bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social Capital, Welfare State, and Political Legitimacy
Authors: Albano Roberto , Barbera Filippo
Published: December 2009

In this article, the authors use the concept of negative social capital to address the contextual impact of micro mechanisms explaining political legitimacy. They first illustrate the effect of social capital with regard to its negative consequences. Then they select four countries, each one a case study of a different welfare regime, and measure the distribution of “time given helping others.” The helping behavior is interpreted as a credit slip in social capital vocabulary, and its effect on the confidence in democracy in different welfare regimes is measured. The research findings suggest that helping behavior in weaker welfare regimes has detrimental consequences for political legitimacy. The results are consistent both in a cross-country and in a within-country comparison.
Bounding the Dynamic Behavior of an Uncertain System via Polynomial Chaos-based Simulation
Authors: Smith Anton H. C. , Ponci Ferdinanda , Monti Antonello
Published: December 2009

Parametric uncertainty can represent parametric tolerance, parameter noise or parameter disturbances. The effects of these uncertainties on the time evolution of a system can be extremely significant, mostly when studying closed-loop operation of control systems. The presence of uncertainty makes the modeling process challenging, since it is impossible to express the behavior of the system with a deterministic approach. If the uncertainties can be defined in terms of probability density function, probabilistic approaches can be adopted. In many cases, the most useful aspect is the evaluation of the worst-case scenario, thus limiting the problem to the evaluation of the boundary of the set of solutions. This is particularly true for the analysis of robust stability and performance of a closed-loop system. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate how the polynomial chaos theory (PCT) can simplify the determination of the worst-case scenario, quickly providing the boundaries in time domain. The proposed approach is documented with examples and with the description of the Maple worksheet developed by the authors for the automatic processing in the PCT framework.
Beyond the Laboratory: Evaluating the Survey Evidence for the Disidentification Explanation of Black-White Differences in Achievement
Authors: Morgan Stephen L. , Mehta Jal D.
Published: December 2009

The black-white gap in achievement, as measured by performance on standardized tests, has received considerable attention from researchers in the past five years. Claude Steele's stereotype threat and disidentification mechanism is perhaps the most heralded of the new explanations for residual racial differences that persist after adjustments for social background are performed. Analyzing data from the National Education Longitudinal Study, we found qualified support for portions of the disidentification explanation. Black students' academic self-evaluations are more weakly associated with their measured academic performances, a difference that could stem from stereotype threat or a belief that the evaluations are racially biased. But this discounting of performance evaluations does not seem to provoke a more complete disidentification with the schooling process or with academic achievement in general. The findings suggest that there is no clear path from being stereotyped to disidentifying, and in conclusion we discuss alternative explanations for why it may be so.
Social Reproduction and Child-rearing Practices: Social Class, Children's Agency, and the Summer Activity Gap
Authors: Chin Tiffani , Phillips Meredith
Published: December 2009

This study contributes to the ongoing scholarly debate about the relative importance of parents' resources and values in influencing parents' child-rearing practices. Using ethnographic data on children's summer experiences, the authors examine how families from different ethnic and social-class backgrounds assemble child care and other activities for their children during summer vacation. The authors argue that social-class differences in the quality and quantity of children's activities do not stem largely from fundamental differences in parents' desires to help children develop or cultivate their skills and talents. Instead, these differences stem from parents' differential access to a wide range of resources, including money, the human capital to know how best to assess and improve children's skills, the cultural capital to know how best to cultivate children's talents, and the social capital to learn about and gain access to programs and activities. The authors also show that children's own values and temperaments, or “child capital,” strongly influence children's activities, sometimes compensating for parents' lack of resources and sometimes impeding parents' efforts to construct stimulating summers for their children.
Straddling Boundaries: Identity, Culture, and School
Authors: Carter Prudence L.
Published: December 2009

This article presents the results of an investigation of the following questions: How do low-income African American and Latino youths negotiate the boundaries between school and peer group contexts? Do variable forms of negotiation exist? If so, what are they, and how do they manifest? In addressing these questions, the author posits two arguments that directly challenge the “acting white” thesis. The first is that black and Latino students' academic, cultural, psychological, and social experiences are heterogeneous. This article examines three groups of low-income African American and Latino students who differ in how they believe group members should behave culturally—the cultural mainstreamers, the cultural straddlers, and the noncompliant believers. Second, this article returns to the sociological signification of four dimensions of the phenomenon of (resistance to) acting white and highlights the varied responses of the three groups to the social boundaries that collective identities engender and that status hierarchies in schools produce. Straddlers appear to traverse the boundaries between their ethnic peer groups and school environments best. The analyses are based on a combination of survey and qualitative data that were collected from a series of in-depth individual and group interviews with an interethnic, mixed-gender sample of 68 low-income, African American and Latino youths, aged 13–20.
The Gender Income Gap and the Role of Education
Authors: Bobbitt-Zeher Donna
Published: December 2009

Education is thought to be the pathway to success for disadvantaged groups. Given that young women now match or surpass men's educational achievements on many measures, how do they fare in terms of equal earnings? Would further educational changes matter for closing any existing gap? Analyzing data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey, the author found that college-educated men in their mid-20s already earn, on average, about $7,000 more per year than do college-educated women. The findings suggest that this gap would still be substantial–about $4,400 per year–if women and men had similar educational credentials, scores on standardized tests, fields of study, and degrees from colleges of similar selectivity. Although women's gains in education may have been central to narrowing the gender gap in income historically, gender differences in fields of study continue to disadvantage women. Moreover, gender differences in work-related factors are more important than are educational differences for understanding contemporary income inequality among young workers.
Staying Back and Dropping Out: The Relationship Between Grade Retention and School Dropout
Authors: Stearns Elizabeth , Moller Stephanie , Blau Judith , Potochnick Stephanie
Published: December 2009

Students who repeat a grade prior to high school have a higher risk of dropping out of high school than do students who are continuously promoted. This study tested whether standard theories of dropout—including the participation-identification model and the social capital model—explain this link. Although the presence of variables, including academic achievement and disciplinary problems, reduces the higher probability of retained students dropping out, existing models of dropping out do not adequately explain the markedly higher probability of dropping out for retained students. Regression decomposition reveals differences between promoted and retained students in the importance of resources and illustrates that various resources hold different levels of importance for white, black, and Latino students.
Social Class and Educational Attainment: A Comparative Study of England, Wales, and Scotland
Authors: Paterson Lindsay , Iannelli Cristina
Published: December 2009

This article examines variations among England, Wales, and Scotland in the association between social origin and educational attainment and the role that different national educational policies may have played in shaping these variations. The findings show that country variation in the association between origins and attainment was mostly or entirely due to variations in overall levels of attainment. Moreover, inequality was the highest where the proportions attaining a particular threshold were the highest—upper secondary school or higher in Scotland. The authors propose a refinement of Raftery and Hout's theory of maximally maintained inequality that takes into account that the trajectory of inequality is not linear: inequality can widen in the initial phase of expanding opportunity, en route to an eventual contraction, because the most advantaged groups are the first to exploit any new opportunities that policy changes offer. The results show that country differences in educational policy have not yielded different changes over time in the association between origin and educational attainment.
Military Service and Educational Attainment in the All-Volunteer Era
Authors: Teachman Jay
Published: December 2009

This article uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to examine the relationship between service in the All Volunteer Force (AVF) military and educational attainment. Through the use of fixed-effects estimators, the author generated estimates of the effect of military service on the highest grade of school completed by men that are purged of the confounding effects of constant unmeasured household-specific and person-specific variables. He also implemented another series of controls for selectivity involving potential time-varying factors by comparing active-duty veterans to reserve-duty veterans and nonveterans who at some time indicated their intentions to enter the military. The results indicate that there is considerable diversity in the effect of military service among veterans according to such variables as education prior to service, score on the Armed Forces Qualification Test, branch of service, length of service, age at entry into the military, and race. Overall, however, veterans of the AVF receive less education than their civilian counterparts, and this educational gap tends to grow over time.
Only Some Are Dead Men Walking: Teaching About Race Discrimination and the Death Penalty
Authors: Bordt Rebecca L.
Published: December 2009

This paper describes an experiential learning exercise I have used to teach race discrimination in my introductory and criminology courses. The exercise is designed to introduce students to the concept of non-conscious forms of racial bias, a form of race discrimination often difficult for students to grasp. Using a hypothetical criminal case, students imagine themselves as jurors in a capital murder trial and decide whether the defendant should receive the death penalty or life imprisonment. The results of the exercise are used as a basis for class discussion. Specifically, I consider why the students' findings either support or challenge previous research and consider social-psychological arguments about how racism manifests itself on a non-conscious level. After outlining the specifics of the exercise and describing the class discussion in detail, I offer an evaluation of the assignment based on student feedback and my own reflection.
Sociology and the Environment: An Analysis of Coverage in Introductory Sociology Textbooks
Authors: Lewis Tammy L. , Humphrey Craig R.
Published: December 2009

Using content analysis, this research examines the impact of the first 25 years of environmental sociology research on current introductory sociology textbooks. The investigators searched the texts for 40 key concepts in environmental sociology and for the inclusion of works by 20 award-winning environmental sociologists. On average, the texts cited 7 of the 40 key concepts. Eliminating multiple citations to a page, the total number of pages cited averaged just under three percent per book. On average, the texts cite four works by influential environmental sociologists. The texts, however, omitted some of the most central, unique concepts in the field. The texts typically treated environmental issues as social problems rather than as the by-products of institutionalized behaviors or practices. There tends to be a positive relationship between the sales of a text and the discussion of the environment.
Bridging the Gap Between Cultures of Teaching and Cultures of Research
Authors: Kain Edward L.
Published: December 2009

The twentieth century saw a series of major changes in higher education that, among other things, led to an increasing tension between teaching and research within the academy. I argue that the contraposition of these two activities is counterproductive to sociology as well as other disciplines. Content analysis of job listings in the American Sociological Association (ASA) Employment Bulletin from three different decades suggests that although teaching and research increasingly blended near the end of the twentieth century, significant differences remain between type of institution and the relative emphasis upon teaching and research. I conclude with several suggestions for changes that are needed to help bridge the gap between teaching and research within the changing landscape of higher education.
A Comparative Analysis of Existing Standards For High School Sociology Curricula
Authors: Andriot Angie L.
Published: December 2009

Academic sociologists have recently increased their focus on improving high school sociology. Reform efforts include networking between teachers and universities, improving curriculum, and enhancing teacher training. I propose that this list be expanded to include setting curricular standards. Current trends in educational reform center on standards-based education, and although many social science disciplines have adapted to this trend, sociology's focus on standards is limited to undergraduate education. I analyze the existing state sociology standards by measuring them against the American Sociological Association's (ASA) Advanced Placement Sociology course, the National Council for Social Studies standards, and the sample learning goals from Liberal Learning and the Sociology Major Updated (McKinney et al. 2005). The results indicate that there are some substantial differences in the learning goals set forth by the ASA and those set forth by the states. I suggest that since the academic sociological community is in an ideal position to address high school social studies content in a variety of disciplines, we should expand our efforts in this area.
The Role of the Introductory Sociology Course on Students' Perceptions of Achievement of General Education Goals
Authors: Howard Jay , Zoeller Aimee
Published: December 2009

As higher education accreditation agencies emphasize achievement of general education learning goals for undergraduate students, departments are increasingly required to identify and assess the contributions of their disciplines to achievement of these goals. This exploratory study conducted at a large urban university and its satellite campus seeks to identify students' perceptions of the contributions of the Introduction to Sociology course to the general education goals specified by a single university. This study also seeks to identify the most frequently used pedagogies used by introductory sociology instructors. Results indicate students perceive that Introduction to Sociology facilitates achievement of critical thinking skills, integration and application of knowledge, and understanding of society and culture. Results also indicate that lecture is a nearly ubiquitous teaching strategy. Students report instructors utilize in-class discussion frequently. Small group activities, writing assignments, videos, and online discussion were less frequently utilized.
Teaching Affirmative Action
Authors: Bohmer Susanne , Oka Kayleen U.
Published: December 2009

Affirmative action, a controversial topic about which students have many misconceptions, lends itself especially well to a sociological analysis. This paper describes an approach to teaching that: 1) informs students of different affirmative action programs; 2) gives them the opportunity to apply and integrate a variety of concepts and research findings covered in our sociology courses; 3) allows us to assess how well students understand affirmative action and to what degree they retain myths about the programs; and 4) covers an emotionally charged topic with enough depth to go beyond surface reactions. We find that this integrated approach dispels some of the most common myths, leads students to become more thoughtful and analytical, and gives them a good foundation from which to examine affirmative action in the future.
Overcoming Student Disengagement and Anxiety in Theory, Methods, and Statistics Courses by Building a Community of Learners
Authors: Macheski Ginger E. , Buhrmann Jan , Lowney Kathleen S. , Bush Melanie E.L.
Published: December 2009

Participants in the 2007 American Sociological Association teaching workshop, “Innovative Teaching Practices for Difficult Subjects,” shared concerns about teaching statistics, research methods, and theory. Strategies for addressing these concerns center on building a community of learners by creating three processes throughout the course: 1) an ongoing active role for students; 2) mechanisms to establish a common language of discourse; and 3) a means of monitoring students' feelings. Examples are provided which introduce readers to ideas which can help in the creation and maintenance of a successful community of learners when teaching these difficult subjects. These processes can build student engagement and help to reduce student anxieties. More detailed information about specific exercises, examples, and bibliographic resources which were distributed at the workshop, can be found on the Teaching Sociology website.
The Converging Landscape of Higher Education
Authors: Pescosolido Bernice A.
Published: December 2009

Across the field of higher education and within the discipline of sociology, several important reconceptualizations of academic work have emerged. While not absolutely in sync, there is a striking overlap across three of the most visible of these: Boyer's Scholarship Reconsidered, Carnegie's Stewardship of the Discipline, and Burawoy's Public Sociology. Putting the development of these conceptualizations into the larger context of shifts in higher education, I briefly review each, putting special emphasis on the synergy among them. However, despite these overarching guides and a number of other noted innovations (particularly in the scholarship of teaching and learning), new challenges have arisen. I end by discussing these new developments, drawing from basic sociological research to provide insights for maintaining gains and pushing these efforts forward. In particular, SoTL and the aging of the cohort of leaders who pioneered these redefinition efforts emphasize the importance of Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) programs, and the placement of new PhDs with this broad vision in PhD-granting departments, as well as in liberal arts colleges and universities.
On the Outside Teaching in
Authors: Koeber Charles , Wright David W.
Published: December 2009

This study uses a quasi-experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of Internet videoconferencing technology. The instructor used a laptop, webcam, high-speed DSL connection, and Polycom™ Viewstation to teach a course unit of introductory sociology from a remote location to an experimental group of students in a large multimedia classroom. The same instructor taught a control group of introductory sociology students without videoconferencing. The groups were compared using exam scores, attendance, classroom observations, and student evaluations. The use of Internet videoconferencing did not affect exam scores or attendance. However, it substantially lowered student evaluation scores. In comparison to classroom-based instruction and due to problems with and limitations of the technology, students experienced greater difficulty communicating with the instructor, felt more separated, and were less engaged in the course. Therefore, they perceived the instructor's teaching to be less effective, and evaluations reflected lower scores, thereby “punishing” the instructor. Symbolic interactionism is used to interpret the results. This research is compared and contrasted with a previous study conducted by one of the authors (Koeber 2005), also published in Teaching Sociology, which yielded opposite results. In Koeber's study the instructor was rewarded with favorable student evaluations for the use of new technology that enhanced engagement. We conclude that when instructors choose whether or not to use Internet videoconferencing, they must weigh the potential benefits associated with bridging distance gaps versus potential costs associated with reduction in quantity and quality of symbolic interaction that may cause students to disengage.
Capitalist Unfree Labour: A Contradiction?
Authors: Brass Tom
Published: December 2009

Disputed here is the view that a ‘fully functioning’ accumulation process cannot operate efficiently — let alone profitably — without workers who are free. In non-Marxist political economy which eschews class struggle the idea that unfree labour might be acceptable to capitalists was dismissed on the grounds that such workers would necessarily be inefficient, unskilled, costly, and scarce. Because it was an obstacle both to market formation and expansion, and to the installation of advanced productive forces, they argued, unfree labour-power was incompatible with a dynamic process of accumulation within particular national contexts. In the present global capitalist system none of these objections continue to hold. Analysing a 21st century capitalism though the lens of class struggle confirms that today unfree workers are more profitable to employ but no less efficient than their counterparts who are free. Deskilling combined with a reserve army that is global in scope makes it possible for capitalists to use such production relations.
Redundancy as a critical life event
Authors: Gardiner Jean , Stuart Mark , MacKenzie Robert , Forde Chris , Greenwood Ian , Perrett Rob
Published: December 2009

This article investigates the process of moving on from redundancy in the Welsh steel industry among individuals seeking new careers. It identifies a spectrum of career change experience, ranging from those who had actively planned their career change, prior to the redundancies, to those ‘at a career crossroads’, for whom there were tensions between future projects, present contingencies and past identities. It suggests that the process of moving on from redundancy can be better understood if we are able to identify, not just structural and cultural enablers and constraints but also the temporal dimensions of agency that facilitate or limit transformative action in the context of critical life events. Where individuals are located on the spectrum of career change experience will depend on the balance of enabling and constraining factors across the four aspects considered, namely temporal dimensions of agency, individuals’ biographical experience, structural and cultural contexts.
Review and revision of clinical practice of using G-CSF after autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at UCSD
Authors: Trivedi Meghana , Martinez Sam , Corringham Sue , Medley Katherine , Ball Edward D
Published: December 2009

There was no consensus on the optimal use of G-CSF after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In this study, the practice of using G-CSF, based on the CD34+ cell number, at the University of California, San Diego Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit (UCSD BMT) was evaluated by performing a five-year retrospective analysis of data from patients undergoing autologous and allogeneic transplantation. Various outcomes, such as time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment and length of post-transplant hospital stay are assessed in relation to use of G-CSF and number of CD34+ cells infused. It has been found that the use of G-CSF is associated with faster neutrophil engraftment and shorter length of post-transplant hospital stay without affecting time to platelet engraftment in patients undergoing autologous transplantation. In addition, the number of CD34+ cells do not influence outcomes in autologous and allogeneic transplant patients if they are treated with G-CSF. As a result of this evaluation, the G-CSF protocol at UCSD BMT Unit is revised. The main change is to implement the use of G-CSF in all patients undergoing autologous transplantation regardless of the number of CD34 + cells. No changes in the allogeneic transplantation protocol are made as a result of this analysis.
Class and career choice
Authors: Huppatz Kate Elizabeth
Published: December 2009

This article explores the significance of class for women’s participation in paid care work. It draws on in-depth interviews with female nurses and social workers in order to understand what motivates women to pursue paid caring careers. Using the theoretical tools of Bourdieu, this article explores the career motivations, mobility experiences and aspirations of differently classed nurses and social workers. The research reveals some significant differences between the women who self-identify as coming from working-class backgrounds and those who self-identify as coming from middle-class backgrounds. The article therefore provides a gender/ class analysis of women’s participation in the paid caring field and moves beyond gender analyses of caring work.
Current burn wound management
Authors: Jeffery SLA
Published: December 2009

Burn injury is common, but can have severe consequences for the individual patient. Assessment of burn depth, and the different ways of treating burns are topics which are often shrouded in mystery. Burn surgery is seen by some as a ’dark art’. This article attempts to shed some light on these topics.
High-dose cyclophosphamide for severe aplastic anemia: long-term follow-up
Authors: Brodsky Robert A. , Chen Allen R. , Dorr Donna , Fuchs Ephraim J. , Huff Carol Ann , Luznik Leo , Smith B. Douglas , Matsui William H. , Goodman Steven N. , Ambinder Richard F. , Jones Richard J.
Published: December 2009

Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is a life-threatening bone marrow failure disorder that can be treated with bone marrow transplantation, immunosuppressive therapy, and high-dose cyclophosphamide. Here, we report long-term follow-up on 67 SAA patients (44 treatment-naive and 23 refractory) treated with high-dose cyclophosphamide. At 10 years, the overall actuarial survival was 88%, the response rate was 71% with the majority being complete, and the actuarial event-free survival was 58% in 44 treatment-naive SAA patients. Patients with refractory SAA fared less well after high-dose cyclophosphamide therapy; at 10 years, overall actuarial survival, response, and actuarial event-free survival rates were 62%, 48%, and 27%, respectively. High-dose cyclophosphamide is highly effective therapy for severe aplastic anemia. Large randomized controlled trials will be necessary to establish how results of high-dose cyclophosphamide compare with either bone marrow transplantation or standard immunosuppressive regimens, such as antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporine.
BLAST+: architecture and applications
Authors: Camacho Christiam , Coulouris George , Avagyan Vahram , Ma Ning , Papadopoulos Jason , Bealer Kevin , Madden Thomas L
Published: December 2009

Background

Sequence similarity searching is a very important bioinformatics task. While Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) outperforms exact methods through its use of heuristics, the speed of the current BLAST software is suboptimal for very long queries or database sequences. There are also some shortcomings in the user-interface of the current command-line applications.

Results

We describe features and improvements of rewritten BLAST software and introduce new command-line applications. Long query sequences are broken into chunks for processing, in some cases leading to dramatically shorter run times. For long database sequences, it is possible to retrieve only the relevant parts of the sequence, reducing CPU time and memory usage for searches of short queries against databases of contigs or chromosomes. The program can now retrieve masking information for database sequences from the BLAST databases. A new modular software library can now access subject sequence data from arbitrary data sources. We introduce several new features, including strategy files that allow a user to save and reuse their favorite set of options. The strategy files can be uploaded to and downloaded from the NCBI BLAST web site.

Conclusion

The new BLAST command-line applications, compared to the current BLAST tools, demonstrate substantial speed improvements for long queries as well as chromosome length database sequences. We have also improved the user interface of the command-line applications.
Genome-wide nucleosome mapping of Plasmodium falciparum reveals histone-rich coding and histone-poor intergenic regions and chromatin remodeling of core and subtelomeric genes
Authors: Westenberger Scott J , Cui Long , Dharia Neekesh , Winzeler Elizabeth , Cui Liwang
Published: December 2009

Background

Epigenetic modifications of histones and regulation of chromatin structure have been implicated in regulation of virulence gene families in P. falciparum. To better understand chromatin-mediated gene regulation, we used a high-density oligonucleotide microarray to map the position and enrichment of nucleosomes across the entire genome of P. falciparum at three time points of the intra-erythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC) in vitro. We used an unmodified histone H4 antibody for chromatin immunoprecipitation of nucleosome-bound DNA.

Results

We observed generally low nucleosomal occupancy of intergenic regions and higher occupancy of protein coding regions. In contract to the overall small fluctuation of nucleosomal occupancy in most coding regions throughout the IDC, subtelomeric genes encoding surface proteins such as var and rif, as well as some core chromosomal genes such as transcription factors, showed large changes in chromatin structure. Telomeres harbored a region with the highest nucleosomal occupancy of the genome and also exhibited large changes with higher nucleosomal occupancy at schizont stages. While many of these subtelomeric genes were previously shown to be modified by H3K9 trimethylation, we also identified some housekeeping genes in core chromosome regions that showed extensive changes in chromatin structure but do not contain this modification. tRNA and basal transcription factor genes showed low nucleosomal occupancy at all times, suggesting of an open chromatin structure that might be permissive for constitutively high levels of expression. Generally, nucleosomal occupancy was not correlated with the steady-state mRNA levels. Several var genes were exceptions: the var gene with the highest expression level showed the lowest nucleosomal occupancy, and selection of parasites for var2CSA expression resulted in lower nucleosomal occupancy at the var2CSA locus. We identified nucleosome-free regions in intergenic regions that may serve as transcription start sites or transcription factor binding sites. Using the nucleosomal occupancy data as the baseline, we further mapped the genome-wide enrichment of H3K9 acetylation and detected general enrichment of this mark in intergenic regions.

Conclusions

These data on nucleosome enrichment changes add to our understanding of the influence of chromatin structure on the regulation of gene expression. Histones are generally enriched in coding regions, and relatively poor in intergenic regions. Histone enrichment patterns allow for identification of new putative gene-coding regions. Most genes do not show correlation between chromatin structure and steady-state mRNA levels, indicating the dominant roles of other regulatory mechanisms. We present a genome-wide nucleosomal occupancy map, which can be used as a reference for future experiments of histone modification mapping.
Association between CYP19 gene SNP rs2414096 Polymorphism and polycystic ovary syndrome in Chinese women
Authors: Jin Jia-Li , Sun Jing , Ge Hui-Juan , Cao Yun-Xia , Wu Xiao-Ke , Liang Feng-Jing , Sun Hai-Xiang , Ke Lu , Yi Long , Wu Zhi-Wei , Wang Yong
Published: December 2009

Background

Several studies have reported the association of the SNP rs2414096 in the CYP19 gene with hyperandrogenism, which is one of the clinical manifestations of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). These studies suggest that SNP rs2414096 may be involved in the etiopathogenisis of PCOS. To investigate whetherthe CYP19 gene SNP rs2414096 polymorphism is associated with the susceptibility to PCOS, we designed a case-controlled association study including 684 individuals.

Methods

A case-controlled association study including 684 individuals (386 PCOS patients and 298 controls) was performed to assess the association of SNP rs2414096 with PCOS. Genotyping of SNP rs2414096 was conducted by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method that was performed on genomic DNA isolated from blood leucocytes. Results were analyzed in respect to clinical test results.

Results

The genotypic distributions of rs2414096 (GG, AG, AA) in the CYP19 gene (GG, AG, AA) in women with PCOS (0.363, 0.474, 0.163, respectively) were significantly different from that in controls (0.242, 0.500, 0.258, respectively) (P = 0.001). E2/T was different between the AA and GG genotypes. Age at menarche (AAM) and FSH were also significantly different among the GG, AG, and AA genotypes in women with PCOS (P = 0.0391 and 0.0118, respectively). No differences were observed in body mass index (BMI) and other serum hormone concentrations among the three genotypes, either in the PCOS patients or controls.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that SNP rs2414096 in the CYP19 gene is associated with susceptibility to PCOS.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for the management of tennis elbow: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial: the TATE trial (ISRCTN 87141084)
Authors: Chesterton Linda S , van der Windt Daniëlle A , Sim Julius , Lewis Martyn , Mallen Christian D , Mason Elizabeth E , Warlow Catherine , Vohora Kanchan , Hay Elaine M
Published: December 2009

Background

Tennis elbow is a common and often extremely painful musculoskeletal condition, which has considerable impact on individuals as well as economic implications for healthcare utilization and absence from work. Many management strategies have been studied in clinical trials. Whilst corticosteroid injections offer short term pain relief, this treatment is unpleasant and is used with caution due to an associated high risk of pain recurrence in the long term. Systematic reviews conclude that there is no clear and effective treatment for symptoms of pain in the first 6 weeks of the condition. There is a clear need for an intervention that is acceptable to patients and provides them with effective short-term pain relief without increasing the risk of recurrence. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is an inexpensive, non-invasive, non-pharmacological form of analgesia that is commonly used in the treatment of pain. TENS has very few contraindications and is simple to apply. It also benefits from being patient controlled, thereby promoting self-management. This study aims to assess the effectiveness, in terms of pain relief, and cost-effectiveness of a self-management package of treatment that includes TENS.

Methods/Design

The design of the study will be a two-group pragmatic randomized clinical trial. 240 participants aged 18 years and over with tennis elbow will be recruited from 20-30 GP practices in Staffordshire, UK. Participants are to be randomized on a 1:1 basis to receive either primary care management (standard GP consultation, medication, advice and education) or primary care management with the addition of TENS, over 6 weeks. Our primary outcome measure is average intensity of elbow pain in the past 24 hours (0-10 point numerical rating scale) at 6 weeks. Secondary outcomes include pain and limitation of function, global assessment of change, days of sick leave, illness perceptions, and overall health status. A cost-effectiveness analysis will also be performed. Patient adherence and satisfaction data will be collected at 6 weeks, 6 months and 12 months by postal questionnaire. A diary will also be completed for the first 2 weeks of treatment. Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analyses will be carried out using an intention-to-treat approach as the primary analysis.

Discussion

This paper presents detail on the rationale, design, methods and operational aspects of the trial.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials. ISRCTN87141084
An improved phage-display panning method to produce an HM-1 killer toxin anti-idiotypic antibody
Authors: Kabir M Enamul , Krishnaswamy Senthilkumar , Miyamoto Masahiko , Furuichi Yasuhiro , Komiyama Tadazumi
Published: December 2009

Background

Phage-display panning is an integral part of biomedical research. Regular panning methods are sometimes complicated by inefficient detachment of the captured phages from the antigen-coated solid supports, which prompted us to modify. Here, we produce an efficient antigen-specific single chain fragment variable (scFv) antibody by using a target-related molecule that favored selection ofrecombinant antibodies.

Results

To produce more selective and specific anti-idiotypic scFv-antibodies from a cDNA library, constructed from HM-1 killer toxin (HM-1)-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (nmAb-KT), the method was modified by using an elution buffer supplemented with HM-1 that shares structural and functional similarities with the active site of the scFv antibody. Competitive binding of HM-1 to nmAb-KT allowed easy and quick dissociation of scFv-displayed phages from immobilized nmAb-KT to select specific anti-idiotypic scFv antibodies of HM-1. After modified panning, 80% clones (40/50) showed several times higher binding affinity to nmAb-KT than regular panning. The major populations (48%) of these clones (scFv K1) were genotypically same and had strong cytocidal activity againstSaccharomycesandCandidaspecies. The scFv K1 (Kdvalue = 4.62 × 10-8M) had strong reactivity toward nmAb-KT, like HM-1 (Kdvalue = 6.74 × 10-9M) as judged by SPR analysis.

Conclusion

The scFv antibodies generated after modified subtractive panning appear to have superior binding properties and cytocidal activity than regular panning. A simple modification of the elution condition in the phage-display panning protocol makes a large difference in determining success. Our method offers an attractive platform to discover potential therapeutic candidates.
The sonic hedgehog signaling pathway is reactivated in human renal cell carcinoma and plays orchestral role in tumor growth
Authors: Dormoy Valérian , Danilin Sabrina , Lindner Véronique , Thomas Lionel , Rothhut Sylvie , Coquard Catherine , Helwig Jean-Jacques , Jacqmin Didier , Lang Hervé , Massfelder Thierry
Published: December 2009

Background

Human clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CRCC) remains resistant to therapies. Recent advances in Hypoxia Inducible Factors (HIF) molecular network led to targeted therapies, but unfortunately with only limited clinical significance. Elucidating the molecular processes involved in kidney tumorigenesis and resistance is central to the development of improved therapies, not only for kidney cancer but for many, if not all, cancer types. The oncogenic PI3K/Akt, NF-kB and MAPK pathways are critical for tumorigenesis. The sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway is crucial to normal development.

Results

By quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblot, we report that the SHH signaling pathway is constitutively reactivated in tumors independently of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene expression which is inactivated in the majority of CRCC. The inhibition of the SHH signaling pathway by the specific inhibitor cyclopamine abolished CRCC cell growth as assessed by cell counting, BrdU incorporation studies, fluorescence-activated cell sorting and β-galactosidase staining. Importantly, inhibition of the SHH pathway induced tumor regression in nude mice through inhibition of cell proliferation and neo-vascularization, and induction of apoptosis but not senescence assessed by in vivo studies, immunoblot and immunohistochemistry. Gli1, cyclin D1, Pax2, Lim1, VEGF, and TGF-β were exclusively expressed in tumors and were shown to be regulated by SHH, as evidenced by immunoblot after SHH inhibition. Using specific inhibitors and immunoblot, the activation of the oncogenic PI3K/Akt, NF-kB and MAPK pathways was decreased by SHH inhibition.

Conclusions

These findings support targeting SHH for the treatment of CRCC and pave the way for innovative and additional investigations in a broad range of cancers.
Pre-treatment preferences and characteristics among patients seeking in vitro fertilisation
Authors: Walsh Anthony PH , Collins Gary S , Le Du Monique , Walsh David J , Sills Eric Scott
Published: December 2009

Background

This study sought to describe patient features before beginning fertility treatment, and to ascertain their perceptions relative to risk of twin pregnancy outcomes associated with such therapy.

Methods

Data on readiness for twin pregnancy outcome from in vitro fertilisation (IVF) was gathered from men and women before initiating fertility treatment by anonymous questionnaire.

Results

A total of 206 women and 204 men were sampled. Mean (± SD) age for women and men being 35.5 ± 5 and 37.3 ± 7 yrs, respectively. At least one IVF cycle had been attempted by 27.2% of patients and 33.9% of this subgroup had initiated ≥3 cycles, reflecting an increase in previous failed cycles over five years. Good agreement was noted between husbands and wives with respect to readiness for twins from IVF (77% agreement; Cohen's K = 0.61; 95% CI 0.53 to 0.70).

Conclusion

Most patients contemplating IVF already have ideas about particular outcomes even before treatment begins, and suggests that husbands & wives are in general agreement on their readiness for twin pregnancy from IVF. However, fertility patients now may represent a more refractory population and therefore carry a more guarded prognosis. Patient preferences identified before IVF remain important, but further studies comparing pre- and post-treatment perceptions are needed.
A dose-controlled system for air-liquid interface cell exposure and application to zinc oxide nanoparticles
Authors: Lenz Anke Gabriele , Karg Erwin , Lentner Bernd , Dittrich Vlad , Brandenberger Christina , Rothen-Rutishauser Barbara , Schulz Holger , Ferron George A , Schmid Otmar
Published: December 2009

Background

Engineered nanoparticles are becoming increasingly ubiquitous and their toxicological effects on human health, as well as on the ecosystem, have become a concern. Since initial contact with nanoparticles occurs at the epithelium in the lungs (or skin, or eyes), in vitro cell studies with nanoparticles require dose-controlled systems for delivery of nanoparticles to epithelial cells cultured at the air-liquid interface.

Results

A novel air-liquid interface cell exposure system (ALICE) for nanoparticles in liquids is presented and validated. The ALICE generates a dense cloud of droplets with a vibrating membrane nebulizer and utilizes combined cloud settling and single particle sedimentation for fast (~10 min; entire exposure), repeatable (<12%), low-stress and efficient delivery of nanoparticles, or dissolved substances, to cells cultured at the air-liquid interface. Validation with various types of nanoparticles (Au, ZnO and carbon black nanoparticles) and solutes (such as NaCl) showed that the ALICE provided spatially uniform deposition (<1.6% variability) and had no adverse effect on the viability of a widely used alveolar human epithelial-like cell line (A549). The cell deposited dose can be controlled with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) over a dynamic range of at least 0.02-200 μg/cm2. The cell-specific deposition efficiency is currently limited to 0.072 (7.2% for two commercially available 6-er transwell plates), but a deposition efficiency of up to 0.57 (57%) is possible for better cell coverage of the exposure chamber.

Dose-response measurements with ZnO nanoparticles (0.3-8.5 μg/cm2) showed significant differences in mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory (IL-8) and oxidative stress (HO-1) markers when comparing submerged and air-liquid interface exposures. Both exposure methods showed no cellular response below 1 μg/cm2 ZnO, which indicates that ZnO nanoparticles are not toxic at occupationally allowed exposure levels.

Conclusion

The ALICE is a useful tool for dose-controlled nanoparticle (or solute) exposure of cells at the air-liquid interface. Significant differences between cellular response after ZnO nanoparticle exposure under submerged and air-liquid interface conditions suggest that pharmaceutical and toxicological studies with inhaled (nano-)particles should be performed under the more realistic air-liquid interface, rather than submerged cell conditions.
Impaired verbal memory in Parkinson disease: relationship to prefrontal dysfunction and somatosensory discrimination
Authors: Bohlhalter Stephan , Abela Eugenio , Weniger Dorothea , Weder Bruno
Published: December 2009

Objective

To study the neurocognitive profile and its relationship to prefrontal dysfunction in non-demented Parkinson's disease (PD) with deficient haptic perception.

Methods

Twelve right-handed patients with PD and 12 healthy control subjects underwent thorough neuropsychological testing including Rey complex figure, Rey auditory verbal and figural learning test, figural and verbal fluency, and Stroop test. Test scores reflecting significant differences between patients and healthy subjects were correlated with the individual expression coefficients of one principal component, obtained in a principal component analysis of an oxygen-15-labeled water PET study exploring somatosensory discrimination that differentiated between the two groups and involved prefrontal cortices.

Results

We found significantly decreased total scores for the verbal learning trials and verbal delayed free recall in PD patients compared with normal volunteers. Further analysis of these parameters using Spearman's ranking correlation showed a significantly negative correlation of deficient verbal recall with expression coefficients of the principal component whose image showed a subcortical-cortical network, including right dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex, in PD patients.

Conclusion

PD patients with disrupted right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex function and associated diminished somatosensory discrimination are impaired also in verbal memory functions. A negative correlation between delayed verbal free recall and PET activation in a network including the prefrontal cortices suggests that verbal cues and accordingly declarative memory processes may be operative in PD during activities that demand sustained attention such as somatosensory discrimination. Verbal cues may be compensatory in nature and help to non-specifically enhance focused attention in the presence of a functionally disrupted prefrontal cortex.