bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract PL06-02: Viral-related malignancies affecting ethnic minorities and immigrant subpopulations in the United States
Authors: Ramos Juan Carlos
Published: December 2010

Viral-related malignancies occur disparately in ethnic minority populations in the United States. Recent demographics of HIV subjects enrolled in U.S. clinical trials reveal that AIDS-related malignancies mostly affect minorities in this country. Human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) is the etiologic cause of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD), and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). Epstein Barr virus (EBV) is often associated with aggressive AIDS-related lymphomas (ARLs), including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with immunoblastic features, Burkitt lymphoma, primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL), and plasmablastic lymphoma. Human papilloma virus (HPV) causes cervical and anal cancers, which occur more frequently in HIV patients. Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a deadly disease which is rarely seen in the United States but commonly occurs in African descendant immigrants to the Eastern United States and South Florida from the Caribbean (particularly Haiti and Jamaica) where the virus in endemic. At the University of Miami we see and treat more patients with these illnesses combined than any other institution in the nation. About 10% of our ATLL patients are co-infected with HIV. We have been key participants in AIDS malignancy Consortium (AMC) lymphoma clinical trials, and under our viral oncology program we devote a number of translational and molecular studies towards the understanding the pathophysiology of these illnesses. In this section, the clinical spectrum, trends, biology, and treatment of AIDS-related malignancies and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma in the United States will be reviewed. Investigational therapies, disease models, and recent molecular findings from the analyses of these tumors using state of the art technologies will also be discussed.

Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):PL06-02.
Abstract PL08-03: Race and cancer treatment outcome: Roswell Park over 50 years
Authors: Marshall James R.
Published: December 2010

There is strong evidence that African Americans are at elevated cancer risk, compared to European Americans. In addition, it is generally accepted that African Americans face more aggressive disease, with poorer treatment outcome. Whether these differences reflect biologic factors inherent in lifestyle or genomic characteristics that affect risk and treatment outcome is not well understood. Racial differences in risk could reflect differences in exposure to environmental toxins, to diet, to physical activity or possibly obesity; they could reflect genetically determined physiologic or metabolic processes. Racial differences in treatment outcome could result from compliance with treatment directives, with stage at diagnosis, or with the quality of medical care or with the aggressiveness with which treatment is pursued; they could also be a product of genetically structured physiologic, metabolic or detoxification processes. Racial differences in quality of care could result from differences in the institutions from which African Americans and European Americans receive cancer care.

To the degree that the quality of medical care is largely a function of the institution from which care is delivered, holding the institution constant should eliminate or greatly lessen racial differences. A comparison of the treatment outcomes of African Americans and European Americans at Roswell Park should lessen the likelihood that treatment differences would affect survival differences. Treatment differences would in all likelihood be minimized within a single institution; they would be conditioned by the disease site and stage of disease, rather than by institution-specific preferences. In addition, within a single institution, disease site, along with stage at diagnosis, age and gender could be held constant.

We have used a number of patient data sets collected at Roswell Park over the past 50 years to compare treatment outcomes of African Americans and European Americans. We consider racial differences in mortality treated first as a dichotomy at 5 and at 10 years, and with the relative hazard of mortality examined by use of Cox proportional hazards analysis. We adjust for stage of disease at diagnosis, age and gender for comparison. We also consider effect modification by disease stage, age and gender.

Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):PL08-03.
Phase 1 First-in-Human Trial of the Vascular Disrupting Agent Plinabulin(NPI-2358) in Patients with Solid Tumors or Lymphomas
Authors: Mita Monica M. , Spear Matthew A. , Yee Lorrin K. , Mita Alain C. , Heath Elisabeth I. , Papadopoulos Kyriakos P. , Federico Kristine C. , Reich Steven D. , Romero Ofelia , Malburg Lisa , Pilat MaryJo , Lloyd G. Kenneth , Neuteboom Saskia T.C. , Cropp Gillian , Ashton Edward , LoRusso Patricia M.
Published: December 2010

Purpose: Plinabulin (NPI-2358) is a vascular disrupting agent that elicits tumor vascular endothelial architectural destabilization leading to selective collapse of established tumor vasculature. Preclinical data indicated plinabulin has favorable safety and antitumor activity profiles, leading to initiation of this clinical trial to determine the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) and assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and biologic activity of plinabulin in patients with advanced malignancies.

Experimental Design: Patients received a weekly infusion of plinabulin for 3 of every 4 weeks. A dynamic accelerated dose titration method was used to escalate the dose from 2 mg/m2 to the RP2D, followed by enrollment of an RP2D cohort. Safety, pharmacokinetic, and cardiovascular assessments were conducted, and Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) scans were performed to estimate changes in tumor blood flow.

Results: Thirty-eight patients were enrolled. A dose of 30 mg/m2 was selected as the RP2D based on the adverse events of nausea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, tumor pain, and transient blood pressure elevations, with DCE-MRI indicating decreases in tumor blood flow (Ktrans) from 13.5 mg/m2 (defining a biologically effective dose) with a 16% to 82% decrease in patients evaluated at 30 mg/m2. Half-life was 6.06 ± 3.03 hours, clearance was 30.50 ± 22.88 L/h, and distributive volume was 211 ± 67.9 L.

Conclusions: At the RP2D of 30 mg/m2, plinabulin showed a favorable safety profile, while eliciting biological effects as evidenced by decreases in tumor blood flow, tumor pain, and other mechanistically relevant adverse events. On the basis of these results additional clinical trials were initiated with plinabulin in combination with standard chemotherapy agents. Clin Cancer Res; 16(23); 5892–99. ©2010 AACR.
Noninvasive Radiofrequency Field Destruction of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Xenografts Treated with Targeted Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Glazer Evan S. , Zhu Cihui , Massey Katheryn L. , Thompson C. Shea , Kaluarachchi Warna D. , Hamir Amir N. , Curley Steven A.
Published: December 2010

Purpose: Pancreatic carcinoma is one of the deadliest cancers with few effective treatments. Gold nanoparticles (AuNP) are potentially therapeutic because of the safety demonstrated thus far and their physiochemical characteristics. We used the astounding heating rates of AuNPs in nonionizing radiofrequency (RF) radiation to investigate human pancreatic xenograft destruction in a murine model.

Experimental Design: Weekly, Panc-1 and Capan-1 human pancreatic carcinoma xenografts in immunocompromised mice were exposed to an RF field 36 hours after treatment (intraperitoneal) with cetuximab- or PAM4 antibody–conjugated AuNPs, respectively. Tumor sizes were measured weekly, whereas necrosis and cleaved caspase-3 were investigated with hematoxylin–eosin staining and immunofluorescence, respectively. In addition, AuNP internalization and cytotoxicity were investigated in vitro with confocal microscopy and flow cytometry, respectively.

Results: Panc-1 cells demonstrated increased apoptosis with decreased viability after treatment with cetuximab-conjugated AuNPs and RF field exposure (P = 0.00005). Differences in xenograft volumes were observed within 2 weeks of initiating therapy. Cetuximab- and PAM4-conjugated AuNPs demonstrated RF field–induced destruction of Panc-1 and Capan-1 pancreatic carcinoma xenografts after 6 weeks of weekly treatment (P = 0.004 and P = 0.035, respectively). There was no evidence of injury to murine organs. Cleaved caspase-3 and necrosis were both increased in treated tumors.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates a potentially novel cancer therapy by noninvasively inducing intracellular hyperthermia with targeted AuNPs in an RF field. While the therapy is dependent on the specificity of the targeting antibody, normal tissues were without toxicity despite systemic therapy and whole-body RF field exposure. Clin Cancer Res; 16(23); 5712–21. ©2010 AACR.
Gene Expression Profile Correlates with T-Cell Infiltration and Relative Survival in Glioblastoma Patients Vaccinated with Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy
Authors: Prins Robert M. , Soto Horacio , Konkankit Vera , Odesa Sylvia K. , Eskin Ascia , Yong William H. , Nelson Stanley F. , Liau Linda M.
Published: December 2010

Purpose: To assess the feasibility, safety, and toxicity of autologous tumor lysate–pulsed dendritic cell (DC) vaccination and toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists in patients with newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma. Clinical and immune responses were monitored and correlated with tumor gene expression profiles.

Experimental Design: Twenty-three patients with glioblastoma (WHO grade IV) were enrolled in this dose-escalation study and received three biweekly injections of glioma lysate-pulsed DCs followed by booster vaccinations with either imiquimod or poly-ICLC adjuvant every 3 months until tumor progression. Gene expression profiling, immunohistochemistry, FACS, and cytokine bead arrays were performed on patient tumors and peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Results: DC vaccinations are safe and not associated with any dose-limiting toxicity. The median overall survival from the time of initial surgical diagnosis of glioblastoma was 31.4 months, with a 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rate of 91%, 55%, and 47%, respectively. Patients whose tumors had mesenchymal gene expression signatures exhibited increased survival following DC vaccination compared with historic controls of the same genetic subtype. Tumor samples with a mesenchymal gene expression signature had a higher number of CD3+ and CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes compared with glioblastomas of other gene expression signatures (P = 0.006).

Conclusion: Autologous tumor lysate–pulsed DC vaccination in conjunction with TLR agonists is safe as adjuvant therapy in newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma patients. Our results suggest that the mesenchymal gene expression profile may identify an immunogenic subgroup of glioblastoma that may be more responsive to immune-based therapies. Clin Cancer Res; 17(6); 1603–15. ©2010 AACR.
Acquired Resistance to EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in EGFR-Mutant Lung Cancer: Distinct Natural History of Patients with Tumors Harboring the T790M Mutation
Authors: Oxnard Geoffrey R. , Arcila Maria E. , Sima Camelia S. , Riely Gregory J. , Chmielecki Juliann , Kris Mark G. , Pao William , Ladanyi Marc , Miller Vincent A.
Published: December 2010

Purpose: Patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant lung adenocarcinoma develop acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) after a median of 10 to 16 months. In half of these cases, a second EGFR mutation, T790M, underlies acquired resistance. We undertook this study to examine the clinical course of patients harboring the T790M mutation following progression on TKI.

Experimental Design: EGFR-mutant lung cancer patients with acquired resistance to EGFR TKIs were identified as part of a prospective rebiopsy protocol in which postprogression tumor specimens were collected for molecular analysis. Postprogression survival and characteristics of disease progression were compared in patients with and without T790M.

Results: We identified T790M in the initial rebiopsy specimens from 58 of 93 patients (62%, 95% CI: 52–72). T790M was more common in biopsies of lung/pleura tissue and lymph nodes than in more distant sites (P = 0.014). Median postprogression survival was 16 months (interquartile range = 9–29 months); patients with T790M had a significantly longer postprogression survival (P = 0.036). Patients without T790M more often progressed in a previously uninvolved organ system (P = 0.014) and exhibited a poorer performance status at time of progression (P = 0.007).

Conclusions: Among patients with acquired resistance to EGFR TKIs, the presence of T790M defines a clinical subset with a relatively favorable prognosis and more indolent progression. Knowledge of T790M status is therefore important both for the clinical care of these patients and for the optimal design and interpretation of clinical trials in this setting. Clin Cancer Res; 17(6); 1616–22. ©2010 AACR.
Bacterial Colonization Affects the Intestinal Proteome of Preterm Pigs Susceptible to Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Authors: Jiang Pingping , Sangild Per T. , Siggers Richard H. , Sit Wai-Hung , Lee Cheuk-Lun , Wan Jennifer Man-Fan
Published: December 2010

Background: In newborns, colonizing bacteria and enteral nutrition are important for early gut development and immunity. However, in preterm newborns, bacterial colonization, coupled with enteral feeding, can lead to marked intestinal inflammation and disease such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). We hypothesized that the initial bacterial colonization of the gut affects the intestinal proteome independently of enteral feeding. Objective: To identify the intestinal proteins affected by the first colonizing bacteria by comparing the intestinal proteome in formula-fed preterm pigs reared under germ free (GF) or conventional conditions. Methods: Gel-based proteomics of the small intestine to detect proteins that may play a part in the response of the immature intestine to bacterial colonization after birth. Results: Fourteen proteins involved in stress response and detoxification (e.g. heat-shock proteins, peroxiredoxin 1), tissue metabolism and apoptosis (e.g. annexin 2), and some signal transduction pathways were differentially expressed between GF and conventionally reared pigs. Conclusion: The premature intestine is highly responsive to initial bacterial colonization and the specific bacteria-related proteome changes may contribute to the stress response that makes the immature intestine sensitive to the pro-inflammatory effects of enteral feeding.
Effect of Prothrombin Complex Concentrate on Hematoma Enlargement and Clinical Outcome in Patients with Anticoagulant-Associated Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Kuwashiro Takahiro , Yasaka Masahiro , Itabashi Ryo , Nakagaki Hideaki , Miyashita Fumio , Naritomi Hiroaki , Minematsu Kazuo
Published: December 2010

Background: The present study was carried out to determine the effect of prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) on hematoma enlargement (HE) and the early clinical outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients on long-term warfarin treatment. Methods: Themedical records and computed tomography (CT) images of 50 consecutive ICH patients on long-term warfarin treatment (35 men, 15 women; 69 ± 12 years old) were reviewed. International normalized ratio (INR) values, frequency of HE and clinical outcome were compared between patients treated with and without PCC. Results: INR values on admission were above 2.0 in 37 patients, of whom 19 were given PCC (PCC group) and 18 were not given PCC (control group). In these 37 patients, the frequency of HE (p = 0.017), the number of patients with a poor clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≧3 at 30 days or at discharge; p = 0.045) and in-hospital mortality (p = 0.042) were significantly higher in the control than in the PCC group. On multivariate logistic regression analysis with adjustment, PCC administration was independently associated (odds ratio 0.03, 95% confidence interval 0.00–0.63; p = 0.023) with a reduction in poor clinical outcome in ICH patients whose INR values were >2.0 on admission. Conclusions: Immediate INR reversal with PCC may prevent HE and subsequent poor outcome.
24-hour time-dependent aspirin efficacy in patients with stable coronary artery disease
Authors: Vermillet Adeline , Boval Bernadette , Guyetand Carine , Petroni Thibaut , Dillinger Jean-Guillaume , Sideris Georgios , Sollier Claire Bal dit , Drouet Ludovic , Henry Patrick
Published: December 2010

Aspirin-induced cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 acetylation is irreversible and it is assumed that the platelet thromboxane-A2 aggregation pathway is inhibited for at least 24 hours (h) after aspirin ingestion. However, time course of biological efficacy of daily low-dose aspirin has rarely been assessed in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to assess the 24-h biological efficacy of daily low-dose aspirin in CAD patients. The peak and trough (2 h –24 h) effect of a chronic treatment with once daily dose aspirin were studied in 150 consecutive stable CAD patients. The main outcome measure was light transmission aggregometry (LTA) triggered with 0.5 mg/ml arachidonic acid (AA). In the last 47 consecutive patients, additional tests were conducted at 6, 12, 16, 20 h after last aspirin administration. 4.7% of the patients had significant aggregation (>20% maximal intensity LTA-AA) 2 h after aspirin ingestion and 24.7% at 24 h (p<0.0001). The more precise assessments in the last 47 patients showed that significant platelet aggregation progressively reappeared with time after aspirin intake (2 h – 4% of patients, 6 h – 4%, 12 h – 11%, 16 h – 16%, 20 h – 19% and 24 h – 28%). Concordant results were observed using production of thromboxane-B2 and other techniques evaluating AA-induced platelet aggregation/activation. No significant differences were found between lower (75–100 mg/day) and higher (>100 mg/day) dose aspirin. Such aspirin «resistance» at 24 h after ingestion was related to biological inflammatory markers, current smoking and diabetes. In conclusion, once daily aspirin does not provide stable 24-h antiplatelet protection in a significant proportion of CAD patients. Any biological assessment of aspirin efficacy should take time since last aspirin intake into consideration.
Association of plasma fibrinogen, C-reactive protein and G-455>A polymorphism with early atherosclerosis in the VITA Project cohort
Authors: Tosetto Alberto , Prati Patrizio , Baracchini Claudio , Manara Renzo , Rodeghiero Francesco
Published: December 2010

While increased fibrinogen is associated with vascular events, only few data are available on its association with preclinical atherosclerosis. We aimed at evaluating the association between fibrinogen levels, fibrinogen polymorphism G-455>A and C-reactive protein and preclinical atherosclerosis in a population-based, cross-sectional study. A cohort of 2,580 subjects was enrolled. Fibrinogen was measured at time of original enrolment and at time of the second visit, when ultrasound examination of both left and right common carotid arteries was performed, together with evaluation of C-reactive protein (CRP) and of the fibrinogen G-455>A polymorphism. CRP and fibrinogen levels at baseline were the two variables mostly influencing fibrinogen levels at the follow-up visit (p<0.0001). Carriers of the H2H2 genotype of the G-455>A polymorphism had increased fibrinogen levels, particularly in association with increased CRP levels. Increased fibrinogen levels were independently associated with presence of carotid plaques, particularly in those subjects having a persistent increase of fibrinogen (odds ratio 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.47–2.67). An association between the H2H2 genotype and presence of carotid plaques was observed only in a subgroup of subjects with CRP > 0.5 mg/dl. A persistent increase of plasma fibrinogen is associated with an increased risk of early atherosclerosis.
Geographic and Demographic Variability in 20-Year Hypertension Incidence
Authors: Levine Deborah A. , Lewis Cora E. , Williams O. Dale , Safford Monika M. , Liu Kiang , Calhoun David A. , Kim Yongin , Jacobs David R. , Kiefe Catarina I.
Published: December 2010

Although the variability of cardiovascular disease mortality by geography, race, and sex is well known, less is known about risk factor variation. We assessed 20-year incidence of hypertension, a cardiovascular disease risk factor, across 4 US urban areas and by race–sex. Among 3436 eligible adults 18 to 30 years of age when recruited in 1985 to 1986 in the community-based Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) cohort, we examined 20-year cumulative incidence of hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg or antihypertensive medication use at any examination) by site and race–sex, adjusting for baseline and time-dependent covariates with Cox regression. Twenty-year incidence, when the mean age was ≈45 years, was 34.5% in black men (n=617), 37.6% in black women (n=965), 21.4% in white men (n=856), and 12.3% in white women (n=998;
P
<0.001). Incidence was 33.6% in Birmingham, Ala, 23.4% in Chicago, Ill, 19% in Minneapolis, Minn, and 27.4% in Oakland, Calif (
P
<0.001). After adjustment for age, race, sex, heart rate, body mass index, smoking, family history, education, uric acid, alcohol use, physical activity, and baseline systolic blood pressure, hazard ratios (95% CI) compared with Birmingham were 0.72 (0.59 to 0.87) for Chicago, 0.60 (0.50 to 0.74) for Minneapolis, and 0.73 (0.61 to 0.87) for Oakland. Race–sex differences persisted after adjustment for site, especially for black women. From young adulthood to middle age, hypertension incidence varies significantly across urban areas. Independent of geography, blacks, especially women, are at markedly higher risk of hypertension. Hypertension incidence may contribute to geographic and racial differences in cardiovascular disease mortality, including stroke.
Increased inflammatory Response in Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy Is Associated With Dyslipidemia: Effects of Statin Therapy
Authors: Iakovis Panagiotis , Anyfantakis Zaharias-Alexandros , Limas Constantinos , Kroupis Christos , Degiannis Dimitrios , Cokkinos Dennis V
Published: December 2010

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is associated with increased inflammatory response reflected among other markers in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels. We examined prospectively 60 consecutive patients with DCM. Of them, 30 were dyslipidemic (group I) and 30 normolipidemic (group II). Group I patients were randomized to either simvastatin therapy (20 mg/day, group Ia, n = 15) or hypolipidemic diet therapy (group Ib, n = 15). Patients were re-evaluated 6 months later. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein and sIL-2R levels were significantly higher in group I compared with group II patients (19.5 ± 3.4 vs 3.03 ± 3.5 mg/L, P = .01, 1137 ± 441 vs 599 ± 235 pg/mL, P = .001, respectively). There was a significant correlation between sIL-2R and hsCRP levels in dyslipidemic patients but not in normolipidemic patients. Significant reduction of hsCRP and sIL-2R levels was observed only in group Ia patients. Patients with DCM having dyslipidemia have increased inflammatory response, which is reduced after 6 months of statin therapy.
The Role of Postexercise Measurements in the Diagnosis of Peripheral Arterial Disease in HIV-Infected Patients
Authors: Qaqa Ashraf Y. , DeBari Vincent A. , Isbitan A. , Mohammad N. , Sison R. , Slim Jihad , Perez George , Shamoon Fayez E.
Published: December 2010

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a marker of atherosclerosis, which is not well studied in the population with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We prospectively enrolled HIV-infected patients who had normal resting ankle-brachial index (rABI) readings. All participants performed either a treadmill walking test (TT) or pedal plantar flexion test (PFT). Patients were divided into 2 groups according to postexercise changes; PAD and No-PAD group. The 2 groups were compared with regard to established cardiovascular disease risk factors and other HIV infection parameters. Peripheral arterial disease was present in 30 (26.5%) of 113 consecutive HIV-infected patients included in the study. Mean age was 47 ± 10 years. The risk factors studied did not differ significantly among the 2 groups except for male gender, which was significantly associated with PAD (RR: 4.15; CI: 1.6 to 11.1: P < .0008). The prevalence of PAD, diagnosed by significant drop in postexercise ABI and ankle pressure in patients with HIV is high.
Neighborhood Conditions and Fear of Crime
Authors: Snedker Karen A.
Published: December 2010

Research indicates that men and women commonly express different amounts of fear about crime. This article explores the sex difference in fear of crime levels by assessing differences in fear of crime in relation to urban environments. Using data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics Criminal Victimization and Perceptions of Community Safety, the present analysis employs multinomial logistic regressions to examine gradations in two measures of fear of crime. Some aspects of the neighborhood environment do differentially influence men and women’s fear of crime levels, including serious crime in the neighborhood, physical and social disorder. Findings highlight that women’s greater fear of crime is partially due to higher perceived risks through signals of neighborhood conditions.
Women, micro credit and empowerment in Cairo, Egypt
Authors: Drolet Julie
Published: December 2010

This article explores how micro credit programs can better address women’s aspirations by focusing on more holistic approaches to meet women’s gendered needs.Women’s experiences in a micro credit project are analysed using women’s triple roles, practical and strategic gender needs and notions of women’s empowerment. To examine the relationship between micro credit and empowerment of women, the author interviewed and conducted focus groups with 69 micro credit participants, including women borrowers and staff members from the Group Guaranteed Lending and Savings (GGLS) micro credit program in Cairo, Egypt.
Does mental health affect continued participation in the workfare program? The South Korean case
Authors: Tae Kyun Yoo  , Sun Hae Lee
Published: December 2010

This study found that individuals with poor mental health were four times as likely as those without mental health problems to leave workfare programs for negative reasons. Strategies need to be developed for mental health screening and service provision, referral and monitoring among South Korean workfare program participants.
The Reporting of Self-Esteem in Japan and Canada
Authors: Tafarodi Romin W. , Shaughnessy Sarah C. , Yamaguchi Susumu , Murakoshi Akiko
Published: December 2010

Japanese tend to report lower self-esteem than do Westerners. What this behavioral difference indicates about the private sentiments of individuals in Japan and Western countries such as Canada has been earnestly debated in recent years. Consideration of self-esteem ratings as speech acts or performatives shifts the focus of cultural comparison away from the valence of assumed mental representations and onto the pragmatics of agreement with statements of personal value. This alternative framing highlights the importance of performative pressures and other normative considerations in guiding the speech acts whereby self-esteem is typically measured. To support our claim that the self-esteem ratings of Japanese and Canadians are shaped by contrasting performative pressures, we show that explicit instructions designed to offset these pressures predictably raise or lower reported self-esteem. Implications of the results for the meaning and measurement of self-esteem across cultures are discussed.
Inflammation and Uncoupling as Mechanisms of Periodontal Bone Loss
Authors: Graves D.T. , Li J. , Cochran D.L.
Published: December 2010

Periodontal disease is characterized by both inflammation and bone loss. Advances in research in both these areas have led to a new appreciation of not only each field but also the intimate relationship between inflammation and bone loss. This relationship has resulted in a new field of science called osteoimmunology and provides a context for better understanding the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. In this review, we discuss several aspects of the immuno-inflammatory host response that ultimately results in loss of alveolar bone. A proposal is made that periodontal inflammation not only stimulates osteoclastogenesis but also interferes with the uncoupling of bone formation and bone resorption, consistent with a pathologic process. Furthermore, arguments based on experimental animal models suggest a critical role of the spatial and temporal aspects of inflammation in the periodontium. A review of these findings leads to a new paradigm to help explain more fully the impact of inflammation on alveolar bone in periodontal disease so that it includes the effects of inflammation on uncoupling of bone formation from resorption.
The Multiple Roles That Youth Development Program Leaders Adopt With Youth
Authors: Walker Kathrin C.
Published: December 2010

The roles that program leaders establish in their relationships with youth structure how leaders are able to foster youth development. This article examines the complex roles program leaders create in youth programs and investigates how they balanced multiple roles to most effectively respond to the youth they serve. Analyses of qualitative data from 12 high quality programs for high school—aged youth suggest that program leaders take on different roles. In some cases, youth experienced their program leader as a trusted friend, caring parent figure, or influential mentor. In other instances they described him or her as having the knowledge and authority of a teacher or boss. Analyses further suggest that moving across multiple roles appeared to make the program leaders more effective.
Seemingly Similar Beliefs: A Case Study on Relativistic Research Practices
Authors: Koskinen Inkeri
Published: December 2010

The kind of epistemic relativism usually refuted by its critics is less frequently observable in ethnographic research practices than the critics assume. Instead, methodological conceptual relativism can be recognized in several cases. This has significant practical implications, since the kind of epistemic relativism described by its critics, if rigorously followed, could lead to ethnographers conflating ways of argumentation accepted by their informants, with ways of argumentation accepted in academia, whereas methodological conceptual relativism does not have such consequences.
The deceptive mean: Conceptual scoring of cloze entries differentially advantages more able readers
Authors: O'Toole JM , King RAR
Published: December 2010

The ‘cloze’ test is one possible investigative instrument for predicting text comprehensibility. Conceptual coding of student replacement of deleted words has been considered to be more valid than exact coding, partly because conceptual coding seemed fairer to poorer readers. This paper reports a quantitative study of 447 Australian secondary school student responses to three differing cloze tests covering identical content. The study sought to better understand the impact of cloze coding decisions on estimation of text difficulty and/or reader competence. Findings reveal the following: (a) conceptual coding increases reader cloze score differentially; (b) the increase in score from conceptual coding is greater for more able readers; (c) conceptual coding differentially advantages more able readers of less difficult text. This study is significant because instructors, researchers and developers often make decisions based on interpretation of mean scores from grouped cloze test results and such summaries of result distributions can obscure differential advantages such as those made clearer by this study. Estimates of text comprehensibility based on mean scores of conceptually coded cloze tests may overestimate group competence and underestimate text difficulty for some groups of readers. This contradicts an apparent consensus in the literature dealing with deletion-based tests.
Predicting lexical proficiency in language learner texts using computational indices
Authors: Crossley Scott A. , Salsbury Tom , McNamara Danielle S. , Jarvis Scott
Published: December 2010

The authors present a model of lexical proficiency based on lexical indices related to vocabulary size, depth of lexical knowledge, and accessibility to core lexical items. The lexical indices used in this study come from the computational tool Coh-Metrix and include word length scores, lexical diversity values, word frequency counts, hypernymy values, polysemy values, semantic co-referentiality, word meaningfulness, word concreteness, word imagability, and word familiarity. Human raters evaluated a corpus of 240 written texts using a standardized rubric of lexical proficiency. To ensure a variety of text levels, the corpus comprised 60 texts each from beginning, intermediate, and advanced second language (L2) adult English learners. The L2 texts were collected longitudinally from 10 English learners. In addition, 60 texts from native English speakers were collected. The holistic scores from the trained human raters were then correlated to a variety of lexical indices. The researchers found that lexical diversity, word hypernymy values and content word frequency explain 44% of the variance of the human evaluations of lexical proficiency in the examined writing samples. The findings represent an important step in the development of a model of lexical proficiency that incorporates both vocabulary size and depth of lexical knowledge features.
An Examination of Emerging Adulthood in College Students and Nonstudents in India
Authors: Seiter Liann Nicole , Nelson Larry J.
Published: December 2010

The study examined Indian college students and nonstudents aged 18 to 26 to examine (a) whether they feel they are adults (i.e., “age of feeling in-between”), (b) the criteria they deem necessary for becoming adults, and (c) the extent to which they feel optimistic about their future (e.g., “age of possibilities”). Participants included 478 college students in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India and 100 nonstudents from rural villages surrounding Coimbatore. Results revealed that the majority of the 18- to 26-year-olds studied felt that they had achieved adulthood. Participants emphasized attributes needed to fulfill family roles as characteristics necessary for adulthood. Differences in optimism levels were found between students and nonstudents. The unique cultural and structural influences in India, such as Hinduism, caste, gendered socialization, and the educational system, are discussed as possible explanations for the unique findings.
In a Rat Model of Night Work, Activity during the Normal Resting Phase Produces Desynchrony in the Hypothalamus
Authors: Salgado-Delgado Roberto , Nadia Saderi , Angeles-Castellanos M. , Buijs Ruud M. , Escobar Carolina
Published: December 2010

Internal synchrony among external cycles and internal oscillators allows adaptation of physiology to cyclic demands for homeostasis. Night work and shift work lead to a disrupted phase relationship between external time cues and internal rhythms, also losing internal coherence among oscillations. This process results in internal desynchrony (ID) in which behavioral, hormonal, and metabolic variables cycle out of phase. It is still not clear whether ID originates at a peripheral or at a central level. In order to determine the possible role of hypothalamic oscillators in ID, we explored with a rat model of “night work” daily rhythms of activity and clock gene expression in the hypothalamus. This study provides evidence that wakefulness and activity during the normal resting phase lead to a shift in the diurnal rhythms of c-Fos and induce a rhythm of PER1 in the arcuate and dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, both associated with metabolism and regulation of the sleep/wake cycle. Moreover, the number of orexin (ORX)—positive neurons and c-Fos in the perifornical area increased during the working period, suggesting a relevant switch of activity in this brain region induced by the scheduled activity; however, the colocalization of c-Fos in ORX-positive cells was not increased. In contrast, the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the paraventricular nucleus remained locked to the light/dark cycle, resulting in ID in the hypothalamus. Present data suggest that ID occurs already at the level of the first output projections from the SCN, relaying nuclei that transmit temporal signals to other brain areas and to the periphery.
The Circadian Clock Starts Ticking at a Developmentally Early Stage
Authors: Kowalska Elzbieta , Moriggi Ermanno , Bauer Christoph , Dibner Charna , Brown Steven A.
Published: December 2010

Although overt diurnal rhythms of behavior do not begin until well after birth, molecular studies suggest that the circadian clock may begin much earlier at a cellular level: mouse embryonic fibroblasts, for example, already possess robust clocks. By multiple criteria, we found no circadian clock present in mouse embryonic stem cells. Nevertheless, upon their differentiation into neurons, circadian gene expression was observed. In the first steps along the pathway from ES cells to neurons, a neural precursor cell (NPC) line already showed robust circadian oscillations. Therefore, at a cellular level, the circadian clock likely begins at the very earliest stages of mammalian development.
Partial Sleep Deprivation Reduces Phase Advances to Light in Humans
Authors: Burgess Helen J.
Published: December 2010

Partial sleep deprivation is increasingly common in modern society. This study examined for the first time if partial sleep deprivation alters circadian phase shifts to bright light in humans. Thirteen young healthy subjects participated in a repeated-measures counterbalanced design with 2 conditions. Each condition had baseline sleep, a dim-light circadian phase assessment, a 3-day phase-advancing protocol with morning bright light, then another phase assessment. In one condition (no sleep deprivation), subjects had an 8-h sleep opportunity per night during the advancing protocol. In the other condition (partial sleep deprivation), subjects were kept awake for 4 h in near darkness (<0.25 lux), immediately followed by a 4-h sleep opportunity per night during the advancing protocol. The morning bright light stimulus was four 30-min pulses of bright light (~5000 lux), separated by 30-min intervals of room light. The light always began at the same circadian phase, 8 h after the baseline dim-light melatonin onset (DLMO). The average phase advance without sleep deprivation was 1.8 ± 0.6 (SD) h, which reduced to 1.4 ± 0.6 h with partial sleep deprivation ( p < 0.05). Ten of the 13 subjects showed reductions in phase advances with partial sleep deprivation, ranging from 0.2 to 1.2 h. These results indicate that short-term partial sleep deprivation can moderately reduce circadian phase shifts to bright light in humans. This may have significant implications for the sleep-deprived general population and for the bright light treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders such as delayed sleep phase disorder.
Malaria fever therapy for general paralysis of the insane in Denmark
Authors: Kragh Jesper Vaczy
Published: December 2010

This article explores the history of general paralysis and malaria fever therapy in Denmark. I argue that the small size of the country gave Danish psychiatrists excellent opportunities for performing statistical studies of general paralysis in the 19th century. In the early 1920s malaria fever therapy was introduced in Danish mental hospitals and raised hopes of a cure for paralytics. Malaria fever therapy became popular among Danish psychiatrists, but the new therapy also raised ethical questions and led to the first regulations concerning informed consent in the history of Danish psychiatry.
‘War neurosis’ during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39)
Authors: Villasante Olga
Published: December 2010

The aim of this contribution is to analyse the incidence and treatment of war neurosis in Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. First, the scientific papers published on war neurosis during and after the war are examined. Then the work of Gregorio Bermann (1894—1972), a member of the International Brigades who organized the frontline Neuropsychiatric Service at the Hospital de Chamartín de La Rosa (Madrid), is analysed. Las neurosis en la guerra, published in 1941, which recounts Bermann’s personal experience in the care of war neurosis in Spain, is also discussed.
Managing accountability for domestic violence: Identities, membership categories and morality in perpetrators’ talk
Authors: LeCouteur Amanda , Oxlad Melissa
Published: December 2010

Psychological research and popular discussion around domestic violence/intimate partner abuse have focussed on broad features of descriptive accounts such as victim precipitation, excusing of aggressors, and minimizing or denying the violence. Few studies have examined the finer detail of how such matters are routinely invoked in talk, and how they are regularly built in ways that make their authors appear credible and warranted. This study uses a discursive psychological approach to examine the talk of men recruited from domestic violence counselling groups who participated in one-on-one interviews about their violent/abusive behaviour. The analytic focus is on instances of situated identity categorization in these men’s accounts that involved the consequential moral assessment of self and partner in ways that justify or warrant violence/abuse. Routinely, in these men’s talk about their abused partner, subtle and particular categorizations associated with being a woman were worked up sequentially to depict her as having breached the normative moral order. These warranting practices were evident in the talk of both men who denied, and who overtly acknowledged, the wrongness of their violent/abusive actions. The findings raise important issues for understanding how commonsense reasoning around the causes of domestic violence and its justifiability is sustained, as well as having practical implications for theory, prevention and treatment.
Building on faults: How to represent controversies with digital methods
Authors: Venturini Tommaso
Published: December 2010

In a previous article in this journal, I introduced Bruno Latour’s cartography of controversies and I discussed half of it, namely how to observe techno-scientific controversies. In this article I will concentrate on the remaining half: how to represent the complexity of social debates in a legible form. In my previous paper, we learnt how to explore the richness of collective existence through Actor-Network Theory. In this one, I will discuss how to render such complexity through an original visualization device: the controversy-website. Capitalizing on the potential of digital technologies, the controversy-website has been developed as a multilayered toolkit to trace and aggregate information on public debates.
Is Shareholder Capitalism a Defunct Model for Financing Development?
Authors: Davis Gerald F.
Published: December 2010

Shareholder capitalism, and the American system of corporate governance that serves as its operating system, has been held out as a model of economic development for emerging markets for the past generation. This article unpacks the origins of this model within the US and argues that the model has had at best mixed success outside the US. Moreover, the fallout from the two financial bubbles of the early 21st century suggests that shareholder capitalism may not work as advertised even within the US. In the wake of the financial crisis, wise policymakers will draw on a diversity of models rather than hewing to the ‘one best way.’
Review Article: Dexmedetomidine: Does it Have Potential in Palliative Medicine?
Authors: Prommer Eric
Published: December 2010

Dexmedetomidine, is a α2adrenergic agonist approved by the Food and Drug administration for sedation and analgesia. A highly potent α2adrenergic agonist, it has quick onset of action, with peak effects within 1 hour of administration. It is metabolized in the liver and eliminated in the urine as a glucuronide. Dexmedetomidine is a substrate and inhibitor of cytochrome oxidase 2D6, but clinical evidence of significant drug interactions is lacking. Clinical trials suggest efficacy for the treatment of delirium in the intensive care unit setting with efficacy comparable to haloperidol and benzodiazepines. Dexmedetomidine also has an opioid-sparing action and can act to enhance analgesia. The purpose of this article is to review the pharmacodynamics and pharmacology of dexmedetomidine, and examine its potential use in the palliative care population, especially with regard to the management of delirium.
Maternal Sensitivity: Within-Person Variability and the Utility of Multiple Assessments
Authors: Lindhiem Oliver , Bernard Kristin , Dozier Mary
Published: December 2010

In this study, we examined within-person variability in maternal sensitivity among a culturally diverse sample of high-risk mother-infant dyads (N = 25). We also examined incremental increases in effect sizes between maternal sensitivity and two related variables, attachment state of mind and child removal from the home, as a function of increasing observations of maternal sensitivity. The dyads were videotaped during 10 1-hour-long home visits and maternal sensitivity was coded using the abbreviated (25-item) version of the Maternal Behavior Q-Sort (MBQS). Attachment state of mind was assessed using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Within-person variability in maternal sensitivity was greater for nonautonomous mothers compared to autonomous mothers. Mothers who were relatively low in maternal sensitivity were more likely to be nonautonomous and also more likely to have their child removed from their home by child protective services. Results from data sampling trials showed incremental increases in these effect sizes as the number of observations of maternal sensitivity increased. Fewer observations of maternal sensitivity resulted in systematic underestimates of effect sizes between maternal sensitivity and related variables. We discuss the implications for maltreatment researchers and interventionists.
Child Maltreatment Investigations Involving Parents With Cognitive Impairments in Canada
Authors: McConnell David , Feldman Maurice , Aunos Marjorie , Prasad Narasimha
Published: December 2010

The authors examined decision making and service referral in child maltreatment investigations involving children of parents with cognitive impairments using the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2003) core-data. The CIS-2003 includes process and outcome data on a total of 1,243 child investigations (n = 1,170 weighted) in which parental cognitive impairment was noted. Employing binary logistic regression analyses, the authors found that perceived parent noncooperation was the most potent predictor of court application. Alternative dispute resolution was rarely utilized. The findings from this study highlight the need for development and utilization of alternative dispute resolution strategies, worker training, dissemination of evidence-based parent training programs, and implementation of strategies to alleviate poverty and strengthen the social relationships of parents with cognitive impairments and promote a healthy start to life for their children.