bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Training for the unemployed: differential effects in white- and blue-collar workers with respect to mental well-being
Authors: Saloniemi Antti , Romppainen Katri , Strandh Mattias , Virtanen Pekka
Published: April 2014

In this study we investigate the effects of active labour market policy measures on health and well-being and how these effects are connected with socioeconomic status. The data were collected among the participants (n = 212) in 24 conventional vocational training courses in Finland. According to the results, training was accompanied by improvements in health and well-being among participants with a higher socioeconomic status, whereas for blue-collar workers the changes were neutral or even detrimental. The results raise questions about the role of active labour market policy measures as a public service. There seems to be a risk that these types of measures maintain or even produce health differences between socioeconomic groups.
Bringing the median voter back in: The relationship between government debt, median voter preferences, and welfare state spending
Authors: Tromborg Mathias Wessel
Published: April 2014

Welfare state spending cuts are effective fiscal consolidation tools, but some policymakers use other fiscal policy tools to address high levels of government debt. I argue that the economic incentive to cut welfare spending when government debt is high is undermined by the political incentive to stay in power when the median voter opposes retrenchment. Using survey data to measure the policy position of the median voter as well as hard figures on government debt and government social spending from 18 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, I estimate a series of regressions that show that government debt has a negative effect on social spending, but only when the median voter does not oppose retrenchment. This holds true for broad measures of social spending as well as for unemployment spending and old-age pension spending.
Music Teacher Education at a Liberal Arts College
Authors: Edgar Scott N.
Published: April 2014

In 2012, a committee at a small Midwestern liberal arts college, Lake Forest College, embarked on a journey to create a music education teacher licensure major. Drawing from narrative inquiry, this article reports how the dean of faculty, education department chair, music department chair, and assistant professor of music/music education coordinator collaborated on a curricular creation. Findings from this process included (a) the created music education major, (b) each participant’s rationale for wanting the new music education major, (c) valued components of the music education major, and (d) unique elements of a music education major at a liberal arts college. Implications from this experience could be valuable for music education programs at small liberal arts colleges, those involved in university/school partnerships such as professional development schools, and those looking to advocate for their music education programs across campus.
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine’s (MDMA’s) Impact on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: White C. Michael
Published: April 2014

Objective: Review the current literature assessing the role of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Data Sources: OVID MEDLINE search (1960-February 2014) using the terms MDMA, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, Molly, and Ecstasy crossed with posttraumatic stress disorder with backwards citation tracking using references from procured articles. Study Selection and Data Extraction: English language studies assessing MDMA in patients with PTSD. Data Synthesis: Three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted along with follow-up open-label and extension evaluations. In the 3 RCTs, therapy with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is promising, with reductions in PTSD rating scale scores (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, Severity of Symptoms Scale for PTSD Scale), although 2 of 3 trials did not show significant results, and all three had methodological limitations. The direction of effect for all trials was toward benefit in patients who were refractory to other PTSD therapies; the percentage reductions on rating scores ranged from 23% to 68%; and in 1 trial, the effect was sustained over a long period of time. MDMA ingestion without sustained psychotherapy over a 6- to 8-hour period is unlikely to be beneficial; trying to prolong the duration of effect with supplemental dosing is unlikely to provide additional benefits; and there are adverse effects on blood pressure and heart rate that should be appreciated. These studies used unadulterated MDMA with known and reproducible potency, which may not happen with street purchase of the product. Conclusions: MDMA-assisted psychotherapy may be an effective therapy in refractory PTSD but needs further evaluation to determine its place in contemporary therapy.
Need for Preparedness
Authors: Flöjt Jessica , Hir Ulrika Le , Rosengren Kristina
Published: April 2014

Home health care faces challenges that could affect job satisfaction and quality of care. The aim of the study was to describe nurses’ experiences of competence in home health care. The study sample comprised of interviews with six nurses and was analyzed using manifest qualitative content analysis. The category “Being prepared” and subcategories “Importance of leadership strategies,” “Training promotes safety and independence,” and “Co-operation for professional development” were identified. Organizing and planning continuous learning activities at a managerial level, such as collaborations with a focus on supervision and sense of coherence (SOC) training, could develop patient safety within home health care. The results demonstrate that professionally competent nurses working in home health care environments contribute to safe working practices to meet quality care outcomes.
Forceps minor damage and co-occurrence of depression and fatigue in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Gobbi C , Rocca MA , Pagani E , Riccitelli GC , Pravatà E , Radaelli M , Martinelli-Boneschi F , Falini A , Copetti M , Comi G , Filippi M
Published: April 2014

Objective:

Using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT MRI), we analyzed the architectural integrity of the brain white matter (WM) from a large cohort of MS patients to identify the structural substrates of the concomitant presence of depression and fatigue.

Methods:

Brain dual-echo, 3D T1-weighted and DT MRI scans were acquired from 147 MS patients and 90 gender- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Patients were stratified by the presence of depression (92 depressed (D), 55 not depressed (nD)) and fatigue (81 fatigued (F), 66 not fatigued (nF)). Sixty-five patients had co-occurrence of depression and fatigue (DF). Whole-brain voxel-wise comparisons of WM DT MRI abnormalities were performed using tract-based-spatial-statistics (TBSS). Tract-specific analyses were run in brain WM tracts using standard-space templates.

Results:

Whole-brain voxel-wise analysis yielded no significant differences between patient subgroups. At tract-specific analysis, DF patients had reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) of the forceps minor. Reduced FA of the right anterior thalamic radiation and right uncinate fasciculus was found in F-MS vs not F-MS patients after correcting for depression. No significant differences were found between D vs not D-MS patients, after correcting for fatigue.

Conclusions:

This study provides evidence for partially overlapping damage to frontal and fronto-temporal pathways underlying depression and fatigue in MS.
Elements of patient–health-care provider communication related to cardiovascular rehabilitation referral
Authors: Pourhabib Sanam , Chessex Caroline , Murray Judy , Grace Sherry L
Published: April 2014

Cardiovascular rehabilitation has been designed to decrease the burden of cardiovascular disease. This study described (1) patient–health-care provider interactions regarding cardiovascular rehabilitation and (2) which discussion elements were related to patient referral. This was a prospective study of cardiovascular patients and their health-care providers. Discussion utterances were coded using the Roter Interaction Analysis System. Discussion between 26 health-care providers and 50 patients were recorded. Cardiovascular rehabilitation referral was related to greater health-care provider interactivity (odds ratio = 2.82, 95% confidence interval = 1.01–7.86) and less patient concern and worry (odds ratio = 0.64, 95% confidence interval = 0.45–0.89). Taking time for reciprocal discussion and allaying patient anxiety may promote greater referral.
Analysis and determination for the parameters of “cohesive element” in numerical model of single fiber composites, II: The strength parameters
Authors: Wang Xiaohong , Liu Changxi , Tang Zhanwen , Wen Lihua , Bi Fengyang , Sun Xinyang
Published: April 2014

In this study, the micro-droplet debonding test for three kinds of different single fiber composites (CCF/epoxy resin-128, CCF/epoxy resin-5228, and CCF/ bismaleimide resin-5428) is carried out. Then the corresponding numerical model for the test is established in the general finite element software ABAQUS and the process of the elastic load transferring in the test is simulated. Based on the numerical results, the reasonable critical debonding load “ F” in the test is analyzed and is extracted from the scattered experimental datum. And it is used to combine with the numerical simulation for the “interphase” debonding process in the test. So the strength parameters of the “cohesive element” in the numerical are analyzed and determined. It turned out that in the numerical model for the CCF/Bismaleimide5428 single fiber composite, the strength parameter of the “cohesive element” is much higher (they are 130 MPa). It is demonstrated that the strength of the “interphase” in this single fiber composite is much stronger than that in the other two single fiber composites. These parameters can also be used to characterize the properties of “interphase” in composites.
An examination of factors and attitudes that influence reporting fraudulent claims in an academic environment
Authors: Carmichael Anna M , Krueger Lacy E
Published: April 2014

The study examined potential factors and attitudes associated with providing fraudulent academic claims. A total of 319 students completed an online survey which involved reading a vignette about an incomplete assignment. Participants reported whether they would contact their instructor to gain an extension, expressed their confidence in the believability of reasons for not completing an assignment, and answered questions about their attitudes toward academic excuse making. The results indicated that academic consequences of failing to turn in an assignment and communication medium did not affect the rate at which participants reported claims. Participants most commonly reported family emergency as a reason, and expressed higher confidence that the instructor would believe this reason if they or a classmate reported it. Furthermore, a survey about attitudes toward academic excuse making suggested that the belief that academic excuse making is not really a form of deception was associated with a greater likelihood of reporting a fraudulent claim, and that those who preferred email communication tended to endorse survey items that conveyed the ease of reporting academic excuses via email.
Transitional spaces from exterior to interior as functional vision barriers in ageing
Authors: Lasagno CM , Issolio LA , Pattini AE , Colombo EM
Published: April 2014

We determined the visual efficiency and visual discomfort for users of a typical transitional space in luminous climates. The subject moves from a brighter exterior to a dimmer interior, facing an abrupt change in the level of lighting as a potential functional vision barrier, mainly for ageing people. We measured suprathreshold visual efficiency in different age groups, recognising two Landolt ring orientations and answering some visual discomfort questions. Results show: oldest group (60–67) needed more than 3 times the time required by the youngest group (25–30) to perform the task but, in terms of discomfort, there are no noticeable effects regarding the disturbance or the sensation of reduction of mobility produced by the lighting changes in the transitional space among the three different groups.
Self, Relationship, Positionality, and Politics
Authors: Pensoneau-Conway Sandra L. , Bolen Derek M. , Toyosaki Satoshi , Rudick C. Kyle , Bolen Erin K.
Published: April 2014

In 2009, Toyosaki, Pensoneau-Conway, Wendt, and Leathers developed a collaborative writing method called community autoethnography (CAE). Participants dialogically collaborate through writing in order to “resituate identified social/cultural and sensitive issues” with the explicit goals of community-building and “cultural and social intervention.” In this article, we use CAE to explore and interrogate the politics, ethics, and boundaries of our collaborations and relationships. As individuals entering this collaborative engagement, we occupy various positions in relation to each other—stranger, best friend, student-turned-colleague/friend, student-friend, sibling, and so on. Each of these positions is subsequently complicated by social positions and relational politics that necessarily inform the process of collaborative writing. We write vulnerabilities across boundaries and between relationships, and in the process, with careful purpose, we write the becoming of new relationships, the becoming of community.
Assessing School-Level RTI Implementation for Reading
Authors: Noltemeyer Amity L. , Boone William J. , Sansosti Frank J.
Published: April 2014

Few studies have examined Response to Intervention (RTI) implementation adherence at the school level. Although tools designed to assess the implementation of RTI exist, the technical properties have not been rigorously documented, and psychometric techniques now being used to develop instrumentation appear not to have been used. The purpose of this preliminary study was to address this gap by developing the RTI Implementation Scale for Reading (RTIS-R). The instrument was developed based on theory, and items were refined based on data from expert reviews and cognitive interviews. Data were collected from 53 principals and school psychologists implementing RTI in 33 schools in a Midwestern state. Rasch analysis was used to examine and refine the instrument; it also facilitated the computation of equal interval item measures and person measures. Results suggest that the instrument is rigorous and has strong reliability. Interesting trends in responses emerged, which reveal an ordering of item difficulty that matches that predicted from theory. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.
Suppressive effects of irisflorentin on LPS-induced inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 macrophages
Authors: Gao Yuan , Fang Lei , Liu Fen , Zong Chuanjie , Cai Runlan , Chen Xi , Qi Yun
Published: April 2014

Irisflorentin, a naturally occurring isoflavone, is an abundant active constituent in Rhizoma Belamcandae. Although some chemical studies have been reported, pharmacological actions of irisflorentin are not well studied. In this study, we demonstrate the anti-inflammatory activity of irisflorentin in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Irisflorentin markedly reduces the transcriptional and translational levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) as well as the production of NO. Furthermore, it also significantly inhibits TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 at both the transcriptional and translational levels. These effects mainly act via ERK1/2 - and p38-mediated the activator protein-1 (AP-1) rather than the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. Thus, our study elucidates the anti-inflammatory mechanism of irisflorentin in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages.
Emodin attenuates systemic and liver inflammation in hyperlipidemic mice administrated with lipopolysaccharides
Authors: Jia Xuemei , Iwanowycz Stephen , Wang Junfeng , Saaoud Fatma , Yu Fang , Wang Yuzhen , Hu Jun , Chatterjee Saurabh , Wang Qian , Fan Daping
Published: April 2014

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major epidemics of the modern societies and has an inflammatory component in the pathogenesis. However, approved anti-inflammatory therapies are not currently available for the prevention of the transition from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We aimed to test if a Chinese herb-derived compound, emodin could halt the simple steatosis to NASH transition. LDLR−/− mice were fed a western-type diet for 10 weeks; and during the last four weeks, the mice were intra-peritoneally injected daily with LPS with or without emodin. Systemic inflammation was evaluated by measurement of serum levels of cytokines and chemokines and flow cytometric analysis of spleen leukocytes. Liver inflammation was determined by histology, immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot were performed to examine the effects of emodin on LPS-induced inflammatory responses in macrophages. Our data showed that emodin ameliorated systemic inflammation, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver, and attenuated liver function impairment. In vitro experiments showed emodin inhibited LPS-induced expression of proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages through suppressing Erk1/2 and p38 signaling. In conclusion, emodin inhibited the transition from simple steatosis to NASH in hyperlipidemic mice challenged with LPS through suppressing systemic and macrophage inflammation. Emodin may be developed as a therapy for NAFLD by the virtue of its anti-inflammatory effects.
Two tool path generation methods for ultra-precision machining of off-axis convex ellipsoidal surface
Authors: Ji Shijun , Yu Huijuan , Zhao Ji
Published: April 2014

Generally, two spiral tool path generation methods are applied to ultra-precision three-axis turning of off-axis convex ellipsoidal surface, which are tool path generating by revolving around the axis of convex ellipsoidal surface and revolving around the axis of cylindrical surface. In this article, two different computed results of spiral tool path generation for off-axis convex ellipsoidal surface are analyzed, and several key technologies during tool path generation are analyzed in theory. The general procedure of generating the precision tool trajectory is also presented. The characteristics of two different turning trajectories for the surface manufacturing are compared and studied in some typical aspects in the end. The studies show that each of the two different tool path generation methods has its own suitable work environment, and a reasonable method should be chosen according to the processing requirement and work environment during the process of single-point diamond turning. The analysis and argument presented provide an effective choice of the accurate spiral tool path generation method in ultra-precision manufacturing of the off-axis convex ellipsoidal surface, and the method can be used in the accurate spiral tool path choice of any kind of off-axis surface.
Extracellular matrix formation in self-assembled minimalistic bioactive hydrogels based on aromatic peptide amphiphiles
Authors: Zhou Mi , Ulijn Rein V , Gough Julie E
Published: April 2014

The hitherto inconsistency in clinical performance for engineered skin drives the current development of novel cell-scaffolding materials; one challenge is to only extract essential characteristics from the complex native ECM (extracellular matrix) and incorporate them into a scaffold with minimal complexity to support normal cell functions. This study involved small-molecule-based bioactive hydrogels produced by the co-assembly of two aromatic peptide amphiphiles: Fmoc-FF (Fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-diphenylalanine) and Fmoc-RGD (arginine–glycine–aspartic acid). Three-dimensionally cultured human dermal fibroblasts deposited dense ECM networks including fibronectin and collagen I within the hydrogels in a 14-day culture. The fibroblasts organized the fibrous ECM and contracted the gel without differentiating into myofibroblasts. The stiffness of the cell-gel constructs increased dramatically due to ECM formation and gel contraction. This created an economical biomimetic model-scaffold to further understand skin reconstruction in vitro and supplied a design pathway to create versatile cell-scaffolds with varied bioactivities and simplicity.
IgG4‐related disease: a new kid on the block or an old aquaintance?
Authors: Beyer Georg , Schwaiger Theresa , Lerch Markus M , Mayerle Julia
Published: April 2014

IgG4‐related systemic disease is a recently recognized systemic condition characterized by unique pathological features that can affect a variety of organs. It includes a growing number of medical conditions which have the following features in common: diffuse organ swelling or focal mass formation, sclerosing storiforme (whirl‐shaped) fibrosis with a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate rich in IgG4‐bearing plasma cells, as well as elevated levels of serum IgG4. It invariably responds to steroid treatment and is mostly diagnosed in elderly men. Well‐known syndromes like Mikulicz's disease of the salivary or lacrimal gland, Küttner's tumour of the submandibular gland, Riedel's thyroiditis, or retroperitoneal fibrosis, as well as novel entities such as autoimmune pancreatitis type 1, are now regarded to be manifestations of this systemic disease. This article provides an overview of the epidemiology, concepts of pathogenesis, clinical presentation, proposed diagnostic approaches, treatment options, and differential diagnosis of IgG4‐related disease.
Prevalence of gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease with upper gastrointestinal symptoms without heartburn and regurgitation
Authors: Vakil Nimish , Wernersson Börje , Ohlsson Lis , Dent John
Published: April 2014

Background:

Symptomatically ‘silent’ gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) may be underdiagnosed.

Objective:

To determine the prevalence of untreated GORD without heartburn and/or regurgitation in primary care.

Methods:

Patients were included if they had frequent upper gastrointestinal symptoms and had not taken a proton pump inhibitor in the previous 2 months (Diamond study: NCT00291746). GORD was diagnosed based on the presence of reflux oesophagitis, pathological oesophageal acid exposure, and/or a positive symptom–acid association probability. Patients completed the Reflux Disease Questionnaire (RDQ) and were interviewed by physicians using a prespecified symptom checklist.

Results:

GORD was diagnosed in 197 of 336 patients investigated. Heartburn and/or regurgitation were reported in 84.3% of patients with GORD during the physician interviews and in 93.4% of patients with GORD when using the RDQ. Of patients with heartburn and/or regurgitation not identified at physician interview, 58.1% (18/31) reported them at a ‘troublesome’ frequency and severity on the RDQ. Nine patients with GORD did not report heartburn or regurgitation either at interview or on the RDQ.

Conclusions:

Structured patient‐completed questionnaires may help to identify patients with GORD not identified during physician interview. In a small proportion of consulting patients, heartburn and regurgitation may not be present in those with GORD.
The Use of Artistic Devices to Forward Female Oppression in Selected Short Stories by Muhammad ‘Ali Saeid
Authors: Assadi Jamal Ali , Hamad Mohammad
Published: April 2014

This article studies three short stories by Muhammad Ali Saeid (1950-), a writer and critic who lives in Tamrah, the Western Galilee. These stories are “The Delivery” ( Al Wilādah), “Ḥayāt” (life), and “Devouring” ( Iftirās), which appeared in Assadi’s Father and Son: Selected Short Fiction by Hanna Ibrahim Elias and Mohammad Ali Saeid. It examines the use of the artistic devices used in the selected short stories to highlight “female oppression” as well as the linkage between feminism and post-colonialism, in case of Palestine. Above all, this article confirms that the profound perceptions of Saeid are reflected in his success to control his narrative techniques so artistically that he offers new arenas for academic assessments and analysis. Saeid’s observations also brighten new terrains, where divergent powers can band tunefully to battle subjugation, prejudice, and occupation.
Advocating for HIV Prevention and Care
Authors: Kako Peninnah M. , Kibicho Jennifer W. , Mkandawire-Valhmu Lucy , Stevens Patricia E. , Karani Anne K.
Published: April 2014

The number of older women living with HIV in Kenya is increasing. However, there are little empirical data available about their role in HIV prevention. The purpose of this study was to understand the nuanced role of older women in HIV prevention. We engaged 54 HIV-positive women in three narrative-eliciting interviews between 2009 and 2010 over a period of 6 months to understand their role in HIV prevention. In this article, we focus on a sample subset of 7 rural women 50 years and older living with HIV. From narrative analysis of 19 interviews from 7 women who were 50 years and older, four themes emerged: promoting HIV transmission risk reduction, promoting HIV testing, educating others about HIV, and protecting children from HIV infection. HIV-positive older women are engaged in helping mitigate HIV in their communities and should be central to meaningful HIV-related interventions especially in rural communities
Religion, Motherhood, and the Spirit of Capitalism
Authors: Reynolds Jeremy , May Matthew
Published: April 2014

Religion can help people cope with problems, but in the modern U.S. economy, it may also create problems for some women. Conservative Protestantism encourages women to avoid paid work when they have young children, but that is a preference many families cannot afford. To better understand how workplace outcomes may reflect religion, we examine whether conservative Protestant, mainline Protestant, Catholic, and non-religious women work the number of hours they prefer. We pay special attention to the interplay of religion and motherhood. We find that among new mothers, conservative Protestants are among the most likely to wish they were working fewer hours. Non-religious women, in contrast, are the least likely to want fewer hours. Among women who are not new mothers, the situation is reversed. Conservative Protestants are least likely to wish they were working fewer hours and non-religious women are the most likely to want fewer hours. These results suggest that researchers interested in the subjective side of employment should pay more attention to how religion shapes experiences of paid work.
Crisis, Experimentation and Change: The Case of Private Equity and PTPs
Authors: Wood Geoffrey , Wright Mike
Published: April 2014

The dominant role played by financial services within liberal market economies, and the 2008 economic crisis, has variously been depicted as the product of regulatory failure, ‘irrational exuberance’, the over-prioritization of shareholder value or as part and parcel of an epochal change in social and economic life. Current regulationist thinking suggests that recent developments represent a long period of systemic experimentation, evolution and change, which dates back to the end of the long boom in the 1970s. In this article, we introduce and discuss current regulationist thinking regarding systemic crisis, evolution and change, and follow on with a more detailed look at the diversity and varied outcomes associated with a key area of the financial services sector, private equity (PE) and public to private buy-outs of listed corporations (PTPs). We have chosen this area because of the critical importance of capital for innovation at the same time as investment horizons have generally become more short term, and the challenges that exist in reconciling these competing needs and agendas. We conclude that, as with any innovation and experiment, the outcomes of private equity are mixed. This would suggest that the emerging financial architecture that will inevitably comprise any return to growth will, in part, incorporate aspects of private equity. Indeed, to the extent that private equity buy-outs involve the acquisition of firms in distress, they may have a positive contribution to make in resolving the problems of recession and financial crisis. The failure of unsustainable experiments does not mean, however, that renewed growth will simply result through natural selection: it depends on continued innovation and experimentation across the entire economy, coupled with relevant formal and informal socio-economic regulation.
CD166 regulates human and murine hematopoietic stem cells and the hematopoietic niche
Authors: Chitteti Brahmananda Reddy , Kobayashi Michihiro , Cheng Yinghua , Zhang Huajia , Poteat Bradley A. , Broxmeyer Hal E. , Pelus Louis M. , Hanenberg Helmut , Zollman Amy , Kamocka Malgorzata M. , Carlesso Nadia , Cardoso Angelo A. , Kacena Melissa A. , Srour Edward F.
Published: April 2014

Key Points

CD166 identifies human and murine long-term repopulating stem cells. CD166 is a functional marker of stem cells and the hematopoietic niche.
Prader-Willi syndrome, excessive daytime sleepiness, and narcoleptic symptoms: a case report
Authors: Weselake Sara V , Foulds Jessica L , Couch Robert , Witmans Manisha B , Rubin Daniela , Haqq Andrea M
Published: April 2014

Introduction

Sleep abnormalities, including narcolepsy and cataplexy, are a common feature of Prader-Willi syndrome. Long-term treatment with the central nervous system stimulant modafinil has not been reported. In this case report we present a longitudinal perspective of sleep abnormalities in a nine-year-old Caucasian girl with Prader-Willi syndrome from age two to age nine, and detail the response to treatment with the central nervous system stimulant modafinil.

Case presentation

Our patient presented at two years of age with hypersomnia and narcoleptic episodes with cataplectic features. Initial polysomnograph testing revealed adequate sleep efficiency, but increased sleep fragmentation especially during rapid eye movement sleep. The narcoleptic episodes continued and a repeat polysomnograph at age five years confirmed features consistent with narcolepsy. Further sleep studies at six years, including a multiple sleep latency test, demonstrated signs of excessive daytime sleepiness. Treatment with modafinil was initiated at age seven years six months due to persistent hypersomnia and narcoleptic symptoms. Two polysomnograph studies were performed following treatment with modafinil, at age eight years six months and nine years three months. These studies showed excellent sleep efficiency and improvement of rapid eye movement sleep parameters, supporting the beneficial effects of long-term modafinil therapy.

Conclusions

Long-term modafinil therapy may ameliorate the sleep disturbances of Prader-Willi syndrome and should be the focus of future clinical trials.
Identification of novel molecular regulators of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells by RNAi screening
Authors: Garimella Sireesha V , Gehlhaus Kristie , Dine Jennifer L , Pitt Jason J , Grandin Magdalena , Chakka Sirisha , Nau Marion M , Caplen Natasha J , Lipkowitz Stanley
Published: April 2014

Introduction

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) binds to its receptors, TRAIL-receptor 1 (TRAIL-R1) and TRAIL-receptor 2 (TRAIL-R2), leading to apoptosis by activation of caspase-8 and the downstream executioner caspases, caspase-3 and caspase-7 (caspase-3/7). Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines with a mesenchymal phenotype are sensitive to TRAIL, whereas other breast cancer cell lines are resistant. The underlying mechanisms that control TRAIL sensitivity in breast cancer cells are not well understood. Here, we performed small interfering RNA (siRNA) screens to identify molecular regulators of the TRAIL pathway in breast cancer cells.

Methods

We conducted siRNA screens of the human kinome (691 genes), phosphatome (320 genes), and about 300 additional genes in the mesenchymal TNBC cell line MB231. Forty-eight hours after transfection of siRNA, parallel screens measuring caspase-8 activity, caspase-3/7 activity, or cell viability were conducted in the absence or presence of TRAIL for each siRNA, relative to a negative control siRNA (siNeg). A subset of genes was screened in cell lines representing epithelial TNBC (MB468), HER2-amplified breast cancer (SKBR3), and estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer (T47D). Selected putative negative regulators of the TRAIL pathway were studied by using small-molecule inhibitors.

Results

The primary screens in MB231 identified 150 genes, including 83 kinases, 4 phosphatases, and 63 nonkinases, as potential negative regulators of TRAIL. The identified genes are involved in many critical cell processes, including apoptosis, growth factor-receptor signaling, cell-cycle regulation, transcriptional regulation, and DNA repair. Gene-network analysis identified four genes (PDPK1, IKBKB, SRC, and BCL2L1) that formed key nodes within the interaction network of negative regulators. A secondary screen of a subset of the genes identified in additional cell lines representing different breast cancer subtypes and sensitivities to TRAIL validated and extended these findings. Further, we confirmed that small-molecule inhibition of SRC or BCL2L1, in combination with TRAIL, sensitizes breast cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis, including cell lines resistant to TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity.

Conclusions

These data identify novel molecular regulators of TRAIL-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells and suggest strategies for the enhanced application of TRAIL as a therapy for breast cancer.
Biomarkers of cardio-renal damage in chronic kidney disease: one size cannot fit all
Authors: Bolignano Davide , Coppolino Giuseppe
Published: April 2014

Biomarkers are useful tools for diagnosis and risk assessment of acute kidney injury and acute heart failure, particularly in ICU patients. Most biomarkers are produced or cleared by the kidney, so the presence of chronic kidney disease may affect their clinical reliability, particularly if the putative diagnosis of acute kidney injury or acute heart failure is based on a single measurement/single threshold approach. Better alternatives, such as establishing different diagnostic cutoff values per different chronic kidney disease strata or evaluating the diagnostic performance of a delta value (change from baseline levels) instead of a single threshold, should be carefully considered in critically ill patients with renal impairment and other co-morbidities.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is highly prevalent in the ICU population and conveys a higher risk of developing both acute kidney injury (AKI) and acute heart failure (AHF). Early serum and urine biomarkers of AKI and AHF may improve diagnosis and risk stratification. Most biomarkers are affected by renal function impairment, however, so the presence of CKD may hamper their predictive capacity.
Antiandrogen Flutamide Protects Male Mice From Androgen-Dependent Toxicity in Three Models of Spinal Bulbar Muscular Atrophy
Authors: Renier Kayla J. , Troxell-Smith Sandra M. , Johansen Jamie A. , Katsuno Masahisa , Adachi Hiroaki , Sobue Gen , Chua Jason P. , Sun Kim Hong , Lieberman Andrew P. , Breedlove S. Marc , Jordan Cynthia L.
Published: April 2014

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is a late-onset, progressive neurodegenerative disease linked to a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the androgen receptor (AR). Men affected by SBMA show marked muscle weakness and atrophy, typically emerging midlife. Given the androgen-dependent nature of this disease, one might expect AR antagonists to have therapeutic value for treating SBMA. However, current work from animal models suggests otherwise, raising questions about whether polyQ-expanded AR exerts androgen-dependent toxicity through mechanisms distinct from normal AR function. In this study, we asked whether the nonsteroidal AR antagonist flutamide, delivered via a time-release pellet, could reverse or prevent androgen-dependent AR toxicity in three different mouse models of SBMA: the AR97Q transgenic (Tg) model, a knock-in (KI) model, and a myogenic Tg model. We find that flutamide protects mice from androgen-dependent AR toxicity in all three SBMA models, preventing or reversing motor dysfunction in the Tg models and significantly extending the life span in KI males. Given that flutamide effectively protects against androgen-dependent disease in three different mouse models of SBMA, our data are proof of principle that AR antagonists have therapeutic potential for treating SBMA in humans and support the notion that toxicity caused by polyQ-expanded AR uses at least some of the same mechanisms as normal AR before diverging to produce disease and muscle atrophy.
Expression and Regulation of Neuromedin B in Pituitary Corticotrophs of Male Melanocortin 2 Receptor-Deficient Mice
Authors: Kameda Hiraku , Miyoshi Hideaki , Shimizu Chikara , Nagai So , Nakamura Akinobu , Kondo Takuma , Chida Dai , Atsumi Tatsuya
Published: April 2014

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a major part of the neuroendocrine system that controls responses to stress, and has an important function in the regulation of various body processes. We previously created a mouse line deficient in the melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R). MC2R-deficient mice (MC2R−/− mice) have high adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels because of undetectable corticosterone levels. Increased neuromedin B (NMB) expression was recently reported in the pituitary gland of adrenalectomized mice, a model for acute adrenal insufficiency. To investigate gene expression in the pituitary gland under chronic adrenal deficiency, we examined the pituitary gland of MC2R−/− mice, a model of chronic adrenal insufficiency. To understand the molecular background of pituitary cells under chronic adrenal deficiency, we first performed DNA microarray analyses using the pituitary glands of the MC2R−/− mice. The DNA microarray analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that NMB expression was higher in the MC2R−/− than in the wild-type (WT) mice. We detected NMB expression in the MC2R−/− pituitary corticotrophs by immunohistochemistry using the specific antibodies for ACTH and NMB. In addition, the plasma NMB concentration was significantly higher in the MC2R−/− mice than in the WT mice. Subcutaneous implantation of a sustained-release corticosterone pellet decreased the expression of NMB mRNA as well as pituitary proopiomelanocortin mRNA. In isolated anterior pituitary cells, NMB mRNA expression was increased by the administration of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and was suppressed by dexamethasone treatment. In this study, we first demonstrate NMB expression in corticotrophs and its regulation by CRH and glucocorticoids. Furthermore, corticotrophs seemed to secrete NMB into the systemic circulation.
Metastatic ovarian cancer cell malignancy is increased on soft matrices through a mechanosensitive Rho/ROCK pathway
Authors: McGrail Daniel J. , Kieu Quang Minh N. , Dawson Michelle R.
Published: April 2014

Though current treatments for localized ovarian cancer are highly effective, it still remains the most lethal gynecological malignancy, largely in part to late detection after tumor cells leave the primary tumor. Clinicians have long noted a clear predilection for ovarian cancer metastasis to the soft omentum. Here, we show that this tropism is due not only to chemical signals but also mechanical cues. Metastatic ovarian cancer cells (OCCs) preferentially adhere to soft microenvironments and display an enhanced malignant phenotype including increased migration, proliferation, and chemoresistance. To understand the cell-matrix interactions used to sense the substrate rigidity, we utilized traction force microscopy and found that OCCs increased both the magnitude of traction forces as well as their degree of polarization. After culture on soft substrates, cells underwent morphological elongation characteristic of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which was confirmed by molecular analysis. Consistent with the idea that mechanical cues are a key determinant in the spread of ovarian cancer, the observed mechanosensitivity was greatly decreased in less metastatic OCCs. Finally, we demonstrate that this mechanical tropism is governed through a Rho/ROCK signaling pathway.
Evidence for vocal learning in juvenile male killer whales,Orcinus orca, from an adventitious cross-socializing experiment
Authors: Crance Jessica L. , Bowles Ann E. , Garver Alan
Published: April 2014

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are thought to learn their vocal dialect. Dispersal in the species is rare, but effects of shifts in social association on the dialect can be studied under controlled conditions. Individual call repertoires and social association were measured in three adult female killer whales and three males (two juveniles and an adult) during two periods, 2001-2003 and 2005-2006. Three distinct dialect repertoires were represented among the subjects. An adventitious experiment in social change resulted from the birth of a calf and the transfer of two non-focal subjects in 2004. Across the two periods, 1691 calls were collected, categorized, and attributed to individuals. Repertoire overlap for each subject dyad was compared with an index of association. During 2005-2006, the two juvenile males increased association with the unrelated adult male. By the end of the period, both had begun producing novel calls and call features characteristic of his repertoire. However, there was little or no reciprocal change and the adult females did not acquire his calls. Repertoire overlap and association were significantly correlated in the first period. In the second, median association time and repertoire similarity increased, but the relationship was only marginally significant. The results provided evidence that juvenile male killer whales are capable of learning new call types, possibly stimulated by change in social association. The pattern of learning was consistent with a selective convergence of male repertoires.
Why do insects enter and recover from chill coma? Low temperature and high extracellular potassium compromise muscle function inLocusta migratoria
Authors: Findsen Anders , Pedersen Thomas Holm , Petersen Asbjørn Graver , Nielsen Ole Bækgaard , Overgaard Johannes
Published: April 2014

When exposed to low temperatures, many insect species enter a reversible comatose state (chill coma), which is driven by a failure of neuromuscular function. Chill coma and chill coma recovery have been associated with a loss and recovery of ion homeostasis (particularly extracellular [K+], [K+]o) and accordingly onset of chill coma has been hypothesized to result from depolarization of membrane potential caused by loss of ion homeostasis. Here, we examined whether onset of chill coma is associated with a disturbance in ion balance by examining the correlation between disruption of ion homeostasis and onset of chill coma in locusts exposed to cold at varying rates of cooling. Chill coma onset temperature changed maximally 1°C under different cooling rates and marked disturbances of ion homeostasis were not observed at any of the cooling rates. In a second set of experiments, we used isolated tibial muscle to determine how temperature and [K+]o, independently and together, affect tetanic force production. Tetanic force decreased by 80% when temperature was reduced from 23°C to 0.5°C, while an increase in [K+]o from 10 mmol l−1 to 30 mmol l−1 at 23°C caused a 40% reduction in force. Combining these two stressors almost abolished force production. Thus, low temperature alone may be responsible for chill coma entry, rather than a disruption of extracellular K+ homeostasis. As [K+] also has a large effect on tetanic force production, it is hypothesized that recovery of [K+]o following chill coma could be important for the time to recovery of normal neuromuscular function.
Financing and Investment Efficiency, Information Quality, and Accounting Biases
Authors: Nan Lin , Wen Xiaoyan
Published: April 2014

In this paper, we investigate the effect of accounting biases on firms' financing decisions and the role of accounting biases in endogenous information quality. We show that in industries with generally low-profit prospects, a downward-biased accounting system performs better than a neutral accounting system, and a more downward bias helps mitigate both investment and financing inefficiency; whereas for industries with generally high-profit prospects, an upward-biased accounting system is better than a neutral accounting system, and a more upward bias helps improve financing efficiency. In addition, we find that a more downward-biased accounting system motivates good firms to exert more effort to improve the information quality, which improves overall efficiency.

This paper was accepted by Mary Barth, accounting.
Evolving Statewide Transfer Policies: Persistent Efforts in a Climate of Workforce Development among Massachusetts Community Colleges
Authors: De la Torre Jr. Daniel , Wells Ryan S.
Published: April 2014

Since their inception, community colleges have included the transfer function as a central mission, yet arguments have been made contending that two-year/community colleges have systematically diverted students toward occupational education and served to “cool out” students’ expectations for bachelor’s degrees. In the 21st century, community colleges continue to contend with multiple missions and identities. The diversionary discourse of cooling out continues to carry a lot of weight, especially when viewed from a workforce-development perspective stressing short-term employability as the primary community college objective. The two-fold purpose of this study focuses on the academic transfer mission of community colleges in a context where this mission has been in tension with, and often seemingly dominated by, the vocational mission. We utilize document and thematic analysis to identify the elements of formal transfer and articulation policies in the United States leading into the 21st century. Using these findings as a framework for comparison, we then draw on Massachusetts as a case study to explore how transfer and articulation policies have resembled and/or diverged from the components identified. We present implications in light of transfer policy development in Massachusetts, expanding discussion to stress the importance of common articulation guidelines within state-determined higher education priorities.
Traumatic Pseudoaneurysm of the Middle Meningeal Artery with an Arteriovenous Fistula on a Non-Fractured Site
Authors: Ko Jung Ho , Kim Young-Joon
Published: April 2014

We describe a rare case of a combined traumatic pseudoaneurysm and arteriovenous fistula (AVF) of the middle meningeal artery (MMA) on a non-fractured site. A 24-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with head trauma. He underwent a craniotomy and removal of an epidural hematoma on the right side. Twenty-five days later, he complained of pulsatile tinnitus on the left non-fractured side. Angiography revealed a markedly dilated proximal MMA with flow shunting to the pterygoid plexus. We performed proximal occlusion on the proximal MMA for the traumatic pseudoaneurysm and the AVF of the MMA using coils. Although immediate angiography showed retrograde contrast filling from the collateral vessels into the distal part of the pseudoaneurysm, follow-up angiography revealed that the lesion had successfully disappeared.