bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional Genomic Analysis of Variation on Beef Tenderness Induced by Acute Stress in Angus Cattle
Authors: Zhao Chunping , Tian Fei , Yu Ying , Luo Juan , Mitra Apratim , Zhan Fei , Hou Yali , Liu George , Zan Linsen , Updike M. Scott , Song Jiuzhou
Published: April 2012

Beef is one of the leading sources of protein, B vitamins, iron, and zinc in human food. Beef palatability is based on three general criteria: tenderness, juiciness, and flavor, of which tenderness is thought to be the most important factor. In this study, we found that beef tenderness, measured by the Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), was dramatically increased by acute stress. Microarray analysis and qPCR identified a variety of genes that were differentially expressed. Pathway analysis showed that these genes were involved in immune response and regulation of metabolism process as activators or repressors. Further analysis identified that these changes may be related with CpG methylation of several genes. Therefore, the results from this study provide an enhanced understanding of the mechanisms that genetic and epigenetic regulations control meat quality and beef tenderness.
Heterogeneous Responses to Antioxidants in Noradrenergic Neurons of the Locus Coeruleus Indicate Differing Susceptibility to Free Radical Content
Authors: de Oliveira Ramatis B. , Gravina Fernanda S. , Lim Rebecca , Brichta Alan M. , Callister Robert J. , van Helden Dirk F.
Published: April 2012

The present study investigated the effects of the antioxidants trolox and dithiothreitol (DTT) on mouse Locus coeruleus (LC) neurons. Electrophysiological measurement of action potential discharge and whole cell current responses in the presence of each antioxidant suggested that there are three neuronal subpopulations within the LC. In current clamp experiments, most neurons (55%; 6/11) did not respond to the antioxidants. The remaining neurons exhibited either hyperpolarization and decreased firing rate (27%; 3/11) or depolarization and increased firing rate (18%; 2/11). Calcium and JC-1 imaging demonstrated that these effects did not change intracellular Ca2+concentration but may influence mitochondrial function as both antioxidant treatments modulated mitochondrial membrane potential. These suggest that the antioxidant-sensitive subpopulations of LC neurons may be more susceptible to oxidative stress (e.g., due to ATP depletion and/or overactivation of Ca2+-dependent pathways). Indeed it may be that this subpopulation of LC neurons is preferentially destroyed in neurological pathologies such as Parkinson’s disease. If this is the case, there may be a protective role for antioxidant therapies.
3D‐Metal Complexes Derived from Proton Pump Inhibitors‐Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Studies
Authors: Malik Suman , Das Supriya , Singh Archana , Mitu Liviu
Published: April 2012

Complexes of lansoprazole 2[[[[3‐methyl, 4‐(2′,2′,2′‐trifluoro‐ethoxy)]‐2‐pyridinyl] methyl]sulfonyl]–1H–benzimidazole (LAN) with chlorides of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Mn(II) and Zn(II) were synthesized. LAN is a weak base and it can form several complexes with transition and non‐transition metal ions. It should be noticed that the reaction of all the metal salts yielded bis(ligand) complexes of the general formula [ML2(H2O)2] and [ML2] (M = Co, Ni, Cu, Mn and Zn). The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity, magnetic susceptibility measurements, IR, 1H‐NMR, UV‐visible spectral studies, ESR, SEM, x‐ray diffraction, TGA and mass spectra. In all the complexes ligand is coordinated by participation of the pyridine nitrogen of the benzimidazole ring and sulphonyl group. Electronic spectra and magnetic susceptibility reveal octahedral geometry for Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes and tetrahedral for Zn(II) complex. The antimicrobial activity of the ligand and its complexes against bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and fungi Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavous were investigated. The effect of metals on the antimicrobial activity of the ligand has been discussed.
Mitochondria and Cardiovascular Aging
Authors: Dai Dao-Fu , Rabinovitch Peter S. , Ungvari Zoltan
Published: April 2012

Old age is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Several lines of evidence in experimental animal models have indicated the central role of mitochondria both in lifespan determination and in cardiovascular aging. In this article we review the evidence supporting the role of mitochondrial oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage and biogenesis as well as the crosstalk between mitochondria and cellular signaling in cardiac and vascular aging. Intrinsic cardiac aging in the murine model closely recapitulates age-related cardiac changes in humans (left ventricular hypertrophy, fibrosis and diastolic dysfunction), while the phenotype of vascular aging include endothelial dysfunction, reduced vascular elasticity, and chronic vascular inflammation. Both cardiac and vascular aging involve neurohormonal signaling (eg, renin–angiotensin, adrenergic, insulin-IGF1 signaling) and cell-autonomous mechanisms. The potential therapeutic strategies to improve mitochondrial function in aging and cardiovascular diseases are also discussed, with a focus on mitochondrial-targeted antioxidants, calorie restriction, calorie restriction mimetics, and exercise training.
The Intersection Between Aging and Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: North Brian J. , Sinclair David A.
Published: April 2012

The average lifespan of humans is increasing, and with it the percentage of people entering the 65 and older age group is growing rapidly and will continue to do so in the next 20 years. Within this age group, cardiovascular disease will remain the leading cause of death, and the cost associated with treatment will continue to increase. Aging is an inevitable part of life and unfortunately poses the largest risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Although numerous studies in the cardiovascular field have considered both young and aged humans, there are still many unanswered questions as to how the genetic pathways that regulate aging in model organisms influence cardiovascular aging. Likewise, in the molecular biology of aging field, few studies fully assess the role of these aging pathways in cardiovascular health. Fortunately, this gap is beginning to close, and these two fields are merging together. We provide an overview of some of the key genes involved in regulating lifespan and health span, including sirtuins, AMP-activated protein kinase, mammalian target of rapamycin, and insulin-like growth factor 1 and their roles regulating cardiovascular health. We then discuss a series of review articles that will appear in succession and provide a more comprehensive analysis of studies carried out linking genes of aging and cardiovascular health, and perspectives of future directions of these two intimately linked fields.
Left Ventricular Longitudinal Function Predicts Life-Threatening Ventricular Arrhythmia and Death in Adults With Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Diller Gerhard-Paul , Kempny Aleksander , Liodakis Emmanouil , Alonso-Gonzalez Rafael , Inuzuka Ryo , Uebing Anselm , Orwat Stefan , Dimopoulos Konstantinos , Swan Lorna , Li Wei , Gatzoulis Michael A. , Baumgartner Helmut
Published: April 2012

Background—

Sudden cardiac death and life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia remain a concern in adult patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Longitudinal left ventricular (LV) function is sensitive in detecting early myocardial damage and may have prognostic implications in this setting.

Methods and Results—

We included 413 tetralogy of Fallot patients (age, 36±13 years; QRS duration, 148±27 milliseconds; LV ejection fraction, 55±10%). A composite end point of sudden cardiac death/life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia (sustained ventricular tachycardia, resuscitated sudden cardiac death, or appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator discharge) was used. During a median follow-up of 2.9 years, 5 patients died suddenly, 9 had documented sustained ventricular tachycardia, and another 5 had appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks. On univariate Cox analysis, QRS duration (hazard ratio [HR], 1.02 per 1 ms;
P
=0.046), right atrial area (HR, 1.05 per 1 cm
2
;
P
=0.02), right ventricular fractional area change (HR, 0.94 per 1%;
P
=0.02), right ventricular outflow tract diameter (HR, 1.08 per 1 mm;
P
=0.01), mitral annular plane systolic excursion (HR, 0.84 per 1 mm;
P
=0.03), and LV global longitudinal 2-dimensional strain (HR, 0.87 per 1%;
P
=0.03) were related to the combined end point. On bivariable analysis, mitral annular plane systolic excursion and LV global longitudinal 2-dimensional strain were related to outcome independently of QRS duration (
P
=0.002 and
P
=0.01, respectively). In addition, a combination of echocardiographic variables, including right atrial area, right ventricular fractional area change, and LV global longitudinal 2-dimensional strain or mitral annular plane systolic excursion, was also found to be significantly related to outcome (
P
<0.001; c statistic, 0.70).

Conclusions—

LV longitudinal dysfunction was associated with greater risk of sudden cardiac death/life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. In combination with echocardiographic right heart variables, also available from routine echocardiography, these measures provide important outcome information and should be considered a useful adjunct to established markers such as QRS duration in the estimation of prognosis in this challenging population.
Asian Origin of Interannual Variations of Summer Climate over the Extratropical North Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Zhao Ping , Yang Song , Wu Renguang , Wen Zhiping , Chen Junming , Wang Huijun
Published: April 2012

The authors have identified an interannual relationship between Asian tropospheric temperature and the North Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) during summer (May–September) and discussed the associated features of atmospheric circulation over the Atlantic–Eurasian region. When tropospheric temperature is high (low) over Asia, positive (negative) SST anomalies appear in the extratropical North Atlantic. This relationship is well supported by the changes in background atmospheric circulation and ocean–atmosphere–land thermodynamic processes. When heat transfer from the land surface to the atmosphere over Asia strengthens, local tropospheric temperature increases and positive temperature anomalies propagate westward from Asia to the North Atlantic, leading to an increase in summer tropospheric temperature over the Atlantic–Eurasian region. Accordingly, a deep anomalous ridge occurs over the extratropical North Atlantic Ocean, with low-level southerly anomalies over the western portion of the ocean. Sensitivity experiments with climate models show that the interannual variations of the North Atlantic–Eurasian atmospheric circulation may not be forced by the extratropical Atlantic SST. Instead, experiments with changing Asian land surface heating capture the above observed features of atmospheric circulation anomalies, westward propagation of tropospheric anomalies, and Atlantic SST anomalies. The consistency between the observational and model results indicates a possible impact of Asian land heating on the development of atmospheric circulation and SST anomalies over the Atlantic–Eurasian region.
Atmospherically Forced Exchange through the Bab el Mandeb Strait
Authors: Johns William E. , Sofianos Sarantis S.
Published: April 2012

The exchange between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean on synoptic time scales (days to weeks) is investigated using moored current meter data collected in the strait of Bab el Mandeb from June 1995 to November 1996. Transport variations through the strait on these time scales can reach amplitudes of up to 0.6 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1), or nearly twice as large as the mean rate of exchange through the strait driven by annual evaporation over the Red Sea. The synoptic transport variability appears to be driven by two primary forcing mechanisms: 1) local wind stress variability over the strait and 2) variation in the large-scale barometric pressure over the Red Sea. Simple models of the forced response are developed and are shown to reproduce the essential features of the observations. The response to barometric pressure forcing over the Red Sea is fundamentally barotropic, whereas the response to along-strait winds is barotropic at high frequencies and tends toward a two-layer exchange at low frequencies. The responses to both types of forcing show enhanced amplitude at the Helmholtz resonance frequency for the Red Sea, which occurs at a period of about 5 days. A linear two-layer model, incorporating both types of forcing and a reasonable frictional parameterization, is shown to account for about 70% of the observed transport variance within the strait.
The Cascade of Tidal Energy from Low to High Modes on a Continental Slope
Authors: Kelly Samuel M. , Nash Jonathan D. , Martini Kim I. , Alford Matthew H. , Kunze Eric
Published: April 2012

The linear transfer of tidal energy from large to small scales is quantified for small tidal excursion over a near-critical continental slope. A theoretical framework for low-wavenumber energy transfer is derived from “flat bottom” vertical modes and evaluated with observations from the Oregon continental slope. To better understand the observations, local tidal dynamics are modeled with a superposition of two idealized numerical simulations, one forced by local surface-tide velocities and the other by an obliquely incident internal tide generated at the Mendocino Escarpment 315 km southwest of the study site. The simulations reproduce many aspects of the observed internal tide and verify the modal-energy balances. Observed transfer of tidal energy into high-mode internal tides is quantitatively consistent with observed turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation. Locally generated and incident simulated internal tides are superposed with varying phase shifts to mimic the effects of the temporally varying mesoscale. Altering the phase of the incident internal tide alters (i) internal-tide energy flux, (ii) internal-tide generation, and (iii) energy conversion to high modes, suggesting that tidally driven TKE dissipation may vary between 0 and 500 watts per meter of coastline on 3–5-day time scales. Comparison of observed in situ internal-tide generation and satellite-derived estimates of surface-tide energy loss is inconclusive.
L’imaginaire au cœur du développement psycho-spirituel des jeunes: une réflexion interdisciplinaire sur la spiritualité de l’enfance et de la pré-adolescence
Authors: Bellehumeur Christian R. , Deschênes Gervais , Malette Judith
Published: April 2012

Le présent article1 porte sur l’apport de l’imaginaire dans le développement psycho-spirituel des jeunes, enfants et pré-adolescents. Cette problématique s’insère dans le contexte de la société québécoise contemporaine ; deux changements sociaux récents en ce qui a trait à l’éducation des jeunes y sont présentés. Pour traiter de cette question, nous faisons appel aux principales théories du développement de l’enfant qui ont largement décrit les différents stades développementaux. Il sera question de leurs limites, et surtout de leurs forces, dont certaines ont proposé des éléments, comme l’imagination – qui se rapproche et se distingue de l’imaginaire – qui font écho à l’élan naturel des enfants d’être tournés dès leur naissance vers le spirituel. Nous présentons également la théorie de Gilbert Durand (1992 [1960]) de l’imaginaire. Enfin, nous terminerons avec une brève réflexion théologique de l’importance de considérer l’imaginaire dans le développement de la foi.

In this article, we look at the contribution of the “imaginary” to the psycho-spiritual development of children and pre-adolescents. We also look at two recent social changes in education, in the province of Quebec, which could possibly have an impact on this very development. Main theories of child development are also used to better understand children’s propensity towards spirituality, as well as Gilbert Durand’s theory (1992 [1960]) on anthropological structures of the “imaginary.” We conclude with a theological reflection on the importance of the “imaginary” for faith development.
Philosophy of (Lived) Religion
Authors: Strenski Ivan
Published: April 2012

The cohabitation of philosophy with the study of religion has such a long history that we have not been motivated to consider the terms of that relationship. This paper proposes that this relationship needs to be examined radically. That is to say it proposes to query the nature, or possible natures, of the relationship of philosophy to the study of religion by posing such questions as the following: What kind of philosophy belongs in the study of religion? Constructive? Critical? Does philosophy have an independent role in the study of religion or does it, rather, best play the role of ‘handmaiden’? To the extent that philosophy plays an integral part in the study of religion, how should philosophy reflect the global and cross-cultural nature of the study of religion? To what extent does a philosophy that is integral to the study of religion need to change in order to reflect the philosophical agendas integral to other religions than Christianity?

La cohabitation de la philosophie avec l’étude de la religion a une si longue histoire que nous ne nous sommes pas penchés sur les termes de cette relation. Cet article montre le besoin d’un examen radical de cette relation. C’est-à-dire qu’il propose d’interroger la nature, ou les natures possibles, de la relation que la philosophie entretient avec l’étude de la religion à partir de plusieurs questions: Quels types de philosophie font partie de l’étude de la religion? Constructive? Critique? La philosophie a-t-elle un rôle indépendant dans l’étude de la religion ou est-elle plutôt dans le rôle de « servir » ? Dans la mesure où la philosophie est une partie intégrante de l’étude de la religion, comment la philosophie devrait-elle refléter la nature mondiale et culturellement croisée de l’étude de la religion ? Dans quelle mesure, une philosophie faisant partie intégrante de l’étude de la religion doit-elle être transformée de façon à rendre compte des programmes des religions autres que la Chrétienté?
Kinds, Classes, and Clumps: A Preliminary Typology of Concepts and some Implications for the Study of Religions
Authors: Alles Gregory D.
Published: April 2012

Much mischief has been done in thinking about religion by a general failure to attend to the different kinds of concepts that the brain employs and the capabilities of each kind. The general assumption seems to have been instead that concepts are, or should be, all of the same kind. This paper attempts to redress that failure by offering a preliminary typology of concepts. It identifies three types: kinds, classes, and clumps, defined in terms of ‘essences’ (generative mechanisms), features, and (generally unbounded) sets of instances, respectively. It also points to degree of inferentiality as a property of these types that can be especially useful for thinking about religion, kinds being inference-rich, classes inference-fixed, and clumps inference-indeterminate. Although careful reflection at times transforms clumps into kinds or classes, it can also lead to the recognition that a putative kind or class may be better considered a clump. An example of the latter—hardly the only one—may be the term ‘religion.’ It is neither necessary nor possible for careful reflection entirely to abandon clump concepts for kinds and classes. Scholars do, however, need to exercise care in what they use each type of concept to try to do.

Bien des erreurs ont été commises à propos de la religion à cause d’une incapacité générale à s’attacher aux différentes sortes de concepts que le cerveau utilise et les capacités de chacune. Il semble que la supposition générale ait été que tous les concepts doivent être de la même sorte. Cet article cherche à remédier à cette incapacité en offrant une typologie préliminaire des concepts. Il identifie trois sortes : les types, les classes et les agrégats, définis respectivement en termes d’ ‘essences’ (mécanismes génératifs), de traits et de séries de cas (généralement illimités). L’article nous amène également à envisager le degré d’ ‘inférentialité’ comme propriété de chacune de ces différentes sortes qui nous permettent de penser la religion : les types étant ainsi riches en ‘inférentialité’, les classes ayant une ‘inférentialité’ fixe, tandis que l’ ‘inférentialité’ des agrégats demeure indéterminée. Bien qu’une attention méticuleuse puisse à certains moments transformer les agrégats en types ou en classes, elle peut aussi nous amener à reconnaître qu’un type ou une classe supposée pourrait être considérée plutôt comme un agrégat. Un exemple de ce dernier cas de figure —loin d’être isolé— pourrait être le terme de ‘religion’. Il n’est pas nécessaire ni possible dans une réflexion soutenue d’abandonner le concept d’agrégat au profit des types ou des classes. Il est cependant nécessaire de porter une attention soutenue à la façon dont chaque concept est utilisé et à ce qui en est fait.
Early Pediatric Emergency Department Return Visits
Authors: Ali Alliyia B. , Place Rick , Howell John , Malubay Sienna M.
Published: April 2012

Background

A substantial percentage of emergency department (ED) patients return within 72 hours of their initial evaluation. Quality reviews typically demonstrate that most revisits do not seem to be directly related to problematic care provided on the first evaluation. We examined the possibility that return visits are related to nonmedical issues on the first visit, most notably patient discharge education.

Objective

We prospectively surveyed a convenience sample of caregivers in a pediatric ED to determine why they returned with their children within 72 hours of their initial ED visit.

Design/Methods

All patients who returned within 72 hours of a previous visit were identified and prospectively interviewed using a survey instrument with nominal (multiple choice) and brief descriptive responses.

Results

Caregivers of 124 children were prospectively surveyed; 93 children (75%) returned because their symptoms had not improved or worsened. Only 50 (53%) had contacted their primary medical doctor (PMD) prior to the second visit; of these, 14 (28%) could not get an appointment, and 32 (64%) were told to return to the ED. Discharge instructions were felt to be informative by 94% (n = 86) of caregivers with the same number (94%) reported being satisfied with the first ED physician. Twenty-nine children (30%) were admitted on the second visit.

Conclusions

Among children who are discharged from the emergency department and return within 72 hours, most caregivers are satisfied with the care and instructions provided on their first visits. Though most patients have a PMD, many do not call them prior to their return ED visit, and those who do either cannot schedule an appointment or are told to return to the ED. The majority of patients return for clinical progression of illness.
Early-Childhood Obesity
Authors: Hernandez Raquel G. , Thompson Darcy A. , Cheng Tina L. , Serwint Janet R.
Published: April 2012

Objectives

To determine parental rankings of known factors related to early-childhood obesity and compare reports between parents of healthy weight and overweight children.

Methods

Parents of 2- to 5-year-old children seeking well-child care ranked card-sort statements including risks, barriers, and motivating factors for achieving a healthy weight child. Frequencies and means of ranked factors are reported and compared.

Results

Of the 150 participants, few parents (7.4%) considered low levels of physical activity a top risk factor compared with other known risks. Inability to control the food choices of alternate caregivers was the greatest perceived barrier to achieving a healthy child weight (34%). There were no differences in rankings by child weight groups.

Conclusion

Low-income parents of preschoolers are aware of high-risk feeding behaviors, but few recognize the risk of inactivity in their young child. Innovations that promote adequate physical activity and engage influential caregivers during counseling are necessary.
Policy Poison or Promise
Authors: Strunk Katharine O.
Published: April 2012

Purpose: This study examines policies set in the collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) negotiated between teachers’ unions and school boards and explores what kinds of districts have contract provisions that restrict district administrators, enhance administrative flexibility, and/or improve teachers’ professional work lives and that have contracts that are more restrictive overall. Method: The author analyzes a sample of 465 California CBAs and uses linear probability models to highlight the relationships between a set of 95 representative provisions and characteristics of districts that may make them “hard to staff.” A measure of overall contract restrictiveness is generated and used to assess the relationships between these district characteristics and contract strength. Findings: Some CBA provisions restrict district administrators, whereas others may provide administrators with greater flexibilities. In addition, many provisions serve to enhance teachers’ working conditions. Many of the most restrictive clauses are more frequently found in the contracts of urban districts and districts with higher proportions of minority and poor students. However, many of these same districts have contracts that include important flexibilities and provisions that may enhance teachers’ working conditions. Large and urban districts have more restrictive contracts overall, although districts with high proportions of poor and minority students do not. Implications: As policymakers consider renegotiating provisions within CBAs and diminishing the strength of CBAs themselves, it will be important to consider the specific regulations within CBAs and whether they truly constrain administrators or serve some other purpose and whether specific high-need districts are more or less harmed by the contents of CBAs.
An efficacy trial of ‘Steps to Your Health’, a health promotion programme for adults with intellectual disability
Authors: McDermott Suzanne , Whitner Wendy , Thomas-Koger Marlo , Mann Joshua R , Clarkson John , Barnes Timothy L , Bao Haikun , Meriwether Rebecca A
Published: April 2012

Objective: Although there are evaluation and effectiveness studies of health promotion interventions for adults with intellectual disabilities (ID), randomized efficacy trials of such interventions are lacking.

Design: A randomized active control intervention trial.

Setting: The participants attended the health promotion classes in local disability agency service facilities.

Method: We enrolled 443 individuals and randomly assigned them to one of two eight-week participatory classes. The ‘Steps to Your Health’ (STYH) classes emphasized moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), healthy eating and body mass index (BMI) reduction. The control intervention focused on hygiene and safety.

Results: We did not find a statistically significant difference in mean MVPA or BMI change between completers of the STYH group compared to the control group one year after the intervention was completed. We did find that participation in STYH classes had a non-significant association with odds of reduction in BMI (odds ratio [OR] 2.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91–9.11) and completers who lived in group homes were more likely than their counterparts who lived with families or in apartments to decrease their BMI (OR 4.61; 95% CI 1.14–18.64).

Conclusions: This trial did not demonstrate a significant effect of STYH participation on change in mean minutes of MVPA or mean BMI 12 months after classes ended, although there was a non-significant association with odds of reduction of BMI ( p = 0.07). This study has implications for design of intervention studies in people with intellectual disability (ID).
Making Sense of Global Tensions: Dominant and Subaltern Conceptions of Order and Justice in the International System
Authors: Ayoob Mohammed
Published: April 2012

The tension between the hegemonic and subaltern perspectives of international order can be summarized in the following fashion: While the former emphasizes order among states and justice within them, the latter stresses order within states and justice among them. This tension has manifested itself, although not always very neatly, in such diverse arenas of international politics as humanitarian intervention, nuclear proliferation and residual colonialism. While the tension between the dominant and subaltern views of world order is a global phenomenon, it finds manifestation in its most acute form in the broader Middle East, comprising West, Southwest and Central Asia. This is because issues such as Iran’s nuclear aspirations, Israel’s occupation of Palestine, and the rise of political Islam as the anti-hegemonic ideology par excellence highlight this tension most clearly.
Assessing India at the United Nations in the Changing Context
Authors: Murthy C.S.R.
Published: April 2012

The United Nations (UN) has been a useful instrument for India not only in pursuing its foreign policy goals effectively, but also for the progressive and peaceful transformation of the global political system. The changing priorities of the country’s political leadership, the challenge of reconciling subjective interests with objective principles, the nuanced pursuit of non-alignment and sensitivity to the existing international system have historically worked as factors to create a mix of effects in India’s performance in the world body. In the intricate agenda of the new century, India’s participation highlights concerns on reinforcing the core strengths of the UN in managing non-traditional security threats, including transnational terrorism, mobilizing collective action in the era of globalization for minimizing the economic inequities, both within and between countries, and lastly revitalization of the UN structures including, in particular, the Security Council’s composition through comprehensive reforms by common agreement. As for future strategy, the hope of replaying its past leadership role may be a less appropriate and acceptable option than building pragmatic and issue-based partnerships with all relevant countries in multilateral negotiation settings.
India and Southeast Asia
Authors: Naidu G.V.C.
Published: April 2012

Southeast Asia has always occupied a unique place in India’s external relations since ancient times but colonialism, followed by the Cold War, severely hampered these links. These could only be revived in the early 1990s, driven by economic and political exigencies, through what is called the ‘Look East’ policy. It has since gathered enormous momentum and evolved into a comprehensive approach encompassing economic, political and strategic facets. Despite being a relatively minor player economically, India’s importance in the emerging regional order is becoming vital. Its engagement of East Asia cannot be construed as the loss of Southeast Asia. The region will continue to remain India’s major focus because of its geostrategic significance and the instrumental value of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
India’s Interactions with East Asia: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Kondapalli Srikanth
Published: April 2012

India’s relations with countries of East Asia reveal its growing profile in the region in economic, technological, diplomatic, political and military spheres. India’s Look East policy, initiated in 1992, is bearing fruit now, as seen in the region becoming the largest trading partner of India, enhanced bilateral and multilateral diplomatic interactions, and long-term commitments in the security (maritime, cyber and space) fields. No doubt, relations between India and East Asia are acquiring depth as reflected in the broad-based interactions at the bilateral and multilateral levels as well as in trade, investments and people-to-people contacts in recent years. While Japan and both Koreas pose no major hurdle to India’s foreign policy goal of garnering support for its basic cause of territorial integrity and sovereignty, the equation with China presents a very complicated picture. The apparent lack of insistence on the reciprocity principle by India in its dealings with China reflects the growing asymmetries in power between the two. As a result, India has been trying to enhance its defence cooperation with South Korea and Japan.
India and the Indian Ocean: Possibilities for Forging Regional Partnerships
Authors: Singh K.R.
Published: April 2012

India has not had a policy specific to the Indian Ocean beyond the knee-jerk and ad hoc responses to the changing regional and global environment. The Indian Navy, however, played a significant part in formulating the maritime perspective vis-à-vis the Indian Ocean and in dovetailing it with the country’s larger foreign policy objectives in the region. Owing to ill-advised responses to interventions from both within and outside the region, India faced near isolation in the Indian Ocean region during the second half of the Cold War era. India’s sensitivity to new opportunities and concerns about emerging threats to the stability of the region have brought about a change in India’s relationships after the end of the Cold War. At present, India’s policy seems to be motivated by priorities such as energy security, war on terror and maritime security. As a major regional power and enjoying greater credibility than during the Cold War era, India should act as a facilitator to build structures of maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region that can help integrate the littoral states and thus pave the way for a firmer foundation for a future peace zone in the Indian Ocean.
Comprehensive Assessment of Human Pharmacokinetic Prediction Based on In Vivo Animal Pharmacokinetic Data, Part 2: Clearance
Authors: Lombardo Franco , Waters Nigel J. , Argikar Upendra A. , Dennehy Michelle K. , Zhan Jenny , Gunduz Mithat , Harriman Shawn P. , Berellini Giuliano , Liric Rajlic Ivana , Obach R. Scott
Published: April 2012

A comprehensive analysis on the prediction of human clearance based on intravenous pharmacokinetic data from rat, dog, and monkey for approximately 400 compounds was undertaken. This data set has been carefully compiled from literature reports and expanded with some in‐house determinations for plasma protein binding and rat clearance. To the authors— knowledge, this is the largest publicly available data set. The present examination offers a comparison of 37 different methods for prediction of human clearance across compounds of diverse physicochemical properties. Furthermore, this work demonstrates the application of each prediction method to each charge class of the compounds, thus presenting an additional dimension to prediction of human pharmacokinetics. In general, the observations suggest that methods employing monkey clearance values and a method incorporating differences in plasma protein binding between rat and human yield the best overall predictions as suggested by approximately 60% compounds within 2‐fold geometric mean‐fold error. Other single‐species scaling or proportionality methods incorporating the fraction unbound in the corresponding preclinical species for prediction of free clearance in human were generally unsuccessful.
Bitter Reproach or Sweet Revenge
Authors: Lee Elizabeth A. , Soto José A. , Swim Janet K. , Bernstein Michael J.
Published: April 2012

Culture has been shown to influence response styles. The authors conducted two studies to test the notion that African Americans would be more likely to respond to racism directly, whereas Asian Americans would be more likely to respond indirectly and therefore more subtly. Study 1 showed that Black women subjected to a racist comment from a confederate during an online interaction were more likely than Asian women to verbally reproach the perpetrator. These group differences were not present when the outcome measure was indirect responding—administration of good/bad jellybeans. Study 2 used an online format to demonstrate that Asian women were more likely than Black women to say they would not respond directly to a racist comment. This group difference in unwillingness to confront was significantly mediated by a goal of maintaining peace with their interaction partner. Implications of these findings for the study of discrimination, coping, and well-being are discussed.
Competing Pleasures? The Impact of Leisure Time Use on the Transition to Parenthood
Authors: Arránz Becker Oliver , Lois Daniel
Published: April 2012

Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, the authors examine the impact of leisure, both in terms of the total amount of leisure time and of specific types of leisure activities, on the transition rate to parenthood 2 years later ( N = 3,795 women and N = 3,712 men). With regard to the amount of leisure time, it was found that strongly leisure-oriented women exhibited a lower likelihood of first motherhood only if no close family members lived nearby who could provide informal child care support. Analyses concerning specific types of leisure activities revealed clear timing effects: Respondents, particularly women, with a strong preference for out-of-home leisure activities tended to delay their first births. However, at the age of 41 years, they ended up with a level of childlessness comparable to those who engage in out-of-home activities less frequently. No similar delaying effects could be found for other types of activities.
Marriage and the Mental Health of Low-Income Urban Women With Children
Authors: Hill Terrence D. , Reid Megan , Reczek Corinne
Published: April 2012

Although numerous studies of the general population show that married people tend to exhibit better mental health than their unmarried counterparts, there is little evidence to suggest that the psychological benefits of marriage extend to low-income urban women with children. Building on previous research, this study uses longitudinal survey data from the Welfare, Children, and Families project (1999, 2001) to examine the effects of marriage and related transitions on changes in psychological distress among low-income urban women with children. It also tests the mediating influence of financial hardship, social support, self-esteem, and frequency of intoxication. Although entering and exiting marriage are unrelated to changes in psychological distress, continuous marriage is associated with lower levels of psychological distress from baseline to follow-up. The mediation analysis also suggests that the apparent mental health benefits of continuous marriage are partially mediated or explained by lower levels of financial hardship.
Why Do Women Enter and Exit From Material Hardship?
Authors: Heflin Colleen H. , Butler J. S.
Published: April 2012

Current critiques of the official federal poverty measure have led to a growing interest in alternative measures of well-being, such as individual reports of the inability to meet basic needs. This article considers a wide set of risk factors for four different forms of material hardship (food insufficiency, utility disconnection, unmet medical needs, and housing problems) using data from a panel study of single mothers. Specifically, the authors analyze the role of maternal health, household composition, and income on entrances into and exits from material hardship. The results show that there is a great deal of heterogeneity across forms of material hardship but that in general, the predictions of the authors’ conceptual model are confirmed. Determinants of entrances into material hardship differ from those that predict exits, suggesting that interventions to help families exit from material hardship may need to address different issues than those that triggered the entrance into material hardship in the first place.
When Grandparents Have Dementia
Authors: Celdrán Montserrat , Villar Feliciano , Triadó Carme
Published: April 2012

This study aims to identify changes in adolescents’ lives and in the relationships within the family when a family member has a dementia. Grandchildren living in Barcelona, Spain, participated in the study ( N = 145). The data, based on both quantitative and qualitative information, showed that if the grandparent moved into the grandchildren’s household, adolescents underwent changes in their daily activities and in their experience of caring for the grandparent. Participants showed mainly positive changes in their relationship with their parents and acknowledged the influences their parents have in their relationships with their cognitively impaired grandparent. Grandchildren experienced a closer relationship with the partner of the person with dementia, although they also mentioned difficulties in maintaining this relationship if this grandparent focuses his or her attention excessively on the care recipient. From a family systems perspective, we discuss the importance of the role of grandchildren in caring for a person with dementia.
In the eye of the storm: The implications of the Munro Child Protection Review for the future of probation
Authors: Fitzgibbon Wendy
Published: April 2012

On their election the new coalition government appeared to be keen to review and revise child protection policy following the fallout from the Baby Peter case and the consequent crisis in confidence in social work. This article re-examines the underlying motives for this review and then investigates what the implications of the Munro review are for the future of public protection and the probation service generally.
Difference in Graft Maturity of the Reconstructed Anterior Cruciate Ligament 2 Years Postoperatively
Authors: Li Hong , Tao Hongyue , Cho Samson , Chen Shuang , Yao Zhenjun , Chen Shiyi
Published: April 2012

Background:

Currently, there is an ongoing debate regarding the optimal graft choice between autograft and allograft tendons in reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It has been reported that allograft tendons have a slower onset and rate of revascularization compared with autograft tendons.

Hypothesis:

Allograft tendons might have inferior graft maturity compared with autograft tendons in ACL reconstruction at 2 years postoperatively.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A total of 52 participants with ACL reconstruction were recruited in this study, including 30 using allograft tendons and 22 using autograft tendons. All of them had unilateral ACL reconstruction and were followed up using 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at least 2 years postoperatively. Clinical examination was performed on the same day when the MRI examination was performed, including subjective functional examinations (International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC] and Tegner Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale [TLKS]) and physical examinations (anterior drawer test and Lachman test). Four measurements based on MRI were focused on graft orientation (including tibial tunnel position and graft angles), the edematous condition of the graft, intra-articular graft width at different sites, and signal intensity of the ACL graft using the signal/noise quotient (SNQ) from a region of interest analysis. Differences in each measurement were compared between the allograft group and the autograft group.

Results:

All the participants returned to normal sports activities at the follow-up time point, as all of them acquired full functional strength and stability. There was no significant difference between the autograft and the allograft group with respect to IKDC or TLKS score. The knees in both of the groups were confirmed stable by physical examination before MRI. On MRI measurements, the allograft group displayed no significant difference in graft orientation compared with the autograft group ( P > .05). Moreover, there was also no significant difference between allograft group and autograft group in graft width of the distal site ( P > .05), middle site ( P > .05), and proximal site ( P > .05). However, the mean SNQ value of the allograft group was significantly higher than that of the autograft group in the distal site (6.54 ± 6.58 vs 2.98 ± 5.48; P = .0173), the middle site (7.21 ± 6.31 vs 3.56 ± 4.62; P = .0149), and the proximal site (6.61 ± 8.08 vs 2.45 ± 8.12; P = .0018).

Conclusion:

The allograft group had a significantly higher SNQ value compared with the autograft group in this study, indicating that allograft tendons might have inferior graft maturity than autograft tendons in ACL reconstruction at 2 years postoperatively.
Bicultural Advertising and Hispanic Acculturation
Authors: Tsai Wan-Hsiu Sunny , Li Cong
Published: April 2012

This study examined the moderating effects of acculturation modes (assimilated, integrated, and separated) on Hispanic consumers’ responses to three advertising targeting strategies (Caucasian targeted, bicultural, and Hispanic targeted). The hypotheses were empirically tested in a 3 × 3 factorial experiment with 155 self-identified Hispanic adult consumers, where their acculturation modes were measured and the advertising stimuli they viewed were manipulated. Based on the ANCOVA (analysis of covariance) test results, it was found that Hispanic consumers’ attitudes toward different targeted ads and their purchase intentions for the products promoted in the ads were significantly influenced by their acculturation modes. The study results also highlighted integrated Hispanic consumers’ dual identification with both mainstream society and their Hispanic heritage, and their preference for bicultural and bilingual ads.
Psychometric Properties of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale in a Longitudinal Study of Latinos With Anxiety Disorders
Authors: Beard Courtney , Rodriguez Benjamin F. , Weisberg Risa B. , Perry Ashley , Keller Martin B.
Published: April 2012

The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) is one of the most commonly used measures of social anxiety symptoms. To date, no study has examined its psychometric properties in a Latino sample. The authors examined the reliability, temporal stability, and convergent validity of the LSAS in 73 Latinos diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. The original LSAS subscales showed excellent internal consistency and temporal stability over a 1-year period. Participants with social anxiety disorder (SAD) scored significantly higher on all LSAS subscales than participants without SAD, supporting the convergent validity of the LSAS. Similar results were obtained for four subscales proposed by Safren and colleagues. Results have implications for the use of the LSAS as a measure of severity or outcome when comparing diverse populations. Future investigations in larger Latino samples are needed to examine the factor structure of the LSAS.
If the Self Is a Text, What Genre Is It? Structure and Ideology in Narratives of Adult Learning
Authors: Michelson Elana
Published: April 2012

In this article, the author argues that the narrative forms imposed on students closely follow the narrative conventions of the Bildungsroman, the novel of human emergence that has traditionally been associated with what educators of adults would call experiential learning. The author’s presenting question—If the self is a text, what genre is it?—is the literary form of the question of where the life narratives valorized in adult learning originate, why they appear to be unmediated and authentic, and what ideological meaning they carry. The author further argues that students are expected to reproduce quite particular narrative conventions: the use of the past to explain the present, and vice versa; memory as a form of psychic coherence; a double plot that has an echo in a split protagonist; and the erasure of social conflict. In the conclusion, the author briefly focuses on magical realism as an alternative narrative of experience.