bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The ART Score Is Not Effective to Select Patients for Transarterial Chemoembolization Retreatment in an Italian Series
Authors: Terzi Eleonora , Terenzi Laura , Venerandi Laura , Croci Luca , Renzulli Matteo , Mosconi Cristina , Allegretti Giulia , Granito Alessandro , Golfieri Rita , Bolondi Luigi , Piscaglia Fabio ,   on behalf of the Bologna Liver Oncology Group
Published: October 2014

Background: The ART score (a point score for the assessment of retreatment with transarterial chemoembolization, TACE) has been recently developed in Austria to differentiate patients who may benefit from multiple sessions of TACE for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. The primary aim of the study was to test the validity of the ART score in an Italian study cohort. The secondary aims were to evaluate overall survival (OS) and clinical determinants of improved survival in patients treated with multiple TACE sessions. Methods: The ART score and the clinical outcome of 51 consecutive patients with HCC submitted to multiple TACE sessions from April 2002 to December 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Median OS was 26.0 months (95% confidence interval 18.4-33.6) with 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of 75, 33 and 11%, respectively). Thirty-three patients had an ART score of 0-1.5 and in 18 it was ≥2.5, but in our patient series, the ART score was not found to be a predictor of survival (p = 0.173). At univariate analysis, tumor extent (uni- vs. bilobar: 34.0 vs. 9.0 months; p < 0.001), Child-Pugh score before the second TACE (A vs. B7 vs. B8-9: 26.0 vs. 16.0 vs. 5.0 months; p = 0.005) and Child-Pugh score increase between the first and second TACE (absent vs. + 1 point vs. + ≥2 points: 27.0 vs. 4.0 vs. 5.0 months; p < 0.001) were statistically related with survival. At multivariate analysis, only Child-Pugh score increase remained a significant predictor of worse survival (p = 0.001, hazard rate = 11.6). Conclusions: The ART score was not found to work as an objective tool to guide TACE retreatment in our Italian patient series, only the Child-Pugh score increase was an independent predictor of a shorter survival.
Identification of Epigenetically Inactivated Genes in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Integrative Analyses of Methylation Profiling and Pharmacological Unmasking
Authors: Nishida Naoshi , Chishina Hirokazu , Arizumi Tadaaki , Takita Masahiro , Kitai Satoshi , Yada Norihisa , Hagiwara Satoru , Inoue Tatsuo , Minami Yasunori , Ueshima Kazuomi , Sakurai Toshiharu , Kudo Masatoshi
Published: October 2014

Objectives: DNA methylation-dependent transcriptional inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) is critical for the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study identifies potential TSGs in HCCs using methylation profiling and pharmacological unmasking of methylated TSGs. Methods: Methylation profiling was performed on 22 pairs of HCCs and their corresponding noncancerous liver tissues using the Infinium HumanMethylation27 BeadChip. We also determined the gene reexpression after treatment with 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dC) and trichostatin A (TSA) in 5 HCC cell lines. Results: We selected CpGs that exhibited a significant increase in methylation in HCC tissues compared with that of the noncancerous control group. Two hundred and thirteen CpGs on different gene promoters with a mean difference in the β value ≥0.15 and a value of p < 0.05 were selected. Of the 213 genes, 45 genes were upregulated in 3 or more HCC cell lines with multiplier value of differences ≥2.0 after 5-Aza-dC and TSA treatment. Conclusions: We identified several potential TSGs that participate in transcription inactivation through epigenetic interactions in HCC. The results of this study are important for the understanding of functionally important epigenetic alterations in HCC.
Peritoneal Fibrosis Induced by Intraperitoneal Methylglyoxal Injection: The Role of Concurrent Renal Dysfunction
Authors: Onishi Akira , Akimoto Tetsu , Morishita Yoshiyuki , Hirahara Ichiro , Inoue Makoto , Kusano Eiji , Nagata Daisuke
Published: October 2014

Background: Peritoneal fibrosis (PF) is a serious pathophysiology of peritoneal dialysis (PD). An ongoing focus of research is the potential fibrogenic nature of methylglyoxal (MGO) in conventional PD fluid (PDF). The aim of the current study was to explore the effects of the uremic milieu on the promotion of PF by MGO using rats with adenine-induced renal failure (RF). Methods: Adenine-treated Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive continuous peritoneal injections of PDF with or without MGO for three weeks or were left untreated for the same duration. Rats without RF were also assigned to three groups. The peritoneal histology and expression levels of type I collagen, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA), Snail, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and the receptor for AGE (RAGE) were then analyzed. Results: Peritoneal treatment with 5 mM MGO accelerated the fibrous peritoneal thickening progression promoted by exposure to standard PDF in the rats with RF, but not in the rats with a normal renal function. Treatment with MGO significantly augmented the proliferation of mesenchymal-like mesothelial cells, accumulation of AGE, de novo expression of αSMA and RAGE and gene expression of type I collagen, TGF-β1, Snail and MMP-2, whereas both MGO and RF alone had, at most, marginal effects on the changes in these biological parameters. Conclusions: In the present study, the adverse effects of MGO on the peritoneum became more prominent under conditions of a uremic milieu. These findings imply that MGO and uremia act cooperatively to induce PF.
Carbon monoxide inhibits sprouting angiogenesis and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 phosphorylation
Authors: Hewett Peter W. , Fujisawa Takeshi , Sissaoui Samir , Cai Meng , Gueron Geraldine , Al-Ani Bahjat , Cudmore Melissa , Ahmed Faraz S. , Wong Michael K. K. , Wegiel Barbara , Otterbein Leo E. , Vítek Libor , Ramma Wenda , Wang Keqing , Ahmed Asif , Ahmad Shakil
Published: October 2014

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gaseous autacoid known to positively regulate vascular tone; however, its role in angiogenesis is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of CO on angiogenesis and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-2 phosphorylation. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured on growth factor-reduced Matrigel and treated with a CO-releasing molecule (CORM-2) or exposed to CO gas (250 ppm). Here, we report the surprising finding that exposure to CO inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced endothelial cell actin reorganisation, cell proliferation, migration and capillary-like tube formation. Similarly, CO suppressed VEGF-mediated phosphorylation of VEGFR-2 at tyrosine residue 1175 and 1214 and basic fibroblast growth factor- (FGF-2) and VEGF-mediated Akt phosphorylation. Consistent with these data, mice exposed to 250 ppm CO (1h/day for 14 days) exhibited a marked decrease in FGF-2-induced Matrigel plug angiogenesis (p<0.05). These data establish a new biological function for CO in angiogenesis and point to a potential therapeutic use for CO as an anti-angiogenic agent in tumour suppression.
Imaging the elastic modulus of human platelets during thrombininduced activation using scanning ion conductance microscopy
Authors: Rheinlaender Johannes , Vogel Sebastian , Seifert Jan , Schächtele Marc , Borst Oliver , Lang Florian , Gawaz Meinrad , Schäffer Tilman E.
Published: October 2014

Platelet activation plays a critical role in haemostasis and thrombosis. It is well-known that platelets generate contractile forces during activation. However, their mechanical material properties have rarely been investigated. Here, we use scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) to visualise morphological and mechanical properties of live human platelets at high spatial resolution. We found that their mean elastic modulus decreases during thrombin-induced activation by about a factor of two. We observed a similar softening of platelets during cytochalasin D-induced cytoskeleton depolymerisation. However, thrombin-induced temporal and spatial modulations of the elastic modulus were substantially different from cytochalasin D-mediated changes. We thereby provide new insights into the mechanics of haemostasis and establish SICM as a novel imaging platform for the ex vivo investigation of the mechanical properties of live platelets.
Increased Congenital Heart Defects in Children Born to Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Vinet Évelyne , Pineau Christian A. , Scott Susan , Clarke Ann E. , Platt Robert W. , Bernatsky Sasha
Published: October 2014

Background—

In a large population-based study, we aimed to determine whether children born to women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an increased risk of congenital heart defects (CHDs) in comparison with children born to women without SLE.

Methods and Results—

The Offspring of SLE Mothers Registry (OSLER) includes all women who had ≥1 hospitalization for delivery after SLE diagnosis, identified through Quebec’s healthcare databases (1989–2009), and a randomly selected control group of women, matched ≥4:1 for age and year of delivery. We identified children born live to SLE mothers and their matched controls, and ascertained CHD based on ≥1 hospitalization or physician visit with relevant diagnostic codes, within the first 12 months of life. We performed multivariable logistic regression analyses, using the generalized estimating equation method, to adjust for relevant covariates. Five hundred nine women with SLE had 719 children, whereas 5824 matched controls had 8493 children. In comparison with controls, children born to women with SLE experienced more CHD (5.2% [95% confidence interval (CI), 3.7–7.1] versus 1.9% [95% CI, 1.6–2.2], difference 3.3% [95% CI, 1.9–5.2]). In multivariable analyses, children born to women with SLE had a substantially increased risk of CHD (odds ratio, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.77–3.88) in comparison with controls. In addition, in comparison with controls, offspring of SLE mothers had a substantially increased risk of having a CHD repair procedure (odds ratio, 5.82; 95% CI, 1.77–19.09).

Conclusions—

In comparison with children from the general population, children born to women with SLE have an increased risk of CHD, and an increased risk of having a CHD repair procedure, as well.
Targeting internal processes of plant-parasitic nematodes in the pursuit of novel agents for their control
Authors: Masler Edward P.
Published: October 2014

The success of plant-parasitic nematodes as competitors with humans for crops is evidenced by the parasites’ significant and continuous economic drain on global agriculture. Scientific efforts dedicated to the control of plant-parasitic nematodes employ strategies from the environmental to molecular levels. Understanding the interaction of the nematode with its environment, and the molecules involved, offers great promise for novel control agent development. Perhaps more significantly, such knowledge facilitates the generation of ever more detailed and sophisticated information on nematode biology and new molecular targets. Among the most economically important groups of plant-parasitic nematodes are those comprising the cyst-forming species and the root-knot nematodes. Presented here is a brief overview of research into the biology of these parasites relative to their life cycles. Recent advances in elucidating the molecular biology and biochemistry of nematode-plant interactions during the internal parasitic stages of the life cycle have been driven by advances in genomics and transcriptomics. The remarkable discoveries regarding parasitism, and the application of genetic resources in these findings, provide a template for advanced investigation of external, survival stages biology. While survival biology research lags somewhat behind that of parasitism with regard to the molecular genetics of signalling and response, its extensive catalogue promises explosive rates of discovery as progress in genomics and transcriptomics allows a molecular genetic examination of embryogenesis, dormancy and hatching. Our group is interested in behaviour, development and hatching of cyst and root-knot nematodes, and the effects of the environment on the mechanisms of these activities. Phytochemical and temperature effects are discussed, and evidence is presented that the cyst may provide useful molecules for exploring nematode physiology.
Preface
Authors: Johnson Lorin
Published: October 2014

This current volume of Experiment, Volume 20, entitled “Kinetic Los Angeles: Russian Émigrés in the City of Self-Transformation” (Guest Editor, Lorin Johnson) is dedicated to the contributions of Russian artists who lived and worked in Los Angeles in the fields of dance performance, visual arts, and film, exploring how the city was influenced by their presence as well as the reasons that drew them to Southern California. While many of the essays focus on the émigré community that gathered in Los Angeles during the 1930s-1940s, the investigation of “Russianness” in the city is not confined to those decades. Each essay in this volume is accompanied by photographs and illustrations which help to tell this story, many of which are previously unpublished and recently discovered in private collections and archives in the U.S. and abroad. Contributors include: Kenneth Archer, John Bowlt, Donald Bradburn, Elizabeth Durst, Lynn Garafola, Karen Goodman, Millicent Hodson, Lorin Johnson (Guest Editor), Mark Konecny, Debra Levine and Oleg Minin.
SACRE 1913
Authors: Archer Kenneth , Hodson Millicent
Published: October 2014

Shamanic designs used by painter and archaeologist Nicholas Roerich on the costumes for the original Rite of Spring (1913) apparently shaped the ground patterns of the choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky. Dance detectives Kenneth Archer and Millicent Hodson demonstrate how they discovered these dance and design correspondences in the course of reconstructing the lost Rite for the Joffrey Ballet in 1987 and for other companies worldwide since that time.
Theodore Kosloff & Cecil B. DeMille
Authors: Levine Debra
Published: October 2014

The essay explores a rare and unknown 40-year professional and personal relationship between Russian ballet dancer Theodore Kosloff (1882-1956) and Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959) told through the prism of the making of DeMille’s Madam Satan (mgm 1930). It tracks Kosloff’s colorful career as a dance entrepreneur, from his Bolshoi Ballet beginnings, to his appearance in the premiere Paris season of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, to his eventual relocation to Los Angeles where, starting in 1916, he was an acclaimed character actor in nearly 30 silent movies, primarily directed by DeMille. At the outset of the Depression, with the advent of sound in cinema, DeMille relied upon Kosloff as an artistic advisor to bring to fruition Madam Satan his first and only movie musical. The essay analyzes the high-art roots of Kosloff’s bizarre and exceptional ballet mécanique, Madam Satan’s central dance number staged in a moored zeppelin.
Adolph Bolm’s Cinematic Ballet
Authors: Johnson Lorin , Konecny Mark
Published: October 2014

This article is an attempt to place Adolph Bolm’s ballet, The Spirit of the Factory, staged at the Hollywood Bowl with a cast of sixty dancers into the context of the choreographer’s oeuvre and explain how an avant-garde ballet, danced to dissonant accompaniment, could have been so well received by American audiences in the 1930s. A “neo-constructivist” work that was uniquely Hollywood in its inception, with a dual connection to film and the particular atmosphere of the resplendent outdoor Hollywood Bowl, how such a work came to be raises many questions about the sources that inspired Bolm.
Russian Artists in the United States
Authors: Minin Oleg
Published: October 2014

Charting Nicholas Remisoff’s artistic legacy during his California period, this essay explores his contributions to the cultural landscape of the state and emphasizes his work on live stage productions in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the early 1930s and 1940s. Delineating the critical reception of Remisoff’s work in opera, ballet and theatre in these cities, this essay also highlights the artist’s interactions and key collaborations with other Russian and European émigré artists and reflects on the nature of Remisoff’s particular affinity with Southern California.
Advertisement call of Dendropsophus studerae (Carvalho-e-Silva, Carvalho-e-Silva and Izecksohn, 2003) (Anura: Hylidae), with new record and geographic distribution extension
Authors: NAPOLI MARCELO FELGUEIRAS , DE ABREU RAFAEL OLIVEIRA , CRUZ DEISE , HERRERA JOCILENE BRANDÃO , PETERSEN EMANUELA , KLEIN WILFRIED
Published: October 2014

The treefrog genus Dendropsophus Fitzinger comprises 95 species, with geographic distribution from northern Argentina and Uruguay north through tropical South and Central America to tropical southern Mexico (Frost 2014). Dendropsophus studerae was included in the D. microcephalus clade by Faivovich et al. (2005), which currently consists of 39 species (Frost 2014). The species that most resembles D. studerae is D. bipunctatus (Spix), as already stated in the original description of the former (Carvalho-e-Silva et al. 2003). Thus far, Dendropsophus studerae was only known from its type locality, in the municipality of Quebrangulo (09º19’08”S, 36º28’16”W), State of Alagoas, northeastern Brazil. The original description of the species also included data on its eggs, tadpole (oral disc and external morphology) and some natural history information of adults and larvae, but its advertisement call remains undescribed.
The Injection of Zonal Momentum by Buoyancy Forcing in a Southern Ocean Model
Authors: Howard Emma , McC. Hogg Andrew , Waterman Stephanie , Marshall David P.
Published: October 2014

An overturning circulation, driven by prescribed buoyancy forcing, is used to set a zonal volume transport in a reentrant channel ocean model with three isopycnal layers. The channel is designed to represent the Southern Ocean such that the forced overturning resembles the lower limb of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC). The relative contributions of wind and buoyancy forcing to the zonal circulation are examined. It is found that the zonal volume transport is strongly dependent on the buoyancy forcing and that the eddy kinetic energy is primarily set by wind stress forcing. The zonal momentum budget integrated over each layer is considered in the buoyancy-forced, wind-forced, and combined forcing case. At equilibrium, sources and sinks of momentum are balanced, but the transient spinup reveals the source of momentum for the current. In the buoyancy-forced case, the forcing creates a baroclinic shear with westward flow in the lower layer, allowing topographic form stress and bottom friction to act as the initial sources of eastward momentum, with bottom friction acting over a longer time frame. In the wind-forced and combined forcing cases, the surface wind stress dominates the initial momentum budget, and the time to reach equilibration is shorter in the combined forcing simulation. These results imply that future changes in the rate of formation of Antarctic Bottom Water may alter the volume transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
Sociocultural and Victimization Factors That Impact Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Among Kenyan Women
Authors: Mugoya George C. T. , Witte Tricia H. , Ernst Kacey C.
Published: October 2014

This study investigates the association between acceptance of intimate partner violence (IPV) and reported IPV victimization among Kenyan women, taking into consideration select sociocultural factors that may also influence acceptance of IPV. Data from a nationally representative, cross-sectional, household survey conducted between November 2008 and February 2009 in Kenya were analyzed. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to estimate the effect of select sociodemographic characteristics and reported IPV victimization on acceptance of IPV. The results showed that while both sociodemographic characteristics and reported IPV victimization were significantly associated with IPV acceptance, sociocultural factors had a greater impact. Programs aimed at empowering women and culturally competent IPV prevention strategies may be the key elements to reducing IPV.
Emotional Regulation and Revictimization in Women’s Intimate Relationships
Authors: Zamir Osnat , Lavee Yoav
Published: October 2014

The aim of the current study was to test whether women’s emotional regulation (ER) capacity moderates the relationship between childhood abuse and both adult intimate partner violence (IPV) and relationship quality. Female graduate students ( N = 425), either married or in a long-term cohabitation, participated in an Internet-based survey. Structural equation model (SEM) multiple-group analysis was conducted to estimate whether the link between childhood abuse and marital outcomes varied across high and low levels of ER. The data showed that childhood abuse was associated with higher levels of IPV and lower marital quality. A high level of ER was found to buffer the association between child abuse and IPV. Among women with a low level of ER, childhood abuse had a stronger negative effect on relationship quality than for women with a high level of ER. ER is a protective factor against revictimization in intimate relationships.
Quiero Hablar Con Usted en Espanol, Juez
Authors: Frailing Kelly , Carreon Diana
Published: October 2014

We modified the participant perception survey utilized in the Multi-Site Adult Drug Court Evaluation and administered it to participants at a majority Hispanic drug court in south Texas. Results revealed generally positive perceptions of the judge and various measures of procedural justice. Results also revealed that participants perceived the ability to communicate with the (bilingual) judge in Spanish as important to their success in drug court and that this was true even of those participants who were fluent in English as well as Spanish. Our results generate an important policy consideration for these future courts, namely, the language abilities of the judge. We believe that judges at majority Hispanic drug courts will be most effective when they are bilingual in English and Spanish and we call on drug court planners to consider our findings as they develop new courts to serve this growing population.
Factors Associated with Domperidone Use as a Galactogogue at an Australian Tertiary Teaching Hospital
Authors: Grzeskowiak Luke E. , Dalton Julia A. , Fielder Andrea L.
Published: October 2014

Background:

Insufficient milk supply is 1 of the most commonly reported reasons for discontinuation of infant breastfeeding. Although domperidone is often used to improve milk supply, knowledge of factors associated with the use of domperidone in clinical practice is scarce.

Objective:

This study aimed to examine factors associated with the use of domperidone as a galactogogue at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH), Adelaide.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort study was conducted, involving women who delivered live-born singletons (N = 21 914) at the WCH between January 2004 and December 2008. Women dispensed domperidone were identified using WCH pharmacy dispensing records. Maternal and infant clinical data were obtained from the WCH Perinatal Statistics Collection. Relationships between maternal/infant demographic and clinical variables and the use of domperidone were examined through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Results:

Key factors associated with an increased likelihood of women receiving domperidone were increasing maternal age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.06), maternal obesity (aOR = 1.41; 95% CI, 1.16-1.77), primiparity (aOR = 1.94; 95% CI, 1.63-2.30), delivery by cesarean section (aOR = 1.31; 95% CI, 1.10-1.55), preterm birth (aOR = 3.54; 95% CI, 2.79-4.50), and neonatal hospitalization (aOR = 2.51; 95% CI, 2.01-3.14). In addition, statistically significant trends were observed between increasing socioeconomic status and year of delivery and an increased likelihood of women receiving domperidone (all Ps < .004).

Conclusion:

These findings are of clinical importance as they not only reinforce previous findings regarding risk factors for women experiencing lactation difficulties but also highlight the need for improved research regarding the rational and efficacious use of domperidone to improve breastfeeding outcomes.
Experimental investigation of underwater friction-stir welding of 5083 marine-grade aluminum alloy
Authors: Kishta Emad Eldin , Darras Basil
Published: October 2014

Friction-stir welding has emerged as an effective technique for the challenging task of welding aluminum alloys. This article presents a detailed experimental study on underwater friction-stir welding of 5083 marine-grade aluminum alloy. The effects of submersion, rotational speed, and translational speed were investigated. The thermal histories, void fractions, microhardness, and tensile properties of the welded alloy samples, as well as power consumption of the process, were measured and analyzed. The results showed that underwater friction-stir welding produced good tensile properties and led to a significant reduction in the void fraction.
A practical approach to evaluating train cabs against task requirements
Authors: Jenkins Daniel P , Baker Lisa M , Harvey Carl
Published: October 2014

The link between train cab design and driver performance is well established. Physical assessments of cabs for reach and visibility have, for many years, been key considerations in cab arrangement. As such, techniques for performing assessments based on anthropometric models and reach and vision envelopes, are well defined. On a cognitive level, however, there is less prescriptive guidance. This paper describes a structured approach for assessing a train cab against task requirements. The assessment is divided into two stages; the first assesses the location of each of the cab controls in turn against their frequency of use, functional grouping, and risk of inadvertent operation. The second assesses the cab against routine tasks based on a hierarchical task analysis model. Although both methods have their relative merits, the task-based assessment was found to reveal additional insights, based on the sequence of operations, which were not detected in the static assessment.
Children Conform to the Behavior of Peers; Other Great Apes Stick With What They Know
Authors: Haun Daniel B. M. , Rekers Yvonne , Tomasello Michael
Published: October 2014

All primates learn things from conspecifics socially, but it is not clear whether they conform to the behavior of these conspecifics—if conformity is defined as overriding individually acquired behavioral tendencies in order to copy peers’ behavior. In the current study, chimpanzees, orangutans, and 2-year-old human children individually acquired a problem-solving strategy. They then watched several conspecific peers demonstrate an alternative strategy. The children switched to this new, socially demonstrated strategy in roughly half of all instances, whereas the other two great-ape species almost never adjusted their behavior to the majority’s. In a follow-up study, children switched much more when the peer demonstrators were still present than when they were absent, which suggests that their conformity arose at least in part from social motivations. These results demonstrate an important difference between the social learning of humans and great apes, a difference that might help to account for differences in human and nonhuman cultures.
Between Contradiction and Co-operation: An Analysis of China’s Evolving Engagement with Africa
Authors: Olivier Nico
Published: October 2014

Following the 1955 Bandung conference, China has been strengthening its links with countries in the developing world, and more specifically, with African countries. China’s African foreign policy framework has rapidly advanced over the last 20 years. It is motivated by political, strategic and economic necessities, which not only create ample opportunities for Africa’s development, but also pose severe challenges for the continent. The dichotomy between the ideals expressed in China’s African policy framework and the realisation thereof in Africa, becomes evident when analysing a number of key issues (including aid, trade, investment, security and governance) that constitute both the overarching China–Africa agenda and the bilateral agendas between China and a number of individual African states. The time has come for Africa to play a much more active role in shaping and directing this relationship in order to address the current challenges. If African states individually, and Africa as a whole, can succeed in doing this, then the engagement with China will be increasingly advantageous for the African continent.
Validation of the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form With Minority Caregivers
Authors: Lee Sang Jung , Gopalan Geetha , Harrington Donna
Published: October 2014

Objectives:

There has been little examination of the structural validity of the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form (PSI-SF) for minority populations in clinical contexts in the Unites States. This study aimed to test prespecified factor structures (one-factor, two-factor, and three-factor models) of the PSI-SF.

Methods:

This study used confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of 240 predominantly Black and Latino caregivers of children with behavioral difficulties.

Results:

The three-factor model fit was reasonable, and the criterion validity for the subscale and total scores was good supporting continued cautious use of the PSI-SF for clinical minority populations.

Conclusions:

The PSI-SF could be integrated as part of screening and intake assessment procedures, which could allow social work practitioners to make more informed decisions about treatment planning, as well as facilitate conversations with caregivers around identifying sources of stress and developing healthy coping strategies.
Finite element investigation of friction and wear of microgrooved cutting tool in dry machining of AISI 1045 steel
Authors: Ma Jianfeng , Duong Nick H , Lei Shuting
Published: October 2014

This article studies the tribological performance of microgrooved cutting tool in dry orthogonal machining of mild steel (AISI 1045 steel) using finite element simulation. The purpose is to examine the effects of microgrooves on friction and wear of the textured tools and to compare it with non-textured cutting tools. For the cemented carbide (WC/Co) cutting inserts, microgrooves are designed on the rake face. Specifically, the following groove parameters are examined: groove width, groove depth, and edge distance (the distance from the cutting edge to the first groove). Their effects are assessed in terms of friction coefficient and wear on the rake face. It is found that microgrooved cutting tools can significantly reduce friction and wear in machining, which is attributed mainly to the reduced chip–tool contact length.
Magneto-hydrodynamics of couple stress lubricants in combined squeeze and shear in parallel annular disc viscous coupling systems
Authors: Daliri M , Jalali-Vahid D , Rahnejat H
Published: October 2014

This article presents predictive analysis of load-carrying capacity, tractive efficiency and response time of parallel annular discs intervened with a film of lubricant under combined shear and squeeze film motions. This configuration represents operational characteristics of viscous coupling systems. In particular, the case of viscous dampers for tractive torque generation and distribution in all-wheel-drive off road vehicles is studied. Various forms of lubricant behaviour, from idealised Newtonian to that of non-Newtonian silicone-based fluids and incompressible isothermal electrically conducting couple stress fluids, subjected to a magneto-hydrodynamic field are studied. The solution for the magneto-hydrodynamics includes combined solution of modified Reynolds equation and Stoke’s micro-continuum for couple stress fluids in squeeze and shear with rotational fluid inertia, an approach not hitherto reported in the literature. It is shown that in general magneto-hydrodynamic couple stress fluids enhance the load-carrying capacity of the contact and inhibit the incidence of thin films, which can result in direct contact of surfaces. Rotational inertia decreases the load-carrying capacity, although in general the magneto-hydrodynamic fluids show better load-carrying capacity and tractive efficiency than the other alternatives. However, they exhibit a lower response time under the assumed isothermal condition. Nevertheless, the magneto-hydrodynamic fluids are best suited to applications in viscous coupling systems because of their controllability.
Early Efforts to Target and Enroll High-Risk Diabetic Patients Into Urban Community-Based Programs
Authors: Kaufman Steven , Ali Nadia , DeFiglio Victoria , Craig Kelly , Brenner Jeffrey
Published: October 2014

Health care disparities in minority populations can be attributed to a number of factors, including lack of access to coordinated primary care and chronic disease management programming. Interventions using a data-centric, coordinated, multidisciplinary, team-based approach to address patients with complex chronic comorbidities have demonstrated improvements in patient outcomes. The use of hospital admission and billing data coupled with care management teams to care for high-risk patients with chronic conditions may be an effective model for improving quality of care while reducing health care costs. This article describes how Camden city, the poorest city in the nation, has made headway toward developing an integrated approach to improving care while reducing costs for the city’s most vulnerable.
Ferruginol Inhibits Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Growth by Inducing Caspase-Associated Apoptosis
Authors: Ho Shang-Tse , Tung Yu-Tang , Kuo Yueh-Hsiung , Lin Chi-Chen , Wu Jyh-Horng
Published: October 2014

Purpose. The anti–lung cancer effect of Cryptomeria japonica leaf extractive and its active phytocompound was evaluated using in vitro and in vivo assays. Experimental Design. The anti–lung cancer mechanism was investigated using flow cytometry and western blot analyses, and the antitumor activity was evaluated in a xenograft animal model. Results. MTT assay indicated that the cytotoxic effects of ferruginol in A549 and CL1-5 cells were dose-dependent. According to the results of cell cycle and annexin V/PI analyses, the sub-G1 population and annexin V binding in the 2 cell lines were increased after ferruginol treatment. The results of western blot analyses revealed that the cleaved forms of caspase 3, 8, 9, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase were activated after ferruginol treatment in A549 and CL1-5 cells. Moreover, the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was decreased, while the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax was elevated, after ferruginol treatment in both lung cancer cell lines. These results indicated that ferruginol acted via a caspase-dependent mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in the 2 cell lines. Intraperitoneal administration of ferruginol significantly suppressed the growth of subcutaneous CL1-5 xenografts. Conclusions. The findings of the present study provided insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying ferruginol-induced apoptosis in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, indicating that this compound may be a potential candidate drug for anti-NSCLC.
Transferrin-targeted magnetic/fluorescence micelles as a specific bi-functional nanoprobe for imaging liver tumor
Authors: Qi Hui , Li Zhengzheng , Du Kai , Mu Ketao , Zhou Qing , Liang Shuyan , Zhu Wenzhen , Yang Xiangliang , Zhu Yanhong
Published: October 2014

In order to delineate the location of the tumor both before and during operation, we developed targeted bi-functional polymeric micelles for magnetic resonance (MR) and fluorescence imaging in liver tumors. Hydrophobic superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were loaded into the polymeric micelles through self-assembly of an amphiphilic block copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ϵ-caprolactone). After, transferrin (Tf) and near-infrared fluorescence molecule Cy5.5 were conjugated onto the surface of the polymeric micelles to obtain the nanosized probe SPIO@PEG-b-PCL-Tf/Cy5.5 (SPPTC). Imaging capabilities of this nanoprobe were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The accumulation of SPPTC in HepG2 cells increased over SPIO@PEG-b-PCL-Cy5.5 (SPPC) by confocal microscopy. The targeted nanoprobe SPPTC possessed favorable properties on the MR and fluorescence imaging both in vitro and in vivo. The MTT results showed that the nanoprobes were well tolerated. SPPTC had the potential for pre-operation evaluation and intra-operation navigation of tumors in clinic.
Downregulation of IL‐8, ECP, and total IgE in the tears of patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis treated with rebamipide eyedrops
Authors: Ueta Mayumi , Shoji Jun , Sotozono Chie , Kinoshita Shigeru
Published: October 2014

Rebamipide eyedrops are approved in Japan for the treatment of dry eye disease. Some patients with allergic conjunctival diseases also manifest dry eye. Earlier we reported that rebamipide suppressed polyI:C‐induced inflammatory cytokines in human conjunctival epithelial cells. In the current study we examined the effect of rebamipide eyedrops on the level of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and total IgE on the ocular surface.

We prescribed rebamipide eyedrops to patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC) who presented with dry eye (6 eyes in 4 AKC patients) and measured the IL‐8, ECP, and total IgE levels in their tears before‐ and 2, and 4–6 weeks after the start of rebamipide treatment. To measure the IL‐8 and total IgE levels in their tears we used BD™ CBA Flex sets; ECP measurements were with ELISA. The level of IL‐8, ECP, and total IgE in the tears of AKC patients was reduced significantly 4–6 weeks after the start of rebamipide treatment. We also recorded subjective symptoms associated with AKC, e.g. itching, foreign body sensation, and eye mucus discharge, by using a patient questionnaire. Their subjective symptoms associated with AKC were also significantly ameliorated at 2 and 4–6 weeks.

Our observations suggest that the anti‐inflammatory effects of rebamipide eyedrops help to combat human ocular surface inflammation and that they may be a new effective therapy in patients with AKC.
Exciton Population Dynamics of Ethoxy-terminated Silicon Quantum Dots: Femtosecond Near-IR Transient Absorption Spectroscopic Study
Authors: Chen Dong , Wang Li , Sato Seiichi , Yao Hiroshi , Tamai Naoto
Published: October 2014

Ethoxy-terminated silicon quantum dots (Si QDs) were prepared by a simple ball milling method of bulk Si in ethanol. Size (diameter) and band-gap energy (Eg) were 2.6 ± 0.3 nm and 2.1 eV by TEM and absorption spectroscopy, respectively. The main surface termination was found to be Si–OC2H5 by attenuated total reflection IR spectroscopy. Exciton population dynamics of Si QDs was investigated by femtosecond near-IR transient absorption spectroscopy. Intensity-dependent exciton dynamics revealed that the multiple excitons generated by high photon flux were captured to the trapping sites immediately before Auger recombination.
Nanoscale Identification of Extracellular Organic Substances at the Microbe–Mineral Interface by Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy
Authors: Mitsunobu Satoshi , Zhu Ming , Takeichi Yasuo , Ohigashi Takuji , Suga Hiroki , Makita Hiroko , Sakata Masahiro , Ono Kanta , Mase Kazuhiko , Takahashi Yoshio
Published: October 2014

In the present study, we applied a scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) technique to investigate the spatial distribution of biomolecules at the microbe–mineral boundary during bioleaching process of pyrite (FeS2). STXM-based carbon and oxygen near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) directly showed that polysaccharides were localized within 150 nm of the bacteria–pyrite boundary and that sessile bioleaching bacteria produced polysaccharides-abundant extracellular biomolecules on the pyrite grain. The STXM-based NEXAFS technique has multiple advantages: (i) a high spatial resolution less than 50 nm, (ii) a nondestructive analytical technique with a high element of specificity, (iii) X-ray spectroscopic chemical speciation useful for the analysis of hydrated biomolecules. Thus, the STXM-based NEXAFS technique is a powerful tool to investigate the mechanism of biological process occurring at the microbe–mineral interface.
Stress, rejection, and hormones: Cortisol and progesterone reactivity to laboratory speech and rejection tasks in women and men
Authors: Gaffey Allison E. , Wirth Michelle M.
Published: October 2014

Stress and social rejection have important impacts on health. Among the mechanisms implicated are hormonal systems such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which produces cortisol in humans. Current research employs speech stressors and social rejection stressors to understand hormonal responses in a laboratory setting. However, it is not clear whether social rejection stressors elicit hormonal reactivity. In addition to cortisol, progesterone has been highlighted as a potential stress- and affiliation-related hormone in humans. In the present study, 131 participants (70 men and 61 women) were randomly assigned to be exposed to one of four conditions: standardized speech stressor; speech control; social rejection task; or a control (inclusion) version of the social rejection task. Saliva samples were collected throughout the study to measure cortisol and progesterone. As hypothesized, we found the expected increase in cortisol in the speech stressor, and we also found that the social rejection task did not increase cortisol, underscoring the divergence between unpleasant experiences and HPA axis activity. However, we did not find evidence for progesterone increase either during the speech- or social rejection tasks. Compared with past studies on progesterone and stress in humans, the present findings present a mixed picture. Future work is needed to delineate the contexts and types of manipulations which lead to progesterone increases in humans.
Laser facial hair removal protocol and key consultation considerations
Authors: Marza Liliana
Published: October 2014

Excessive facial hair in women can cause significant distress and may contribute to a reduced quality of life for those who are affected. Although there are a multitude of mechanical options used for hair depilation, over the years lasers have proved to be the most effective long-term option. However, the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) recommends that facial hair removal should be carried out in specialised clinics by trained practitioners, as favourable treatment outcomes and the reduction of side effects is dependent on understanding how lasers work, choosing the appropriate parameters and using a suitable machine for each individual's needs. This article presents a facial hair removal treatment protocol from a clinical laser nurse perspective.
Policing across borders: Line of Duty and the politics of national identity
Authors: Joy Stuart
Published: October 2014

In this article, I argue that the first series of Line of Duty (2012–) invites viewers to consider the wider politicized function of the police as well as depictions of criminality in Britain. I describe how the series reflects a broader shift in the understanding of the British crime drama as not simply a reproduction of national concerns, but in relation to new discourses of transnational anxiety. I analyse how representations of crime and criminality are viewed through the lens of current news media trends to examine the relationship between the British crime drama and the wider socio-economic and political concerns in which articulations of both national and increasingly transnational identities can become visible.
South Park and social research: What cartoons can tell us about sustainable mobility
Authors: Newman Daniel
Published: October 2014

This article discusses a topic that has previously been the domain of business studies: sustainable mobility and, in particular, consumer attitudes to electric vehicles. In conducting a social research study into electric vehicle drivers, I was presented with a finding that was not properly accounted for in the extant literature. At a loss, my chief reference point became a television show: South Park (1997–). This incident is used to acknowledge that academic fields such as business studies would be improved by exhibiting greater openness to other disciplines, such as cultural studies. In the spirit of breaking down this barrier, the article highlights something of the knowledge that can be gained from even the most cursory glance out at popular culture from within the closed world of business studies.
Media logic production: How media practitioners in Italian reality television localize TV formats and select ‘entertainment values’
Authors: Splendore Sergio
Published: October 2014

Based within the theoretical framework of the sociology of journalism, this article presents the results of a research project on the Italian production of reality television formats. The research (based on interviews and participant observation) focuses on the particular routines and daily practices of different media workers involved in the production of four different Italian reality TV programmes (Big Brother, Farm, Music Farm and Celebrity Survivor). The article details two different stage of this process: first, when broadcasters purchase a TV format; and second, when a TV company actually produces it. Media workers have to select and create a narrative from 24 hours of shooting. In order to manage this task – i.e. the selection of material and its construction in a narrative – two main groups of figures are involved: ‘entertainment gatherers’ and ‘entertainment processors’. The article describes the routines and logics that preside over these choices. At the same time, it discusses ‘entertainment values’ which, like ‘news values’, help media workers to choose between events and material in order to compose them in a coherent narrative. The analysis discusses what kind of media logic is at the stake in the production process.
Review Essay
Authors: Green John Paul
Published: October 2014

The television that dripped blood

True Blood: Investigating Vampires and Southern Gothic, Brigid Cherry (ed.) (2012) London: I. B. Tauris, 213 pp., ISBN: 9781848859401, p/bk, £12.99

TV Horror: Investigating the Dark Side of the Small Screen, Lorna Jowett and Stacey Abbott (2013) London: I. B. Tauris, 270 pp., ISBN: 9781848856189, p/bk, £14.99
Symposium Report
Authors: Johnson Beth
Published: October 2014

TV is the New Cinema: Exploring the Erosion of Boundaries between two Media, Liverpool John Moores University, 22 May 2014