bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationships of Coronary Heart Disease With 27-Hydroxycholesterol, Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, and Menopausal Hormone Therapy
Authors: Rossouw Jacques E. , Prentice Ross L. , Manson JoAnn E. , Aragaki Aaron K. , Hsia Judith , Martin Lisa W. , Kuller Lewis , Johnson Karen C. , Eaton Charles , Jackson Rebecca , Trevisan Maurizio , Allison Matthew , Hoogeveen Ron C.
Published: August 2012

Background—

Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) increases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in older women with elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDLC) levels. The endogenous estrogen receptor antagonist 27-hydroxycholesterol (27OHC) is correlated with LDLC levels and may block the beneficial effects of estrogen on the cardiovascular system.

Methods and Results—

We conducted a nested case-control study in the Women's Health Initiative trials of 350 CHD cases and 813 matched controls to explore potential mediation by 27OHC of the dependence of the CHD risk elevation with MHT on LDLC. Baseline levels of 27OHC were not associated with CHD risk when LDLC was included in the multivariable models. The odds ratio for CHD associated with increased LDLC was 1.15 (95% confidence interval, 1.08–1.23) and was unchanged at 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 1.07–1.22) when 27OHC was added to the model. Baseline 27OHC did not interact with MHT on CHD risk (
P
=0.81). In contrast, LDLC levels modified the effect of MHT on CHD risk (
P
for interaction=0.02), and adding 27OHC did not affect this result. With the use of log scales, the effect of MHT on CHD increased linearly with increasing level of baseline LDLC, with a transition from no risk to increased risk at ≈3.36 mmol/L (130 mg/dL).

Conclusions—

This study found that 27OHC does not independently increase the risk of CHD, does not modify the increased risk of CHD resulting from MHT, and does not mediate the interaction of LDLC with MHT. Measuring blood lipids may aid in counseling individual women about initiating MHT and cardiovascular risk mitigation.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00000611.
Precipitation Enhancement—A Scientific Challenge
Authors: Braham Roscoe R.
Published: August 2012

Schaefer's 1946 cloud seeding experiment initiated a quest for weather modification techniques. Progress has been slow; but there are several reasons for believing that useful precipitation augmentation may be possible.
Cardiovascular Disease and High-Mobility Group Box 1—Is a New Inflammatory Killer in Town?
Authors: Cirillo Plinio , Giallauria Francesco , Palma Vito Di , Maresca Fabio , Ziviello Francesca , Bevilacqua Michele , Vigorito Carlo , Trimarco Bruno
Published: September 2012

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB-1) is a nuclear protein physiologically involved in the maintaining of DNA structure in the nucleus. When tissue damage occurs, necrotic cells as well as inflammatory cells, once activated, release this protein in circulating blood, where it seems to exert a direct proinflammatory action. Thus, HMGB-1 might be involved in the pathophysiology of several diseases, including cardiovascular disease. However, the experimental evidence has not yet clarified its cardiovascular role which is still debated. Specifically, it is still not completely resolved whether HMGB-1 plays a protective or detrimental role on cardiovascular function. In this review, we consider the role of HMGB-1 in pathological conditions and comment on the role of this protein in the cardiovascular disease.
Economic Development Strategies and Communal Violence in Africa
Authors: McCauley John F.
Published: September 2012

This article explores the relationship between economic development strategies and conflict outcomes in Africa, using a comparison of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Findings suggest that development strategies that create contestation for resources along identity group lines, absent provisions for co-opting disenfranchised groups, increase the likelihood of communal violence, whereas development plans that transcend ascriptive social identities bear the greatest chance of generating long-term peace, irrespective of their short-term economic success. The author complements the comparative case study with evidence of intracase variation in Ghana and with original micro-level data collected in 2009.
Political Parties and Uncertainty in Developing Democracies
Authors: Lupu Noam , Riedl Rachel Beatty
Published: September 2012

This article lays out a theoretical framework for understanding the effects of political uncertainty on party development and strategies of mobilization and competition. Defining uncertainty as the imprecision with which political actors are able to predict future interactions, the authors identify three types of political uncertainty: regime uncertainty, economic uncertainty, and institutional uncertainty. They argue that political uncertainty is particularly high among developing democracies, contributing to puzzling empirical patterns of party development and competition in these contexts. Taking into account the role of uncertainty in the strategic decision making of party elites will help scholars better understand the differences between parties in advanced and developing democracies. But it can also help scholars understand the less dramatic differences between parties even within advanced democracies. The authors’ theoretical framework can be applied broadly since uncertainty informs the strategic choices of a much wider range of political actors.
The problem-solving service worker: Appraisal mechanisms and positive affective experiences during customer interactions
Authors: Kiffin-Petersen Sandra , Murphy Steven A , Soutar Geoffrey
Published: August 2012

Affective Events Theory suggests customer interactions elicit event appraisals that, in turn, prompt affective reactions in employees. A qualitative diary study was used to examine the daily events and cognitive appraisals that elicit positive emotions during customer service interactions. Thematic analysis of the diary contents of 276 sales employees from a variety of industries (874 positive events) showed helping customers solve their problem was the event most likely to trigger positive emotions. The data and resulting model revealed that particular configurations of employees’ appraisals predicted particular emotion(s). Within-person differences in cognitive appraisals also helped explain why some initially negative events may ultimately become a positive experience. Emotional contagion was found, where the positive emotions of the sales employees, or those of the customer, influenced the emotion of the other. The implications of the study for employees’ happiness and well-being, and for enhanced customer service relations, are discussed.
Remineralization of Demineralized Enamel via Calcium Phosphate Nanocomposite
Authors: Weir M.D. , Chow L.C. , Xu H.H.K.
Published: August 2012

Secondary caries remains the main problem limiting the longevity of composite restorations. The objective of this study was to investigate the remineralization of demineralized human enamel in vitro via a nanocomposite containing nanoparticles of amorphous calcium phosphate (NACP). NACP were synthesized by a spray-drying technique and incorporated into a dental resin. First, caries-like subsurface enamel lesions were created via an acidic solution. Then, NACP nanocomposite or a commercial fluoride-releasing control composite was placed on the demineralized enamel, along with control enamel without a composite. These specimens were then treated with a cyclic demineralization/remineralization regimen for 30 days. Quantitative microradiography showed typical enamel subsurface demineralization before cyclic demineralization/remineralization treatment, and significant remineralization in enamel under the NACP nanocomposite after the demineralization/remineralization treatment. The NACP nanocomposite had the highest enamel remineralization (mean ± SD; n = 6) of 21.8 ± 3.7%, significantly higher than the 5.7 ± 6.9% for fluoride-releasing composite (p < 0.05). The enamel group without composite had further demineralization of −26.1 ± 16.2%. In conclusion, a novel NACP nanocomposite was effective in remineralizing enamel lesions in vitro. Its enamel remineralization was 4-fold that of a fluoride-releasing composite control. Combined with the good mechanical and acid-neutralization properties reported earlier, the new NACP nanocomposite is promising for remineralization of demineralized tooth structures.
Gendered Uncertainty and Variation in Physicians’ Decisions for Coronary Heart Disease
Authors: Welch Lisa C. , Lutfey Karen E. , Gerstenberger Eric , Grace Matthew
Published: August 2012

Nonmedical factors and diagnostic certainty contribute to variation in clinical decision making, but the process by which this occurs remains unclear. We examine how physicians’ interpretations of patient sex-gender affect diagnostic certainty and, in turn, decision making for coronary heart disease. Data are from a factorial experiment of 256 physicians who viewed 1 of 16 video vignettes with different patient-actors presenting the same symptoms of coronary heart disease. Physician participants completed a structured interview and provided a narrative about their decision-making processes. Quantitative analysis showed that diagnostic uncertainty reduces the likelihood that physicians will order tests and medications appropriate for an urgent cardiac condition in particular. Qualitative analysis revealed that a subset of physicians applied knowledge that women have “atypical symptoms” as a generalization, which engendered uncertainty for some. Findings are discussed in relation to social-psychological processes that underlie clinical decision making and the social framing of medical knowledge.
Sociologists as Writing Instructors
Authors: Hudd Suzanne S. , Sardi Lauren M. , Lopriore Maureen T.
Published: August 2012

In this article, we examine common practices and attitudes surrounding writing pedagogy in the sociology classroom based on an analysis of interviews with 19 sociologists at seven institutions in the Northeast. Our discussion is centered on two distinct approaches to writing that faculty identified: writing as cognitive development and writing as skill development. We observe that when they teach writing, sociologists shift their attention back and forth between these two essential features of good writing. Our analysis contextualizes writing as a form of distributed cognition (Salomon 1993), because it is taught and learned across multiple experiences in the academy. In conclusion, we suggest that a greater attentiveness to the underlying cognitive features of writing will broaden opportunities for campus-wide dialogue about writing across the disciplines and enhance our students’ ability to transfer and build upon their writing experiences across courses.
Scribo Ergo Cogito
Authors: Kaufman Peter
Published: August 2012

This article builds on the concept of “writing as thinking” by describing an in-class, cumulative, peer-writing exercise that helps foster reflexivity. Reflexivity is understood as a process of seeing and a process of being. To be reflexive means that we are fully conscious of the lenses through which we view the world. It suggests that we understand both our situationality and our positionality. In this sense, reflexivity is an essential component of the sociological imagination. Three themes of reflexivity commonly arise from this exercise: developing reflexivity, reinforcing reflexivity, and resisting reflexivity. These themes are discussed and illustrated with full-length excerpts of students’ work.
Documenting Mexico’s Culture War
Authors: Maier Elizabeth
Published: August 2012

The tension between cosmopolitan and conservative viewpoints in Mexico positions women’s bodies and human reproduction at the core of today’s dispute over cultural meaning. A review of the history of abortion politics in Mexico, the legalization of abortion in Mexico City in 2007, and the ensuing passage of right-to-life laws in 17 Mexican states highlights the contending discourses, actors, and actions that make this issue emblematic of Mexico’s culture war.

La tensión entre las perspectivas cosmopolita y conservadora en México ha situado el cuerpo de la mujer, la sexualidad y la reproducción humana en el núcleo de la disputa por los significados culturales. Un resumen de la historia de las políticas de aborto en México, la legalización del aborto en la Ciudad de México en 2007 y la posterior aprobación en diecisiete estados de leyes que protegen la vida desde la concepción pone de relieve algunos discursos, actores y acciones centrales de la guerra cultural mexicana.
Capital openness, monetary integration, and wage-setting coordination in developed European countries
Authors: Park Sung Ho
Published: August 2012

How capital openness influences the wage-setting process is a topic that has been discussed extensively in the literature on European industrial relations. One well-known hypothesis asserts that high capital openness induces employers to de-coordinate the wage-setting process, if wage costs have been under poor control. This article provides a critical review of the hypothesis, arguing that it holds only if governments can provide flexible accommodating policies for employers during the period of institutional transition. If such policy options are not available, which is true when governments are committed to European monetary integration, the hypothesis does not hold. This claim is tested with a Boolean qualitative analysis of 11 European countries, focusing on the periods from the 1970s to early 2000s.
Item Response Modeling of Presence-Severity Items
Authors: Liu Ying , Verkuilen Jay
Published: August 2012

The Presence-Severity (P-S) format refers to a compound item structure in which a question is first asked to check the presence of the particular event in question. If the respondent provides an affirmative answer, a follow-up is administered, often about the frequency, density, severity, or impact of the event. Despite the popularity of the P-S format in areas such as patient reported outcomes, little attention has been paid to their psychometric analysis, which is necessary for making key design decisions about a scale. In this study, an item response theory–based framework is proposed to perform item analysis involving P-S data, which improves psychometric analysis for (a) scoring response categories, (b) calibrating items, (c) calculating reliability or internal consistency, and (d) selecting and revising items. A real-data example involving the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale–Short Form, which is used as symptom distress measure for terminally ill cancer patients, demonstrates how the new framework can be used to address various psychometric issues in practice.
The X-factor of charity: a critical analysis of celebrities’ involvement in the 2010 Flemish and Dutch Haiti relief shows
Authors: Driessens Olivier , Joye Stijn , Biltereyst Daniel
Published: August 2012

In our contemporary mediatized societies, philanthropy seems to be part of celebrities’ ontology, while celebrities have become indispensable for the charity industry. This has provoked both negative and positive appraisals, although the specific nature and consequences of celebrities’ involvement remain unclear. This article contributes to these debates by providing a systematic analysis of the roles celebrities play in telethons, which we redefine as charity media events, allowing us to study the shows in their full contextual complexity as ideological constructs. Applying qualitative content analysis, we have analysed two charity media events following the 2010 Haitian earthquake. In general, four distinct roles have been discerned: celebrities add an aura of exclusiveness and glamour, they render distant suffering relevant to domestic audiences, they function as principal motivators, and also contribute to the commodification of charity. Celebrities’ involvement thus reinforces charity media events’ dominant discourse of charitainment, in which a disaster is portrayed as a short term problem that can be remedied by supporting relief aid. Although this analysis does not disregard the usefulness and impact of fundraising campaigns and the contribution celebrities can make, it criticizes the oversimplified representation of complex issues and the decontextualized and depoliticized interpretations of distant suffering.
Age differences in everyday problem solving
Authors: Thornton Wendy Loken , Paterson Theone S. E. , Yeung Sophie E.
Published: September 2012

Reductions in everyday problem solving (EPS) are often reported in older age, although it has been suggested that problem context may modify this effect. We evaluated the impact of two aspects of problem context: age appropriateness (age-neutral vs. older-age content) and problem type (interpersonal vs. practical) on EPS performance in 175 adults aged 18–87. Older adults generated fewer solutions to ill-structured EPS vignettes than younger and middle-aged adults. Middle-aged adults demonstrated an advantage on practical problems. While all age groups demonstrated a relative performance advantage for interpersonal content on older age problems, older adults showed the least relative benefit in this condition. Thus older adults do not exhibit relative performance gains on EPS problems designed to be most salient and relevant to this age group.
Determinants of citizens’ intent to use government websites in Taiwan
Authors: Wang Hui-Ju , Lo Jin
Published: September 2012

The use of the Internet in government operations has been growing in popularity around the world. Nevertheless, governmental agencies have been slow to establish and develop an electronic presence. Although previous studies have discussed the reasons for the comparably slow development of e-government services, most of the research efforts are based on supply-side indicators and often assess websites alone; as yet, little information is available on the demand aspect of e-government. Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and trustworthiness as a theoretical framework, this paper aims to investigate the factors that influence citizens’ intent to use government websites. Through the survey data in Taiwan and the application of structural equation modeling method, the results show that trust in the government, facilitating conditions, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitudes toward the use of government websites have significant positive effects on intent to use government websites. Finally, the academic and practical implications of the findings are also discussed.
Familial hemiplegic migraine with prolonged global aura: Follow-up findings of subtraction ictal SPECT co-registered to MRI (SISCOM)
Authors: Arias-Rivas Susana , Rodríguez-Yañez Manuel , Cortés Julia , Pardo-Parrado María , Aguiar Pablo , Leira Rogelio , Castillo José , Blanco Miguel
Published: August 2012

All authors contributed equally to this work. Susana Arias-Rivas wrote the main paper. Manuel Rodriguez-Yáñez investigated the supplementary data. Julia Cortés and Pablo Aguiar performed the nuclear image studies and analysed and described the neuroimaging results. María Pardo, Rogelio Leira and Jose Castillo jointly conceived the study, followed the patient and prepared the manuscript. Miguel Blanco discussed the results. All authors discussed the results and implications and commented on the manuscript at all stages.
A novel CACNA1A mutation results in episodic ataxia with migrainous features without headache
Authors: Magis Delphine , Boon Elles , Coppola Gianluca , Daron Aurore , Schoenen Jean
Published: September 2012

Background:

The mechanisms subtending migrainous features, like sensoriphobia, remain poorly understood even though recent works have shed new light on their mechanisms.

Case report:

A 24-year-old woman consulted the headache clinic because of frequent paroxysmal attacks of strong sensoriphobia, digestive signs, moderate ataxia and a need to lie in the dark, without any headache. The symptoms had begun in infancy and the patient had been treated for hysteria, then for epilepsy. As she had some typical features of episodic ataxia type 2, an analysis of CACNA1A gene was performed and demonstrated a novel c3995 + 1G>A mutation. The same mutation was also discovered in her young son, who had an ataxia of unknown origin. Both remarkably improved under acetazolamide.

Conclusions:

This observation suggests that paroxysmal sensoriphobia and digestive signs can occur together in bouts in neurological conditions other than migraine, and in the absence of head pain. It raises interesting hypotheses about the central pathways driving these symptoms.
Effects of shock waves on oxidative stress in parotid gland of rat
Authors: Garca M Fatih , Kavak Servet , Gecit Ilhan , Meral Ismail , Demir Halit , Turan Mahfuz , Çeğin Bilal , Bektas Hava , Çankaya Hakan
Published: August 2012

This study was designed to investigate whether extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) exposure to parotid gland produces an oxidative stress in parotid glands of rats. Twelve male Wistar-albino rats, 6 months of age with an average body weight of 250–300 g, were divided randomly into two groups, each consisting of six rats. The animals in the first group did not receive any treatment and served as control. The left parotid glands of animals in group 2 (ESWL treated) received a thousand 18 kV shock waves after anesthetizing the rats with 50 mg/kg of ketamine. The animals in both groups were killed 72 hours after the ESWL treatment, and the parotid glands were harvested for the determination of lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidant glutathione (GSH) levels and the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), GSH-Px and catalase (CAT). It was found that MDA level increased in parotid glands of rats after the ESWL treatment. The SOD, GSH-Px and CAT enzyme activities, and the level of antioxidant GSH decreased in parotid gland of rats after the ESWL treatment. It was concluded that short-term ESWL treatment caused an increase in the free radical production and a decrease in the antioxidant enzyme activity in parotid glands of ESWL-treated rats.
Evaluation of acute toxicity potential of water hyacinth leaves
Authors: Wu Wenbiao , Guo Xiaoguang , Huang Mingliang
Published: August 2012

Although higher protein yield per hectare of water hyacinth than that of soy, high protein content of its leaves and good essential amino acid pattern have been proven, its dietary toxicity for human or animal consumption has not yet been evaluated. Therefore, the acute toxicity of water hyacinth leaves has been evaluated by an animal feeding test. The concentrations of common toxic metals including cadmium, lead, platinum, palladium, tin, mercury, barium, silver, stibium and aluminum in the water hyacinth leaf powder (WHLP) used for the animal feeding test were within their maximum limits in food additives as reported by the World Health Organization. The median lethal dose (LD50) of WHLP was more than 16 g kg−1 body weight. In the study, after feeding for 7 and 28 days, the body weight of all the mice increased. The results of hematological analysis, clinical biochemical analysis, histopathological evaluation, general dissection or investigations of internal organs, appearance and behavior observations did not indicate any adverse effects from the diet containing WHLP. It is therefore concluded that water hyacinth leaves are not acutely toxic.
Distribution and pharmacokinetics of double-radiolabeled endotoxin in the rat brain and peripheral organs
Authors: Kim Chung S , Ross Ivan A , Sapienza Philip P , Hanes Darcy E , Johnson Widmark , Hutter Joseph C
Published: August 2012

The endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), of Salmonella typhimurium was biosynthetically labeled with 3H and 14C incorporated into the fatty acyl chains and glucosamine residues, respectively. The radio-labeled LPS was isolated from the bacteria and then injected into Sprague-Dawley rats. The distribution of 14C and 3H-LPS in plasma and other organs was determined following intraperitoneal (IP) doses of 14C and 3H-LPS (200 μg/kg). Plasma concentrations of both fatty acyl chains and glucosamine residues were biphasic, with a relatively rapid decay followed by a slow decline for 48 h. Similar biphasic results were found in the peripheral organs (kidney and heart) and brain barrier tissues (meninges and choroid plexus). In other brain tissues (brain stem, caudate nucleus, hypothalamus, frontal cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus), the glucosamine residue was biphasic, whereas the fatty acyl chains showed accumulation. Highest concentrations of LPS were found in the plasma, spleen and the liver. In addition, in the liver, sustained elevations of 14C-glucosamine and 3H-fatty acyl chains were observed. This indicates LPS accumulation in the liver. By contrast, the spleen showed biphasic decay of glucosamine residues and accumulation of fatty acyl chains. In the brain barrier tissues, peak LPS concentrations were significantly reduced (about 70%) and were further reduced (about 95%) in other brain tissues. The high elevation of LPS in the spleen is considered indicative of an immune response. Our findings highlight the potential significant role of lipid A as shown with the sustained elevation of 3H-fatty acyl chains in the brain.
Hematological effect of benzene exposure with emphasis of muconic acid as a biomarker
Authors: Ibrahim Khadiga S , Amer Nagat M , El-dossuky Elsaid A , Emara Ahmed M , El-Fattah Abd El-Samei M Abd , Shahy Eman Mohamed
Published: August 2012

Human exposure to benzene in work environment is a global occupational health problem. It is established that benzene requires to be metabolized to induce its effects. Benzene has been associated with various hematotoxins and carcinogens. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of benzene on complete blood picture, with emphasis of trans, trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA) as a biomarker of benzene in urine, considering the influence of cigarette smoke. A total of 81 workers (61 males and 20 females) have been occupationally exposed to benzene. In addition, 83 workers (55males and 28 females) were also recruited as a control group. Complete blood picture was analyzed and urinary t,t-MA was determined by liquid chromatography. In addition, creatinine in the urine samples was determined. Levels of blood elements (white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets) were decreased among exposed workers compared with the controls. The urinary level of t,t-MA/creatinine of the exposed workers was elevated especially in the smoking group compared to the controls. This study recommends that complete blood picture and t,t-MA are helpful biomarker tests that should be done to detect the early effects of benzene exposure.
Results of a 90-day inhalation study of dicyclopentadiene in B6C3F1 mice
Authors: Kransler Kevin M
Published: August 2012

The objective of this inhalation study was to determine and evaluate the potential toxic effects of dicyclopentadiene vapor in mice exposed for 13-weeks of repeated inhalation. Four groups, each consisting of 45 male and 45 female B6C3F1 mice, were exposed to dicyclopentadiene vapor by inhalation 6 h/day, 5 days/week, for 13 weeks (64 exposures) at targeted concentrations of 0, 1.0, 5.0, or 50 ppm. An assessment of toxicity is carried out after 2, 6, and 13 weeks of inhalation exposures. Additionally, animals were evaluated during the recovery period of 4 or 13 weeks after the last exposure. Observations and measurements to assess toxicity include clinical observations, body weight, organ weights, serum chemistry, and hematologic, ophthalmologic, gross pathologic, and histologic evaluations. The only systemic effects observed were a few statistically significant changes in organ weights; but these were considered spurious in nature. Ten male and nine female mice in the highest exposure group died during the study, while no more than two mice died in any other group. However, the excess mortality was without an apparent etiology or association to exposure and was attributed to pulmonary congestion as a consequence of pulmonary irritation. Under the conditions of this study, these data demonstrated that in the absence of overt systemic toxicity, respiratory congestion has the predominant effect at the exposure levels of 50 ppm. This observation contributes to the Globally Harmonized System harmonized hazard classification of Single Target Organ Toxicity – Single Exposure (H335, may cause respiratory irritation) for this substance.
Fox in the Henhouse
Authors: Stinson Philip Matthew , Liederbach John
Published: August 2012

The problem of violence within police families has been increasingly recognized as an important sociolegal issue, but there is a lack of empirical data on what has commonly been referred to as officer-involved domestic violence (OIDV). There are no comprehensive statistics available on OIDV and no government entity collects data on the criminal conviction of police officers for crimes associated with domestic and/or family violence. Prior self-report officer surveys are limited by the tendency to conceal instances of family violence and the interests of officers to maintain a “code of silence” to protect their careers. The purpose of the current study is to provide empirical data on OIDV cases. The study identifies and describes cases in which police were arrested for criminal offenses associated with an incident of family and/or domestic violence through a content analysis of published newspaper articles. Data on these cases is presented in terms of the arrested officer, employing agency, victim, charged offense(s), and criminal case dispositions. The paper includes a discussion regarding OIDV and policy implications.
How US Mothers Store and Handle Their Expressed Breast Milk
Authors: Labiner-Wolfe Judith , Fein Sara B.
Published: August 2012

Background:

Many mothers express and store their milk to later feed to their infant. Health organizations provide recommendations on expressed milk storage and handling because these practices can affect milk quality and safety. However, little information exists on US mothers’ practices.

Objective:

To describe how US mothers of healthy infants store and handle their expressed milk and to compare their practices with recommendations.

Methods:

Mothers participating in the Infant Feeding Practices Study II from 2005-2006 who were expressing milk formed the cohort for this analysis (n = 436-1060, depending on infant age). Participants in this longitudinal mail survey were drawn from a consumer opinion panel and answered questions about milk expression around 2, 5, and 7 months postpartum. Data were analyzed cross sectionally using frequency procedures, and the analysis compared mothers who fed expressed milk with and without also feeding formula.

Results:

Few mothers stored their milk longer than recommended. Among mothers of the youngest infants in this analysis, 12% heated their milk in a microwave and 17% rinsed bottle nipples with only water before reuse; percentages were similar as infants aged. These practices may pose risks to infant health. Compared with those who fed no formula, mothers who fed both expressed milk and formula were more likely to heat milk in a microwave and, among those with the youngest infants, to rinse bottle nipples with only water between uses.

Conclusion:

Consumer education should emphasize safe warming and cleaning practices for feeding expressed milk.
Electrical and thermal characterization of doped poly(ethylene oxide)
Authors: Al-Faleh RS , Zihlif AM
Published: September 2012

Thin films of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) doped with sodium iodide (NaI) were prepared by casting method. The films have an average thickness of 70 µm and contain different NaI concentrations, that is 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 15% by weight (wt%). The dielectric constant, alternating current (AC)-conductivity, and thermal conductivity of the electrolytic composites were studied as a function of applied frequency, temperature, and NaI concentration. The AC conductivity and dielectric constants were determined from the impedance data, and the thermal conductivity was measured using the transient electric pulse method. It was found that the dielectric constants and AC conductivity increase with increasing temperature and NaI concentration. The percolation threshold of the observed AC conductivity occurs at about 1 wt% NaI dispersed in the PEO matrix. The charge transfer in the electrolytic films is dominated by ions transport and creation of more localized energy states due to high amorphous phase in the solid electrolyte. The formed iodide complexes also contribute in increasing the AC quantities. It was found that the thermal conductivity of the polymer electrolyte films increases with both temperature and NaI concentration. Empirical models were used to describe the dependence of electrical and thermal conductivities on the dopant content, frequency, and temperature.
Clinical significance of soluble-endoglin levels in systemic lupus erythematosus: possible association with anti-phospholipid syndrome
Authors: Bassyouni IH , El-Shazly R , Azkalany GS , Zakaria A , Bassyouni RH
Published: September 2012

Aim: The pathogenic role of soluble endoglin (s-Eng), as an antiangiogenic protein, has largely been demonstrated in various vascular disorders. Our aim was to assess, in a cross-sectional study, plasma levels of s-Eng in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and its relation with the disease characteristics. Patients and methods: Plasma from 86 patients with SLE and 36 normal healthy subjects was assayed for s-Eng levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Demographic, clinical, autoantibodies and serological data were prospectively assessed. Disease activity was assessed by total SLE disease activity index score. Results: In our SLE patients, the levels of s-Eng were comparable between SLE patients and the control group. However, these levels were significantly associated with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). In addition, s-Eng levels were significantly associated with antiphospholipid antibodies in our studied population. On the other hand, we did not find significant differences in mean plasma s-Eng levels in relation to disease activity, other organ system involvement or the presence of anti-dsDNA. Conclusion: Our preliminary data indicated the importance of s-Eng in a special subgroup of SLE patients associated with secondary APS. An additional prospective, large-scale, longitudinal study should be carried out to support these findings.
Review of flaws and damages in space launch vehicle: Structures
Authors: Lee Jung-Ryul , Dhital Dipesh
Published: September 2012

A space launch vehicle is a complex engineering structure. It consists of several structural and system components that are stably stored for extended periods and that at the launch moment, must function precisely. However, this presents a number of unique challenges as well as the possibility of various flaws and damages during the manufacturing, assembly, or ground handling phase. Mechanical and chemical complexity, long service lives, aging materials, and designs with small margins are typical of space launch vehicle components. The performance and characteristics of the components can be significantly affected by degradation resulting from such flaws and damages, and this degradation in turn might lead to failure of the entire space mission. Damage detection at the earliest possible stage enables implementation of possible preventive measures, and evaluation of component reliability and readiness either at the manufacturing level or during field inspections. This review study lists such possible flaws/damages for various space launch vehicle components. This information could be beneficial for determining and developing reliable nondestructive evaluation and structural health monitoring techniques.
Indicated Truancy Interventions for Chronic Truant Students
Authors: Maynard Brandy R. , McCrea Katherine Tyson , Pigott Terri D. , Kelly Michael S.
Published: September 2012

Objective: Examine the effects of indicated interventions on attendance with chronic truant students. Method: Systematic review and meta-analytic methods, following Campbell Collaboration guidelines, were utilized. A comprehensive search identified 5 randomized and 11 quasi-experimental studies. Results: The mean effect on attendance outcomes was moderate, positive, and significant, g = .46, 95% confidence interval [.30, .62], p < .05, translating into an improvement in attendance by an average of 4.69 days; however, significant heterogeneity was observed. Moderator analyses found no significant differences in mean effects between studies on variables tested. Discussion: Chronic truant students benefit from interventions targeting attendance behaviors; however, no program stood out as being more effective than others. Mean rates of absenteeism at posttest in most studies remained above acceptable levels, indicating a need for more effective interventions. The paucity of research, gaps, and deficiencies affirm the need for strengthening the evidence base. Recommendations for practice, policy, and research are discussed.
Regionalism Redux
Authors: Nelles Jen
Published: September 2012

The policy actions of senior levels of government can often be important catalysts to collective action for metropolitan governance. This article compares the challenges that actors in metropolitan Detroit have faced in attempting to establish metropolitan transit governance in response to the promise of federal funding for regional transit in 1967 and the grants announced in the 2000s. How has the region responded differently to the challenge of regional transit in the most recent wave of funding? What accounts for governance failure even when, at various points in the historical debate, local actors have been in agreement on a metro transit agenda? What has changed since the 1960s and will these differences empower the metro region to finally establish metropolitan transit governance? Finally, what can the lessons of these two periods teach us about governing regional transit in fragmented political contexts?
The Pharmacology of Distributed Experiment – User-generated Drug Innovation
Authors: Cooper Melinda
Published: August 2012

It is a commonplace of the critical innovation literature that experiment has replaced mass production as the driving force of accumulation. But while many theorists have explored the politics and dynamics of such economies of experiment under the rubric of ‘immaterial’, cognitive or affective labour, few have examined the intersection of labour, experiment and the speculative in the clinic. Taking the clinic as representative of contemporary transformations in the commodity-form, labour and innovation, this article will look at recent attempts to reform the clinical trial, arguing that these developments represent a far-reaching shift in our understanding of medicine. First, I investigate recent efforts (associated with the discourse of ‘translational medicine’) to rethink the interface between experimental lab-based science and the clinic. I also look at closely associated efforts to reintroduce an element of experimental surprise into the clinical trial process itself, through the adoption of novel trial designs. If the randomized controlled trial was conceived essentially along the lines of a product testing procedure, recent efforts have attempted to reintroduce surprise into the testing process itself – in other words, to invent a trial process capable of producing unexpected events as leads for further innovation. I then move from the experimental clinic to what I call the distributed experiment. Here I focus on efforts to outsource pharmacological innovation to a distributed public of patients through the use of social networking software. These platforms allow drug developers to escape the limits of the conventional clinical trial by tracking the experimental practices taking place in the distributed clinic of unregulated drug consumption.
‘Frequent Sipping’: Bottled Water, the Will to Health and the Subject of Hydration
Authors: Race Kane
Published: August 2012

This article examines how the formation of markets in bottled water has relied on assembling a particular subject: the subject of hydration. The discourse of hydration is a conspicuous feature of efforts to market bottled water, allowing companies to appeal to scientifically framed principles and ideas of health in order to position the product as an essential component in self-health and healthy lifestyles. Alongside related principles, such as the ‘8 × 8 rule’, hydration has done much to establish new practices of water drinking and consumption in which the consumer appears to be always at risk of dehydration and must engage in practices of ‘frequent sipping’. This article traces the emergence of the concept of hydration from its origins in exercise science and explores its circulation, contemporary uses and purchase. I argue that the appeal to biomedical languages and concepts found in the discourse of hydration connects with much broader ways of conceiving and acting upon the self that have become prevalent in contemporary society – what Rose and Novas call ‘biological citizenship’ – indicating how the ensemble of hydration participates in wider-ranging transformations in forms of rule. The story of hydration reveals how biomedical techniques of the self can be made to double up as ‘market devices’ by offering specific procedures for assessing the self and calculating the body’s needs. In order to grasp these developments, I position the health sciences, and health and fitness in particular, as a potent site of popular culture in which bodies learn to be affected by the procedures of scientific experiment. A critical grasp of this context is best enabled, I argue, by situating the producers and consumers of scientific principles and commercial products as embodied and looking at their interconnection in processes of emergence. Through these means, we can begin to develop a fully materialized account of the question: how have we become so thirsty?
General self-efficacy in relation to unprotected sexual encounters among persons living with HIV
Authors: Kamen Charles , Flores Sergio , Etter Darryl , Lazar Rachael , Patrick Rudy , Lee Susanne , Koopman Cheryl , Gore-Felton Cheryl
Published: August 2012

This study examined general self-efficacy in relation to sexual risk behavior among persons living with HIV and evaluated psychometric properties of the Positive Self Questionnaire, a novel measure of general self-efficacy. The Positive Self Questionnaire showed high internal consistency, a factor analysis supported by a single factor structure, and convergent validity supported by significant correlations in predicted directions with indicators of mental health. The Positive Self Questionnaire was related to unprotected sexual encounters, even after controlling for other factors. Results suggest that general self-efficacy is important to examine when assessing sexual risk behavior; an internally consistent measure is available for such endeavors.
The evaluation of primary idiopathic focal hyperhidrosis patients in terms of alexithymia
Authors: Ak Mehmet , Dinçer Didem , Haciomeroglu Bikem , Akarsu Süleyman , Lapsekili Nergis , Ada Simin
Published: August 2012

The aim of this study was to evaluate the primary focal hyperhidrosis patients in terms of alexithymia. Participants ( n = 50) diagnosed with primary focal hyperhidrosis by a dermatologist were referred to a psychiatrist and evaluated via Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders and Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. The rate of alexithymia was 45.6 percent and 18.2 percent, respectively, for primary focal hyperhidrosis and control participants ( n = 44). Multivariate analysis of variance results showed that the primary focal hyperhidrosis group scored significantly higher than the control group in Difficulty Identifying Feelings and Difficulty Describing Feelings subscales, and total score. Psychotherapeutic interventions can increase the chances of dermatological treatment success and can have a positive impact on the quality of life in chronic cases.
Symptom experiences in patients after heart transplantation
Authors: Stiefel Penelope , Malehsa Doris , Bara Christoph , Strueber Martin , Haverich Axel , Kugler Christiane
Published: August 2012

Patients’ perceptions of immunosuppression-related symptom experience impact on quality of life and medication adherence. Using The Modified Transplant Symptom Occurrence and Symptom Distress Scale capturing items on symptom occurrence and symptom distress, 261 heart transplant recipients reported on their symptom experiences. Symptoms occurring with the highest prevalence were tiredness, lack of energy, and nervousness. Men showed erectile dysfunction causing the most distress. Women and younger patients reported significantly higher levels of symptom distress. Distress levels increased with time after transplant. Investigating responses to immunosuppression-related symptom experiences should help develop interventional methods to support long-term outcome.
Neurochemical biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders
Authors: Bibl Mirko , Esselmann Hermann , Wiltfang Jens
Published: August 2012

Neurochemical biomarkers for diagnosing dementias are currently under intensive investigation and the field is rapidly expanding. The main protagonists and the best defined among them are cerebrospinal fluid levels of Aβ42, tau and its phosphorylated forms (p-tau). In addition, novel cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers are emerging and their multiparametric assessment seems most promising for increasing the accuracy in neurochemical dementia diagnostics. The combined assessment of Aβ42 and p-tau has recently shown value for diagnosing prodromal states of Alzheimer’s dementia, that is, mild cognitive impairment. Disease-specific biomarkers for other degenerative dementias are still missing, but some progress has recently been made. As lumbar puncture is an additional burden for the patient, blood-based neurochemical biomarkers are definitely warranted and promising new discoveries have been made in this direction. These diagnostic developments have implicit therapeutic consequences and give rise to new requirements for future neurochemical dementia diagnostics.
An update on the management of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
Authors: Gorson Kenneth C.
Published: August 2012

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an immune mediated disorder of the peripheral nervous system with clinical features that include weakness, sensory loss, imbalance, pain and impaired ambulation which may lead to substantial disability. This review highlights current treatment strategies for CIDP, how best to utilize proven therapies such as intravenous immunoglobulin, oral prednisone, pulse dexamethasone, and plasma exchange, and when and how to use alternative immunosuppressive agents when first-line therapies are ineffective or poorly tolerated.
Plantar Heel Pain due to Vascular Leiomyoma (Angioleiomyoma)
Authors: Cheung Man-hong Steve , Lui Tun-hing
Published: September 2012

The differential diagnosis of heel pain is extensive. The plantar heel pain is usually due to mechanical etiology, including plantar fasciitis, calcaneal spur, stress fracture, and nerve entrapment. Tumor is a rare cause of plantar heel pain. We present a case of chronic plantar heel pain with a vascular leiomyoma at the heel pad.

Levels of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level IV, Case study