bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
But I Trust My Teen: Parents' Attitudes and Response to a Parental Monitoring Intervention
Authors: Metzger Aaron , Ice Christa , Cottrell Lesley
Published: June 2012

Parental knowledge gained from monitoring activities protects against adolescent risk involvement. Parental monitoring approaches are varied and may be modified with successful interventions but not all parents or adolescents respond to monitoring programs the same way. 339 parent-adolescent dyads randomized to receive a parental monitoring intervention and 169 parent-adolescent dyads in the control group were followed for one year over four measurement periods. Parent attitudes about the usefulness of monitoring, the importance of trust and respecting their teens’ privacy, and the appropriateness of adolescent risk-taking behavior and experimentation were examined as predictors of longitudinal change in parental monitoring and open communication. Similar effects were found in both the intervention and control group models regarding open communication. Parental attitudes impacted longitudinal patterns of teen-reported parent monitoring, and these patterns differed across experimental groups. In the intervention group, parents’ beliefs about the importance of trust and privacy were associated with a steeper decline in monitoring across time. Finally, parents’ attitudes about the normative nature of teen experimentation were associated with a quadratic parental monitoring time trend in the intervention but not the control group. These findings suggest that parental attitudes may impact how families respond to an adolescent risk intervention.
Arterial Hypertension, Metabolic Syndrome and Subclinical Cardiovascular Organ Damage in Patients with Asymptomatic Primary Hyperparathyroidism before and after Parathyroidectomy: Preliminary Results
Authors: Luigi Petramala , Chiara Formicuccia Maria , Laura Zinnamosca , Cristiano Marinelli , Giuseppina Cilenti , Luciano Colangelo , Giuseppe Panzironi , Sabrina Cerci , Susanna Sciomer , Antonio Ciardi , Giuseppe Cavallaro , Giorgio De Toma , Claudio Letizia
Published: June 2012

Background. Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is associated with high cardiovascular morbidity, and the role of calcium and parathyroid hormone is still controversial.Objective. To evaluate the prevalence and outcomes of metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and some cardiovascular alterations in asymptomatic PHPT, and specific changes after successful parathyroidectomy.Material and Methods. We examined 30 newly diagnosed PHPT patients (8 males, 22 females; mean age  yrs), 30 patients with essential hypertension (EH) (9 males, 21 females; mean age ), and 30 normal subjects (NS) (9 males, 21 females: mean age ). All groups underwent evaluation with ambulatory monitoring blood pressure, echocardiography, and color-Doppler artery ultrasonography and were successively revaluated after one year from parathyroidectomy.Results. PHPT patients presented a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome (38%) with respect to EH (28%). Prevalence of hypertension in PHPT was 81%, and 57% presented altered circadian rhythm of blood pressure, with respect to EH (35%) and NS (15%). PHPT showed an important myocardial and vascular remodelling. During follow-up in PHPT patients, we found significant reduction of prevalence of metabolic syndrome, blood pressure, and “non-dipping phenomenon.”Conclusions. Cardiovascular and metabolic alterations should be considered as added parameters in evaluation of patients with asymptomatic PHPT.
Acquiring Metastatic Competence by Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells Is Associated with Differential Expression ofα-Tubulin Isoforms
Authors: Lou Becky , Engler David , Dubinsky William , Wu Jean , Vigneswaran Nadarajah
Published: June 2012

We performed comparative global proteomics analyses of patient-matched primary (686Tu) and metastatic (686Ln) OSCC cells. The metastatic OSCC 686Ln cells showed greaterin vitromigratory/invasive potential and distinct cell shape from their parental primary 686Tu cells. Ettan DIGE analysis revealed 1316 proteins spots in both cell lines with >85% to be quantitatively similar (<2 folds) between the two cell lines. However, two protein spots among four serial spots were highly dominant in 686Ln cells. Mass spectrometry sequencing demonstrated all four spots to beα-tubulin isotypes. Further analysis showed no significant quantitative difference in theα-tubulin between the two cell lines either at mRNA or protein levels. Thus, two distinct isoforms ofα-tubulin, probably due to posttranslational modification, were associated with metastatic 686Ln cells. Immunofluorescence demonstrated remarkable differences in the cytosolicα-tubulin distribution patterns between the two cells. In 686Tu cells,α-tubulin proteins formed a normal network composed of filaments. In contrast,α-tubulin in 686Ln cells exhibited only partial cytoskeletal distribution with the majority of the protein diffusely distributed within the cytosol. Sinceα-tubulin is critical for cell shape and mobility, our finding suggests a role ofα-tubulin isoforms in acquisition of metastatic phenotype and represents potential target for therapeutic intervention.
Synthetic Nucleotides as Probes of DNA Polymerase Specificity
Authors: Walsh Jason M. , Beuning Penny J.
Published: June 2012

The genetic code is continuously expanding with new nucleobases designed to suit specific research needs. These synthetic nucleotides are used to study DNA polymerase dynamics and specificity and may even inhibit DNA polymerase activity. The availability of an increasing chemical diversity of nucleotides allows questions of utilization by different DNA polymerases to be addressed. Much of the work in this area deals with the A family DNA polymerases, for example,Escherichia coliDNA polymerase I, which are DNA polymerases involved in replication and whose fidelity is relatively high, but more recent work includes other families of polymerases, including the Y family, whose members are known to be error prone. This paper focuses on the ability of DNA polymerases to utilize nonnatural nucleotides in DNA templates or as the incoming nucleoside triphosphates. Beyond the utility of nonnatural nucleotides as probes of DNA polymerase specificity, such entities can also provide insight into the functions of DNA polymerases when encountering DNA that is damaged by natural agents. Thus, synthetic nucleotides provide insight into how polymerases deal with nonnatural nucleotides as well as into the mutagenic potential of nonnatural nucleotides.
Impact of No-Tillage and Conventional Tillage Systems on Soil Microbial Communities
Authors: Mathew Reji P. , Feng Yucheng , Githinji Leonard , Ankumah Ramble , Balkcom Kipling S.
Published: June 2012

Soil management practices influence soil physical and chemical characteristics and bring about changes in the soil microbial community structure and function. In this study, the effects of long-term conventional and no-tillage practices on microbial community structure, enzyme activities, and selected physicochemical properties were determined in a continuous corn system on a Decatur silt loam soil. The long-term no-tillage treatment resulted in higher soil carbon and nitrogen contents, viable microbial biomass, and phosphatase activities at the 0–5 cm depth than the conventional tillage treatment. Soil microbial community structure assessed using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) varied by tillage practice and soil depth. The abundance of PLFAs indicative of fungi, bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and actinobacteria was consistently higher in the no-till surface soil. Results of principal components analysis based on soil physicochemical and enzyme variables were in agreement with those based on PLFA and ARISA profiles. Soil organic carbon was positively correlated with most of the PLFA biomarkers. These results indicate that tillage practice and soil depth were two important factors affecting soil microbial community structure and activity, and conservation tillage practices improve both physicochemical and microbiological properties of soil.
A Note on Nonlocal Boundary Value Problems for Hyperbolic Schrödinger Equations
Authors: Ozdemir Yildirim , Kucukunal Mehmet
Published: June 2012

The nonlocal boundary value problem d2u(t)/dt2 + Au(t) = f(t)    (0 ≤ t ≤ 1),
i(du(t)/dt) + Au(t) = g(t)   (−1 ≤ t ≤ 0),
u(0+) = u(0−),
ut(0+) = ut(0−),
Au(−1) = αu(μ) + φ,
0 < μ ≤ 1, for hyperbolic Schrödinger equations in a Hilbert space H with the self‐adjoint positive definite operator A is considered. The stability estimates for the solution of this problem are established. In applications, the stability estimates for solutions of the mixed‐type boundary value problems for hyperbolic Schrödinger equations are obtained.
A UWB Bidirectional Rectangular Ring Antenna Fed by CDM with a Rod and Ridges for Constant Beam Direction
Authors: Vongsack S. , Lamultree S. , Osklang P. , Phongcharoenpanich C. , Kosulvit S. , Hamamoto K. , Wakabayashi T.
Published: June 2012

This paper presents an ultra-wideband (UWB) rectangular ring antenna excited by a circular disc monopole (CDM) with a conducting rod and two double ridges to radiate bidirectional pattern with constant beam direction along the entire UWB frequency range of 3.1–10.6 GHz. The conducting rod and double ridges at the upper wall of the ring are added to solve the tilted beam problem at the higher edge frequency whereas the double ridges at the lower wall are used to enhance the impedance bandwidth. The dimensions of the rectangular ring and the CDM are initially considered to achieve the bidirectional pattern with the suitable resonant frequencies and bandwidth. Then, the parameters of copper rod and two double ridges are determined by parametric study using CST Microwave Studio simulation software. The prototype antenna was fabricated, and the measured results show good agreement with the simulated ones. The obtained bandwidth of |S11|<-10 dB can cover the UWB frequency range as well as the bidirectional beam radiation with constant beam direction (θ=0°,180° and ϕ=90°). The minimum and maximum measured gains are 3.1 dBi to 5.3 dBi, respectively. The proposed antenna possesses compact size with good radiation performance that can be a promising candidate for UWB applications.
A New Method for Bilateral Teleoperation Passivity under Varying Time Delays
Authors: Hashemzadeh Farzad , Hassanzadeh Iraj , Tavakoli Mahdi , Alizadeh Ghasem
Published: June 2012

A new framework is proposed to mitigate the adverse effect of time‐varying time delays on the passivity of a teleoperation system. To this end, the communication channel with time‐varying delays is modeled as a constant‐delay channel along with additive output disturbances. Then, disturbance estimator blocks are added in each of the feedforward and feedback paths to estimate these disturbances and to compensate for them. In the disturbance estimator block, there is a need for a virtual time‐varying delay block such that the overall communication channel can be seen as one with a constant delay. We also propose a method for determining this virtual delay. Two PHANToM haptic devices connected through a communication channel with time‐varying delays are considered for a case study. Simulation and experimental results confirm the efficiency of the proposed method in terms of passivating the teleoperation system in the presence of time‐varying delays.
Clostridial Spores for Cancer Therapy: Targeting Solid Tumour Microenvironment
Authors: Umer Brittany , Good David , Anné Jozef , Duan Wei , Wei Ming Q.
Published: June 2012

Solid tumour accounts for 90% of all cancers. The current treatment approach for most solid tumours is surgery, however it is limited to early stage tumours. Other treatment options such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy are non-selective, thus causing damage to both healthy and cancerous tissue. Past research has focused on understanding tumour cells themselves, and conventional wisdom has aimed at targeting these cells directly. Recent research has shifted towards understanding the tumour microenvironment and it’s differences from that of healthy cells/tissues in the body and then to exploit these differences for treatmeat of the tumour. One such approach is utilizing anaerobic bacteria. Several strains of bacteria have been shown to selectively colonize in solid tumours, making them valuable tools for selective tumour targeting and destruction. Amongst them, the anaerobicClostridiumhas shown great potential in penetration and colonization of the hypoxic and necrotic areas of the tumour microenvironment, causing significant oncolysis as well as enabling the delivery of therapeutics directly to the tumourin situ. Various strategies utilizingClostridiumare currently being investigated, and represent a novel area of emerging cancer therapy. This review provides an update review of tumour microenvironment as well as summary of the progresses and current status of Clostridial spore-based cancer therapies.
Aging and Osteoarthritis: An Inevitable Encounter?
Authors: Hügle Thomas , Geurts Jeroen , Nüesch Corina , Müller-Gerbl Magdalena , Valderrabano Victor
Published: June 2012

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major health burden of our time. Age is the most prominent risk factor for the development and progression of OA. The mechanistic influence of aging on OA has different facets. On a molecular level, matrix proteins such as collagen or proteoglycans are modified, which alters cartilage function. Collagen cross-linking within the bone results in impaired plasticity and increased stiffness. Synovial or fat tissue, menisci but also ligaments and muscles play an important role in the pathogenesis of OA. In the elderly, sarcopenia or other causes of muscle atrophy are frequently encountered, leading to a decreased stability of the joint. Inflammation in form of cellular infiltration of synovial tissue or subchondral bone and expression of inflammatory cytokines is more and more recognized as trigger of OA. It has been demonstrated that joint movement can exhibit anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Therefore physical activity or physiotherapy in the elderly should be encouraged, also in order to increase the muscle mass. A reduced stem cell capacity in the elderly is likely associated with a decrease of repair mechanisms of the musculoskeletal system. New treatment strategies, for example with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are investigated, despite clear evidence for their efficacy is lacking.
Impact of Tobacco Control Interventions on Smoking Initiation, Cessation, and Prevalence: A Systematic Review
Authors: Wilson Lisa M. , Avila Tang Erika , Chander Geetanjali , Hutton Heidi E. , Odelola Olaide A. , Elf Jessica L. , Heckman-Stoddard Brandy M. , Bass Eric B. , Little Emily A. , Haberl Elisabeth B. , Apelberg Benjamin J.
Published: June 2012

Background. Policymakers need estimates of the impact of tobacco control (TC) policies to set priorities and targets for reducing tobacco use. We systematically reviewed the independent effects of TC policies on smoking behavior.Methods. We searched MEDLINE (through January 2012) and EMBASE and other databases through February 2009, looking for studies published after 1989 in any language that assessed the effects of each TC intervention on smoking prevalence, initiation, cessation, or price participation elasticity. Paired reviewers extracted data from studies that isolated the impact of a single TC intervention.Findings. We included 84 studies. The strength of evidence quantifying the independent effect on smoking prevalence was high for increasing tobacco prices and moderate for smoking bans in public places and antitobacco mass media campaigns. Limited direct evidence was available to quantify the effects of health warning labels and bans on advertising and sponsorship. Studies were too heterogeneous to pool effect estimates.Interpretations. We found evidence of an independent effect for several TC policies on smoking prevalence. However, we could not derive precise estimates of the effects across different settings because of variability in the characteristics of the intervention, level of policy enforcement, and underlying tobacco control environment.
The Th1:Th2 Dichotomy of Pregnancy and Preterm Labour
Authors: Sykes Lynne , MacIntyre David A. , Yap Xiao J. , Teoh Tiong Ghee , Bennett Phillip R.
Published: June 2012

Pregnancy is a unique immunological state in which a balance of immune tolerance and suppression is needed to protect the fetus without compromising the mother. It has long been established that a bias from the T helper 1 cytokine profile towards the T helper 2 profile contributes towards successful pregnancy maintenance. The majority of publications that report on aberrant Th1:Th2 balance focus on early pregnancy loss and preeclampsia. Over the last few decades, there has been an increased awareness of the role of infection and inflammation in preterm labour, and the search for new biomarkers to predict preterm labour continues. In this paper, we explore the evidence for an aberrant Th1:Th2 profile associated with preterm labour. We also consider the potential for its use in screening women at high risk of preterm labour and for prophylactic therapeutic measures for the prevention of preterm labour and associated neonatal adverse outcomes.
Physicochemical Properties and Cellular Responses of Strontium-Doped Gypsum Biomaterials
Authors: Pouria Amir , Bandegani Hadis , Pourbaghi-Masouleh Milad , Hesaraki Saeed , Alizadeh Masoud
Published: June 2012

This paper describes some physical, structural, and biological properties of gypsum bioceramics doped with various amounts of strontium ions (0.19–2.23 wt%) and compares these properties with those of a pure gypsum as control. Strontium-doped gypsum (gypsum:Sr) was obtained by mixing calcium sulfate hemihydrate powder and solutions of strontium nitrate followed by washing the specimens with distilled water to remove residual salts. Gypsum was the only phase found in the composition of both pure and gypsum:Sr, meanwhile a shift into lower diffraction angles was observed in the X-ray diffraction patterns of doped specimens. Microstructure of all gypsum specimens consisted of many rod-like small crystals entangled to each other with more elongation and higher thickness in the case of gypsum:Sr. The Sr-doped sample exhibited higher compressive strength and lower solubility than pure gypsum. A continuous release of strontium ions was observed from the gypsum:Sr during soaking it in simulated body fluid for 14 days. Compared to pure gypsum, the osteoblasts cultured on strontium-doped samples showed better proliferation rate and higher alkaline phosphatase activity, depending on Sr concentration. These observations can predict better in vivo behavior of strontium-doped gypsum compared to pure one.
RP‐HPLC Analytical Method Development and Validation for Simultaneous Estimation of Three Drugs: Glimepiride, Pioglitazone, and Metformin and Its Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms
Authors: Nirupa Gadapa , Tripathi Upendra M.
Published: June 2012

Developing a single analytical method for estimation of individual drug from a multidrug composition is a very challenging task. A simple, rapid, precise, and reliable reverse phase HPLC method was developed for the separation and estimation of three drugs glimepiride, pioglitazone and metformin in bulk drug mix and pharmaceutical dosage forms. The estimation was carried out using Inertsil ODS‐3V (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column; mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, and buffer at pH 5; the flow rate of 1.7 mL/min and ultraviolet detection at 228 nm. All the three drugs were properly resolved having run time of 5 minutes, 3.9 minutes and 1.3 minutes for glimepiride, pioglitazone, and metformin, respectively. The method was validated as a final verification of method development with respect to precision, linearity, accuracy, ruggedness, and robustness. The validated method was successfully applied to the commercially available pharmaceutical dosage form, yielding very good and reproducible result.
The Human TLR Innate Immune Gene Family Is Differentially Influenced by DNA Stress and p53 Status in Cancer Cells
Authors: Shatz Maria , Menendez Daniel , Resnick Michael A.
Published: June 2012

The transcription factor p53 regulates genes associated with a wide range of functions, including the Toll-like receptor (TLR) set of innate immunity genes, suggesting that p53 also modulates the human immune response. The TLR family comprises membrane glycoproteins that recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP) and mediate innate immune responses, and TLR agonists are being used as adjuvants in cancer treatments. Here, we show that doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, and UV and ionizing radiation elicit changes in TLR expression that are cell line- and damage-specific. Specifically, treatment-induced expression changes led to increased downstream cytokine expression in response to ligand stimulation. The effect of DNA stressors on TLR expression was mainly mediated by p53, and several p53 cancer-associated mutants dramatically altered the pattern of TLR gene expression. In all cell lines tested, TLR3 induction was p53-dependent, whereas induction of TLR9, the most stress-responsive family member, was less dependent on status of p53. In addition, each of the 10 members of the innate immune TLR gene family tested was differentially inducible. Our findings therefore show that the matrix of p53 status, chromosome stress, and responsiveness of individual TLRs should be considered in TLR-based cancer therapies. Cancer Res; 72(16); 3948–57. ©2012 AACR.
TP53 Genomic Status Regulates Sensitivity of Gastric Cancer Cells to the Histone Methylation Inhibitor 3-Deazaneplanocin A (DZNep)
Authors: Cheng Lai Ling , Itahana Yoko , Lei Zheng Deng , Chia Na-Yu , Wu Yonghui , Yu Yingnan , Li Zhang Shen , Thike Aye Aye , Pandey Anuradha , Rozen Steve , Voorhoeve Pieter Mathijs , Yu Qiang , Tan Puay Hoon , Bay Boon Huat , Itahana Koji , Tan Patrick
Published: June 2012

Purpose: DZNep (3-deazaneplanocin A) depletes EZH2, a critical component of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which is frequently deregulated in cancer. Despite exhibiting promising anticancer activity, the specific genetic determinants underlying DZNep responsiveness in cancer cells remain largely unknown. We sought to determine molecular factors influencing DZNep response in gastric cancer.

Experimental Design: Phenotypic effects of DZNep were evaluated in a panel of gastric cancer cell lines. Sensitive lines were molecularly interrogated to identify potential predictors of DZNep responsiveness. The functional importance of candidate predictors was evaluated using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and siRNA technologies.

Results: DZNep depleted PRC2 pathway components in almost all gastric cancer lines, however, only a subset of lines exhibited growth inhibition upon treatment. TP53 genomic status was significantly associated with DZNep cellular responsiveness, with TP53 wild-type (WT) lines being more sensitive (P < 0.001). In TP53-WT lines, DZNep stabilized p53 by reducing ubiquitin conjugation through USP10 upregulation, resulting in activation of canonical p53 target genes. TP53 knockdown in TP53-WT lines attenuated DZNep sensitivity and p53 target activation, showing the functional importance of an intact p53 pathway in regulating DZNep cellular sensitivity. In primary human gastric cancers, EZH2 expression was negatively correlated with p53 pathway activation, suggesting that higher levels of EZH2 may repress p53 activity.

Conclusion: Our results highlight an important role for TP53 genomic status in influencing DZNep response in gastric cancer. Clinical trials evaluating EZH2-targeting agents such as DZNep should consider stratifying patients with gastric cancer by their TP53 genomic status. Clin Cancer Res; 18(15); 4201–12. ©2012 AACR.
Cotargeting Stress-Activated Hsp27 and Autophagy as a Combinatorial Strategy to Amplify Endoplasmic Reticular Stress in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Kumano Masafumi , Furukawa Junya , Shiota Masaki , Zardan Anousheh , Zhang Fan , Beraldi Eliana , Wiedmann Romina M. , Fazli Ladan , Zoubeidi Amina , Gleave Martin E.
Published: June 2012

Hsp27 is a stress-activated multifunctional chaperone that inhibits treatment-induced apoptosis and causes treatment resistance in prostate and other cancers. We previously showed that targeted suppression of Hsp27 sensitizes cancer cells to hormone and chemotherapy. However, mechanisms by which Hsp27 confers cell treatment resistance are incompletely defined. Here, we report that Hsp27 protects human prostate cancer cells against proteotoxic stress induced by proteasome inhibition, and that Hsp27 silencing using siRNA or antisense (OGX-427) induced both apoptosis and autophagy through mechanisms involving reduced proteasome activity and induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. We found that autophagy activation protected against ER stress-induced cell death, whereas inhibition of autophagy activation following Hsp27 silencing using either pharmacologic inhibitors or atg3 silencing enhanced cell death. Importantly, cotargeting Hsp27 and autophagy by combining OGX-427 with the autophagy inhibitor, chloroquine, significantly delayed PC-3 prostate tumor growth in vivo. These findings identify autophagy as a cytoprotective, stress-induced adaptive pathway, activated following disruption of protein homeostasis and ER stress induced by Hsp27 silencing. Combinatorial cotargeting cytoprotective Hsp27 and autophagy illustrates potential benefits of blocking activation of adaptive pathways to improve treatment outcomes in cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(8); 1661–71. ©2012 AACR.
Inhibition of Dendritic Cell Maturation by the Tumor Microenvironment Correlates with the Survival of Colorectal Cancer Patients following Bevacizumab Treatment
Authors: Michielsen Adriana J. , Noonan Sinead , Martin Petra , Tosetto Miriam , Marry Joseph , Biniecka Monika , Maguire Aoife A. , Hyland John M. , Sheahan Kieran D. , O'Donoghue Diarmuid P. , Mulcahy Hugh E. , Fennelly David , Ryan Elizabeth J. , O'Sullivan Jacintha N.
Published: June 2012

Development of bevacizumab has improved survival in colorectal cancer, however, currently there are no biomarkers that predict response to bevacizumab and it is unknown how it influences the immune system in colorectal cancer patients. Dendritic cells are important for the induction of an antitumor immune response; however tumors are capable of disabling dendritic cells and escaping immune surveillance. The aim of this study was to assess the numbers of CD11c+ cells infiltrating tumor tissue and to examine the effects of tumor conditioned media (TCM) and bevacizumab conditioned media (BCM) on dendritic cell maturation and correlate our findings with patient survival. colorectal cancer explant tissues were cultured with or without bevacizumab, to generate BCM and TCM, which were used to treat dendritic cells. CD80, CD86, CD83, CD54, HLA-DR, and CD1d expression was measured by flow cytometry. Interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-12p70 were measured by ELISA. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to associate survival with dendritic cell inhibition. TCM and BCM inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced dendritic cell maturation and IL-12p70 secretion (P < 0.0001), while increasing IL-10 secretion (P = 0.0033 and 0.0220, respectively). Inhibition of LPS-induced CD1d (P = 0.021, HR = 1.096) and CD83 (P = 0.017, HR = 1.083) by TCM and inhibition of CD1d (P = 0.017, HR = 1.067), CD83 (P = 0.032, HR = 1.035), and IL-12p70 (P = 0.037, HR = 1.036) by BCM was associated with poor survival in colorectal cancer patients. CD11c expression was elevated in tumor tissue compared with normal tissue (P < 0.001), but this did not correlate with survival. In conclusion, TCM and BCM inhibit dendritic cells, and this inhibition correlates with survival of colorectal cancer patients receiving bevacizumab. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(8); 1829–37. ©2012 AACR.
Modulation of Cardiac Contractility by the Phopholamban/SERCA2a Regulatome
Authors: Kranias Evangelia G. , Hajjar Roger J.
Published: June 2012

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death and disability in the Western world. Current therapies aim at treating the symptoms rather than the subcellular mechanisms, underlying the etiology and pathological remodeling in heart failure. A universal characteristic, contributing to the decreased contractile performance in human and experimental failing hearts, is impaired calcium sequestration into the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). SR calcium uptake is mediated by a Ca
2+
-ATPase (SERCA2), whose activity is reversibly regulated by phospholamban (PLN). Dephosphorylated PLN is an inhibitor of SERCA and phosphorylation of PLN relieves this inhibition. However, the initial simple view of a PLN/SERCA regulatory complex has been modified by our recent identification of SUMO, S100 and the histidine-rich Ca-binding protein as regulators of SERCA activity. In addition, PLN activity is regulated by 2 phosphoproteins, the inhibitor-1 of protein phosphatase 1 and the small heat shock protein 20, which affect the overall SERCA-mediated Ca-transport. This review will highlight the regulatory mechanisms of cardiac contractility by the multimeric SERCA/PLN-ensemble and the potential for new therapeutic avenues targeting this complex by using small molecules and gene transfer methods.
Endocardial and Epicardial Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transitions in Heart Development and Disease
Authors: von Gise Alexander , Pu William T.
Published: June 2012

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) converts epithelial cells to mobile and developmentally plastic mesenchymal cells. All cells in the heart arise from one or more EMTs. Endocardial and epicardial EMTs produce most of the noncardiomyocyte lineages of the mature heart. Endocardial EMT generates valve progenitor cells and is necessary for formation of the cardiac valves and for complete cardiac septation. Epicardial EMT is required for myocardial growth and coronary vessel formation, and it generates cardiac fibroblasts, vascular smooth muscle cells, a subset of coronary endothelial cells, and possibly a subset of cardiomyocytes. Emerging studies suggest that these developmental mechanisms are redeployed in adult heart valve disease, in cardiac fibrosis, and in myocardial responses to ischemic injury. Redirection and amplification of disease-related EMTs offer potential new therapeutic strategies and approaches for treatment of heart disease. Here, we review the role and molecular regulation of endocardial and epicardial EMT in fetal heart development, and we summarize key literature implicating reactivation of endocardial and epicardial EMT in adult heart disease.
Was There a Real “Mineshaft Gap”? Bomb Shelters in the USSR, 1945–1962
Authors: Geist Edward
Published: June 2012

During the Cold War, the nature, intent, and scale of Soviet civil defense were the subject of heated debate in the West. Some analysts claimed that the USSR possessed a massive civil defense program capable of seriously destabilizing the strategic nuclear balance. This article draws on previously unexamined archival sources to investigate Soviet shelter construction from 1953, when the USSR's civil defense forces began planning for nuclear war, until the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962. These documents indicate that shelter construction consumed the majority of Soviet civil defense funding and was conducted by order of the Council of Ministers. Although the shelters were inadequate both technologically and quantitatively to protect the Soviet population from an all-out U.S. thermonuclear attack, they existed in significant numbers and represented a considerable expenditure of limited Soviet resources. These new revelations provide important insights into Soviet thinking about nuclear war during the Khrushchev era.
Review Essay: Politics, Discontents, Hopes: 1968 East and West
Authors: Connor Walter D.
Published: June 2012

Three recently published books on the dramatic events of 1968 in Europe, North America, and elsewhere provide a useful opportunity to look back at that year and ask what caused such passions. Violent protesters in the democratic West claimed to be acting on behalf of a wider cause, but most of them paid little heed to those in Czechoslovakia and Poland who were seeking to ease the oppressiveness of Communist rule. Newly available archival sources and the passage of more than four decades facilitate a reexamination of that momentous year, but many aspects of the events remain nearly as inscrutable today as they were at the time.
What Prompts Companies to Collaboration With NGOs? Recent Evidence From the Netherlands
Authors: den Hond Frank , de Bakker Frank G. A. , Doh Jonathan
Published: June 2012

This article examines the factors that influence the propensity of corporations to engage with NGOs. Drawing from resource dependency theory (RDT) and related theories of social networks and the resource-based view of the firm, the authors develop a series of hypotheses that draw from this conceptual foundation to predict a range of factors that influence firms to collaborate with NGOs. These factors include the level of commitment of the firm to CSR, the strategic fit between the firm’s and the NGO’s resources, the level of trust the firm has in NGOs, the frequency of contact with NGOs, prior level and perception of experience with NGOs, and the level of pressure exerted by NGOs. The authors report on results of a survey of the Top 500 firms in the Netherlands on their interactions with NGOs, finding general support for our hypotheses, and suggest that understanding the motives for firm–NGO interactions can teach us more about firms’ corporate social activities and the way such activities are shaped in the dynamic interplay between firms and their stakeholders. Our findings are relevant for future research on cross-sectoral interactions, for corporations considering future relationships with NGO cohorts, and for broader questions about the role of stakeholders and the role of business in society.
Business–NGO Collaboration in a Conflict Setting
Authors: Kolk Ans , Lenfant François
Published: June 2012

Although business–NGO (nongovernmental organizations) partnerships have received much attention in recent years, insights have been obtained only from research in “stable” contexts, not from conflict-ridden countries where such collaboration may be even more crucial in building trust and capacity and in addressing governance problems given the absence of a reliable state. This article aims to shed light on business–NGO collaboration in a conflict setting, exploring partnership activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Most partnerships found are philanthropic and deal with “traditional” issues such as health and education in a donor-recipient mode with limited community involvement. There are only a few real transformative partnerships, which address aspects directly related to the conflict from a wider community focus; these involve extractive companies most exposed via mineral development/production. The study also found so-called engagement collaboration that can be divided into activities including the transfer of funds (and characterized by service delivery), and those without funds, focusing on knowledge exchange that furthers companies’ awareness of conflict-sensitive issues into their operations. Peculiarities of the different types of partnerships as well as implications for research and practice are discussed.
Visionaries, Reformers, Saviors, and Opportunists
Authors: Castro Antonio J.
Published: June 2012

This qualitative study investigated the visions and metaphors for teaching held by teacher candidates enrolled in an urban-based alternative certification program. While late-entry teacher recruits are considered to have high motivations for urban school teaching, few studies explore the nature of these motivations. Findings from this study uncovered four orientations concerning teaching in urban schools: visionaries, reformers, saviors, and opportunists. While visionaries and reformers appear to be a stronger fit for urban contexts, saviors and opportunists expressed deficit views of students or cared little about building relationships with urban youth. Implications for supporting new urban teachers are discussed.
Effect of education sessions of a structured school eye screening programme on Indian schoolteachers’ knowledge and responsibility for children’s eye health
Authors: Thummalapalli Rohit , Williams Jachin D , Khoshnood Kaveh , Salchow Daniel J , Forster Susan H
Published: June 2012

Objective:

To evaluate the effect of education sessions on Indian schoolteacher awareness of childhood eye health issues, responsibility for children’s eye health, and successful participation in a teacher-led eye screening health intervention programme in primary schools aimed at addressing avoidable childhood blindness in India.

Design:

Quantitative study, pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys and questionnaires.

Setting:

One hundred and four government-employed schoolteachers in primary schools of Hyderabad, India.

Method:

Prior to the screening intervention programme, questionnaires were administered to evaluate baseline teacher knowledge and observed responsibility for management of children’s eye health. The intervention consisted of three one-hour educational training sessions at central community locations about children’s eye health and proper screening practices, followed by on-site monitoring of teacher screenings after a period of 10 school days. Post-programme questionnaires and surveys were administered to evaluate changes in knowledge and attitudes.

Results:

Despite low levels of pre-programme knowledge and felt responsibility, teachers demonstrated significant improvements in overall knowledge of eye parts and functions, common childhood diseases, and local myths (39.3% to 63.7%, p < 0.01) and significant increases in felt responsibility for children’s eye health (45.5% to 77.8%, p < 0.01) through the course of the programme.

Conclusion:

Apart from technical training, educational sessions may play an important role in promoting sustained teacher interest in school-based health intervention programmes and overall impact on community health. Urban schoolteachers have therefore been identified as promising candidates in the continued effort to eliminate avoidable childhood blindness in India and other parts of the developing world.
Trajectories to the New Age. The spiritual turn of the first generation of Dutch New Age teachers
Authors: van Otterloo Anneke , Aupers Stef , Houtman Dick
Published: June 2012

Most studies on New Age spirituality remain overly descriptive and lack solid, empirically grounded historical-sociological explanations for its increasing popularity since the counter culture of the 1960s and 1970s. The authors therefore study the motivations of the ‘first generation’ spiritual seekers to turn to the New Age on the basis of 42 qualitative interviews with Dutch New Age teachers who grew up in the counter culture. The analysis demonstrates that they were motivated by discontentment about Christian churches and modern work organizations, especially in the field of social care. Due to the countercultural emphasis on individual liberty, the respondents experienced institutions as both ‘meaningless’ and ‘alienating’ and felt attracted to the promises of humanistic self-spirituality and holism. In the conclusion the authors speculate on how and why the young ‘second generation’ New Agers turns to spirituality nowadays and in what ways their motivations differ from those of the first generation.
Prediction of the sound transmission loss of a stiffened window
Authors: Ou DY , Mak CM , Deng SM
Published: June 2012

The sound transmission loss of a stiffened window was investigated using a coupled finite element and boundary element method. This approach allowed the window to have arbitrary elastic boundary conditions and the stiffeners to be located at arbitrary positions inside the window. The in-plane deformation of the window was also taken into account. The natural frequencies predicted by the present approach showed good agreement with earlier published results. The prediction method was subsequently applied to parametric studies examining the effects of stiffeners on the sound transmission loss of a window. The results showed that the stiffeners (or their locations) notably influenced the window’s sound transmission loss values, thereby demonstrating the possibility of using stiffeners to improve the sound insulation of a practical window.

Practical applications: This study provides an approach that can be used to predict the sound insulation of a window with arbitrary elastic boundary conditions and with any-shape stiffeners lying anywhere inside the window. This approach can also be used to guide the design of windows (or other plate-like building structures) with better sound insulation.
Using two parallel connected compressors to implement a novel control algorithm for improved indoor humidity at a low cost
Authors: Xiangguo Xu , Chao Shen , Shiming Deng
Published: June 2012

A novel control algorithm, named H-L control, for a direct expansion air conditioning system was previously developed, so that an improved indoor humidity control was achieved at a higher energy efficiency. However, a variable speed compressor was used, leading to a high cost of implementation for the control algorithm. This technical note reports on an experimental study, where two parallel connected single speed compressors were used to replace an expensive variable speed compressor to implement the novel control algorithm. Experimental results demonstrated that similar control performance may be achieved when using two single speed compressors, thus lowering the cost of implementation.
A Score Comparability Study for the NBDHE
Authors: Tsai Tsung-Hsun , Shin Chingwei David
Published: June 2012

This study evaluated the comparability of a paper–pencil (PP) version and two computer-based (CB) versions of the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination. Comparability was evaluated by validity and psychometric criteria. Data were collected from the following resources: (1) 4,560 candidates enrolled in accredited dental hygiene programs who took the PP version in the Spring 2009, (2) 973 and 1,033 candidates enrolled in accredited dental hygiene programs who took two separate CB versions in 2009, and (3) the survey data from 2,486 candidates who took the CB versions in 2009. The results from the PP and CB versions were found to be comparable on several criteria.
Evaluation of an interactive topic detection and tracking interface
Authors: Mohd Masnizah , Crestani Fabio , Ruthven Ian
Published: June 2012

Interactive Topic Detection and Tracking ( iTDT) refers to the TDT works which focus on user interaction, user evaluation and user interfaces aspects. This article investigates and identifies elements of the design of an interface that aims to facilitate journalists performing TDT tasks such as tracking and detection. It presents an ( iTDT) interface called Interactive Event Tracking ( iEvent), and evaluates the usability of the features introduced. The findings indicate the features that facilitated the participants in performing both tasks: cluster labelling and top terms features in Cluster View, a histogram with the timeline and document content features in Document View, and a keyword approach feature in Term View. Meanwhile, features such as cluster visualisation in Cluster View and histogram with the timeline in Term View only facilitated participants during the tracking task. The study shows that the interface enables journalists to perform well in TDT tasks.
Islams
Authors: Eyadat Zaid
Published: June 2012

The article explores the tradition of dialogue in Islam and Islamic history and its importance in facilitating an inter-faith and cross-cultural dialogue with the West across the binary that has been increasingly strengthened since 2001. The rise in religious extremism and hegemony is an indicator of not only a crisis in religious authority, but also an absence of dialogue, the very dialogue that had shaped and conceptualized Islam and its tradition and is an inherent part of it. I examine the way The Amman Message and A Common Word between Us and You bring back the role of dialogue and consensus in reconstructing Islam and how this has contributed to the dialogue at the international level. I also examine the role enlightenment thinking has played in promoting religious dialogue at both the internal and external levels, with the text, with traditional scholars, and with non-Muslim scholars and the non-Muslim public.
Interculturalism or multiculturalism?
Authors: Taylor Charles
Published: June 2012

This essay discusses the difference between the concepts of multiculturalism and interculturalism, both concepts which are current on the Canadian scene. It argues that the difference between the two is not so much a matter of the concrete policies, but concerns rather the story that we tell about where we are coming from and where we are going. In some ways, we could argue that interculturalism is more suitable for certain European countries.
Misunderstanding cultures
Authors: Appiah Kwame Anthony
Published: June 2012

This article aims to explain why the idea of the West is, for historical and philosophical reasons, an obstacle to dealing with the dangers posed by radical Islamists. Every proposed theory of the West has to account for the great internal cultural diversity both of European cultures and of those influenced by them around the world; and every serious historical account both of Europe and of Islam has to recognize the long-standing, substantial and ongoing interdependence of their intellectual and religious traditions. As a result, what is needed to face extremists, whether inside or outside Europe (and whether Christian, Muslim or neither), is not an opposition between Islam and the West, but an alliance of those of all faiths and none who can live with and tolerate cultural difference against those, wherever they live and whatever their religion, who cannot.
Hyper-pluralism and the multivariate democratic polity
Authors: Ferrara Alessandro
Published: June 2012

In the global world, momentous migratory tides have produced hyper-pluralism on the domestic scale, bringing citizens with radically different conceptions of life, justice and the good to coexist side by side. Conjectural arguments about the acceptance of pluralism, the next best to public reason when shared premises are too thin, may not succeed in convincing all constituencies. What resources, then, can liberal democracy mobilize? The multivariate democratic polity is the original answer to this question, based on an interpretation of Rawls which revisits Political Liberalism in the light of The Law of Peoples. The unscrutinized assumption is highlighted, often read into Rawls’s Political Liberalism, that a polity moves homogeneously and all of a piece from religious conflict to modus vivendi, constitutional consensus and finally to overlapping consensus. Drawing on The Law of Peoples, a different picture can be obtained.
Radical changes in the Muslim world
Authors: Dallmayr Fred
Published: June 2012

This article discusses radical changes in the Muslim world during the last hundred years. The main emphasis is on the tension between secularism and religious authority and the prospect of political democracy. The article starts from Toynbee’s assumption that social-political change is a response to a preceding condition. Three countries are compared. Modern Turkey emerged in the 1920s from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire and its traditionalist outlook. Under Mustafa Kemal, Turkey was transformed into a radically secular and modernizing regime inspired by French laicism. Some 50 years later, Iran switched from the modernizing and anti-clerical regime of the Shah to a semi-theocracy under Khomeini. Thirty years later, the uprising in Egypt followed neither the Kemalist nor Khomeini’s example. Responding to a preceding autocracy, the goal was neither secularism nor clericalism but to correct a basic political deficit: the lack of democracy.