bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes in Ovarian Cancer among Hispanic Women Living in the United States: A Population-Based Analysis
Authors: Ibeanu Okechukwu A. , Díaz-Montes Teresa P.
Published: February 2013

Introduction. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecologic cancer in the United States. There is limited data on presentation and outcomes among Hispanic women with ovarian cancer. Objective. To investigate how ovarian cancer presents among Hispanic women in the USA and to analyze differences in presentation, staging, and survival between Hispanic and non-Hispanic women with ovarian cancer. Methods. Data from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2004 were extracted from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Results. The study sample comprised 1215 Hispanics (10%), 10 652 non-Hispanic whites (83%), and 905 non-Hispanic blacks (7%). Hispanic women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer at a younger age and earlier stage when compared to non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks; . Similar proportion of Hispanics (33%), non-Hispanic whites (32%), and non-Hispanic blacks (24%) underwent lymphadenectomy; . Hispanics with epithelial ovarian cancer histology had longer five-year survival of 30.6 months compared to non-Hispanic whites (22.8 months) and non-Hispanic blacks (23.3 months); . Conclusion. Hispanic women with ovarian cancer have a statistically significantly longer median survival compared to whites and blacks. This survival difference was most apparent in patients with epithelial cancers and patients with stage IV disease.
Incidental Detection of Adrenal Myelolipoma: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Nabi Junaid , Rafiq Danish , Authoy Fatema N. , Sofi Ghulam Nabi
Published: February 2013

Introduction. Adrenal myelolipoma is a rare tumor that is benign in nature, usually asymptomatic, unilateral, and nonsecreting. It is composed of variable mixture of mature adipose tissue and hematopoietic elements and develops within the adrenal gland. With the widespread use of cross-sectional imaging modalities such as ultrasonography and computed tomography, the incidental detection of these tumors is increasing in frequency.Case Presentation. We report a case of adrenal myelolipoma in a 63-year-old Kashmiri male, who presented with pain in the right upper abdomen. Physical examination was unremarkable. Ultrasound abdomen showed the presence of a hyperechoic mass in the right suprarenal region with undefined margins. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan of abdomen revealed a well-defined, round lesion in the right suprarenal region with heterogeneous attenuation suggesting the possibility of myelolipoma. The patient was subjected to right adrenalectomy and his postoperative course was uneventful. The histopathological evaluation of the mass confirmed the initial diagnosis of adrenal myelolipoma.Conclusion. Although mostly discovered as an “incidentaloma”, the diagnosis of adrenal myelolipoma warrants thorough diagnostic study. Imaging techniques such as ultrasonography and CT scans as well as biochemical studies are useful for indicating the best treatment taking into account the size of the mass and possible hormone production. Surgical resection is advocated through extraperitoneal approach as it minimizes postoperative complications and leads to quicker recovery.
On the Joint Time Synchronization and Source Localization Using TOA Measurements
Authors: Sun Ming , Yang Le
Published: February 2013

This paper considers the problem of estimating the clock bias and the position of an unknown source using time of arrival (TOA) measurements obtained at a sensor array to achieve time synchronization and source localization. The study starts with deriving the localization mean square error (MSE) for the case where we pretend that the source clock bias is absent and apply TOA positioning to find the source position. An upper bound on the clock bias, over which we shall obtain a higher localization MSE than that from jointly identifying the clock bias with the source position, is established. Motivated by the MSE analysis, this paper proceeds to develop a new efficient solution for joint synchronization and source localization. The new method is in closed-form, computationally attractive, and more importantly; it is shown analytically to attain the CRLB accuracy under small Gaussian TOA measurement noise. Computer simulations are conducted to corroborate the theoretical development and illustrate the good performance of the proposed algorithm.
Evaluation on Anti-Inflammatory, Analgesic, Antitumor, and Antioxidant Potential of Total Saponins fromNigella glanduliferaSeeds
Authors: Zhao Jun , Xu Fang , Huang Hua , Gu Zhengyi , Wang Linlin , Tan Wei , He Jinhua , Chen Yan , Li Chenyang
Published: February 2013

Nigella glanduliferaseeds are used as a spice or remedy for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to investigate analgesic (writhing test), anti-inflammatory (ear-induced edema, vascular permeability test), antioxidant, and antitumor activities of total saponins from this plant (TSN). TSN (6, 12, and 24 mg/kg) were exhibited analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). In D-galactose-induced ageing model, TSN significantly increased the plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities (P<0.05) and decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) level compared to control group (P<0.05). DPPH radical scavenging effect of TSN was also found. Moreover, TSN (20 mg/mL) showed 86.75% and 88.26% inhibition of the growth on Bel-7402 and Hela cells, respectively. Five compounds were further isolated and identified from TSN as Nigella A, B, C, D, and nigeglanoside, of which the content of Nigella A was60.36±1.25 g/100 g TSN by HPLC-ELSD method. Altogether, these results suggest that TSN could be considered as a potential analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antioxidant agent.
Automated Tracking of Nanoparticle-labeled Melanoma Cells Improves the Predictive Power of a Brain Metastasis Model
Authors: Sundstrøm Terje , Daphu Inderjit , Wendelbo Ingvild , Hodneland Erlend , Lundervold Arvid , Immervoll Heike , Skaftnesmo Kai Ove , Babic Michal , Jendelova Pavla , Sykova Eva , Lund-Johansen Morten , Bjerkvig Rolf , Thorsen Frits
Published: February 2013

Biologic and therapeutic advances in melanoma brain metastasis are hampered by the paucity of reproducible and predictive animal models. In this work, we developed a robust model of brain metastasis that empowers quantitative tracking of cellular dissemination and tumor progression. Human melanoma cells labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) were injected into the left cardiac ventricle of mice and visualized by MRI. We showed that SPION exposure did not affect viability, growth, or migration in multiple cell lines across several in vitro assays. Moreover, labeling did not impose changes in cell-cycle distribution or apoptosis. In vivo, several SPION-positive cell lines displayed similar cerebral imaging and histologic features. MRI-based automated quantification of labeled cells in the brain showed a sigmoid association between metastasis frequency and doses of inoculated cells. Validation of this fully automated quantification showed a strong correlation with manual signal registration (r2 = 0.921, P < 0.001) and incidence of brain metastases (r2 = 0.708, P < 0.001). Metastasis formation resembled the pattern seen in humans and was unaffected by SPION labeling (histology; tumor count, P = 0.686; survival, P = 0.547). In summary, we present here a highly reproducible animal model that can improve the predictive value of mechanistic and therapeutic studies of melanoma brain metastasis. Cancer Res; 73(8); 2445–56. ©2013 AACR.
The Emerging “Hallmarks” of Metabolic Reprogramming and Immune Evasion: Distinct or Linked?
Authors: Kareva Irina , Hahnfeldt Philip
Published: February 2013

The role of the immune system in tumor elimination has been shown to be increasingly ambiguous, as many tumors not only escape recognition by the adaptive immune response but also even prime the immune cells to promote tumor growth. This effect is achieved through a number of mechanisms, which include both direct interference with the cells of the adaptive immune response and indirect immunosuppression achieved through modification of the tumor microenvironment. We propose that through upregulation of glycolysis and the consequent lowering of pH in the tumor microenvironment, tumors can take advantage of a pH control system, already exploited by specific immune cell subpopulations, to gain control of the immune system and suppress both cytotoxic and antigen-presenting cells. This is accomplished through the direct competition of tumor cells with actively proliferating glycolytic immune cells for glucose and indirectly through the creation by the tumor of a microenvironment that interferes with maturation and activation of antigen-presenting cells and naïve cytotoxic T cells. Immunosuppressive properties of an acidic microenvironment in the vicinity of the tumor can thus provide additional benefits for upregulation of glycolysis by tumor cells, suggesting that the two emerging “hallmarks of cancer,” altered glucose metabolism and immune suppression, are in fact fundamentally linked. Cancer Res; 73(9); 2737–42. ©2013 AACR.
Challenges and Key Considerations of the Enhanced Permeability and Retention Effect for Nanomedicine Drug Delivery in Oncology
Authors: Prabhakar Uma , Maeda Hiroshi , Jain Rakesh K. , Sevick-Muraca Eva M. , Zamboni William , Farokhzad Omid C. , Barry Simon T. , Gabizon Alberto , Grodzinski Piotr , Blakey David C.
Published: February 2013

Enhanced permeability of the tumor vasculature allows macromolecules to enter the tumor interstitial space, whereas the suppressed lymphatic filtration allows them to stay there. This phenomenon, enhanced permeability and retention (EPR), has been the basis of nanotechnology platforms to deliver drugs to tumors. However, progress in developing effective drugs using this approach has been hampered by heterogeneity of EPR effect in different tumors and limited experimental data from patients on effectiveness of this mechanism as related to enhanced drug accumulation. This report summarizes the workshop discussions on key issues of the EPR effect and major gaps that need to be addressed to effectively advance nanoparticle-based drug delivery. Cancer Res; 73(8); 2412–7. ©2013 AACR.
Inhibition of 15-Hydroxyprostaglandin Dehydrogenase by Helicobacter pylori in Human Gastric Carcinogenesis
Authors: Ryu Yeon-Mi , Myung Seung-Jae , Park Young Soo , Yang Dong-Hoon , Song Ho June , Jeong Jin-Yong , Lee Sun Mi , Song Miyeoun , Kim Do Hoon , Lee Hyo-Jeong , Park Soo-Kyung , Fink Stephen P. , Markowitz Sandy D. , Jung Kee Wook , Kim Kyung-Jo , Ye Byong Duk , Byeon Jeong-Sik , Jung Hwoon-Yong , Yang Suk-Kyun , Kim Jin-Ho
Published: February 2013

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection induces a chronic inflammatory response, which promotes gastric carcinogenesis. 15-Hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) plays a key role as a tumor suppressor in gastrointestinal cancers. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of 15-PGDH in gastric carcinogenesis associated with H. pylori. 15-PGDH expression in gastric biopsies from H. pylori–infected (n = 25) and noninfected (n = 15) subjects was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry. 15-PGDH DNA methylation was evaluated by methylation-specific PCR and pyrosequencing. The expression of 15-PGDH, Snail, extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, TLR4, and MyD88 in response to H. pylori infection was assessed by immunoblot analysis. Compared with negative specimens, H. pylori–positive specimens had 2-fold lower 15-PGDH mRNA levels and significantly less 15-PGDH protein. In four H. pylori–infected subjects with longitudinal follow-up, the suppression of 15-PGDH expression was reversed by H. pylori eradication therapy. In parallel with suppressing 15-PGDH expression, H. pylori infection activated expression of TLR4 and MyD88 expression, increased levels of phospho-ERK1/2, and increased expression of EGF receptor (EGFR)-Snail. Inhibition of Snail and MyD88 reversed suppression of 15-PGDH expression, and siMyD88 reduced phosphorylated ERK1/2. Similarly, treatment with an ERK1/2 and EGFR inhibitor also restored 15-PGDH expression. H. pylori appeared to promote gastric carcinogenesis by suppressing15-PGDH. This process is mediated by the TLR4/MyD88 pathway via ERK1/2 or EGFR-Snail transcriptional regulation. 15-PGDH may be a useful marker and a potential therapeutic target in H. pylori–induced gastric carcinogenesis. Cancer Prev Res; 6(4); 349–59. ©2013 AACR.
Effects of Minocycline Plus Tissue Plasminogen Activator Combination Therapy After Focal Embolic Stroke in Type 1 Diabetic Rats
Authors: Fan Xiang , Lo Eng H. , Wang Xiaoying
Published: February 2013

Background and Purpose—

Poststroke hyperglycemia is associated with resistance to tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) reperfusion, higher risk of intracerebral hemorrhage, and worse neurological outcomes. In this study, we asked whether minocycline combined with intravenous tPA may ameliorate inflammation and brain injury after focal embolic stroke in type 1 diabetic rats.

Methods—

Type 1 diabetic rats were subjected to a focal embolic stroke. Three treatment groups were used: (1) saline at 1.5 hours after stroke; (2) tPA alone at 1.5 hours after stroke; (3) combined minocycline (intravenously) at 1 hour plus tPA at 1.5 hours, and second treatment of minocycline (intraperitoneally) at 12 hours after stroke. Acute brain tissue damages were assessed at 24 hours after stroke. Inflammatory biomarkers interleukin-1β and matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 were examined in plasma. Neutrophil infiltration, microglia activation, matrix metalloproteinase activation, and degradation of the tight junction protein claudin-5 were examined in the brain.

Results—

Compared with saline or tPA alone treatments, minocycline plus tPA combination therapy significantly reduced brain infarction, intracerebral hemorrhage, and hemispheric swelling at 24 hours after stroke. The combination also significantly suppressed the elevated plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and interleukin-1β up to 24 hours after stroke. At 16 hours after stroke, neutrophil infiltration, microglia activation, matrix metalloproteinase-9, and tight junction protein claudin-5 degradation in the peri-infarct brain tissues were also significantly attenuated by the combination therapy.

Conclusions—

Combination therapy with minocycline plus tPA may be beneficial in ameliorating inflammation and reducing infarction, brain swelling, and hemorrhage after ischemic stroke with diabetes mellitus/hyperglycemia.
Were Minority Students Discouraged from Applying to University of California Campuses after the Affirmative Action Ban?
Authors: Antonovics Kate , Backes Ben
Published: February 2013

This paper uses student-level data to investigate how the college application behavior of underrepresented minorities (URMs) changed in response to the 1998 end of affirmative action in admissions at the University of California (UC). We show that all URMs experienced a drop in their probability of admission to at least one UC campus. However, the relative decline in URM SAT score-sending rates—our proxy for application rates—was small and concentrated at Berkeley and UCLA among underrepresented minorities who experienced the largest relative drop in their predicted probability of admission. In addition, we find some evidence of a shift toward less-selective UC campuses rather than out of the UC system. Overall, our paper highlights the stability of URM application behavior in the face of substantial declines in their admission rates.
The Making of Meaning: Churches, Development Projects and Violence in Eastern Uganda
Authors: Jones Ben
Published: February 2013

Abstract

Churches and development projects are a shared feature of the landscape of much of rural Africa. In this article I look at these two very different sorts of institution in a village in the Teso region of eastern Uganda, exploring the ways in which people do, or do not, make meaning through their participation in churches and development projects. In this context recently-formed Pentecostal churches have become a significant part of the local landscape, while the community structures built up by NGOs struggle to keep going once the funding ends. In explaining this difference I make an argument about how institutions are made sense of by people living in a particular place. The Teso region experienced a violent insurgency in the late 1980s and early 1990s and the idea of becoming born again has had particular resonance against this history. By contrast the work of NGOs is at a distance from what matters to people. This is evidenced not only in the rusted road signs that mark the failure of past projects, or in the new aluminium-roofed village churches, but also in the way people talk about churches and NGOs. Discussions about NGOs were dry and matter-of-fact, whereas conversations on new churches were rich and wide-ranging linking to other aspects of village life. It can be argued that development projects and Pentecostal churches are interpreted differently, and this differential explains the durability of churches and the brief after-lives of development interventions.
Three new quill mite species of the genus Neoaulonastus Skoracki (Acari: Syringophilidae) parasitizing passerines in Tanzania
Authors: SKORACKI MACIEJ , HROMADA MARTIN , UNSOELD MARKUS
Published: February 2013

Three new species of the genus Neoaulonastus Skoracki, 2004 found inside the quills of the body feathers are described: N. tanzanicus sp. nov. from Euplectes axillaris (Smith) (Passeriformes: Ploceidae), N. quelea sp. nov. from Quelea quelea Linnaeus (Ploceidae) and N. granatina sp. nov. from Granatina ianthinogaster Reichenow (Estrildidae). All avian hosts were captured in Tanzania. Key to Neoaulonastus species is proposed.
Weather Forecasting as a Learning Tool in a Large Service Course: Does Practice Make Perfect?
Authors: Suess Elizabeth J. , Cervato Cinzia , Gallus William A. , Hobbs Jonathon M.
Published: February 2013

Each spring roughly 200 students, mostly nonmajors, enroll in the Introduction to Meteorology course at Iowa State University and are required to make at least 25 forecasts throughout the semester. The Dynamic Weather Forecaster (DWF) forecasting platform requires students to forecast more than just simple “numeric” forecasts and includes questions on advection, cloudiness, and precipitation factors that are not included in forecast contests often used in meteorology courses. The present study examines the evolution of forecasting skill for students enrolled in the class in spring 2010 and 2011 and compares student performance with that of an “expert forecaster.” The expert forecasters were chosen from meteorology students in an advanced forecasting course who showed exemplary forecasting skill throughout the previous semester. It is shown that these introductory students improve in forecast skill over only the first 10–15 days that they forecast, a number smaller than the 25 days found in an earlier study examining meteorology majors in an upper-level course. The skill of both groups plateaus after that time. An analysis of two types of questions in the DWF reveals that students do have skill slightly better than that of a persistence forecast when predicting parameters traditionally used in forecasting contests, but fail to outperform persistence when predicting more complex atmospheric processes like temperature advection and factors influencing precipitation such as moisture content and instability. The introduction of a contest “with prizes” halfway through the semester in 2011 was found to have at best mixed impacts on forecast skill.
Social theory and trauma
Authors: Eyerman Ron
Published: February 2013

Using the example of three significant social theory texts, Horkheimer and Adorno’s Dialectic of Enlightenment, Freud’s Moses and Monotheism and Bauman’s Modernity and the Holocaust, this article illustrates the difference between personal, collective and cultural trauma. The aim is also to illustrate how personal trauma can impact the construction and representation of social theory.
Emotion work in animal rights activism
Authors: Jacobsson Kerstin , Lindblom Jonas
Published: February 2013

Social movement activism requires emotional motivation and entails emotional costs, and, because of this, activists tend to be deeply involved in the management of emotions – or emotion work – and not just in connection with protest events, but also on an everyday basis. Based on a case study of animal rights activism in Sweden, this article identifies five types of emotion work that animal rights activists typically perform: containing, ventilation, ritualization, micro-shocking and normalization of guilt. The emotion work performed by activists, it is argued, is best understood from a moral-sociological perspective building on Durkheim’s sociology of morality, based on which the article then outlines key elements of a comprehensive theoretical framework for the study of emotion work in social movements.
Unpacking the causes of segregation across workplaces
Authors: Bygren Magnus
Published: February 2013

The way employee flows generate ethnic and gender segregation across workplaces is investigated using a population sample of 80,139 workplaces with 977,978 employees in the Stockholm area. Comparisons of actual stocks and flows of employees across workplaces to counterfactual simulations of these reveal that segregation clearly has a random component to it: Even with random allocation of employees to workplaces, segregation would still be substantial. Systematic (non-random) segregation appears to be upheld primarily because employees recruited to workplaces are similar to those already employed there, not because underrepresented groups within workplaces are systematically screened out. This tendency appears to be less connected to between-group differences in education, occupation or industry, but instead largely sustained by the tendency of employers to select new employees from a pool of workplaces where their employees have been employed previously. Network recruiting might generate this pattern, but unobserved individual and workplace factors cannot be ruled out as potential confounders. The results speak to theories of homosociality applied to segregation processes: If homosocial biases affect segregation, they apparently do so mostly in the recruitment process to workplaces, but less so through processes of exclusion of minorities from workplaces.
Personal and Familial Aspects of Perfectionism in Latino/a Students
Authors: Ortega Norma E. , Wang Kenneth T. , Slaney Robert B. , Hayes Jeffrey A. , Morales Alejandro
Published: February 2013

This study investigated the relevance of both personal and familial aspects of perfectionism for Latino college students. The participants were 207 Latino college students (76% women, 24% men; M age = 21.13 years). Psychometric evaluations of the Almost Perfect Scale–Revised (APS-R) and Family Almost Perfect Scale (FAPS) provide promising support of their cultural validity for Latino students. Patterns of how personal and family dimensions of perfectionism associate with psychological measures of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and self-esteem generally replicated past studies with other cultural groups. Participants in the study were classified into three different types of perfectionists as well as three perceived types of perfectionistic families. These groups were compared on the psychological indicators of depression, anxiety, and self-esteem (η2 = .06-.19). Counseling and cultural implications for Latino students with the focus on positive and negative aspects of perfectionism as well as future research directions are discussed.
Contextual School Counseling Approach
Authors: Baskin Thomas W. , Slaten Christopher D.
Published: February 2013

This article, and the one that follows (Slaten & Baskin, Contextual School Counseling:  A framework for training with implications for curriculum, supervision, practice, and future research), describe an approach to school counseling and an integrated new training framework, titled “Contextual School Counseling” (CSC). CSC is an approach where the contextual perspective of psychotherapy is understood, relied upon, and applied to activities by a counselor within the school environment. The use of CSC will help school counselors to focus on vulnerable and diverse populations. Furthermore, it will add cohesion to an ever-evolving profession whose members are currently trained in core counseling skills but would likely further benefit from an approach and training model with clearer links to the pre-K-12 context.
Integrating mHealth mobile applications to reduce high risk drinking among underage students
Authors: Kazemi Donna M , Cochran Allyson R , Kelly John F , Cornelius Judith B , Belk Catherine
Published: February 2013

Objective:

College students embrace mobile cell phones (MCPs) as a primary communication and entertainment device. The aim of this study was to investigate college students’ perceptions toward using mHealth technology to deliver interventions to prevent high-risk drinking and associated consequences.

Design/setting:

Four focus group interviews were conducted during the spring and fall of 2011 at a large public university in the southeastern United States of America (USA) to collect data on the applicability of mHealth technology to alcohol-prevention programmes. The participants were students currently enrolled in a face-to-face alcohol-prevention programme.

Method:

Thematic analysis of the content in the transcriptions was used to analyse the focus group responses using a codebook.

Results:

Four major themes emerged which were: (1) education and usability; (2) Skype capabilities; (3) enhanced social networking; and (4) use for tracking and feedback. All of the participants said they would join an alcohol-intervention programme that incorporated mHealth mobile technology as a primary mode of communication.

Conclusions:

The positive responses to the use of mobile applications indicate that use of interactive, real-time technology would be valuable to college students. Given the cost of face-to-face delivery of interventions, the findings are encouraging and support further exploration of the application of mHealth technology. Mobile technologies (mHealth) could provide a more effective delivery of alcohol-intervention programmes and increase the accessibility, relevance, and value of alcohol-intervention programmes.
Temperament, parenting, and South Korean early adolescents’ physical aggression: A five-wave longitudinal analysis
Authors: Lee Julie
Published: February 2013

Objective:

This study examined the growth pattern in physical aggression over a five-year period among South Korean early adolescents and the effects of temperament (anger/frustration and emotion regulation) and parenting (harsh parenting and parental monitoring) on early adolescents’ physical aggression.

Design:

A five-year longitudinal design was used to explore the growth pattern in physical aggression.

Method:

Participants were 2844 early adolescents (1320 girls and 1524 boys; M age = 9.86 years, SD = 0.35 at wave 1) in the Korea Youth Panel Study (KYPS), a national representative of Korean children and adolescents. The latent growth curve model (LGM) was used for data analysis.

Results:

There was a significant linear growth over time in physical aggression during early adolescence. However, there were significant individual differences of developmental trajectories of adolescent aggression. The initial level of aggression in early adolescence was positively associated with anger/frustration, and the rate of change in aggression was negatively related to emotion regulation. Parenting variables, which were harsh parenting and parental monitoring, were not related to the initial level and rate of change in physical aggression.

Conclusion:

Temperament variables (anger/frustration, emotion regulation) cause the individual differences in initial level of aggression and rate of change in aggression.
Time survivor study of Escherichia coli with polyhexamethylene biguanide on cotton
Authors: Amrit Usha Rashmi Bhaskara , Hendrix Ron , Dutschk Victoria , Warmoeskerken Marijn
Published: February 2013

Time survivor or time kill studies are commonly used to investigate the efficacy of antimicrobial agents in homogeneous solutions. Such a study was attempted via a textile treated with an antimicrobial agent. For this study, a finished undyed cotton fabric and a commercially available antimicrobial agent, polyhexamethylene biguanide, were used. The release of the antimicrobial agent from the cotton fabric when submerged in water with a liquor-to-cloth ratio of 20:1 was evaluated. The antibacterial agent-treated cotton fabric was also tested according to the JIS L 1902 absorption antibacterial testing method at various agent concentrations applied to the fabric and incubation times. The treated textile showed a quick release of agent when submerged in water and the results of the antibacterial tests showed increasing antibacterial activity with increases in concentration, as has been found in homogeneous solutions. Fabrics treated with lower concentrations of the agent show bacteriostatic action. A regrowth of microorganisms was additionally noted at certain incubation times.
Dogs and Fire
Authors: Herzog Annabel
Published: February 2013

In Levinas’s philosophy, “nature” refers to two distinct and sometimes opposed concepts. Most often it stands for being and perseverance in being (i.e., conatus): it is what is and wants to be. In some places, however, “nature” indicates the limits of human power, violence, or hubris, and reveals the uncanny unlimitedness of transcendence. In other words, “nature” designates primarily the ontological character of Creation but also sometimes the otherness beyond ontology. It expresses the egoistic but also sometimes the altruistic. It commonly discourages ethics but also sometimes encourages it. The aim of this paper is to analyze how these two meanings of “nature” meet and contradict each other in Levinas’s philosophy, and to interpret their meeting and contradiction. Levinas never offers a studied reflection on nature per se. However, his Talmudic Readings include descriptions of nature as both ontological and inspiring the ethical. Reinterpreting some of the Readings I show that, for Levinas, nature is associated with war, conquest and destruction, but is sometimes presented as the cure for these ontological evils. In other words, its function is similar to that of politics. It embodies a necessity that must be moderated by an ethics which, in a way, comes from nature itself.
The Ubiquitous Clicker
Authors: Landrum R. Eric
Published: February 2013

Over 5 semesters and 10 sections, students in a 300-level research methods course used clickers to respond to knowledge-based and opinion/attitude questions about clicker use, the effectiveness of assignments, self-confidence regarding skills and abilities, and more. Changes during the semester and student answers to questions about pedagogy and the execution of the course were compared to course grades (total points earned). Students perceive clicker use positively, reporting that they attend more, pay better attention, and participate more than they normally would due to clicker use. Other positive indicators do emerge linking the achievement of course goals to student performance. Outcomes are discussed in the context of how scientist–educators are encouraged to study scholarship of teaching and learning-type questions in order to be effective teachers.
Using Forensic Psychology to Teach Basic Psychological Processes
Authors: Costanzo Mark A.
Published: February 2013

Teachers can incorporate topics in forensic psychology into lower level courses to increase student interest and to show how psychological processes influence outcomes in high-stakes applied contexts. One such topic is eyewitness identification, which teachers can use to show how stress affects memory and how memories can become distorted during encoding, storage, retrieval, and even postretrieval. A second topic is lie detection, which teachers can use to illustrate the limits of our ability to interpret the nonverbal behavior of others. Lie detection also illustrates the use and misuse of physiological measures (polygraph, functional magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalogram) as indicators of psychological states. Like memory errors by eyewitnesses, the limitations of lie detection can lead to innocent people being accused and convicted of crimes they did not commit.
Measuring Fidelity and Adaptation
Authors: Bishop Dana C. , Pankratz Melinda M. , Hansen William B. , Albritton Jordan , Albritton Lauren , Strack Joann
Published: February 2013

There is a need to standardize methods for assessing fidelity and adaptation. Such standardization would allow program implementation to be examined in a manner that will be useful for understanding the moderating role of fidelity in dissemination research. This article describes a method for collecting data about fidelity of implementation for school-based prevention programs, including measures of adherence, quality of delivery, dosage, participant engagement, and adaptation. We report about the reliability of these methods when applied by four observers who coded video recordings of teachers delivering All Stars, a middle school drug prevention program. Interrater agreement for scaled items was assessed for an instrument designed to evaluate program fidelity. Results indicated sound interrater reliability for items assessing adherence, dosage, quality of teaching, teacher understanding of concepts, and program adaptations. The interrater reliability for items assessing potential program effectiveness, classroom management, achievement of activity objectives, and adaptation valences was improved by dichotomizing the response options for these items. The item that assessed student engagement demonstrated only modest interrater reliability and was not improved through dichotomization. Several coder pairs were discordant on items that overall demonstrated good interrater reliability. Proposed modifications to the coding manual and protocol are discussed.
The rasH2 Mouse Model for Assessing Carcinogenic Potential of Pharmaceuticals
Authors: Nambiar Prashant R. , Morton Daniel
Published: February 2013

A factor limiting widespread use of the transgenic rasH2 mouse model for carcinogenicity testing of pharmaceuticals is the paucity of published data on actual drug candidates in rasH2 mice. This report addresses this gap by highlighting rasH2 mouse study data for 10 pharmaceutical candidates. These results were compared with findings in the 2-year studies in Sprague-Dawley rats for the same 10 compounds. In the 6-month rasH2 studies, only 2 of the 10 compounds tested positive for carcinogenicity and these correlated with positive findings in the companion 2-year rat studies. One compound, sunitinib, produced gastroduodenal carcinoma in both sexes and increased hemangiosarcoma in spleen and uterus in female rasH2 mice; in rats it produced gastroduodenal carcinoma and increased pheochromocytoma (males only). The second compound, bazedoxifene, produced ovarian granulosa cell neoplasms in rasH2 mice and rats, and renal tubular neoplasms associated with increased chronic progressive nephropathy only in rats. The higher percentage of carcinogenicity positive rat bioassays could be attributed to rat-specific phenomena with little or low relevance to man. Thus, this article confirms previous reports that rasH2 mice develop rodent-specific neoplasms less frequently than rats and positive findings, when present, are accompanied by similar positive results in the rat.
The effect of normovolemic modified ultrafiltration on inflammatory mediators, endotoxins, terminal complement complexes and clinical outcome in high-risk cardiac surgery patients
Authors: Papadopoulos N , Bakhtiary F , Grün V , Weber CF , Strasser C , Moritz A
Published: February 2013

Objective:

The clinical benefit of normovolemic modified ultrafiltration (N-MUF) after cardiac surgery is still debated. As we have shown in a previous publication, there is a significant improvement in platelet function, so we were interested in whether ultrafiltration can reduce plasma levels of endotoxins, terminal complement complexes and cytokines after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in adults with increased risk profiles.

Methods:

In this single-center, prospective, randomized trial, fifty high-risk patients (mean logistic EuroSCORE II: 17.5%) who underwent cardiac surgery were randomized. After CPB, Group 1 (n = 25) served as the control and in, Group 2 (n= 25), an N-MUF of 3000 ml was performed, using a BC140plus filter after weaning from CPB. Blood samples were taken after the induction of anesthesia, before CPB, before CPB weaning, 30 minutes after CPB and at 6, 24 and 48 hours postoperatively. Primary outcomes were plasma levels of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), terminal complement complex (C5b9) and cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, IL-1beta, TNF-α). Secondary outcomes focused on differences in the clinical outcome.

Results:

A significant reduction in LBP concentration (preoperatively: 23.8±8.4 pg/ml, postoperatively: 14.2±12.9 pg/ml) and C5b9 (preoperatively: 4.18±2.6 pg/ml, postoperatively: 3.05±2.39 pg/ml) were detected 6 hours after N-MUF. In the N-MUF group, significantly lower concentrations of lactate could be detected in the early postoperative period. Furthermore, postoperative chest tube blood loss was significantly lower in the N-MUF group at 24 and 48 hours.

Conclusions:

N-MUF leads to a significant reduction of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein and terminal complement complex and was associated with reduced blood loss and postoperative lactate concentrations shortly after surgery.
Climate, environment and disease
Authors: Vilaly Audra E. El , Arora Mona , Butterworth Melinda K. , Vilaly Mohamed Abd salam M. El , Jarnagin William , Comrie Andrew C.
Published: February 2013

Rift Valley fever is a disease of animals and humans found throughout much of Africa, and recently in the Arabian Peninsula. It is spread via mosquito vectors and direct contact with infected tissue and fluids. Climate variability and change alter ecological processes involved in the outbreak and spread of diseases such as Rift Valley fever. This progress report reviews the key research literature on climate-driven environmental change and Rift Valley fever. The roles of regional and seasonal climates for the disease are emphasized, as well as remote sensing and other approaches to monitoring and analysis. The paper concludes with five suggested future directions for research.
Haplotype analysis of the folate-related genes MTHFR, MTRR, and MTR and migraine with aura
Authors: Roecklein Kathryn A , Scher Ann I , Smith Albert , Harris Tamara , Eiriksdottir Gudny , Garcia Melissa , Gudnason Villi , Launer Lenore J
Published: February 2013

Aims

The C677T variant in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR; EC 1.5.1.20) enzyme, a key player in the folate metabolic pathway, has been associated with increased risk of migraine with aura. Other genes encoding molecular components of this pathway include methionine synthase ( MTR; EC 2.1.1.13) and methionine synthase reductase ( MTRR; EC 2.1.1.135) among others. We performed a haplotype analysis of migraine risk and MTHFR, MTR, and MTRR.

Methods

Study participants are from a random sub-sample participating in the population-based AGES-Reykjavik Study, including subjects with non-migraine headache ( n = 367), migraine without aura ( n = 85), migraine with aura ( n = 167), and no headache ( n = 1347). Haplotypes spanning each gene were constructed using Haploview. Association testing was performed on single SNP and haplotypes using logistic regression, controlling for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors and correcting for multiple testing.

Results

Haplotype analysis suggested an association between MTRR haplotypes and reduced risk of migraine with aura. All other associations were not significant after correcting for multiple testing.

Conclusions

These results suggest that MTRR variants may protect against migraine with aura in an older population.
Relationship Between Markers of Type II Collagen Metabolism and Tibiofemoral Joint Space Width Changes After ACL Injury and Reconstruction
Authors: Tourville Timothy W. , Johnson Robert J. , Slauterbeck James R. , Naud Shelly , Beynnon Bruce D.
Published: February 2013

Background:

Those who suffer anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) disruptions are at increased risk of experiencing posttraumatic osteoarthritis (OA); however, by the time they become symptomatic, irreversible damage has likely occurred. Little is known regarding the physiological changes in articular cartilage that occur after an ACL injury and the onset of OA.

Purpose:

To assess whether patient, functional, and clinical outcomes and type II collagen metabolism are associated with abnormal tibiofemoral joint space width (JSW) 4 years after injury and reconstruction.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A total of 35 ACL-injured patients who underwent ACL reconstruction were enrolled soon after injury, as were 32 matched controls. At baseline and 1- and 4-year follow-ups, patient-oriented subjective and objective outcomes and markers of type II collagen metabolism (considered as the ratio of cleavage to synthesis of type II collagen) were evaluated, as were radiographic measurements of JSW changes about the medial and lateral compartments of the knee. ACL-injured patients were divided into normal and abnormal JSW groups.

Results:

Both ACL-injured groups (normal and abnormal JSW) had an increased ratio of collagen type I and II cleavage product (uC1,2C) to serum procollagen II C-propeptide (sCPII) compared with controls at 1- and 4-year follow-ups. Patients in the ACL group with an abnormal JSW difference had significantly increased cleavage-to-synthesis ratios of type II collagen (assessed as C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type II collagen [uCTX-II]/sCPII ratio) compared with controls at 4-year follow-up. ACL-injured patients with an abnormal JSW difference had significantly increased pain and decreased quality of life (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS]) scores than did ACL-injured patients with a normal JSW difference.

Conclusion:

ACL-injured patients with an abnormal tibiofemoral JSW had diminished quality of life, increased pain, and increased type II collagen uCTX-II/sCPII ratios compared with healthy controls. These changes occurred over an interval shortly after injury in patients who were fully functional and who had normal clinical examination findings, no pivoting/giving-way episodes, and no decrease in activity level.
Prevalence and Preoperative Demographic and Radiographic Predictors of Bilateral Femoroacetabular Impingement
Authors: Klingenstein Gregory G. , Zbeda Robert M. , Bedi Asheesh , Magennis Erin , Kelly Bryan T.
Published: February 2013

Background:

Patients with symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) frequently have bilateral deformity and inquire about the prognosis of their contralateral, asymptomatic hip. Idiopathic coxarthrosis has been established as an independent risk factor for joint failure on the other side.

Purpose:

To determine the prevalence of bilateral arthroscopic treatment for FAI and to identify predictive patient demographics and radiographic findings for bilateral, symptomatic disease.

Study Design:

Case control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Over a 2-year period, patients receiving single-sided FAI surgery for pain and radiographic deformity were identified as unilateral. In the same period, patients undergoing their second side were labeled bilateral, regardless of when the first surgery was performed. Proximal femoral alpha angle; lateral center edge angle; sagittal center edge angle; acetabular version at 1, 2, and 3 o’clock; and femoral torsion were measured on preoperative computed tomography scans.

Results:

The unilateral group included 514 patients, and the bilateral group included 132 patients. Women composed 48% of the unilateral group but only 35% of the bilateral group ( P = .006). The mean age of unilateral patients was 30.3 (±10.7) years and 27.6 (±9.7) years for the first side of bilateral patients ( P = .010). The bilateral hips had higher alpha angles (63.8° vs 59.8°, P = .004), less acetabular anteversion at the 3-o’clock position (13.0° vs 15.9°, P < .001), and similar femoral torsion (15.1° vs 15.5°, P = .793) compared with unilateral hips. A multivariable logistic regression model found that for every 5 years of younger age, 5° higher alpha angle, and 5° decrease in 3-o’clock acetabular version, patients were more likely to undergo bilateral treatment for FAI, by 13.5%, 14.5%, and 25.5%, respectively. In a side-to-side comparison of both hips in bilateral patients, alpha angle ( r = 0.72) and acetabular version at 1 o’clock ( r = 0.73) showed high correlation.

Conclusion:

Male sex, younger age, higher alpha angles, and reduced acetabular anteversion at initial presentation are significant risk factors for identifying patients who may ultimately require bilateral surgery for symptomatic FAI. Among bilaterally treated patients, no radiographic parameters were predictive of which side would require treatment first. Patients with FAI requiring surgery should be closely monitored for contralateral hip disease.
Internal strain measurement and impact response of three-dimensional angle interlock woven carbon fibre composites
Authors: Archer E , Broderick J , Buchanan S , McIlhagger AT
Published: February 2013

Extrinsic Fabry Perot interferometer fibre optic sensors have been utilised to measure the internal matrix strain in a three-dimensionally woven carbon fibre-reinforced polymer composite. Extrinsic Fabry Perot interferometer sensors were embedded at two levels within a four-layer three-dimensional woven composite, and comparison surface measurements were provided through resistive strain gauging and biaxial extensometry. A variation in tensile strain was found from internal measurement compared with the material surface. Through correlation with micro-graphical analysis, a link between the variations in mechanical performance and localised variations in fibre volume fraction could be established. Furthermore, the impact performance of the composite was measured and correlated with computed tomography.
Effect of montmorillonite nanoclay on temperature dependence mechanical properties of naturally woven coconut sheath/polyester composite
Authors: Rajini N , Jappes JT Winowlin , Jeyaraj P , Rajakarunakaran S , Bennet C
Published: February 2013

The untreated, NaOH and silane-treated naturally woven coconut sheath/polyester composites have been developed using compression molding technique by varying the weight percentage (1, 2, 3, and 5 wt%) of organically modified montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay to find the mechanical properties as a function of temperature. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope have been performed to understand the distribution of nanoclay mechanism and morphological structure of treated coconut sheath fiber. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed a decrease in storage modulus ( E′) with the increase in temperature by a considerable fall in the temperature range of 50℃ to 110℃. The loss modulus ( E″) and damping peaks (tan δ) were found to be higher after the chemical treatment of coconut sheath. The maximum increase in E′ and E″ values were found in the case of silane-treated composites. In all types of composites, the dynamic factors were observed to increase with the incorporation of nanoclay but the anomalous trend was noticed according to the wt%. A slight increase in shift of glass transition temperature value was noticed in association with the E″ peaks for silane and NaOH-treated composites compared to untreated composites.