bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LIN28B Promotes Colon Cancer Progression and Metastasis
Authors: King Catrina E. , Cuatrecasas Miriam , Castells Antoni , Sepulveda Antonia R. , Lee Ju-Seog , Rustgi Anil K.
Published: April 2011

LIN28B is a homologue of LIN28 that induces pluripotency when expressed in conjunction with OCT4, SOX2, and KLF4 in somatic fibroblasts. LIN28B represses biogenesis of let-7 microRNAs and is implicated in both development and tumorigenesis. Recently, we have determined that LIN28B overexpression occurs in colon tumors. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of LIN28B protein expression in human colon adenocarcinomas. We found that LIN28B overexpression correlates with reduced patient survival and increased probability of tumor recurrence. To elucidate tumorigenic functions of LIN28B, we constitutively expressed LIN28B in colon cancer cells and evaluated tumor formation in vivo. Tumors with constitutive LIN28B expression exhibit increased expression of colonic stem cell markers LGR5 and PROM1, mucinous differentiation, and metastasis. Together, our findings point to a function for LIN28B in promoting colon tumor pathogenesis, especially metastasis. Cancer Res; 71(12); 4260–8. ©2011 AACR.
Metabolic Factors, Adipose Tissue, and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Levels in Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Belalcazar L. Maria , Ballantyne Christie M. , Lang Wei , Haffner Steven M. , Rushing Julia , Schwenke Dawn C. , Pi-Sunyer F. Xavier , Tracy Russell P. ,   the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) Research Group
Published: April 2011

Objective—

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) production by adipose tissue is increased in obesity, and its circulating levels are high in type 2 diabetes. PAI-1 increases cardiovascular risk by favoring clot stability, interfering with vascular remodeling, or both. We investigated in obese diabetic persons whether an intensive lifestyle intervention for weight loss (ILI) would decrease PAI-1 levels independently of weight loss and whether PAI-1 reduction would be associated with changes in fibrinogen, an acute phase reactant, or fibrin fragment
d
-dimer (
d
-dimer), a marker of ambient coagulation balance.

Methods and Results—

We examined 1-year changes in PAI-1,
d
-dimer, and fibrinogen levels; adiposity; fitness; glucose; and lipid control with ILI in 1817 participants from Look AHEAD, a randomized trial investigating the effects of ILI, compared with usual care, on cardiovascular events in overweight or obese diabetic persons. Median PAI-1 levels decreased 29% with ILI and 2.5% with usual care (
P
<0.0001). Improvements in fitness, glucose control, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with decreased PAI-1, independently of weight loss (
P
=0.03 for fitness,
P
<0.0001 for others). Fibrinogen and
d
-dimer remained unchanged.

Conclusion—

Reductions in PAI-1 levels with ILI in obese diabetic individuals may reflect an improvement in adipose tissue health that could affect cardiovascular risk without changing fibrinogen or
d
-dimer levels.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00017953
. Unique identifier: NCT00017953.
Detection of Extra Components of T Wave by Independent Component Analysis in Congenital Long-QT Syndrome
Authors: Horigome Hitoshi , Ishikawa Yasuhiro , Shiono Junko , Iwamoto Mari , Sumitomo Naokata , Yoshinaga Masao
Published: April 2011

Background—

The main ECG criteria for the diagnosis of long-QT syndrome (LQTS) include abnormal T-wave morphology as well as prolonged QT interval. The T wave in LQTS probably includes additional components of the myocardial repolarization process, which are derived from aberrant ion currents. We investigated whether independent component analysis (ICA) can extract such abnormal repolarization components.

Methods and Results—

Digital ECG data were obtained as a time series from 10 channels using 20 surface electrodes in 22 patients with genetically confirmed LQTS type 1 (LQT1) and 30 normal subjects. In each case, T-wave area was analyzed by radical ICA after noise reduction by the wavelet thresholding method. Furthermore, inverse ICA was applied to determine the origin of each independent component (IC). Radical ICA revealed that a T-wave consisted of 4 basic ICs in all control subjects, whereas ≥5 (mostly 6) ICs were identified in all 22 patients with LQT1. The extra ICs, which were not evident in normal subjects, were assumed to contribute to the formation of abnormal T-wave morphology. The extra ICs were identified even in patients with normal QTc values and in those taking β-blockers. Inverse ICA indicated that the additional ICs originate predominantly from the late phase of the T wave of the left ventricle.

Conclusions—

Extra ICs appear during repolarization in all patients with LQT1 but not in normal subjects. ICA is a potentially useful multivariate statistical method to differentiate patients with LQT1 from normal subjects.
Intermittent Hypoxia in Rats Increases Myogenic Tone Through Loss of Hydrogen Sulfide Activation of Large-Conductance Ca
2+
-Activated Potassium Channels
Authors: Jackson-Weaver Olan , Paredes Daniel A. , Bosc Laura V. Gonzalez , Walker Benjimen R. , Kanagy Nancy L.
Published: April 2011

Rationale:

Myogenic tone, an important regulator of vascular resistance, is dependent on vascular smooth muscle (VSM) depolarization, can be modulated by endothelial factors, and is increased in several models of hypertension. Intermittent hypoxia (IH) elevates blood pressure and causes endothelial dysfunction. Hydrogen sulfide (H
2
S), a recently described endothelium-derived vasodilator, is produced by the enzyme cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) and acts by hyperpolarizing VSM.

Objective:

Determine whether IH decreases endothelial H
2
S production to increase myogenic tone in small mesenteric arteries.

Methods and Results:

Myogenic tone was greater in mesenteric arteries from IH than sham control rat arteries, and VSM membrane potential was depolarized in IH in comparison with sham arteries. Endothelium inactivation or scavenging of H
2
S enhanced myogenic tone in sham arteries to the level of IH. Inhibiting CSE also enhanced myogenic tone and depolarized VSM in sham but not IH arteries. Similar results were seen in cerebral arteries. Exogenous H
2
S dilated and hyperpolarized sham and IH arteries, and this dilation was blocked by iberiotoxin, paxilline, and KCl preconstriction but not glibenclamide or 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. Iberiotoxin enhanced myogenic tone in both groups but more in sham than IH. CSE immunofluorescence was less in the endothelium of IH than in sham mesenteric arteries. Endogenouse H
2
S dilation was reduced in IH arteries.

Conclusions:

IH appears to decrease endothelial CSE expression to reduce H
2
S production, depolarize VSM, and enhance myogenic tone. H
2
S dilatation and hyperpolarization of VSM in small mesenteric arteries requires BK
Ca
channels.
Cocteau’s Chimney, Carter’s Cadenza: ‘Dream Time’ Symbols in Sight and Sound
Authors: Wierzbicki James
Published: April 2011

The idea of ‘dream time’, or oneiric time, has doubtless been with us since the dawn of human consciousness. But ‘dream time’ is a special kind of time that does not really take time or occupy time, and thus to depict it in a temporal, linear medium is patently impossible. The French filmmaker Jean Cocteau and the American composer Elliott Carter were fully aware of this when they sought to create symbols of the familiar yet ineffable ‘dream time’ phenomenon. This essay examines the interrupted ‘falling chimney’ sequence that frames Cocteau’s 1930 surrealist film Le Sang d’une poète and the cello/violin cadenza, inspired by Cocteau’s gesture, that similarly frames Carter’s 1951 String Quartet No. 1. It argues that Cocteau’s and Carter’s efforts are successful, but largely to the extent that they remind audience members of their own dream-time experiences.
Recursion, Supplementarity, and the Limits of Subjectivity in John Barth’s “Menelaiad”
Authors: Singer Marc
Published: April 2011

“Menelaiad,” an experimental short story from John Barth’s Lost in the Funhouse, consists of a series of multiply nested narratives in which each layer recursively generates the next, chronologically earlier one. The story presents narrative and memory as supplemental processes that look back in time to recover or replace a lost moment of presence and completion. Barth suggests these supplements are imperfect and self-defeating means of recapturing the past, however, as they further separate the narrator from his tale’s irretrievable origins. The story structures human subjectivity along similarly self-deferring lines, portraying the self not as an essential whole but as a sequence of narrative supplements organized around an absence that no supplement can redress. Paralleling contemporary developments in poststructuralist theory yet not inspired by, beholden to, or even necessarily aware of them, “Menelaiad” delivers an original illustration of the recursive and supplemental processes that, Barth believes, define and demarcate the human subject.
Memory as a String of Pearls
Authors: Hancock Peter A. , Shahnami Nushien
Published: April 2011

Which representational metaphor one chooses serves to exert a powerful influence upon how we conceive of and subsequently think about time. In the human perception of time, one of the most critical faculties is that of memory, since it appears that we remember the past and anticipate the future while simultaneously experiencing the present. We here present a ‘string of pearls’ metaphor which captures the features of episodic memories (both retrospective and prospective) as the pearls on the string. The underlying continuity of lived experience of existence is equated with the thread of the string itself upon which these respective episodic pearls are mounted. The advantages, nuances, and drawbacks of the use of this metaphor to the understanding of time perception are discussed.
Reading between the Lines: The Compilation of Hadīt and the Authorial Voice
Authors: Burge S. R.
Published: April 2011

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries there were numerous studies of the isnād in Hadīt Studies, but more recently the discipline has focused on the role that Hadīt played in the development of the four schools of Sunnī law. These studies have still had a tendency to focus on the isnād. However, there is a second stage in the compilation of Hadīt that has received little attention, namely a study of the way in which Hadīt have been compiled and presented. The form and structure of a work should be able to give insights into a compiler’s viewpoints and beliefs. This article draws on two methodologies from Biblical Studies (Canonical and Redaction Criticism), as a means to approach and understand the (theological) statements lying behind the compilation of Hadīt collections, using two case studies from al-Buhārī’s Sahīh to explore the potential benefit of analysing the way Hadīts are compiled: (i) the opening book of the work: Kitāb Bad al-wahy and (ii) the Kitāb al-Atima. By exploring the way in which a Kitāb has been compiled, it may be possible to reveal the authorial voice and opinions.
Le poème en lām d’Abū Kabīr al-Hudalī : introduction, traduction et notes
Authors: Larcher Pierre
Published: April 2011

The lāmiyya is the most famous poem by Abū Kabīr al-Hudalī, who is one of the most famous poets of the Hudayl tribe. According to Blachère, it is an “exercice d’école”. If so, it is a successful one, both thematically and stylistically. Thematically, nostalgia for youth serves as a frame for the evocation of mankind’s great deeds, such as love and war. Stylistically, the poem is made up of parallelisms. The annotation consists mainly of a linguistic and literary commentary. We have opted for a poetic translation.
Legal Remedies for Human Rights Violations in the Armed Conflict in Chechnya: The Approach of the European Court of Human Rights in Context
Authors: Koroteev Kirill
Published: April 2011

The article discusses the efficacy of the remedies offered to successful applicants by the European Court of Human Rights in the cases coming from the armed conflict in the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation. It submits, firstly, that proper establishment of facts constitutes a remedy in itself for victims of human rights violations in an armed conflict. It then analyses the establishment of facts by the Court in the Chechen cases and argues that the assessment of evidence under the Court's burden of proof 'beyond reasonable doubt' was applied unevenly in different cases. The paper suggests that the Court obtains evidence proprio motu, which it has never done in the Chechen cases. Secondly, this paper evaluates the European Court's practice to limit the just satisfaction by monetary awards and to consistently deny the applicants' requests for non-monetary awards. It then discusses the developments in the international law on reparations for human rights violations under the ECHR and in the Inter-American and UN systems, and argues for a need to enhance the European Court's awards of just satisfaction. Finally, the paper assesses the supervision of the execution of judgments in the Chechen cases, finds it ineffective, and suggests that more actions are required from the Court in order to deal effectively with alleged human rights violations arising from armed conflicts.
The Interplay Between International Humanitarian Law and Refugee Law
Authors: Fernández-Sánchez Pablo Antonio
Published: April 2011

International humanitarian law (IHL) is not the sole body of international law that applies in armed conflicts. Among the different legal bodies that may be subject to the simultaneous application during armed conflicts is refugee law. The questions considered in this article are the protection of refugees under IHL, including the right of non-refoulement during armed conflicts. The cumulative application of IHL and refugee law is another focus of analysis. This article deals with inter alia the reinforced extension of alien rights to refugees during armed conflict, the possibility to grant refugee status to new actors which appear during armed conflict, the obligation to disarm and separate armed elements, the forced transfer of refugees for military or humanitarian reasons, and the right of ex-combatants to be treated as civilian refugees once they have disarmed and their legal status can be determined.
The return of moral motivation in predicting collective action against collective disadvantage
Authors: van Zomeren Martijn , Postmes Tom , Spears Russell
Published: April 2011

The social psychology of collective action against collective disadvantage has hitherto underspecified, not to say neglected, the profound power of moral motivations. This is particularly important because moral motivations can unite disadvantaged and advantaged group members to fight for a joint cause (e.g., civil rights). After a brief review of the literature on collective action and moral motivation, we propose that moral convictions, defined as strong and absolute stances on moralised issues, represent an essential part of moral motivation. Hence, any violation of a moral conviction motivates individuals to change the situation. Because this motivation leads to identification with the relevant group, it effectively integrates moral conviction with the Social Identity Model of Collective Action (SIMCA; Van Zomeren, Postmes & Spears, 2008). This model suggests that a relevant social identity is the psychological basis for undertaking collective action motivated by group identification, group-based anger, and group efficacy. Our approach thus explains how seemingly individualistic moral convictions can have collective consequences.
La medida del comportamiento antisocial en adolescentes y jóvenes: desarrollo del Inventario de Comportamientos Antisociales (ICA)
Authors: Espinosa Pablo , Clemente Miguel
Published: April 2011

Mientras otras medidas de autoinforme se centran exclusivamente en el carácter antisocial (leve) o delictivo (grave-tipificado) del comportamiento problemático, el Inventario de Comportamientos Antisociales (ICA) se presenta como una medida extensiva de comportamientos antisociales que divide el comportamiento antisocial y antinormativo en subtipos de acuerdo con las motivaciones del individuo. Se examinan las propiedades del inventario para medir los tipos de conducta utilizando una muestra de 1440 participantes de entre 12 y 30 años. Diferenciar las motivaciones subyacentes a las conductas antisociales es fundamental para establecer las relaciones que puedan existir entre el comportamiento problemático y variables cognitivas como el desarrollo moral o los valores. En un segundo estudio se comprueba que el ICA discrimina entre adolescentes institucionalizados con problemas de conducta y otros adolescentes. Un tercer estudio comprueba que los diferentes aspectos del comportamiento antisocial están vinculados a la perspectiva social del individuo, medida por el Prosocial Tendencies Measure (PTM) y el cuestionario de valores de Schwartz.
Globalization and Ethnic Diversity in Western Newspaper Coverage of Literary Authors: Comparing Developments in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States, 1955 to 2005
Authors: Berkers Pauwke , Janssen Susanne , Verboord Marc
Published: April 2011

In contrast to most studies on cultural globalization, this article examines the dynamics of cross-cultural exchange between and within (Western) nation-states. Through content analysis, the authors study the extent and composition of newspaper coverage given to literary authors of non-Western ethnic origin—both foreign and domestic—in four nations across 50 years.The analysis reveals, among other things, that newspaper attention to ethnic minority authors appears related to various features of a nation’s ethnic minority population, the extent that a given national literary field is receptive to ethnic diversity, and the relative position of that nation in the literary world-system.
Effects of Intensive Reading Intervention for Eighth-Grade Students With Persistently Inadequate Response to Intervention
Authors: Vaughn Sharon , Wexler Jade , Leroux Audrey , Roberts Greg , Denton Carolyn , Barth Amy , Fletcher Jack
Published: April 2011

The authors report the effects of a yearlong, very small-group, intensive reading intervention for eighth-grade students with serious reading difficulties who had demonstrated low response to intervention (RTI) in both Grades 6 and 7. At the beginning of Grade 6, a cohort of students identified as having reading difficulties were randomized to treatment or comparison conditions. Treatment group students received researcher-provided reading intervention in Grade 6, which continued in Grade 7 for those with low response to intervention; comparison students received no researcher-provided intervention. Participants in the Grade 8 study were members of the original treatment ( N = 28) and comparison ( N = 13) conditions who had failed to pass a state-mandated reading comprehension test in both Grades 6 and 7. In Grade 8, treatment group students received a 50-minute, daily, individualized, intensive reading intervention in groups of two to four students per teacher. The results showed that students in the treatment condition demonstrated significantly higher scores than comparison students on standardized measures of comprehension (effect size = 1.20) and word identification (effect size = 0.49), although most continued to lack grade-level proficiency in reading despite 3 years of intervention. Findings from this study provide a rationale for intensive intervention for middle school students with severe reading difficulties.
Learning to Open Up History for Students: Preservice Teachers’ Emerging Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Authors: Monte-Sano Chauncey
Published: April 2011

Given students’ preconceptions of history as fixed information, cultivating students’ interpretive and evidence-based thinking is foundational to advancing their disciplinary understanding. This study examines the ways in which preservice history teachers construct tasks that demand students’ interpretive and evidence-based thinking and attend to such thinking in their field placements while being taught to do so in their methods courses. Analysis of methods course assignments, student teaching observations, and assessments of candidates’ disciplinary knowledge led to the construction of three cases of novice teachers’ efforts to teach these ways of thinking to their students. The one novice who attended to her students’ interpretive and evidentiary thinking translated her disciplinary knowledge into lessons that involved analysis of text in developing interpretations and gave general prompts to provide evidence in support of students’ conclusions. This study highlights the role of preservice teachers’ disciplinary understanding and pedagogical content knowledge in developing students’ interpretive and evidentiary thinking in history classrooms.
Evaluation of the integrated application of intelligent transportation system technologies using stochastic incident generation and resolution modeling
Authors: Ma Yongchang , Fries Ryan , Chowdhury Mashrur , Inamdar Imran
Published: April 2011

This paper presents the use of the microscopic vehicle traffic simulation software PARAMICS to evaluate different incident management implementation alternatives in South Carolina. This study customized the simulation model for random spatial and temporal traffic incident generation, and modeled different incident alternatives through an application programming interface. This incident management system integrated incident reporting hotlines, traffic cameras, traffic sensors, and freeway service patrols (FSPs), finding that this approach to incident management outperformed the application of traffic cameras or FSPs alone. The integrated application of intelligent transportation system technologies significantly reduced incident duration and total vehicle hours of travel during an incident. In addition, FSP response policy and headway affected the incident management performance.
The Effects of Coping Skills Training Among Teens With Asthma
Authors: Srof Brenda J. , Velsor-Friedrich Barbara , Penckofer Sue
Published: April 2011

This pilot study used a pretest and posttest design to examine the effect of a school-based intervention, Coping Skills Training, among teens with asthma ( N = 39) aged 14 to 18 years randomly assigned to treatment and control groups from three midwestern high schools. Variables included asthma self-efficacy, social support, asthma-related quality of life, peak expiratory flow rate, asthma diary symptoms, and rescue medication usage. The treatment group scored significantly higher on self-efficacy ( p < .001), activity-related quality of life ( p = .05), and social support ( p < .001) compared with the control group after using ANCOVA to adjust for baseline scores. Significant improvements were also noted from pre- to posttest in the treatment group for self-efficacy ( p < .001) and quality of life ( p = .02). This study indicates that Coping Skills Training is an important intervention for further study with teens with asthma.
Straight on through to Universal Grammar: Spatial modifiers in second language acquisition
Authors: Stringer David , Burghardt Beatrix , Seo Hyun-Kyoung , Wang Yi-Ting
Published: April 2011

There has been considerable progress in second language (L2) research at the syntax—semantics interface addressing how syntax can inform phrasal semantics, in terms of interpretive correlates of word order (Slabakova, 2008). This article provides evidence of a flow of information ostensibly in the opposite direction, from meaning to grammar, at the interface between lexical semantics and syntax. It is argued that there is a functional hierarchy of modifiers in the domain of adpositions, which enables the linguistic elaboration of trajectories, but that not all languages lexicalize all types. This study examines whether L2 learners of English are able to overcome the poverty of the stimulus and recruit the relevant functional categories despite their absence in the first language (L1). Modifiers were taught to learners individually, but never in combination. A computer-animated narrative was designed in order to create felicitous contexts for combinations of modifiers, and preference and grammaticality judgment tasks were administered to 121 students from various L1 backgrounds, as well as 20 native speakers. Accuracy scores were remarkably targetlike on binary combinations of modifiers (1) across proficiency levels, (2) across L1s, and (3) across the two tasks, revealing that with the semantics of modifiers in place, the syntactic hierarchy is naturally manifested.
Who Are the Winners and the Losers? Transitions in the U.S. Household Income Distribution
Authors: Hisnanick John J.
Published: April 2011

In the five decades since Kuznets (1955) published his hypothesis on income inequality, a large and significant portion of the work on income distribution and inequality has involved using cross-sectional data for developmental comparisons at the intra- and international levels. Using cross-sectional data, these studies have tracked inequality trends that were deemed the consequence of growth and technical progress due to fiscal manipulations, such as levying taxes and granting subsidies to satisfy some welfare target. While this prior work provided valuable insight at the macroeconomic level on the interrelationship of development, economic growth, and income inequality, only over the last few decades has the research emphasis shifted from an understanding of the implications of income inequality at the aggregate level to that at the individual level. Using cross-sectional data it is possible to track income groups over time, but not the composition nor the characteristics of these groups, which are likely to change over time and affect their position in the income distribution. On the other hand, with the availability of longitudinal, micro-level data it has become possible to investigate in more detail underlying facets of income distribution, such as income mobility, and the lack of it, among households. Using three panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) (1993, 1996, and 2001) and building upon the methodological suggestions of Jarvis and Jenkins (1998) and Jenkins (2000), this paper looks at a household’s economic and demographic characteristics relative to their position in the income distribution. For example, results indicate that between 1996-1999, 13 million households experienced changes in their annual income that resulted in their moving up or down two or more quintiles in the income distribution. On the other hand, 39 percent of households (38.5 million) remained in the same quintile between 1996-1999 with the majority of these households experiencing intra-quintile movements. Of notable interest is that of those households remaining in the fourth and top quintiles between 1996-1999; 70 percent and 65 percent, respectively, experienced positive intra-quintile gains in income ranging, on average, from $3,550 to $10,812 annually.

JEL classification: C81, D31, O15
The Importance of Movement for People Living With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Williams Veronika , Bruton Anne , Ellis-Hill Caroline , McPherson Kathryn
Published: April 2011

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease that gives rise to symptoms of breathlessness, chronic fatigue, and cough. The impact of COPD on people’s activity has been widely acknowledged, yet it appears that we know little about how individuals experience activity. We employed a grounded theory study with 18 participants with COPD to explore their dimensions of activity. We identified two core concepts that captured participants’ experience of activity; these were stagnation and movement. We found fresh air to be the single most important aspect affecting participants’ experience of stagnation and movement; this was linked to a changed perception of symptoms. We identified the environment as an important context influencing the experience of COPD and activity. Our stagnation–movement theory explains the experience of activity within its environmental context, and how this experience might be affected on physical, social, and psychological levels.
Role of Glia in Orofacial Pain
Authors: Chiang Chen-Yu , Dostrovsky Jonathan O. , Iwata Koichi , Sessle Barry J.
Published: April 2011

Several acute and chronic pain conditions in the face or mouth are very common, and some are unique to the orofacial region. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of most orofacial chronic pain conditions are unresolved, and they are difficult to diagnose and manage. This article provides a brief overview of the neural mechanisms underlying orofacial pain and then highlights recent findings indicating that nonneural cells, specifically satellite cells in the sensory ganglia and astroglia and microglia cells in the central nervous system, are important players in both acute and chronic inflammatory and neuropathic orofacial pain conditions and may offer new targets for management of these conditions.
Putting Context Into a Cultural Perspective: Examining Arab and Jewish Adolescents’ Judgments and Reasoning About Spousal Retribution
Authors: Pitner Ronald O. , Astor Ron Avi , Benbenishty Rami , Haj-Yahia Muhammad M. , Zeira Anat
Published: April 2011

In this study, we examined what contextual factors influence adolescents’ judgments and reasoning about spousal retribution. Adolescents were drawn from Central and Northern Israel and consisted of 2,324 Arab and Jewish students (Grades 7-11). The study was set up in a 2 (Arab/Jewish respondent) × 2 (spousal retribution scenarios) factorial design. Our findings suggest that societal and cultural norms may be more powerful contextual variables than group stereotypes in influencing Arab and Jewish adolescents’ evaluations of spousal retribution. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Expedientes: Fissured Legality and Affective States in the Transnational Adoption Archives in Guatemala
Authors: Posocco Silvia
Published: April 2011

The article provides an examination of how adoption files, or expedientes, have “fissured” the legality of transnational adoption processes in Guatemala. By focusing on declarations and disclaimers as an entry point to explore controversies over adoption files, the article argues that files point to the “prior” histories of adoption that are intimately connected to local histories of violence in the country. Through the analysis of the politics inherent in these legal documents, and the legal frameworks regulating the production of adoption paperwork, the article offers a critical insight into the extra-judicial processes and forms of “exceptionalism” that made transnational adoptions possible in the thirty-year period between 1977 and 2007. At the same time, the analysis of declarations and disclaimers brings to light how the technologies of their production allow the emergence of “anti-social affects” that saturate, and internally disrupt, transnational adoption files. The article proposes a critical, “anti-social” analysis of international adoption, by illuminating the problems that come from taking for granted the values of futurity and reproduction in adoption studies.
Capranicaite, (K,☐)(Ca,Na)Al4B4Si2O18: a new inosilicate from Capranica, Italy, with a peculiar topology of the periodic single chain [Si2O6]
Authors: Callegari A. M. , Boiocchi M. , Bellatreccia F. , Caprilli E. , Medenbach O. , Cavallo A.
Published: April 2011

Capranicaite, ideally (K,☐)(Ca,Na)Al4B4Si2O18, is a new inosilicate mineral from the Vico volcanic complex collected at Capranica, Viterbo Province, Latium, Italy. It occurs in miarolitic cavities of a feldspathoid-bearing syenite ejectum and formed by late-stage metasomatic processes related to the activity of theVico volcano.

Capranicaite occurs as thin, tabular crystals no larger than 0.1 mm. Crystals are colourless, with a white streak and a vitreous lustre; they are brittle and their Mohs hardness is certainly <6. Capranicaite is non-fluorescent with good {001} cleavage and no observable parting. The calculated density is 2.41 g/cm3. Crystals are biaxial negative, non pleochroic, with α = 1.495(1), β = 1.543(1), γ = 1.544(1), 2Vobs = 7.3(2)°, 2Vcalc = 16.0°.

Capranicaiteis monoclinic P21/n, with a = 4.8507(2), b = 16.6156(6), c = 20.5445(7) Å, β = 90.245(1)°, V = 1655.82(17) Å3, Z = 4. The strongest six X-ray diffraction lines in the simulated powder pattern are [d in Å (I) (hkl)]: 3.234 (10) (124; 044), 4.104 (9) (1̄21; 121), 3.424 (8) (006), 2.184 (4) (048; 1̄64), 2.405 (4) (160), 2.425 (3) (200). EMP-WDS analysis gives: SiO2 20.70, Al2O3 32.91, B2O3 22.90, K2O 5.36, CaO 11.04, Na2O 4.08, Cs2O 2.20, sum 99.19%; the formula, based on 18 oxygens, is: (K0.69Cs0.10)Σ0.79(Ca1.19Na0.80)Σ1.99Al3.91B3.99Si2.09O18, corresponding to the ideal formula: (K,☐)(Ca,Na)Al4B4Si2O18. The crystal structure shows three overlapping layers of polyhedra parallel to (001): (1) the A layer contains periodic single chains formed by Si2O6 units with a topology not previously observed; (2) the B layer contains isolated AlO4 tetrahedra and BO3 triangles forming a sheet of six-fold rings (3Al + 3B); (3) the C layer contains two octahedral sites: M(1) and M(2), with a mixed (Ca, Na) population. Two B layers and an intermediate A layer are vertex-connected to form a bi-dimensional B-A-B network characterized by large channels not completely populated and accommodating K and minor Cs. Along c from the origin the following layer sequence results: C-[B-A-B]-C-[B-A-B]-C.
Defective inhibition of B-cell proliferation by Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein-deficient regulatory T cells
Authors: Adriani Marsilio , Jones Krysten A. , Uchiyama Toru , Kirby Martha R. , Silvin Christopher , Anderson Stacie M. , Candotti Fabio
Published: April 2011

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is an inherited immunodeficiency characterized by high incidence of autoantibody-mediated autoimmune complications. Such a feature has been associated with defective suppressor activity of WAS protein-deficient, naturally occurring CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells on responder T cells. However, it remains to be established whether the altered B-cell tolerance reported in WAS patients and Was knockout (WKO) mice is secondary to abnormalities in the direct suppression of B-cell function by nTreg cells or to impaired regulation of T-helper function. Because activated nTreg cells are known to induce granzyme B–mediated B-cell killing, we decided to evaluate the regulatory capabilities of WKO nTregs on B lymphocytes. We found that preactivated WKO nTreg cells failed to effectively suppress B-cell proliferation and that such a defect was associated with reduced killing of B cells and significantly decreased degranulation of granzyme B. Altogether, these results provide additional mechanistic insights into the loss of immune tolerance in WAS.
Inhibition of antithrombin by Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein II
Authors: Ndonwi Matthew , Burlingame Oname O. , Miller Aaron S. , Tollefsen Douglas M. , Broze George J. , Goldberg Daniel E.
Published: April 2011

Histidine-rich protein II (HRPII) is an abundant protein released into the bloodstream by Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes the most severe form of human malaria. Here, we report that HRPII binds tightly and selectively to coagulation-active glycosaminoglycans (dermatan sulfate, heparan sulfate, and heparin) and inhibits antithrombin (AT). In purified systems, recombinant HRPII neutralized the heparin-catalyzed inhibition of factor Xa and thrombin by AT in a Zn2+-dependent manner. The observed 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) for the HRPII neutralization of AT activity is approximately 30nM for factor Xa inhibition and 90nM for thrombin inhibition. Zn2+ was required for these reactions with a distribution coefficient (Kd) of approximately 7μM. Substituting Zn2+ with Cu2+, but not with Ca2+, Mg2+, or Fe2+, maintained the HRPII effect. HRPII attenuated the prolongation in plasma clotting time induced by heparin, suggesting that HRPII inhibits AT activity by preventing its stimulation by heparin. In the microvasculature, where erythrocytes infected with P falciparum are sequestered, high levels of released HRPII may bind cellular glycosaminoglycans, prevent their interaction with AT, and thereby contribute to the procoagulant state associated with P falciparum infection.
Plasma HHV8 DNA predicts relapse in individuals with HIV-associated multicentric Castleman disease
Authors: Stebbing Justin , Adams Caroline , Sanitt Adam , Mletzko Salvinia , Nelson Mark , Gazzard Brian , Newsom-Davis Tom , Bower Mark
Published: April 2011

HIV-associated multicentric Castleman disease (HIV-MCD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder caused by infection with human herpesvirus-8. The disease follows a relapsing and remitting clinical course, with marked systemic symptoms during an active attack, which can prove fatal. Its incidence is rising, and new data indicate the utility of the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab at inducing remissions in both first- and second-line settings, although biomarkers associated with relapse have not been previously identified. In 52 individuals with a histologic diagnosis of HIV-MCD, we performed univariate and multivariate analyses to predict factors associated with an HIV-MCD attack. Although a younger age (< 50 years) was associated with an attack, the strongest association was observed with plasma levels of human herpesvirus-8 DNA. Rising levels predicted an attack (hazard ratio = 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-6.7), and maintenance therapy with rituximab should be considered in these individuals.
Genetic population structure of the alpine species Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum sensu lato (Ericaceae) inferred from chloroplast and nuclear DNA
Authors: Huang Chi-Chun , Hung Kuo-Hsiang , Hwang Chi-Chuan , Huang Jao-Ching , Lin Hung-Du , Wang Wei-Kuang , Wu Pei-Yin , Hsu Tsai-Wen , Chiang Tzen-Yuh
Published: April 2011

Background

A complex of incipient species with different degrees of morphological or ecological differentiation provides an ideal model for studying species divergence. We examined the phylogeography and the evolutionary history of the Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum s. l.

Results

Systematic inconsistency was detected between gene genealogies of the cpDNA and nrDNA. Rooted at R. hyperythrum and R. formosana, both trees lacked reciprocal monophyly for all members of the complex. For R. pseudochrysanthum s.l., the spatial distribution of the cpDNA had a noteworthy pattern showing high genetic differentiation (FST = 0.56-0.72) between populations in the Yushan Mountain Range and populations of the other mountain ranges.

Conclusion

Both incomplete lineage sorting and interspecific hybridization/introgression may have contributed to the lack of monophyly among R. hyperythrum, R. formosana and R. pseudochrysanthum s.l. Independent colonizations, plus low capabilities of seed dispersal in current environments, may have resulted in the genetic differentiation between populations of different mountain ranges. At the population level, the populations of Central, and Sheishan Mountains may have undergone postglacial demographic expansion, while populations of the Yushan Mountain Range are likely to have remained stable ever since the colonization. In contrast, the single population of the Alishan Mountain Range with a fixed cpDNA haplotype may have experienced bottleneck/founder's events.
Preventable maternal mortality: Geographic/rural-urban differences and associated factors from the population-based maternal mortality surveillance system in China
Authors: Liang Juan , Dai Li , Zhu Jun , Li Xiaohong , Zeng Weiyue , Wang He , Li Qi , Li Mingrong , Zhou Rong , Wang Yanping
Published: April 2011

Background

Most maternal deaths in developing countries can be prevented. China is among the 13 countries with the most maternal deaths; however, there has been a marked decrease in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) over the last 3 decades. China's reduction in the MMR has contributed significantly to the global decline of the MMR. This study examined the geographic and rural-urban differences, time trends and related factors in preventable maternal deaths in China during 1996-2005, with the aim of providing reliable evidence for effective interventions.

Methods

Data were retrieved from the population-based maternal mortality surveillance system in China. Each death was reviewed by three committees to determine whether it was avoidable. The preventable maternal mortality ratio (PMMR), the ratios of PMMR (risk ratio, RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to analyze regional disparities (coastal, inland and remote regions) and rural-urban variations. Time trends in the MMR, along with underlying causes and associated factors of death, were also analysed.

Results

Overall, 86.1% of maternal mortality was preventable. The RR of preventable maternal mortality adjusted by region was 2.79 (95% CI 2.42-3.21) and 2.38 (95% CI: 2.01-2.81) in rural areas compared to urban areas during the 1996-2000 and 2001-2005 periods, respectively. Meanwhile, the RR was the highest in remote areas, which was 4.80(95%CI: 4.10-5.61) and 4.74(95%CI: 3.86-5.83) times as much as that of coastal areas. Obstetric haemorrhage accounted for over 50% of preventable deaths during the 2001-2005 period. Insufficient information about pregnancy among women in remote areas and out-of-date knowledge and skills of health professionals and substandard obstetric services in coastal regions were the factors frequently associated with MMR.

Conclusions

Preventable maternal mortality and the distribution of its associated factors in China revealed obvious regional differences. The PMMR was higher in underdeveloped regions. In future interventions in remote and inland areas, more emphasis should be placed on improving women's ability to utilize healthcare services, enhancing the service capability of health institutions, and increasing the accessibility of obstetric services. These approaches will effectively lower PMMR in those regions and narrow the gap among the different regions.
Oral health in the Japan self-defense forces - a representative survey
Authors: Kudo Yuka , John Mike T , Saito Yoko , Sur Shachi , Furuyama Chisako , Tsukasaki Hiroaki , Baba Kazuyoshi
Published: April 2011

Background

The oral health of military populations is usually not very well characterized compared to civilian populations. The aim of this study was to investigate two physical oral health characteristics and one perceived oral health measure and their correlation in the Japan self-defense forces (JSDF).

Methods

Number of missing teeth, denture status, and OHRQoL as evaluated by the Japanese 14-item version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-J14) as well as the correlation between these oral health measures was investigated in 911 personnel in the JSDF.

Results

Subjects did not have a substantial number of missing teeth and only 4% used removable dentures. The mean OHIP-J14 score was 4.6 ± 6.7 units. The magnitude of the correlation between the number of missing teeth with OHIP-J14 scores was small (r = 0.22, p < 0.001). Mean OHIP-J14 scores differed between subjects with and without dentures (8.6 and 4.4, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Compared to Japanese civilian populations, personnel of the JSDF demonstrated good oral health. Two physical oral health characteristics were associated with perceived oral health.
The NS1 protein of influenza a virus interacts with heat shock protein Hsp90 in human alveolar basal epithelial cells: Implication for virus-induced apoptosis
Authors: Zhang Chuanfu , Yang Yutao , Zhou Xiaowei , Yang Zhixin , Liu Xuelin , Cao Zhiliang , Song Hongbin , He Yuxian , Huang Peitang
Published: April 2011

Background

Our previous study showed that the NS1 protein of highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus H5N1 induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in human alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549), supporting its function as a proapoptotic factor during viral infection, but the mechanism is still unknown.

Results

To characterize the mechanism of NS1-induced apoptosis, we used a two-hybrid system to isolate the potential NS1-interacting partners in A549 cells. We found that heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) was able to interact with the NS1 proteins derived from both H5N1 and H3N2 viruses, which was verified by co-immunoprecitation assays. Significantly, the NS1 expression in the A549 cells dramatically weakened the interaction between Apaf-1 and Hsp90 but enhanced its interaction with cytochrome c (Cyt c), suggesting that the competitive binding of NS1 to Hsp90 might promote the Apaf-1 to associate with Cyt c and thus facilitate the activation of caspase 9 and caspase 3.

Conclusions

The present results demonstrate that NS1 protein of Influenza A Virus interacts with heat hock protein Hsp90 and meidates the apoptosis induced by influenza A virus through the caspase cascade.
Minireview: Glucocorticoids in Autoimmunity: Unexpected Targets and Mechanisms
Authors: Flammer Jamie R. , Rogatsky Inez
Published: April 2011

For decades, natural and synthetic glucocorticoids (GC) have been among the most commonly prescribed classes of immunomodulatory drugs. Their unsurpassed immunosuppressive and antiinflammatory activity along with cost-effectiveness makes these compounds a treatment of choice for the majority of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, despite serious side effects that frequently accompany GC therapy. The activated GC receptor (GR) that conveys the signaling information of these steroid ligands to the transcriptional machinery engages a number of pathways to ultimately suppress autoimmune responses. Of those, GR-mediated apoptosis of numerous cell types of hematopoietic origin and suppression of proinflammatory cytokine gene expression have been described as the primary mechanisms responsible for the antiinflammatory actions of GC. However, along with the ever-increasing appreciation of the complex functions of the immune system in health and disease, we are beginning to recognize new facets of GR actions in immune cells. Here, we give a brief overview of the extensive literature on the antiinflammatory activities of GC and discuss in greater detail the unexpected pathways, factors, and mechanisms that have recently begun to emerge as novel targets for GC-mediated immunosuppression.