bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alcohol and violence – exploring the relationship
Authors: Smyth Catherine
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– Concerns about the alcohol – violence correlation are increasing and impacting on social policy in the UK and throughout the world. It is not certain, however, how much, or if at all, violence is linked to alcohol consumption. The purpose of this paper is to contest often widely held notions and accepted views about alcohol-related violence and to highlight a belief that the link between the two is much more complex than it is sometimes portrayed.

Design/methodology/approach

– Review and analysis of the recent literature.

Findings

– Many studies throughout the literature claim to evidence a biological or pharmacological explanation for the relationship between alcohol and violence in terms of the effect alcohol has on the central nervous system and ensuing behaviour. Other authors who focused on the fact that the relationship may be mediated by all kinds of other personal, social, environmental and cultural factors argue that the effects of alcohol depend upon the social context in which the drinking occurs. From this analysis, four main perspectives and subsequent theories emerge which appear to define the concept.

Originality/value

– By challenging what is often seen by some as a mechanistic causal link between alcohol and violence, clinicians and other professionals working with those individuals affected by alcohol dependence can suggest interventions that help perpetrators of violence work towards addressing their aggression that are not necessarily dependent upon how successful they are in reducing their alcohol consumption.
Inter-industry job mobility in the knowledge economy in Finland
Authors: Mukkala Kirsi , Tohmo Timo
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate inter-industry labor mobility, paying special attention to workers who move into high-tech (HT) sectors or knowledge-intensive business services (KIBSs). This study inquires whether skilled workers are mobile and whether the characteristics of mobile workers support the effective transfer of knowledge across industries.

Design/methodology/approach

– Census data representing 7 percent of Finnish residents were used. The micro-econometric estimation method with correction of sample selection bias was applied.

Findings

– The results show that young workers are the most mobile, whereas mobility decreased for those with previous work experience, higher education and higher income level. These findings indicate that the highly skilled workers are not necessarily the most mobile, a trend that may weaken the effectiveness of knowledge spillover. However, on average, highly educated workers move into KIBS sectors more often than to other sectors, and HT sectors attract workers who have higher incomes, which may indicate that their skills are highly valued. As a result, knowledge spillovers may emerge. The knowledge spillovers resulting from job mobility are concentrated in large growth centers that have universities.

Originality/value

– This study provides a new and topical viewpoint to the mobility literature by focussing on skilled workers and their movement toward the HT and KIBS sectors.
Responsible downsizing strategy as a panacea to firm performance: the role of dynamic capabilities
Authors: Cheng-Fei Tsai Philip , Shih Chih-Ting
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– A subject of continuous debate in the field of organizational change research and management practices is on whether downsizing strategies result in improved firm performance. The purpose of this paper is to propose and empirically examine dynamic firm capabilities as a major missing mechanism of firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study uses the data of 154 Taiwanese firms that employed an organizational downsizing strategy as the sample for testing the research question.

Findings

– The results indicate that a responsible downsizing strategy can result in greater firm performance for the development and enhancement of dynamic firm capabilities.

Originality value

– This research introduces dynamic capabilities into the downsizing context, and the empirical results provide new theoretical insight into downsizing and dynamic capabilities research, suggesting that downsizing should be regarded by management as resource management rather than a cost-cutting action.
Innovation and Chinese HRM research and practice
Authors: G. Wang Greg , Lamond David , Zhang Yichi
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– This article aims to highlight the importance of creativity and innovation in Chinese HRM research and practice. The authors first seek to bring some conceptual clarity to the term “innovation”, especially in relation to the notion of creativity. The authors then discuss Chinese HRM research and policies and practices associated with innovation. The authors conclude the article by introducing the forum articles that constitute this issue of the journal.

Design/methodology/approach

– Literature review and analysis.

Findings

– The authors discuss the conceptual difference and similarity between innovation and creativity. The literature analysis shows that Chinese HRM research is in a transitioning stage from local private novelty to global novelty, and innovation at individual and organizational level is determined by a sound national innovation system (NIS) that either fosters or hinders the overall ability of innovation in a sub-system.

Originality/value

– The article differentiates creativity and innovation conceptually and specifies the critical role of NIS in fostering innovation ability at individual and organizational levels.
US insider trading enforcement goes global
Authors: Lehtman Jeffrey , White William
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of the paper is to discuss the SEC's increased willingness to pursue insider trading enforcement actions related to transactions that take place largely outside the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper describes several recent insider trading enforcement actions with international dimensions and the substantial cross-border cooperation among different countries' securities regulators that is required for cases to be successfully investigated. The paper draws conclusions and recommends steps for firms to take including a review of policies and procedures and how the firm receives and shares information, training programs, tailored protocols for ongoing monitoring and surveillance of trading activity, and contingency plans for possible future responses to insider trading problems and cross-border regulatory investigations.

Findings

– The SEC has in recent years shown an increasing willingness to pursue insider trading enforcement actions with substantial international dimensions.

Practical implications

– Internationally active firms should be aware of the breadth and intensity of the SEC's focus on cross-border insider trading matters and should prepare internal blueprints for how to respond to potential insider trading issues when they arise.

Originality/value

– The paper presents practical guidance from experienced financial services lawyers.
SEC settles administrative proceedings against adviser and top executive over undocumented block trade allocation practices
Authors: Galloway Jackson , Catano James
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of the terms of a settled Securities and Exchange Commission administrative proceeding that illustrates the views of the SEC examination and enforcement staff regarding appropriate practices for investment advisers registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) to follow when engaging in block trades for client accounts.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper summarizes the SEC's findings regarding the adviser's block trade allocation practices, resulting violations, and the adviser's remedial efforts, and provides the sanctions agreed to.

Findings

– The SEC's findings related primarily to the adviser's practices regarding the allocation of block trades when participating client accounts had insufficient funds to purchase their allocation.

Practical implications

– This settlement provides an important reminder for registered investment advisers of the focus by SEC examination and enforcement staff on trade allocation practices and related record keeping and compliance program documentation.

Originality/value

– The paper provides a practical explanation by experienced financial services lawyers.
Documenting local history: a case study in digital storytelling
Authors: K. Conrad Suzanna
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate possible purposes of digital storytelling and discuss practical implementation in a community-based digital storytelling project.

Design/methodology/approach

– This case study investigates the function of digital storytelling for archiving local history, specifically by journaling experiences during a digital storytelling grant project at a public library in Southern California.

Findings

– This case study details a specific example of the impact digital storytelling can have on a community, both to foster community building and also to encourage documentation of local history. The main goal of the project was to present and archive filmed stories from local community members; however, the project also led to increased awareness of digital storytelling and the associated technology both within the library and the greater community.

Practical implications

– This article should provide best practice guidelines for administering a community-based digital storytelling project including suggestions for outreach to the larger community, dealing with technical issues, and tackling operational issues.

Originality/value

– Digital storytelling has had a profound impact on the way that society communicates and can be used effectively for purposes of outreach and activism, to educate using technology, or to document micro-histories. This case study provides an assessment of the current uses of digital storytelling and presents a successful implementation of a local history digital storytelling project at a public library.
Understanding persuasive elements in phishing e-mails
Authors: Kim Daejoong , Hyun Kim Jang
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide an in-depth content analysis of phishing messages and to enhance understanding of them from a persuasive communication perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study analysed phishing message content in a persuasion mechanism framework including message presentation and content (rational appeal, emotional appeal, reasoning type). It also used semantic network analysis to identify meaning structure.

Findings

– The results indicate that phishing messages used logical appeals, reasoning from cause, motivational appeals, appealing to safety needs, and emotional appeals to gain compliance. Semantic network analysis showed that two word clusters represent security and privacy.

Research limitations/implications

– This study applied modern persuasion and deceptive communication theories to interpret phishing e-mails. The findings enhance relevant theories by including phishing e-mail cases.

Practical implications

– The results of this study can be utilised for developing phishing prevention techniques and phishing detection software.

Originality/value

– Past phishing detection studies only used a technological approach, whereas the current study provides a more comprehensive content-oriented and persuasion theory-based understanding of phishing messages.
The effects of information provision and interactivity on e-tailer websites
Authors: Huang Minxue , Zhu Huawei , Zhou Xuechun
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the effects of providing more information (e.g. product and price) and enhancing the interactivity of a website on consumers' willingness to pay price premiums.

Design/methodology/approach

– An experiment tests the proposed framework and corresponding hypotheses. The test features eight versions of an experimental website, with varying combinations of online information (e.g. price information, product information, and interactivity).

Findings

– Providing more information, whether about the product or price, leads to increased trust among consumers, which has the capacity to reduce consumer price consciousness and thereby enhance price premiums. E-tailers can earn price premiums by enhancing the interactivity on their websites.

Originality/value

– Previous studies are ambivalent about the impacts of providing information online. This study examines two paths by which information provision influences price premiums: trusting beliefs and price consciousness. The results demonstrate that providing rich information, together with enhanced interactivity, increases the perceived trustworthiness of the e-tailer, which reduces consumers' price consciousness and increases the price premiums.
A study on police stressors, coping strategies, and somatization symptoms among South Korean frontline police officers
Authors: Yun Ilhong , Kim Seung-Gon , Jung Sejong , Borhanian Shahin
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– Using a sample of male police officers in South Korea, the purpose of this paper is to examine whether police stressors revealed in the western literature are also applicable in the South Korean context.

Design/methodology/approach

– Officers stationed at 16 frontline substations in a large metropolitan city reported the frequency with which they had been exposed to seven classes of police stressors and perceived somatization symptoms.

Findings

– Work-family conflict and victimization at the hands of citizens were revealed as the significant predictors of officers’ stress-related somatization symptoms. Unlike western studies, the present study did not reveal moderating effects of coping strategies and social support. Stressors’ effects on somatization symptoms, however, were mediated by destructive coping strategies.

Originality value

– This study contributes to the comparative literature on police stress.
Promoting independence, preventing dependency
Authors: Parrott Richard
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– There are major pressures on social care funding for people with learning disabilities. It is unsustainable to continue working in the same way. The need to promote independence and prevent the need for social care for people with a learning disability is urgent. The purpose of this paper is to highlight key issues, stimulate debate and strengthen the evidence base.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper takes evidence from research, literature reviews, statistics and policy debates. It illustrates key points with case studies. The argument for change has been developed in discussion with key stakeholders including the chief executive of a leading self-advocacy organisation.

Findings

– Demand is increasing whilst funding is reducing. Policy, practice and evidence on prevention of the need for social care for people with a learning disability are underdeveloped. Nevertheless, there are many examples of good practice, and of emerging opportunities for local partnerships to work together to build a new approach.

Research limitations/implications

– Research on the benefits and costs of prevention of social care for people with a learning disability is underdeveloped. There is a need to extend the evidence base on the range of interventions and their effectiveness.

Originality/value

– The paper argues for a step change in culture, practice and the focus of research.
Embodiment without bodies? Analysis of embodiment in US‐based pro‐breastfeeding and anti‐male circumcision movements
Authors: Newman Harmony D. , Carpenter Laura M.
Published: November 2013

This article uses the cases of pro‐breastfeeding and anti‐circumcision activism to complicate the prevailing conceptualisation of embodiment in research on embodied health movements (EHMs). Whereas most EHM activists draw on their own bodily experiences, in the breastfeeding and circumcision movements, embodiment by proxy is common. Activists use embodiment as a strategy but draw on physical sensations that they imagine for other people's bodies, rather than on those they experience themselves. Pro‐breastfeeding activists, who seldom disclose whether they were themselves breastfed, target mothers, encouraging them to breastfeed rather than to formula feed their children in order to reduce their child's risk of disease. Anti‐circumcision activists, only some of whom are circumcised men, urge parents to leave their sons' penises intact in order to avoid illness and disfigurement and to preserve the sons' rights to make their own informed decisions as adults. In both movements activists use embodiment as a persuasive strategy even though they themselves do not necessarily embody the risks of the negative health outcomes with which they are concerned. Future research on EHMs should reconceptualise EHMs to include embodiment by proxy and examine whether this important phenomenon systematically affects movement strategies and outcomes.
Interorganizational Dynamics and Characteristics of Critical Infrastructure Networks: The Study of Three Critical Infrastructures in the Greater Montreal Area
Authors: Valiquette L'Heureux Anaïs , Therrien Marie‐Christine
Published: November 2013

This study applies a strategic framework for assessing organizational and network resilience of 75 critical infrastructure (CI) players in the Greater Montreal area. It identifies the challenges to these CIs' resilience. Contingency analysis is used to describe the main tendencies regarding values, practices, rules and norms, communicational and decisional structures as well as the interdependencies and their institutional, normative and economic contexts. This article examines three well‐known CI networks: transportation, energy and telecommunication, comprising governmental, community and private‐sector organizations. To do so, we developed a survey instrument to collect data from hundreds of critical infrastructure managers. Our findings indicate discrepancies in internal and external resilience factors across organizational type, size and CI.
Discovery of New Sites for Drug Binding to the Hypertension‐Related Renin–Angiotensinogen Complex
Authors: Brás Natércia F. , Fernandes Pedro A. , Ramos Maria J.
Published: November 2013

Renin (REN) is a key drug target to stop the hypertension cascade, but thus far only one direct inhibitor has been made commercially available. In this study, we assess an innovative REN inhibition strategy, by targeting the interface of the renin:angiotensinogen (REN:ANG) complex. We characterized the energetic role of interfacial residues of REN:ANG and identified the ones responsible for protein:protein binding, which can serve as drug targets for disruption of the REN:ANG association. For this purpose, we applied a computational alanine scanning mutagenesis protocol, which measures the contribution of each side chain for the protein:protein binding free energy with an accuracy of ≈ 1 kcal/mol. As a result, in REN and ANG, six and eight residues were found to be critical for binding, respectively. The leading force behind REN:ANG complexation was found to be the hydrophobic effect. The binding free energy per residue was found to be proportional to the buried area. Residues responsible for binding were occluded from water at the complex, which promotes an efficient pairing between the two proteins. Two druggable pockets involving critical residues for binding were found on the surface of REN, where small drug‐like molecules can bind and disrupt the ANG:REN association that may provide an efficient way to achieve REN inhibition and control hypertension.
Integrin-driven monocyte to dendritic cell conversion in modified extracorporeal photochemotherapy
Authors: Gonzalez A L , Berger C L , Remington J , Girardi M , Tigelaar R E , Edelson R L
Published: November 2013

Due to clinical efficacy and safety profile, extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP) is a commonly used cell treatment for patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The capacity of ECP to induce dendritic antigen-presenting cell (DC)-mediated selective immunization or immunosuppression suggests a novel mechanism involving pivotal cell signalling processes that have yet to be clearly identified as related to this procedure. In this study we employ two model systems of ECP to dissect the role of integrin signalling and adsorbed plasma proteins in monocyte-to-DC differentiation. We demonstrate that monocytes that were passed through protein-modified ECP plates adhered transiently to plasma proteins, including fibronectin, adsorbed to the plastic ECP plate and activated signalling pathways that initiate monocyte-to-DC conversion. Plasma protein adsorption facilitated 54·2 ± 4·7% differentiation, while fibronectin supported 29·8 ± 7·2% differentiation, as detected by DC phenotypic expression of membrane CD80 and CD86, as well as CD36, human leucocyte antigen D-related (HLA-DR) and cytoplasmic CD83. Further, we demonstrate the ability of fibronectin and other plasma proteins to act through cell adhesion via the ubiquitous arginine–glycine–aspartic (RGD) motif to drive monocyte-to-DC differentiation, with high-density RGD substrates supporting 54·1 ± 5·8% differentiation via αVβ3 and α5β1integrin signalling. Our results demonstrate that plasma protein binding integrins and plasma proteins operate through specific binding domains to induce monocyte-to-DC differentiation in ECP, providing a mechanism that can be harnessed to enhance ECP efficacy.
A systematic review of the predictive value of 18F‐fluoro‐2‐deoxyglucose positron emission tomography on survival in locally advanced rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation
Authors: Krug B. , Crott R. , de Cannière L. , D'Hondt L. , Vander Borght T.
Published: November 2013

Aim

Treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) includes preoperative radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy followed by radical surgery, but the clinical outcome is uncertain. A systemic review was carried out to determine the predictive value of 18F‐fluoro‐2‐deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18FDG‐PET) for assessing disease‐free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in LARC.

Method

A literature search (PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane) up to January 2012 to identify full papers with sequential 18FDG‐PET and survival data, using indexing terms and free text words. The inclusion criteria were: a study of at least 10 patients, having sequential 18FDG‐PET imaging before and after adjuvant chemoradiation and a minimal follow‐up of 24 months. Studies were selected by two of the authors. A meta‐analysis was performed for DFS and OS using the hazard ratio (HR) as the primary outcome.

Results

Five eligible studies were identified including 330 patients (mean age 63 years, 64% men), in which PET‐CT or PET imaging was used. The American Joint Committee on Cancer stage distribution was as follows: Stage I, 2%; Stage II, 44%; Stage III, 52%; Stage IV, 1%. The pooled HRs for complete metabolic response versus partial or no response were 0.39 (95% CI 0.18–0.86; P = 0.02) for OS and 0.70 (95% CI 0.16–3.14; P = 0.64) for DFS. The lack of significance for DFS might be explained by different follow‐up characteristics. There was also clinical heterogeneity among the different studies.

Conclusion

This systematic review indicates that complete metabolic response on sequential 18FDG‐PET data after preoperative chemoradiation of LARC is predictive of OS, but not of DFS.
CO2 laser irradiation of raw and bleached cotton fabrics, with focus on water and dye absorbency
Authors: Montazer Majid , Chizarifard Ghazaleh , Harifi Tina
Published: November 2013

In this research, the effect of carbon dioxide laser irradiation on various properties of raw and bleached cotton fabrics, including fabric weight, bending rigidity, wetting, and air permeability, as well as dyeing, was examined and compared. The experiments were carried out at three different laser powers ranging from 4.5 to 6 W to determine the effect of laser treatment on fabric properties. In particular, the influence of laser irradiation on the dyeing properties of treated fabrics with CI Reactive Blue 198 was studied. The colour change of laser‐treated fabrics was determined by calculation of the K/S values as a function of fabric reflectance. The morphological changes in laser‐treated fabrics were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The effects of laser treatment on the properties of raw and bleached cotton fabrics were varied. For instance, the wettability of raw cotton samples was reduced after laser irradiation, whereas the wettability of bleached cotton fabrics was greater. Possible reasons for the various dyeing behaviours observed with irradiation at different laser powers are discussed.
Predictive value of Berlin Questionnaire and Epworth Sleepiness Scale for obstructive sleep apnea in a sleep clinic population
Authors: Ulasli Sevinc Sarinc , Gunay Ersin , Koyuncu Tulay , Akar Olcay , Halici Bilal , Ulu Sena , Unlu Mehmet
Published: November 2013

Introduction

The Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) are two of the widely used screening instruments for subjects suffering from sleep disorders.

Objectives

To determine the predictive accuracy of the BQ and ESS in the subjects who were admitted to our sleep clinic, using overnight polysomnography as the ‘gold standard’.

Methods

The BQ and ESS were performed to 1450 subjects hospitalized in our sleep clinic for polysomnographic evaluation.

Results

One thousand two hundred thirty of 1450 subjects (84.8%) had apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 5, and 70.5% of them were classified as being at high risk of sleep apnea with BQ and 45.9% of them were classified as having excessive daytime sleepiness with ESS. Being in the high‐risk group with the self‐reported, BQ predicted an AHI ≥ 5 with a sensitivity of 0.73 and a specificity of 0.44, vs a sensitivity of 0.46 and a specificity of 0.60 with the self‐reported ESS. Sensitivity of BQ (0.80) was highest when we selected the cut‐off value of AHI as 30. When we evaluated the predictive accuracy of BQ and ESS together, specificity of both instruments as 0.72 at AHI cut‐off value of 5 was found. AHIs were significantly correlated with the scores in each category and the total scores of BQ (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

The BQ is a poor predictor of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in subjects admitted to our sleep clinic. BQ and ESS together may be used to detect patients with low risk for OSA.
Palliative care understanding and end‐of‐life decisions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Fahim Ahmed , Kastelik Jack A.
Published: November 2013

Introduction

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of respiratory morbidity and mortality with limited data on palliative care and evidence of reluctance to end‐of‐life discussions.

Objectives

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the understanding of palliative care as an option in COPD. Moreover, we wanted to identify any barriers to resuscitation discussions in this group of patients.

Methods

We developed a questionnaire addressing the aims of the study. Patients with COPD were prospectively recruited into the study and completed palliative questionnaire, Leicester cough questionnaire, Borg dyspnoea index and Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale.

Results

The patient population was predominantly male (60%) with mean age of 70 years (range 43–87 years). The mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s was 1.0 (range 0.3–2.3 L). The mean body mass index of the cohort was 24.3 (standard deviation 6.7, range 14.5–42). Ten patients (33%) were on home oxygen. Thirteen (43%) patients understood the term non‐invasive ventilation, and 11 of those would consider it again if needed. Only 13% of patients knew that palliative care is an option in COPD. Eleven patients understood the term cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and only five (16%) ever had a discussion regarding resuscitation.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that there is extremely limited awareness of palliative care in patients with COPD. Moreover, the barriers to the end‐of‐life discussions should be explored to improve the end‐of‐life care in this disease.
Optimal Commodity Taxation and Redistribution within Households
Authors: Bargain Olivier , Donni Olivier
Published: November 2013

Using a collective model of consumption, we characterize optimal commodity taxes aimed at targeting specific individuals within the household. The main message is that distortionary indirect taxation can circumvent the agency problem of the household. Essentially, taxation should discourage less the consumption of a certain group of goods—those for which the slope of the Engel curves is larger for the targeted person.
Native Aortic Valve Endocarditis Complicated by Pseudoaneurysm of Mitral‐Aortic Intervalvular Fibrosa
Authors: Ekici Filiz , Kocabaş Abdullah , Aktaş Doğukan , Çetin İlker , Eminoğlu Sancar
Published: November 2013

Pseudoaneurysm of mitral‐aortic intervalvular fibrosa (PA‐MAIVF) is a rare complication of native aortic valve endocarditis. This region is a relatively avascular area and prone to infection during endocarditis and subsequent aneurysm formation. The rupture into the pericardial cavity and left atrium or aorta, systemic embolism, myocardial infarction secondary to left coronary compression, and sudden death are the reported complications. Herein, we present a 9‐year‐old boy who was diagnosed with bicuspid aortic valve endocarditis complicated by PA‐MAIVF, cerebral embolism, and hemorrhage. PA‐MAIVF was visualized by both two‐ and three‐dimensional transthoracic echocardiography and ruptured into pericardial space causing a fatal outcome.
Long‐lasting marked inhibition of periaqueductal gray‐evoked defensive behaviors in inescapably‐shocked rats
Authors: Quintino‐dos‐Santos Jeyce W. , Müller Cláudia J. T. , C. Santos Alexandre M. , Tufik Sérgio , Rosa Caroline A. , Schenberg Luiz C.
Published: November 2013

Clinical evidence suggests that depression and trauma predispose the subject to panic. Accordingly, here we examined the late effects of uncontrollable stress, a presumptive model of depression and/or traumatic disorder, on panic‐like behaviors evoked by electrical stimulation of the dorsal periaqueductal gray (DPAG). Changes in anxiety and depression were also assessed in the elevated plus‐maze (EPM) and forced‐swimming test (FST), respectively. Rats with electrodes in the DPAG were subjected to a 7‐day shuttle‐box one‐way escape yoked training with foot‐shocks either escapable (ES) or inescapable (IS). The day after the end of one‐way escape training, rats were trained in a two‐way escape novel task (test‐session) to ascertain the effectiveness of uncontrollable stress. DPAG stimulations were carried out in an open field, both before the escape training and 2 and 7 days after it, and EPM and FST were performed on the 8th and 10th days afterwards, respectively. Controls were either trained with fictive shocks (FS) or subjected to intracranial stimulations only. Although the ES rats performed significantly better than the IS group in the two‐way escape task, groups did not differ with respect to either the anxiety or depression scores. Unexpectedly, however, IS rats showed a marked attenuation of DPAG‐evoked freezing and flight behaviors relative to both the ES and FS groups, 2 and 7 days after one‐way escape training. The conjoint inhibition of passive (freezing) and active (flight) defensive behaviors suggests that IS inhibits a DPAG in‐built motivational system that may be implicated in depressed patients' difficulties in coping with daily‐life stress.
Child Presence During Psychologically Aggressive Interparental Conflict: Implications for Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior
Authors: Pendry Patricia , Carr Alexa M. , Papp Lauren M. , Antles Josh
Published: November 2013

Based on a sample of parents (N = 148) of 4‐ to 7‐year‐olds (N = 74, M = 5.76 years), this study adapted a widely used, self‐report measure of couples' dyadic conflict behavior to include reports of couples' conflict behavior in the child's presence (triadic conflict) to examine their additive and interactive associations with child maladjustment. Significant interaction effects suggested that higher levels of triadic psychologically aggressive conflict were associated with higher levels of child externalizing (b = .134, p = .024) and internalizing (b = .189, p < .001) problems, but only if levels of dyadic psychological aggression were average or higher. When levels of couples' dyadic psychological aggression were low, levels of child presence did not relate to child behavior. Predictors of triadic psychological aggression included parental involvement (b = .266, p = .003), parent–child functioning (b = −.288, p = .042), and marital adjustment (b = −.346, p < .001).
The Direct and Indirect Effects of Home Clutter on Parenting
Authors: Thornock Carly M. , Nelson Larry J. , Robinson Clyde C. , Hart Craig H.
Published: November 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine multiple predictors of maternal authoritarian parenting including (a) cluttered homes, (b) child characteristics (i.e., emotional temperament), and (c) maternal characteristics (i.e., tense/nervousness). Data were gathered from 177 mothers of young children between ages 3 and 5 (95 male, 82 female children) attending two early childhood programs in a midsized community in the western United States. Structural equation modeling (AMOS19.0) was used to examine the strength of the relationships within the model. Results showed that authoritarian parenting was positively predicted by home clutter and mother tenseness/nervousness, and mediational analyses shed light on the nature of these relationships.
Complexities of Informal Social Support Arrangements for Black Lesbian Couples
Authors: Glass Valerie Q. , Few‐Demo April L.
Published: November 2013

This qualitative study examined how Black lesbian couples receive informal social support from their social networks. Guided by an integrated framework of symbolic interactionism and Black feminist theory, interviews were conducted with 11 Black lesbian couples (22 individuals) in committed relationships. Using grounded theory methodology, it was found that Black lesbian couples received informal social support from different sources, but that this support was provided to individuals as a means of sustaining individuals' roles as daughters and mothers. Although extended families actively fulfilled perceived family obligations, they negated the existence of lesbian individuals' sexual identity, intimate relationships, and families built with lesbian partners. Friends, church communities, and gay and lesbian communities did not validate Black lesbian couplehood or families headed by Black lesbian couples, but served as supportive sites for individuals. Black lesbian couples responded to social invisibility by engaging in self‐validating processes and limiting access to their families.
Smooth Versus Rocky Transitions to Parenthood: Family Systems in Developmental Context
Authors: Holmes Erin Kramer , Sasaki Takayuki , Hazen Nancy L.
Published: November 2013

Using family systems theory and a dyadic growth curve, the authors examined factors associated with a smooth versus rocky transition to parenthood for 125 couples. The authors identified significant variability in couples' experiences. Although many parents reported declines in love and increases in conflict, 23% of mothers and 37% of fathers reported equal or increased love; 20% of mothers and 28% of fathers reported equal or lower conflict. Fathers of reactive infants reported higher levels of conflict, and fathers of daughters reported increasing conflict over time. Fathers' marital love decreased when their expectations were violated, and fathers' conflict increased when mothers reported violated expectations. Finally, mothers' marital conflict increased with greater changes in depressive symptoms. Despite potential gender differences, within‐couple analyses showed synchrony between partners suggesting that potential gender differences may be best treated within the couple.
Work Conditions and Mental Health in Lesbian and Gay Dual‐Earner Parents
Authors: Goldberg Abbie E. , Smith JuliAnna Z.
Published: November 2013

This is the first study to examine the relationship between work conditions and mental health in dual‐earner lesbian/gay parents (N = 86). How time‐ and strain‐based demands (work hours, job urgency) and supportive resources (supervisor support, lesbian, gay, bisexual [LGB]‐friendly workplace climate) are examined, as well as outness at work and internalized homophobia, and how they relate to depressive and anxious symptoms. Supervisor support was negatively related to mental health problems, such that parents with greater support reported fewer depressive/anxious symptoms. The relationship between urgency and mental health depended on climate: working a high‐urgency job was associated with more depressive symptoms for parents in very LGB‐unfriendly workplaces, and with fewer anxious symptoms for parents in very LGB‐friendly workplaces. The relationship between outness and mental health depended on internalized homophobia: being very out at work was associated with higher depressive/anxious symptoms for parents reporting high internalized homophobia. Gay men reported higher levels of symptoms than lesbians.
Helicobacter canis Colonization in Sheep: A Zoonotic Link
Authors: Swennes Alton G. , Turk Michelle L. , Trowel Elise M. , Cullin Cassandra , Shen Zeli , Pang Jassia , Petersson Katherine H. , Dewhirst Floyd E. , Fox James G.
Published: November 2013

Background

Helicobacter canis has been associated with hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal disease in dogs, cats, and humans. Infection has not been documented in other species.

Materials and Methods

Sheep feces subjected to microaerobic culture. Isolates were characterized by genus‐specific PCR, restriction fragment length polymorphism, biochemical profiling, and 16S rRNA sequence analysis.

Results

Helicobacter canis was isolated from sheep feces and confirmed by the above methods. These isolates are distinct from other sheep‐origin enterohepatic Helicobacter species previously isolated.

Conclusions

This study identifies sheep as H. canis reservoirs potentially important in zoonotic or foodborne transmission.
Helicobacter pylori Induces Increased Expression of the Vitamin D Receptor in Immune Responses
Authors: Guo Lihua , Chen Wenguo , Zhu Huatuo , Chen Yu , Wan Xingyong , Yang Ningmin , Xu Shuhua , Yu Chaohui , Chen Lihua
Published: November 2013

Background

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a member of the nuclear receptor family of transcription factors that play a critical role in innate immunity. This study examined the role of VDR in gastric innate immune defence against the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori.

Materials and Methods

Seventeen H. pylori‐infected patients and sixteen controls participated in the study. The GES‐1 cells were transfected with siRNA or incubated with or without 1α,25(OH)2D3 (100 nmol/L) then infected with H. pylori. VDR, cathelicidin antimicrobial protein (CAMP), and cytokine mRNA expression levels in normal and H. pylori‐infected gastric mucosa and GES‐1 cells was determined by qRT‐PCR and correlated with the histopathologic degree of gastritis. Bactericidal activity was measured by using a colony‐forming unit assay.

Results

Vitamin D receptor mRNA expression levels were significantly upregulated in H. pylori‐infected patients and positively correlated with chronic inflammation scores. There was a significant positive correlation between VDR and CAMP mRNA expression in H. pylori‐positive gastric mucosa. VDR siRNA reduced H. pylori‐induced CAMP production and conversely increased IL‐6 and IL8/CXCL8 expression levels. The vitamin D agonist 1α,25(OH)2D3 increased CAMP expression and reduced cytokine activation in GES‐1 cells infected with H. pylori. 1α,25(OH)2D3 could enhance the intracellular killing of the replicating bacteria, but the presence of siVDR and siCAMP led to a decline in its bactericidal ability.

Conclusions

The expression of VDR and CAMP in the gastric epithelium is up‐regulated in the case of H. pylori infection; thus, VDR plays an important role in gastric mucosa homeostasis and host protection from H. pylori infection.
Cytokine expression in spleen affects progression of liver cirrhosis through liver–spleen cross‐talk
Authors: Asanoma Michihito , Ikemoto Tetsuya , Mori Hiroki , Utsunomiya Tohru , Imura Satoru , Morine Yuji , Iwahashi Shuichi , Saito Yu , Yamada Shinichiro , Shimada Mitsuo
Published: November 2013

Aim

It is unclear whether the spleen affects the progression of liver cirrhosis (LC) through “liver–spleen cross‐talk”. Transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) is reported to be the most potent cytokine of liver fibrosis, and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) is an important factor of liver regeneration. In this study, we investigated the expression of cytokines in the spleens of LC patients in order to attempt to prove the existence of liver–spleen cross‐talk.

Methods

The study enrolled 22 patients who underwent splenectomy at our institute between 2004 and 2010. TGF‐β1 expression in the resected spleen was measured using immunohistochemical staining. Two‐color immunofluorescent staining for CD68 and TGF‐β1 in the spleen was performed to detect sources of TGF‐β1. IL‐6 expression in the spleen was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Results

TGF‐β1 expression was significantly higher in the spleens of LC patients than in those of patients with normal livers (P < 0.05). Coexpression of CD68 and TGF‐β1 was confirmed. The expression of IL‐6 in the spleens of LC patients was significantly lower than that in patients with normal livers (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

TGF‐β1 produced by macrophages and cytokines such as IL‐6 could affect the progression of liver fibrosis and regeneration in patients with LC via liver–spleen cross‐talk.
Effectiveness and safety of reduced‐dose telaprevir‐based triple therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients
Authors: Sezaki Hitomi , Suzuki Fumitaka , Hosaka Tetsuya , Akuta Norio , Fukushima Taito , Hara Tasuku , Kawamura Yusuke , Kobayashi Masahiro , Suzuki Yoshiyuki , Saitoh Satoshi , Arase Yasuji , Ikeda Kenji , Kumada Hiromitsu
Published: November 2013

Aim

To compare the early virological effectiveness, sustained virological response and safety of telaprevir 1500 mg/day with telaprevir 2250 mg/day, when combined in triple therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin in Japanese patients with high viral loads of genotype 1 hepatitis C virus.

Methods

The telaprevir 2250 mg/day and 1500 mg/day groups each contained 60 patients matched by age, sex and history of previous interferon‐based treatment. Serum levels of genotype 1 hepatitis C virus RNA, hemoglobin levels, drug adherence and drug discontinuation rates were monitored during and after triple therapy.

Results

Patients receiving telaprevir 1500 mg/day had significantly lower telaprevir adherence and lower initial ribavirin dose but similar or superior pegylated interferon and ribavirin adherence and a lower rate of telaprevir discontinuation than did those receiving telaprevir 2250 mg/day. The early virological responses and sustained virological response rates were similar in both groups. Hemoglobin levels decreased to a greater extent in patients treated with telaprevir 2250 mg/day.

Conclusion

Compared to triple therapy including telaprevir 2250 mg/day, that including telaprevir at a reduced dose of 1500 mg/day was associated with lower rates of anemia and similar antiviral efficacy. Such a regimen may meaningfully improve sustained virological response rates, especially among female and elderly Japanese patients.
Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria. Experience over a 10 years period
Authors: Canalejo K. , Riera Cervantes N. , Felippo M. , Sarandría C. , Aixalá M.
Published: November 2013

Introduction

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a hemolytic, clonal and acquired disorder of the hematopoietic stem cell with a deficiency of all glycophosphatidyl‐inositol (GPI) linked proteins. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse haematological and biochemical data from 152 patients referred to our laboratory for diagnosis ofPNHby flow cytometry (FC).

Methods

Patients and healthy donor (152 and 99 respectively) were studied. Ham, sucrose, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Iron, haptoglobin (Hp), blood cell morphology and Kaplow cytochemical stain for leukocyte alkaline phosphatase (LAP) were carried out.GPI‐proteins anti‐CD55 andCD59 in erythrocytes and the former, plus antiCD16b andCD66b on neutrophils were evaluated byFC.

Results

Anemia and/or leukopenia and/or thrombocytopenia, increased reticulocyte count andLDHwere observed in patients withPNHclone. Some of them had dacriocytes, schistocytes.LAPwas low. On average, we detected 50%CD59 (−) erythrocytes and 29, 83, 78%CD55/59 (−),CD16b (−),CD66b (−) neutrophils, respectively.

Conclusion

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria clone was detected in 20/152 patients. Negative population's percentages were high in patients with classicPNH, Hematimetry,LAPand adequate use ofCFcontribute toPNHclone detection in the laboratory.
Scholarly Research on U.S.-Latin American Relations: Where Does the Field Stand?
Authors: Bertucci Mariano E.
Published: November 2013

This article draws on a new dataset to depict the scope, objectives, and methods of research in the field of U.S.-Latin American relations over the past quarter-century. The key findings are that the study of U.S.-Latin American relations focuses largely on foreign policy analysis, is mainly descriptive, relies overwhelmingly on qualitative methods, and is fairly detached from the main research trends in international relations. In light of this assessment, the article emphasizes the need to pay more attention to issues of theory development and explanation in this subfield of international relations.
Notch4 is activated in endothelial and smooth muscle cells in human brain arteriovenous malformations
Authors: ZhuGe Qichuan , Wu Zhebao , Huang Lijie , Zhao Bei , Zhong Ming , Zheng WeiMing , GouRong Chen , Mao XiaoOu , Xie Lin , Wang Xiangdong , Jin Kunlin
Published: November 2013

Up‐regulation of Notch4 was observed in the endothelial cells in the arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in mice. However, whether Notch4 is also involved in brain AVMs in humans remains unclear. Here, we performed immunohistochemistry on normal brain vascular tissue and surgically resected brain AVMs and found that Notch4 was up‐regulated in the subset of abnormal vessels of the brain AVM nidus, compared with control brain vascular tissue. Two‐photon confocal images show that Notch4 was expressed not only in the endothelial but also in the smooth muscle cells of the vascular wall in brain AVMs. Western blotting shows that Notch4 was activated in brain AVMs, but not in middle cerebral artery of normal human brain, which was confirmed by immunostaining. Our findings suggest a possible contribution of Notch4 signalling to the development of brain AVMs in human.