bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced cytotoxic function of natural killer and natural killer T‐like cells associated with decreased CD94 (Kp43) in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease airway
Authors: HODGE GREG , MUKARO VIOLET , HOLMES MARK , REYNOLDS PAUL N. , HODGE SANDRA
Published: October 2012

Background and objective:  Natural killer (NK) and natural killer T (NKT)‐like cells represent a small but important proportion of effector lymphocytes that we have previously shown to be major sources of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and granzymes. We hypothesized that these cells would be increased in the airway in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), accompanied by reduced expression of the inhibitory receptor CD94 (Kp43) and increased expression of cytotoxic mediators granzyme B and perforin.

Methods:  We measured NK and NKT‐like cells and their expression of CD94 in the blood of COPD patients (n = 71; 30 current and 41 ex‐smokers), smokers (16) and healthy controls (25), and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from a cohort of subjects (19 controls, 12 smokers, 33 COPD). Activation was assessed by measuring CD69 in blood and the cytotoxic potential of NK cells by measuring granzymes A and B, and using a cytotoxicity assay in blood and BALF.

Results:  In blood in COPD, there were no significant changes in the proportion of NK or NKT‐like cells or expression of granzyme A or NK cytotoxic potential versus controls. There was, however, increased expression of granzyme B and decreased expression of CD94 by both cell types versus controls. The proportion of NK and NKT‐like cells were increased in BALF in COPD, associated with increased NK cytotoxicity, increased expression of granzyme B and decreased expression of the inhibitory receptor CD94 by both cell types.

Conclusions:  Treatment strategies that target NK and NKT‐like cells, their cytotoxicity and production of inflammatory mediators in the airway may improve COPD morbidity.
Costabile, Angela & Spears, Barbara A ed (2012) The impact of technology on relationships in educational settingsDavid Fulton (Routledge, Abingdon UK & New York) isbn 978‐0‐415‐61008‐7 217 pp £29.99 http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415610087/
Authors: Smyth Robyn
Published: October 2012

Teachers interested in harnessing the internet for positive purposes will enjoy this book—it lays bare some myths, challenges perceptions, and provides evidence of interventions which hold great promise for ameliorating negative misuse, such as cyber‐bullying. Case studies from European, American and Australian practitioners highlight the work being done to harness the positive power of social networking and connectedness. If the content of this book is likely to be relevant to you, I recommend that you arrange to borrow a copy for a while.

Robyn Smyth
Harvey, Michael (2012) Interactional coachingRoutledge (New York & London) isbn 978‐0‐415‐61472‐6 262 pp £17.99 http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415614726/
Authors: Cowan John
Published: October 2012

As the title makes clear, this is a book devoted to coaching—in this context, a one‐to‐one approach to development in which the coach, ideally an applied psychologist, identifies the needs of the coachee and pro‐actively sets out to prompt the coachee to perceive and address his/her needs regarding decision‐making and career choices, and to make these choices expeditiously. If you believe the content of this book is likely to be relevant to you, I advise that you will probably find only parts of it of interest or use.

John Cowan
Rheingold, Howard (2012) Net smartMIT Press (Cambridge MA & London) isbn 978‐0‐262‐01745‐9 322 pp £17.95 http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=12827
Authors: King Samuel
Published: October 2012

This book is about the identification, development and use of the critical literacies that are necessary for the effective use of digital media and social networks—including individual participation but also cyber sociality, the reciprocal or co‐creation of social capital for the greater good. The literacies are attention, critical consumption (“crap detection”), participation, collaboration and network smarts. If it seems that the content of this book is likely to be relevant to you, I recommend you buy your own copy.

Samuel King
Subcortical structures in progressive supranuclear palsy: vertex‐based analysis
Authors: Saini J. , Bagepally B. S. , Sandhya M. , Pasha S. A. , Yadav R. , Thennarasu K. , Pal P. K.
Published: October 2012

Background and purpose

To study the abnormalities of deep grey matter (GM) structures in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) using MR volumetry and shape analysis techniques.

Methods

Twenty‐eight patients with PSP and 25 matched controls (all were right handed) were evaluated using standard clinical scales. MRI was performed on a 3 tesla MRI scanner using standard protocol which included T1‐3D Turbo Field‐Echo images with 1‐mm slice thickness. The volumes of GM and white matter, total brain and the deep subcortical GM structures, including hippocampus, amygdala, caudate, putamen, globus pallidus and thalamus were extracted using a fully automated tool. Univariate analysis of covariance, adjusted for intracranial volume (ICV), sex and age, was used to explore group differences. Shape analysis was also performed using automated software with age, sex and total brain volume as covariates of no interest in the statistical design at P < 0.05 (FDR corrected).

Results

The patients with PSP had significantly lower volumes of bilateral thalami, hippocampus, pallidum and brainstem. Shape analysis of GM structures showed significant surface reduction in bilateral thalami and head of right caudate nucleus.

Conclusions

MR volumetry showed abnormalities of various deep GM structures. Shape analysis also revealed focal surface contractions in multiple subcortical structures. Our study highlights the usefulness of this novel technique in detecting abnormalities of deep GM structures.
A Theory of Socio‐spatial Integration: Problems, Policies and Concepts from a US Perspective
Authors: Ruiz‐Tagle Javier
Published: October 2012

Discussions about socio‐spatial integration in the US have been primarily focused on research into residential segregation. The treatment of these two concepts as opposites has had two consequences. First, most policies for integration have been based solely on concepts of segregation. Second, the intensive criticism directed at integration flows more from those policies than from its conceptual meaning. This article develops a framework for socio‐spatial integration. It does this first by outlining an understanding of segregation and the complexities of its treatment, then by making a distinction between policy applications and the conceptual meaning of integration. This review shows that, rather than suiting a linear approach, socio‐spatial integration can be expressed as a multidimensional relationship that may work independently and at different scales. Socio‐spatial integration is then exposed as the opposite of social exclusion, of which physical proximity between different social groups is just one dimension. Two lines of research are proposed: first, a repositioning of integration as a progressive aspiration and a critique of naturalist conceptions; second, a balancing of the weight of spatial proximity among the different dimensions of integration.
Changing Trends in Regional Economic Development Policy Governance: The Case of Northern Ontario, Canada
Authors: Conteh Charles
Published: October 2012

This article analyses the changing trends in regional economic development policy delivery in multilevel governance systems. Although the imperatives of coordination of public policy interventions across multiple levels has generally been recognized, not enough attention has been given to how different political systems actually adapt their institutional and policy designs to effectively operate in the emergent complexity of multilevel governance systems. The article focuses on regional economic development policy governance in the province of Ontario, Canada over the past three decades, drawing insights from new regionalism, organization theory and governance literature to examine the prospects and challenges of policy delivery in politically complex multilevel systems. The case study illustrates how regional economic development policy is increasingly dictated by complex environmental and institutional forces of multilevel governance that are shaped by the particular character of a political system.
Does N = 2? Trans‐Tasman Economic Integration as a Comparator for the Single European Market*
Authors: LESLIE JOHN , ELIJAH ANNMARIE
Published: October 2012

An apparent lack of similar cases has shaped how observers compare integration in Europe with other regions. The growing field of comparative regionalism, however, has overlooked three decades of sustained economic integration between Australia and New Zealand. This article introduces trans‐Tasman integration as a new empirical case of regional economic integration. It compares ‘trans‐Tasman’ integration with European experience with reference to deepening economic integration and supranational institutional arrangements, and explores similarities and differences with other regional arrangements. Adding this second case of ‘deep’ integration to the comparative field enhances the understanding of regional integration in different contexts.
Rating Agencies: Role and Influence of Their Sovereign Credit Risk Assessment in the Eurozone*
Authors: EIJFFINGER SYLVESTER C.W.
Published: October 2012

In this article, the role of credit rating agencies (CRAs) during the 2010–11 EU sovereign debt crisis is assessed. It is concluded that rating agencies lag behind markets, that their business model is flawed, and that the lack of competition renders the big three CRAs with too strong a market position. The reliance on CRAs should be reduced by attaching less importance to them in prudential regulation and accounting standards. At the same time, more competition and transparency is needed to increase the quality of ratings. Finally, several policy options to change the ratings industry are discussed, including the creation of a network of small CRAs, delegation of sovereign debt ratings to the European Central Bank or the creation of a European rating agency.
Negotiating the Post‐Lisbon Comitology System: Institutional Battles over Delegated Decision‐Making
Authors: BRANDSMA GIJS JAN , BLOM‐HANSEN JENS
Published: October 2012

The Lisbon Treaty represented a rare opportunity to redesign parliamentary control of the European Commission's delegated powers. The new Treaty distinguishes between delegated and implementing acts and specifies that comitology rules must be decided by a co‐decision regulation. This necessitated a reform of the comitology system, which was decided in December 2010 after protracted inter‐institutional negotiations. This article asks why the new control system took its final form. The negotiations as a game of control positions are analyzed and the course of the negotiations is traced through documents and interviews. Support is found for the article's hypotheses, but it is also the case that events in some respects went further than expected.
Visegrad Group Co‐operation and Russia*
Authors: DANGERFIELD MARTIN
Published: October 2012

Much thought has been given of late to how national preferences impact upon European Union‐level policy‐making towards Russia and it is widely accepted that discrepancies in Member State attitudes can undermine consistent and effective multilateral policies. So far there has been no attempt to ascertain whether subregional groupings that exist inside the EU (which represent a potential in‐between layer of policy‐making between the bilateral and multilateral) are inclined or able to attempt to co‐ordinate their positions on Russia. This article focuses on the Visegrad Group (VG), which would appear to be an obvious candidate, but actually has virtually no co‐operation agenda vis‐à‐vis Russia (the other main groupings are the Benelux Economic Union, the Nordic Council and the Weimar Triangle). The article argues that it is difficult to accommodate Russia in the current VG foreign policy framework due to the focus on ‘low’ politics and integration assistance. It also contends that limited capacity and intra‐VG divergence on key aspects of relations with Russia mean that the VG is unlikely to expand its agenda so as to attempt more co‐operation on Russia in the future.
Effects of long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation of infant formula on cognition and behaviour at 9 years of age
Authors: DE JONG CORINA , KIKKERT HEDWIG K , FIDLER VACLAV , HADDERS‐ALGRA MIJNA
Published: October 2012

Aim  Long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) supplementation of infant formula may have a beneficial effect on cognitive development. This study aimed to investigate the effect of LCPUFA formula supplementation primarily on cognition and secondarily on behaviour at age 9 years. Special attention was paid to the potentially modifying effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy.

Method  A double‐blind, randomized control study was performed in two groups of healthy infants born at term: one group, constituting the control group, received standard formula (n=169) and another group received standard formula supplemented with LCPUFAs (n=146). A breastfed group (n=159) served as an additional reference. At 9 years of age, 72% of the children (control group: n=123; 71 males, 52 females; LCPUFA group: n=91; 42 males, 49 females; breastfed group: n=127, 64 males, 63 females) underwent extensive cognitive and behavioural testing.

Results  An interaction between infant nutrition and smoking during pregnancy was found. Among children exposed to smoking during pregnancy, LCPUFA supplementation was associated with higher mean verbal IQ scores (p=0.007) and learning and memory (p=0.006). Among children not exposed to smoking during pregnancy, LCPUFA supplementation was associated with lower mean verbal memory scores (p=0.003). Executive function scores were significantly lower in the LCPUFA‐supplemented group than in the control group (p=0.001). Breastfeeding was associated with better performance on IQ (p=0.005).

Interpretation  No consistent beneficial effect of LCPUFA formula supplementation on cognitive development in term‐born infants was found. The study confirmed that breastfeeding is associated with better cognition.
Environmental Impact of Foreign vs. Domestic Capital Investment in China
Authors: Yang Boqiong , Brosig Stephan , Chen Jianguo
Published: October 2012

We compare environmental impacts associated with incoming foreign direct investment vs. domestic capital in China. We use aggregate data on Chinese provinces’ economic and pollution indicators to explore the effects of the financial origin of fixed capital. Our simultaneous models consider three prime channels through which these effects work: economic scale, sectoral composition and pollution intensity. Results show that emissions associated with foreign‐financed capital are lower than with domestically financed capital for some but not all of the considered types of pollution.
Growth Response of Coyote Willow (Salix exigua) Cuttings in Relation to Alluvial Soil Texture and Water Availability
Authors: Caplan Todd R. , Cothern Kristin , Landers Cliff , Hummel Ondrea C.
Published: October 2012

A common approach to re‐establishing cottonwood–willow habitat along regulated rivers is through installing dormant, rootless cuttings, yet there is little published information exploring floodplain characteristics that optimize growth of southwestern riparian willows planted in this manner. The goal of this project was to evaluate relationships between growth attributes of Salix exigua and soil texture and soil water availability. Monitoring plots were established in five willow swales planted with dormant S. exigua cuttings along the banks of the Middle Rio Grande in central New Mexico. Data analysis revealed significantly higher aerial cover, height, and stem density for S. exigua plants installed in plots with intermediate levels (15–25%) of fine textured soils distributed through the soil profile. Similar relationships were found in relation to soil water availability. Regression analysis of percent fines and available water at different depth increments provided limited explanation of variability in willow growth attributes at different plots. Findings indicate that S. exigua plants established from cuttings can achieve heights and aerial cover values similar to naturally established willow bars if the floodplain soil profile contains intermediate levels of fine textured soils and the maximum depth to groundwater is within 1.5 m of the ground surface. Where sites are dominated by coarse sand, S. exigua growth may be improved if maximum depth to groundwater is within 1 m of the ground surface.
Moving Healthcare Quality Forward With Nursing‐Sensitive Value‐Based Purchasing
Authors: Kavanagh Kevin T. , Cimiotti Jeannie P. , Abusalem Said , Coty Mary‐Beth
Published: October 2012

Purpose: To underscore the need for health system reform and emphasize nursing measures as a key component in our healthcare reimbursement system.

Design and Methods: Nursing‐sensitive value‐based purchasing (NSVBP) has been proposed as an initiative that would help to promote optimal staffing and practice environment through financial rewards and transparency of structure, process, and patient outcome measures. This article reviews the medical, governmental, institutional, and lay literature regarding the necessity for, method of implementation of, and potential impact of NSVBP.

Findings: Research has shown that adverse events and mortality are highly dependent on nurse staffing levels and skill mix. The National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI), along with other well‐developed indicators, can be used as nursing‐sensitive measurements for value‐based purchasing initiatives. Nursing‐sensitive measures are an important component of value‐based purchasing.

Conclusions: Value‐based purchasing is in its infancy. Devising an effective system that recognizes and incorporates nursing measures will facilitate the success of this initiative. NSVBP needs to be designed and incentivized to decrease adverse events, hospital stays, and readmission rates, thereby decreasing societal healthcare costs.

Clinical Relevance: NSVBP has the potential for improving the quality of nursing care by financially motivating hospitals to have an optimal nurse practice environment capable of producing optimal patient outcomes by aligning cost effectiveness for hospitals to that of the patient and society.
On the Varieties of Empathic Experience: Tactility, Mental Opacity, and Pain in Yap
Authors: Throop C. Jason
Published: October 2012

This article argues that empathy should be considered a multimodal process that not only involves perception, intellection, affect, and imagination but also the bodily and sensory aspects of lived experience. The problem of empathy in anthropological, philosophical, and therapeutic contexts is discussed and a phenomenological approach to empathic experience is advanced. An outline of local orientations to empathy on the island of Yap is provided. The place of pain, tactility, and empathy in the context of a local healer's therapeutic practice is detailed, and a series of specific therapeutic interactions are analyzed. It is argued that local moral orientations to suffering require the healer to rely on alternate modalities of empathic discernment in her attempts to gain access to what her patients are feeling and how their treatment is progressing through time.
Cost‐effectiveness of Diagnostic Strategies for Evaluation of Suspected Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in the Emergency Department
Authors: Ward Michael J. , Bonomo Jordan B. , Adeoye Opeolu , Raja Ali S. , Pines Jesse M.
Published: October 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:1134–1144 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Objectives:  Diagnosing subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in emergency department (ED) patients is challenging. Potential diagnostic strategies include computed tomography (CT) only, CT followed by lumbar puncture (CT/LP), CT followed by magnetic resonance imaging and angiography (CT/MRA), and CT followed by CT angiography (CT/CTA). The objective was to determine the relative cost‐effectiveness of diagnostic strategies for SAH.

Methods:  The authors created a decision model to evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of SAH diagnostic strategies in ED patients with suspected SAH. Clinical probabilities were obtained from published data; sensitivity analyses were conducted across plausible ranges.

Results:  In the base‐case scenario, CT‐only had a cost of $10,339 and effectiveness of 20.25 quality‐adjusted life‐years (QALYs), and CT/LP had a cost of $15,120 and effectiveness of 20.366 QALYs. Among the alternative strategies, CT/CTA had a cost of $12,840 and effectiveness of 20.24 QALYs, and CT/MRA had a cost of $16,207 and effectiveness of 20.27 QALYs. In sensitivity analyses, probability of severe disability from SAH, sensitivity of noncontrast CT, and specificity of LP and MRA were key drivers of the model, and CT‐only and CT/LP were preferable.

Conclusions:  In the base‐case scenario, CT‐only was preferable to the CT/CTA and CT/MRA strategies. When considering sensitivity analyses and the current medicolegal environment, there are no overwhelming differences between the cost‐effectiveness of CT/LP and the alternative strategies to suggest that clinicians should abandon the standard CT/LP approach.
The Analysis of Gun‐Cleaning Oil as Long‐Distance Gunshot Residue and Its Implications for Chemical Tags on Bullets
Authors: Bendrihem Stacey A. , Pyle Robyn , Allison John
Published: October 2012

Using a BB gun, it was shown that a gun‐cleaning oil (GCO) can be wiped from the barrel by a projectile and carried much longer distances than those usually associated with solid gunshot residue (GSR). Analysis of GCO subsequently deposited on a target was performed using pentane extraction and gas chromatography. (Hoppe's GCO was used here as a model.) When a 0.45 caliber handgun was used, analysis reveals that most of the GCO wiped from the barrel does not survive, owing to the elevated temperatures encountered. However, two components of the GCO, a long‐chain fatty acid and its ethyl ester, do survive and can be detected in the bullet wipe. This suggests that GCO may be considered as GSR, uniquely detectable at long distances, and that other chemical compounds could either be added to a GCO or directly to bullets, to serve as identifying chemical tags.
Analysis of 4‐Bromo‐2,5‐DimethoxyphenethylamineAbuser's Urine: Identification and Quantitation of Urinary Metabolites
Authors: Kanamori Tatsuyuki , Nagasawa Kyoko , Kuwayama Kenji , Tsujikawa Kenji , Iwata Yuko T. , Inoue Hiroyuki
Published: October 2012

The metabolites of 4‐bromo‐2,5‐dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C‐B), a psychoactive drug with hallucinogenic activity, were investigated in a urine sample from a user of 2C‐B. The urine sample was deconjugated enzymatically and the metabolites were recovered by liquid–liquid extraction. The extract was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after derivatization, and the results were used to identify and quantitate the metabolites. 4‐Bromo‐2,5‐dimethoxyphenylacetic acid was the most abundant metabolite of 2C‐B in human urine and accounted for 73% of the total amount of detected metabolites, followed by 4‐bromo‐2‐hydroxy‐5‐methoxyphenylacetic acid (13%) and 4‐bromo‐2,5‐dimethoxyphenylethyl alcohol (4.5%). According to the literature, the main metabolites of 2C‐B in rat urine are N‐(4‐bromo‐2‐methoxy‐5‐hydroxyphenylethyl)acetamide and N‐(4‐bromo‐2‐hydroxy‐5‐methoxyphenylethyl)acetamide. However, these metabolites accounted for only a small proportion of the total amount of detected metabolites in human urine, which indicates that there are significant species‐specific differences in the metabolism of 2C‐B. 4‐Bromo‐2,5‐dimethoxyphenylacetic acid, which was the most abundant metabolite in human urine, is thought to be generated by deamination of 2C‐B by monoamine oxidase (MAO) followed by oxidation by aldehyde dehydrogenase. Our results suggest that MAO plays a crucial role in the metabolism of 2C‐B in humans.
Reconstruction of an Inn Fire Scene Using the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) Program
Authors: Chi Jen‐Hao
Published: October 2012

An inn fire occurring in the middle of the night usually causes a great deal more injuries and deaths. This article examines the case study of an inn fire accident that resulted in the most serious casualties in Taiwan's history. Data based on the official fire investigation report and NFPA921 regulations are used, and the fire scenes are reconstructed using the latest Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) program from NIST. The personnel evacuation time and time variants for various fire hazard factors of reconstructive analysis clarify the reason for such a high number of casualties. It reveals that the FDS program has come to play an essential role in fire investigation. The close comparison between simulation result and the actual fire scene also provides fire prevention engineers, a possible utilization of FDS to examine the effects of improved schemes for fire safety of buildings.
Goal Orientation and Feedback Congruence: Effects on Discretionary Effort and Achievement
Authors: Merriman Kimberly K. , Clariana Roy B. , Bernardi Raymond J.
Published: October 2012

This study examines the differential effects of outcome feedback for achievement goal orientations' relationship with effort and achievement. In support of our predictions, learning goal orientation had a positive relationship with task achievement in the absence of outcome feedback and a negative relationship in its presence, while performance goal orientation maintained a positive relationship with achievement regardless of whether outcome feedback was provided. We attribute this to a decrease in task interest when initial task purpose, as determined by personal goal orientation, is incongruent with the subsequent task cues provided by outcome feedback. Predictions regarding task effort and combined goal orientation effects were not supported. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Why Are Manhole Covers Round? A Laboratory Study of Reactions to Puzzle Interviews
Authors: Wright Chris W. , Sablynski Chris J. , Manson Todd M. , Oshiro Steven
Published: October 2012

Popularized by Microsoft in the 1990s, the puzzle interview is being used with greater frequency by employers in a variety of industries. The present study was designed to explore applicant reactions to puzzle interviews. 360 participants watched either a puzzle interview or a behavioral interview. The job for which the interviewee was applying was also manipulated. Results showed that participant ratings of several reactions variables were significantly lower for puzzle interviews. The findings were consistent across four different jobs. Implications for the use of puzzle interviews in industry and for future research are discussed.
Snake behavior and seasonal variation in nest survival of northern cardinals Cardinalis cardinalis
Authors: Sperry Jinelle H. , Barron Douglas G. , Weatherhead Patrick J.
Published: October 2012

Seasonal variation in nest success is well documented for many bird species. Predator behavior has been suggested as a mechanism behind these seasonal patterns, but this hypothesis has received little attention. Here we test the hypothesis that predator behavior produces seasonal patterns of nest success by relating nest success of northern cardinals Cardinalis cardinalis to the activity of Texas rat snakes Elaphe obsoleta. Cardinal nest survival varied over the season and was lower when rat snakes were more active. The probability that a nest survived was associated both with when cardinals nested and with nest height, indicating that both temporal and habitat factors affected predation risk. The increased success of higher nests could be associated with some aspect of rat snakes’ climbing ability. In combination with results for two other species studied previously at the same location, our results for cardinals suggest that the specific seasonal pattern of nest success expected for a given bird species will depend on how its nesting season coincides with predator activity. Determining the generality of seasonal variation in predator behavior as a mechanism for producing seasonal patterns of avian nest success will require additional studies that investigate birds and their nest predators simultaneously.
MAOA genotype, social exclusion and aggression: an experimental test of a gene–environment interaction
Authors: Gallardo‐Pujol D. , Andrés‐Pueyo A. , Maydeu‐Olivares A.
Published: October 2012

In 2002, Caspi and colleagues provided the first epidemiological evidence that genotype may moderate individuals' responses to environmental determinants. However, in a correlational study great care must be taken to ensure the proper estimation of the causal relationship. Here, a randomized experiment was performed to test the hypothesis that the MAOA gene promoter polymorphism (MAOA‐LPR) interacts with environmental adversity in determining aggressive behavior using laboratory analogs of real‐life conditions. A sample of 57 Caucasian male students of Catalan and Spanish origin was recruited at the University of Barcelona. Ostracism, or social exclusion, was induced as environmental adversity using the Cyberball software. Laboratory aggression was assessed with the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP), which was used as an analog of antisocial behavior. We also measured aggressiveness by means of the reduced version of the Aggression Questionnaire. The MAOA‐LPR polymorphism showed a significant effect on the number of aggressive responses in the PSAP (F1,53 = 4.63, P = 0.03, partial η2 = 0.08), as well as social exclusion (F1,53 = 8.03, P = 0.01, partial η2 = 0.13). Most notably, however, we found that the MAOA‐LPR polymorphism interacts significantly with social exclusion in order to provoke aggressive behavior (F1,53 = 4.42, P = 0.04, partial η2 = 0.08), remarkably, the low‐activity allele of the MAOA‐LPR polymorphism carriers in the ostracized group show significantly higher aggression scores than the rest. Our results support the notion that gene–environment interactions can be successfully reproduced within a laboratory using analogs and an appropriate design. We provide guidelines to test gene–environment interactions hypotheses under controlled, experimental settings.
Retaining workers in an ageing population: Insights from a representative aged and community care organisation
Authors: Austen Siobhan , McMurray Clinton , Lewin Gill , Ong Rachel
Published: October 2012

Aim:  To provide new measures of employee retention in the aged care sector and to identify how employment retention varies across key groups of workers in the sector.

Method:  The techniques of survival analysis were applied to staff record data from a representative provider of aged and community care services.

Results:  We showed that 63% of carer employment spells end within 2 years. Fifty‐seven per cent of nurse employment spells ended within this time period. Employment retention was poorest among young recruits, men and workers on casual contracts.

Conclusion:  The high rates of staff turnover add substantial costs and risks to aged care organisations and should be the focus of workforce strategies. Casual employment is one potential contributory factor. However, the role of wages and other working conditions should also be examined. Given the importance of mature‐age women in the sector, strategies should focus on their circumstances and needs.
Service Supply Chains: A Customer Perspective
Authors: Maull Roger , Geraldi Joana , Johnston Robert
Published: October 2012

Given the central role of customers in services, it is striking that the predominant view of service supply chain management is primarily based on the perspective of the organization. In this conceptual study, we explore the conceptualization and management of service supply chains from a customer perspective, that is, how a customer manages, coordinates and integrates service provision to create value. We have taken a systems thinking lens, and in particular Checkland's characterization of systems (1981), to guide our analysis, worldview, boundaries, hierarchies and mechanisms of control. As a result of this perspective, we have identified eight features of service supply chains and suggested four research opportunities.
School Sun‐Protection Policies: Measure Development and Assessments in 2 Regions of the United States
Authors: Reynolds Kim D. , Buller David B. , French Simone A. , Buller Mary K. , Ashley Jeff L.
Published: October 2012

BACKGROUND: In 2002, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that schools adopt policies that reduce exposure of children to ultraviolet radiation to prevent skin cancer. We report here the development of a school sun‐safety policy measure and baseline descriptive statistics from the assessment of written policies collected in 2005‐2007 from public school districts that enrolled in a randomized trial evaluating a policy promotion program.

METHODS: Written policies were collected from 103 of 112 school districts in Colorado and Southern California prior to randomization. We developed methods for selecting policy headings/sections topics likely to contain sun‐safety policies for students and for assessing the presence, strength, and intent of policies. Trained coders assessed the content of each policy document.

RESULTS: Overall, 31% of districts had a policy addressing sun safety, most commonly, protective clothing, hats, sunscreen, and education at baseline. More California districts (51.9%) had these policies than Colorado districts (7.8%, p < .001). Policy scores were highest in districts with fewer Caucasian students (b = −0.02, p = .022) in Colorado (b = −0.02, p = .007) but not California (b = 0.01, p = .299).

CONCLUSION: The protocol for assessing sun‐safety policy in board‐approved written policy documents had several advantages over surveys of school officials. Sun‐protection policies were uncommon and limited in scope in 2005‐2007. California has been more active at legislating school policy than Colorado. School district policies remain a largely untapped method for promoting the sun protection of children.
Sleep and Academic Performance in Hong Kong Adolescents
Authors: Mak Kwok‐Kei , Lee So‐Lun , Ho Sai‐Yin , Lo Wing‐Sze , Lam Tai‐Hing
Published: October 2012

BACKGROUND: Sleep problems may have different influences on students' academic performance. We investigated the prevalence of sleep patterns, naps, and sleep disorders, and their associations with academic performance in Hong Kong adolescents.

METHODS: In 2007‐2008, 22,678 students aged 12‐18 (41.6% boys) completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, sleep patterns and problems, and lifestyle factors including exercise, smoking, alcohol drinking, and academic performance.

RESULTS: The prevalence of having >8 hours of sleep was higher on holiday nights (86.4%) than on school‐day nights (27.4%). Sleeping after midnight was more common before holidays (49.3%) than before school days (19.9%). Symptoms of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were reported by 21.5% and 34.4% of students. Having >2 hours of weekend sleep delay was associated with poor academic performance with an odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval) of 1.46 (1.29‐1.65). However, having 1‐2 hours and >2 hours of weekend wake‐up delay were both associated with less likelihood of poor academic performance with ORs of 0.64 (0.56‐0.73) and 0.69 (0.59‐0.80). Other factors associated with poor academic performance included >2 hours of sleep debt, OR of 1.17 (1.03‐1.33); having any insomnia symptoms in the past 30 days, OR of 1.27 (1.17‐1.37); and having any OSA symptoms at least weekly, OR of 1.23 (1.14‐1.32). Napping in the past 5 school days was only marginally associated with poor school performance with an OR of 1.08 (1.00‐1.16).

CONCLUSION: Poorer academic performance was associated with sleep debt, and symptoms of insomnia and OSA. Sleep compensation but not naps may be a protective factor of poor academic performance.
Which ‘nutritional models‐of‐care’ improve energy and protein intake, clinical outcomes and malnutrition in hospitalised patients?
Authors: WADE Kathleen , FLETT Melanie
Published: October 2012

Aim:  This systematic review examined studies for improvement in energy and protein intake, nutritional status, and clinical outcomes when specific nutritional models‐of‐care (protected mealtimes, feeding assistance, communal dining and the red tray initiative) were implemented in hospitalised acute and rehabilitation patients.

Methods:  An electronic database search was conducted on MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL. Reference lists were also hand searched, and a key author search was completed. Two reviewers independently applied selection criteria and assessed trial quality.

Results:  A total of 172 articles were identified from the search strategy, and after application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, seven articles were included for final review. Most studies found a mean improvement in energy and protein intake from the implementation of the feeding assistance and communal dining models, although the overall quality of the evidence is low. No studies found a significant difference in weight, and the two trials measuring key clinical outcomes found no differences in length of stay and most markers of nutritional status; results for mortality were mixed. Protected mealtimes had a negative effect on energy and protein intake, although only one study was included for review; and no studies were found looking at the red tray initiative.

Conclusions:  While some of the evidence appears positive, this review highlights that there is a scarcity of high‐quality evidence to support the use of specific nutritional models‐of‐care to improve energy and protein intake in hospitalised patients. Large‐scale multicentre trials focusing more on primary outcomes of clinical relevance are still required.
Development of a Research Participants’ Perception Survey to Improve Clinical Research
Authors: Yessis Jennifer L. , Kost Rhonda G. , Lee Laura M. , Coller Barry S. , Henderson David K.
Published: October 2012

Introduction: Clinical research participants’ perceptions regarding their experiences during research protocols provide outcome‐based insights into the effectiveness of efforts to protect rights and safety, and opportunities to enhance participants’ clinical research experiences. Use of validated surveys measuring patient‐centered outcomes is standard in hospitals, yet no instruments exist to assess outcomes of clinical research processes.

Methods: We derived survey questions from data obtained from focus groups comprised of research participants and professionals. We assessed the survey for face/content validity, and privacy/confidentiality protections and fielded it to research participants at 15 centers. We conducted analyses of response rates, sample characteristics, and psychometrics, including survey and item completion and analysis, internal consistency, item internal consistency, criterion‐related validity, and item usefulness. Responses were tested for fit into existing patient‐centered dimensions of care and new clinical research dimensions using Cronbach's alpha coefficient.

Results: Surveys were mailed to 18,890 individuals; 4,961 were returned (29%). Survey completion was 89% overall; completion rates exceeded 90% for 88 of 93 evaluable items. Questions fit into three dimensions of patient‐centered care and two novel clinical research dimensions (Cronbach's alpha for dimensions: 0.69–0.85).

Conclusions: The validated survey offers a new method for assessing and improving outcomes of clinical research processes. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume 5: 452–460
Health‐related quality of life using intensity‐modulated radiation therapy for post‐prostatectomy radiotherapy
Authors: van Gysen Kirsten L , Kneebone Andrew B , Guo Linxin , Vaux Kenneth J , Lazzaro Enzo M , Eade Thomas N
Published: October 2012

Introduction

Post‐prostatectomy radiotherapy (PPRT) with intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has the potential to decrease toxicity by reducing dose to surrounding structures. We assessed its impact on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods

PPRT patients were enrolled in a prospective HRQoL database. To be eligible, patients were required to be treated with IMRT and have a minimum of 15‐month follow up. HRQoL was assessed at baseline, 3, 9 and 15–24 months using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite questionnaire. Higher scores reflected better HRQoL. Results were analysed as both population means and as individual scores where a moderate change was 10–20 points and a substantial change was >20 points.

Results

There were 64 patients eligible and 83% of the cohort received salvage radiotherapy. Prescribed dose was 64 Gy in 32 fractions for adjuvant and 66 Gy in 33 fractions for salvage IMRT. Mean function scores for urinary, bowel and sexual domains were similar at baseline and 15 months (83.5, 94.2 and 16.9 vs. 82.2, 93.1 and 14.3, respectively). Mean global physical functioning (51.0 vs. 48.1) and mental functioning (51.6 vs. 54.2) showed no difference over time. Individual patient scores by 2 years showed a >20‐point deterioration in urinary (12.5%), bowel (1.6%), sexual function (9.4%), physical functioning (3.1%) and mental functioning (1.6%).

Conclusion

This report on HRQoL following post‐prostatectomy IMRT demonstrates no variation in mean scores in any domain and only 1.6% of patients reporting a greater than 20‐point deterioration between baseline and 15–24 months in bowel function.
Reconstruction of Chronic Anterior Sternoclavicular Joint Dislocations Using a Palmaris Longus Autograft
Authors: Crichton Jamie , Talbot Joseph C. , Funk Lennard , Trail Ian
Published: October 2012

Background

Sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) injuries are uncommon. A minority of patients with anterior dislocation progress to chronic instability associated with pain and a limitation of activities, and thus surgery should be considered. A retrospective case series of an all anterior reconstruction of the SCJ with autologous palmaris longus is presented.

Methods

Five consecutive patients underwent SCJ stabilization using a palmaris longus autograft tunnelled through the anterior cortices of the medial clavicle and the manubrium sterni, avoiding posterior dissection of the SCJ and its associated risks.

Results

Three patients reported a completely stable SCJ after surgery at a mean 28 months postoperatively. One other patient reported improved stability and one reported recurrent instability. All patients had returned to work. The median Oxford Shoulder Score was 42 [interquartile range (IQR) 32 to 42] and the median Rockwood Score was 13 out of 15 (IQR 5 to 14). The median overall subjective satisfaction was 90% and, compared to the contralateral side, median satisfaction was also 90% (IQR 50% to 90%).

Discussion

The technique is safe and effective for reconstructing chronic anterior SCJ dislocations. The all anterior approach for reconstruction of the SCJ reduces the risk to the structures posterior to the medial clavicle, manubrium sterni or first rib.
Hypermethylation‐repressed methionine adenosyltransferase 1A as a potential biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Jin , Gong Chen , Bing Yuntao , Li Ting , Liu Zhisu , Liu Quanyan
Published: October 2012

Aim

Methionine adenosyltransferase 1A (MAT1A) is inactivated in HCC and may be stimulated by an epigenetic change involving promoter hypermethylation in hepatocarcinogenesis. However, the possible clinical impact and prognosis of this inactivation have not been investigated.

Methods

We studied the methylation status of the CpG sites in the promoter region and the mRNA and protein expression of MAT1A in HCC and corresponding adjacent non‐tumor tissues using methylation‐specific polymerase chain reaction, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry techniques.

Results

MAT1A promoter methylation was significantly higher in HCC than that in adjacent non‐tumor tissues (P < 0.0001). Bisulfite sequencing showed that the four CpG sites were hypermethylated in HCC while hypomethylation was found in the corresponding adjacent non‐tumor tissues. Furthermore, MAT1A methylation was significantly associated with protein expression (P = 0.022). Low expression of MAT1A was correlated with larger tumor size, higher tumor–node–metastasis stage, positive hepatitis B surface antigen status and high α‐fetoprotein (AFP) serum levels (P < 0.05). MAT1A promoter methylation was also correlated with high AFP serum level (P < 0.05). In univariate survival analysis, low expression of MAT1A was significantly associated with shortened patient survival (P < 0.001). Furthermore, in multivariate analysis, MAT1A expression was found as an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.016).

Conclusion

Our observations suggest that hypermethylation of the MAT1A promoter may be one of the events in the development of HCC. Low expression of MAT1A is likely involved in the progression of the tumor and was found to be an independent factor for poor prognosis of patients with HCC.
Nested by design: model fitting and interpretation in a mixed model era
Authors: Schielzeth Holger , Nakagawa Shinichi
Published: October 2012

Nested data structures are ubiquitous in the study of ecology and evolution, and such structures need to be modelled appropriately. Mixed‐effects models offer a powerful framework to do so. Nested effects can usually be fitted using the syntax for crossed effects in mixed models, provided that the coding reflects implicit nesting. But the experimental design (either nested or crossed) affects the interpretation of the results.

The key difference between nested and crossed effects in mixed models is the estimation and interpretation of the interaction variance. With nested data structures, the interaction variance is pooled with the main effect variance of the nested factor. Crossed designs are required to separate the two components. This difference between nested and crossed data is determined by the experimental design (thus by the nature of data sets) and not by the coding of the statistical model.

Data can be nested by design in the sense that it would have been technically feasible and biologically relevant to collect the data in a crossed design. In such cases, the pooling of the variances needs to be clearly acknowledged. In other situations, it might be impractical or even irrelevant to apply a crossed design. We call such situations naturally nested, a case in which the pooling of the interaction variance will be less of an issue.

The interpretation of results should reflect the fact that the interaction variance inflates the main effect variance when dealing with nested data structures. Whether or not this distinction is critical depends on the research question and the system under study.

We present mixed models as a particularly useful tool for analysing nested designs, and we highlight the value of the estimated random variance as a quantity of biological interest. Important insights can be gained if random‐effect variances are appropriately interpreted. We hope that our paper facilitates the transition from classicalanovas to mixed models in dealing with categorical data.