bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increasing Rejection of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Pierotti Rachael S.
Published: March 2013

This study extends existing world society research on ideational diffusion by going beyond examinations of national policy change to investigate the spread of ideas among nonelite individuals. Specifically, I test whether recent trends in women’s attitudes about intimate partner violence are converging toward global cultural scripts. Results suggest that global norms regarding violence against women are reaching citizens worldwide, including in some of the least privileged parts of the globe. During the first decade of the 2000s, women in 23 of the 26 countries studied became more likely to reject intimate partner violence. Structural socioeconomic or demographic changes, such as urbanization, rising educational attainment, increasing media access, and cohort replacement, fail to explain the majority of the observed trend. Rather, women of all ages and social locations became less likely to accept justifications for intimate partner violence. The near uniformity of the trend and speed of the change in attitudes about intimate partner violence suggest that global cultural diffusion has played an important role.
Everyday Observations
Authors: Johnson David R. , Renzulli Linda , Bunch Jackson , Paino Maria
Published: March 2013

We describe a semester-long active learning project in which students practice the skills of synthesis and analysis by developing portfolios organized around a topic of their own choosing (relevant to their substantive course). We build on prior contributions in four ways. First, we offer a project that is indicative of basic skills in the sociological toolkit and therefore of potential relevance to students’ lives and future careers. Second, we provide the first systematic assessment of the efficacy of course portfolios by using a controlled, pretest-posttest analysis conducted in seven sections of three separate sociology courses. Third, we illustrate the conceptual connections between active learning pedagogy and identity theory and provide evidence that portfolios influence the development of a sociological identity and thought among students. Fourth, we offer instructors an instructional tool that can be employed in any undergraduate sociology course.
Identification of acceleration harmonic for an electro-hydraulic servo shaking table based on Kalman filter
Authors: Yao Jianjun , Di Duotao , Jiang Guilin , Gao Shuang , Yan Han
Published: March 2013

Non-linearities commonly exist in an electro-hydraulic servo shaking table, causing acceleration harmonics distortion when the shaking table is excited by a sinusoidal acceleration signal, because its acceleration response includes higher harmonics, which lower the control performance for an electro-hydraulic servo shaking table. To cancel the harmonics in the system response, thus to improve the shaking table performance, we need to know about the harmonics information. An identification algorithm is developed here based on a Kalman filter for dynamically tracking the acceleration harmonics for the electro-hydraulic servo shaking table. A linear system in state space is modelled. The system acceleration response is applied as an observation value and is imported to the Kalman filter, which recursively estimates the state vector of the linear system. The amplitude and phase of each harmonic are calculated from the estimated state vector, and their estimated values are validated. A simulation example is presented and experiments were performed on the electro-hydraulic servo shaking table. Both results show a good estimation performance of the proposed acceleration harmonic identification algorithm.
Manifold distance-based particle swarm optimization for classification
Authors: Liu Ruochen , Wang Lixia , Wu Pei , He Xingtong , Jiao Licheng
Published: March 2013

Classification is one of the most important research topics in data mining. In this paper, a manifold distance-based particle swarm optimization (MDPSO) for classification is proposed. Firstly, a new selection strategy is designed to maintain information of some good solutions as well as enhance the diversity of swarm. Furthermore, a manifold distance is utilized to measure the similarity of two samples, which measures the geodesic distance along the manifold and can better reflect the global consistency of the given problems. MDPSO is applied to solve 10 benchmark classification problems selected from UCI (University of California Irvine) datasets and 10 artificial data sets. The experimental results show that MDPSO outperforms the typical C4.5, nearest neighbour, and Michigan particle swarm optimization on most of the testing problems used in this paper. In addition, MDPSO is applied to a real-world application problem, namely handwritten digit recognition, with a good performance obtained.
Online time delay identification and control for general classes of nonlinear systems
Authors: Bayrak Alper , Tatlicioglu Enver
Published: March 2013

In this study, online identification of state delays is discussed. First, a novel adaptive time delay identification technique is proposed for general classes of nonlinear systems subject to state delays. The stability of the time delay identification algorithm is analyzed via Lyapunov-based techniques. In this work, we consider the time delay as a nonlinear parameter effecting the system which is a seemingly novel departure from the existing literature. As an extension, this technique is modified to design a tracking controller for general classes of nonlinear systems subject to state delays. The main novelty of this controller is that identification of unknown state delays are ensured while output tracking objective is satisfied. Numerical simulations are conducted that demonstrate the efficiency of the time delay identification algorithm and the tracking controller.
A novel numerical integrator for velocity and position estimation
Authors: Thenozhi Suresh , Yu Wen , Garrido Ruben
Published: March 2013

Velocity and position are the most important signals used in industrial controllers such as proportional–integral–derivative controllers. While in some real-time applications like structural control, acceleration measurements are easily accessible via accelerometers. The velocity and position have to be estimated from the measured acceleration. In this paper, offset cancellation and high-pass filtering techniques are combined effectively to solve common problems in numerical integration of acceleration signals in real-time applications. The integration accuracy is improved compared with other numerical integrators. Experimental results on a linear servo actuator and a shake table illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Compensation of gap sensor for high-speed maglev train with RBF neural network
Authors: Jing Yongzhi , Xiao Jian , Zhang Kunlun
Published: March 2013

The gap sensor plays an important role for a electro-magnetic levitation system, which is a critical component of high-speed maglev trains. An artificial neural network is a promising area in the development of intelligent sensors. In this paper, a radial basis function (RBF) neural network modelling approach is introduced for the compensation of the non-contact inductive gap sensor of the high-speed maglev train. As an inverse model compensator, the designed RBF-based model is connected in series to the output terminal of the gap sensor. The network is trained by using a gradient descent learning algorithm with momentum. This scheme could estimate accurately the correct air-gap distance in a wide range of temperatures. The simulation studies of this model show that it can provide a compensated gap value with an error of less than ±0.4 mm at any temperature from 20° to 80°C. In particulr, the maximum estimation error can be reduced to ±0.1 mm when the working gap varies from 8 to 12 mm. The experimental results indicate that the compensated gap signal could meet the requirements of the levitation control system.
Identity Work and Legitimacy
Authors: Brown Andrew D. , Toyoki Sammy
Published: March 2013

We analyse the relationships between identity work and internal legitimacy. Based on an in-depth case study of prisoners in Helsinki Prison, we focus on how their identity work affirmed and contested three kinds of institutional legitimacy – pragmatic, moral and cognitive. The research contribution we make is to show that some forms of identity work are also a form of internal legitimacy work, and how this identity talk constructs organizations as more (or less) legitimate. This is important because it demonstrates that identity work is an intrinsic (though often overlooked) aspect of processes of organizing.
Risk of ischemic stroke with the use of risperidone, quetiapine and olanzapine in elderly patients: a population-based, case-crossover study
Authors: Shin Ju-Young , Choi Nam-Kyong , Jung Sun-Young , Lee Joongyub , Kwon Jun S , Park Byung-Joo
Published: March 2013

We conducted a case-crossover study to evaluate the comparative risk of ischemic stroke associated with the use of risperidone, quetiapine and olanzapine in geriatric patients using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. Cases included elderly patients >64 years old who had experienced their first ischemic stroke (International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), I63) hospitalization from July 2005 to June 2006 and who had been without prior cerebrovascular diseases (ICD-10, I60–I69), or transient ischemic attack (ICD-10, G45). Exposures to risperidone, quetiapine and olanzapine were assessed during the 30 days prior to the stroke episode. We set two control periods with lengths which were the same as the hazard periods. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by conditional logistic regression. A total of 1601 cases of ischemic stroke with a mean age of 75.6 (±6.7) years were identified, among which 933 (58.3%) were female. An increased risk of ischemic stroke was associated with the use of risperidone (aOR=3.5, 95% CI 3.3–4.6) and quetiapine (aOR=2.7, 95% CI 2.0–3.6) during the 30 days prior to stroke: however, no significant risk was observed with olanzapine (aOR=1.2, 95% CI 0.7–2.0). The increased stroke risk in demented patients, assessed within 30 days after exposure, was also observed with olanzapine. However, the sample of olanzapine users was small and underpowered.
Further evidence for involvement of the dorsal hippocampus serotonergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic pathways in the expression of contextual fear conditioning in rats
Authors: Almada Rafael C , Albrechet-Souza Lucas , Brandão Marcus L
Published: March 2013

Intra-dorsal hippocampus (DH) injections of 8-hydroxy-2-(di- n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), a serotonin-1A (5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-1A) receptor agonist, were previously shown to inhibit the expression of contextual fear when administered six hours after conditioning. However, further understanding of the consolidation and expression of aversive memories requires investigations of these and other mechanisms at distinct time points and the regions of the brain to which they are transferred. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of DH serotonergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic mechanisms in the expression of contextual fear 24 h after conditioning, reflected by fear-potentiated startle (FPS) and freezing behavior. The recruitment of the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in these processes was also evaluated by measuring Fos protein immunoreactivity. Although intra-DH injections of 8-OH-DPAT did not produce behavioral changes, muscimol reduced both FPS and the freezing response. Fos protein immunoreactivity revealed that contextual fear promoted wide activation of the mPFC, which was significantly reduced after intra-DH infusions of muscimol. The present findings, together with previous data, indicate that in contrast to 5-HT, which appears to play a role during the early phases of contextual aversive memory consolidation, longer-lasting GABA-mediated mechanisms are recruited during the expression of contextual fear memories.
Continuous versus Intermittent Data Collection of Health Care Utilization
Authors: Hendriks Marike R. C. , Al Maiwenn J. , Bleijlevens Michel H. C. , van Haastregt Jolanda C. M. , Crebolder Harry F. J. M. , van Eijk Jacques Th. M. , Evers Silvia M. A. A.
Published: March 2013

Background: In economic evaluations, participants have to report their health care utilization continuously during follow-up. To unburden participants, researchers often collect data intermittently (i.e., in at least 3 months a year). However, comparability of intermittent v. continuous data collection is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to compare costs estimated with intermittent data collection of health care utilization with those based on continuous data collection. Methods: We used continuous health care utilization data from a trial with 12 months of follow-up and simulated several intermittent data collection patterns. Then 3 imputation techniques—individual mean (IM), last observation carried forward (LOCF) and next observation carried backward (NOCB)—were used to estimate total annual costs. Estimated annual costs were compared with observed annual costs from continuous data collection both in the original sample and in 1000 bootstrap samples. Results: Analyses showed that intermittent data collection using cost diaries may offer good estimates of the actual total annual health expenditures. However, estimations of groups of costs differ between data collection patterns and imputation methods. The best estimations of annual total costs and groups of costs were obtained by random cohort data collection, using 3 random cohorts, ensuring that at least a third of the participants were measuring costs each month, combined with IM imputation. Intermittent data collection of health expenditures carries a small risk of missing infrequent expensive events. Conclusions: Continuous cost data collection remains the first choice. However, if intermittent measurement is chosen, we recommend calculating annual costs from intermittent data collection in random cohorts, combined with IM imputation.
Britain: racial violence and the politics of hate
Authors: Burnett Jon
Published: March 2013

Drawing on research into racist attacks in three cities, this article reveals a changing geography of racial violence in the UK (in terms of new areas and targets), and sets this in the context of the socially destructive impact of neoliberalism and government policies to manage the UK’s changing demographic make-up. With racial violence officially defined as just one form of ‘hate crime’, it is now divorced from any wider political context or racialised climate and reduced to a matter of individual pathology. The changing parameters of racism and the state’s responses present a challenge which the Left and anti-racists have been slow to meet.
The case against joint enterprise
Authors: Bridges Lee
Published: March 2013

This article examines the need to reform the UK law of joint enterprise, the scope of which has been expanded over recent years through judicial case law. It describes how joint enterprise has become a specific weapon used by the police and the courts to target both political protest and ‘gang’ violence, in particular in black and working-class communities. The main evidence and recommendations of the House of Commons Justice Committee inquiry into joint enterprise held in 2011 are summarised, with specific reference to how the complexity and inconsistency in application of the law, its use as a dragnet against gangs through police and prosecutorial over-charging, and convictions based on ‘foresight’ rather than criminal intent, can all lead to miscarriages of justice. The particular problems associated with the use of joint enterprise in relation to murder are described. The article concludes by examining the response of the UK authorities to the Justice Committee report, with specific reference to new draft prosecutorial guidance issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions, which fails to clarify the law and in fact confirms the need for new legislation in this area.
Dismantling racial justice
Authors: Webber Frances
Published: March 2013

According to this commentary, the UK coalition government’s 2012 proposals to restrict judicial review and to abolish measures which safeguard race equality amount to a further assault on migrants, asylum seekers and BME communities, in the guise of promoting economic growth. The arguments against judicial review – their number, their length, their cost – are contested here. The author argues that judicial review is a necessary protection for human rights, especially when legal aid is being withdrawn.
Race is elsewhere: state-socialist ideology and the racialisation of Vietnamese workers in Czechoslovakia
Authors: Alamgir Alena K.
Published: March 2013

Current literature sees expressions of popular racism in twentieth-century European state-socialist societies either as directly deriving from the official ideology of the state or else as happening despite it. This article argues that the ways in which Vietnamese workers were racialised in 1980s Czechoslovakia were neither directly derived from the state’s official ideology, nor did they arise in opposition to that ideology. Instead, it suggests that they are more usefully seen as reworkings of certain elements of the state’s official ideology. Most important among those elements were: the insistence that racism did not exist in Czechoslovakia; the centrality of ‘honest socialist work’; and the conception of the overseas foreign workers programme as a socialist civilising mission of sorts. In most cases, some or all of these notions worked in tandem, and, moreover, also built upon existing discourses in regard to the Roma.
Desert dreams in the Gulf: transnational crossroads for the global elite
Authors: Harris Jerry
Published: March 2013

The UAE and Qatar have been consciously constructed as specialised geographic zones for the global elite and transnational capitalism. Never undergoing a historic bourgeois democratic period and lacking citizenship rights for the large majority of their residents, the UAE and Qatar are not modern nation states. Nevertheless, the Gulf aristocracy is fully integrated into global flows of accumulation. They have adapted their societies at every level – finance, culture, leisure, education, legal structures and labour relations – to create a unique crossroads for globalisation.
Eslanda Robeson and cold war politics
Authors: Ransby Barbara
Published: March 2013

This is based on edited and revised excerpts from Eslanda: the large and unconventional life of Mrs. Paul Robeson, the first biography of Paul Robeson’s wife, Essie, an important thinker and activist on a range of progressive causes. It details her stand against McCarthyism in the 1950s, the treatment of significant Black figures during the scare and how struggles for racial justice and political freedom were seen as intertwined.
Quantifying capital goods for waste landfilling
Authors: Brogaard Line K , Stentsøe Steen , Willumsen Hans Christian , Christensen Thomas H
Published: March 2013

Materials and energy used for construction of a hill-type landfill of 4 million m3 were quantified in detail. The landfill is engineered with a liner and leachate collections system, as well as a gas collection and control system. Gravel and clay were the most common materials used, amounting to approximately 260 kg per tonne of waste landfilled. The environmental burdens from the extraction and manufacturing of the materials used in the landfill, as well as from the construction of the landfill, were modelled as potential environmental impacts. For example, the potential impact on global warming was 2.5 kg carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents or 0.32 milli person equivalents per tonne of waste. The potential impacts from the use of materials and construction of the landfill are low-to-insignificant compared with data reported in the literature on impact potentials of landfills in operation. The construction of the landfill is only a significant contributor to the impact of resource depletion owing to the high use of gravel and steel.
The End of Mandatory Juvenile Life Without Parole
Authors: Kennedy Megan
Published: March 2013

The Supreme Court recently abolished mandatory life without parole (LWOP) for juveniles in Miller v. Alabama (2012). The Court’s ruling follows a series of decisions that have recognized the inherent differences between children and adults for purposes of sentencing. As a result, the Court has declared that no person who commits an offense prior to the age of 18 can be sentenced to LWOP without an examination of mitigating factors, including age. This new mandate creates difficult policy questions and has far-reaching implications. This article considers the fate of the 2,000 inmates who are serving a mandatory LWOP sentence. Second, this article considers the impact of the Court’s ruling on the states that currently have mandatory LWOP sentencing laws. Third, the article addresses the ruling’s impact on families of murder victims. Finally, the author considers the likelihood juvenile LWOP will be completely abolished and offers suggestions for future research.
Design of non-traditional dynamic vibration absorber for damped linear structures
Authors: Anh ND , Nguyen NX
Published: March 2013

The Voigt-type of dynamic vibration absorber is a classical model and has attracted considerable attention in many years because of its simple design, high reliability and useful applications in the fields of civil and mechanical engineering. Recently, a non-traditional type of dynamic vibration absorber was proposed. Unlike the traditional damped absorber configuration, the non-traditional absorber has a linear viscous damper connecting the absorber mass directly to the ground instead of the main mass. There have been some studies on the design of the non-traditional dynamic vibration absorber in the case of undamped primary structures. Those studies have shown that the non-traditional dynamic vibration absorber has better performance than the traditional dynamic vibration absorber. However, when damping is present at the primary system, there are very few studies on the design of non-traditional dynamic vibration absorber. This article presents a simple approach to determine the approximate analytical solutions for the [Formula: see text] optimization of the non-traditional dynamic vibration absorber attached to the damped primary structure subjected to force excitation. The main idea of the study is based on the dual criterion suggested by Anh in order to replace approximately the original damped structure by an equivalent undamped structure. Then the approximate analytical solution of dynamic vibration absorber’s parameters is given by using known results for undamped structure obtained. The comparisons have been done to verify the effectiveness of the obtained results.
Conjugate heat transfer analysis in high speed flows
Authors: Murty MSR Chandra , Manna P , Chakraborty Debasis
Published: March 2013

Conjugate heat transfer studies are presented for high speed aerospace vehicle using commercial CFD software. Navier Stokes equations in the fluid domain and transient heat conduction equations in the solid domain are solved simultaneously to obtain the skin temperature history and other flow parameters. The computational methodology is applied to predict the surface temperature of high speed aerospace vehicle after validating the methodology against experimental results. Validation cases include laminar flow past axisymmetric double cone at Mach 4.57 and turbulent flow past circular cylinder at Mach 6.7. Computed flow field including cold wall heat flux, surface temperature distribution, surface temperature history match nicely with experimental as well as other numerical results. Temperature dependent material properties are found to have significant effect on the surface temperature prediction. Computed surface temperature of a high speed aerospace vehicle show good overall match with flight measured values.
Hydrogen-fueled scramjet cooling system investigation using combustor and regenerative cooling coupled model
Authors: Bao Wen , Duan Yanjuan , Zhou Weixing , Yu Daren
Published: March 2013

A quasi-one-dimensional combustor model is developed using MacCormack’s method to solve simplified Navier–Stokes equations for the intention of simulating the flow parameters in the combustor. The combustor model is capable of predicting the flowfield of scramjet combustor. The Eckert reference technique is adopted in the heat transfer model of the regenerative cooling system. With these two models, the relationships between phenomena are investigated. Simulation results indicate that this coupled model of combustor and regenerative cooling system can be used to investigate the influence of the cooling channel geometry, flight Mach number and fuel equivalence ratio. This coupled model is useful for the pre-design of scramjet engines.
Influence of oily vehicles on fetal testis and lipid profile of rats exposed to di-butyl phthalate
Authors: Lourenço ACS , Gomes C , Boareto AC , Mueller RP , Nihi F , Andrade LF , Trindade ES , Coelho I , Naliwaiko K , Morais RN , Martino-Andrade AJ
Published: March 2013

It has been hypothesized that oils containing high levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as canola and fish oil, could counteract some of the adverse effects induced by phthalates. In the present study, the influence of different oily vehicles on di-butyl phthalate (DBP)-induced testicular toxicity and lipid profile was investigated. Pregnant Wistar rats were treated by oral gavage from gestation days 13 to 20 with DBP (500 mg/kg/day) diluted in three different vehicles: corn, canola or fish oil. Male fetuses were analyzed on gestation day 20. DBP exposure lowered intratesticular testosterone levels and anogenital distance, regardless of the vehicle used. The percentage of seminiferous cords containing multinucleated gonocytes and cord diameter was increased in DBP-exposed groups, compared with vehicle controls, with no difference between the three DBP-exposed groups. Clustering of Leydig cells was seen in all DBP groups. Lipid profile indicated that administration of canola and fish oil can increase the content of omega-3 fatty acids in rat testis. However, content of omega-3 was diminished in DBP-treated groups. Overall, our results indicate that different oily vehicles did not alter fetal rat testicular toxicity induced by a high DBP dose.
Resveratrol inhibits proliferation, angiogenesis and induces apoptosis in colon cancer cells
Authors: Fouad MA , Agha AM , Merzabani MM Al , Shouman SA
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study was to examine the antitumour activity of resveratrol in human colorectal cancer cell lines (HCT116 and Caco2) and to explore its mechanism of action assuming that it is by calorie-restriction effect. Resveratrol inhibited the proliferation of colon cancer cells with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) equal to 50 and 130 μM for HCT116 and Caco2, respectively. Caco2 cells appeared with significant time-dependent increase in the glycolytic pathway, a behaviour that was absent in HCT116 cells. Resveratrol (100 μM) significantly decreased the glycolytic enzymes (pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase) in Caco2 cells, while an increase in citrate synthase activity and a decrease in glucose consumption were observed in both cell lines. Moreover, resveratrol downregulated the expressions of leptin and c-Myc, and decreased the content of vascular endothelial growth factor. The apoptotic markers, caspases 3 and 8, were activated and the Bax/BCl2 ratio was increased. The study suggested a promising anticancer activity of resveratrol, calorie-restriction pathway may be one of the driving forces for this activity.
A new antiallergic agent that binds to dimerized translationally controlled tumor protein and inhibits allergic symptoms is nontoxic
Authors: Kim M , Jin YB , Lee K , Lee YS
Published: March 2013

Dimerized translationally controlled tumor protein (dTCTP) plays a role in allergic diseases. A 7-mer peptide, dimerized translationally binding protein 2 (dTBP2), binds to dTCTP and inhibits dTCTP, suggesting that the 7-mer peptide may have therapeutic potential. We assessed the safety of dTBP2 by examining its cytotoxicity to both human bronchial epithelial cells and mice. dTBP2 did not cause cytotoxicity to the epithelial cells in concentrations up to 100 μg/ml. Also, dTBP2 caused no adverse effects upon repeated administration of 50 mg/kg over 24 h to mice. Hence, we conclude that dTBP2 is a safe candidate drug for use in the therapy of allergic diseases.
Differential effects of organic and inorganic selenium compounds on adenosine deaminase activity and scavenger capacity in cerebral cortex slices of young rats
Authors: Bitencourt PER , Bellé LP , Bonfanti G , Cargnelutti LO , Bona KS de , Silva PS , Abdalla FH , Zanette RA , Guerra RB , Funchal C , Moretto MB
Published: March 2013

Selenium (Se) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and is necessary for the development and normal function of the central nervous system. This study was aimed to compare the in vitro effects of 3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-(phenylseleno)oct-2-en-1-one (C21H2HOSe; organoselenium) and sodium selenate (inorganic Se) on adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity, cell viability, lipid peroxidation, scavenger of nitric oxide (NO) and nonprotein thiols (NP-SH) content in the cerebral cortex slices of the young rats. A decrease in ADA activity was observed when the slices were exposed to organoselenium at the concentrations of 1, 10 and 30 µM. The same compound showed higher scavenger capacity of NO than the inorganic compound. Inorganic Se was able to protect against sodium nitroprusside-induced oxidative damage and increased the NP-SH content. Both the compounds displayed distinctive antioxidant capacities and were not cytotoxic for the cerebral cortex slices in the conditions tested. These findings are likely to be related to immunomodulatory and antioxidant properties of this compound.
The protective effects of taurine on experimental acute pancreatitis in a rat model
Authors: Akay C , Yaman H , Oztosun M , Cakir E , Yildirim AO , Eyi YE , Agilli M , Akgul EO , Aydin I , Kaldirim U , Tuncer SK , Eken A , Oztas E , Poyrazoglu Y , Yasar M , Ozkan Y
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of taurine (Tau) on experimental acute pancreatitis (AP) in a rat model by measuring cytokines and oxidant stress markers.

Forty rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham, AP, Tau and AP + Tau. AP was induced with sodium taurocholate. No treatment was given to the AP. All rats were killed 5 days later. Pancreatic tissues of rats and blood samples were obtained.

Tau treatment significantly decreased serum amylase activity ( p < 0.001), total injury score ( p < 0.001), malondialdehyde levels ( p < 0.001) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity ( p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the Tau and AP + Tau groups in serum and pancreatic tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 levels ( p = 1.000). Histopathologic scores in the AP + Tau and Tau groups were significantly lower compared with the AP group (both p < 0.001).

These results showed that Tau reduces lipid peroxidation, amylase and MPO activities and the concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines secondary to AP and also increases superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities in rats with sodium taurocholate-induced AP. It also has a marked ameliorative effect at histopathologic lesions. With these effects, Tau protects the cells from oxidative damage, reduces inflammation and promotes regression of pancreatic damage.
Learning and memory-related brain activity dynamics are altered in systemic lupus erythematosus: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Shapira-Lichter Irit , Vakil Eli , Litinsky Ira , Oren Noga , Glikmann-Johnston Yifat , Caspi Dan , Hendler Talma , Paran Daphna
Published: March 2013

Background

Memory impairment is prevalent in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); however, the pathogenesis is unknown.

Methods

We studied 12 patients with SLE without clinically overt neuropsychiatric manifestations and 11 matched healthy controls, aiming to characterize neural correlates of memory impairment, using structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The paradigm consisted of three encoding and free-recall cycles, allowing characterization of dynamics along consecutive retrieval attempts.

Results

During learning, patients with SLE and healthy controls showed brain activity changes in two principal networks, the default mode network (DMN) and the task-positive network (TPN). Patients with SLE demonstrated significantly less deactivation in the DMN and greater activation in the TPN, reflecting greater recruitment of both networks. The anterior medial prefrontal cortex (amPFC) of the DMN emerged as the only region where brain activity dynamics were altered both over the learning process ( p < 0.006), and within free-recall period attempts ( p < 0.034). Patients showed significant positive correlations between learning efficiency and hippocampal activity, and greater hippocampal functional connectivity, with pronounced connectivity to DMN structures.

Conclusions

Increased brain activation in patients with SLE during learning may reflect compensatory mechanisms to overcome memory impairment. Our findings localize this impairment to the amPFC, consistent with the behavioral pattern seen in SLE. Altered networking of the hippocampal subsystem of the DMN is consistent with hippocampal neuronal damage seen in SLE, and may reflect compensatory cortical reorganization to cope with dysfunction in these regions pivotal to mnemonic functions.
Estradiol differentially regulates calreticulin: a potential link with abnormal T cell function in systemic lupus erythematosus?
Authors: Ward JM , Rider V , Abdou NI , Kimler B
Published: March 2013

Objective

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that affects women nine times more often than men. The present study investigates estradiol-dependent control of the calcium-buffering protein, calreticulin, to gain further insight into the molecular basis of abnormal T cell signaling in SLE T cells.

Methods

T cells were purified from blood samples obtained from healthy females and SLE patients. Calreticulin expression was quantified by real-time polymerase chain amplification. Calreticulin and estrogen receptor-α were co-precipitated and analyzed by Western blotting to determine if the proteins associate in T cells.

Results

Calreticulin expression increased ( p = 0.034) in activated control T cells, while estradiol decreased ( p = 0.044) calreticulin in resting T cells. Calreticulin expression decreased in activated SLE T cell samples and increased in approximately 50% of resting T cell samples. Plasma estradiol was similar ( p > 0.05) among SLE patients and control volunteers. Estrogen receptor-α and calreticulin co-precipitated from nuclear and cytoplasmic T cell compartments.

Conclusions

The results indicate that estradiol tightly regulates calreticulin expression in normal human T cells, and the dynamics are different between activated and resting T cells. The absence of this tight regulation in SLE T cells could contribute to abnormal T cell function.
Multidisciplinary Perspective Intervention With Community Involvement to Decrease Antibiotic Sales in Village Groceries in Thailand
Authors: Arparsrithongsagul Somsak , Kulsomboon Vithaya , Zuckerman Ilene H.
Published: March 2013

In Thailand, antibiotics are rampantly available in village groceries, despite the fact that it is illegal to sell antibiotics without a pharmacy license. This study implemented a multidisciplinary perspectives intervention with community involvement (MPI&CI), which was developed based on information obtained from focus groups that included multidisciplinary stakeholders. Community leaders in the intervention group were trained to implement MPI&CI in their villages. A quasi-experiment with a pretest–posttest design was conducted. Data were collected from 20 villages in Mahasarakham Province (intervention group) along with another 20 villages (comparison group). Using a generalized linear mixed model Poisson regression with repeated measures, groceries in the intervention group had 87% fewer antibiotics available at postintervention compared with preintervention (relative rate = 0.13; 95% confidence interval = 0.07-0.23), whereas the control group had only an 8% reduction in antibiotic availability (relative rate = 0.92; 95% confidence interval = 0.88-0.97) between the 2 time periods. Further study should be made to assess the sustainability and long-term effectiveness of MPI&CI.
High Prevalence of HIV and Syphilis Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Recruited by Respondent-Driven Sampling in a City in Eastern China
Authors: Huan Xiping , Hao Chun , Yan Hongjing , Guan Wenhui , Xu Xiaoqin , Yang Haitao , Wang Na , Zhang Min , Tang Weimin , Gu Jing , Lau Joseph T. F.
Published: March 2013

Increasing prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) was reported among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. A total of 407 MSMs were recruited by respondent-driven sampling (RDS) from May to July 2008 in Nanjing, China. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect information on demographic and risk behaviors; blood samples were collected for HIV and syphilis antibodies testing. The adjusted HIV and syphilis prevalence were, respectively, 7.3% (confidence interval [CI] = 2.6%-10.2%) and 14.4% (95% CI = 9.3%-21.1%). Recruiting male sex partners mostly from saunas and receptive anal intercourse with men in the last 6 months were independently associated with positive HIV status. Risk factors for positive syphilis status included being older than 28 years, low level of HIV-related knowledge, having been a male sex worker, and having unprotected anal sex with casual male sex partners in the past 6 months. High HIV/STD prevalence was detected. HIV/STD prevention strategies are urgently warranted.
Blood Pressure Control Among Hypertensive Patients With and Without Diabetes Mellitus in Six Public Primary Care Clinics in Malaysia
Authors: Cheong Ai Theng , Tong Seng Fah , Sazlina Sharrif G. , Azah Abdul Samad , Salmiah Md Sharif
Published: March 2013

Hypertension is a common comorbidity among diabetic patients. This study aimed to determine blood pressure (BP) control among hypertensive patients with and without diabetes. This was a cross-sectional study in 6 public primary care clinics in Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia. Hypertensive patients aged ≥18 years and attending the clinics were selected via systematic random sampling. The BP control target was defined as <130/80 mm Hg for diabetic patients and <140/90 mm Hg for nondiabetic patients. A total of 1107 hypertensive patients participated in this study and 540 (48.7%) had diabetes. About one fourth (24.3%) of the hypertensive patients with diabetes achieved BP control target, compared with 60.1% patients without diabetes ( P < .001). Being diabetic and on ≥2 antihypertensive treatments were associated with poor BP control. Attention needs to be given to these groups of patients when managing patients with hypertension.
Review of Physical Activity Prevalence of Asian School-Age Children and Adolescents
Authors: Müller Andre Matthias , Khoo Selina , Lambert Roger
Published: March 2013

Overweight and obese populations in Asia are high and increasing rapidly. Physical activity prevalence studies have found low physical activity rates among Asian school-age children and adolescents. The purpose of this review is to establish a baseline for physical activity rates in Asian school-age children and adolescents and serve as a platform for additional research. Thirty articles published between 2000 and 2011 on physical activity prevalence of school-age children and adolescents were included in the review. Fourteen studies were conducted in East Asia, 10 in Southeast Asia, 2 in South Asia, and 2 in West Asia. Studies used subjective methods (questionnaires or diaries) and objective methods (accelerometers or heart rate monitors). Although nearly all studies found low physical activity levels, it was not possible to provide an accurate picture due to an absence of standardized, reliable, and economically viable measurement tools.
Effectiveness of a Large-Scale Health and Nutritional Education Program on Anemia in Children Younger Than 5 Years in Shifang, a Heavily Damaged Area of Wenchuan Earthquake
Authors: Yang Fan , Wang Chuan , Yang Hui , Yang Huiming , Yang Sufei , Yu Tao , Tang Zhanghui , Ji Qiaoyun , Li Fengyi , Shi Hua , Mao Meng
Published: March 2013

This study aimed to explore an ideal way to prevent anemia among children younger than 5 years after disasters especially when health care facilities are not enough. A preliminary survey was carried out involving 13 065 children younger than 5 years. Pretested questionnaires were used for data collection and hemoglobin levels were measured. After 12-month intervention, the impact survey involving 2769 children was conducted. Results showed that there were some improvements both in feeding knowledge and practice related to anemia. The total prevalence of anemia decreased from 14.3% to 7.8% ( P < .001), and the severity of anemia also declined. The hemoglobin concentration increased significantly from 118.8 ± 10.5 to 122.0 ± 9.9 g/L ( P < .001). Thus, health and nutritional education could be an ideal way to combat anemia after disasters especially in less developed areas with multiparty cooperation. The methods and experiences of this study may be well worth learning and implementing.
Diagnostic performance of fecal quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for detection of Lawsonia intracellularis–associated proliferative enteropathy in nursery pigs
Authors: Pedersen Ken Steen , Stege Helle , Jensen Tim K. , Guedes Roberto , Ståhl Marie , Nielsen Jens Peter , Hjulsager Charlotte , Larsen Lars E. , Angen Øystein
Published: March 2013

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) tests for detection and quantification of Lawsonia intracellularis in feces from pigs have been developed. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a fecal qPCR test for detection of nursery pigs with L. intracellularis–associated proliferative enteropathy (PE) under field conditions. Furthermore, the diagnostic performance for different subpopulations of pigs was investigated, including pigs infected or noninfected with Porcine circovirus-2, Brachyspira pilosicoli, and Escherichia coli. The diagnostic performance was evaluated in terms of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. Data from pigs originating from 20 herds with antibiotic treatment requiring diarrhea outbreaks from a prior study were reused. Before treatment, pigs were randomly selected for histological and immunohistochemical examination of intestinal segments and fecal quantification of L. intracellularis by qPCR. A total of 313 pigs (157 without diarrhea, 156 with diarrhea) were included in the statistical analysis, and 37 pigs (11.8%) were classified as PE positives (defined as proliferative histological lesions in combination with L. intracellularis demonstration by immunohistochemistry). Lawsonia intracellularis was detected by qPCR in feces from 91 pigs (29.1%). A nonparametric receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis provided an area under the ROC curve (0.93) and an optimal cutoff value of 4.8 log10 L. intracellularis bacteria/g feces. This cutoff provided a diagnostic sensitivity of 0.84 and diagnostic specificity of 0.93. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were significantly different between herds ( P < 0.0001). Numerically, diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were different between subpopulations of pigs, but no significant differences were demonstrated.
Evaluation of virus isolation, one-step real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay, and two rapid influenza diagnostic tests for detecting canine Influenza A virus H3N8 shedding in dogs
Authors: Pecoraro Heidi L. , Spindel Miranda E. , Bennett Susi , Lunn Katharine F. , Landolt Gabriele A.
Published: March 2013

Sustained transmission of canine Influenza A virus (CIV) H3N8 among U.S. dogs underscores the threat influenza continues to pose to canine health. Because rapid and accurate detection of infection is critical to the diagnosis and control of CIV, the 2 main objectives of the current study were to estimate and compare the sensitivities of CIV testing methods on canine swab samples and to evaluate the performance of Flu Detect™ (Synbiotics Corp., Kansas City, MO) for detecting CIV nasal shedding in high-risk shelter dogs. To address the first objective, nasal and pharyngeal swab samples were collected from 124 shelter and household dogs seen by Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital clinicians for canine infectious respiratory disease between April 2006 and March 2007 and tested for CIV shedding using virus isolation, the rapid influenza diagnostic test Directigen Flu A+B™ (BD Diagnostic Systems, Sparks, MD), and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). For the second objective, 1,372 dogs with unknown respiratory health status were sampled from 6 U.S. shelters from December 2009 to November 2010. Samples were tested for presence of CIV using real-time RT-PCR and Flu Detect. Using a stochastic latent class modeling approach, the median sensitivities of virus isolation, rapid influenza diagnostic test, and real-time RT-PCR were 72%, 65%, and 95%, respectively. The Flu Detect test performed poorly for detecting CIV nasal shedding compared to real-time RT-PCR. In conclusion, the real-time RT-PCR has the highest sensitivity for detecting virus nasal shedding and can be used as a rapid diagnostic test for CIV.
Probability of detecting Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection using pen-based swine oral fluid specimens as a function of within-pen prevalence
Authors: Olsen Chris , Wang Chong , Christopher-Hennings Jane , Doolittle Kent , Harmon Karen M. , Abate Sarah , Kittawornrat Apisit , Lizano Sergio , Main Rodger , Nelson Eric A. , Otterson Tracy , Panyasing Yaowalak , Rademacher Chris , Rauh Rolf , Shah Rohan , Zimmerman Jeffrey
Published: March 2013

Pen-based oral fluid sampling has proven to be an efficient method for surveillance of infectious diseases in swine populations. To better interpret diagnostic results, the performance of oral fluid assays (antibody- and nucleic acid-based) must be established for pen-based oral fluid samples. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to determine the probability of detecting Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection in pen-based oral fluid samples from pens of known PRRSV prevalence. In 1 commercial swine barn, 25 pens were assigned to 1 of 5 levels of PRRSV prevalence (0%, 4%, 12%, 20%, or 36%) by placing a fixed number (0, 1, 3, 5, or 9) of PRRSV-positive pigs (14 days post PRRSV modified live virus vaccination) in each pen. Prior to placement of the vaccinated pigs, 1 oral fluid sample was collected from each pen. Thereafter, 5 oral fluid samples were collected from each pen, for a total of 150 samples. To confirm individual pig PRRSV status, serum samples from the PRRSV-negative pigs ( n = 535) and the PRRSV vaccinated pigs ( n = 90) were tested for PRRSV antibodies and PRRSV RNA. The 150 pen-based oral fluid samples were assayed for PRRSV antibody and PRRSV RNA at 6 laboratories. Among the 100 samples from pens containing ≥1 positive pig (≥4% prevalence) and tested at the 6 laboratories, the mean positivity was 62% for PRRSV RNA and 61% for PRRSV antibody. These results support the use of pen-based oral fluid sampling for PRRSV surveillance in commercial pig populations.