bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complementary Objectivity and Ideology: Reifying White Capitalist Hierarchies in Time Magazine’s Construction of Michelle Rhee
Authors: Chison Oh David
Published: January 2010

Time’s coverage of Michelle Rhee employs “complementary objectivity” to simultaneously support White capitalist values manifest in Rhee’s pro-market educational reform proposals and to contain the person of Rhee evident in the use of historical stereotypes of Asian Pacific Americans. This use of objectivity creates a sense of impartial coverage while hiding alternative, especially labor, critiques, maintaining racist hierarchies, and promoting White interests.
Intelligence and the Machinery of Government
Authors: Davies Philip H.J.
Published: January 2010

This article argues that the failure to address intelligence agencies as public organizations part and parcel with the overt machinery of government constitutes a significant lacuna both in the specialist study of intelligence and the broader discipline of public administration studies. The role and status of intelligence institutions as aspects of the machinery of central government is examined, along with the prospects of certain key paradigms in the field for understanding those institutions are considered. Finally, the implications for the wider study of decision-making, policy and public management will be examined.
Creating Intelligence Communities
Authors: Omand Sir David
Published: January 2010

This article analyses the factors bearing upon achieving organizational change in the world of secret intelligence in the US and the UK, identifying for success the need for a convincing narrative, adequate budgetary control and understanding of the special psycho-dynamics to be expected in secret organizations. The article examines in that light the different paths of development of the concept of a single national intelligence community in the US and in the UK, and identifies common reasons for renewed pressure in the light of the experiences of international terrorism and the pre-war failures of intelligence over Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Both US and UK intelligence communities, for different reasons, are seen to be some way short of where they need to be to face the challenges of future intelligence work against global threats that span the domestic and overseas spaces.
An Adaptive Cognitive Dissociation Between Willingness to Help Kin and Nonkin in Samoan Fa’afafine
Authors: Vasey Paul L. , VanderLaan Doug P.
Published: January 2010

Androphilia refers to sexual attraction and arousal to adult males, whereas gynephilia refers to sexual attraction and arousal to adult females. Previous research has demonstrated that Samoan male androphiles (known locally as fa’afafine) exhibit significantly higher altruistic tendencies toward nieces and nephews than do Samoan women and gynephilic men. The present study examined whether adaptive design features characterize the psychological mechanisms underlying fa’afafine’s elevated avuncular tendencies. The association between altruistic tendencies toward nieces and nephews and altruistic tendencies toward nonkin children was significantly weaker among fa’afafine than among Samoan women and gynephilic men. We argue that this cognitive dissociation would allow fa’afafine to allocate resources to nieces and nephews in a more economical, efficient, reliable, and precise manner. These findings are consistent with the kin selection hypothesis, which suggests that androphilic males have been selected over evolutionary time to act as “helpers-in-the-nest,” caring for nieces and nephews and thereby increasing their own indirect fitness.
What Counts as a Choice?
Authors: Savani Krishna , Markus Hazel Rose , Naidu N.V.R. , Kumar Satishchandra , Berlia Neha
Published: January 2010

People everywhere select among multiple alternatives, but are they always making choices? In five studies, we found that people in U.S. American contexts, where the disjoint model of agency is prevalent, are more likely than those in Indian contexts to construe their own and other individuals’ behaviors as choices, to construe ongoing behaviors and behaviors recalled from memory as choices, to construe naturally occurring and experimentally controlled behaviors as choices, to construe mundane and important actions as choices, and to construe personal and interpersonal actions as choices. Indians showed a greater tendency to construe actions as choices when these actions involved responding to other people than when they did not. These findings show that whether people construe actions as choices is significantly shaped by sociocultural systems of meanings and practices. Together, they suggest that the positive consequences associated with maximizing the availability of personal choice may not be universal and instead may be limited to North American contexts.
Beggars are sometimes the choosers!
Authors: Majid Hayati A. , Maniati Mahmood
Published: January 2010

Beggars are a group of people for whom making a successful speech is of paramount importance. Therefore, social and linguistic analysis of their speech seems to be a new and much needed line of inquiry that has not yet been elucidated. To this end, relying on Labov’s model of personal narrative, the present article is an attempt to examine linguistically how some beggars manage to publicly beg in mosques in Iran. Five stories told by different needy male speakers were transcribed and translated into English. Using Positioning Theory as a heuristic tool, the study also lends insights into how the beggars shape the formulation of the relations between self and others while recounting their specific experiences. In fact, the study indicated that the participants took advantage of narrative as a powerful cultural discourse through which they denied their identity while assuming and negotiating different positions.
Hate speech and identity: An analysis of neo racism and the indexing of identity
Authors: Josey Christopher S.
Published: January 2010

In the academy and society at large, there remains an area of discourse largely deemed too marginal to analyze at any length: openly racist speech. It remains unexamined, in part, because much attention has been given to ‘covert’ racism. Recently, technology has allowed openly racist groups to shift strategies for creating and maintaining their own identity. Conventional wisdom would assume that these groups use referential or direct means of indexing identity. Using theories of discourse, this analysis demonstrates that even the most ‘traditional’ racists employ a complex pattern of voicing to indirectly index a ‘neo-traditional’ racist identity. These findings illustrate that within these communities, there is not only a sense of whiteness, but also a set of practices delineating ‘good’ and ‘bad’ white identity. Implications of these findings are discussed in the light of political and identity practices.
‘I’m not gonna hit a lady’: Conversation analysis, membership categorization and men’s denials of violence towards women
Authors: Stokoe Elizabeth
Published: January 2010

This article examines the way male suspects deny accusations of assaulting women in interrogations by police officers. It draws on a large corpus of British police interrogation materials, and uses conversation analysis to shed light on the location and design of, and responses to, suspects’ ‘category-based denials’ that they are not ‘the kind of men who hit women’. Two sections of analysis identify how, first, such denials routinely follow police officers’ direct questions about violent behaviour, and, second, how they become embedded in extended narratives that are not directly describing violence. In contrast to other discourse-analytic studies of men’s accounts of violence towards women, the article unpacks the component features that comprise what others might label grossly as the ‘discourse of gendered violence’. Rather than see how such ‘discourses’ operate in interview contexts, it shows how suspects construct, in a high-stakes setting for a particular purpose, different categories of men, claiming membership in one (who do not hit women) by recruiting the notion of the other (who do). Thus, in addition to its contribution to the study of gender and violence, the article takes new steps in the ongoing development of membership categorization and conversation analysis, showcasing a type of systematic sequential analysis that can be done with membership categories.
A Qualitative Comparison of Parent and Adolescent Views Regarding Substance Use
Authors: Peterson Jane
Published: January 2010

Substance use is a major cause of adolescent morbidity and mortality. By age 14, 70% of adolescents have consumed alcohol and half of 12th graders report having used marijuana. The purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of parent and adolescent perceptions regarding adolescent use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) to enhance the development of effective prevention programs. Six adolescent focus groups and one parent focus group participated. Results were derived following elicitation of adolescents' and parents' beliefs regarding adolescent ATOD use and current prevention programs. Findings indicate that current prevention programs are ineffective; ATOD use is normalized by schools, community, and family; positive adult role models deter use; and programs should involve youth, parents, schools, and community. Focus group discussions can strengthen the development of tailored ATOD prevention programs. School nurses can foster collaboration between families, schools, and communities to reduce adolescent substance use.
Aberrant VEGF Expression Associated With Neoplasm-Induced Extramedullary Hematopoiesis in an Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma
Authors: Pinczewski Joel , Papadimitriou John C.
Published: January 2010

The authors present the first report of extramedullary hematopoiesis occurring in association with an epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. A 64-year-old man sought medical attention for upper chest pain. CT evaluation identified a 2.8-cm mass involving the right hemithorax in the area of the right upper lobe and superior vena cava. A biopsy revealed the presence of an epithelioid malignant vascular neoplasm, which on subsequent resection was found to be an epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. The neoplasm was closely associated with an area of extramedullary hematopoiesis. VEGF immunohistochemical staining of the neoplasm revealed a ring of intensely positive staining cells around the periphery of the area of extramedullary hematopoiesis. This finding provides evidence for the role of aberrant VEGF expression in neoplasm-induced extramedullary hematopoiesis. This report discusses possible mechanisms by which extramedullary hematopoiesis may occur in vascular neoplasms.
Longitudinal Test of a Social Cognitive Model of Academic and Life Satisfaction
Authors: Singley Daniel B. , Lent Robert W. , Sheu Hung-Bin
Published: January 2010

The authors tested a social cognitive model of academic and overall life satisfaction in a sample of 769 university students. The predictors, drawn from Lent’s unifying perspective on well-being and psychosocial adjustment, included social cognitive (academic self-efficacy, goal progress, social support) and personality (trait positive affect) variables that have previously been shown to relate to domain and life satisfaction. Participants completed all measures twice, 8 weeks apart, during an academic semester, to examine the hypothesized relations among the variables longitudinally. Structural equation modeling results supported the overall model, including the posited bidirectional paths between self-efficacy and goal progress. Contrary to expectations, however, academic domain and global life satisfaction did not yield significant bidirectional paths to one another. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
A Test of the Tripartite Model of Career Indecision of Brown and Krane for African Americans Incorporating Emotional Intelligence and Positive Affect
Authors: Hammond Marie S. , Lockman Jennifer D. , Boling Timothy
Published: January 2010

Brown and Krane have posited a tripartite model of career indecision, which includes three higher order factors: negative affect, poor vocational identity development, and lack of career information. The purpose of this study was to examine the adequacy of their tripartite model of career indecision for African American students, considering that the samples used in the meta-analysis of Brown and Krane were predominantly Caucasian. With regard to recent research suggesting the importance of emotional intelligence for career development, this study also examined the presence and degree of relationship among positive affect, emotional intelligence, and the three factors in the model of Brown and Krane. A total of 171 participants from a Historically Black University completed a packet of career diagnostic assessments that included a measure of emotional intelligence. Factor analysis suggested that five factors (career self-efficacy, career-related emotional maturity, information needs, vocational identity development, and career decisional status) could be extracted to represent the constructs related to career decision making for African American students. Implications for career counseling are discussed with regard to viewing positive affect and emotional intelligence as an integral factor in the career decision-making process.
Malathion, Lindane, and Piperonyl Butoxide, Individually or in Combined Mixtures, Induce Immunotoxicity via Apoptosis in Murine Splenocytes In Vitro
Authors: Battaglia Christine L. R. , Gogal Robert M. , Zimmerman Kurt , Misra Hara P.
Published: January 2010

Lindane, malathion, and piperonyl butoxide were cultured singly or as mixtures with murine splenocytes to evaluate changes in cell death and caused cytotoxicity in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Pesticide mixture studies were then performed based on minimum cytotoxicity concentrations (<LC25). Cytologic analysis and the alamarBlue assay revealed that individual pesticides and mixtures of malathion/lindane and malathion/piperonyl butoxide prompted cytotoxicity, which was supported by DNA ladder analysis. Using 7-aminoactinomycin D, apoptosis was quantified at 6.5%, 12.0%, 13.2%, 19.3%, and 23.4% for malathion, lindane, piperonyl butoxide, malathion-lindane, and malathion-piperonyl butoxide, respectively. Staining with 7-aminoactinomycin D and B- or T-cell–specific fluorescent-labeled monoclonal antibodies showed B cells to be more susceptible to malathion and piperonyl butoxide treatments than T cells. Treatment of murine splenocytes in vitro with minimum cytotoxic concentrations of lindane, malathion, and piperonyl butoxide and their mixtures induced apoptosis, the effect elicited by the mixtures being additive compared with the individual pesticide effect.
Identifying the Correlates of Police Organizational Commitment in Ghana
Authors: Tankebe Justice
Published: January 2010

The aim of this article is to examine empirically the factors that shape police organizational commitment. The data used in this study are drawn from a survey of 181 police officers in the Accra region of Ghana. The results of a multiple regression analysis show that officers’ assessments of the treatment they receive from their supervisors and the quality of relationships they have with their peers predict their organizational commitment. In addition, higher education, but not length of service, predicts lower levels of organizational commitment. Finally, the effects of the police officers’ perceptions of their own legitimacy are found to be embraced in treatment by supervisors and relationships with peers.
The Role of Fatigue in NBA Wagering Markets: The Surprising ‘‘Home Disadvantage Situation’’
Authors: Ashman Thomas , Bowman R. Alan , Lambrinos James
Published: January 2010

Factors related to the margin of victory in the National Basketball Association (NBA), in terms of both the actual margin of victory and the projected margin of victory as reflected in point spreads, have been analyzed in many studies. This study investigates whether the NBA wagering market appropriately accounts for the differences in team fatigue when setting point spreads. Prior studies have found that a key component of the well-documented home court advantage is rest. We find that, over a 19-year period, the home team performed poorly against the spread when playing the second of back-to-back games, while the visiting team had 1 or 2 days rest. This poor performance was magnified when the home team had traveled one or two time zones in an easterly direction between the back-to-back games.
The Family on Reality Television: Who’s Shaming Whom?
Authors: Ferguson Galit
Published: January 2010

This article explores the performance of shame in the context of the public visualizing of abject families on reality television from a psychocultural perspective. The relevance of a recently popular “governmentality perspective” is gestured towards, alongside an emphasis on the importance of taking television’s psychosocial dimensions seriously. The essay attempts to provide a nuanced, psychocultural account of televisual “looking,” which engages with both its ideological and affective elements. Parents are represented as in need of help, but the “help” offered by House of Tiny Tearaways, Supernanny, and Honey We’re Killing the Kids is laden with shames and horrors that are as ideological as they are affective.
Integrative Literature Review: An Unexamined Triumvirate: Dogmatism, Problem Solving, and HRD
Authors: Lohman Margaret C.
Published: January 2010

Dogmatism is a psychological construct that refers to the open- or closed-mindedness of one’s beliefs. A review of the literature on dogmatism and its relationship to problem solving in the workplace revealed that during problem solving one’s level of dogmatism influences (a) the type of cognitive reasoning strategy used, (b) the degree of critical reflection that occurs, and (c) the degree of acquiescence to authority figures. Implications of these connections between dogmatism and problem solving for HRD’s role in facilitating problem solving in the workplace and for future research are discussed.
Human CD34+ cells engineered to express membrane-bound tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand target both tumor cells and tumor vasculature
Authors: Lavazza Cristiana , Carlo-Stella Carmelo , Giacomini Arianna , Cleris Loredana , Righi Marco , Sia Daniela , Di Nicola Massimo , Magni Michele , Longoni Paolo , Milanesi Marco , Francolini Maura , Gloghini Annunziata , Carbone Antonino , Formelli Franca , Gianni Alessandro M.
Published: January 2010

Adenovirus-transduced CD34+ cells expressing membrane-bound tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (CD34-TRAIL+ cells) exert potent antitumor activity. To further investigate the mechanism(s) of action of CD34-TRAIL+ cells, we analyzed their homing properties as well as antitumor and antivascular effects using a subcutaneous myeloma model in immunodeficient mice. After intravenous injection, transduced cells homed in the tumor peaking at 48 hours when 188 plus or minus 25 CD45+ cells per 105 tumor cells were detected. Inhibition experiments showed that tumor homing of CD34-TRAIL+ cells was largely mediated by vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and stromal cell–derived factor-1. Both CD34-TRAIL+ cells and soluble (s)TRAIL significantly reduced tumor volume by 40% and 29%, respectively. Computer-aided analysis of TdT-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling–stained tumor sections demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness for CD34-TRAIL+ cells in increasing tumor cell apoptosis and necrosis over sTRAIL. Proteome array analysis indicated that CD34-TRAIL+ cells and sTRAIL activate similar apoptotic machinery. In vivo staining of tumor vasculature with sulfosuccinimidyl-6-(biotinamido) hexanoate-biotin revealed that CD34-TRAIL+ cells but not sTRAIL significantly damaged tumor vasculature, as shown by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling+ endothelial cells, appearance of hemorrhagic areas, and marked reduction of endothelial area. These results demonstrate that tumor homing of CD34-TRAIL+ cells induces early vascular disruption, resulting in hemorrhagic necrosis and tumor destruction.
School air quality related to dry cough, rhinitis and nasal patency in children
Authors: Simoni M. , Annesi-Maesano I. , Sigsgaard T. , Norback D. , Wieslander G. , Nystad W. , Canciani M. , Sestini P. , Viegi G.
Published: January 2010

Controls for indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools are not usually performed throughout Europe. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of IAQ on respiratory health of schoolchildren living in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, France and Italy.

In the cross-sectional European Union-funded HESE (Health Effects of School Environment) Study, particulate matter with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 10 µm (PM10) and CO2levels in a day of normal activity (full classroom) were related to wheezing, dry cough at night and rhinitis in 654 children (10 yrs) and to acoustic rhinometry in 193 children.

Schoolchildren exposed to PM10>50 μg·m−3and CO2>1,000 ppm (standards for good IAQ) were 78% and 66%, respectively. All disorders were more prevalent in children from poorly ventilated classrooms. Schoolchildren exposed to CO2levels >1,000 ppm showed a significantly higher risk for dry cough (OR 2.99, 95% CI 1.65–5.44) and rhinitis (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.14–3.73). By two-level (child, classroom) hierarchical analyses, CO2was significantly associated with dry cough (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.00–1.13 per 100 ppm increment) and rhinitis (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.00–1.11). Nasal patency was significantly lower in schoolchildren exposed to PM10>50 μg·m−3than in those exposed to lower levels.

A poor IAQ is frequent in European classrooms; it is related to respiratory disturbances and affects nasal patency.
Impact of changes in physical activity on health-related quality of life among patients with COPD
Authors: Esteban C. , Quintana J.M. , Aburto M. , Moraza J. , Egurrola M. , Pérez-Izquierdo J. , Aizpiri S. , Aguirre U. , Capelastegui A.
Published: January 2010

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether changes in regular physical activity (PA) affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

611 patients (mean age 67.2±8.4 yrs; forced expiratory volume in 1 s 49.7±14.6) completed the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) and the Medical Outcomes Short Form (SF-36) questionnaire. PA, defined as patients' self-reported regular walking times, was classified as low, moderate and high. After 5 yrs, 391 survivors completed these instruments again.

After adjustment for relevant confounders, patients who reported low PA at baseline and who increased their PA over the study period improved their SGRQ and CRQ scores by 15.9 and 8.7 points, respectively. Patients who moved from moderate to high PA improved their SGRQ scores by 18.4 and their CRQ scores by 14.8. Slightly smaller increases were observed for patients who maintained a high level of PA throughout the study period. Maintaining a low level of PA or decreasing PA over the study period was associated with a significant HRQoL decline.

Among COPD patients, a reduction in time spent engaging in PA or maintaining a low level may impair HRQoL, whereas an increase in PA can improve HRQoL parameters.
Obstructive sleep apnoea is associated with impaired pictorial memory task acquisition and retention in children
Authors: Kheirandish-Gozal L. , De Jong M.R. , Spruyt K. , Chamuleau S.A.J. , Gozal D.
Published: January 2010

The aim of our study was to evaluate whether obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with impaired acquisition and recall of a pictorial-based memory tasks in children.

54 children with OSA and 17 controls matched for age, sex and ethnicity underwent a sleep study (overnight polysomnogram). Before the sleep study subjects completed a 15-min pictorial memory task acquisition consisting of four trials, followed by a free-recall period to assess retention after 10 min and the following morning upon awakening.

Children with OSA had a higher obstructive apnoea/hypopnoea index (6.3±1.5 events·h−1TST) than controls (0.6±0.1 events·h−1TST) (p<0.0001). Mean learning scores in controls over the four consecutive trials were incrementally better than in children with OSA for the four-trial set (p<0.0001). Both immediate (p<0.0001) and overnight recall performances were worse among OSA children (p<0.0001), who also exhibited declines in recall performance that was absent in controls (p<0.001).

Differences in pictorial task acquisition trajectories suggest that children with OSA require more time and an increased number of learning opportunities to reach immediate and long-term recall performances that are reduced compared with controls. Thus, both acquisition and retention of newly learned material are compromised. These findings confirm and expand on the presence of known cognitive deficits in children with OSA.
The relationship of dietary patterns with adult lung function and COPD
Authors: Shaheen S.O. , Jameson K.A. , Syddall H.E. , Aihie Sayer A. , Dennison E.M. , Cooper C. , Robinson S.M. ,   The Hertfordshire Cohort Study Group
Published: January 2010

Previous studies of diet and lung function have focused on associations with individual nutrients and foods, and not dietary patterns.

The relationships between dietary patterns and lung function and spirometrically defined chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were investigated in 1,551 males and 1,391 females in Hertfordshire, UK. Dietary information was obtained by food frequency questionnaire and dietary patterns were identified using principal components analysis.

Using regression analysis, after controlling for confounders, a “prudent” pattern (high consumption of fruit, vegetables, oily fish and wholemeal cereals) was positively associated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (trend p-value <0.001 in males, 0.008 in females) (difference in FEV1between top and bottom quintiles of pattern score, 0.18 L (95% CI 0.08–0.28 L) in males, 0.08 L (95% CI 0.00–0.16 L) in females). This pattern was also positively associated with forced vital capacity (FVC) in both sexes. Males with a higher “prudent” pattern score had a higher FEV1/FVC (trend p-value 0.002) and a lower prevalence of COPD (odds ratio comparing topversusbottom quintile 0.46, 95% CI 0.26–0.81; trend p-value 0.012). Associations in males were stronger in smokers than nonsmokers (interaction p-value for FEV1/FVC 0.002).

A “prudent” dietary pattern may protect against impaired lung function and COPD, especially in male smokers.
Infant swimming in chlorinated pools and the risks of bronchiolitis, asthma and allergy
Authors: Voisin C , Sardella A , Marcucci F , Bernard A
Published: January 2010

Recent studies suggest that swimming in chlorinated pools during infancy may increase the risks of lower respiratory tract infection. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of swimming in chlorinated pools on the risks of bronchiolitis and its late consequences.

A total of 430 children (47% female; mean age 5.7 yrs) in 30 kindergartens were examined. Parents completed a questionnaire regarding the child’s health history, swimming practice and potential confounders.

Attendance at indoor or outdoor chlorinated pools ever before the age of 2 yrs was associated with an increased risk of bronchiolitis (OR 1.68; 95% CI 1.08–2.68; p = 0.03), which was exposure-dependent for both types of pool (p-value for trend <0.01). Associations persisted, and were even strengthened, by the exclusion of other risk factors. Among children with no parental antecedents of atopic disease or no day-care attendance, odds ratios for bronchiolitis amounted to 4.45 (1.82–10.9; p = 0.001) and 4.44 (1.88–10.5; p = 0.007) after >20 h spent in chlorinated pools during infancy. Infant swimmers who developed bronchiolitis also showed higher risks of asthma and respiratory allergies later in childhood.

Swimming pool attendance during infancy is associated with a higher risk of bronchiolitis, with ensuing increased risks of asthma and allergic sensitisation.
A European survey of noninvasive ventilation practices
Authors: Crimi C. , Noto A. , Princi P. , Esquinas A. , Nava S.
Published: January 2010

Although noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is becoming very popular, little is known about its pattern of clinical and technical utilisation in different environments.

We conducted a web-based survey in Europe to identify the perceived pattern of NIV utilisation and the reason for choosing a specific ventilator and interface type in four common clinical scenarios: acute hypercapnic respiratory failure (AHRF), cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (CPE),de novohypoxic respiratory failure and weaning/post-extubation failure (W/PE).

A response was obtained from 272 (51.3%) out of 530 selected European physicians involved in NIV practice. The NIV utilisation rate was higher for pulmonologists than intensivists/anesthesiologists (p<0.05). The most common indication for all the physicians was AHRF (48%). Physicians were more likely to use NIV dedicated ventilator in AHRF and CPE and an intensive care unit (ICU) ventilator with NIV module inde novohypoxic respiratory failure and W/PE, mainly because of the possibility of using the double circuit and inspiratory oxygen fraction control. Overall, the oro-nasal mask was the most frequently used interface, irrespective of clinical scenarios.

The use of NIV in Europe is generally relatively high, especially among pulmonologists and in AHRF. Dedicated NIV ventilators and ICU ventilators with NIV modules are preferably in AHRF and inde novohypoxic respiratory failure, respectively, together with oro-nasal masks.
Nerve growth factor enhances Clara cell proliferation after lung injury
Authors: Sonar S.S. , Schwinge D. , Kilic A. , Yildirim A.Ö. , Conrad M.L. , Seidler K. , Müller B. , Renz H. , Nockher W.A.
Published: January 2010

The lung epithelia facilitate wound closure by secretion of various cytokines and growth factors. Nerve growth factor (NGF) has been well described in airway inflammation; however, its likely role in lung repair has not been examined thus far.

To investigate the repair function of NGF, experiments were performedin vitrousing cultured alveolar epithelial cells andin vivousing a naphthalene-induced model of Clara epithelial cell injury.

Bothin vitroandin vivoexperiments revealed airway epithelial cell proliferation following injury to be dependent on NGF and the expression of its receptor, tropomyosin-receptor-kinase A. Additionally, NGF also augmentedin vitromigration of alveolar type II cells.In vivo, transgenic mice over-expressing NGF in Clara cells (NGFtg) did not reveal any proliferation or alteration in Clara cell phenotype. However, following Clara cell specific injury, proliferation was increased in NGFtg and impaired upon inhibition of NGF. Furthermore, NGF also promoted the expression of collagen I and fibronectinin vitroandin vivoduring repair, where significantly higher levels were measured in re-epithelialising NGFtg mice.

Our study demonstrates that NGF promotes the proliferation of lung epitheliumin vitroand the renewal of Clara cells following lung injuryin vivo.
A population-based evaluation of the seventh edition of the TNM system for lung cancer
Authors: Strand T-E. , Rostad H. , Wentzel-Larsen T. , Von Plessen C.
Published: January 2010

Our study describes the new seventh edition of the TNM system for lung cancer in a national population and its clinical implications.

We classified 1,885 operated patients with lung cancer, reported to the Cancer Registry of Norway (Oslo, Norway) from 2001 to 2005, according to the sixth and the seventh edition of the TNM system. We compared survival differences adjusting for known prognostic factors. Furthermore, we evaluated the overall predictive ability of both editions using Harrell's concordance index.

Survival curves by stage for each of the editions were similar; however, a better description of stage IIIB was observed in the seventh edition. Survival rates of T1b and T2a tumours were similar (log rank p = 0.94). The concordance index was 0.68 for both editions, indicating no overall difference in their predictive accuracy. In the seventh edition, 211 (29%) stage IB patients migrated to stage II and 161 (48%) patients migrated from stage IIB to IIA. Stage migrations could change the treatment for up to 326 (17.3%) of the study patients.

The seventh edition did not improve the overall predictive ability of the TNM system; however, the new classification implies changes in treatment for nearly one-fifth of the cases. The implications of the seventh TNM edition for the outcomes of patients should be studied further.
Body mass index as predictor for asthma: a cohort study of 118,723 males and females
Authors: Hjellvik V. , Tverdal A. , Furu K.
Published: January 2010

The objective of the present study was to quantify the relationship between body mass index (BMI; in kilogrammes per metre squared) and asthma in middle-aged males and females, and to evaluate change in BMI as a risk factor for asthma.

Asthma incidence was estimated from data on redeemed prescriptions of anti-asthmatic drugs during the period 2004–2007, retrieved from the nationwide Norwegian Prescription Database. BMI was measured during health surveys in 1994–1999 in >100,000 individuals born during 1952–1959. Change in BMI was based on self-report. Relative risks were estimated using Poisson regression.

The relative risk associated with a 3-unit increase in BMI ranged from 1.14 (95% confidence interval 1.10–1.18) in current smokers to 1.27 (1.22–1.32) in never-smokers after adjusting for confounders. The relative risk associated with a 3-unit increase in BMI was 1.21 (1.16–1.26) after adjusting for confounders, including sex, smoking and BMI.

Asthma incidence, as measured by anti-asthmatic drug use, was positively related to both BMI and change in BMI. For BMI, the association was stronger for never-smokers than for ex-smokers and current smokers.
Paediatrics in Vienna: Table 1—
Authors: Brand P. L. P. , Ratjen F. , Aurora P. , Dankert-Roelse J. E. , Ross-Russell R. I. , Kuehni C. E. , Midulla F. , Hedlin G.
Published: January 2010

The aim of this article is to describe the paediatric highlights from the 2009 European Respiratory Society Annual Congress in Vienna, Austria. The best abstracts from the seven groups of the Paediatric Assembly (asthma and allergy, respiratory epidemiology, cystic fibrosis, respiratory physiology, respiratory infections and immunology, neonatology and paediatric intensive care, and bronchology) are presented alongside findings from the current literature.
Integrative analysis of the heat shock response in Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Albrecht Daniela , Guthke Reinhard , Brakhage Axel A , Kniemeyer Olaf
Published: January 2010

Background

Aspergillus fumigatusis a thermotolerant human-pathogenic mold and the most common cause of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in immunocompromised patients. Its predominance is based on several factors most of which are still unknown. The thermotolerance ofA. fumigatusis one of the traits which have been assigned to pathogenicity. It allows the fungus to grow at temperatures up to and above that of a fevered human host. To elucidate the mechanisms of heat resistance, we analyzed the change of theA. fumigatusproteome during a temperature shift from 30°C to 48°C by 2D-fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE). To improve 2D gel image analysis results, protein spot quantitation was optimized by missing value imputation and normalization. Differentially regulated proteins were compared to previously published transcriptome data ofA. fumigatus. The study was augmented by bioinformatical analysis of transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) in the promoter region of genes whose corresponding proteins were differentially regulated upon heat shock.

Results

91 differentially regulated protein spots, representing 64 different proteins, were identified by mass spectrometry (MS). They showed a continuous up-, down- or an oscillating regulation. Many of the identified proteins were involved in protein folding (chaperones), oxidative stress response, signal transduction, transcription, translation, carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism. A correlation between alteration of transcript levels and corresponding proteins was detected for half of the differentially regulated proteins. Interestingly, some previously undescribed putative targets for the heat shock regulator Hsf1 were identified. This provides evidence for Hsf1-dependent regulation of mannitol biosynthesis, translation, cytoskeletal dynamics and cell division inA. fumigatus. Furthermore, computational analysis of promoters revealed putative binding sites for an AP-2alpha-like transcription factor upstream of some heat shock induced genes. Until now, this factor has only been found in vertebrates.

Conclusions

Our newly established DIGE data analysis workflow yields improved data quality and is widely applicable for other DIGE datasets. Our findings suggest that the heat shock response inA. fumigatusdiffers from already well-studied yeasts and other filamentous fungi.
Identification of possible targets of the Aspergillus fumigatus CRZ1 homologue, CrzA
Authors: Soriani Frederico M , Malavazi Iran , Savoldi Marcela , Espeso Eduardo , Dinamarco Taísa M , Bernardes Luciano AS , Ferreira Márcia ES , Goldman Maria Helena S , Goldman Gustavo H
Published: January 2010

Background

Calcineurin, a serine/threonine-specific protein phosphatase, plays an important role in the control of cell morphology and virulence in fungi. Calcineurin regulates localization and activity of a transcription factor called CRZ1. Recently, we characterizeAspergillus fumigatus CRZ1homologue, AfCrzA. Here, we investigate which pathways are influenced byA. fumigatusAfCrzA during a short pulse of calcium by comparatively determining the transcriptional profile ofA. fumigatuswild type andΔAfcrzAmutant strains.

Results

We were able to observe 3,622 genes modulated in at least one timepoint in the mutant when compared to the wild type strain (3,211 and 411 at 10 and 30 minutes, respectively). Decreased mRNA abundance in theΔcrzAwas seen for genes encoding calcium transporters, transcription factors and genes that could be directly or indirectly involved in calcium metabolism. Increased mRNA accumulation was observed for some genes encoding proteins involved in stress response. AfCrzA overexpression inA. fumigatusincreases the expression of several of these genes. The deleted strain of one of these genes, AfRcnA, belonging to a class of endogenous calcineurin regulators, calcipressins, had more calcineurin activity after exposure to calcium and was less sensitive to menadione 30 μM, hydrogen peroxide 2.5 mM, EGTA 25 mM, and MnCl225 mM. We constructed deletion, overexpression, and GFP fusion protein for the closely relatedA. nidulansAnRcnA. GFP::RcnA was mostly detected along the germling, did not accumulate in the nuclei and its location is not affected by the cellular response to calcium chloride.

Conclusion

We have performed a transcriptional profiling analysis of theA. fumigatus ΔAfcrzAmutant strain exposed to calcium stress. This provided an excellent opportunity to identify genes and pathways that are under the influence of AfCrzA. AfRcnA, one of these selected genes, encodes a modulator of calcineurin activity. Concomitantly withA. fumigatus AfrcnAmolecular analysis, we decided to exploit the conserved features ofA. nidulanscalcineurin system and investigated theA. nidulansAnRcnA homologue.A. nidulansAnRcnA mutation is suppressing CnaA mutation and it is responsible for modulating the calcineurin activity and mRNA accumulation of genes encoding calcium transporters.
Differences in bleeding behavior after endoscopic band ligation: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Petrasch Florian , Grothaus Johannes , Mössner Joachim , Schiefke Ingolf , Hoffmeister Albrecht
Published: January 2010

Background

Endoscopic band ligation (EBL) is generally accepted as the treatment of choice for bleeding from esophageal varices. It is also used for secondary prophylaxis of esophageal variceal hemorrhage. However, there is no data or guidelines concerning endoscopic control of ligation ulcers. We conducted a retrospective study of EBL procedures analyzing bleeding complications after EBL.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data from patients who underwent EBL. We analyzed several data points, including indication for the procedure, bleeding events and the time interval between EBL and bleeding.

Results

255 patients and 387 ligation sessions were included in the analysis. We observed an overall bleeding rate after EBL of 7.8%. Bleeding events after elective treatment (3.9%) were significantly lower than those after treatment for acute variceal hemorrhage (12.1%). The number of bleeding events from ligation ulcers and variceal rebleeding was 14 and 15, respectively. The bleeding rate from the ligation site in the group who underwent emergency ligation was 7.1% and 0.5% in the group who underwent elective ligation. Incidence of variceal rebleeding did not vary significantly. Seventy-five percent of all bleeding episodes after elective treatment occurred within four days after EBL. 20/22 of bleeding events after emergency ligation occured within 11 days after treatment. Elective EBL has a lower risk of bleeding from treatment-induced ulceration than emergency ligation.

Conclusions

Patients who underwent EBL for treatment of acute variceal bleeding should be kept under medical surveillance for 11 days. After elective EBL, it may be reasonable to restrict the period of surveillance to four days or even perform the procedure in an out-patient setting.
Lasting immune memory against hepatitis B in children after primary immunization with 4 doses of DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib in the first and 2nd year of life
Authors: Steiner Michael , Ramakrishnan Gunasekaran , Gartner Britta , Van Der Meeren Olivier , Jacquet Jeanne-Marie , Schuster Volker
Published: January 2010

Background

Few studies have assessed long term persisting immunity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) in children vaccinated during infancy with combined vaccines containing recombinant HBV surface antigen (HBs). We assessed antibody persistence and immune memory in children 4-5 years of age, previously vaccinated with four doses of combined hexavalent DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib vaccine (Infanrix hexa™).

Methods

Immune memory was assessed in 301 children through administration of a challenge dose of monovalent HBV vaccine.

Results

At 4-5 years of age, 85.3% of subjects had persisting anti-HBs antibody concentrations ≥ 10 mIU/mL, rising to 98.6% after the HBV challenge dose. All but 12 subjects (95.8%) achieved post-challenge anti-HBs concentrations ≥ 100 mIU/mL. The post-challenge anti-HBs GMC rose by 100-fold compared to pre-challenge concentrations. An anamnestic response to the HBV vaccine challenge was observed in 96.8% of subjects, including 17/21 (81.0%) of children with initially undetectable antibodies (<3.3 mIU/mL). All but 4 of 42 subjects (90.5%) with anti-HBs antibodies <10 mIU/mL prior to the challenge dose, achieved seroprotective levels afterwards. A 4-fold rise in antibody concentration after the challenge dose was observed in 259/264 (98.1%) of initially seropositive subjects. The magnitude of the post-challenge responses was proportional to pre-challenge anti-HBs levels. No serious adverse events were reported during the study.

Conclusion

The combined DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib vaccine induced lasting immune memory against hepatitis B. Long term protection afforded by DTPa-HBV-IPV/Hib is likely to be similar to that observed following priming with monovalent HBV vaccines.

Trial registration

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov106789 NCT00411697
Cystatin E/M suppresses legumain activity and invasion of human melanoma
Authors: Briggs Jon J , Haugen Mads H , Johansen Harald T , Riker Adam I , Abrahamson Magnus , Fodstad Øystein , Mælandsmo Gunhild M , Solberg Rigmor
Published: January 2010

Background

High activity of cysteine proteases such as legumain and the cathepsins have been shown to facilitate growth and invasion of a variety of tumor types. In breast cancer, several recent studies have indicated that loss of the cysteine protease inhibitor cystatin E/M leads to increased growth and metastasis. Although cystatin E/M is normally expressed in the skin, its role in cysteine protease regulation and progression of malignant melanoma has not been studied.

Methods

A panel of various non-melanoma and melanoma cell lines was used. Cystatin E/M and C were analyzed in cell media by immunoblotting and ELISA. Legumain, cathepsin B and L were analyzed in cell lysates by immunoblotting and their enzymatic activities were analyzed by peptide substrates. Two melanoma cell lines lacking detectable secretion of cystatin E/M were transfected with a cystatin E/M expression plasmid (pCST6), and migration and invasiveness were studied by a Matrigel invasion assay.

Results

Cystatin E/M was undetectable in media from all established melanoma cell lines examined, whereas strong immunobands were detected in two of five primary melanoma lines and in two of six lines derived from patients with metastatic disease. Among the four melanoma lines secreting cystatin E/M, the glycosylated form (17 kD) was predominant compared to the non-glycosylated form (14 kD). Legumain, cathepsin B and L were expressed and active in most of the cell lines, although at low levels in the melanomas expressing cystatin E/M. In the melanoma lines where cystatin E/M was secreted, cystatin C was generally absent or expressed at a very low level. When melanoma cells lacking secretion of cystatin E/M were transfected with pCST6, their intracellular legumain activity was significantly inhibited. In contrast, cathepsin B activity was not affected. Furthermore, invasion was suppressed in cystatin E/M over-expressing melanoma cell lines as measured by the transwell Matrigel assay.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the level of cystatin E/M regulates legumain activity and hence the invasive potential of human melanoma cells.