bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
5-Lipoxygenase-Activating Protein as a Modulator of Olanzapine-Induced Lipid Accumulation in Adipocyte
Authors: Dzitoyeva Svetlana , Chen Hu , Manev Hari
Published: May 2013

Experiments were performed in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes differentiatedin vitrointo adipocytes. Cells were treated with olanzapine and a 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) activating protein (FLAP) inhibitor MK-886. Lipid content was measured using an Oil Red O assay; 5-LOX and FLAP mRNA content was measured using quantitative real-time PCR; the corresponding protein contents were measured using quantitative Western blot assay. Olanzapine did not affect the cell content of 5-LOX mRNA and protein; it decreased FLAP mRNA and protein content at day five but not 24 hours after olanzapine addition. In the absence of MK-886, low concentrations of olanzapine increased lipid content only slightly, whereas a 56% increase was induced by 50 μM olanzapine. A 5-day cotreatment with 10 μM MK-886 potentiated the lipid increasing action of low concentrations of olanzapine. In contrast, in the presence of 50 μM olanzapine nanomolar and low micromolar concentrations of MK-886 reduced lipid content. These data suggest that FLAP system in adipocytes is affected by olanzapine and that it may modify how these cells respond to the second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGADs). Clinical studies could evaluate whether the FLAP/5-LOX system could play a role in setting a variable individual susceptibility to the metabolic side effects of SGADs.
Soy Glycinin Contains a Functional Inhibitory Sequence against Muscle-Atrophy-Associated Ubiquitin Ligase Cbl-b
Authors: Abe Tomoki , Kohno Shohei , Yama Tomonari , Ochi Arisa , Suto Takuro , Hirasaka Katsuya , Ohno Ayako , Teshima-Kondo Shigetada , Okumura Yuushi , Oarada Motoko , Choi Inho , Mukai Rie , Terao Junji , Nikawa Takeshi
Published: May 2013

Background. Unloading stress induces skeletal muscle atrophy. We have reported that Cbl-b ubiquitin ligase is a master regulator of unloading-associated muscle atrophy. The present study was designed to elucidate whether dietary soy glycinin protein prevents denervation-mediated muscle atrophy, based on the presence of inhibitory peptides against Cbl-b ubiquitin ligase in soy glycinin protein.Methods. Mice were fed either 20% casein diet, 20% soy protein isolate diet, 10% glycinin diet containing 10% casein, or 20% glycinin diet. One week later, the right sciatic nerve was cut. The wet weight, cross sectional area (CSA), IGF-1 signaling, and atrogene expression in hindlimb muscles were examined at 1, 3, 3.5, or 4 days after denervation.Results. 20% soy glycinin diet significantly prevented denervation-induced decreases in muscle wet weight and myofiber CSA. Furthermore, dietary soy protein inhibited denervation-induced ubiquitination and degradation of IRS-1 in tibialis anterior muscle. Dietary soy glycinin partially suppressed the denervation-mediated expression of atrogenes, such as MAFbx/atrogin-1 and MuRF-1, through the protection of IGF-1 signaling estimated by phosphorylation of Akt-1.Conclusions. Soy glycinin contains a functional inhibitory sequence against muscle-atrophy-associated ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b. Dietary soy glycinin protein significantly prevented muscle atrophy after denervation in mice.
Cytotoxicity andIn VitroAntileishmanial Activity of Antimony (V), Bismuth (V), and Tin (IV) Complexes of Lapachol
Authors: Rocha Marcele Neves , Nogueira Paula Monalisa , Demicheli Cynthia , de Oliveira Ludmila Gonçalvez , da Silva Meiriane Mariano , Frézard Frédéric , Melo Maria Norma , Soares Rodrigo Pedro
Published: May 2013

Leishmania amazonensisis the etiologic agent of the cutaneous and diffuse leishmaniasis often associated with drug resistance. Lapachol [2-hydroxy-3-(3′-methyl-2-butenyl)-1,4-naphthoquinone] displays a wide range of antimicrobial properties against many pathogens. In this study, using the classic microscopicin vitromodel, we have analyzed the effects of a series of lapachol and chlorides complexes with antimony (V), bismuth (V), and tin (IV) againstL. amazonensis. All seven compounds exhibited antileishmanial activity, but most of the antimony (V) and bismuth (V) complexes were toxic against human HepG2 cells and murine macrophages. The best IC50values (0.17±0.03 and 0.10±0.11 μg/mL) were observed for Tin (IV) complexes (3) [(Lp)(Ph3Sn)] and (6) (Ph3SnCl2), respectively. Their selective indexes (SIs) were 70.65 and 120.35 for HepG2 cells, respectively. However, while analyzing murine macrophages, the SI decreased. Those compounds were moderately toxic for HepG2 cells and toxic for murine macrophages, still underlying the need of chemical modification in this class of compounds.
A Novel Germline Mutation inBAP1Predisposes to Familial Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Farley Megan N. , Schmidt Laura S. , Mester Jessica L. , Peña-Llopis Samuel , Pavia-Jimenez Andrea , Christie Alana , Vocke Cathy D. , Ricketts Christopher J. , Peterson James , Middelton Lindsay , Kinch Lisa , Grishin Nick , Merino Maria J. , Metwalli Adam R. , Xing Chao , Xie Xian-Jin , Dahia Patricia L.M. , Eng Charis , Linehan W. Marston , Brugarolas James
Published: May 2013

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) clusters in some families. Familial RCC arises from mutations in several genes, including the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor, which is also mutated in sporadic RCC. However, a significant percentage of familial RCC remains unexplained. Recently, we discovered that the BRCA1-associated protein-1 (BAP1) gene is mutated in sporadic RCC. The BAP1 gene encodes a nuclear deubiquitinase and appears to be a classic two-hit tumor suppressor gene. Somatic BAP1 mutations are associated with high-grade, clear-cell RCC (ccRCC) and poor patient outcomes. To determine whether BAP1 predisposes to familial RCC, the BAP1 gene was sequenced in 83 unrelated probands with unexplained familial RCC. Interestingly, a novel variant (c.41T>A; p.L14H) was uncovered that cosegregated with the RCC phenotype. The p.L14H variant targets a highly conserved residue in the catalytic domain, which is frequently targeted by missense mutations. The family with the novel BAP1 variant was characterized by early-onset ccRCC, occasionally of high Fuhrman grade, and lacked other features that typify VHL syndrome. These findings suggest that BAP1 is an early-onset familial RCC predisposing gene.

Implications: BAP1 mutations may drive tumor development in a subset of patients with inherited renal cell cancer. Mol Cancer Res; 11(9); 1061–71. ©2013 AACR.
Impaired Left Ventricular Mechanics in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Hardegree Evan L. , Sachdev Arun , Fenstad Eric R. , Villarraga Hector R. , Frantz Robert P. , McGoon Michael D. , Oh Jae K. , Ammash Naser M. , Connolly Heidi M. , Eidem Benjamin W. , Pellikka Patricia A. , Kane Garvan C.
Published: May 2013

Background—

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling and right heart failure. The right (RV) and left ventricles (LV) do not function in isolation, sharing a common pericardial sac and interventricular septum. We sought to define the clinical and prognostic significance of ventricular interdependence in PAH and its association with LV filling patterns through speckle-tracking strain echocardiography.

Methods and Results—

Echocardiography was performed in 71 adults with a new diagnosis of PAH. To analyze LV and RV function separately, we measured peak systolic longitudinal and circumferential strain of the LV and RV. Survival was assessed >2 years. Patients had dilated right-sided chambers (right atrial volume index, 44±19 mL/m
2
; RV end-diastolic area, 34±9 cm
2
), and reduced RV function (RV fractional area change, 28±12%). Speckle-tracking echocardiography revealed significant reductions in RV free wall peak systolic strain (−15±3%). Despite normal LV size and normal conventional measures of LV systolic function (end-diastolic dimension, 42±6 mm; ejection fraction, 65±8%; cardiac index, 2.6±0.8 L/min per m
2
), patients had reduced LV free wall systolic strain (−15±3%). Decreased LV free wall systolic strain was associated with a delayed relaxation mitral inflow Doppler pattern,
P
=0.0002. During 2-year follow-up, 19 patients (27%) died. LV strain was associated with increased mortality (unadjusted hazard ratio, 2.40 per 5% decrease in LV free wall strain, 1.22–4.68), which remained significant when adjusted for age, sex, World Health Organization functional class, and PAH pathogenesis (hazard ratio, 3.11, 1.38–7.20).

Conclusions—

The pressure loading in PAH results in geometric alterations and functional decline of the RV, with marked reduction in RV systolic strain. Despite preservation of LV ejection fraction, LV systolic strain was also reduced and associated with early mortality, highlighting the significance of ventricular interdependence in PAH.
Risk Factors for Adverse Outcomes by Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in a Contemporary Heart Failure Population
Authors: Allen Larry A. , Magid David J. , Gurwitz Jerry H. , Smith David H. , Goldberg Robert J. , Saczynski Jane , Thorp Micah L. , Hsu Grace , Sung Sue Hee , Go Alan S.
Published: May 2013

Background—

Although heart failure (HF) is a syndrome with important differences in response to therapy by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), existing risk stratification models typically group all HF patients together. The relative importance of common predictor variables for important clinical outcomes across strata of LVEF is relatively unknown.

Methods and Results—

We identified all members with HF between 2005 and 2008 from 4 integrated healthcare systems in the Cardiovascular Research Network. LVEF was categorized as preserved (LVEF ≥50% or normal), borderline (41%–49% or mildly reduced), and reduced (≤40% or moderately to severely reduced). We used Cox regression models to identify independent predictors of death and hospitalization by LVEF category. Among 30 094 ambulatory adults with HF, mean age was 74 years and 46% were women. LVEF was preserved in 49.5%, borderline in 16.2%, and reduced in 34.3% of patients. During a median follow-up of 1.8 years (interquartile range, 0.8–3.1), 8060 (26.8%) patients died, 8108 (26.9%) were hospitalized for HF, and 20 272 (67.4%) were hospitalized for any reason. In multivariable models, nearly all tested covariates performed similarly across LVEF strata for the outcome of death from any cause, as well as for HF-related and all-cause hospitalizations.

Conclusions—

We found that in a large, diverse contemporary HF population, risk assessment was strikingly similar across all LVEF categories. These data suggest that, although many HF therapies are uniquely applied to patients with reduced LVEF, individual prognostic factor performance does not seem to be significantly related to level of left ventricular systolic function.
Impact of the Length of Vitamin D Deficiency on Cardiac Remodeling
Authors: Assalin Heloisa Balan , Rafacho Bruna Paola , Santos Priscila Portugal dos , Ardisson Lidiane Paula , Roscani Meliza Goi , Chiuso-Minicucci Fernanda , Barbisan Luis Fernando , Fernandes Ana Angelica Henrique , Azevedo Paula Schmidt , Minicucci Marcos Ferreira , Zornoff Leonardo Antonio , de Paiva Sergio Alberto Rupp
Published: May 2013

Background—

This study was aimed to evaluate the influence of vitamin D (V
D
) deficiency on cardiac metabolism, morphology, and function. Thus, we investigated the relationship of these changes with the length of the nutrient restriction.

Methods and Results—

Male weanling Wistar rats were allocated into 4 groups: C2 (n=24), animals were fed an AIN-93G diet with 1000 IU V
D
/kg of chow and were kept under fluorescent light for 2 months; D2 (n=22), animals were fed a V
D
-deficient AIN-93G diet and were kept under incandescent light for 2 months; C4 (n=21) animals were kept in the same conditions of C2 for 4 months; and D4 (n=23) animals were kept in the same conditions of D2 for 4 months. Biochemical analyses showed lower β-hydroxyacyl coenzyme-A dehydrogenase activity and higher lactate dehydrogenase activity in V
D
-deficient animals. Furthermore, V
D
deficiency was related to increased cytokines release, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and fibrosis. Echocardiographic data showed left ventricular hypertrophy and lower fractional shortening and ejection fraction in V
D
-deficient animals. Difference became evident in the lactate dehydrogenase activity, left ventricular weight, right ventricle weight, and left ventricular mass after 4 months of V
D
deficiency.

Conclusions—

Our data indicate that V
D
deficiency is associated with energetic metabolic changes, cardiac inflammation, oxidative stress, fibrosis and apoptosis, cardiac hypertrophy, left chambers alterations, and systolic dysfunction. Furthermore, length of the restriction influenced these cardiac changes.
Prophets of Exile: 4QApocryphon of Jeremiah C, Apocryphal Baruch, and the Efficacy of the Second Temple
Authors: Davis Kipp
Published: May 2013

Abstract

This essay examines continuities and discontinuities between Apocryphal Baruch and the Qumran Apocryphon of Jeremiah C, and attempts to situate these texts relative to one another and within their shared social matrix. Special attention is paid to their specific usage of scripture, their respective interpretations of the Babylonian exile, their implied understanding of efficacious Jewish religious practice in the second and first centuries B.C.E., and how these were further reflected in the reputation of their protagonists: the prophet Jeremiah, and his scribal companion Baruch.
The Quest for Cognates: A Reconstruction of Oblique Subject Constructions in Proto-Indo-European
Authors: Barðdal Jóhanna , Smitherman Thomas
Published: May 2013

The enigma of the origin of non-canonical subject marking in the world’s languages has been met with two competing hypotheses: the Object-to-Subject Hypothesis and the Oblique Subject/Semantic Alignment Hypothesis (cf. Eythórsson and Barðdal, 2005). The present article argues in favor of the Oblique Subject/Semantic Alignment Hypothesis, presenting five sets of cognate predicates in the early/archaic Indo-European daughter languages that occur in the Oblique Subject Construction. These cognate sets have not figured in the earlier literature. Not only are they stem cognates, but they also occur in a cognate compositional predicate and argument structure construction, with a dative subject, the verb ‘be’ and an adjective, a noun, or an adverb. The discovery of these cognate data sets immediately invalidates the axiomatic assumption that non-canonical subject marking must originate in an earlier object status of these arguments. The data, moreover, form the input of a correspondence set, on which basis we reconstruct predicate-specific oblique subject constructions, a partial predicate-specific oblique subject construction, as well as a more abstract schematic dative subject construction for Proto-Indo-European, using the formalism of Sign-based Construction Grammar. The evidence presented here thus suggests that oblique subjects are inherited from an early proto-stage and do not represent an individual development in the Indo-European daughter languages.
No Place to Belong
Authors: Gonzales Roberto G. , Suárez-Orozco Carola , Dedios-Sanguineti Maria Cecilia
Published: May 2013

This article examines the consequences of undocumented immigration status for those who grow up in the United States. The aim is to examine the relationship between undocumented immigrant status and mental and emotional health. Our efforts focus on undocumented immigrants who arrive as children and spend most of their formative years in the United States. The experiences of these undocumented members of the 1.5 generation are quite different from those who migrate as adults. We are interested in better understanding the effects confusing and conflicting experiences of inclusion and exclusion have on their mental and emotional health as well as the protective factors that may shape resilience. While previous scholarship has drawn some important implications to experiences of stress among undocumented youth and young adults, to our knowledge, no work has been done to explicitly draw the link to mental and emotional health. The article concludes with some suggestions for future research on the topic.
The Effects of Social Media on Political Participation and Candidate Image Evaluations in the 2012 Iowa Caucuses
Authors: Dimitrova Daniela V. , Bystrom Dianne
Published: May 2013

Much academic debate has centered on the impact of new technologies on democracy. This study examines the effects of social media on political participation and candidate image evaluations in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. Multivariate analyses show that social media have no effects on likelihood of caucus attendance but influence perceptions of candidate traits among the sample of Iowans drawn here. The study also addresses the role of traditional media as channels for political information during the caucuses.
Did Fact Checking Matter in the 2012 Presidential Campaign?
Authors: Gottfried Jeffrey A. , Hardy Bruce W. , Winneg Kenneth M. , Jamieson Kathleen Hall
Published: May 2013

The new media environment raises two questions: Will campaign deceptions have traveled around the web before journalism has the fact-checking in place to ensnare them? And if diligent checking of claims does exist, will it fall on an audience too enmeshed in its own biases to see past them? This essay draws on evidence from the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s 2012 Institutions of Democracy Political Knowledge Survey to argue that long-form political fact-checking can increase the accuracy of voters’ perceptions of both candidate stands on issues and the background facts of the presidential race.
Facing Off
Authors: Goodnow Trischa
Published: May 2013

Social media sites have become the new battleground in U.S. presidential politics. In helping to create an identifiable image for candidates, photographs on Facebook have become a convenient outlet for displaying both advertising and candid images of the candidate. While scholars have begun to recognize the impact of photographs on political campaign, Grabe and Bucy have identified potential frames that news photographs enable campaigns to use in hopes of casting candidates in a particular light. This essay utilizes a close semiotic analysis to understand how Internet images convey meaning that helps to create those frames. The essay concludes with a discussion of the utility of semiotic analysis in understanding campaign images and the potential for Internet images for framing campaigns.
Electoral Particularism, Bank Concentration, and Capital Account Liberalization in Developing Democracies
Authors: Mukherjee Bumba , Yadav Vineeta , Béjar Sergio
Published: May 2013

Extant research suggests that democracy fosters capital account liberalization in developing countries. Yet the data reveal that there exists substantial variation in the extent of capital account openness across democracies in the developing world. When do democratic governments in developing states liberalize their capital account policies? We hypothesize that the market concentration of domestic private banks has a positive effect on capital account liberalization, but only when the degree of electoral particularism in these states is sufficiently high. Specifically, we claim that highly market-concentrated private banks have interests and the capacity to lobby elected politicians to liberalize capital account transactions. We then argue that politicians in particularistic democracies will respond to such lobbying pressure by dismantling capital controls as they have political incentives to cater to the interests of powerful bankers. Statistical results from a comprehensive data set provide robust support for our main hypothesis.
Teacher satisfaction with school and psychological well-being affects their readiness to help children with mental health problems
Authors: Sisask Merike , Värnik Peeter , Värnik Airi , Apter Alan , Balazs Judit , Balint Maria , Bobes Julio , Brunner Romuald , Corcoran Paul , Cosman Doina , Feldman Dana , Haring Christian , Kahn Jean-Pierre , Poštuvan Vita , Tubiana Alexandra , Sarchiapone Marco , Wasserman Camilla , Carli Vladimir , Hoven Christina W , Wasserman Danuta
Published: May 2013

Objective:

In support of a whole-school approach to mental health promotion, this study was conducted to find out whether and how significantly teachers’ satisfaction with school and their subjective psychological well-being are related to the belief that they can help pupils with mental health problems.

Design:

Cross-sectional data were collected as a part of the European Union’s, Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7) Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) study. One of the elements of the SEYLE study was to evaluate teachers’ attitudes and knowledge related to pupils’ mental health issues and their own psychological well-being, as well as their satisfaction with the school environment.

Setting:

The sample of schools from the SEYLE study sites representing 11 European countries was randomly chosen according to prior defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The final cross-sectional database used for analysis in the current study comprised 2485 teachers from 158 randomly selected schools.

Method:

Respondents’ belief that teachers can help pupils with mental health problems served as the outcome variable in our predictions with probability of the positive answer being modelled in the logistic regression analysis. Teachers’ subjective psychological well-being and school satisfaction were included as independent variables in the logistic regression model and several other relevant variables were added to statistically control for them. Multiple models were tested in order to obtain the final model.

Results:

Logistic regression models showed that better satisfaction with general school climate, higher psychological well-being, and the ability to understand pupils’ mental health problems increased the odds of teachers’ readiness to help pupils with mental health problems.

Conclusion:

By providing a good school environment, by valuing the subjective psychological well-being of the teachers, and by providing adequate training to fulfil their ‘gatekeeper’ role, the preconditions to improve the mental health of the pupils they teach will be achieved. These suggestions are in line with a whole-school approach to mental health promotion.
Plasmodium vivax malaria presenting as acute respiratory distress syndrome: a case report
Authors: Rahman Ahmad Kashfi Ab , Sulaiman Farah Nadiah
Published: May 2013

Severe pulmonary involvement in malaria has been frequently reported in cases of Plasmodium falciparum infection but rarely in vivax malaria. We look at a case of a 38-year-old man living in a malaria endemic area who presented with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by P. vivax. DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed that it was not a mixed infection. After specific antimalarial therapy and intensive supportive care, the patient was discharged from the hospital. This case illustrates that P. vivax-induced ARDS is not uncommon and should be readily recognized by the treating physicians. A confirmatory test with PCR is required in order to exclude P. falciparum co-infection.
The Communication of “Pure” Group-Based Anger Reduces Tendencies Toward Intergroup Conflict Because It Increases Out-Group Empathy
Authors: de Vos Bart , van Zomeren Martijn , Gordijn Ernestine H. , Postmes Tom
Published: May 2013

The communication of group-based anger in intergroup conflict is often associated with destructive conflict behavior. However, we show that communicating group-based anger toward the out-group can evoke empathy and thus reduce intergroup conflict. This is because it stresses the value of maintaining a positive long-term intergroup relationship, thereby increasing understanding for the situation (in contrast to the communication of the closely related emotion of contempt). Three experiments demonstrate that the communication of group-based anger indeed reduces destructive conflict intentions compared with (a) a control condition (Experiments 1-2), (b) the communication of group-based contempt (Experiment 2), and (c) the communication of a combination of group-based anger and contempt (Experiments 2-3). Moreover, results from all three experiments reveal that empathy mediated the positive effect of communicating “pure” group-based anger. We discuss the implications of these findings for the theory and practice of communicating emotions in intergroup conflicts.
“Kids Are Joy”
Authors: Shenkman Geva , Shmotkin Dov
Published: May 2013

This study examined the psychological welfare associated with gay men couplehood (being in relationship) and gay fatherhood. From a sample of 204 Israeli gay men (age range 19-79), we compared 45 gay fathers (55.6% of them being in a steady relationship) with 45 individually matched gay men who were not fathers on indicators of psychological welfare, namely, subjective well-being, depressive symptoms (a reverse indicator), and meaning in life. In line with the study hypothesis, the results indicated that couplehood and parenthood were both associated with higher psychological welfare. Whereas the previously reported heterosexual “parenthood paradox” relates parenthood to decreased levels of subjective well-being along with increased levels of meaning in life, the current study suggests that gay fathers have elevated levels of both subjective well-being and meaning in life. We discuss possible interpretations of the findings.
Imagination first
Authors: Handa Manoj Chandra
Published: May 2013

The creativity program, “imagination first: unleash the power of possibility,” implemented in public primary and secondary schools in Northern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, deals with the power of imagination in unleashing creativity among gifted students and teachers. Following an in-depth literature review on creativity for gifted students, a Learner-centered Framework of Creative Pedagogy was developed. The framework is guided by the key question: “How can creative development be enhanced among gifted learners in schools?” The framework proposes that creativity can be fostered through the interplay of three key dimensions: creative practice, creative learning, and creative process.

The program demonstrates that the role of imagination is at the heart of creative learning. Activities that foster creative thinking should challenge gifted learners to think laterally, be open-minded, inquire into possibilities, and kindle their imagination. Significantly, schools need to promote creativity across all areas of the curriculum. Practical strategies for implementing the framework in schools are shared.
Sanctity of marriage and marital quality
Authors: Stafford Laura , David Prabu , McPherson Sterling
Published: May 2013

Mahoney and colleagues’ theorizing about the potential role of sanctity as a central feature of religion/spirituality is invoked to examine the relationships among sanctity of marriage, (un)forgiveness, sacrifice, and both positive and negative marital satisfaction. The study examined the perspectives of both members of 342 marital dyads using an Actor–Partner Interdependence Model and a multilevel path modeling. The results indicate that sanctity is related positively to marital satisfaction and negatively to martial dissatisfaction. Sanctity emerged as a strong predictor of marital quality even after accounting for forgiveness, unforgiveness, and sacrifice. Though sanctity is directly linked to positive marital satisfaction, the mediation effects via (un)forgiveness were not significant; however, a mediation effect via sacrifice was significant, which was related to negative marital quality.
Indomethacin-induced de novo headache in hemicrania continua—fighting fire with fire?
Authors: Jürgens Tim P , Schulte Laura H , May Arne
Published: May 2013

Introduction

The response to indomethacin is an important feature for the diagnosis of hemicrania continua.

Case description

We report the case of a 34-year-old female patient with a one-year history of strictly unilateral continuous headache with accompanying ipsilateral autonomic symptoms. As diagnostic testing was unremarkable, hemicrania continua was suspected. A dose of 150 mg of indomethacin/day reduced the headache by 80%. Although an increase to 225 mg/day led to a further reduction of headaches, a new onset of moderate to severe pulsating migrainous bilateral headache developed.

Discussion

As shown in older studies, indomethacin can induce de novo headaches in a presumably dose-related fashion although the exact mechanism in uncertain. A treatable secondary origin of the indomethacin-induced headaches in patients with hemicrania continua or paroxysmal hemicrania (such as reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome or aseptic meningitis) should be considered and excluded by further diagnostic testing if headaches persist after discontinuation of indomethacin.
Body, Brain, and Beauty: The Place of Aesthetics in the World of the Mind
Authors: Radman Zdravko
Published: May 2013

This article represents a programmatic attempt to relate the subject of aesthetics to the wider scope of issues concerning the nature of the human mind. In addition to a criticism of the aesthetics’ isolationism, it provides an outline of orthodox cognitivism and also of the more recent philosophy of embodiment, and sees the latter as a natural context for aesthetic concerns. The author argues that not only may the results of brain research be instructive for a more profound understanding of beauty but also that the subtlety and richness of aesthetic studies can be insightful for empirical studies of the neural system. That beauty is not reducible to brain processes does not mean that a possible lesson from neuroscience has no explanatory value for aesthetics; at the same time the article affirms the stand that the aesthetic, being one of the most profound traits of the human mind, cannot be fully captured in empiricist terms. What is needed is a multidisciplinary exchange that requires a shift from the comfort of the traditional views and an opening that might prove potent for the aesthetics of the present times which should not deprive itself of an ambition to participate in deciphering the ‘mysteries’ of the mind, cognition, and action.
Aesthetics Without the Aesthetic?
Authors: Kirwan James
Published: May 2013

The following paper highlights the way in which contemporary analytic or Anglo-American aesthetics neglects the topic of aesthetic experience. The paper briefly examines the historical background to this situation. It also looks at how analytic aesthetics’ preoccupation with the topic of art is largely responsible for this neglect. It concludes by arguing that most of the fundamental problems in aesthetics, including those that contemporary analytic aesthetics does concern itself with, must remain intractable without a better understanding of aesthetic experience per se.
The Promenade Plantée
Authors: Heathcott Joseph
Published: May 2013

This essay examines the Promenade Plantée in the context of the broader effort to remake Paris for a Postindustrial Age. It traces the political, social, and economic forces that shaped the Promenade’s architectonic form over time, from the production of a national rail system in the nineteenth century to the decline and dereliction of rail lines after World War II, to the reformatting of disused infrastructure in the 1970s and 1980s. Finally, the essay considers the mix of public and private interests that shaped the project’s design, adaptation, and use within the large-scale redevelopment of Eastern Paris.
Comparison of Victims’ Reports and Court Records of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators’ Criminal Case Outcomes
Authors: Bell Margret E. , Larsen Sadie E. , Goodman Lisa A. , Dutton Mary Ann
Published: May 2013

Intimate partner violence (IPV) victims often report feeling confused and uninformed about court proceedings, including even about the final disposition of the case against their partner. This is problematic because victims’ decisions in responding to subsequent abuse may be significantly influenced by their beliefs about the outcomes of prior court experiences. Also, researchers often rely on victim report of court case outcomes; discrepancies between women’s reports and official records may account for some of the conflicting findings in the empirical literature. In the current study, we compared the reports of case outcome given by 81 women recruited immediately after the final hearing of an IPV-related criminal case against their perpetrator with court records of case outcome. Findings revealed a fair level of agreement between women’s reports and court files that was significantly different from the level of agreement expected by chance, but far from perfect. Level of agreement increased substantially when cases involving suspended sentences were removed. In reviewing these findings, we discuss the extent to which results can or cannot be interpreted as reflecting the accuracy of women’s knowledge and review their implications for IPV researchers and court systems.
Traumatic Childhood Exposures in the Lives of Male Perpetrators of Female Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Watt Margaret E. , Scrandis Debra A.
Published: May 2013

Despite efforts to use behavior modification interventions for male perpetrators, intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a significant problem in some male–female relationships. Childhood exposure to traumatic violent experiences, especially when untreated, can influence adult behaviors. Little is known about these possible factors in the lives of male perpetrators of IPV and if they influence their violent behavior against female intimate partners. This study’s aim was to explore the life perspective of men who have been violent with their female intimate partners using Gadamer’s hermeneutic phenomenology. Nine men with a history of female IPV were interviewed twice over a 5-month period. Interview content focused on their experiences in childhood and adult lives. Four themes emerged from the qualitative interviews: (a) childhood and family issues, (b) school and mental health issues, (c) substance abuse and (d) legal issues. Traumatic violent experiences in childhood, such as physical and sexual abuse, frequently led to school problems, misuse of substances, and arrests for a spectrum of crimes. These results highlight the importance of identifying traumatic violent exposures through a brief two-question screen of all children in primary care. Implications for individualized mental health treatment of male perpetrators and recommendations for further research are addressed.
Physical Infrastructure and Economic Growth in El Paso
Authors: Fullerton Thomas M. , González Monzón Azucena , Walke Adam G.
Published: May 2013

Prior research on the impacts of public capital stocks on economic growth has generally used either national macroeconomic or multijurisdictional regional data. This study attempts to contribute to this area of the discipline by using time series data for a single metropolitan economy. To allow for both short-run and long-run effects, an error-correction modeling framework is used for the empirical analysis. Because comprehensive public infrastructure stocks are not published for El Paso, Texas, estimates for those variables are calculated using information regarding annual public capital investment data. Estimation results indicate that physical infrastructure investment may disrupt short-run economic growth but does improve long-run metropolitan economic performance.
Do We Need to Use an Accountant? The Sales Growth and Survival Benefits to Family SMEs
Authors: Barbera Francesco , Hasso Tim
Published: May 2013

This article explores the relationship between the usage of an external accountant and family firm sales growth and survival. Using a longitudinal panel of Australian small and medium sized family enterprises, we find that external accountants have a positive impact on sales growth and survival. We also find that the degree to which the accountant is acquainted with the family and the firm’s needs, which we term as embeddedness, moderates these positive outcomes. Furthermore, we find that appropriate strategic planning processes are necessary to maximize the sales growth benefit; however, these processes are not necessary to gain the survival benefit.
Internet Communication
Authors: Eimhjellen Ivar Sognnæs
Published: May 2013

Does communication through the Internet strengthen local voluntary organizations? This question is investigated by analyzing sustainability, vitality, and the use of the Internet by Norwegian local voluntary organizations. Using quantitative data, analyses show that the use of the Internet by Norwegian voluntary organizations is widespread. Primarily, organizations appreciate the technology for its one-way aspect of communication and information distribution, rather than for aspects of many-to-many communication between organizations, members, and volunteers. Using data from two points in time, analyses show that organizations using the Internet have had a higher probability of achieving organizational growth than those who do not. Furthermore, these organizations are also more likely to hold internal meetings and to arrange other face-to-face activities. This article therefore concludes that rather than replacing traditional organizations and face-to-face activities, the Internet may strengthen their sustainability and vitality.
Hierarchical Bayesian modelling of rail track geometry degradation
Authors: Andrade António Ramos , Teixeira Paulo Fonseca
Published: May 2013

This paper explores hierarchical Bayesian models that can be used to predict rail track geometry degradation and thus guide planning maintenance and renewal actions. Hierarchical Bayesian models allow great flexibility in their specification, especially if they are combined with conditional autoregressive terms that can take into account spatial dependencies between model parameters. For rail track geometry degradation, conditional autoregressive terms are specified to tackle spatial interactions between consecutive rail track sections in rail track lines. An analysis of inspection, operation and maintenance data from the main Portuguese line (Lisbon–Oporto) motivates and illustrates the proposed predictive models. Inference is then conducted based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation, which is proposed for fitting different model specifications. Finally, model comparison and a sensitivity analysis on prior distribution parameters are assessed.
Integration of driving simulator and traffic simulation to analyse behaviour at railway crossings
Authors: Kim Inhi , Ferreira Luis , Tey Li Sian , Wallis Guy
Published: May 2013

The use of state-of-the-art technology to collect and analyse data has significantly improved the effectiveness of safety studies. Currently, despite the fact that there are many safety systems deployed at railway crossings, only limited research has been conducted to evaluate which of these systems is the most effective in terms of costs and safety. This paper demonstrates a way to evaluate safety at railway crossings using a twin-pronged approach: a driving simulator and traffic simulation software. A number of outputs have been observed from a driving simulator, such as driver compliance rate, vehicle speed profile, acceleration profile, initial braking position and final braking position. The compliance percentage at passive crossings (67 and 72% for a stop sign and rumble strips, respectively) has lower compliance rates compared with active crossings (97 and 93% for flashing red light and in-vehicle audible warning, respectively) at an 80 km/h approach speed. Using a statistical analysis it is shown that speed and acceleration profiles can be used to differentiate the effectiveness of active and passive crossings. These indicators are interpreted and used as input to a traffic simulation, which assists in determining which safety device is more efficient. By integrating driving simulator and traffic simulation models, this approach can be applied to evaluate and compare safety performance without the need to install costly test beds at real railway crossings.
Efforts to maintain a ‘just great’ story: Lesbian parents’ talk about encounters with professionals in fertility clinics and maternal and child healthcare services
Authors: Malmquist Anna , Nelson Karin Zetterqvist
Published: May 2013

After lesbian couples have decided to become parents, their family-making journey entails a wide range of encounters with professionals in fertility clinics and/or in maternal and child healthcare services. The article presents the results of an analysis of 96 lesbian mothers’ interview talk about such encounters. In their stories and accounts, the interviewees draw on two separate and contradictory interpretative repertoires, the ‘just great’ repertoire and the ‘heteronormative issues’ repertoire. Throughout the interviews, the ‘just great’ repertoire strongly predominates, while the ‘heteronormative issues’ repertoire is rhetorically minimized. The recurrent accounts of health services as ‘just great’, and the mitigation of problems, are meaningful in relation to a broader discursive context. In a society where different-sex parents are the norm, the credibility of other kinds of parenthood is at stake. The ‘just great’ repertoire has a normalizing function for lesbian mothers, while the ‘heteronormative issues’ repertoire resists normative demands for adaptation.
Negotiating a sexy masculinity on social networking sites
Authors: Manago Adriana M
Published: May 2013

Social networking sites have emerged as spaces for both young men and women to portray themselves in sexualized ways, raising questions about how young men construct masculinity while embracing a kind of sexual self-objectification. In this case study analysis, a heterosexually identified male college student guides another male undergraduate on a tour of his MySpace profile in front of a video camera, supplementing the visual data with his own interpretations. The analysis focuses on how the young man takes up, or subverts, hegemonic masculinity in his sexual displays online. Data illustrate how irony is highly adaptive for perpetuating hegemonic masculinity on social networking sites, allowing men to collaborate using digital artifacts to socially construct an intractable kind of masculinity as they explore unconventional forms of sexual expression. The study also suggests that a heightened emphasis on public attention to the self is a critical lens for understanding shifting constructions of gender and sexuality in the millennial generation.
Predictors of corticosteroid tapering in SLE patients: the Hopkins Lupus Cohort
Authors: Zahr Z Abou , Fang H , Magder LS , Petri M
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients is highly associated with the use of corticosteroids. Doses of prednisone below 6 mg daily are associated with reduced organ damage. We now report on the largest prospective cohort study of predictors of prednisone tapering in SLE patients.

Methods

A total of 866 SLE patients (91% female, 50% Caucasian, 43% African-American, mean age 43 years) who consented for the Hopkins Lupus Cohort from 1987 through 2009 were included. The analysis was based on patient visits in which the previously prescribed dose of prednisone was 5 mg/day. We then examined the proportion of times the patient’s dose was reduced to below 5 mg/day (“tapering”). Among those patients who tapered and were followed for at least one year thereafter, we examined the proportion whose prednisone dose remained below 5 mg/day for at least one year (“Successful tapering”). Rates of tapering and successful tapering were calculated for patient subsets based on demographic and clinical characteristics.

Result

The analyses showed that Caucasians, younger patients, patients with a higher level of education, lower disease activity, or absence of urine protein were more likely to have a prednisone taper. However, successful tapering was not dependent on age, ethnicity, or education. As expected, successful tapering was more frequent in those with lower disease activity. Successful tapering was achieved more often after the year 2000.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that successful tapering of prednisone below 5 mg has increased since the year 2000, which may reflect the greater knowledge of the long-term harm of even low-dose chronic corticosteroid use. Caucasians, younger age, higher level of education, and absence of proteinuria predicted tapering, but not successful tapering. Ongoing cutaneous or arthritis activity were associated with unsuccessful tapering. Lack of disease activity, as expected, was the only major clinical variable that significantly predicted successful tapering.
Joint modeling of longitudinal data and discrete-time survival outcome
Authors: Qiu Feiyou , Stein Catherine M , Elston Robert C ,   for the Tuberculosis Research Unit (TBRU)
Published: May 2013

A predictive joint shared parameter model is proposed for discrete time-to-event and longitudinal data. A discrete survival model with frailty and a generalized linear mixed model for the longitudinal data are joined to predict the probability of events. This joint model focuses on predicting discrete time-to-event outcome, taking advantage of repeated measurements. We show that the probability of an event in a time window can be more precisely predicted by incorporating the longitudinal measurements. The model was investigated by comparison with a two-step model and a discrete-time survival model. Results from both a study on the occurrence of tuberculosis and simulated data show that the joint model is superior to the other models in discrimination ability, especially as the latent variables related to both survival times and the longitudinal measurements depart from 0.
Unmanageable Work, (Un)liveable Lives
Authors: Cruz Katie
Published: May 2013

This article draws from interview material with sex worker rights activists in London, and sex work scholarship, to explore the demand for labour rights for sex workers and erotic dancers. I argue that there are two positions visible in activism and scholarship, which I term ‘liberal’ and ‘materialist’. Whilst the former posits that the problem with sex work is insufficient mainstreaming of commercial sex within the labour market, the latter stresses the need for protections and freedoms from the labour market and repressive criminal and immigration laws. I suggest that these two perspectives need to be thought together. To this end, for the first time in the UK context I ask what labour rights can do for erotic dancers and indoor-based sex workers. I argue that, whilst labour law may offer some level of protection, both forms of commercial sexual service are ultimately unmanageable and that the strategy of securing individual labour rights suffers from several limitations. In the final part, I map the materialist frames onto broader feminist citizenship debates. I ask whether these models can deliver the protections sought and tentatively propose that a feminist-oriented demand for a basic income may be of use to the sex worker rights movement today.