bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nigella sativa Fixed and Essential Oil Supplementation Modulates Hyperglycemia and Allied Complications in Streptozotocin‐Induced Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Sultan Muhammad Tauseef , Butt Masood Sadiq , Karim Roselina , Zia-Ul-Haq M. , Batool Rizwana , Ahmad Shakeel , Aliberti Luigi , De Feo Vincenzo
Published: January 2014

In the recent era, diabetes mellitus has emerged as one of the significant threats to public health and this situation demands the attention of the researchers and allied stakeholders. Dietary regimens using functional and nutraceutical foods are gaining wide range of acceptance and some traditional medicinal plants are of considerable importance. The main objective of this instant study was to explore the antidiabetic potential of Nigella sativa fixed oil (NSFO) and essential oil (NSEO). Three experimental groups of rats received diets during the entire study duration, that is, D1 (control), D2 (NSFO: 4.0%), and D3 (NSEO: 0.30%). Experimental diets (NSFO & NSEO) modulated the lipid profile, while decreasing the antioxidant damage. However, production of free radicals, that is, MDA, and conjugated dienes increased by 59.00 and 33.63%, respectively, in control. On the contrary, NSFO and NSEO reduced the MDA levels by 11.54 and 26.86% and the conjugated dienes levels by 32.53 and 38.39%, respectively. N. sativa oils improved the health and showed some promising anti‐diabetic results.
Nonlinear Forced Vibration of a Viscoelastic Buckled Beam with 2 : 1 Internal Resonance
Authors: Xiong Liu-Yang , Zhang Guo-Ce , Ding Hu , Chen Li-Qun
Published: January 2014

Nonlinear dynamics of a viscoelastic buckled beam subjected to primary resonance in the presence of internal resonance is investigated for the first time. For appropriate choice of system parameters, the natural frequency of the second mode is approximately twice that of the first providing the condition for 2 : 1 internal resonance. The ordinary differential equations of the two mode shapes are established using the Galerkin method. The problem is replaced by two coupled second‐order differential equations with quadratic and cubic nonlinearities. The multiple scales method is applied to derive the modulation‐phase equations. Steady‐state solutions of the system as well as their stability are examined. The frequency‐amplitude curves exhibit the steady‐state response in the directly excited and indirectly excited modes due to modal interaction. The double‐jump, the saturation phenomenon, and the nonperiodic region phenomena are observed illustrating the influence of internal resonance. The validity range of the analytical approximations is assessed by comparing the analytical approximate results with a numerical solution by the Runge‐Kutta method. The unstable regions in the internal resonance are explored via numerical simulations.
Facial Vibrotactile Stimulation Activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System: Study of Salivary Secretion, Heart Rate, Pupillary Reflex, and Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Activity
Authors: Hiraba Hisao , Inoue Motoharu , Gora Kanako , Sato Takako , Nishimura Satoshi , Yamaoka Masaru , Kumakura Ayano , Ono Shinya , Wakasa Hirotugu , Nakayama Enri , Abe Kimiko , Ueda Koichiro
Published: January 2014

We previously found that the greatest salivation response in healthy human subjects is produced by facial vibrotactile stimulation of 89 Hz frequency with 1.9 μm amplitude (89 Hz-S), as reported by Hiraba et al. (2012, 20011, and 2008). We assessed relationships between the blood flow to brain via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in the frontal cortex and autonomic parameters. We used the heart rate (HRV: heart rate variability analysis in RR intervals), pupil reflex, and salivation as parameters, but the interrelation between each parameter and fNIRS measures remains unknown. We were to investigate the relationship in response to established paradigms using simultaneously each parameter-fNIRS recording in healthy human subjects. Analysis of fNIRS was examined by a comparison of various values between before and after various stimuli (89 Hz-S, 114 Hz-S, listen to classic music, and “Ahh” vocalization). We confirmed that vibrotactile stimulation (89 Hz) of the parotid glands led to the greatest salivation, greatest increase in heart rate variability, and the most constricted pupils. Furthermore, there were almost no detectable differences between fNIRS during 89 Hz-S and fNIRS during listening to classical music of fans. Thus, vibrotactile stimulation of 89 Hz seems to evoke parasympathetic activity.
Positive Solutions and Mann Iterative Algorithms for a Nonlinear Three-Dimensional Difference System
Authors: Liu Zeqing , Lu Yan , Kang Shin Min , Kwun Young Chel
Published: January 2014

The existence of uncountably many positive solutions and Mann iterative approximations for a nonlinear three-dimensional difference system are proved by using the Banach fixed point theorem. Four illustrative examples are also provided.
Gene Expression Profiles Underlying Selective T‐Cell‐Mediated Immunity Activity of a Chinese Medicine Granule on Mice Infected with Influenza Virus H1N1
Authors: Lu Na-na , Liu Qi , Gu Li-gang , Ge Shi-jie , Wu Jun , Ze-ji Qiu , Qiu Ze-ji , Zhang Hong-chun , Chao En-xiang , Yu Zhuo-nan
Published: January 2014

A Chinese medicine granule, Shu‐Feng‐Xuan‐Fei (SFXF), is critical for viral clearance in early phase of influenza virus infection. In this study, 72 ICR mice were randomly divided into six groups: normal control group, virus control group, Oseltamivir group, low‐dose SFXF, medium‐dose SFXF, and high‐dose SFXF. Mice were anesthetized and inoculated with 4LD50 of influenza virus A (H1N1) except normal control group. Oseltamivir group received 11.375 mg·kg−1·d−1 Oseltamivir Phosphate. SFXF 3.76, 1.88 and 0.94 g·kg−1·d−1 were administrated to mice in all SFXF groups. Each group was in equal dose of 0.2ml daily for 4 consecutive days. Mice were sacrificed and then total RNA was extracted in lung tissue. Some genes involved in T‐cell‐mediated immunity were selected by DNA microarray. These candidate genes were verified by Real‐Time PCR and western immunoblotting. Compared with virus control group, in Toll‐like receptor signaling pathway, 12 virus‐altered genes were significantly reduced following medium‐dose SFXF treatment. Eighteen antigen processing presentation‐associated genes were upregulated by medium‐dose SFXF. In the process of T cell receptor signaling pathway, 19 genes were downregulated by medium‐dose SFXF treatment. On exploration into effector T cells activation and cytokines, all of altered genes in virus control group were reversed by medium‐dose SFXF. Real‐time PCR and western immunoblotting showed that the regulation of medium‐dose SFXF in IL‐4, IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, IL‐1β, TLR7, MyD88, p38, and JNK was superior to Oseltamivir and high‐dose SFXF group. Therefore, SFXF granules could reduce influenza infected cells and activation of T cells.
Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Drives mTOR Pathway Activation and Proliferation of Human Melanoma by Reversible Nitrosylation of TSC2
Authors: Lopez-Rivera Esther , Jayaraman Padmini , Parikh Falguni , Davies Michael A. , Ekmekcioglu Suhendan , Izadmehr Sudeh , Milton Denái R. , Chipuk Jerry E. , Grimm Elizabeth A. , Estrada Yeriel , Aguirre-Ghiso Julio , Sikora Andrew G.
Published: January 2014

Melanoma is one of the cancers of fastest-rising incidence in the world. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is overexpressed in melanoma and other cancers, and previous data suggest that iNOS and nitric oxide (NO) drive survival and proliferation of human melanoma cells. However, specific mechanisms through which this occurs are poorly defined. One candidate is the PI3K–AKT–mTOR pathway, which plays a major role in proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis of melanoma and other cancers. We used the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay to test the hypothesis that melanoma growth is regulated by iNOS-dependent mTOR pathway activation. Both pharmacologic inhibition and siRNA-mediated gene silencing of iNOS suppressed melanoma proliferation and in vivo growth on the CAM in human melanoma models. This was associated with strong downregulation of mTOR pathway activation by Western blot analysis of p-mTOR, p70 ribosomal S6 kinase (p-P70S6K), p-S6RP, and p-4EBP1. iNOS expression and NO were associated with reversible nitrosylation of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) 2, and inhibited dimerization of TSC2 with its inhibitory partner TSC1, enhancing GTPase activity of its target Ras homolog enriched in brain (Rheb), a critical activator of mTOR signaling. Immunohistochemical analysis of tumor specimens from stage III melanoma patients showed a significant correlation between iNOS expression levels and expression of the mTOR pathway members. Exogenously supplied NO was also sufficient to reverse the mTOR pathway inhibition by the B-Raf inhibitor vemurafenib. In summary, covalent modification of TSC2 by iNOS-derived NO is associated with impaired TSC2/TSC1 dimerization, mTOR pathway activation, and proliferation of human melanoma. This model is consistent with the known association of iNOS overexpression and poor prognosis in melanoma and other cancers. Cancer Res; 74(4); 1067–78. ©2014 AACR.
P14ARF Suppresses Tumor-Induced Thrombosis by Regulating the Tissue Factor Pathway
Authors: Zerrouqi Abdessamad , Pyrzynska Beata , Brat Daniel J. , Van Meir Erwin G.
Published: January 2014

How necrotic areas develop in tumors is incompletely understood but can impact progression. Recent findings suggest that the formation of vascular microthrombi contributes to tumor necrosis, prompting investigation of coagulation cascades. Here, we report that loss of tumor suppressor P14ARF can contribute to activating the clotting cascade in glioblastoma. P14ARF transcriptionally upregulated TFPI2, a Kunitz-type serine protease in the tissue factor pathway that inhibits the initiation of thrombosis reactions. P14ARF activation in tumor cells delayed their ability to activate plasma clotting. Mechanistically, P14ARF activated the TFPI2 promoter in a p53-independent manner that relied upon c-JUN, SP1, and JNK activity. Taken together, our results identify the critical signaling pathways activated by P14ARF to prevent vascular microthrombosis triggered by glioma cells. Stimulation of this pathway might be used as a therapeutic strategy to reduce aggressive phenotypes associated with necrotic tumors, including glioblastoma. Cancer Res; 74(5); 1371–8. ©2014 AACR.
Kava Blocks 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-Butanone–Induced Lung Tumorigenesis in Association with Reducing O6-methylguanine DNA Adduct in A/J Mice
Authors: Leitzman Pablo , Narayanapillai Sreekanth C. , Balbo Silvia , Zhou Bo , Upadhyaya Pramod , Shaik Ahmad Ali , O'Sullivan M. Gerard , Hecht Stephen S. , Lu Junxuan , Xing Chengguo
Published: January 2014

We previously reported the chemopreventive potential of kava against 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)- and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP)–induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice during the initiation and postinitiation stages. In this study, we investigated the tumorigenesis-stage specificity of kava, the potential active compounds, and the underlying mechanisms in NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice. In the first experiment, NNK-treated mice were given diets containing kava at a dose of 5 mg/g of diet during different periods. Kava treatments covering the initiation stage reduced the multiplicity of lung adenomas by approximately 99%. A minimum effective dose is yet to be defined because kava at two lower dosages (2.5 and 1.25 mg/g of diet) were equally effective as 5 mg/g of diet in completely inhibiting lung adenoma formation. Daily gavage of kava (one before, during, and after NNK treatment) completely blocked lung adenoma formation as well. Kavalactone-enriched fraction B fully recapitulated kava's chemopreventive efficacy, whereas kavalactone-free fractions A and C were much less effective. Mechanistically, kava and fraction B reduced NNK-induced DNA damage in lung tissues with a unique and preferential reduction in O6-methylguanine (O6-mG), the highly tumorigenic DNA damage by NNK, correlating and predictive of efficacy on blocking lung adenoma formation. Taken together, these results demonstrate the outstanding efficacy of kava in preventing NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice with high selectivity for the initiation stage in association with the reduction of O6-mG adduct in DNA. They also establish the knowledge basis for the identification of the active compound(s) in kava. Cancer Prev Res; 7(1); 86–96. ©2013 AACR.
Fifty Years of Tobacco Carcinogenesis Research: From Mechanisms to Early Detection and Prevention of Lung Cancer
Authors: Hecht Stephen S. , Szabo Eva
Published: January 2014

The recognition of the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer in the 1964 Surgeon General's Report initiated definitive and comprehensive research on the identification of carcinogens in tobacco products and the relevant mechanisms of carcinogenesis. The resultant comprehensive data clearly illustrate established pathways of cancer induction involving carcinogen exposure, metabolic activation, DNA adduct formation, and consequent mutation of critical genes along with the exacerbating influences of inflammation, cocarcinogenesis, and tumor promotion. This mechanistic understanding has provided a framework for the regulation of tobacco products and for the development of relevant tobacco carcinogen and toxicant biomarkers that can be applied in cancer prevention. Simultaneously, the recognition of the link between smoking and lung cancer paved the way for two additional critical approaches to cancer prevention that are discussed here: detection of lung cancer at an early, curable stage, and chemoprevention of lung cancer. Recent successes in more precisely identifying at-risk populations and in decreasing lung cancer mortality with helical computed tomography screening are notable, and progress in chemoprevention continues, although challenges with respect to bringing these approaches to the general population exist. Collectively, research performed since the 1964 Report demonstrates unequivocally that the majority of deaths from lung cancer are preventable. Cancer Prev Res; 7(1); 1–8. ©2014 AACR.
Climbing RAS, the Everest of Oncogenes
Authors: Russo Mariangela , Di Nicolantonio Federica , Bardelli Alberto
Published: January 2014

Summary: Mutations that activate the small GTP-binding protein KRAS are the most common oncogenic event in human tumors. Thirty years after its discovery, mutant KRAS has yet to be therapeutically conquered. Cancer Discov; 4(1); 19–21. ©2014 AACR.

See related article by Faber et al., p. 42
Inferior Alveolar Nerve Transection Enhanced Formalin-Induced Nocifensive Responses in the Upper Lip: Systemic Buprenorphine Had More Antinociceptive Efficacy over Morphine
Authors: Kuki Fumiko , Sugiyo Shinichi , Abe Tetsuya , Niwa Hitoshi , Takemura Motohide
Published: January 2014

This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of a partial μ-opioid agonist, buprenorphine, against the formalin-induced hyperalgesia in the upper lip in chronically inferior alveolar nerve (IAN)-transected rats. Subcutaneous injection of diluted formalin into the upper lip in the IAN-transected rats showed an increased number of pain-related behavior (PRB; face-rubbing behavior) in every phase up to 45 min (p < 0.01) compared with that in the nontransected sham control rats. The numbers of c-Fos-immunoreactive (IR) cells in the superficial layers of the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (VcI/II) at the rostral (0-0.7 mm caudal to the obex) and middle levels (1.4-2.2 mm caudal to the obex) 2 h after the formalin injection in the IAN-transected rats were significantly increased compared with those in the control rats. The PRB in phases 1 and 2 (0-15 and 15-30 min after formalin injection) in rats with preadministration of morphine (3 mg/kg i.p.) or buprenorphine (100 µg/kg i.p.) was significantly (p < 0.05) smaller than those in the control rats. There was no significant difference in the efficacy between morphine and buprenorphine at these doses. The antinociceptive efficacy in phase 2 of buprenorphine (100 µg/kg) was higher (p < 0.05) than that of morphine (3 mg/kg) in the IAN-transected rats. The number of c-Fos-IR cells in the VcI/II at every level (0-3.6 mm caudal to the obex) after formalin injection was significantly decreased (p < 0.01) with preadministration of morphine (3 mg/kg) or buprenorphine (100 µg/kg) in the control rats. In the IAN-transected rats, the number of c-Fos-IR cells in the caudal VcI/II (2.2-3.6 mm caudal to the obex) after formalin injection was significantly decreased (p < 0.01) with preadministration of buprenorphine (100 µg/kg) but not so much (2.2-2.9 mm caudal to the obex, p < 0.05; 2.9-3.6 mm caudal to the obex, p > 0.05) with preadministration of morphine (3 mg/kg). These results indicate that IAN transection enhanced formalin-induced nocifensive responses in the upper lip, the dermatome of the intact nerve neighboring the IAN. Systemic preadministration of buprenorphine had more antinociceptive effects on the formalin-induced nocifensive behavior in the upper lip compared with morphine in the IAN-transected rats.
Effect of Food Insecurity on Chronic Kidney Disease in Lower-Income Americans
Authors: Crews Deidra C. , Kuczmarski Marie Fanelli , Grubbs Vanessa , Hedgeman Elizabeth , Shahinian Vahakn B. , Evans Michele K. , Zonderman Alan B. , Burrows Nilka Rios , Williams Desmond E. , Saran Rajiv , Powe Neil R. ,   for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Chronic Kidney Disease Surveillance Team
Published: January 2014

Background: The relation of food insecurity (inability to acquire nutritionally adequate and safe foods) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unknown. We examined whether food insecurity is associated with prevalent CKD among lower-income individuals in both the general US adult population and an urban population. Methods: We conducted cross-sectional analyses of lower-income participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2008 (n = 9,126) and the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study (n = 1,239). Food insecurity was defined based on questionnaires and CKD was defined by reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate or albuminuria; adjustment was performed with multivariable logistic regression. Results: In NHANES, the age-adjusted prevalence of CKD was 20.3, 17.6, and 15.7% for the high, marginal, and no food insecurity groups, respectively. Analyses adjusting for sociodemographics and smoking status revealed high food insecurity to be associated with greater odds of CKD only among participants with either diabetes (OR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.14-2.45 comparing high to no food insecurity groups) or hypertension (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.03-1.82). In HANDLS, the age-adjusted CKD prevalence was 5.9 and 4.6% for those with and without food insecurity, respectively (p = 0.33). Food insecurity was associated with a trend towards greater odds of CKD (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 0.98-2.18) with no evidence of effect modification across diabetes, hypertension, or obesity subgroups. Conclusion: Food insecurity may contribute to disparities in kidney disease, especially among persons with diabetes or hypertension, and is worthy of further study.
Risk of Ischemic Stroke After an Acute Myocardial Infarction in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Jakobsson Stina , Bergström Lisa , Björklund Fredrik , Jernberg Tomas , Söderström Lars , Mooe Thomas
Published: January 2014

Background—

Incidence, any trend over time, and predictors of ischemic stroke after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in diabetic patients are unknown.

Methods and Results—

Data for 173 233 unselected patients with an AMI, including 33 503 patients with diabetes mellitus, were taken from the Swedish Register of Information and Knowledge about Swedish Heart Intensive Care Admissions (RIKS-HIA) during 1998 to 2008. Ischemic stroke events were recorded during 1 year of follow-up. Patients with diabetes mellitus more often had a history of cardiovascular disease, received less reperfusion therapy, and were treated with acetylsalicylic acid, P2Y12 inhibitors, and statins to a lesser extent compared with patients without diabetes mellitus. However, the use of evidence-based therapies increased markedly in both groups during the study period. The incidence of ischemic stroke during the first year after AMI decreased from 7.1% to 4.7% in patients with diabetes mellitus and from 4.2% to 3.7% in patients without diabetes mellitus. Risk reduction was significantly larger in the diabetic subgroup. Reperfusion therapy, acetylsalicylic acid, P2Y12 inhibitors, and statins were independently associated with the reduced stroke risk.

Conclusions—

Ischemic stroke is a fairly common complication after an AMI in patients with diabetes mellitus, but the risk of stroke has decreased during recent years. The increased use of evidence-based therapies contributes importantly to this risk reduction, but there is still room for improvement.
Use of Medicare Data to Identify Coronary Heart Disease Outcomes in the Women’s Health Initiative
Authors: Hlatky Mark A. , Ray Roberta M. , Burwen Dale R. , Margolis Karen L. , Johnson Karen C. , Kucharska-Newton Anna , Manson JoAnn E. , Robinson Jennifer G. , Safford Monika M. , Allison Matthew , Assimes Themistocles L. , Bavry Anthony A. , Berger Jeffrey , Cooper-DeHoff Rhonda M. , Heckbert Susan R. , Li Wenjun , Liu Simin , Martin Lisa W. , Perez Marco V. , Tindle Hilary A. , Winkelmayer Wolfgang C. , Stefanick Marcia L.
Published: January 2014

Background—

Data collected as part of routine clinical practice could be used to detect cardiovascular outcomes in pragmatic clinical trials or clinical registry studies. The reliability of claims data for documenting outcomes is unknown.

Methods and Results—

We linked records of Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) participants aged ≥65 years to Medicare claims data and compared hospitalizations that had diagnosis codes for acute myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization with WHI outcomes adjudicated by study physicians. We then compared the hazard ratios for active versus placebo hormone therapy based solely on WHI-adjudicated events with corresponding hazard ratios based solely on claims data for the same hormone trial participants. Agreement between WHI-adjudicated outcomes and Medicare claims was good for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (κ, 0.71–0.74) and excellent for coronary revascularization (κ, 0.88–0.91). The hormone:placebo hazard ratio for clinical myocardial infarction was 1.31 (95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.67) based on WHI outcomes and 1.29 (95% confidence interval, 1.00–1.68) based on Medicare data. The hazard ratio for coronary revascularization was 1.09 (95% confidence interval, 0.88–1.35) based on WHI outcomes and 1.10 (95% confidence interval, 0.89–1.35) based on Medicare data. The differences between hazard ratios derived from WHI and Medicare data were not significant in 1000 bootstrap replications.

Conclusions—

Medicare claims may provide useful data on coronary heart disease outcomes among patients aged ≥65 years in clinical research studies.

Clinical Trials Registration Information—

URL:
www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00000611.
Ryanodine Receptor–Mediated Calcium Leak Drives Progressive Development of an Atrial Fibrillation Substrate in a Transgenic Mouse Model
Authors: Li Na , Chiang David Y. , Wang Sufen , Wang Qiongling , Sun Liang , Voigt Niels , Respress Jonathan L. , Ather Sameer , Skapura Darlene G. , Jordan Valerie K. , Horrigan Frank T. , Schmitz Wilhelm , Müller Frank U. , Valderrabano Miguel , Nattel Stanley , Dobrev Dobromir , Wehrens Xander H.T.
Published: January 2014

Background—

The progression of atrial fibrillation (AF) from paroxysmal to persistent forms remains a major clinical challenge. Abnormal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca
2+
leak via the ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR2) has been observed as a source of ectopic activity in various AF models. However, its potential role in progression to long-lasting spontaneous AF (sAF) has never been tested. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that enhanced RyR2-mediated Ca
2+
release underlies the development of a substrate for sAF and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Methods and Results—

CREM-IbΔC-X transgenic (CREM) mice developed age-dependent progression from spontaneous atrial ectopy to paroxysmal and eventually long-lasting AF. The development of sAF in CREM mice was preceded by enhanced diastolic Ca
2+
release, atrial enlargement, and marked conduction abnormalities. Genetic inhibition of Ca
2+
/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II–mediated RyR2-S2814 phosphorylation in CREM mice normalized open probability of RyR2 channels and SR Ca
2+
release, delayed the development of spontaneous atrial ectopy, fully prevented sAF, suppressed atrial dilation, and forestalled atrial conduction abnormalities. Hyperactive RyR2 channels directly stimulated the Ca
2+
-dependent hypertrophic pathway nuclear factor of activated T cell/Rcan1-4, suggesting a role for the nuclear factor of activated T cell/Rcan1-4 system in the development of a substrate for long-lasting AF in CREM mice.

Conclusions—

RyR2-mediated SR Ca
2+
leak directly underlies the development of a substrate for sAF in CREM mice, the first demonstration of a molecular mechanism underlying AF progression and sAF substrate development in an experimental model. Our work demonstrates that the role of abnormal diastolic Ca
2+
release in AF may not be restricted to the generation of atrial ectopy but extends to the development of atrial remodeling underlying the AF substrate.
Improving Door-to-Needle Times
Authors: Ruff Ilana M. , Ali Syed F. , Goldstein Joshua N. , Lev Michael , Copen William A. , McIntyre Joyce , Rost Natalia S. , Schwamm Lee H.
Published: January 2014

Background and Purpose—

National guidelines recommend imaging within 25 minutes of emergency department arrival and intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator within 60 minutes of emergency department arrival for patients with acute stroke. In 2007, we implemented a new institutional acute stroke care model to include 10 best practices and evaluated the effect of this intervention on improving door-to-computed tomography (CT) and door-to-needle (DTN) times at our hospital.

Methods—

We compared patients who presented directly to our hospital with acute ischemic stroke in the preintervention (2003–2006) and postintervention (2008–2011) periods. We did not include 2007, the year that the new protocol was established. Predictors of DTN ≤60 minutes before and after the intervention were assessed using χ
2
for categorical variables, and
t
test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test for continuous variables.

Results—

Among 2595 patients with acute stroke, 284 (11%) received intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator. For patients arriving within an intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator window, door-to-CT <25 improved from 26.7% pre intervention to 52.3% post intervention (
P
<0.001). Similarly, the percentage of patients with DTN <60 doubled from 32.4% to 70.3% (
P
<0.001). Patients with DTN ≤60 did not differ significantly with respect to demographics, comorbidities, or National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score in comparison with those treated after 60 minutes.

Conclusions—

Door-to-CT and DTN times improved dramatically after applying 10 best practices, all of which were later incorporated into the Target Stroke Guidelines created by the American Heart Association. The only factor that significantly affected DTN60 was the intervention itself, indicating that these best practices can result in improved DTN times.
A new phytophagous eulophid wasp (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae) that feeds within leaf buds and cones of Pinus massoniana
Authors: LI XIANGXIANG , XU ZHIHONG , ZHU CHAODONG , ZHAO JINNIAN , HE YUYOU
Published: January 2014

Aprostocetus pinus sp. nov. (Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae) is newly described as a leaf bud and microstrobilus pest of Pinus massoniana (Pinales: Pinaceae), an important afforestation species in southeast China. Both sexes of the parasitoid are described and illustrated.
Modulation of the Convectively Coupled Kelvin Waves over South America and the Tropical Atlantic Ocean in Association with the Madden–Julian Oscillation
Authors: Guo Yanjuan , Jiang Xianan , Waliser Duane E.
Published: January 2014

In this study, evidence of the strong modulation of the convectively coupled Kelvin wave (CCKW) activity by the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) is presented, with a particular focus over the South America and tropical Atlantic region. The MJO impacts on CCKWs over this region, as noted in anomalous fields of rainfall as well as vertical profiles of wind, moisture, and temperature, are primarily through the modulation of Kelvin wave amplitude, with secondary effects on vertical structure, and little impact on wavenumber. CCKW activity is enhanced during MJO phases 8, 1, and 2 and damped during MJO phases 4, 5, and 6.

Further analyses reveal that the strong modulation of the MJO on the CCKW activity could be largely through two factors: namely, the vertical zonal wind shear and the lower- to middle-tropospheric specific humidity. The CCKW activity tends to be enhanced during MJO phases when the easterly vertical wind shear and positive low- to midtroposphere moisture anomalies are present and vice versa. These two physical processes associated with the MJO are found to have positively (negatively) reinforcing influences on the CCKW activity in phase 1 (4 and 5), while counteracting influences in phases 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8, leading to the observed MJO cycle of the CCKW activity anomalies in the study region. The results presented in this study may have important implications for extended-range prediction of tropical wave activity and might suggest possible roles of the upstream CCKWs in the initiation of the MJO in the western Indian Ocean.
ENSO Modulation: Is It Decadally Predictable?
Authors: Wittenberg Andrew T. , Rosati Anthony , Delworth Thomas L. , Vecchi Gabriel A. , Zeng Fanrong
Published: January 2014

Observations and climate simulations exhibit epochs of extreme El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) behavior that can persist for decades. Previous studies have revealed a wide range of ENSO responses to forcings from greenhouse gases, aerosols, and orbital variations, but they have also shown that interdecadal modulation of ENSO can arise even without such forcings. The present study examines the predictability of this intrinsically generated component of ENSO modulation, using a 4000-yr unforced control run from a global coupled GCM [GFDL Climate Model, version 2.1 (CM2.1)] with a fairly realistic representation of ENSO. Extreme ENSO epochs from the unforced simulation are reforecast using the same (“perfect”) model but slightly perturbed initial conditions. These 40-member reforecast ensembles display potential predictability of the ENSO trajectory, extending up to several years ahead. However, no decadal-scale predictability of ENSO behavior is found. This indicates that multidecadal epochs of extreme ENSO behavior can arise not only intrinsically but also delicately and entirely at random. Previous work had shown that CM2.1 generates strong, reasonably realistic, decadally predictable high-latitude climate signals, as well as tropical and extratropical decadal signals that interact with ENSO. However, those slow variations appear not to lend significant decadal predictability to this model’s ENSO behavior, at least in the absence of external forcings. While the potential implications of these results are sobering for decadal predictability, they also offer an expedited approach to model evaluation and development, in which large ensembles of short runs are executed in parallel, to quickly and robustly evaluate simulations of ENSO. Further implications are discussed for decadal prediction, attribution of past and future ENSO variations, and societal vulnerability.
Mass Transport in the Stokes Edge Wave for Constant Arbitrary Bottom Slope in a Rotating Ocean
Authors: Ghaffari Peygham , Weber Jan Erik H.
Published: January 2014

The Lagrangian mass transport in the Stokes surface edge wave is obtained from the vertically integrated equations of momentum and mass in a viscous rotating ocean, correct to the second order in wave steepness. The analysis is valid for bottom slope angles β in the interval 0 < β ≤ π/2. Vertically averaged drift currents are obtained by dividing the fluxes by the local depth. The Lagrangian mean current is composed of a Stokes drift (inherent in the waves) plus a mean Eulerian drift current. The latter arises as a balance between the radiation stresses, the Coriolis force, and bottom friction. Analytical solutions for the mean Eulerian current are obtained in the form of exponential integrals. The relative importance of the Stokes drift to the Eulerian current in their contribution to the Lagrangian drift velocity is investigated in detail. For the given wavelength, the Eulerian current dominates for medium and large values of β, while for moderate and small β, the Stokes drift yields the main contribution to the Lagrangian drift. Because most natural beaches are characterized by moderate or small slopes, one may only calculate the Stokes drift in order to assess the mean drift of pollution and suspended material in the Stokes edge wave. The main future application of the results for large β appears to be for comparison with laboratory experiments in rotating tanks.
Effects of Bipartisanship Messaging and Candidate Exposure on the Political Organization–Public Relationship
Authors: Sweetser Kaye D. , Tedesco John C.
Published: January 2014

As an online experiment with a 2 × 3 factorial design, this study manipulates participants’ ( N = 441) exposure to a candidate’s (Barack Obama or Mitt Romney) post-election speech along with additional messages about bipartisanship (supporting bipartisanship, challenging bipartisanship, no message). Results showed main and interaction effects on all relationship factors based on experimental cell. In addition, data indicate that assessment of candidate sincerity was most strongly affected by ideological strength, more so than relationship or exposure support messages calling for bipartisanship. The study focuses on first-time voters and is framed through the lens of political public relations.
Close, But No Cigar
Authors: Rossman Gabriel , Schilke Oliver
Published: January 2014

This article examines the economic effects of prizes with implications for the diversity of market positions, especially in cultural fields. Many prizes have three notable features that together yield an emergent reward structure: (1) consumers treat prizes as judgment devices when making purchase decisions, (2) prizes introduce sharp discontinuities between winners and also-rans, and (3) appealing to prize juries requires costly sacrifices of mass audience appeal. When all three conditions obtain, winning a prize is valuable, but seeking it is costly, so trying and failing yields the worst outcome—a logic we characterize as a Tullock lottery. We test the model with analyses of Oscar nominations and Hollywood films from 1985 through 2009. We create an innovative measure of prize-seeking, or “Oscar appeal,” on the basis of similarity to recent nominees in terms of such things as genre, plot keywords, and release date. We then show that Oscar appeal has no effect on profitability. However, this zero-order relationship conceals that returns to strong Oscar appeals are bimodal, with super-normal returns for nominees and large losses for snubs. We then argue that the effect of judgment devices on fields depends on how they structure and refract information.
Study of a newly developed high-performance liquid chromatography analyser for glycosylated haemoglobin measurements in blood containing haemoglobin variants in the Japanese population
Authors: Miyashita Tetsuo , Sugiyama Takahiro , Yamadate Shuukoh , Nagashima Masaaki , Satomura Atsushi , Nakayama Tomohiro
Published: January 2014

Background

This study examined the new high-performance liquid chromatography analyser HLC-723GX (GX) and investigated its ability to both measure glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) values and determine whether haemoglobin variants could cause interference with these measurements in the Japanese population.

Methods

For the basic GX examination, the within- and between-run precision, linearity of measurements, correlation of HbA1c values with current systems and the interference of chemically modified haemoglobin were determined. GX interference caused by the haemoglobin variant was examined by analysing 39 clinical laboratory samples that contained haemoglobin variants.

Results

Good within- and between-run precision were found, with the coefficients of variation at ≤1.0%. A wide range of HbA1c measurement values were confirmed, with the HbA1c values strongly correlated with the results of the currently used HLC-723G8 system. Chemically modified haemoglobins were prepared by adding glucose, sodium cyanate, acetaldehyde or acetylsalicylic acid to normal blood samples. None of these samples had any influence on the HbA1c values determined by GX. GX analysis showed haemoglobin variants that eluted after HbA0 and were similar to HbD, or HbS had HbA1c values that were close to those measured by boronate affinity chromatography and immunoassay. GX found lower HbA1c values in blood that contained HbE or haemoglobin variants, which elute before or at nearly the same time as HbA0.

Conclusions

GX is useful for the analysis of HbA1c samples that contain HbD, HbS, HbC and haemoglobin variants, even though the elution times are similar. However, a countermeasure is needed in order to avoid overlooking other haemoglobin variants in Japan.
Critical engagement in fields of power: Cycles of sociological activism in post-apartheid South Africa
Authors: von Holdt Karl
Published: January 2014

In this article, the author argues that socially engaged sociology cannot be understood as a practice isolated in the quadrant of ‘public sociology’ as suggested by Michael Burawoy’s organization of sociology into four distinct quadrants but that it is closely associated with critical policy sociology as well as critical professional sociology. The author uses a case study of hospital transformation in post-apartheid South Africa to demonstrate the way sociological activism cycles through public, policy and professional sociological fields and to explore the nature of each of these fields as contested fields of power characterized by dominant and subordinate sociologies. The author resurrects Eddie Webster’s concept of critical engagement and expands its scope to suggest that the stance of the progressive – or radical – sociologist, who is engaged and committed to subaltern publics but retains a critical independence, is reproduced in the field of professional sociology in the form of what Burawoy calls critical sociology and in the field of policy sociology as critical policy sociology. The latter is a possibility that cannot be entertained in the Burawoy model, where policy sociology occupies a quadrant constituted by instrumentality and a lack of reflexivity. The practice of critical engagement, then, has to be understood as combining public sociology, policy sociology and critical sociology in a practice that may produce new knowledge that enables a more complex comprehension of domination across these fields, the better to challenge it.
Complex entanglements: Moving from policy to public sociology in the Arab world
Authors: Hanafi Sari
Published: January 2014

In this article, the author surveys his own career to illustrate some of the dilemmas of research, especially when it assumes a critical and public face. He shows how his work on Palestinian refugees, their socioeconomic rights, their right of return and their camps evolved toward complex forms of traditional and organic public sociology. The article concludes with reflections on one of the major dilemmas researchers face: conducting public research without losing its critical edge, even toward the deprived groups it seeks to protect. The moral of the story: good scientists are not always popular.
Interdependent power: Strategizing for the Occupy Movement
Authors: Piven Frances Fox
Published: January 2014

Protest movement from the lower reaches of society cannot deploy the resources to which we usually attribute the effective exercise of power. This article argues that when such movements do succeed, it is because the protestors have activated a distinctive kind of power. This power is rooted in their ability to disrupt the cooperative arrangements that constitute societies. ‘Occupy Wall Street’s’ contemplation of a debtors’ strike is an example of such a strategy and the formidable obstacles to its actuation.
Inconvenient truths: A public intellectual’s pursuit of truth, justice and power
Authors: Bello Walden
Published: January 2014

Public sociology involves challenging received wisdoms. Thus, it requires unusual fortitude, as these wisdoms are embedded in common sense, itself backed up by interests and sometimes force. To change what is taken to be common sense, such as neoliberal orthodoxy, therefore, can be accomplished most effectively through a social movement. To challenge conventional wisdom requires the discovery of truth and that can call for unorthodox methods, such as breaking into powerful agencies that hold official secrets. To challenge deeply held truths, whether they are deeply held by the powerful or the weak, can earn one long-lasting hostility, such as when I investigated the killings by the Philippine Communist Party. This is because there is an inherent and inescapable conflict between truth and power that will never disappear.
Social Justice Leadership and Inclusion
Authors: DeMatthews David , Mawhinney Hanne
Published: January 2014

Research Approach: This cross case study describes the challenges that two principals working in one urban school district addressed while attempting to transform their school cultures to embrace an inclusion model. Analysis of interviews and observations in each school revealed the actions, values, and orientations of the individual leaders and the influences of conflicts and dilemmas that exist in social justice work. Findings: The article describes how two principals enacted social justice leadership by making decisions that addressed resistance and challenges to inclusion. Implications for administrator preparation, future research, and theory are presented.
Thus Saith the Word: The theological relationship between biblical exposition and prophetic utterance in preaching
Authors: Edwards Aaron
Published: January 2014

Preaching has often had something of an awkward place in Christian theology. Is it a reflection on the Word of God, proclamation of the Word of God, or is it the ‘Word of God’ itself? In many accounts, the event of preaching is seen as nothing more, nor less, than exegesis. Although this is what preaching should aim to be, it is more than the public interpretation and explanation of a biblical text. Preaching is a unique speech event in which the Spirit speaks prophetically, through Scripture. But is preacherly speech more authoritative than any kind of speech which attempts to interpret Scripture? Many theological conceptions of preaching maintain that there is a unique authority which may accompany the preacher’s words from the pulpit. Traditional Reformation accounts, particularly Calvin’s, stress the exposition of the biblical text as the primary ‘event’ of preaching, irrespective of any ‘fresh’ prophetic work of the Spirit which may occur. This article attempts to speak of preaching as a unique pneumatological event which nonetheless retains Scriptural exposition as the essential sermonic content. Preaching is the moment in which the biblical text is fully consummated as spoken proclamation, even as it speaks beyond the aesthetic confines of the text itself. Such an event maintains both the authority of Scripture and the ongoing – perhaps even ‘surprising’ – work of the Spirit in the interplay between biblical text, prophetic sermon and ecclesial context.
Culture and authenticity in urban regeneration processes: Place branding in central Barcelona
Authors: Rius Ulldemolins Joaquim
Published: January 2014

In the post-Fordist economy, culture has become an important resource for cities to compete at the regional and international levels. Thus, local elites have used culture as an instrument of urban regeneration and these processes increasingly seek to promote urban branding. Moreover, culture is seen as a way to generate narratives that help cities avoid the perception of standardisation, characterise cities as a unique urban space and create authenticity, which are necessary elements if a city is to be globally competitive. The case of central Barcelona and, specifically, the Raval district is exemplary and singular: the joint action of the cultural institutions and representatives of the cultural sector based in the neighbourhood have turned the Raval into an brand space of ‘authentic Barcelona’ that makes the official, tourist-frequented Barcelona more rich and complex.
Burnout among paramilitary personnel in Nigeria: a perspective from Conservation of Resources Theory
Authors: Ojedokun Oluyinka , Idemudia ES
Published: January 2014

The job demands–resources model attributed burnout to incompatibility between job demands and job resources, and underplayed the role of personal resources in employees’ adaptation. Based on the Conservation of Resources Theory, this study proposes the inclusion of personal resources as predictors of burnout. A cross-sectional survey design was employed to gather data from 256 paramilitary personnel in Nigeria. Participants’ ages ranged from 19 to 65 years ( M = 35.03 years, standard deviation [ SD] = 8.55 years). Data were collected using measures of emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, organization-based self-esteem, optimism, and burnout. Results confirmed the joint influence of psychological resources on burnout. Emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, organization-based self-esteem, optimism, and tenure were found to have a significant influence on burnout. The findings suggest that organizations should be able to minimize burnout among their employees by increasing their adaptive capacities through appropriate training and development workshops.
Peers and Faculty as Predictors of Learning for Community College Students
Authors: Lundberg Carol A.
Published: January 2014

This study tested the extent to which student interaction with faculty, student peer teaching situations, student organization involvement, and discussion with diverse others contributed to self-reported learning for students involved in an ethnic-specific or multicultural student organization. The Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CCSEQ) was used to collect data from 239 students who were involved in an ethnic-specific or multicultural student organization at 1 of 12 different community colleges. Self-reported learning was reported in the following domains: general education, intellectual skills, science and technology, personal development, and career preparation. For each of the five learning outcomes, frequent interaction with faculty was the strongest predictor in the model. Engagement with peers contributed to most outcomes, but not as strongly as student–faculty interaction. Thus, the study extends the contribution of faculty interaction to the arena outside the classroom and suggests further research about the ways student–faculty interaction benefits students at the community college level.