bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 Regulates Normal Development of the Mouse Heart
Authors: He Aibin , Ma Qing , Cao Jingjing , von Gise Alexander , Zhou Pingzhu , Xie Huafeng , Zhang Bing , Hsing Michael , Christodoulou Danos C. , Cahan Patrick , Daley George Q. , Kong Sek Won , Orkin Stuart H. , Seidman Christine E. , Seidman Jonathan G. , Pu William T.
Published: December 2011

Rationale:

Epigenetic marks are crucial for organogenesis, but their role in heart development is poorly understood. Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) trimethylates histone H3 at lysine 27, which establishes H3K27me3 repressive epigenetic marks that promote tissue-specific differentiation by silencing ectopic gene programs.

Objective:

We studied the function of PRC2 in murine heart development using a tissue-restricted conditional inactivation strategy.

Methods and Results:

Inactivation of the PRC2 subunit
Ezh2
by Nkx2–5
Cre
(Ezh2
NK
) caused lethal congenital heart malformations, namely, compact myocardial hypoplasia, hypertrabeculation, and ventricular septal defect. Candidate and genome-wide RNA expression profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses of Ezh2
NK
heart identified genes directly repressed by EZH2. Among these were the potent cell cycle inhibitors
Ink4a/b
(inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 A and B), the upregulation of which was associated with decreased cardiomyocyte proliferation in Ezh2
NK
. EZH2-repressed genes were enriched for transcriptional regulators of noncardiomyocyte expression programs such as
Pax6
,
Isl1
, and
Six1
. EZH2 was also required for proper spatiotemporal regulation of cardiac gene expression, because
Hcn4
,
Mlc2a
, and
Bmp10
were inappropriately upregulated in ventricular RNA. PRC2 was also required later in heart development, as indicated by cardiomyocyte-restricted TNT-Cre inactivation of the PRC2 subunit
Eed
. However,
Ezh2
inactivation by TNT-Cre did not cause an overt phenotype, likely because of functional redundancy with
Ezh1
. Thus, early Ezh2 inactivation by Nk2–5
Cre
caused later disruption of cardiomyocyte gene expression and heart development.

Conclusions:

Our study reveals a previously undescribed role of EZH2 in regulating heart formation and shows that perturbation of the epigenetic landscape early in cardiogenesis has sustained disruptive effects at later developmental stages.
Clinical Implications of Electrocardiographic Left Ventricular Strain and Hypertrophy in Asymptomatic Patients With Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Greve Anders M. , Boman Kurt , Gohlke-Baerwolf Christa , Kesäniemi Y. Antero , Nienaber Christoph , Ray Simon , Egstrup Kenneth , Rossebø Anne B. , Devereux Richard B. , Køber Lars , Willenheimer Ronnie , Wachtell Kristian
Published: December 2011

Background—

The prognostic impact of ECG left ventricular strain and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in asymptomatic aortic stenosis is not well described.

Methods and Results—

Data were obtained in asymptomatic patients randomized to simvastatin/ezetimibe combination versus placebo in the Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis (SEAS) study. Primary end point was the first of myocardial infarction, nonhemorrhagic stroke, heart failure, aortic valve replacement, or cardiovascular death. The predictive value of ECG left ventricular strain (defined as T-wave inversion in leads V
4
through V
6
) and LVH, assessed by Sokolow-Lyon voltage criteria (R
V5–6
+S
V1
≥35 mV) and Cornell voltage-duration criteria {[RaVL+S
V3
+(6 mV in women)]×QRS duration ≥2440 mV · ms}, was evaluated by adjustment for other prognostic covariates. A total of 1533 patients were followed for 4.3±0.8 years (6592 patient-years of follow-up), and 627 cardiovascular events occurred. ECG strain was present in 340 patients (23.6%), with LVH by Sokolow-Lyon voltage in 260 (17.1%) and by Cornell voltage-duration product in 220 (14.6%). In multivariable analyses, ECG left ventricular strain was associated with 3.1-fold higher risk of in-study myocardial infarction (95% confidence interval, 1.4–6.8;
P
=0.004). Similarly, ECG LVH by both criteria predicted, compared with no ECG LVH, 5.8-fold higher risk of heart failure (95% confidence interval, 2.0–16.8), 2.0-fold higher risk of aortic valve replacement (95% confidence interval, 1.3–3.1; both
P
=0.001), and 2.5-fold higher risk of a combined end point of myocardial infarction, heart failure, or cardiovascular death (95% confidence interval, 1.3–4.9;
P
=0.008).

Conclusions—

ECG left ventricular strain and LVH were independently predictive of poor prognosis in patients with asymptomatic aortic stenosis.

Clinical Trial Registration—

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00092677.
Role of the Indo-Pacific Interbasin Coupling in Predicting Asymmetric ENSO Transition and Duration
Authors: Ohba Masamichi , Watanabe Masahiro
Published: December 2011

Warm and cold phases of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) exhibit a significant asymmetry in their transition/duration such that El Niño tends to shift rapidly to La Niña after the mature phase, whereas La Niña tends to persist for up to 2 yr. The possible role of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the Indian Ocean (IO) in this ENSO asymmetry is investigated using a coupled general circulation model (CGCM). Decoupled-IO experiments are conducted to assess asymmetric IO feedbacks to the ongoing ENSO evolution in the Pacific. Identical-twin forecast experiments show that a coupling of the IO extends the skillful prediction of the ENSO warm phase by about one year, which was about 8 months in the absence of the IO coupling, in which a significant drop of the prediction skill around the boreal spring (known as the spring prediction barrier) is found. The effect of IO coupling on the predictability of the Pacific SST is significantly weaker in the decay phase of La Niña. Warm IO SST anomalies associated with El Niño enhance surface easterlies over the equatorial western Pacific and hence facilitate the El Niño decay. However, this mechanism cannot be applied to cold IO SST anomalies during La Niña. The result of these CGCM experiments estimates that approximately one-half of the ENSO asymmetry arises from the phase-dependent nature of the Indo-Pacific interbasin coupling.
Outpatient Management of Patients with Bronchiolitis Discharged Home on Oxygen
Authors: Sandweiss David R. , Kadish Howard A. , Campbell Kristine A.
Published: December 2011

Objective. To describe the experience of general pediatricians in weaning bronchiolitis patients, treated as outpatients, from oxygen. Methods. The authors surveyed members of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Community Pediatrics regarding management of outpatient oxygen for bronchiolitis. Results. The survey had 214 (28.4%) responses from pediatricians, of whom 172 (80.3%) practiced outpatient pediatrics. Among those, 27 (15.7%) cared for bronchiolitis patients discharged on oxygen. Pediatricians managing home oxygen practiced at higher altitude (5000 vs 339 ft, P < .001). No clear weaning protocol was reported. Over half (61.5%) of the pediatricians managing home oxygen acknowledged difficulty in deciding when to stop oxygen. A median of 2 (interquartile range [IQR] = 2-2) outpatient visits and 6 (IQR = 4-7) outpatient days on home oxygen were needed prior to oxygen discontinuation. Conclusion. Pediatricians are not routinely managing home oxygen for hypoxic bronchiolitis patients. Variable weaning process, difficulties in determining oxygen stoppage, multiple follow-up visits, and prolonged home oxygen usage highlight the need to evaluate the impact of this emerging practice.
Physical child abuses in urban China: Victims’ perceptions of the problem and impediments to help-seeking
Authors: Zhu Yuhong , Tang Kwong-Leung
Published: December 2011

Physical abuse, as well as other forms of child abuse, has become a serious social problem but remains understudied in mainland China. This study examined physically abused children and collected data on how they perceive and interpret their experiences of parental physical abuse, and what barriers impede their help-seeking. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine child victims of parental physical abuse in Nanjing, China. Findings focus on children’s views of legitimacy and effectiveness of physical abuse, and reasons for not seeking help. Research and policy implications are discussed at the end of this article.
Manju Devi’s martyrdom
Authors: Jaoul Nicolas
Published: December 2011

The All India Agricultural Labourers Association (AIALA) was formed in 2003 by the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (Liberation) (CPI-ML Liberation), formerly an ‘underground’ Naxalite party, which adopted legal and democratic means in the early 1990’s. Focusing on its main stronghold in the countryside of Bihar, this article analyses the way the economic struggles, social aspirations and aesthetic values of the rural proletariat are being articulated with the party’s political goal of producing a revolutionary class at the subjective level. These goals are analysed in the context of the party’s evolution towards a mass movement and through a critique of the legitimist and populist approaches towards popular culture. The party’s recent emphasis on symbolic politics indicates a greater inclination towards the popular than implied by the Leninist model of intellectual authority, thus highlighting the cultural negotiations that underlie the making of class subjectivity.
“No-Saying” in Habermas
Authors: White Stephen K. , Farr Evan Robert
Published: December 2011

Habermas’s paradigm of communicative action is usually taken to be pretty much dominated by consensus, “Yes-saying.” What if this were a radically one-sided perception? We take up this unorthodox position by arguing that “no-saying” in this paradigm is typically overlooked and underemphasized. To demonstrate this, we consider how negativity is figured at the most basic onto-ethical level in communicative action, as well as expressed in civil disobedience, a phenomenon to which Habermas assigns the remarkable role of “touchstone” ( Prufstein) of constitutional democracy. Once the importance of no-saying is drawn out, the paradigm looks distinctly less hostile to dissensus and agonism in democratic life.
Racial Respect and Racial Socialization as Protective Factors for African American Male Youth
Authors: DeGruy Joy , Kjellstrand Jean M. , Briggs Harold E. , Brennan Eileen M.
Published: December 2011

African American adolescents must negotiate the transition to adulthood in a society that makes the achievement of positive cultural identity and self-respect difficult. Frequently, young men turn to violence in an attempt to achieve respect in their communities. This article explores factors that predict the use of violence among African American male youth. Adolescents from 14 through 18 years of age who completed a written survey in group settings in Oregon included 100 youth who were detained in the juvenile justice system and 100 who were members of a community youth development program. A history of witnessing violence strongly predicted the intensity of violent behavior of study youth; however, endorsing positive attitudes toward racial respect significantly moderated the effects of chronic exposure to violence. Additionally, racial socialization was negatively correlated to violence intensity and was marginally significant in moderating the effects of witnessing violence. Implications for practice with male African American youth are highlighted.
Racial Differences in Parents’ Perceptions of Factors Important for Children to Live Well With Diabetes
Authors: Lipman Terri H. , Murphy Kathryn M. , Kumanyika Shiriki K. , Ratcliffe Sarah J. , Jawad Abbas F. , Ginsburg Kenneth R.
Published: December 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to learn how to serve families with children with diabetes in a more culturally effective manner by exploring and more fully understanding differences in how white and African American families ranked factors they perceived as important to living well with diabetes.

Methods

This is a secondary analysis of a survey derived from qualitative and quantitative data. A total of 799 parents (84.1% white, 12.3% African American) completed the mailed survey. Respondents were asked to rate how much of a difference each of 30 survey items makes in a child and family who are living well with diabetes, which were placed in rank order by race. Items were combined into clinically relevant categories, and mean ratings for each category were calculated. Regression analyses were used to test for racial differences between items and within categories.

Results

The racial groups expressed many similar views; however, 2 major themes emerged reflecting racial differences in the prioritization of factors affecting the well-being of children with diabetes. First, African American families ascribed greater importance to social supports. Second, African Americans expressed a preference for interventions that target the whole family versus the individual child, whereas whites tended to prefer child-centered interventions.

Conclusion

There is a paucity of research on the goals and priorities of pediatric diabetes care from the perspective of parents from diverse racial backgrounds. Asking families about the type of care they prefer may help to improve the design and delivery of services in a culturally competent, effective manner.
Exploring the Role of Knowledge Networks in Perceived e-Government
Authors: Lee Jooho
Published: December 2011

What are the knowledge network configurations associated with effective e-government? To answer this question, a social network perspective is applied to explore the connection between e-government actors’ social networks and their perception of e-government effectiveness. Specifically, this study closely looks at both intraorganizational networks between program and IT units and interorganizational relationships with IT vendors in the context of local e-government. Two Korean local governments who provide online parking services through the same IT vendor were selected as comparative cases. Through the network analysis of two local governments, the study suggests preliminary findings for the knowledge network conditions for effective e-government: e-government effectiveness is likely to be enhanced (1) members of IT and program units are linked through a greater number of strong cross-unit ties; (2) they maintain strong ties with IT vendors; (3) CUBS take central positions in knowledge networks in a program unit; and (4) they are embedded in high density of intra-unit networks within their units.
Physical Examination of the Athlete’s Elbow
Authors: Hsu Stephanie H. , Moen Todd C. , Levine William N. , Ahmad Christopher S.
Published: December 2011

Elbow injury is encountered less frequently than are other joint conditions. The bony architecture, muscle, ligament, and nerve anatomy are complex, and the forces leading to injury in the athlete’s elbow are unique. Appreciating the pathomechanics leading to injury and a detailed knowledge of elbow anatomy are the foundation for conducting a directed history and physical examination that achieves an accurate diagnosis. Recent advances in physical examination have improved our ability to accurately diagnose and treat athletic elbow disorders. This article reviews general and focused physical examination maneuvers of the elbow in a systematic anatomic fashion.
An improved two-manoeuvre method for orbit rendezvous with constant thrust
Authors: Zhang G , Zhou D
Published: December 2011

An improved two-manoeuvre method to the two-point boundary value problem for arbitrary non-coplanar elliptic orbital rendezvous with constant thrust is proposed. The initial required velocity is obtained by solving Lambert's problem. A new method is proposed to determine the optimal thrust direction to nullify the velocity variation. The optimal direction is close to the direction of the velocity-to-be-gained vector. Therefore, the velocity-to-be-gained guidance method is adopted in both the first and the second engine manoeuvres. The total rendezvous process requires a closed-loop feedback control in the first manoeuvre and an open-loop control in the second one. Compared with existing methods based on the linear relative motion equations, this new approach can be used in the cases of far relative ranges and long rendezvous times. Numerical simulations show that the proposed method is feasible.
New correlation of stable carbon isotopes with changing late-Holocene fluvial environments in the Trinity River basin of Texas, USA
Authors: Hall Stephen A , Boutton Thomas W , Lintz Christopher R , Baugh Timothy G
Published: December 2011

A late-Holocene alluvial sequence in north-central Texas has a 1 m thick buried cumulic soil with an A-C profile called the West Fork paleosol. It formed 2300 to 1000 yr BP and is a local equivalent of the Copan paleosol that is present throughout the southern US Great Plains. Stable carbon isotopes indicate that the paleosol and underlying gray clay formed under vegetation dominated by C4 species (mean δ13C: −18.3 ± 0.3‰). Diverse paleoenvironmental studies indicate that the period of paleosol formation was cool and wet and that alluvial water-tables were high, resulting in broad wet meadows across alluvial valleys, characterized by communities of grasses. Present-day wet meadows and bottomlands with Mollisols with A-C profiles along streams in the Great Plains are dominated by C4 tallgrass species and may serve as analogues to wet-meadow environments during the late Holocene. A shift in climate to warm-dry conditions about 1000 yr BP was accompanied by deep channel cutting, low alluvial water-tables, and colonization of abandoned floodplains by trees and other C3 species, as indicated by a change in carbon isotopes to lower values (mean δ13C: −20.8 ± 0.5‰) and correlating with the ‘Medieval Warm Period’. Other stable carbon isotope studies from late-Holocene alluvium in Texas have been mistakenly interpreted as evidence for paleoenvironmental conditions opposite to those presented in this investigation. We conclude that interpretations of stable carbon isotopes from alluvium based on broad patterns of upland C4 grasses and climate can be in error, especially in cases where wet-meadow deposits and soils are present.
‘The Blaydon Races’: lads and lasses, song tradition, and the evolution of an anthem
Authors: Hermeston Rod
Published: December 2011

In this article I examine the evolution of the Tyneside song, ‘The Blaydon Races’, into a local anthem, with a focus on the contribution of the plurals lads and lasses to this status. I consider the obstacles to the dialect song becoming an anthem, in particular its origins in non-respectable 19th-century music hall. Existing scholarship on 19th-century dialect song or poetry often sees such material as enhancing solidarity at the levels of class or region (Beal, 2000; Wales, 2002, 2006). Influenced by the work of Coupland (2006) and Eckert (2005), however, I posit a more fluid conception of identity within popular entertainment spaces, which may operate alongside, contribute to, or undermine categories such as class or region.

I use an electronic corpus of 19th-century Tyneside song to investigate the collocation of lads in particular with Tyneside, and its role in fostering local patriotism. I also consider the pragmatic function of lads as a term of address or apostrophe to sporting heroes in song.

I then examine the terms of address lads and lasses within the already intimate context of shared music hall song choruses, recalling, nevertheless, the controversies surrounding the institution. This function of lads in the chorus of ‘The Blaydon Races’, and the cultural ‘resonance’ of references to ‘lads an’ lasses’ are seen potentially to enhance solidarity from the outset. However, increasingly with locally patriotic functions, they can enhance group bonding within evolving contexts of shared singing – within the later music hall, among troops in both World Wars, and among Newcastle United football supporters.
Reports of oligodendrogliomas in three white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Authors: Gottdenker Nicole L. , Gerhold Richard , Cartoceti Andrew , Keel M. Kevin , Goltz James P. , Howerth Elizabeth
Published: December 2011

Central nervous system tumors are rarely reported in cervids. The current report describes gross and histopathologic oligodendrogliomas in 3 white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus), and selected immunohistochemical properties of 2 deer. All deer were euthanized due to central nervous system signs. Grossly, masses were variably circumscribed, locally invasive in the brain, light grey, and soft, and ranged from 2 to 5 cm in diameter. Histologically, tumors were characteristic for oligodendroglioma. The tumors were composed primarily of oval to round cells with round normochromatic to hyperchromatic nuclei, a pale granular cytoplasm, and well-delineated cytoplasmic membrane, and variable amounts of mucinous material, hemorrhage, and dystrophic mineralization. Immunohistochemistry, performed on masses from 2 deer, had positive cytoplasmic staining for S100 and variable staining on glial fibrillary acidic protein (1 deer negative and the other with rare positivity in astrocytes within the mass). This manuscript includes a discussion on the significance of these findings relative to central nervous system tumors of cervids and oligodendrogliomas from other species.
Discrimination between Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma species of bovine origin using digitonin disc diffusion assay, nisin disc diffusion assay, and conventional polymerase chain reaction
Authors: Boonyayatra Sukolrat , Fox Lawrence K. , Gay John M. , Sawant Ashish , Besser Thomas E.
Published: December 2011

Microbiological culture of milk samples has been used as a standard diagnosis for Mycoplasma mastitis. This technique is effective in isolating mollicutes that are Mycoplasma-like; however, isolates may be misinterpreted as Acholeplasma species, which are indistinguishable from Mycoplasma species by culture. A study to contrast the abilities of 2 culture-based tests, digitonin and nisin disc diffusion assays and a conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, to discriminate between Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma was performed using 16S ribosomal RNA gene partial sequencing as the gold standard of comparison. A total of 288 bovine mollicute field isolates (248 from milk and 40 from other organ sites) and 13 reference strains were tested. Results obtained from the digitonin disc diffusion assay when it was performed with all field isolates were 92.7% and 99.0% in agreement with the gold standard using 5 mm and 3 mm of zone of growth inhibition as thresholds, respectively. Considering only milk isolates, agreements between the digitonin disc diffusion assay with the gold standard were 97.2% and 100% using 5 mm and 3 mm of zone of growth inhibition as thresholds, respectively. Culture identification using the nisin disc diffusion assay and the PCR was in a 100% agreement with the gold standard. Comparable results using culture-based nisin and digitonin disc diffusion assays, and PCR, to distinguish Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma species was found, especially for isolates from bovine milk.
Isolation and sequence-based identification of Oxyporus corticola from a dog with generalized lymphadenopathy
Authors: Miller Sybille A. , Roth-Johnson Lois , Kania Stephen A. , Bemis David A.
Published: December 2011

The present case report describes isolation of the fungus Oxyporus corticola from multiple lymphocutaneous tissues of a Beagle dog. Until recently, this fungus had not been reported in the human or veterinary medical literature as a cause of animal disease. A single previous report also involved infection in a German Shepherd Dog, a breed with reported increased susceptibility to disseminated fungal infection and dysfunctional immune response. Isolates were non-sporulating and required molecular identification methods for prompt differentiation from other fungal pathogens. Risk factors for infection with O. corticola are unknown.
Low rate of detectable in utero transmission of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in a dairy herd with a low prevalence of Johne’s disease
Authors: Adaska John M. , Whitlock Robert H.
Published: December 2011

In an effort to correlate the likelihood of in utero transmission of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), the causal organism of Johne’s disease, with the test status of the dam, tissues from neonatal calves borne to known test status cows were cultured for the presence of MAP. Tissues from a single calf borne to a test-positive cow shedding large numbers of organisms in the feces were positive for MAP. The detected overall transmission rate was approximately 2% (1/49), and the detected transmission rate in cows that were fecal culture positive and serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay suspect or positive was approximately 4.3% (1/23).
Alpha-mannosidosis in goats caused by the swainsonine-containing plant Ipomoea verbascoidea
Authors: Mendonça Fábio S. , Albuquerque Raquel F. , Evêncio-Neto Joaquim , Freitas Sílvio H. , Dória Renata G. S. , Boabaid Fabiana M. , Driemeier David , Gardner Dale R. , Riet-Correa Franklin , Colodel Edson M.
Published: December 2011

A disease of the nervous system is reported in goats in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil. Histological examination showed diffuse vacuolation of neurons and epithelial cells of the pancreas, thyroid, renal tubules, and liver. The swainsonine-containing plant Ipomoea verbascoidea was found on both farms where the goats originated. This plant was experimentally administered to 3 goats, inducing clinical signs and histologic lesions similar to those observed in spontaneous cases. On the lectin histochemical analysis, cerebellar cells and pancreatic acinar cells gave positive reactions to Triticum vulgaris agglutinin (WGA), succinylated Triticum vulgaris agglutinin (sWGA), Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA), Canavalia ensiformis agglutinin (ConA), Pisum sativum agglutinin (PSA), Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA120), Arachis hypogaea agglutinin (PNA), and Phaseolus vulgaris erythroagglutinin (PHA-E) suggesting storage of α-fucose, α-D-mannose, α-D-glucose, β-D-N-acetyl-glucosamine, N-acetyl-galactosamine, and acetyl-neuraminic acid. This pattern of lectin staining partially agrees with results previously reported for poisoning by swainsonine-containing plants. The chemical analysis of dried leaves of I. verbascoidea detected swainsonine (0.017%), calystegine B1 (0.16%), calystegine B2 (0.05%), and calystegine C1 (0.34%). It is concluded that I. verbascoidea causes α-mannosidosis in goats.
Malignant pheochromocytoma in a pig
Authors: Martínez Jorge , Galindo-Cardiel Iván , Díez-Padrisa Meritxell , López-Sabater Emilio I. , Segalés Joaquim
Published: December 2011

Endocrine tumors are rarely observed in pigs, and pheochromocytomas have been only punctually described. The current report describes a white and firm, 15-cm in diameter, neoplastic mass located in the adrenal gland with metastasis to regional lymph nodes in a 2.5-year-old sow. The masses had marked desmoplasia that supported a population of polygonal-to-spindle–shaped neoplastic cells arranged into cords and packets within a delicate fibrovascular stroma. Immunohistochemical staining of the tumor was positive for chromogranin and negative for neurofilament protein in adrenal and lymph node masses, which was characteristic of a malignant pheochromocytoma.
Double-outlet right ventricle and double septal defects in a Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta)
Authors: Liu David X. , Gilbert Margaret H. , Kempf Doty J. , Didier Peter J.
Published: December 2011

A 6-year-old male India-origin Rhesus macaque ( Macaca mulatta) presented with thin body condition and muscular atrophy. Thoracic auscultation revealed a grade VI/VI pansystolic murmur bilaterally. Radiographs showed cardiomegaly with significant left atrial and biventricular enlargement, a dilated pulmonary artery, and hepatomegaly. Electrocardiogram revealed a normal sinus rhythm interspersed with ventricular bigeminy. Hematology showed mild polycythemia and prerenal azotemia. Necropsy demonstrated double-outlet right ventricle with a large subaortic ventricular septal defect, subpulmonary stenosis, small atrial septal defect, and right ventricular hypertrophy. The major histological finding was severe chronic passive hepatic congestion. Double-outlet right ventricle is a rare congenital heart disease, both in human beings and animals.
Amanitin intoxication in two beef calves in California
Authors: Yee Mok Mai , Woods Leslie W. , Poppenga Robert H. , Puschner Birgit
Published: December 2011

Two 2- and 3-month-old beef calves from 2 separate herds, locations, and times were found dead and were submitted to the veterinary diagnostic laboratory for diagnostic work-up. In both cases, no premonitory signs were seen by the owners. Histopathology revealed acute panlobular hepatic necrosis in both calves. In addition, calf A had copper and selenium deficiency, and calf B had oxalate nephrosis, and selenium and zinc deficiencies. Alpha-amanitin was detected in the urine from calf A, and in the liver and rumen contents from calf B using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. The cause of panlobular hepatic necrosis and death of both calves was determined to be amanitin toxicosis from ingestion of amanitin-containing mushrooms based on microscopic changes and toxicological analysis of tissues. In cases of sudden death in cows with histopathological findings of panlobular hepatic necrosis, toxicological analysis for amanitin is needed for a definitive diagnosis of poisoning by amanitin-containing mushrooms.
Measurement of β-hydroxybutyrate in cats with nonketotic diabetes mellitus, diabetic ketosis, and diabetic ketoacidosis
Authors: Weingart Christiane , Lotz Fabian , Kohn Barbara
Published: December 2011

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). The standard method of detection of ketone bodies is the dipstick method, which detects semiquantitatively acetoacetate, but not β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB). The objectives of the current study were to assess the diagnostic utility of β-HB to diagnose diabetic ketosis (DK) and DKA in cats and to establish a cut-off value for the diagnosis of DKA. Sixty-two cats were included in the study. Eleven cats were healthy (group 1); in the remainder of cats (51), a diagnosis of DM was based on hyperglycemia, glucosuria, and increased fructosamine concentrations. Nineteen of 51 cats suffered from nonketotic diabetes mellitus (group 2). In 11 cats, plasma ketone bodies were detected with the dipstick method (diabetic ketosis, group 3). In 21 cats, plasma ketone bodies and metabolic acidosis were present (DKA, group 4). Plasma β-HB was measured in all cats by an enzymatic method (spectrophotometry). A cut-off value for the diagnosis of DKA was calculated based on the receiver operating characteristic curve. In healthy cats, the β-HB concentration ranged from 0 to 0.1 mmol/l; in cats of group 2, from 0 to 0.9 mmol/l (median: 0.1 mmol/l); in cats of group 3, from 0.6 to 6.8 mmol/l (median: 1.7 mmol/l); and in cats of group 4, from 3.8 to 12.2 mmol/l (median: 7.9 mmol/l). A cut-off value of 2.4 mmol/l revealed 100% sensitivity and 87% specificity to diagnose DKA. Beta-hydroxybutyrate is a useful parameter for the diagnosis of diabetic ketosis and DKA in cats.
“No One Yet Knows What the Ultimate Consequences May Be”
Authors: Walker Kenny , Walsh Lynda
Published: December 2011

This article examines Rachel Carson’s assimilation and revision of scientific uncertainty in her sources, annotations, and drafts for Silent Spring. It argues that Carson’s emphasis on the special topos of uncertainty was not an original invention but instead was Carson’s contribution to an ongoing scientific and political conversation about uncertainty in 1962. Carson transformed this topos into a bridge across the is–ought divide in science-related policy making, using the uncertainty topos to invite the public to participate by supplying fears and values that would warrant proposals for limiting pesticide use. Carson’s adaptation of scientific uncertainty to environmental policy making provides a historical precedent for contemporary invocations of scientific uncertainty in debates surrounding global warming, nuclear power, cancer studies, and Gulf oil drilling. The methods that the authors use to trace the development of this special topos can also serve as a pattern for excavating the histories of other pivotal topoi in the rhetoric of American science and environmental policy.
Mixed Methods for Implementation Research
Authors: Aarons Gregory A. , Fettes Danielle L. , Sommerfeld David H. , Palinkas Lawrence A.
Published: December 2011

Many public sector service systems and provider organizations are in some phase of learning about or implementing evidence-based interventions. Child welfare service systems represent a context where implementation spans system, management, and organizational concerns. Research utilizing mixed methods that combine qualitative and quantitative design, data collection, and analytic approaches are particularly well suited to understanding both the process and outcomes of dissemination and implementation efforts in child welfare systems. This article describes the process of using mixed methods in implementation research and provides an applied example of an examination of factors impacting staff retention during an evidence-based intervention implementation in a statewide child welfare system. The authors integrate qualitative data with previously published quantitative analyses of job autonomy and staff turnover during this statewide implementation project in order to illustrate the utility of mixed method approaches in providing a more comprehensive understanding of opportunities and challenges in implementation research.
Classes and Consequences of Multiple Maltreatment
Authors: Berzenski Sara R. , Yates Tuppett M.
Published: December 2011

While the overwhelming majority of research on the consequences of childhood maltreatment reports differential outcomes of specific maltreatment subtypes (e.g., physical abuse vs. emotional abuse) as though they are independent, maltreatment experiences often occur in combination. The present study evaluated multiple maltreatment experiences in a sample of 2,637 undergraduate students who reported on childhood maltreatment and current adjustment. The authors used latent class analysis to examine predominant patterns of multiple maltreatment experiences and investigated indices of psychosocial adjustment associated with those patterns. Results suggested that specific constellations of multiple maltreatment have qualitatively different associations with adjustment. Emotional abuse, alone or in combination with other maltreatment types, was especially salient for psychopathology (e.g., anxiety, depression), while a combination of physical and emotional abuse was most strongly associated with conduct-related problems (e.g., substance use, risky sexual behavior). These findings have both practical and empirical significance for understanding and classifying experiences of maltreatment.
Initial Implementation Indicators From a Statewide Rollout of SafeCare Within a Child Welfare System
Authors: Whitaker Daniel J. , Ryan Kerry A. , Wild Robert C. , Self-Brown Shannon , Lutzker John R. , Shanley Jenelle R. , Edwards Anna M. , McFry Erin A. , Moseley Colby N. , Hodges Amanda E.
Published: December 2011

There is a strong movement toward implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP) in child welfare systems. The SafeCare parenting model is one of few parent-training models that addresses child neglect, the most common form of maltreatment. Here, the authors describe initial findings from a statewide effort to implement the EBP, SafeCare®, into a state child welfare system. A total of 50 agencies participated in training, with 295 individuals entering training to implement SafeCare. Analyses were conducted to describe the trainee sample, describe initial training and implementation indicators, and to examine correlates of initial training performance and implementation indicators. The quality of SafeCare uptake during training and implementation was high with trainees performing very well on training quizzes and role-plays, and demonstrating high fidelity when implementing SafeCare in the field (performing over 90% of expected behaviors). However, the quantity of implementation was generally low, with relatively few providers (only about 25%) implementing the model following workshop training. There were no significant predictors of training or implementation performance, once corrections for multiple comparisons were applied. The Discussion focuses on challenges to large-scale system-wide implementation of EBP.
The association between ethnic identity and sexual coercion among young men in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Authors: Nyembezi Anam , Resnicow Ken , James Shegs , Funani Itumeleng , Sifunda Sibusiso , Ruiter Robert AC , van den Borne Bart , Sanders-Phillips Kathy , Reddy Priscilla
Published: December 2011

Sexual coercion by males poses important ethical, legal and public health challenges. Individual face-to-face structured interviews were conducted among 1656 men who had undergone male initiation and circumcision in rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province. Overall, 8.4 per cent of the participants reported ever having forced someone to have sex. Logistic regression adjusting for age, working status, education level and nation of origin showed that participants that expressed high cultural affiliation were significantly less likely to sexually coerce someone. The findings suggest that emphasizing cultural commitment may reduce sexual coercion, though findings need to be replicated.
Gene polymorphisms of angiotensin-converting enzyme and angiotensin II Type 1 receptor among chronic kidney disease patients in a Chinese population
Authors: Su Sui-Lung , Lu Kuo-Cheng , Lin Yuh-Feng , Hsu Yu-Juei , Lee Pong-Ying , Yang Hsin-Yi , Kao Sen-Yeong
Published: December 2011

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is highly prevalent in Taiwan and an increasing number of patients are affected, with a high risk of progression to end-stage renal disease and huge medical expenses. It has been predicted that the presence of hypertension increases with decreasing renal function due to a decrease in sodium excretion and activation of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS). The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of genetic variants of the RAS gene on CKD.

We performed a case control association study and genotyped 135 CKD patients and 270 healthy controls among Han Chinese in Taiwan. All subjects were genotyped for angiotensinogen ( AGT-M235T, T174M, A-20C), angiotensin-I converting enzyme ( ACE-A2350G) and angiotensin II type 1 receptor ( AGTR1-A1166C, C573T, C-521T) polymorphisms of RAS genes by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. Significant associations were observed in ACE-A2350G and AGTR1-C573T polymorphism between CKD patients and controls. In regard to ACE-A2350G, compared with the AA genotype the GG genotype protected against CKD (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.34; p = 0.01). In regard to AGTR1-C573T, the CT genotype was a risk for CKD compared with the CC genotype (adjusted OR = 1.82; p = 0.03). We conclude that ACE-A2350G and AGTR1-C573T polymorphisms are likely candidate determinants of CKD.
Caval Agenesis With a Hypoplastic Left Kidney in a Patient With Trauma on Warfarin for Deep Vein Thrombosis
Authors: Lawless Ryan A. , Dangleben Dale A.
Published: December 2011

Congenital anomalies of the inferior vena cava (IVC) are rare, but recognized, causing deep venous thrombosis. We present a case of a 50-year-old patient with trauma who suffered an intracranial hemorrhage secondary to a fall while on anticoagulation for deep vein thromboses. Venous return from the lower extremities was determined to be through dilated lumbar venous collaterals into the azygous and hemiazygous systems. A second interesting anatomic finding was a hypoplastic left kidney.
Patient Reported Outcomes and Their Importance in the Development of Novel Surgical Techniques
Authors: Chow Andre , Purkayastha Sanjay , Dosanjh Davinder , Sarvanandan Romesh , Ahmed Irfan , Paraskeva Paraskevas
Published: December 2011

Introduction. Although traditional quality measures such as morbidity and mortality outcomes still pay an important role in the assessment of health care quality, greater emphasis is now being placed on patient-reported outcome measures such as patient satisfaction. This area is especially important for novel surgical technologies such as single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) and natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). These new innovations are able to minimize or abolish surgical scarring and are likely to have most benefit in the area of patient satisfaction as opposed to traditional outcome measures. Therefore, it is important to gauge the public opinion regarding these new techniques, as continued public interest can help support further research in this up-and-coming field. Methods. A questionnaire study was carried out with members of the general public. Questions were asked regarding preference for surgical techniques, including open surgery, laparoscopic surgery, NOTES, and SILS, in the situation of acute appendicitis. Results. The questionnaire was completed by 1006 individuals. Results indicated that an established safety profile was necessary before the introduction of these new techniques into general practice. The concept of scarless surgery did appeal to the public, with SILS being the treatment of choice in the scenario of acute appendicitis. Discussion. The patient perspective on health care is an important aspect of health care quality assessment. This is especially important with regard to the development of novel surgical techniques such as SILS and NOTES. With these techniques, the potential benefits are most likely to be found in the realms of reduced scarring and improved patient satisfaction. The findings from this study demonstrate the public’s interest in these new techniques and thus give further support to continued research and development in this area.
Uncanny Indexes: Rotoshopped Interviews as Documentary
Authors: Honess Roe Annabelle
Published: December 2011

This article considers the several animated interviews made by Bob Sabiston between 1997 and 2007, and the implications of considering these films as documentaries. The author argues that the films are liminal, discursive texts that negotiate tensions between reality and make-believe, observation and interpretation, and presence and absence. Textual analysis of the short films in question demonstrates an aesthetic presentation that confirms their documentary status at the same time as exploiting the expressionistic potential of Rotoshop. The nature of Rotoshop also emphasizes the absence of the physical body of the interviewee, replacing it with an excessively present style of animation. Other conventional markers of documentary authenticity and evidence, such as the visual index, are also absent in these films. These absences, coupled with the presence of an aesthetically liminal style of animation infer a pleasurably complex and challenging epistemological and phenomenological viewing experience.
Same events, two stories
Authors: Huang Ying , Fahmy Shahira
Published: December 2011

A content analysis of photos from four major US newspapers and four major Chinese newspapers depicting the 2008 anti-China/Olympics protests revealed significantly different denoted themes. On one hand, the most prominent dominant visual theme in US newspapers was suppression followed by pro-Tibet demonstrations. On the other hand, in Chinese newspapers the most dominant visual theme was the Olympic torch relay followed by riots and restoring order. Overall, the US dailies visually portrayed a more pro-Tibetan independence slant and the Chinese dailies visually portrayed a more pro-Chinese government slant. Further, the US newspapers portrayed the anti-China demonstrators as non-violent while the Chinese newspapers portrayed them as violent. To give their readers a sense of harmony, Chinese dailies limited the number of images showing anti-China protests, while the US dailies highlighted them, communicating to their readers the suppressive nature of the Chinese government and downplaying the voices of people who supported it.
News use and political socialization among young Jordanians
Authors: Martin Justin D
Published: December 2011

This study examined the relationship between young Jordanians' ( N = 321) news use and their feelings toward the Jordanian and US governments. Consumption of traditional news delivery formats (such as print newspapers, radio broadcasts and interpersonal sources) was measured, as was reliance on new media formats such as blogs, text messaging and podcasting. Political socialization measures were indices of political trust and appraisals of the US government. Results suggest that young Jordanians in the sample rely mostly on TV news, newspapers and interpersonal contacts for current events information, and that TV news use and reliance on interpersonal sources were associated with negative views of the US government.
Disgust Sensitivity, Political Conservatism, and Voting
Authors: Inbar Yoel , Pizarro David , Iyer Ravi , Haidt Jonathan
Published: December 2011

In two large samples (combined N = 31,045), we found a positive relationship between disgust sensitivity and political conservatism. This relationship held when controlling for a number of demographic variables as well as the “Big Five” personality traits. Disgust sensitivity was also associated with more conservative voting in the 2008 U.S. presidential election. In Study 2, we replicated the disgust sensitivity–conservatism relationship in an international sample of respondents from 121 different countries. Across both samples, contamination disgust, which reflects a heightened concern with interpersonally transmitted disease and pathogens, was most strongly associated with conservatism.
The Treatment of Relapsed Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Authors: Brown Jennifer R.
Published: December 2011

Despite the widespread use of highly effective chemoimmunotherapy (CIT), fludarabine-refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) remains a challenging clinical problem associated with poor overall survival (OS). The traditional definition, which includes those patients with no response or relapse within 6 months of fludarabine, is evolving with the recognition that even patients with longer remissions of up to several years after CIT have poor subsequent treatment response and survival. Approved therapeutic options for these patients remain limited, and the goal of therapy for physically fit patients is often to achieve adequate cytoreduction to proceed to allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT). Fortunately, several novel targeted therapeutics in clinical trials hold promise of significant benefit for this patient population. This review discusses the activity of available and novel therapeutics in fludarabine-refractory or fludarabine-resistant CLL as well as recently updated data on alloSCT in CLL.
Alemtuzumab Use In Relapsed and Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Authors: Arnason Jon E. , Brown Jennifer R.
Published: December 2011

A 62-year-old woman with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who initially presented with lymphocytosis and 13q deletion in 1996 now presents to the clinic for recommendations regarding relapsed disease. The patient has received multiple prior therapies, including single-agent fludarabine, fludarabine and rituximab, and bendamustine and rituximab. She now has recurrent lymphocytosis with a WBC count that has increased from 13 000 2 months ago to 115 000 today and a platelet count of 55 000 but no lymphadenopathy. In addition, your evaluation finds that she has acquired a 17p deletion.