bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endocrine Fibroblast Growth Factor FGF19 Promotes Prostate Cancer Progression
Authors: Feng Shu , Dakhova Olga , Creighton Chad J. , Ittmann Michael
Published: February 2013

Prostate cancer is the most common visceral malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in US men. There is broad evidence that fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors are important in prostate cancer initiation and progression, but the contribution of particular FGFs in this disease is not fully understood. The FGF family members FGF19, FGF21, and FGF23 comprise a distinct subfamily that circulate in serum and act in an endocrine manner. These endocrine FGFs require α-Klotho (KL) and/or β-Klotho (KLB), two related single-pass transmembrane proteins restricted in their tissue distribution, to act as coreceptors along with classic FGF receptors (FGFR) to mediate potent biologic activity. Here we show that FGF19 is expressed in primary and metastatic prostate cancer tissues, where it functions as an autocrine growth factor. Exogenous FGF19 promoted the growth, invasion, adhesion, and colony formation of prostate cancer cells at low ligand concentrations. FGF19 silencing in prostate cancer cells expressing autocrine FGF19 decreased invasion and proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Consistent with these observations, KL and/or KLB were expressed in prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, raising the possibility that additional endocrine FGFs may also exert biologic effects in prostate cancer. Our findings support the concept that therapies targeting FGFR signaling may have efficacy in prostate cancer and highlight FGF19 as a relevant endocrine FGF in this setting. Cancer Res; 73(8); 2551–62. ©2013 AACR.
Tumor-Specific Isoform Switch of the Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 2 Underlies the Mesenchymal and Malignant Phenotypes of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinomas
Authors: Zhao Qi , Caballero Otavia L. , Davis Ian D. , Jonasch Eric , Tamboli Pheroze , Yung W.K. Alfred , Weinstein John N. ,   Kenna Shaw for the TCGA research network, Strausberg Robert L. , Yao Jun
Published: February 2013

Purpose: We aim to identify tumor-specific alternative splicing events having potential applications in the early detection, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy for cancers.

Experimental Design: We analyzed RNA-seq data on 470 clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC) and 68 kidney tissues to identify tumor-specific alternative splicing events. We further focused on the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) isoform switch and characterized ccRCCs expressing different FGFR2 isoforms by integrated analyses using genomic data from multiple platforms and tumor types.

Results: We identified 113 top candidate alternatively spliced genes in ccRCC. Prominently, the FGFR2 gene transcript switched from the normal IIIb isoform (“epithelial”) to IIIc isoform (“mesenchymal”) in nearly 90% of ccRCCs. This switch is kidney specific as it was rarely observed in other cancers. The FGFR2-IIIb ccRCCs show a transcriptome and methylome resembling those from normal kidney, whereas FGFR2-IIIc ccRCCs possess elevated hypoxic and mesenchymal expression signatures. Clinically, FGFR2-IIIb ccRCCs are smaller in size, of lower tumor grade, and associated with longer patient survival. Gene set enrichment and DNA copy number analyses indicated that FGFR2-IIIb ccRCCs are closely associated with renal oncocytomas and chromophobe RCCs (chRCC). A reexamination of tumor histology by pathologists identified FGFR2-IIIb tumors as chRCCs and clear cell papillary RCCs (ccpRCC).

Conclusions: FGFR2 IIIb RCCs represent misdiagnosed ccRCC cases, suggesting FGFR2 isoform testing can be used in the diagnosis of RCC subtypes. The finding of a prevalent isoform switch of FGFR2 in a tissue-specific manner holds promise for the future development of FGFR2-IIIc as a distinct early detection biomarker and therapeutic target for ccRCC. Clin Cancer Res; 19(9); 2460–72. ©2013 AACR.
Phase II Study of Cetuximab in Combination with Docetaxel in Patients with Recurrent and/or Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck after Platinum-Containing Therapy: A Multicenter Study of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internistische Onkologie
Authors: Knoedler M. , Gauler T.C. , Gruenwald V. , Matzdorff A. , Schroeder M. , Dietz A. , Jordan W.-O. , Arnold D. , Hennemann B. , Hofele C. , Weissinger F. , Eberhardt W. , Keilholz U.
Published: February 2013

Background: Cetuximab and docetaxel have single-agent activity in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). The efficacy of their combination was evaluated in platinum-pretreated patients with recurrent and/or metastatic SCCHN. Patients and Methods: A total of 84 patients were treated with docetaxel 35 mg/m2 weekly for a maximum of 6 cycles and concomitant cetuximab 250 mg/m2 weekly until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate and secondary endpoints included the response rate in relation to platinum sensitivity, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and toxicity. Results: Nine (11%) patients achieved a partial response and 34 (40%) stable disease, resulting in a disease control rate of 51%. Response to treatment was 49% in previously platinum-sensitive and 50% in previously platinum-resistant disease. The median PFS was 3.1 months and the median OS 6.7 months. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events were mucositis (8%), pneumonia (8%), fatigue (8%) and skin reactions (14%). Sepsis occurred in 3 patients. Conclusion: Cetuximab plus docetaxel is an active treatment regimen with moderate toxicity in SCCHN patients. However, no superiority in comparison with monotherapy could be shown. Responsiveness and survival were independent of previous platinum sensitivity.
Mechanisms of Melatonin-Induced Protection in the Brain of Late Gestation Fetal Sheep in Response to Hypoxia
Authors: Yawno Tamara , Castillo-Melendez Margie , Jenkin Graham , Wallace Euan M. , Walker David W. , Miller Suzanne L.
Published: February 2013

Melatonin has diverse physiological actions in addition to its well-recognized maintenance roles in circadian and seasonal timing. In particular, melatonin may have a direct protective action on the developing fetal brain. We examined the cellular processes by which melatonin provides protection following an acute late gestation hypoxic insult. 15 fetal sheep at 126 days' gestation were instrumented with a brachial artery catheter and a silastic cuff around the umbilical cord. At ∼130 days' gestation, the cuff was inflated for 10 min in 10 fetuses, causing complete umbilical cord occlusion (UCO). 5 UCO fetuses received intravenous melatonin maternally for 2 h, before and after UCO (UCO + melatonin). The remaining 5 fetuses had no UCO performed (sham-operated controls). At 48 h after UCO, the fetal brain was collected from each animal. Compared to controls, UCO caused significant hypoxia, hypercapnia and acidosis in UCO and UCO + melatonin fetuses. In the UCO-alone animals there were significant increases in pyknotic cell death, in the hippocampus (>7-fold) and the cerebellum (3-fold). Maternal melatonin administration ameliorated cellular pyknosis in UCO fetuses. UCO was also associated with astrogliosis, increased albumin uptake, activated microglia and lipid peroxidation. Melatonin prevented these effects. There were no significant differences in the number of brain macrophages or microglia between any of the groups. Following acute severe hypoxia in the late gestation fetus, melatonin reduces neuronal lipid peroxidation and prevents loss of blood-brain barrier integrity and astrogliosis. These are likely key mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective actions of melatonin in the fetal brain.
Short-Term Effects of Hypothermia on Axonal Injury, Preoligodendrocyte Accumulation and Oligodendrocyte Myelination after Hypoxia-Ischemia in the Hippocampus of Immature Rat Brain
Authors: Xiong Man , Chen Long-Xia , Ma Si-Min , Yang Yi , Zhou Wen-Hao
Published: February 2013

Hypothermia is known to improve neurological recovery of animals and humans exposed to hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury. However, the underlying mechanisms of the neuroprotective effects of hypothermia are only partially understood, including decreased excitotoxicity and apoptosis, and suppressed inflammation. There are few studies about the hypothermic effects on axonal injury and oligodendrocyte (OL) lineage degeneration, which are important components of neonatal brain injuries that cause cognitive disability. We hypothesized that mild hypothermia would reduce axonal injury and increase myelination in the hippocampus after HI. We performed left carotid artery ligation followed by 8% oxygen for 2 h in 7-day-old rats. Animals were divided into a hypothermic group (rectal temperature 32-33°C for 24 h) and a normothermic group (36-37°C for 24 h) immediately after HI. Animals were sacrificed at 1, 3 and 7 days for immunohistochemistry or Western blot analysis. We detected neuron loss by microtubule-associated protein 2 labeling and axonal injury by non-phosphorylated neurofilament (SMI32) with neurofilament 200 (NF200) double staining. We examined early OL progenitors by A2B5 or NG2, preoligodendrocytes (preOLs) by O4, and mature OLs by 2,3-cyclic nucleotide 3-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) and glutathione S-transferase (GST)-pi staining. Apoptosis was studied by active caspase-3. Hypothermia was associated with a significant elevation of neurons and axons in the hippocampal CA1 region after HI. Early OL progenitors (A2B5+) were elevated, but preOLs (O4+) and active caspase-3 were dramatically reduced in the hypothermic rat brain. Further study showed that the apoptotic rate of preOLs (caspase-3+-O4+/O4+) was markedly attenuated by hypothermic treatment compared to normothermic animals. The immunoreactivity of CNPase and GST-pi and the protein level of the myelin basic protein significantly increased in the hippocampus of hypothermia-treated rat brain. Axonal myelination also increased in hypothermic animals, which were tested by myelin basic protein and NF200 double staining and electron microscopy. These results showed that hypothermia reduced HI damage to axons and OL myelination coincided with increased early OL progenitor proliferation and decreased preOL accumulation and apoptosis. This study suggested new aspects that may contribute to elucidate the mechanism of hypothermic neuroprotection in neonatal rat brain.
Diafilters for Predilution and Postdilution On-Line Hemodiafiltration
Authors: Yamashita Akihiro C.
Published: February 2013

When hemodiafiltration (HDF) is performed, we can choose the point on the blood circuit where the substitution fluid goes in, i.e. before the diafilter (predilution) or after the diafilter (postdilution). We must avoid unexpected loss of albumin; however, we should remove a certain amount of albumin in order to remove much larger solutes than β2-microglobulin and obtain better clinical outcomes. Previously, ultrafiltration experiments were performed in vitro using aqueous albumin solution and commercial diafilters. The results showed a high sieving coefficient for albumin right after starting the experiment that is identical to several clinical reports. Based on these results, a novel design of the diafilter was attempted for predilution and postdilution HDF. Diafilters for predilution HDF do not require much change in design specifications, employing hollow fibers with a slightly larger diameter in order to reduce high blood pressure caused by the high blood flow rate. Diafilters for postdilution HDF may require much change, including shortening the length in order to reduce the amount of internal filtration. Diafilters specifically designed for predilution or postdilution may be necessary to assure future success of clinical HDF treatment.
Tetramethylpyrazine Prevents Contrast-Induced Nephropathy by Inhibiting p38 MAPK and FoxO1 Signaling Pathways
Authors: Gong Xuezhong , Wang Qian , Tang Xiaochun , Wang Yuerong , Fu Dan , Lu Huayi , Wang Guohua , Norgren Svante
Published: February 2013

Background: Apoptosis is recognized as an important mechanism in contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). As tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) has been recently found to be renoprotective and anti-apoptotic in multiple kidney injuries, we hypothesized that TMP would prevent CIN. Methods: An experimental model of CIN was established in rats. Serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, plasma cystatin C, urinary N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, and urinary γ-glutamyl transpeptidase were measured to evaluate kidney function. Apoptosis was assessed by transmission electron microscopy, transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling staining, and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase cleavage. Fork-head box O1 transcriptional factor (FoxO1) mRNA expression was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR. Phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Results: TMP significantly attenuated the resulting renal dysfunction and renal tubular cell apo-ptosis. Mechanistically, TMP decreased the expression of phospho-p38 MAPK protein and attenuated the increased FoxO1 mRNA and nuclear protein expression. In addition, TMP inhibited inducible nitric oxide synthase and Bax protein expression while it upregulated Bcl-2. Conclusion: In summary, this study demonstrated the protective role of TMP against CIN and indicated the effects of TMP may be mediated by the inhibition of p38 MAPK and FoxO1 pathways. Thus, TMP may be a new potential therapeutic agent to prevent CIN.
Changes in Subendocardial Viability Ratio With Acute High-Altitude Exposure and Protective Role of Acetazolamide
Authors: Salvi Paolo , Revera Miriam , Faini Andrea , Giuliano Andrea , Gregorini Francesca , Agostoni Piergiuseppe , Becerra Carlos G. Ramos , Bilo Grzegorz , Lombardi Carolina , O’Rourke Michael F. , Mancia Giuseppe , Parati Gianfranco
Published: February 2013

High-altitude tourism is increasingly frequent, involving also subjects with manifest or subclinical coronary artery disease. Little is known, however, on the effects of altitude exposure on factors affecting coronary perfusion. The aim of our study was to assess myocardial oxygen supply/demand ratio in healthy subjects during acute exposure at high altitude and to evaluate the effect of acetazolamide on this parameter. Forty-four subjects (21 men, age range: 24–59 years) were randomized to double-blind acetazolamide 250 mg bid or placebo. Subendocardial viability ratio and oxygen supply/demand ratio were estimated on carotid artery by means of a validated PulsePen tonometer, at sea level, before and after treatment, and after acute and more prolonged exposure to high altitude (4559 m). On arrival at high altitude, subendocardial viability ratio was reduced in both placebo (from 1.63±0.15 to 1.18±0.17;
P
<0.001) and acetazolamide (from 1.68±0.25 to 1.35±0.18;
P
<0.001) groups. Subendocardial viability ratio returned to sea level values (1.65±0.24) after 3 days at high altitude under acetazolamide but remained lower than at sea level under placebo (1.42±0.22;
P
<0.005 versus baseline). At high altitude, oxygen supply/demand ratio fell both under placebo (from 29.6±4.0 to 17.3±3.0;
P
<0.001) and acetazolamide (from 32.1±7.0 to 22.3±4.6;
P
<0.001), its values remaining always higher (
P
<0.001) on acetazolamide. Administration of acetazolamide may, thus, antagonize the reduction in subendocardial oxygen supply triggered by exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. Further studies involving also subjects with known or subclinical coronary artery disease are needed to confirm a protective action of acetazolamide on myocardial viability under high-altitude exposure.
Towards a Spirituality of Public Leadership: Engaging Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Authors: Nullens Patrick
Published: February 2013

Abstract

This article is a reflective answer to the growing interest in the ‘spirituality’ of a leader found both among active leaders and in the field of Leadership Studies. The term ‘spirituality’ is so complex, however, it requires a more thorough theological reflection than (secular) Leadership Studies can offer, especially considering the more specific matter of how a Christian leader embodies his/her spirituality in his/her leadership. This article discusses four components of leadership: the leader’s sense of reality, the sense of a higher calling, the sense of belonging and the sense of morality. Further, the thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer provides each of these components with not only a Christian but an explicitly Christocentric content.
Four new species of Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) from China and Japan, and description of the pupal morphology of the genera Corythoxestis, Eumetriochroa, Guttigera, and Metriochroa
Authors: KOBAYASHI SHIGEKI , HUANG GUO-HUA , NAKAMURA AKIHIRO , HIROWATARI TOSHIYA
Published: February 2013

Four new leaf mining Oecophyllembiinae (Gracillariidae) species are described from Chinaand Japan: Metriochroa sym-plocosella sp. nov. (host plants: Symplocos anomala, S. sumuntia, Symplocaceae) from China, Guttigera schefflerella sp. nov. (host plant: Schefflera octophylla, Araliaceae), Eumetriochroa araliella sp. nov. (host plants: Dendropanax trifidus, Evodiopanax innovans, Eleutherococcus sciadophylloides and Fatsia japonica, Araliaceae) and Corythoxestis tricalysiel-la sp. nov. (host plant: Tricalysia dubia, Rubiaceae) from Japan. Corythoxestis sunosei (Kumata, 1998) is recorded from new host plants: Adina pilulifera and Mussaenda parviflora, Rubiaceae, from Japan. The female adult and pupal morphol-ogies, life history and host plant of the genus Guttigera are described for the first time. Pupae of seven species of four genera: Corythoxestis, Eumetriochroa, Guttigera, and Metriochroa, are described for the first time. We provide morpho-logical diagnostic differences between species and genera of Oecophyllembiinae and Phyllocnistis. Our preliminary data suggest that Oecophyllembiinae species have three valuable pupal diagnostic characters: 1) cocoon cutter with unique lat-eral processes or setae on the clypeus, 2) tergal spines with only a pair of dorsal setae, and 3) cremaster with more than two pairs of caudal processes, while Phyllocnistis species possess 1) cocoon cutter without lateral processes or setae on clypeus, 2) tergal spines with a pair of dorsal setae and dorsal hooks, and 3) cremaster with only a pair of caudal processes.
A new species of Megarhyssa Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Rhyssinae) from tropical Mexico with a key to Mexican species
Authors: KHALAIM A. I. , RUÍZ-CANCINO E.
Published: February 2013

A new species of ichneumon wasp, Megarhyssa gratiosa sp. nov., is described from Chiapas province in the tropical part of Mexico. This is a southern most record of the genus in the New World. The new species is one of the largest and most spectacular ichneumonid species in the Mexican fauna. Megarhyssa gratiosa sp. nov. differs from its North American congeners primarily by the conspicuous colour pattern of the metasoma which is yellow with broad dorsal black stripe extending along its entire length, and the longer ovipositor. A key to three Mexican species of Megarhyssa is also provided.
Culturally Embedded Organizational Learning for Global Responsibility
Authors: Berthoin Antal Ariane , Sobczak André
Published: February 2013

This article proposes a multilevel model of Global Responsibility as a culturally embedded organizational learning process. The model enables an analysis of the way culture influences how responsibilities are defined and distributed in a culture at a given point in time, and how organizations learn to address new responsibilities in new ways when the context changes. The model starts at the organizational level and zooms in on the individual level as well as outward to the local, national, and international levels. The case of a French multinational company subsidiary in Brazil illustrates how the model can be used to show the relative relevance of the different sources of cultural influences on key stages in organizational learning processes. The authors include the arts as an inherent dimension of culture that tends to be overlooked in the management literature, and the case illustrates how the arts can play a role in organizational learning for Global Responsibility.
Regimes and cultures of social security: Comparing institutional models through nonlinear PCA
Authors: Vrooman J Cok
Published: February 2013

This article reassesses the link between the structural and cultural aspects of social security. Do Esping-Andersen’s ‘Three Worlds’ exist empirically if one considers a comprehensive set of formal institutions simultaneously? And if so, do such regimes coincide with coherent differences in people’s value orientations in this field, or informal cultures? In order to answer these questions, nonlinear principal components analysis was applied to a group of countries at the core of the original Esping-Andersen typology. Nonlinear PCA seems to be a promising tool for comparative research because the technique is able to handle discrete data and nonlinear relationships, and the number of variables can exceed the number of countries. The outcomes of the analyses suggest that the ‘Three Worlds’ of formal social security had a firm empirical basis in the 1990s, and that the typology remains largely valid today, albeit with some qualifications. Furthermore, three different informal ‘cultures of social security’ emerged, with country clusters quite similar to those of the structural regime typology.
Consumer markets and national income inequality: A study of 18 advanced capitalist countries
Authors: Kollmeyer Christopher
Published: February 2013

Sociologists have paid scant attention to the possibility that the structure of the macro-economy is an important determinant of income inequality. Although prior research finds negative links between the size of the public sector and income inequality, no study to date considers whether the size of consumer markets has distributional consequences as well. To investigate this possibility, the present study measures the size of national consumer markets with the System of National Accounts used by governments to calculate gross domestic product (GDP). Based on data from 18 advanced capitalist countries over nearly a 40-year period, two-way random effects regression models reveal a strong and positive link between the size of consumer markets and income inequality. This finding is robust to the inclusion of numerous control variables, and to the consideration of endogeneity within the causal relationship. The proposed theoretical explanation centers on ideas developed by Polanyi, and suggests that economic activity in consumer markets creates higher levels of individual differentiation, and hence higher levels of income inequality, than economic activity in other sectors of the economy. The study concludes by highlighting ways future research can advance our theoretical and empirical understanding of this topic.
Gifts, Loans and Intergenerational Support for Young Adults
Authors: Heath Sue , Calvert Emma
Published: February 2013

Young adults in the UK are increasingly dependent on family support to offset the costs of living independently. This article explores these complex intergenerational exchanges from the perspective of a group of single young adults in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties who had been in receipt of various forms of financial and material support from family members since leaving the parental home. We outline the nature of this support and then consider how these forms of assistance are understood by those in receipt of them. We conclude that the co-existence of a sense of both gratitude and discomfort which is often generated by these exchanges is managed but by no means resolved by a blurring of the boundaries between gifts and loans, a set of negotiations which may not even be an option amongst less advantaged young adults.
Web page and image semi-supervised classification with heterogeneous information fusion
Authors: Du Youtian , Su Chang , Cai Zhongmin , Guan Xiaohong
Published: February 2013

Web data, such as web pages and web images, can be naturally partitioned into multiple heterogeneous attribute sets. Concretely speaking, web pages consist of hyperlink and contents, and web images consist of the textual and visual information. In this paper, we propose a new multi-view semi-supervised learning method, named local co-training, for web page and image classification. Local co-training employs local linear models to represent data points on each view (i.e. one attribute set), and iteratively refines them using unlabelled data with co-training strategy. In each iteration, only a part of local models that we call dominant local models needs to be incrementally updated. The method is thus efficient and fit for the learning of large-scale web data. In addition, we introduce a new measurement based on both the confidence and the disagreement to describe which unlabelled examples are ‘good’ for the enrichment of training sets. Local co-training builds a bridge between two dominant types of semi-supervised methods: graph-based methods and co-training. Experiments on web page and web image datasets demonstrate that local co-training can effectively improve the classification performance by exploiting multiple attribute sets and unlabelled data.
Using Extrinsic Motivation to Influence Student Attitude and Behavior Toward State Assessments at an Urban High School
Authors: Emmett Joshua
Published: February 2013

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to discover the influence of a student achievement program implemented at one large urban high school that employed extrinsic motivation to promote student achievement on state assessments. Using organismic integration theory as the theoretical framework, 19 randomly selected students participated in structured interviews with their responses analyzed by the organismic integration theory taxonomy. This study invites a discussion of the use of extrinsic motivation to influence student attitude and behavior toward state assessments.
A Comparative Review of Canine and Human Rhabdomyosarcoma With Emphasis on Classification and Pathogenesis
Authors: Caserto B. G.
Published: February 2013

Rhabdomyosarcomas are a diverse group of malignant mesenchymal neoplasms exhibiting variable levels of differentiation toward skeletal myocytes. Neoplastic cells may resemble relatively undifferentiated myoblasts, satellite cells, or more differentiated elongated spindle cells and multicellular myotubes. In veterinary medicine, classification into subtypes and variants is based on an outdated system derived from human pathology and is solely based on histologic characteristics. In contrast, classification of human rhabdomyosarcoma is based on histologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular diagnostic techniques, and subclassification has clinical and prognostic relevance. Relevance of tumor subtyping has not been established in veterinary medicine. Recent discoveries of components of the molecular pathogenesis and genomes of human rhabdomyosarcomas have led to new diagnostic techniques and revisions of the human classification system. The current classification system in veterinary medicine is reviewed in light of these changes. Diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma using histopathology, electron microscopy, and the clinical aspects of human and canine rhabdomyosarcomas is compared. The clinical features and biologic behavior of canine rhabdomyosarcomas are compared with canine soft tissue sarcomas.
A Proposed Method of Group Observation and Note-Taking from a Psychoanalytical Perspective
Authors: Gimenez Guy , Pinel Jean Pierre
Published: February 2013

Although the taking of notes in clinical group settings is an important issue, it has received surprisingly little attention. Given that it is one of the tools in the analyst’s armoury and part of his or her internal framework, it certainly deserves detailed reflection. Taking notes forces us to question our implicit choices of what is (or is not) relevant to pick up, note down and interpret, as well as the way we process the clinical material both during and after sessions. For all these reasons, we believe it is important to make a careful study of our observation method. This article identifies the criteria for relevant note-taking in a group setting and describes a notation method devised specifically for group settings. The aim of this method is to link different levels of psychic reality, all the while keeping them separate. To this end, the notes are divided into four columns: the group associative chain, the underlying ‘basic scenarios’, internal and intertransferential reactions, and hypotheses about the observed phenomena.
Effects of cylindrical and sheet types of nanoparticles on thermal properties and chain folding free energy of poly(ethylene terephthalate)
Authors: Goodarzi V , Shadakhtar A , Sirousazar M , Mortazavi M , Ghaniyari-Benis S
Published: February 2013

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) nanocomposites were prepared through a solution casting method using Multi wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) as nanoparticles and their morphological and thermal properties investigated. The X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy measurements showed that decreasing the ratio of MWCNT to OMMT for the same amount of OMMT creates better conditions for intercalation of PET macromolecules and promotes the transformation of OMMT nanostructures from the intercalated to exfoliated state. It was concluded that the Ozawa’s model was not suitable to interpret the crystallization behavior of the nanocomposites. Based on Liu’s model, it was found that the sample containing the lower ratio of MWCNT to OMMT had the highest crystallization rate. Investigation of activation energy and nucleation activity using Vyazovkin’s and Dobreva’s models revealed that the sample having the smallest ratio of MWCNT to OMMT had the lowest energy absorption and highest nucleation activity.
The Effects of Private Prison Confinement on Offender Recidivism
Authors: Duwe Grant , Clark Valerie
Published: February 2013

Evidence has been mixed as to whether private prisons are more effective than state-operated facilities in reducing recidivism. This study analyzes whether private prison confinement in Minnesota has had an impact on recidivism by examining 3,532 offenders released from prison between 2007 and 2009. Propensity score matching was used to individually match a comparison group of 1,766 inmates who had only been confined in state-run facilities with 1,766 offenders who had served time in a private prison facility. Using multiple measures of recidivism and private prison confinement, 20 Cox regression models were estimated. The results showed that offenders who had been incarcerated in a private prison had a greater hazard of recidivism in all 20 models, and the recidivism risk was significantly greater in 8 of the models. The evidence presented in this study suggests that private prisons are not more effective in reducing recidivism, which may be attributable to fewer visitation and rehabilitative programming opportunities for offenders incarcerated at private facilities.
Investigation of enhancing effect of nano-montmorillonite on fire-retardant added low-density polyethylene–ethylene vinyl acetate hybrid system
Authors: Bee Soo-Tueen , Hassan A , Ratnam CT , Tee Tiam-Ting , Sin Lee Tin
Published: February 2013

In this study, nano-montmorillonite (NMMT) was incorporated in alumina trihydrate (ATH) added low-density polyethylene–ethylene vinyl acetate (LDPE-EVA) for enhancing the mechanical and electrical properties of the hybrid blends. The Young’s modulus of 50 phr ATH added LDPE-EVA (LE) blends has improved significantly, when the NMMT loading level increased from 5 to 15 phr. This is because the intercalation of NMMT particles reduces the cavities while enhancing the interfacial adhesion between the particle surface and LE matrix as observed via morphology analysis. The good interfacial adhesion could effectively transfer the stress from polymer matrix to filler’s particles during straining and improved the mechanical properties. On the other hand, the volume resistivity of 5 phr added LE blends was gradually decreased as the loading level of ATH has increased from 50 to 150 phr. The surface and volume resistivity of LE blends exhibited that high polarity of ATH and NMMT molecules could increase the mobility of charges in passages through polymer matrix and surface. Thus, the incorporation of ATH and NMMT could reduce the electrical resistance of LE blends. In addition, the increasing of ATH loading level also improved fire resistivity of LE blends as indicated by the promising limiting oxygen index. This is because the endothermic reaction of ATH during combustion process could reduce the temperature of polymer blends while releasing water vapour and the formation of alumina char. Furthermore, the increasing of NMMT loading level in ATH-added LE blends was found to slightly increase the fire retardancy. This is due to the addition of NMMT that could promote the dripping characteristics and charring effect during combustion and subsequently improve the fire retardancy of ATH added LE blends.
Studies on synthesis and characterization of hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane-modified epoxy bismaleimide matrices
Authors: Selvaganapathi A. , Alagar M. , Gnanasundaram P.
Published: February 2013

This work reports the development of hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (HTPDMS)-toughened tetraglycidyl diaminodiphenyl methane (TGDDM) epoxy matrix systems. The siliconized epoxy systems were further modified with various percentages of (5, 10 and 15 wt%) 10-phenyl-phenonoxaphosphine-3,8-di(2-hydroxy-3-( p-male-imidobenzoyloxy)propyl) ester-10-oxide (EPBMI) and cured by diaminodiphenyl sulfone. Thermal, mechanical and morphological properties of the prepared samples were studied by standard methods. In comparison with the unmodified epoxy resin, HTPDMS-incorporated TGDDM resin showed increased impact strength with a reduction in tensile strength, flexural strength and glass transition temperature ( Tg). But in the case of bismaleimide (BMI; EPBMI)-incorporated epoxy resin, tensile strength, flexural strength and Tg showed an increasing trend. However, the introduction of both siloxane and BMI into epoxy influences the mechanical and thermal properties according to their percentage content. The morphology of the silconized and the BMI-modified epoxy systems was also studied by scanning electron microscopy.
Sexual Harassment in Law Enforcement
Authors: Lonsway Kimberly A. , Paynich Rebecca , Hall Jennifer N.
Published: February 2013

The present study was designed to examine the incidence, impact, and perception of sexual harassment in law enforcement by utilizing a mixed methods approach and two data sources. In Study 1, quantitative data were provided by 679 male and female personnel in a large law enforcement agency. In Study 2, 531 female police officers provided qualitative responses to a national survey addressing a range of professional experiences. Most respondents from these two studies experienced behaviors that could potentially be sexually harassing. Very few were reported with a formal complaint, but retaliation was common and often severe. Regression analyses demonstrate that such experiences have a negative impact on both personal and professional outcomes. Yet narrative responses reveal that respondents do not typically appraise them negatively. Patterns are explored for the various types of behavior, the organizational status of those involved, the response strategy employed, and the outcome of the situation.
A study of elastic–plastic contact of statistical rough surfaces
Authors: Peng He , Liu Zhansheng , Huang Feilin , Ma Ruixian
Published: February 2013

In this article, a study of elastic–plastic contact of statistical rough surfaces is presented. The contact behaviors of a single asperity with deformable substrate are studied by finite element method. The influences of material properties and substrate deformation on the single asperity contact behaviors are investigated. An elastic–plastic contact model of rough surfaces is established based on the proposed single asperity contact model and statistical rough surface contact model. The surface topography plasticity index and material plasticity index are defined to indicate the influences of surface topography and material properties on the contact behaviors of rough surfaces. Comparisons with some exiting models and finite element results show that the proposed formulations can model the single asperity contact behaviors well for a wide interference range. The rough surface contact model in this work is consistent with some existing models for small plasticity indices, and it is slightly different from the existing models for large plasticity indices. The increase of surface topography plasticity index and material plasticity index would result in larger contact area and contact load for given separations.
Fatigue heralding multiple sclerosis
Authors: Berger Joseph R , Pocoski Jennifer , Preblick Ronald , Boklage Susan
Published: February 2013

Background:

Fatigue is a common symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS) and is an important determinant of overall well-being and disability.

Objective:

To assess the frequency with which fatigue precedes the diagnosis of MS using a retrospective database analysis.

Methods:

Between January 1, 2003 and September 30, 2008, patients diagnosed with fatigue with and without fatigue-related medications within a 3-year period prior to newly diagnosed MS were identified from the MarketScan Databases. All statistical analysis was performed using SAS.

Results:

Of the 16,976 patients with MS in the overall population, 5305 (31.3%) were newly diagnosed with MS and had three years of continuous healthcare coverage prior to MS diagnosis. Of these patients, 1534 (28.9%) were labeled with chronic fatigue syndrome (ICD9-780.71) or malaise or fatigue (ICD9-780.79) prior to the diagnosis of MS. One-third of these patients were labeled with fatigue one to two years before the diagnosis; 30.8% were diagnosed only with fatigue and had no other MS symptoms prior to their MS diagnosis. Among the patients diagnosed with fatigue, 10.4% were also prescribed medication for fatigue.

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates that fatigue may herald MS, often by years. A careful history for transient neurological symptoms and a physical examination is warranted in any patient presenting with fatigue.
Student types as reflection of class habitus: An application of Bourdieu’s scholastic fallacy
Authors: Hurst Allison L.
Published: February 2013

Have college students become careerists rather than intellectuals? Are working-class students to blame for grade inflation, grade-grubbing, and the downscaling of the university’s noble mission of educating the whole person? These assertions, although somewhat buried in a mass of facts and findings, are present in almost every research study on college student ‘orientations’ produced since the 1970s. This article critically examines these assertions from a working-class perspective, pointing out the ways ‘intellectualism’ and ‘academicism’ have been culturally constructed to favor middle-class behavior and actions, arguing instead that anxiety over the economic value of a college degree reflects awareness of intense changes in the occupational structure and has little to do with increased materialism or anti-intellectualism.
Neither Heavy nor Light Load Resistance Exercise Acutely Exacerbates Lymphedema in Breast Cancer Survivor
Authors: Cormie Prue , Galvão Daniel A. , Spry Nigel , Newton Robert U.
Published: February 2013

Resistance exercise has great potential to aid in the management of breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL), but little is known regarding the acute response of performing resistance exercises with the affected limb. Purpose. To examine the acute impact of upper body resistance exercise on the amount of swelling and severity of symptoms in women with BCRL and to compare these effects between resistance exercise involving high and low loads (heavier vs lighter weights). Methods. Seventeen women aged 61 ± 9 years with mild to severe BCRL participated in this study. Participants completed a high load (6-8 repetition maximum) and low load (15-20 repetition maximum) exercise session consisting of 2 sets of 5 upper body resistance exercises in a randomized order separated by a 10- to 12-day wash-out period. The extent of swelling was assessed using bioimpedance spectroscopy, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and arm circumference measurements. The severity symptoms were assessed using the visual analogue scale (pain, heaviness, and tightness) and a modified Brief Pain Inventory. Measurements were taken pre-exercise, immediately post-exercise, 24 hours post-exercise, and 72 hours post-exercise. Results. No changes in the extent of swelling or the severity of symptoms were observed between pre-exercise and immediately post-exercise, 24 hours post-exercise, or 72 hours post-exercise. No differences in the response to the high or low load exercise were observed. Conclusions. Upper body resistance exercise does not acutely increase swelling or feelings of discomfort/pain, heaviness tightness in the affected limb of BCRL patients when performed at either high or low loads.
Naturally occurring oncogenic GATA1 mutants with internal deletions in transient abnormal myelopoiesis in Down syndrome
Authors: Toki Tsutomu , Kanezaki Rika , Kobayashi Eri , Kaneko Hiroshi , Suzuki Mikiko , Wang RuNan , Terui Kiminori , Kanegane Hirokazu , Maeda Miho , Endo Mikiya , Mizuochi Tatsuki , Adachi Souichi , Hayashi Yasuhide , Yamamoto Masayuki , Shimizu Ritsuko , Ito Etsuro
Published: February 2013

Key Points

Naturally occurring oncogenic GATA1 mutants with internal deletions contribute to transient abnormal myelopoiesis in Down syndrome.
A dual role for Hdac1: oncosuppressor in tumorigenesis, oncogene in tumor maintenance
Authors: Santoro Fabio , Botrugno Oronza A. , Dal Zuffo Roberto , Pallavicini Isabella , Matthews Geoffrey M. , Cluse Leonie , Barozzi Iros , Senese Silvia , Fornasari Lorenzo , Moretti Simona , Altucci Lucia , Pelicci Pier Giuseppe , Chiocca Susanna , Johnstone Ricky W. , Minucci Saverio
Published: February 2013

Key Points

Hdac1 and, to a lesser extent, Hdac2 behave as oncosuppressors during tumor initiation, but they work as oncogenes in tumor maintenance. Class I HDAC inhibitors (VPA) accelerate tumorigenesis in murine models of leukemia, which suggests caution in their clinical use.
Probabilistic models for CRISPR spacer content evolution
Authors: Kupczok Anne , Bollback Jonathan P
Published: February 2013

Background

The CRISPR/Cas system is known to act as an adaptive and heritable immune system in Eubacteria and Archaea. Immunity is encoded in an array of spacer sequences. Each spacer can provide specific immunity to invasive elements that carry the same or a similar sequence. Even in closely related strains, spacer content is very dynamic and evolves quickly. Standard models of nucleotide evolution cannot be applied to quantify its rate of change since processes other than single nucleotide changes determine its evolution.

Methods

We present probabilistic models that are specific for spacer content evolution. They account for the different processes of insertion and deletion. Insertions can be constrained to occur on one end only or are allowed to occur throughout the array. One deletion event can affect one spacer or a whole fragment of adjacent spacers. Parameters of the underlying models are estimated for a pair of arrays by maximum likelihood using explicit ancestor enumeration.

Results

Simulations show that parameters are well estimated on average under the models presented here. There is a bias in the rate estimation when including fragment deletions. The models also estimate times between pairs of strains. But with increasing time, spacer overlap goes to zero, and thus there is an upper bound on the distance that can be estimated. Spacer content similarities are displayed in a distance based phylogeny using the estimated times.

We use the presented models to analyze differentYersinia pestisdata sets and find that the results among them are largely congruent. The models also capture the variation in diversity of spacers among the data sets. A comparison of spacer-based phylogenies and Cas gene phylogenies shows that they resolve very different time scales for this data set.

Conclusions

The simulations and data analyses show that the presented models are useful for quantifying spacer content evolution and for displaying spacer content similarities of closely related strains in a phylogeny. This allows for comparisons of different CRISPR arrays or for comparisons between CRISPR arrays and nucleotide substitution rates.
Evolution of bone compactness in extant and extinct moles (Talpidae): exploring humeral microstructure in small fossorial mammals
Authors: Meier Patricia S , Bickelmann Constanze , Scheyer Torsten M , Koyabu Daisuke , Sánchez-Villagra Marcelo R
Published: February 2013

Background

Talpids include forms with different degree of fossoriality, with major specializations in the humerus in the case of the fully fossorial moles. We studied the humeral microanatomy of eleven extant and eight extinct talpid taxa of different lifestyles and of two non-fossorial outgroups and examined the effects of size and phylogeny. We tested the hypothesis that bone microanatomy is different in highly derived humeri of fossorial taxa than in terrestrial and semi-aquatic ones, likely due to special mechanical strains to which they are exposed to during digging. This study is the first comprehensive examination of histological parameters in an ecologically diverse and small-sized mammalian clade.

Results

No pattern of global bone compactness was found in the humeri of talpids that could be related to biomechanical specialization, phylogeny or size. The transition zone from the medullary cavity to the cortical compacta was larger and the ellipse ratio smaller in fossorial talpids than in non-fossorial talpids. No differences were detected between the two distantly related fossorial clades, Talpini and Scalopini.

Conclusions

At this small size, the overall morphology of the humerus plays a predominant role in absorbing the load, and microanatomical features such as an increase in bone compactness are less important, perhaps due to insufficient gravitational effects. The ellipse ratio of bone compactness shows relatively high intraspecific variation, and therefore predictions from this ratio based on single specimens are invalid.