bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
As the Wheel Turns: A Centennial Reflection On Freud's tHree Essays On the Theory of Sexuality
Authors: Spector Person Ethel
Published: November 2012

Freud's theories of psychosexual development, while highly original, were anchored in the explosion of scientific studies of sex in the nineteenth century. Most of these studies were based on masturbation, homosexuality, and deviance, with little attention given to normal sexuality. Around the turn of the century, the narrow interest in pathological sexuality and sexual physiology gradually gave way to a broader interest in normal sexuality. It was in the context of these expanding studies of sexuality that Freud proposed the first psychological view of sexuality, a theory that defined sex as being at the interface between soma and psyche. Libido theory, which Freud developed, is a theory of drives and conflicts. For Freud, libido was the major force in personality development, and he posited sexual conflicts as the heart of neuroses, sexual fixations as the essence of perversions. This article traces the way Freud's libido theory has served as one of the mainsprings in the development of psychoanalytic theory. It also addresses the major revisions that have taken place in libido theory, with a focus primarily on object relations theory, and the impact of culture on the way sex and sexual mores are parsed.
“I no Longer Believe”: Did Freud Abandon the Seduction Theory?
Authors: Ahbel-Rappe Karin
Published: November 2012

Recent accounts of the seduction theory and the question of its abandonment have emphasized the continuity of Freud's work before and after the seduction theory, claiming that Freud did not abandon his concern with the event of seduction but rather came to appreciate that an understanding of fantasy was also essential. This claim is challenged. It is shown that Freud did abandon the passionate concerns of his seduction theory for the most part; that he left behind his early interest in reconstructing unconscious infantile incest and focused instead on later, conscious seduction; that he at times clearly reduced apparent paternal incest to fantasy; that he turned away from the phenomenology of incest he had begun to develop; and that he theoretically nullified the value of the difference between real and fantasied seduction. It is also shown that, contrary to a persistent concern in psychoanalytic history, attention to actual seduction need not detract from the essential psychoanalytic concern with fantasy and infantile sexuality. Thinking about incest specifically illuminates the capacity for fantasizing, the core of the Freudian psyche. In this way the intuition of the seduction theory that there is something of distinctive psychoanalytic significance about incest finds support.
Countertransference in Defense Enactments
Authors: Busch Fred
Published: November 2012

A clinical term is introduced to capture a defense that develops with the patient's deepening but fleeting awareness of painful transference feelings. The analyst's attention to countertransference in such situations is central to the analysis of these defenses. An attempt is made to distinguish defense enactments from other types of defenses, and to differentiate the analyst's countertransference reaction to this type of defense from countertransference reactions that might appear similar. The reasons for this dynamic in the interpersonal space are explored, and a clinical example that describes this phenomenon in the analytic moment is given.
The Aim of the Training Analysis
Authors: Cabaniss Deborah L. , Bosworth Hillery
Published: November 2012

Although the training analysis is considered by many to be the most important element of a candidate's analytic training, its aim remains unclear. Some think of the training analysis as being a strictly therapeutic tool, while others assign it a more frankly educational role. This paper reviews the literature on this topic from Freud to the present, discusses the problems that lack of clarity about the aim of the training analysis generates for psychoanalytic education, and proposes future research in this area.
Action as Ejection
Authors: Franco Daisy
Published: November 2012

The systematic analysis of acting-out episodes can be used in assessing analytic progress. Variables to be considered are the nature of the wish, the type of defense, and the degree of concreteness (versus symbolization) of the mental processes used in attempting actualization (as distinct from the resort to action). Two acting-out episodes of a borderline patient who acted out as a character trait, both occurring outside the analytic setting, are presented as illustrations. In the first one, occurring relatively early in the analysis, when split-off negative and positive self-images had to be rigidly maintained, ejection of the negative self-image was actualized via the regressive use of a symbolic equation and the mechanism of displacement, obliterating the distinction between an internal feeling and an external thing that here was literally thrown out. The later episode, occurring after the split was healed and within the context of a frustrating heterosexual involvement, contained an acted-out allusion to identification and competition with the mother. As in a dream, via associations, an unconscious wish for oedipal victory was revealed. Whereas in the first episode the goal of ejection was central, with splitting and denial the underlying defenses, it was absent from the second, in which an attempt was made to actualize a repressed infantile wish and made greater use of symbolization. It is concluded that acting-out episodes at different periods of the analysis, when systematically analyzed, can serve in assessing a patient's progress.
Identification: Psychoanalytic and Biological Perspectives
Authors: Olds David D.
Published: November 2012

In recent attempts to bring psychoanalysis into greater contact with other sciences, a number of works have explicated neural science concepts and phenomena—affect, memory, consciousness—for the psychoanalyst. These efforts have helped analysts build a more scientific foundation for their theory and practice. A related task remains—namely, to take psychoanalytic concepts and see how they relate to other sciences. The concept of identification has a long history in psychoanalytic theory. It is seen in parent-child interactions, in teaching and mentoring relationships, and in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. Neuropsychology and evolutionary biology have explored the phylogenetic precursors of identification, while genetics and infant observation provide insights into individual processes of identification. Finally, neuroscience, particularly recent studies of mirror neurons, offers information about the biological mechanisms of imitation and the relationship of imitation to identification. Findings from these sciences are presented in an effort to further the psychoanalytic understanding of identification, especially its biological underpinnings.
The Dilemma of Contemporary Psychoanalysis: Toward a “Knowing” Post-Postmodernism
Authors: Govrin Aner
Published: November 2012

It is in the best interest of psychoanalysis that new schools of thought (earlier examples of which are the classical, Kleinian, and self psychological perspectives) evolve. Generating a new school of thought, however, is almost impossible in this postmodern era. The postmodern paradigm in psychoanalysis (intersubjectivity, dialectical constructivism, two-person psychology) does not strive to generate a “true” theory of mind that claims to fit reality, nor does it claim to be another school of thought. The creators of the classical, interpersonal, self psychological, ego psychological, Kleinian, Bionian, Fairbairnian, Winnicottian, and other schools cannot be postmodernists, for they all believed that their theories corresponded to reality and were therefore true. A shortage of analysts who “know the truth” today will make it extremely difficult for new schools of thought to arise in psychoanalysis, or for new and compelling theories and descriptions of the human psyche to be constructed. What is required is for pluralistic psychoanalytic institutions to empower analysts who are actively involved in the pursuit of new ideas and theories in psychoanalysis.
Thoughts On Medication and Psychoanalysis: A Lay Analyst's View
Authors: Olesker Wendy
Published: November 2012

The issues involved in split analytic treatments—where a second person manages the patient's medication—are discussed from the point of view of a developmentalist and lay analyst. Case material is presented to illustrate the interplay of medication with other elements of the psychoanalytic situation. Medication and its effects, it is argued, should be accorded no special status apart from other interventions and enactments in an analysis. Some see medication and psychoanalysis as parallel processes, two separate and unintegrated theoretical systems, and recommend shifting back and forth between models of the mind or becoming “bilingual”; against this view, it is argued that anything the analyst does will affect the patient's thoughts, fantasies, and even physiology in individual ways, and only attention to analytic material can reveal what an intervention means in a specific case. Success in split treatment depends on a collaborative therapeutic alliance among patient, analyst, and consultant. Because there is as yet no theory that bridges psychoanalysis and psychopharmacology, analysts must talk of these matters as incompletely synthesized and regard them as part of the challenges that make psychoanalysis the exciting, impossible profession it is.
Analyzing Disavowed Action: The Fundamental Resistance of Analysis
Authors: Smith Henry F.
Published: November 2012

Several detailed analytic hours illustrate how, with the analyst's full participation, patients use the words, setting, and activity of analysis to gratify the very wishes they are analyzing, and so disavow the work of analysis. These gratifications, which are hidden in plain sight, are themselves disavowed in the apparent pursuit of analytic understanding. In this way the patient's and the analyst's use of the analytic situation becomes the fundamental resistance to the work itself. This process shares features in common with perversion. The painful but necessary task for both analyst and patient is to analyze this process as it is occurring, moment by moment, in the real time of the hour.
Psychoanalysis in Conjunction With Medication: a Clinical Research Opportunity
Authors: Wright Josephine L.
Published: November 2012

The increasingly common practice of introducing medication into the analytic relationship is of practical and theoretical concern to analysts. Pharmacological agents and their somatic effects, it is argued, may be seen as a research equivalent to brain lesions, long favored tools in correlating brain with mind function, while psychoanalytic process data may be seen as a fine-tuned instrument for studying the subjective and emotional processes that reflect the underlying brain effect. A method of naturalistic study of psychoanalytic process both with and without a psychopharmacological agent Is described and illustrated in two patients. The potential of this method for providing data useful in understanding the mechanism of action of psychoactive medications and of individual variations in response is explored. Both patients, treated with stimulant for ADHD, showed striking differences in self- and object representation, defense, affect, and cognition that correlated with analytic periods on and off the medication. The implications of these observations for understanding both the action of the medication and the fundamental functional disruptions in the condition are explored as well.
Masculinity Unraveled: The Roots of Male Gender Identity and the Shifting of Male Ego Ideals Throughout Life
Authors: Diamond Michael J.
Published: November 2012

A model of masculine gender identity development is presented that demonstrates how a male's sense of his masculinity and the ambiguities of his gender are being reworked throughout his life. Of factors shaping the boy's sense of masculinity early on, particular emphasis is placed on the role of the involved father, the nature of the parental relationship, and the mother's recognition and affirmation of her son's maleness. While healthy masculine gender identity is founded predominantly on the boy's unique struggles in separating from his mother, it does not result from what has been traditionally viewed as the boy's disidentification from her (and from the feminine more generally). Indeed, boys who need to violently repudiate their identifications with their mother are more susceptible to a fragile, rigid masculine identity and narcissistic psychopathology. A case example of a young adult man illustrates the impact of identifications with both parents. The interplay of early masculine identity development and later life challenges confronting the adult male is briefly noted. “Masculine” ego ideals shift across developmental junctions until, ultimately, a more mature sense of masculinity emerges: the phallic wish to deny differentiation and maintain unlimited possibility is renounced and mourned and certain real limits concerning sex, gender, and generational differences are accepted. This reshaping of the “masculine” ego ideal consequently involves the transformation of a man's previously adaptive “phallicism” into more realistic, “genital” ego ideals—an achievement involving interplay between masculine and feminine identifications and the integration of antithetical elements no longer so unconsciously gendered.
Riddles of Masculinity: Gender, Bisexuality, and Thirdness
Authors: Fogel Gerald I.
Published: November 2012

Clinical examples are used to illuminate several riddles of masculinity— ambiguities, enigmas, and paradoxes in relation to gender, bisexuality, and thirdness—frequently seen in male patients. Basic psychoanalytic assumptions about male psychology are examined in the light of advances in female psychology, using ideas from feminist and gender studies as well as important and now widely accepted trends in contemporary psychoanalytic theory. By reexamining basic assumptions about heterosexual men, as has been done with ideas concerning women and homosexual men, complexity and nuance come to the fore to aid the clinician in treating the complex characterological pictures seen in men today. In a context of rapid historical and theoretical change, the use of persistent gender stereotypes and unnecessarily limiting theoretical formulations, though often unintended, may mask subtle countertransference and theoretical blind spots, and limit optimal clinical effectiveness.
“Freud” and Bullitt: An Unknown Manuscript
Authors: Solms Mark
Published: November 2012

An English translation of a previously unknown manuscript by Freud is presented. The manuscript, originally prepared in 1931 for William Bullitt's psychobiography of Woodrow Wilson, provides a general theoretical introduction to psychoanalysis. It also includes an original interpretation of Christianity that postulates a deep-going continuity between Christ identification and latent homosexuality. An editorial introduction to the translation clarifies the nature and limits of Freud's involvement with Bullitt's controversial psychobiography.
On Men Crying: Lear's Agony
Authors: Reichbart Richard
Published: November 2012

King Lear vowed that because he was a man he would rather go mad or die than weep. Many adult male patients in psychoanalysis have just such an internal prohibition against crying, learned individually and often culturally encouraged, a prohibition that affects their ability to process loss, maintain intimacy, and accept vulnerability. It is suggested that the appropriate psychoanalytic role with these patients is to recognize and actively address this culturally supported prohibition. In addition, it is proposed that the prohibition against men crying may be a consequence of male envy of maternal traits and other feminine characteristics. Further, it is suggested that the developmental theory that the male child must “disidentify” with the mother memorializes a phallicism that often invokes the prohibition against crying in men and is itself mistaken.
To Coerce and Be Coerced
Authors: Ginsburg Sybil A. , Cohn Lawrence S.
Published: November 2012

Coercion is a way of forcibly influencing others. While one's core conflicts may contribute to an experience of being coerced in any interaction, specific situations or circumstances commonly encountered in clinical practice set the stage for analyst or patient to feel forced or manipulated. The interaction that develops in these instances is conceptualized as a coercive enactment. Conditions that increase the susceptibility to coercing and being coerced may develop at any stage in the psychoanalytic process. Supervision and conversion from psychotherapy to psychoanalysis are examined as situations that predispose to coercion. Silences and other difficulties in maintaining the analytic frame, as well as crises in the life of the analyst, may also lead to coercive enactments. Pertinent literature is reviewed and illustrative clinical cases are presented.
Unconscious Fantasy: A Once and Future Concept
Authors: Litowitz Bonnie E.
Published: November 2012

The concept of unconscious fantasy should be retained as fundamental to any psychoanalytic approach. The concept is reexamined in the face of two challenges: today's theoretical pluralism and the recent integration of findings from academic research. The first section reviews post-Freudian theoretical contributions to Freud's original concept, concluding that in its evolved form it is flexible enough to serve multiple perspectives. The second section examines four features identified with primary process thinking, demonstrating that a model of early mentation based on adult dream work cannot be supported by research on early development. However, the contemporary concept of unconscious fantasy is compatible with research findings from child development studies and cognitive neuroscience, permitting psychoanalysts to enter dialogue with those fields. Our contribution is not the posit of a new form of thinking (primary process) but an understanding of how general cognitive processes are enlisted for motivated purposes.
Self-Analysis and Post-Termination Improvement After Psychoanalysis and Long-Term Psychotherapy
Authors: Falkenström Fredrik , Grant Johan , Broberg Jeanette , Sandell Rolf
Published: November 2012

Long-term follow-up studies of long-term psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy or psychoanalysis are extremely rare, and few have focused on the post-treatment process itself. In the Stockholm Outcome of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy project, one of the results was that patients in psychoanalysis continued to improve after termination to a higher degree than patients in long-term psychotherapy. In this study 20 patients selected from the project were interviewed on two occasions, one and two years after termination, in order to explore how they described their post-treatment processes. The interviews were studied qualitatively using a multiple case study design, and categories of different types of post-treatment development were created from these case studies. Results indicate that the variation within treatment groups is large, and that development may continue in several ways after termination. The most striking difference between psychoanalysis and psychotherapy was not, as hypothesized, in the self-analytic function, but in various self-supporting strategies described by former analysands but not by former psychotherapy patients. However, only self-analysis was significantly correlated with post-termination improvement across both treatments. Three patients improving after termination and three deteriorating are described in detail as illustrations. Some methodological constraints of the design limit the generalizeability of results.
Unbearable Shame, Splitting, and Forgiveness in the Resolution of Vengefulness
Authors: Lansky Melvin R.
Published: November 2012

The vengeful state of mind, the conscious psychological component of scenarios of vengefulness, is here seen as a fixation that is instigated and held in place by the workings of hidden shame dynamics, which in extreme cases transform a prodromal disorganized shame state into a relentlessly vengeful state of mind. That state of mind, since it vilifies the offender and disconnects the avenger-offender relationship from the avenger's other relationships to those in the moral and social order, is a manifestation of splitting. Shame-rage cycles, described and investigated by Lewis and her followers, are discussed: unacknowledged or bypassed shame triggers rage, of which vengefulness is one example. Psychoanalytic elaboration of Lewis's insights includes the elaboration of unconscious shame fantasies by virtue of which anticipated shame becomes unbearable. Triggering of rage by unacknowledged shame is an indication of underlying splitting. Clinical material is presented to illustrate the connection between vengeful rage and underlying shame and the resolution of splitting once the underlying shame is acknowledged and becomes bearable. Working through of the vengeful state of mind involves the resolution of splitting, often through an identification that increases the bearability of underlying shame. Forgiveness is seen as the working through of that splitting and as an important feature in the working through of vengefulness.
The Influence of Ownership Structure on How Firms Make Corporate Political Strategy Choices
Authors: Ozer Mine , Alakent Ekin
Published: November 2012

This study integrates the research on corporate political strategy and corporate governance. Using the agency theory perspective, this study examines how corporate governance mechanisms such as institutional ownership, insider ownership, and long-term executive compensation affect a firm’s political strategy approach. This study proposes that an agency problem may occur between owners and managers in regard to firms’ approach to corporate political strategy. Since a relational approach to corporate political strategy, such as establishing a government relations office in Washington, DC, requires significant resource commitments without guaranteeing a favorable policy change, shareholders might be reluctant to approve such an approach. In a sample of 3,417 U.S. manufacturing firms, over 5 years of data, the results show that institutional ownership and insider ownership are negatively associated with firms’ propensity to engage in a relational approach to political strategy.
How Risky Is Marijuana Possession? Considering the Role of Age, Race, and Gender
Authors: Nguyen Holly , Reuter Peter
Published: November 2012

Arrest rates per capita for possession of marijuana have increased threefold over the last 20 years and now constitute the largest single arrest offense category. Despite the increase in arrest numbers, rates of use have remained stable during much of the same period. This article presents the first estimates of the arrest probabilities for marijuana, conditional on use in the previous 12 months; this is an appropriate measure of the intensity of enforcement against users. We analyze differences by age, race, and gender from 1982 to 2008. The probabilities of arrest for a marijuana user were similar across age and race categories until 1991. By 2006, that had changed sharply. Arrest rates among current marijuana users are disproportionately high for adolescents, Blacks, and males. The rate has varied between 0.8% and 1.8% across years; the rate per incident of use has ranged between about 1/3,000 and 1/6,000. There is no compelling account of why marijuana arrest probabilities have increased nationally or why the focus has been on youth, minorities, and males but the disproportionate increase for young Black males raises issues of disparate impact.
From White Males to Black Females
Authors: Yates Brian J.
Published: November 2012

This essay argues that the racial identities assigned to Ethiopia in the late 19th century and early 20th century were a direct result of the sexualized racial identities that were due to racist philosophies of colonialism. Teshale Tibebu’s and Harold Marcus’s essays on the national identity of Ethiopia and Lewis Gordon’s philosophical views of the sexual nature of racial identities serve a foundation for the rationale behind Ethiopia’s identity redefinition. Ethiopia, defeating Italy at Adwa, could not be seen as Black by many in the global community. Key contributions of this essay are how Ethiopians themselves defined their own nation and a discussion of how this identity was redefined in the discourse surrounding the global response to Italy’s occupation in 1936. This new characterization allows us to move beyond traditional motivations of colonization and examine the racialized and gendered bodies of the colonized and colonizers in the context of modern Ethiopia.
The Relationships Among Girls’ Prosocial Video Gaming, Perspective-Taking, Sympathy, and Thoughts About Violence
Authors: Vieira Edward T.
Published: November 2012

This study, which was based on the General Learning Model, examined the effects of prosocial gaming on girls’ thoughts about perceived justified and unjustified aggressive attitudes as operationalized by 4 scenarios. The process was mediated by participants’ general perspective-taking and sympathy abilities, which relate to the cognitive and affective routes to learning. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the process. One hundred and forty-five girls between the ages of 7 and 15 completed the self-report online survey. Findings suggest that prosocial gaming is associated with greater perspective-taking and sympathizing abilities. These abilities positively correlated with thoughts about all types of violence as wrong whether or not “justified” and independent of severity. Error correlations suggest that younger girls’ processing comprises an affective component that bypasses the cognitive or perspective-taking route. Findings also intimate that in the case of justified violence assessments, girls not only evaluated the aggressor’s violent act but also assessed what precipitated the act thus suggesting more complex thought.
Migraine and restless legs syndrome in men
Authors: Winter Anke C , Schürks Markus , Berger Klaus , Buring Julie E , Gaziano J Michael , Kurth Tobias
Published: November 2012

Background

Previous studies suggest an association between migraine and restless legs syndrome (RLS). Population-based data, however, have been limited to women. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between migraine and RLS in a male cohort.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study among 22,926 participants in the Physicians’ Health Study. Migraine and RLS information was self-reported. RLS was classified according to four minimal diagnostic criteria. Age- and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were calculated.

Results

Of the 22,926 participants (mean age 67.8), 2816 (12.3%) reported migraine and 1717 (7.5%) RLS. Migraine was associated with an increased multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) of 1.20 (1.04–1.38) for having RLS. The association remained stable after excluding men with potential mimics of RLS and was not modified by age.

Conclusions

Results of our study indicate an association between migraine and RLS in men. The magnitude of effect is similar to what has been reported in women.
NXN-188, a selective nNOS inhibitor and a 5-HT1B/1D receptor agonist, inhibits CGRP release in preclinical migraine models
Authors: Bhatt Deepak K , Gupta Saurabh , Jansen-Olesen Inger , Andrews John S , Olesen Jes
Published: November 2012

Background

NXN-188 is a combined neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) inhibitor and 5-hydroxytryptamine 1B/1D (5-HT1B/1D) receptor agonist. Using preclinical models, we evaluated whether these two unique therapeutic principles have a synergistic effect in attenuating stimulated calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release, a marker of trigeminal activation.

Methods

We examined the effect of NXN-188 on: (1) KCl-, capsaicin- and resiniferatoxin (RTX)-induced immunoreactive CGRP (iCGRP) release from isolated preparation of rat dura mater, trigeminal ganglion (TG) and trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC); and (2) capsaicin- and electrical stimulation (ES)-induced middle meningeal artery (MMA) dilation in a rat closed-cranial window.

Results

NXN-188 inhibited: (1) KCl-stimulated iCGRP release from dura mater (% decrease mean ± SEM, lowest effective concentration) (35 ± 6%, 30 µM), TG (24 ± 11 %, 10 µM) and TNC (40 ± 8%, 10 µM); (2) capsaicin- and RTX-induced iCGRP release from dura mater; and (3) capsaicin- and ES-induced increase in dural artery diameter (32 ± 5%, 3 mg kg−1 intravenous (i.v.) and 36 ± 1%, 10 mg kg−1 i.v.).

Conclusions

NXN-188 inhibits CGRP release from migraine-relevant cephalic tissues. Its effect is most likely mediated via a combination of nNOS-inhibition and 5-HT1B/1D receptor agonism in dura mater while the mechanisms of action for inhibition of CGRP release from TG and TNC have to be investigated further.
Coma Blisters in Children
Authors: Bosco Laura , Schena Donatella , Colato Chiara , Biban Paolo , Girolomoni Giampiero
Published: November 2012

Coma-induced blisters is a rare condition associated with prolonged impairment of conscious level, which is relatively well-known in adults following overdose with barbiturates. However, it has been very rarely described in children. A case of coma-bullae occurring in an 11-year-old child with meningoencephalitis is herein reported. The bullous lesions occurred on the limbs and trunks, and evolved into necrotic ulcers in a few days. No correlation with any drug overdosage was found. A skin biopsy revealed epidermal and eccrine sweat gland necrosis with abundant neutrophils, and thrombosis of the vessels in the lower dermis. A comprehensive review of the literature showed that only 5 cases of coma-bullae in children have been published so far. Coma blistering resolves spontaneously within days or weeks. Diagnosis of coma-bullae may require careful clinical-pathologic correlation to exclude other blistering diseases in children.
A stochastic model of the logistics actions required to ensure the availability of spare parts during maintenance of railway vehicles
Authors: Famfulík Jan , Míková Jana , Lánská Martina , Richtář Michal
Published: November 2012

Models that can predict the correct logistics actions that need to be taken to ensure the availability of spare parts during maintenance of railway vehicles are of considerable interest. Since the occurrence of defects is a random phenomenon it is not possible to know in advance what spare parts will be required at any point in time. This situation requires the creation of a stochastic model that can incorporate uncertainty. Deterministic and stochastic models of maintenance logistics are based on the assumption of a non-zero stock level of spare parts. Carrying an extensive inventory of parts requires a large financial outlay and it is still often the case that a required spare part is not immediately available and has to be obtained. This paper shows, provided certain conditions are met, that it is possible to create cost-effective maintenance procedures even if the required spare part is not immediately available. Thus, the amount of money locked up in stock can be effectively regulated, thus reducing operating costs.
The scintigraphic evaluation and genetic correlation of joint involvements in pediatric patients with familial Mediterranean fever
Authors: Aydogan F. , Tutanc M. , Arica V. , Arica S. , Gunesacar R.
Published: November 2012

Purpose:

We aimed to evaluate the articular involvements in pediatric patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) with joint symptoms by bone scintigraphy and to correlate the involved joints with the gene mutations.

Materials and methods:

A total of 41 newly diagnosed patients in pediatric age group (28 girls and 13 boys; mean age 9.14 ± 2.91 years) with joint involvement symptoms were included in this study. Scintigraphic images were obtained at 5th min (blood pool or early phase) and starting at 3 h (late phase) after (after tracer injection) intravenous administration of technetium-99m (99mTc)-methylendiphosphonate (MDP). Genomic DNA was isolated from leukocytes using standard salting out procedure. The sequencing data were analyzed.

Results:

Of the 41 patients, arthritis was found in 21 (51.2%) patients. Of the 21 patients, there was single joint involvement in 15 (71.4%) patients and multiple joint involvement in six (28.6%) patients. The mean age of patients with joint involvement (8 ± 2.3 years) were considerably lower than the patients without joint involvement (10.35 ± 3.04 years), and this was statistically significant ( p = 0.008). The most commonly involved joints were ankles and knees. Multiple joint involvements were most frequently observed in the M694V and M694I gene mutations (16.7%).

Conclusions:

We use and recommend the bone scintigraphy in patients with FMF to determine the presence and distribution of arthritis, since bone scintigraphy is inexpensive, noninvasive, easy-to-use, and also is more sensitive in the diagnosis and distribution of arthritis than conventional radiological methods and clinical examination.
Effect of lifestyles on the blood mercury level in Korean adults
Authors: Kim N-Y , Ahn S-J , Ryu D-Y , Choi B-S , Kim H , Yu I-J , Park J-D
Published: November 2012

Mercury (Hg) is widely distributed in the environment and oral exposure is a main route in the general population. In this study, we estimated the dietary intake of Hg and its relationship with blood Hg levels in Korean adults. The study subjects were recruited from three different districts (rural: 189, coastal: 208 and urban: 184). We used a general questionnaire to collect information about demographic factors, lifestyles and diet. Dietary habits were studied using the 24-h recall method. The estimation of Hg intake was performed using the database of Hg contents in 128 Korean foods based on the previous studies. Blood Hg was analyzed using Direct Mercury Analyzer with the gold-amalgam method. Daily intake of Hg by diet was estimated at 13.57 μg (0.22 μg/kg body weight). The geometric mean Hg concentration in whole blood was 3.92 μg/L. Blood Hg level and Hg intake by diet was higher in coastal areas than in urban or rural areas, respectively. Blood Hg level correlated with the intake of Hg consumed from diet. Seafood was highly responsible and account for 75.6% of total dietary Hg intake. In this study, blood Hg concentrations were found to be significantly affected by sex, age, individual lifestyles and especially the amount of seafood intake, which might play an important role in determining blood Hg levels in Korean adults.
Protective effects of resveratrol on sepsis-induced DNA damage in the lymphocytes of rats
Authors: Aydın S , Bacanlı M , Taner G , Şahin T , Başaran AA , Başaran N
Published: November 2012

Sepsis, often initiated by an infection, is a state of disrupted inflammatory homeostasis. There is increasing evidence that oxidative stress has an important role in the development of sepsis-induced multiorgan failure. Resveratrol (RV) is a polyphenolic compound found in the skin of red fruits, such as mulberries and red grapes, and in peanuts. RV has been reported to have an antioxidant, antiproliferative, and anti-inflammatory properties in various models. It has also been found to inhibit the proliferation of a variety of human cancer cell lines, including breast, prostate, colon, pancreatic, and thyroid. This study has been undertaken to assess the role of RV on the sepsis-induced oxidative DNA damage in the lymphocytes of Wistar albino rats by the standard and formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg)-modified comet assays. The parameters of tail length, tail intensity, and tail moment were evaluated for the determination of DNA damage. According to the study, the DNA damage was found to be significantly higher in the sepsis-induced rats when compared with the control rats ( p < 0.05). The parameters were significantly decreased in the RV-treated sepsis-induced group when compared with the sepsis-induced group. The parameters in the sepsis-induced rats were found to be significantly higher in the Fpg-modified comet assay when compared with the standard comet assay ( p < 0.05), and RV treatment decreases the DNA damage in the sepsis-induced rats, suggesting that the oxidative stress is likely to be responsible for DNA damage and RV might have a role in the prevention of sepsis-induced oxidative DNA damage.
Successful treatment of severe thrombocytopenia with romiplostim in a pregnant patient with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Alkaabi JK , Alkindi S , Riyami N Al , Zia F , Balla LMA , Balla SM
Published: November 2012

We present a case of a pregnant woman at 27 weeks of gestation with systemic lupus erythematosus who developed severe thrombocytopenia presenting with melena, epistaxis, gum bleeding and frank hematuria. She was resistant to most treatment modalities, including steroids, intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), rituximab, IV cyclophosphamide and eltrombopag. She responded to romiplostim with normalization of her platelet count, which enabled her to be delivered safely at 34 weeks of gestation.
Neonatal lupus complicated by hemorrhagic stroke
Authors: Chen CC , Huang JL , Hsu JF , Chung CY , Lin KL
Published: November 2012

Neonatal lupus is a passively acquired autoimmune syndrome resulting from the transplacental passage of maternal anti-Ro/SSA and/or anti-La/SSB antibodies to the fetus. Few past studies have reported central nervous system involvement in neonatal lupus, and most cases had a good neurological outcome. We report here a preterm case of neonatal lupus with thrombocytopenia and comorbid hemorrhagic stroke. In the follow-up, the infant developed spastic quadriplegia and showed delayed milestones. We believe that this is the first reported case of neonatal lupus accompanied by perinatal hemorrhagic stroke. We present this case to remind clinicians to conduct regular central nervous system surveys in cases of neonatal lupus.
Implementing Evidence-Based Practice
Authors: Gray Mel , Joy Elyssa , Plath Debbie , Webb Stephen A.
Published: November 2012

The article reports on the findings of a review of empirical studies examining the implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) in the human services. Eleven studies were located that defined EBP as a research-informed, clinical decision-making process and identified barriers and facilitators to EBP implementation. A thematic analysis of the findings of the 11 studies produced a list of barriers to EBP implementation grouped in terms of inadequate agency resources dedicated to EBP; skills and knowledge of practitioners; organizational culture; the research environment; practitioner attitudes; and inadequate supervision. Given the limited and exploratory nature of available research on EBP implementation, tentative findings suggest that to facilitate the uptake of EBP in social work and human services practice, strategically driven, adequately resourced, multifaceted approaches to EBP capacity building in organizations are needed.
Tribologically modified surfaces on elastomeric materials
Authors: Rodríguez NV , Masen MA , Schipper D-J
Published: November 2012

As the result of tribological loading, the properties of the surface of elastomeric materials will alter. This effect has been observed using SEM and EDS analysis of the tread of a used car tyre, where differences in structure between the substrate and the area near the surface were found. To study the effects of tribological loading on the surface properties of elastomers in a more reproducible manner, a pin-on-disk tribometer was employed, using EPDM disks and spherical pins made of 100Cr6 steel. In the tribologically loaded area, a modification of the surface with a thickness ranging between 4 and 8 µm was observed, whilst in the unloaded area such a surface modification was not observed. The mechanical and tribological properties of the modified and unmodified surfaces were analysed using micro-indentations and friction experiments on a nano-tribometer, showing a reduction of the stiffness of the tribo-modified surface as well as altered time-dependent behaviour and a 60% reduction in the coefficient of friction when sliding against steel.
A change has come: The Obamas and the culture of black marriage in America
Authors: Chaney Cassandra , Fairfax Colita Nichols
Published: November 2012

Given the historical nature of the Obama presidency, this paper qualitatively examines whether black men and women believe the Obamas can change low marriage rates among blacks in America. By using a marital–political–cultural change framework as our foundation, this exploratory study examined the written responses of 17 blacks between the ages of 23 and 61 years to two questions. (1) “Do you believe that President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have the ability to change low marriage rates among blacks in the United States?” (2) “In what ways can President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama change low marriage rates among blacks in the United States?” Qualitative analyses of the data resulted in four delineated themes: (1) the inability of the Obamas to change the importance of marriage; (2) the inability of the Obamas to change marital motivations and stability; (3) the ability of the Obamas to change low marriage rates among blacks through positive interactions; and (4) the ability of the Obamas to change low marriage rates among blacks as a positive model for marriage. Supporting qualitative data are presented in connection with each theme. Policy implications for black marriage are also discussed.
Is Self-Sufficiency for Women’s Collegiate Athletics a Hoop Dream? Willingness to Pay for Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tickets
Authors: Rosas Francisco , Orazem Peter F.
Published: November 2012

Universities spend almost $2 billion subsidizing their collegiate sports programs. Even the most popular women’s sport, basketball, fails to break even. An application of Becker’s theory of customer discrimination is used to calculate the relative preference for men’s basketball for both men and women. Median willingness to pay for men’s basketball relative to women’s basketball is 180% greater for men and 37% greater for women. Pricing each sport at its revenue maximizing price, revenues from women’s basketball are only 43% of that for men, even at a school with historically strong demand for women’s sports.
The Not-So-Pink Ivory Tower
Authors: Mullen Ann
Published: November 2012

Soicologist Ann Mullen explores what it means that women now earn the majority of bachelor’s degrees. Rather than seeing this as a sign of a “male crisis” in higher education, this article concludes that the gender integration of higher education is far from complete.
Degree by Default
Authors: Yee April
Published: November 2012

In past generations, college was thought to be a site for higher learning in America. Yet April Yee’s ethnographic research finds that few undergraduates are enrolling for the pursuit of knowledge anymore; instead, students are going to college simply because they believe they must have a degree to have a future in our society.
Genome-wide analysis of putative peroxiredoxin in unicellular and filamentous cyanobacteria
Authors: Cui Hongli , Wang Yipeng , Wang Yinchu , Qin Song
Published: November 2012

Background

Cyanobacteria are photoautotrophic prokaryotes with wide variations in genome sizes and ecological habitats. Peroxiredoxin (PRX) is an important protein that plays essential roles in protecting own cells against reactive oxygen species (ROS). PRXs have been identified from mammals, fungi and higher plants. However, knowledge on cyanobacterial PRXs still remains obscure. With the availability of 37 sequenced cyanobacterial genomes, we performed a comprehensive comparative analysis of PRXs and explored their diversity, distribution, domain structure and evolution.

Results

Overall 244 putative prx genes were identified, which were abundant in filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacteria, Acaryochloris marina MBIC 11017, and unicellular cyanobacteria inhabiting freshwater and hot-springs, while poor in all Prochlorococcus and marine Synechococcus strains. Among these putative genes, 25 open reading frames (ORFs) encoding hypothetical proteins were identified as prx gene family members and the others were already annotated as prx genes. All 244 putative PRXs were classified into five major subfamilies (1-Cys, 2-Cys, BCP, PRX5_like, and PRX-like) according to their domain structures. The catalytic motifs of the cyanobacterial PRXs were similar to those of eukaryotic PRXs and highly conserved in all but the PRX-like subfamily. Classical motif (CXXC) of thioredoxin was detected in protein sequences from the PRX-like subfamily. Phylogenetic tree constructed of catalytic domains coincided well with the domain structures of PRXs and the phylogenies based on 16s rRNA.

Conclusions

The distribution of genes encoding PRXs in different unicellular and filamentous cyanobacteria especially those sub-families like PRX-like or 1-Cys PRX correlate with the genome size, eco-physiology, and physiological properties of the organisms. Cyanobacterial and eukaryotic PRXs share similar conserved motifs, indicating that cyanobacteria adopt similar catalytic mechanisms as eukaryotes. All cyanobacterial PRX proteins share highly similar structures, implying that these genes may originate from a common ancestor. In this study, a general framework of the sequence-structure-function connections of the PRXs was revealed, which may facilitate functional investigations of PRXs in various organisms.
Dynamics of domain coverage of the protein sequence universe
Authors: Rekapalli Bhanu , Wuichet Kristin , Peterson Gregory D , Zhulin Igor B
Published: November 2012

Background

The currently known protein sequence space consists of millions of sequences in public databases and is rapidly expanding. Assigning sequences to families leads to a better understanding of protein function and the nature of the protein universe. However, a large portion of the current protein space remains unassigned and is referred to as its “dark matter”.

Results

Here we suggest that true size of “dark matter” is much larger than stated by current definitions. We propose an approach to reducing the size of “dark matter” by identifying and subtracting regions in protein sequences that are not likely to contain any domain.

Conclusions

Recent improvements in computational domain modeling result in a decrease, albeit slowly, in the relative size of “dark matter”; however, its absolute size increases substantially with the growth of sequence data.
Directional telomeric silencing and lack of canonical B1 elements in two silencer Autonomously Replicating Sequences in S. cerevisiae
Authors: Chisamore-Robert Patricia , Peeters Samantha , Shostak Kristina , Yankulov Krassimir
Published: November 2012

Background

Autonomously Replicating Sequences (ARS) in S. cerevisiae serve as origins of DNA replication or as components of cis-acting silencers, which impose positional repression at the mating type loci and at the telomeres. Both types of ARS can act as replicators or silencers, however it is not clear how these quite diverse functions are executed. It is believed that all ARS contain a core module of an essential ARS Consensus Sequence (ACS) and a non-essential B1 element.

Results

We have tested how the B1 elements contribute to the silencer and replicator function of ARS. We report that the ACS-B1 orientation of ARS has a profound effect on the levels of gene silencing at telomeres. We also report that the destruction of the canonical B1 elements in two silencer ARS (ARS317 and ARS319) has no effect on their silencer and replicator activity.

Conclusions

The observed orientation effects on gene silencing suggest that ARSs can act as both proto-silencers and as insulator elements. In addition, the lack of B1 suggests that the ACS-B1 module could be different in silencer and replicator ARS.