bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sildenafil treatment in established right ventricular dysfunction improves diastolic function and attenuates interstitial fibrosis independent from afterload
Authors: Borgdorff Marinus A. , Bartelds Beatrijs , Dickinson Michael G. , van Wiechen Maarten P. H. , Steendijk Paul , de Vroomen Maartje , Berger Rolf M. F.
Published: May 2014

Right ventricular (RV) function is an important determinant of prognosis in congenital heart diseases, pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure. Preventive sildenafil treatment has been shown to enhance systolic RV function and improve exercise capacity in a model of fixed RV pressure load. However, it is unknown whether sildenafil has beneficial effects when treatment is started in established RV dysfunction, which is clinically more relevant. Our aim was to assess the effects of sildenafil treatment on RV function and fibrosis in a model of established RV dysfunction due to fixed afterload. Rats were subjected to pulmonary artery banding (PAB), which induced RV dysfunction after 4 wk, characterized by reduced exercise capacity, decreased tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, and RV dilatation. From week 4 onward, 50% of rats were treated with sildenafil (100 mg·kg−1·day−1, n = 9; PAB-SIL group) or vehicle ( n = 9; PAB-VEH group). At 8 wk, exercise capacity was assessed using cage wheels, and RV function was assessed using invasive RV pressure-volume measurements under anesthesia. Sildenafil treatment, compared with vehicle, improved RV ejection fraction (44 ± 2% vs. 34 ± 2%, P < 0.05, PAB-SIL vs. PAB-VEH groups), reduced RV end-diastolic pressure (2.3 ± 0.5 vs. 5.1 ± 0.9 mmHg, P < 0.05), and RV dilatation (end-systolic volume: 468 ± 45 vs. 643 ± 71 μl, P = 0.05). Sildenafil treatment also attenuated RV fibrosis (30 ± 6 vs. 17 ± 3‰, P < 0.05) but did not affect end-systolic elastance, exercise capacity, or PKG or PKA activity. In conclusion, sildenafil improves RV diastolic function and attenuates interstitial fibrosis in rats with established RV dysfunction, independent from afterload. These results indicate that sildenafil treatment has therapeutic potential for established RV dysfunction.
Exercise capacity is associated with endothelin-1 release during emotional excitement in coronary artery disease patients
Authors: Tulppo Mikko P. , Piira Olli-Pekka , Hautala Arto J. , Kiviniemi Antti M. , Miettinen Johanna A. , Huikuri Heikki V.
Published: May 2014

Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor, IL-6, and catecholamines are increased and heart rate variability [SD of normal to normal R-R intervals (SDNN)] decreased during emotional excitement, but individual responses vary. We tested the hypothesis that exercise capacity is associated with physiological responses caused by real-life emotional excitement. We measured the plasma levels of ET-1, IL-6, catecholamines, heart rate, and SDNN in enthusiastic male ice hockey spectators ( n = 51; age, 59 ± 9 years) with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) at baseline and during the Finnish National Ice Hockey League's final play-off matches. Maximal exercise capacity (METs) by bicycle exercise test and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured on a separate day. ET-1 response from baseline to emotional excitement correlated with maximal METs ( r = −0.30; P = 0.040). In a linear stepwise regression analysis age, body mass index (BMI), METs, LVEF, basal ET-1, and subjective experience of excitement were entered the model as independent variables to explain ET-1 response. This model explained 27% of ET-1 response ( P = 0.003). Maximal METs were most strongly correlated with ET-1 response (β = −0.45; partial correlation r = −0.43; P = 0.002), followed by BMI (β = −0.31; partial correlation r = −0.31; P = 0.033) and LVEF (β = −0.30; partial correlation r = −0.33; P = 0.023). Exercise capacity may protect against further cardiovascular events in CAD patients, because it is associated with reduced ET-1 release during emotional excitement.
Galen and the beginnings of Western physiology
Authors: West John B.
Published: May 2014

Galen (129–c. 216 AD) was a key figure in the early development of Western physiology. His teachings incorporated much of the ancient Greek traditions including the work of Hippocrates and Aristotle. Galen himself was a well-educated Greco-Roman physician and physiologist who at one time was a physician to the gladiators in Pergamon. Later he moved to Rome, where he was associated with the Roman emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. The Galenical school was responsible for voluminous writings, many of which are still extant. One emphasis was on the humors of the body, which were believed to be important in disease. Another was the cardiopulmonary system, including the belief that part of the blood from the right ventricle could enter the left through the interventricular septum. An extraordinary feature of these teachings is that they dominated thinking for some 1,300 years and became accepted as dogma by both the State and Church. One of the first anatomists to challenge the Galenical teachings was Andreas Vesalius, who produced a magnificent atlas of human anatomy in 1543. At about the same time Michael Servetus described the pulmonary transit of blood, but he was burned at the stake for heresy. Finally, with William Harvey and others in the first part of the 17th century, the beginnings of modern physiology emerged with an emphasis on hypotheses and experimental data. Nevertheless, vestiges of Galen's teaching survived into the 19th century.
Arginase II is a target of miR-17-5p and regulates miR-17-5p expression in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells
Authors: Jin Youpeng , Jin Yi , Chen Bernadette , Tipple Trent E. , Nelin Leif D.
Published: May 2014

Vascular remodeling and smooth muscle cell proliferation are hallmark pathogenic features of pulmonary artery hypertension. MicroRNAs, endogenously expressed small noncoding RNAs, regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. It has previously been shown that miR-17 overexpression in cultured human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (hPASMC) resulted in increased viable cell number. Previously, we have found that arginase II promotes hypoxia-induced proliferation in hPASMC. Therefore, we hypothesized that miR-17 would be upregulated by hypoxia in hPASMC and would result in greater arginase II expression. We found that levels of miR-17-5p and arginase II were significantly greater in cultured hPASMC exposed to 1% O2 for 48 h than in hPASMC exposed to 21% O2 for 48 h. Furthermore, inhibiting miR-17-5p expression decreased hypoxia-induced arginase II protein levels in hPASMC. Conversely, overexpressing miR-17-5p resulted in greater arginase II protein levels. Somewhat surprisingly, arginase II inhibition was associated with lower miR-17-5p expression in both normoxic and hypoxic hPASMC, whereas overexpressing arginase II resulted in greater miR-17-5p expression in hPASMC. These findings suggest that hypoxia-induced arginase II expression is not only regulated by miR-17-5p but also that there is a feedback loop between arginase II and miR-17-5p in hPASMC. We also found that the arginase II-mediated regulation of miR-17-5p was independent of either p53 or c- myc. We also found that l-arginine, the substrate for arginase II, and l-ornithine, the amino acid product of arginase II, were not involved in the regulation of miR-17-5p expression.
Interrelated role of cigarette smoking, oxidative stress, and immune response in COPD and corresponding treatments
Authors: Zuo Li , He Feng , Sergakis Georgianna G. , Koozehchian Majid S. , Stimpfl Julia N. , Rong Yi , Diaz Philip T. , Best Thomas M.
Published: May 2014

Cigarette smoking (CS) can impact the immune system and induce pulmonary disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is currently the fourth leading cause of chronic morbidity and mortality worldwide. Accordingly, the most significant risk factor associated with COPD is exposure to cigarette smoke. The purpose of the present study is to provide an updated overview of the literature regarding the effect of CS on the immune system and lungs, the mechanism of CS-induced COPD and oxidative stress, as well as the available and potential treatment options for CS-induced COPD. An extensive literature search was conducted on the PubMed/Medline databases to review current COPD treatment research, available in the English language, dating from 1976 to 2014. Studies have investigated the mechanism by which CS elicits detrimental effects on the immune system and pulmonary function through the use of human and animal subjects. A strong relationship among continued tobacco use, oxidative stress, and exacerbation of COPD symptoms is frequently observed in COPD subjects. In addition, therapeutic approaches emphasizing smoking cessation have been developed, incorporating counseling and nicotine replacement therapy. However, the inability to reverse COPD progression establishes the need for improved preventative and therapeutic strategies, such as a combination of intensive smoking cessation treatment and pharmaceutical therapy, focusing on immune homeostasis and redox balance. CS initiates a complex interplay between oxidative stress and the immune response in COPD. Therefore, multiple approaches such as smoking cessation, counseling, and pharmaceutical therapies targeting inflammation and oxidative stress are recommended for COPD treatment.
Chloride channel blockade relaxes airway smooth muscle and potentiates relaxation by β-agonists
Authors: Danielsson Jennifer , Yim Peter , Rinderspacher Alison , Fu Xiao Wen , Zhang Yi , Landry Donald W. , Emala Charles W.
Published: May 2014

Severe bronchospasm refractory to β-agonists continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality in asthmatic patients. We questioned whether chloride channels/transporters are novel targets for the relaxation of airway smooth muscle (ASM). We have screened a library of compounds, derivatives of anthranilic and indanyloxyacetic acid, that were originally developed to antagonize chloride channels in the kidney. We hypothesized that members of this library would be novel calcium-activated chloride channel blockers for the airway. The initial screen of this compound library identified 4 of 20 compounds that relaxed a tetraethylammonium chloride-induced contraction in guinea pig tracheal rings. The two most effective compounds, compounds 1 and 13, were further studied for their potential to either prevent the initiation of or relax the maintenance phase of an acetylcholine (ACh)-induced contraction or to potentiate β-agonist-mediated relaxation. Both relaxed an established ACh-induced contraction in human and guinea pig ex vivo ASM. In contrast, the prevention of an ACh-induced contraction required copretreatment with the sodium-potassium-chloride cotransporter blocker bumetanide. The combination of compound 13 and bumetanide also potentiated relaxation by the β-agonist isoproterenol in guinea pig tracheal rings. Compounds 1 and 13 hyperpolarized the plasma cell membrane of human ASM cells and blocked spontaneous transient inward currents, a measure of chloride currents in these cells. These functional and electrophysiological data suggest that modulating ASM chloride flux is a novel therapeutic target in asthma and other bronchoconstrictive diseases.
Targeting PI3K/mTOR Overcomes Resistance to HER2-Targeted Therapy Independent of Feedback Activation of AKT
Authors: O'Brien Neil A. , McDonald Karen , Tong Luo , von Euw Erika , Kalous Ondrej , Conklin Dylan , Hurvitz Sara A. , di Tomaso Emmanuelle , Schnell Christian , Linnartz Ronald , Finn Richard S. , Hirawat Samit , Slamon Dennis J.
Published: May 2014

Purpose: Altered PI3K/mTOR signaling is implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of breast cancers, including those resistant to hormonal and HER2-targeted therapies.

Experimental Design: The activity of four classes of PI3K/mTOR inhibitory molecules, including a pan-PI3K inhibitor (NVP-BKM120), a p110α isoform–specific PI3K inhibitor (NVP-BYL719), an mTORC1-specific inhibitor (NVP-RAD001), and a dual PI3K/mTORC1/2 inhibitor (NVP-BEZ235), was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo against a panel of 48 human breast cell lines.

Results: Each agent showed significant antiproliferative activity in vitro, particularly in luminal estrogen receptor–positive and/or HER2+ cell lines harboring PI3K mutations. In addition, monotherapy with each of the four inhibitors led to significant inhibition of in vivo growth in HER2+ breast cancer models. The PI3K/mTOR pathway inhibitors were also effective in overcoming both de novo and acquired trastuzumab resistance in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, combined targeting of HER2 and PI3K/mTOR leads to increased apoptosis in vitro and induction of tumor regression in trastuzumab-resistant xenograft models. Finally, as previously shown, targeting mTORC1 alone with RAD001 leads to consistent feedback activation of AKT both in vitro and in vivo, whereas the dual mTOR1–2/PI3K inhibitor BEZ235 eliminates this feedback loop. However, despite these important signaling differences, both molecules are equally effective in inhibiting tumor cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusion: These preclinical data support the findings of the BOLERO 3 trial that shows that targeting of the PI3K/mTOR pathway in combination with trastuzumab is beneficial in trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 20(13); 3507–20. ©2014 AACR.
FDA Approval: Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine for the Treatment of Patients with HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Amiri-Kordestani Laleh , Blumenthal Gideon M. , Xu Qiang Casey , Zhang Lijun , Tang Shenghui W. , Ha Linan , Weinberg Wendy C. , Chi Bo , Candau-Chacon Reyes , Hughes Patricia , Russell Anne M. , Miksinski Sarah Pope , Chen Xiao Hong , McGuinn W. David , Palmby Todd , Schrieber Sarah J. , Liu Qi , Wang Jian , Song Pengfei , Mehrotra Nitin , Skarupa Lisa , Clouse Kathleen , Al-Hakim Ali , Sridhara Rajeshwari , Ibrahim Amna , Justice Robert , Pazdur Richard , Cortazar Patricia
Published: May 2014

On February 22, 2013, the FDA licensed ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla; Genentech, Inc.) for use as a single agent for the treatment of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who previously received trastuzumab and a taxane, separately or in combination. The clinical basis for licensure was a phase III trial in 991 patients with HER2-positive MBC that randomly allocated patients to receive ado-trastuzumab emtansine (n = 495) or lapatinib in combination with capecitabine (n = 496). The coprimary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) based on tumor assessments by an independent review committee and overall survival (OS). Statistically significant improvements in PFS and OS were observed in patients receiving ado-trastuzumab emtansine compared with patients receiving lapatinib plus capecitabine [difference in PFS medians of 3.2 months, HR, 0.65 (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.55–0.77), P < 0.0001 and difference in OS medians of 5.8 months, HR, 0.68 (95% CI, 0.55–0.85), P = 0.0006]. The most common adverse reactions in patients receiving ado-trastuzumab emtansine were fatigue, nausea, musculoskeletal pain, thrombocytopenia, headache, increased aminotransferase levels, and constipation. Other significant adverse reactions included hepatobiliary disorders and left ventricular dysfunction. Given the PFS and OS results, the benefit–risk profile was considered favorable. Clin Cancer Res; 20(17); 4436–41. ©2014 AACR.
Beyond Occupational Differences
Authors: DiBenigno Julia , Kellogg Katherine C.
Published: May 2014

We use data from a 12-month ethnographic study of two medical-surgical units in a U.S. hospital to examine how members from different occupations can collaborate with one another in their daily work despite differences in status, shared meanings, and expertise across occupational groups, which previous work has shown to create difficulties. In our study, nurses and patient care technicians (PCTs) on both hospital units faced these same occupational differences, served the same patient population, worked under the same management and organizational structure, and had the same pressures, goals, and organizational collaboration tools available to them. But nurses and PCTs on one unit successfully collaborated while those on the other did not. We demonstrate that a social structure characterized by cross-cutting demographics between occupational groups—in which occupational membership is uncorrelated with demographic group membership—can loosen attachment to the occupational identity and status order. This allows members of cross-occupational dyads, in our case nurses and PCTs, to draw on other shared social identities, such as shared race, age, or immigration status, in their interactions. Drawing on a shared social identity at the dyad level provided members with a “dyadic toolkit” of alternative, non-occupational expertise, shared meanings, status rules, and emotional scripts that facilitated collaboration across occupational differences and improved patient care.
Hybrid Organizations in Social Service Delivery in Quasimarkets
Authors: Grohs Stephan
Published: May 2014

With the introduction of quasimarket principles in the mid-1990s, the German social service sector faced several challenges from above (the state), within (the organizations), and outside (new competitors and “players”). Within the social services, considerable differences prevail between subsectors; although all reforms have been oriented at the principle of (quasi)markets, the governance arrangements implemented have been rather divergent across subfields. This article compares the effects of the introduction of quasimarket principles in two subfields with very different governance architectures: youth welfare and old-age care. Basic findings include different degrees and variants of hybridity at the meso-level of local welfare arrangements as well as at the micro-level of the organizations in the field. The analysis shows a considerable effect of different governance regimes on the openness of the subfields to new competitors (profit-oriented and voluntary), the reactions of established third sector organizations (internal reforms and hybridization), and the modes of political steering (with varying degrees of informality and oversight).
The Intrapsychic and Interactional Realms
Authors: Rizzolo Gregory S.
Published: May 2014

This paper addresses the tension between Freud’s emphasis on the intrapsychic world and the emphasis placed by the Boston Change Process Study Group (BCPSG) on real interaction. Freud claimed that the intrapsychic world is primary; the BCPSG claim that interaction is primary. Both assume that these “levels” are discrete domains that can be isolated empirically, and that interact according to regulative rules in the natural world. This assumption reifies the metaphorical concept of mental space and freezes it at the metapsychological level of discourse. From a hermeneutic perspective, we must put these metaphorical concepts in dialogue with the context-specific processes of interpreting the patient’s communication and intervening therapeutically. It then becomes clear that (1) the meaning of the terms “intrapsychic” and “interactive” is context-sensitive; (2) the question of primacy is a pragmatic one that cannot be decided through metapsychological debate; (3) when we say that a behavior or mental process operates on the “intrapsychic” or “interactive” level, we are making a judgment call that is not based on reason (even if our judgment enlists reason in its support). These metapsychological constructs help us think about our experience with patients. However, their meaning exists largely as a potential and is never definitively determined.
Accuracy of Infrared Ear Thermometry in Children
Authors: Zhen Chen , Xia Zhang , Long Li , Pu Yu
Published: May 2014

Background. Accurate determination of temperature is important, especially in the diagnosis and treatment of febrile illnesses in the pediatric population. False negative measurement can lead to miss febrile and false positive measurement can cause excessive medical care. Temperatures can be measured at various sites, but we have not found the ideal thermometer yet. As a relatively new and popular alternative over traditional methods, infrared ear thermometry has many advantages, but its accuracy remains a major concern. Design. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data Sources. Medline, Ovid, Elsevier, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library. Study Selection. Cross-sectional, prospective design. Data Extraction. Two investigators independently assessed selected studies and extracted data. Disagreements were resolved by discussion with other reviewers. Results. Mean tympanic temperature was always lower than rectal temperature. The overall pooled (random effects) mean difference between tympanic and rectal temperature was 0.22°C (95% limits of agreement −0.44°C to 1.30°C), which is similar to the within rectal device groups (mercury, 0.21°C, −0.44°C to 1.27°C; electronic, 0.24°C, −0.46°C to 1.34°C). In febrile children group, the pooled mean temperature difference between tympanic and rectal temperature was 0.15°C (95% limits of agreement −0.32°C to 1.10°C). Conclusion. The mean difference was large and the 95% limits of agreement was wide. The accuracy of infrared ear thermometry in children is poor, and it cannot replace rectal thermometry in clinical practice of children.
An exploration of the limitations of bureaucratic organizations in implementing contemporary peacebuilding
Authors: Williams Andrew P , Mengistu Berhanu
Published: May 2014

This article seeks to unpack the implications of contemporary peacebuilding for technocratic, bureaucratic organizational forms. It argues that if the contemporary peacebuilding literature is taken as given, fundamental alterations are required in predominately Western peacebuilding systems—specifically in the structure and function of bureaucratic organizations that typically fund, manage and execute peacebuilding interventions. The analysis proceeds by matching five ‘peacebuilding principles’ derived from contemporary literature, with an organizational framework that highlights key structural and functional aspects of bureaucracies, thus allowing organizational deficiencies to be identified. The article argues that current peacebuilding scholarship would benefit from theoretically guided organizational research on the various organizations and systems involved in peacebuilding implementation. It concludes that peacebuilding scholars can be informed by the significant body of knowledge in the fields of public administration and policy, which bring a rich history of studying implementation situations that parallel in many ways complex peacebuilding interventions.
The two faces of EU–NATO cooperation: Counter-piracy operations off the Somali coast
Authors: Gebhard Carmen , Smith Simon J
Published: May 2014

Maritime engagement in the Gulf of Aden is a puzzling case for anyone interested in the political and institutional problems underlying European Union–North Atlantic Treaty Organization (EU–NATO) cooperation. Although the EU’s operation NAVFOR ‘Atalanta’ and NATO’s ‘Ocean Shield’ operate in the same theatre and with similar mandates, there is no formal link between them. No joint planning has been envisaged, and no official task-sharing takes place. As this article aims to show, cooperation and coordination between EU and NATO forces at the operational and tactical levels have nevertheless worked surprisingly well. Two faces of EU–NATO cooperation become apparent: the political level is dominated by a permanent deadlock, while on the ground and at sea staff have developed a modus operandi that allows them to deliver fairly successfully in complementing yet detached operations. Based on 60 interviews with EU and NATO officials (2010–2013), this article illustrates how the operational and tactical levels have developed ways of coordinating efforts informally despite the lack of a formal framework. It aims to show to what extent and how they succeed at bypassing organizational boundaries and at overcoming political limitations. Although these practices are becoming increasingly institutionalized, it remains to be seen whether this will translate into formal changes.
Disordered Eating Among Asian/Asian American Women
Authors: Cheng Hsiu-Lan
Published: May 2014

Sociocultural models of eating disorders emphasize the role of internalization of media standards of beauty in eating pathology but rarely examine (a) how racial and cultural factors may be related to women of color’s tendency to endorse Western media beauty ideals or (b) these women’s risk of developing body dissatisfaction and disordered eating issues. This study of Asian/Asian American women ( N = 587) investigated the roles of perceived racial discrimination, ethnic identity, and racial/ethnic teasing in relation to self-esteem, internalization of Western standards of beauty, and body dissatisfaction as predictors of disordered eating in a structural model. Results indicated that, when controlling for body mass, perceived racial discrimination, ethnic identity, and racial/ethnic teasing significantly predicted disordered eating and its correlate variables through direct and indirect links. The findings suggest racial and cultural factors may complement sociocultural models in understanding disordered eating issues among Asian/Asian American women.
The notion of secularization: Drawing the boundaries of its contemporary scientific validity
Authors: Pérez-Agote Alfonso
Published: May 2014

The notion of secularization as an incompatibility between modernization and religion derives from the analysis of the process of modernization of Western European societies. This process led to a weight loss of religion in society and to a progressive differentiation of social spheres, such as religion, politics, science, etc. Following on from this analysis the category and the theory were extended to take on a universal scope in order to describe the modernization processes that would occur in other societies. From the very beginning, sociology has provided exceptions to the rule of secularization. The first was noted by de Tocqueville: American exceptionalism. Then came the processes of rapid economic growth of some Asian Pacific countries (Japan, Korea, Singapore, etc.). Progressively, the entry of new countries into the field of interest of sociologists is showing the Eurocentric nature of the concept. The case of Western Europe, which was the rule, became the exception. Even the notion of religion as a separate social sphere is considered by some social scientists to be ethnocentric. Despite its previous Eurocentrism, the notion of secularization remains useful for sociologists. It has served to account for European religious change, and its analytical instruments can be applied to other cases and may be useful for interpreting these cases either with regard to how they adhere to the Western European model, or how they differ from it – still further, if we consider the huge extent of contemporary international migration. If sociologists want to understand the new Western European societies, they must reapply this analytical rather than predictive version of the concept.
Visualizing timescape issues in a comparative study of the American states
Authors: Tucker Harvey J.
Published: May 2014

This paper considers a range of time-related issues in the comparative empirical study of the American States and demonstrates how visualizations animated to show change over time can provide information that summary statistics do not. Issues discussed include proactive and reactive policies, proper measurement of money over time, and proper linking of variables over time. Relationships with nearly identical annual correlations can exhibit strikingly different scatterplot animations. Visualization tools can help us recognize and better understand temporal phenomena.

Points for practitioners

Just as visualizations are helpful in data analysis, visualizations animated to show change over time are helpful in analysis of cross-sectional time-series data Animated scatterplots show change over time for individual units of analysis and the sample or population as a whole Animated visualizations can add richness and texture to understanding of empirical phenomena; they can stimulate insights, develop hypotheses and test hypotheses Animated visualizations can highlight temporal components
“Both masters and victims of their times”: Engaging aporetic time in Midnight’s Children
Authors: O’Brien Sean P.
Published: May 2014

Time in Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children is characterized by a cacophony of representational forms that the narrator Saleem uses with and against each other, such as cyclical time, timelessness, and revisionary linear historical time. Existing analyses of the novel’s representations of time have generally concluded that one or another of the competing temporal frameworks in the novel is primary and that Rushdie and Saleem ultimately discard or subordinate the others. On the contrary, the novel denies a single coherent temporal structure and instead focuses on productively engaging the diversity of time in keeping with Paul Ricoeur’s theory of aporetic time. Ricoeur theorizes that every framework of representing time includes aporias, blind spots it can’t satisfactorily address, and he argues that we must explore these tensions in representations of time — a task for which narrative is uniquely helpful. Investigating aporetic time in Midnight’s Children develops our understanding of Ricoeur by providing a representation of aporetic time to supplement and challenge Ricoeur’s theoretical model (and Homi K. Bhabha’s thoughts on narrating the nation). Midnight’s Children’s narratorial ambivalence and multivalence with regard to temporal frameworks is closely tied to the novel’s major thematic concerns: constructing an understanding of oneself, one’s nation, and history in the face of conflicting experiences and imperfect narratives of significant and traumatic personal and historical events. Applying Rushdie and Ricoeur to each other productively develops our understanding of how complex, contradictory narrative representations of time and of identities can provide a way forward for individuals and nations between the twin dangers of tyrannical narrative orthodoxy and impotent relativism.
Utility of Salivary Biomarkers for Demonstrating Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Miller C.S. , Foley J.D. , Floriano P.N. , Christodoulides N. , Ebersole J.L. , Campbell C.L. , Bailey A.L. , Rose B.G. , Kinane D.F. , Novak M.J. , McDevitt J.T. , Ding X. , Kryscio R.J.
Published: May 2014

The comparative utility of serum and saliva as diagnostic fluids for identifying biomarkers of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was investigated. The goal was to determine if salivary biomarkers could facilitate a screening diagnosis of AMI, especially in cases of non-ST elevation MI (NSTEMI), since these cases are not readily identified by electrocardiogram (ECG). Serum and unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) collected from 92 AMI patients within 48 hours of chest pain onset and 105 asymptomatic healthy control individuals were assayed for 13 proteins relevant to cardiovascular disease, by Beadlyte technology (Luminex®) and enzyme immunoassays. Data were analyzed with concentration cut-points, ECG findings, logistic regression (LR) (adjusted for matching for age, gender, race, smoking, number of teeth, and oral health status), and classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. A sensitivity analysis was conducted by repetition of the CART analysis in 58 cases and 58 controls, each matched by age and gender. Serum biomarkers demonstrated AMI sensitivity and specificity superior to that of saliva, as determined by LR and CART. The predominant discriminators in serum by LR were troponin I (TnI), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and TnI and BNP by CART. In saliva, LR identified C-reactive protein (CRP) as the biomarker most predictive of AMI. A combination of smoking tobacco, UWS CRP, CK-MB, sCD40 ligand, gender, and number of teeth identified AMI in the CART decision trees. When ECG findings, salivary biomarkers, and confounders were included, AMI was predicted with 80.0% sensitivity and 100% specificity. These analyses support the potential utility of salivary biomarker measurements used with ECG for the identification of AMI. Thus, saliva-based tests may provide additional diagnostic screening information in the clinical course for patients suspected of having an AMI.
Missing Concepts in De Novo Pulp Regeneration
Authors: Huang G.T.-J. , Garcia-Godoy F.
Published: May 2014

Regenerative endodontics has gained much attention in the past decade because it offers an alternative approach in treating endodontically involved teeth. Instead of filling the canal space with artificial materials, it attempts to fill the canal with vital tissues. The objective of regeneration is to regain the tissue and restore its function to the original state. In terms of pulp regeneration, a clinical protocol that intends to reestablish pulp/dentin tissues in the canal space has been developed—termed revitalization or revascularization. Histologic studies from animal and human teeth receiving revitalization have shown that pulp regeneration is difficult to achieve. In tissue engineering, there are 2 approaches to regeneration tissues: cell based and cell free. The former involves transplanting exogenous cells into the host, and the latter does not. Revitalization belongs to the latter approach. A number of crucial concepts have not been well discussed, noted, or understood in the field of regenerative endodontics in terms of pulp/dentin regeneration: (1) critical size defect of dentin and pulp, (2) cell lineage commitment to odontoblasts, (3) regeneration vs. repair, and (4) hurdles of cell-based pulp regeneration for clinical applications. This review article elaborates on these missing concepts and analyzes them at their cellular and molecular levels, which will in part explain why the non-cell-based revitalization procedure is difficult to establish pulp/dentin regeneration. Although the cell-based approach has been proven to regenerate pulp/dentin, such an approach will face barriers—with the key hurdle being the shortage of the current good manufacturing practice facilities, discussed herein.
Questioning the Unquestionability of the Expert’s Perspective in Psychology
Authors: Fatemi Sayyed Mohsen
Published: May 2014

Psychology’s infatuation with precision, objectivity, universality, refutability, and verifiability brought about a focus on the legitimacy of the perspective of the knower namely the expert who, at the center of discourse of power, could collect and analyze the data and then embark on generalizing the information for the sake of generative theories. The article argues that mainstream psychology has mainly acted from the perspective of the observer and not perspective of the actor and this has largely silenced the reality of the actor. While focusing on the underlying components of the perspective of the expert, the article calls for questioning the unquestionability of the perspective of the observer and indicates how the process of questioning may help us understand the often concealed-to-oblivion dimensions of the actors.
Aortic dissection complicated with haemothorax – an autopsy report
Authors: Jayanth SH , Chandra Girish , Hugar Basappa S
Published: May 2014

In a forensic setting, haemothorax is usually seen in cases of trauma. The main non-traumatic cause for haemothorax is an intrathoracic rupture of an acute aortic dissection or an aortic aneurysm that is almost always fatal. Here we present one such case of sudden natural death caused by rupture of an acute aortic dissection. The deceased was a middle-aged, unidentified male who was subjected to autopsy at the Department of Forensic Medicine, M.S. Ramaiah Medical College, after having been brought in dead to the hospital. It is a type III DeBakey dissection as it originates in the descending aorta and it is quite unusual that a rare retrograde extension was also observed.
Community College Men and Women
Authors: Denner Jill , Werner Linda , O’Connor Lisa , Glassman Jill
Published: May 2014

Efforts to increase the number of women who pursue and complete advanced degrees in computer and information sciences (CIS) have been limited, in part, by a lack of research on pathways into and out of community college CIS classes. This longitudinal study tests three widely held beliefs about how to increase the number of CIS majors at 4-year universities, particularly among females. Data were collected from 741 women and men from 15 community colleges in California who enrolled in an introductory programming class. The results highlight the importance of preparation and interactions with professors for male students, and of motivational, relational, and behavioral factors for female students, specifically peer support, expectations for success in computing, and computer gaming.
Gender Identity in the Canadian Forces
Authors: Okros Alan , Scott Denise
Published: May 2014

One of the most prominent debates over minority participation in the military has been whether or not inclusive policies would undermine operational effectiveness. While the adoption of inclusive policy has tended to indicate that minority participation does not compromise effectiveness, the question has not yet been tested in the context of transgender military service. In this paper, we conduct the first-ever assessment of whether policies that allow transgender troops to serve openly have undermined effectiveness, and we ask this question in the context of the Canadian Forces (CF), which lifted its transgender ban in 1992 and then adopted more explicitly inclusive policy in 2010 and 2012. Although transgender military service in Canada poses a particularly hard test for the proposition that minority inclusion does not undermine organizational performance, our finding is that despite ongoing prejudice and incomplete policy formulation and implementation, allowing transgender personnel to serve openly has not harmed the CF’s effectiveness.
Modeling Item Position Effects Using Generalized Linear Mixed Models
Authors: Weirich Sebastian , Hecht Martin , Böhme Katrin
Published: May 2014

Item position effects can seriously bias analyses in educational measurement, especially when multiple matrix sampling designs are deployed. In such designs, item position effects may easily occur if not explicitly controlled for. Still, in practice it usually turns out to be rather difficult—or even impossible—to completely control for effects due to the position of items. The objectives of this article are to show how item position effects can be modeled using the linear logistic test model with additional error term (LLTM +ε) in the framework of generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs), to explore in a simulation study how well the LLTM +ε holds the nominal Type I risk threshold, to conduct power analysis for this model, and to examine the sensitivity of the LLTM +ε to designs that are not completely balanced concerning item position. Overall, the LLTM +ε proved suitable for modeling item position effects when a balanced design is used. With decreasing balance, the model tends to be more conservative in the sense that true item position effects are more unlikely to be detected. Implications for linking and equating procedures which use common items are discussed.
The Joy of Science
Authors: Koppman Sharon , Cain Cindy L. , Leahey Erin
Published: May 2014

Science and emotions are typically juxtaposed: science is considered rational and unattached to outcomes, whereas emotions are considered irrational and harmful to science. Ethnographic studies of the daily lives of scientists have problematized this opposition, focusing on the emotional experiences of scientists as they go about their work, but they reveal little about disciplinary differences. We build on these studies by analyzing Citation Classics: accounts about the making of influential science. We document how highly cited scientists retrospectively describe emotional aspects of their research and assess variation in these narratives across six diverse disciplines: Chemistry; Clinical Medicine; Neurobiology; Physics; Plant and Animal Science; and Psychology and Psychiatry. Using correspondence analysis, we develop a multidimensional model to explain disciplinary variation in scientists’ accounts of emotions and link this variation to internal, external, and material aspects of the disciplines. We find differences in norms of appropriate emotional expression, or “feeling rules,” between the “hard” and “soft” sciences, the basic and applied sciences, and the sciences that study living organisms versus those that study organs, cells, or atoms. By comparing accounts across disciplines and elaborating the structuring principles underlying these patterns, we integrate knowledge from varied case studies into an integrative and multifaceted model.
Dental Care Utilization Among Caregivers Who Care for Older Adults
Authors: Wu Bei , Luo Huabin , Flint Elizabeth , Qin Lu
Published: May 2014

The goal of this study was to investigate individual and contextual factors associated with dental care utilization by U.S. informal caregivers. The sample included all 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System respondents who completed the caregiver module and reported providing care for 1 year or more to an individual aged ≥ 50 years or older ( n = 1,196). Multiple logistic regressions were used to examine associations of caregiver and care characteristics and county-level contextual characteristics (from Area Resource File data) with two outcomes: dental visits and dental cleaning during previous year. Caregivers with health insurance coverage and higher education were more likely to use dental care; those who had lost more teeth and who were spouse caregivers were less likely to do so. Community characteristics were not correlated with caregivers’ use of dental care. Our findings suggest that better access to dental care could improve dental care utilization by caregivers.
Physical Activity and Depressive Symptoms in Four Ethnic Groups of Midlife Women
Authors: Im Eun-Ok , Ham Ok Kyung , Chee Eunice , Chee Wonshik
Published: May 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between physical activity and depression and the multiple contextual factors influencing these associations in four major ethnic groups of midlife women in the United States. This was a secondary analysis of the data from 542 midlife women. The instruments included questions on background characteristics and health and menopausal status; the Depression Index for Midlife Women (DIMW); and the Kaiser Physical Activity Survey (KPAS). The data were analyzed using chi-square tests, the ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, correlation analyses, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. The women’s depressive symptoms were negatively correlated with active living and sports/exercise physical activities whereas they were positively correlated with occupational physical activities ( p < .01). Family income was the strongest predictor of their depressive symptoms. Increasing physical activity may improve midlife women’s depressive symptoms, but the types of physical activity and multiple contextual factors need to be considered in intervention development.
Committed to us
Authors: Tan Kenneth , Agnew Christopher R. , VanderDrift Laura E. , Harvey S. Marie
Published: May 2014

There is little research on the nature of relationships between individuals following the termination of a nonmarital romantic relationship. It is largely unknown to what extent former romantic partners remain close following breakup. The present research used the Investment Model of Commitment Processes, assessed prior to romantic breakup, to examine the closeness of post-breakup relationships. Results obtained from two waves of data collected from 143 young adults involved in romantic relationships at Time 1 and experiencing a romantic breakup by Time 2 indicated that pre-breakup romantic commitment mediated the effects of pre-breakup romantic satisfaction, investments, and alternatives on post-breakup closeness, with higher pre-breakup commitment predicting greater post-breakup closeness. Implications of these findings for understanding the underlying dynamics of ongoing interpersonal relationships and directions for future research are discussed.
Framing memories of relationship transgressions
Authors: Marigold Denise C. , Eibach Richard P. , Libby Lisa K. , Ross Michael , Holmes John G.
Published: May 2014

How people interpret the meaning of minor relationship transgressions can impact broader relationship well-being. It is proposed that picturing relationship transgressions from a third-person (vs. first-person) visual perspective prompts people to think of them in the context of their chronic relationship beliefs and goals. In doing so, individuals who are relatively anxious about their relationships become more insecure, whereas less anxious individuals find reassurance. In Study 1 participants pictured a transgression they committed against their partner. Individuals high in attachment anxiety made less positive evaluations of their relationships when picturing the event using a third-person rather than first-person perspective. Similar results were found when participants recalled transgressions committed by their partners against them (Study 2). These results have implications for understanding how partners move forward in their relationships after transgressions.
Phonological and morphosyntactic intervention for a twin pair
Authors: Feehan Angela , Francis Charmaine , Bernhardt B May , Colozzo Paola
Published: May 2014

Two 6-year-old male fraternal twins each received 8 weeks of morphosyntactic and phonological intervention in counterbalanced order. Progress occurred for most targets and measures, with each child making greater progress for either phonology or morphosyntax during the corresponding unitary-domain block. Gains were maintained during the subsequent alternate treatment block. Possible indirect changes in the non-treated domain were also observed in global measures. The data suggest that at least some school-aged children with concomitant difficulties in morphosyntax and phonology, perhaps those with significant constraints in each domain, can benefit from sequences of unitary-domain intervention. This study invites further research concerning many unresolved clinical issues for school-aged children with protracted development in both phonology and morphosyntax.
Histological difference between pulsed wave laser and continuous wave laser in endovenous laser ablation
Authors: Kansaku Rei , Sakakibara Naoki , Amano Atsushi , Endo Hisako , Shimabukuro Takashi , Sueishi Michiaki
Published: May 2014

Background

Endovenous laser ablation to saphenous veins has been popular as a minimally invasive treatment for chronic venous insufficiency. However, adverse effects after endovenous laser ablation using continuous wave laser still remain. Pulsed wave with enough short pulse duration and sufficiently long thermal relaxation time may avoid the excess energy delivery, which leads to the perforation of the vein wall.

Method

(1) Free radiation: Laser is radiated in blood for 10 s. (2) Endovenous laser ablation: Veins were filled with blood and placed in saline. Endovenous laser ablations were performed.

Results

(1) There were clots on the fiber tips with continuous wave laser while no clots with pulsed wave laser. (2) In 980-nm continuous wave, four of 15 specimens had ulcers and 11 of 15 had perforation. In 1470-nm continuous wave with 120 J/cm of linear endovenous energy density, two of three presented ulcers and one of three showed perforation. In 1470-nm continuous wave with 60 J/cm of linear endovenous energy density, two of four had ulcers and two of four had perforation. In 1320-nm pulsed wave, there were neither ulcers nor perforation in the specimens.

Conclusions

While endovenous laser ablation using continuous wave results in perforation in many cases, pulsed wave does not lead to perforation.