 0%, 13%, and 26% had a dwell time of <3 years, 3 to 5 years, and >5 years, respectively (
P
=0.037). Externalized leads had a significantly pronounced decrease in R-wave amplitude (−1.7±2.9 mV versus +0.35±2.5 mV;
P
<0.001), and more patients with externalized leads had ≥25% decrease in R-wave amplitude from baseline (28.0% versus 8.1%;
P
=0.018). One patient with externalization exhibited new noise on near-field electrogram.

Conclusions—

The Riata lead exhibits time-dependent high rates of cable externalization exceeding 20% at >5 years of dwell time. Externalized leads are associated with a more pronounced decrease in R-wave amplitude, which may be an early marker of future electric failure. The use of fluoroscopic and electric screening of asymptomatic patients with the Riata lead remains controversial in the management of patients affected by the recent Food and Drug Administration recall.
Toll-Like Receptor 7 Protects From Atherosclerosis by Constraining “Inflammatory” Macrophage Activation
Authors: Salagianni Maria , Galani Ioanna E. , Lundberg Anna M. , Davos Constantinos H. , Varela Aimilia , Gavriil Ariana , Lyytikäinen Leo-Pekka , Lehtimäki Terho , Sigala Fragiska , Folkersen Lasse , Gorgoulis Vassilis , Lenglet Sébastien , Montecucco Fabrizio , Mach François , Hedin Ulf , Hansson Göran K. , Monaco Claudia , Andreakos Evangelos
Published: July 2012

Background

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have long been considered to be major culprits in the development of atherosclerosis, contributing both to its progression and clinical complications. However, evidence for most TLRs beyond TLR2 and TLR4 is lacking.

Methods and Results

We used experimental mouse models, human atheroma cultures, and well-established human biobanks to investigate the role of TLR7 in atherosclerosis. We report the unexpected finding that TLR7, a receptor recognizing self–nucleic acid complexes, is protective in atherosclerosis. In
Apoe
−/−
mice, functional inactivation of TLR7 resulted in accelerated lesion development, increased stenosis, and enhanced plaque vulnerability as revealed by Doppler ultrasound and/or histopathology. Mechanistically, TLR7 interfered with macrophage proinflammatory responses to TLR2 and TLR4 ligands, reduced monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 production, and prevented expansion of Ly6C
hi
inflammatory monocytes and accumulation of inflammatory M1 macrophages into developing atherosclerotic lesions. In human carotid endarterectomy specimens TLR7 levels were consistently associated with an M2 anti-inflammatory macrophage signature (interleukin [IL]-10, IL-1RA, CD163, scavenger and C-type lectin receptors) and collagen genes, whereas they were inversely related or unrelated to proinflammatory mediators (IL-12/IL-23, interferon beta, interferon gamma, CD40L) and platelet markers. Moreover, in human atheroma cultures, TLR7 activation selectively suppressed the production of key proatherogenic factors such as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and tumor necrosis factor without affecting IL-10.

Conclusions

These findings provide evidence for a beneficial role of TLR7 in atherosclerosis by constraining inflammatory macrophage activation and cytokine production. This challenges the prevailing concept that all TLRs are pathogenic and supports the exploitation of the TLR7 pathway for therapy.
Physical and Sexual Abuse in Childhood as Predictors of Early-Onset Cardiovascular Events in Women
Authors: Rich-Edwards Janet W. , Mason Susan , Rexrode Kathryn , Spiegelman Donna , Hibert Eileen , Kawachi Ichiro , Jun Hee Jin , Wright Rosalind J.
Published: July 2012

Background—

Although child abuse is widespread and has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, its association with CVD events is not established.

Methods and Results—

We examined associations of child abuse with CVD events among 66 798 women in the Nurses' Health Study 2. Proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for myocardial infarction (n=262), stroke (n=251), and total CVD (n=513). Severe physical abuse was reported by 9% and forced sex by 11% of participants. After adjustment for age, race, childhood body type, parental education, and family CVD history, the hazard ratios for CVD events were 0.91 (95% CI, 0.70–1.17) for mild physical abuse, 1.02 (95% CI, 0.82–1.26) for moderate physical abuse, and 1.46 (95% CI, 1.11–1.92) for severe physical abuse compared with no abuse. Compared with women without childhood sexual abuse, the hazard ratio was 1.10 (95% CI, 0.88–1.35) for unwanted sexual touching and 1.56 (95% CI, 1.23–1.99) for forced sex. After adjustment for adult lifestyle and medical risk factors, the hazard ratio for severe physical abuse was 1.13 (95% CI, 0.85–1.51) and that for forced sex was 1.25 (95% CI, 0.98–1.60); these intermediates accounted for much of the association of severe child abuse with CVD. Associations were similar for retrospectively and prospectively reported events. Women with abuse were less likely to release medical records. The associations were stronger for unconfirmed self-reported events than end points that were corroborated with additional information or medical record review.

Conclusion—

Severe child abuse is a prevalent risk for early adult CVD that is partially mediated by preventable risk factors.
Suicide Prevention for Psychoanalytic Institutes and Societies
Authors: Kernberg Otto F.
Published: July 2012

What follows are guidelines for rescue teams dedicated to suicide prevention for psychoanalytic institutes and societies. They provide a general orientation and presuppose intensive individual and organizational training by the rescue teams. Some general notes of caution: suicide prevention is a complex, delicate effort that requires specific training, experience, knowledge, patience, and courage. It is a well-known fact that drowning persons may resist rescue efforts, thereby posing the danger of drowning the rescuer along with themselves. Similarly, expect desperate, blind resistance to your efforts, particularly when the suicidal temptation is urgent and overwhelming.
Use of first- and second-generation antipsychotic medications in older patients with schizophrenia in Asia (2001–2009)
Authors: Xiang Yu-Tao , Kreyenbuhl Julie , Dickerson Faith B , Ungvari Gabor S , Wang Chuan-Yue , Si Tian-Mei , Lee Edwin H , He Yan-Ling , Chiu Helen F , Yang Shu-Yu , Chong Mian-Yoon , Tan Chay-Hoon , Kua Ee-Heok , Fujii Senta , Sim Kang , Yong Michael K , Trivedi Jitendra K , Chung Eun-Kee , Udomratn Pichet , Chee Kok-Yoon , Sartorius Norman , Shinfuku Naotaka
Published: July 2012

Objective:

This study examined the prescribing patterns of several first- (FGAs) and second-generation antipsychotic (SGAs) medications administered to older Asian patients with schizophrenia during the period between 2001 and 2009.

Method:

Information on hospitalized patients with schizophrenia aged 65 or older was extracted from the database of the Research on Asian Psychotropic Prescription Patterns (REAP) study (2001–2009). There were no older patients in Thailand, therefore data on 467 patients in eight Asian countries and territories including China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan were analysed. Cross-sectional socio-demographic data, clinical characteristics and antipsychotic prescriptions were assessed using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure.

Results:

Of the 467 patients, 192 patients (41.1%) received FGAs only, 166 (35.5%) received SGAs only and 109 (23.3%) received a combination of FGAs and SGAs. Of the FGAs, haloperidol was the most commonly used (31.3%; mean 9.4 ± 6.7 mg/day), followed by chlorpromazine (15.4%; mean 126.4 ± 156.4 mg/day) and sulpiride (6.6%; mean 375.0 ± 287.0 mg/day). Of the SGAs, risperidone was the most commonly used (31.5%; mean 4.5 ± 2.7 mg/day), followed by olanzapine (13.1%; mean 13.6 ± 6.5 mg/day), quetiapine (7.3%; mean 325.0 ± 237.3 mg/day) and aripiprazole (1.9%; mean 17.6 ± 7.7 mg/day).

Conclusions:

FGAs and higher doses of certain SGAs (risperidone, olanzapine and quetiapine) were still commonly dispensed to older Asian patients with schizophrenia. Considering older patients’ reduced tolerability of potentially severe side effects associated with FGAs and higher doses of certain SGAs, continuing education and training addressing the rational use of antipsychotics in this population is clearly needed.
Examining the Impact of Moral Imagination on Organizational Decision Making
Authors: Godwin Lindsey N.
Published: July 2012

Emerging research suggests that an organization’s ability to sustain a competitive advantage is increasingly linked to its successful pursuit of a business strategy that generates mutual benefit where the business is both profitable and functional for the common good. The question remains, however: What are the attributes of decision makers that enable them to realize mutually beneficial outcomes? This dissertation argues that one critical key to solving this question is a better understanding of moral imagination in organizational decision making. To test this hypothesis, a new vignette-based cognitive measure for moral imagination in organizational decision making was created to explore empirically the relationship between moral imagination and mutually beneficial decision making. Overall, findings from 180 respondents supported the hypothesis that individuals, who exercise moral imagination, including the ability for discerning moral issues and developing a range of possible outcomes during the decision-making process, are indeed more likely to generate a mutually beneficial outcome for a situation compared to those who do not exercise moral imagination. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Human Values and Corporate Actions Propensity
Authors: Marcus Joel
Published: July 2012

This dissertation abstract and reflection essay presents the work of Dr. Joel Marcus. The research examines the behavioural underpinnings of corporate actions that either benefit or harm society, defined as strength and concern actions respectively. Specifically, the author explores how different personal values relate to the propensity to engage in strength or concern actions across the economic, social, and environmental domains. This extended abstract explains the research question, setting, and methods. The reflection essay in the appendix discusses the author’s journey in the research process as a junior scholar.
Housing Arrays Following Disasters
Authors: Spokane Arnold R. , Mori Yoko , Martinez Frank
Published: July 2012

Displacement and dislocation from homes disrupt fundamental social processes necessary for optimal community functioning. Neighborhood and community social capital, collective efficacy and place attachment are social processes that may be compromised following disaster, conflict, and upheaval. A collaborative approach to the preplanning, design, and creation of temporary and transitional communities following large-scale events is discussed. When architects, planners, and behavioral and health scientists collaborate, preexisting neighborhood social processes can be preserved or even strengthened and can facilitate resilient recovery among vulnerable groups (e.g., elders, children and their care providers, the poor, and underserved minorities). Such a cross-disciplinary, eco-developmental approach should result in more healthful, sustainable, and culturally appropriate individual and community level outcomes for vulnerable subgroups. Observations from housing accommodations following Hurricane Katrina are used to inform future efforts to rebuild neighborhoods following disasters.
Ethical issues in professional development: Case studies regarding behaviour at conferences
Authors: Thompson Amy , Brookins-Fisher Jodi , Kerr Dianne , O’Boyle Irene
Published: July 2012

Health education professionals are often called upon to be role models of professional conduct as well as mentors to their students. Part of that mentoring, particularly of graduate students, involves preparing students to conduct research, and publish and present results of their work at state and national conference venues. Health educators often urge students to attend and present at professional conferences, but little preparation is given regarding behavioural expectations of the students who attend. Likewise, faculty was not mentored about conference behaviour expectations during their own professional preparation, and may not appropriately behave. Some view conference attendance merely as a chance to get away from academic responsibilities, visit a desirable location, or time to have fun with friends. This article presents scenarios of potential professional conference behaviours of health education faculty and students. A series of discussion questions relating to the values, morals, and ethics of the situation follow each scenario. The article concludes with a discussion of what the authors believe is appropriate and inappropriate conference behaviour. This information may be valuable to faculty and students alike as they determine the ethics involved with behaviour at professional conferences.
Engagement of educators and parents in students’ health education in a low socioeconomic school in Quebec: A case study
Authors: Rivard Marie-Claude , Deslandes Rollande
Published: July 2012

Objective:

This qualitative study aimed to describe how educators and parents engage with students on health issues within the context of the Healthy School Approach in a disadvantaged Quebec school.

Method:

Individual interviews were conducted at the school setting with both educators ( n = 5) and parents ( n = 5) during the school year of 2010–2011. The interview protocol was based on Hoover-Dempsey, Walker and Ice’s (2010) revised theoretical model of the involvement process and more precisely on the mechanisms of influence, modelling, reinforcement, teaching and encouragements.

Results:

Findings indicate that educators’ and parents’ actions tend to involve modelling and encouragements in particular, with the main emphasis on physical activity and nutrition. Educators stress the importance of grounding their health actions in school activities related to the school project, whereas parents believe that their participation as volunteers in the various health-related activities organized at school significantly helps their efforts to support their child. Results highlight the parents’ undeniable contribution to children’s health within current educational systems.

Conclusion:

In their conclusion, the authors put into light the importance of two challenging denominators: (1) a shared vision of health; and (2) coherent health education actions in a disadvantaged environment.
Mobile phone-based behavioural interventions for health: A systematic review
Authors: Buhi Eric R , Trudnak Tara E , Martinasek Mary P , Oberne Alison B , Fuhrmann Hollie J , McDermott Robert J
Published: July 2012

Objective:

To perform a systematic review of the literature concerning behavioural mobile health (mHealth) and summarize points related to heath topic, use of theory, audience, purpose, design, intervention components, and principal results that can inform future health education applications.

Design:

A systematic review of the literature.

Method:

Thirty-four interventions published in peer-reviewed journals before July 2010, employing a short message service (SMS) and/or multimedia message service to address health-related behavioural change, were reviewed.

Results:

Five interventions utilized SMS alone, 18 employed SMS/Internet, and 11 utilized SMS, Internet, and other strategies. Intervention length ranged from four weeks to one year. Twenty interventions (59%) were evaluated using experimental designs, and most resulted in statistically significant health behavioural changes.

Conclusion:

Surveillance of mHealth interventions’ role in facilitating behavioural change is a judicious parallel activity for health education and health behaviour authorities.
Communion and Authority: Some Recent Books
Authors: Corbett T.
Published: July 2012

“We are aware today in a quite new and inescapable way that man is a social being. a being who can exist only within such inter-communication with others throughout all the dimensions of human existence. And from this perspective we acquire a new understanding of the Christian religion as an ecclesial religion.”
The Continent of International Law
Authors: Koremenos Barbara
Published: July 2012

This article introduces the Continent of International Law (COIL) research project on international agreement design. COIL stems from the conviction that the International Organization subfield's focus on the couple hundred international organizations with physical headquarters had to be broadened to include the tens of thousands extant international agreements, that is, international law. Each piece of international law can and should be studied as an institution. Together, this set of institutions, which truly is a “continent,” is theoretically very interesting and empirically very diversified. COIL's basic theoretical premise is that international agreement design and comparison across agreements begins by understanding the underlying cooperation problem(s) the agreements are trying to solve. COIL identifies 12 distinct and recurrent cooperation problems, which may occur alone or in combinations. The data collection features a random sample of international agreements conditional on the issue areas of economics, environment, human rights, and security. The first large-n, systematic operationalization of the cooperation problems underlying real international agreements is highlighted, and descriptive statistics are presented – some of which challenge conventional wisdom. For instance, enforcement problems (Prisoner's Dilemma-like situations) are important, but far from universal, with 30% of the agreements characterized by that underlying problem. The numerous and diverse COIL variables allow for a multi-dimensional operationalization of the difficult-to-measure concept of the “incomplete contract.” Hypotheses from contract theory are tested, confirming the appropriateness of the new measure, the weakness of measures based on number of pages, and most significant, the rationality and efficiency of the continent of international law.
The Political Economy of Plunder
Authors: Jablonski Ryan S. , Oliver Steven
Published: July 2012

Maritime piracy is a growing scourge on the international community—imposing large costs on maritime states and the shipping industry, as well as potentially undermining state capacity and funding terrorism. Using original data on over 3,000 pirate attacks, the authors argue that these attacks are, in part, a response to poor labor market opportunities. To establish this, the authors take advantage of the strong effect of commodity prices on labor market opportunities in piracy-prone states. Consistent with this theory, the authors show that changes in the price of labor- and capital-intensive commodities have consistent and strong effects on the number of pirate attacks in a country’s territorial waters each month. The authors confirm these results by instrumenting for commodity prices using monthly precipitation levels.
Intonation as an Encoder of Speaker Certainty: Information and Confirmation Yes-No Questions in Catalan
Authors: Vanrell Maria del Mar , Mascaró Ignasi , Torres-Tamarit Francesc , Prieto Pilar
Published: July 2012

Recent studies in the field of intonational phonology have shown that information-seeking questions can be distinguished from confirmation-seeking questions by prosodic means in a variety of languages (Armstrong, 2010, for Puerto Rican Spanish; Grice & Savino, 1997, for Bari Italian; Kügler, 2003, for Leipzig German; Mata & Santos, 2010, for European Portuguese; Vanrell, Mascaró, Prieto, & Torres-Tamarit, 2010, for Catalan). However, all these studies have relied on production experiments and little is known about the perceptual relevance of these intonational cues. This paper explores whether Majorcan Catalan listeners distinguish information- and confirmation-seeking questions by means of two distinct nuclear falling pitch accents. Three behavioral tasks were conducted with 20 Majorcan Catalan subjects, namely a semantic congruity test, a rating test, and a classical categorical perception identification/discrimination test. The results show that a difference in pitch scaling on the leading H tone of the H+L* nuclear pitch accent is the main cue used by Majorcan Catalan listeners to distinguish confirmation questions from information-seeking questions. Thus, while a ¡H+L* pitch accent signals an information-seeking question (i.e., the speaker has no expectation about the nature of the answer), the H+L* pitch accent indicates that the speaker is asking about mutually shared information. We argue that these results have implications in representing the distinctions of tonal height in Catalan. The results also support the claim that phonological contrasts in intonation, together with other linguistic strategies, can signal the speakers’ beliefs about the certainty of the proposition expressed.
Classroom Ordering and the Situational Imperatives of Routine and Ritual
Authors: Diehl David , McFarland Daniel A.
Published: July 2012

This article contends that the problem of classroom order rests less in the roles and compositions of classrooms than in the multidimensional nature of their social situations. Classroom order arises from the dynamic relationship between distinct situational requirements: the coordination of interaction into institutionalized patterns (routine) and the validation of participants’ identities (ritual). Utilizing a unique data set of more than 800,000 turns of talk from 601 high school classrooms, the authors develop metrics for measuring the longitudinal accomplishment of routine (interactional stability) and ritual (interactional concord) and present two sets of analyses. The first analyses identify the antecedents to stability and concord, and the second examine how stability and concord shape the experiences and attitudes of classroom participants. Results indicate that activities and discourse combine to fulfill the requirements of ritual and routine in different ways, often meeting one at the expense of the other, and that the accomplishment of stability and concord has positive returns to classroom experiences, but in different ways for teachers and students.
Compression creep behaviour of jute-polypropylene blended needle-punched nonwoven
Authors: Debnath Sanjoy , Madhusoothanan Manicavasagom
Published: July 2012

This paper discusses the compression creep behaviour of jute-polypropylene blended needle-punched nonwoven. It is essential to know the compression creep behaviour of the needle-punched fabrics too, because of their various applications like geotextiles and carpets. Needle-punched fabric samples were prepared based on the three factors, three levels Box Behnken design of experiment to study the individual as well as interaction effects of process parameters of fabric weight, needling density and blend proportion of jute and polypropylene fibre blend on fabric thickness and compression creep. This study reveals that the initial thickness of fabric decreases prominently with the increase in needling density at low fabric weight and has hardly any effect at high fabric weight (450 g/m2). However, around 43% increase in fabric thickness occurs at high jute content level (60%). At low fabric weight, the effect of the needling density on compression creep is highly prominent when polypropylene content is more than 50% in the blend. However, its effect is negligible when jute content is higher than 50% in the blend. The creep initially decreases with the increase in fabric weight up to a certain limit and thereafter it increases. The minimum value of compression creep of around 14% is obtained at 375 g/m2 fabric weight with 150 punches/cm2 needling density at the level of 60% jute content.
A novel processing solution for the production of spatial three-dimensional stitch-bonded fabrics
Authors: Sankaran Vignaesh , Younes Ayhem , Engler Thomas , Cherif Chokri
Published: July 2012

Spatial three-dimensional (3D) stitch-bonded preforms offer a huge potential and an optimal utilization of the fiber mechanical properties for their usage in various technical applications. These preforms form an efficient alternative to the existing two-dimensional textile preforms due to their load-bearing fiber orientation offered by their geometrical configuration. The fundament of this research activity, based on the stitch-bonded technology, is the development of a new processing solution for producing 3D spatial open stitch-bonded textile preforms with minimal processing stages. Based on a newly developed concept with variable warp yarn delivery and differential doffing, this technology is principally enhanced so that various helical, circular and curved grid structures, along with 3D spatial structures, could be produced on a single machine with minimal setup, which hitherto has not been realized with any other existing processing technique. These novel form-based textile preforms are found to be suitable for application as reinforced components in complex spatial composites with a mineral or a plastic-based matrix, wooden composites and elastomers.