bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
S1P2receptor promotes mouse skeletal muscle regeneration
Authors: Germinario Elena , Peron Samantha , Toniolo Luana , Betto Romeo , Cencetti Francesca , Donati Chiara , Bruni Paola , Danieli-Betto Daniela
Published: June 2012

Sphingosine 1-phosphate is a bioactive lipid that modulates skeletal muscle growth through its interaction with specific receptors localized in the cell membrane of muscle fibers and satellite cells. This study analyzes the role of S1P2receptor during in vivo regeneration of soleus muscle in two models of S1P2deficiency: the S1P2-null mouse and wild-type mice systemically treated with the S1P2receptor antagonist JTE-013. To stimulate regeneration, muscle degeneration was induced by injecting into soleus muscle the myotoxic drug notexin. Both ablation of S1P2receptor and its functional inactivation delayed regeneration of soleus muscle. The exogenous supplementation of S1P or its removal, by a specific antibody, two conditions known to stimulate or inhibit, respectively, soleus muscle regeneration, were without effects when the S1P2receptor was absent or inactive. The delayed regeneration was associated with a lower level of myogenin, a muscle differentiation marker, and reduced phosphorylation of Akt, a key marker of muscle growth. Consistently, silencing of S1P2receptor abrogated the pro-myogenic action of S1P in satellite cells, paralleled by low levels of the myogenic transcription factor myogenin. The study indicates that S1P2receptor plays a key role in the early phases of muscle regeneration by sustaining differentiation and growth of new-forming myofibers.
Sympathetic regulation of the human cerebrovascular response to carbon dioxide
Authors: Peebles K. C. , Ball O. G. , MacRae B. A. , Horsman H. M. , Tzeng Y. C.
Published: June 2012

Although the cerebrovasculature is known to be exquisitely sensitive to CO2, there is no consensus on whether the sympathetic nervous system plays a role in regulating cerebrovascular responses to changes in arterial CO2. To address this question, we investigated human cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity in healthy participants randomly assigned to the α1-adrenoreceptor blockade group (9 participants; oral prazosin, 0.05 mg/kg) or the placebo control (9 participants) group. We recorded mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), mean middle cerebral artery flow velocity (MCAV mean), and partial pressure of end-tidal CO2 (PetCO2) during 5% CO2 inhalation and voluntary hyperventilation. CO2 reactivity was quantified as the slope of the linear relationship between breath-to-breath PetCO2 and the average MCAvmean within successive breathes after accounting for MAP as a covariate. Prazosin did not alter resting HR, PetCO2, MAP, or MCAV mean. The reduction in hypocapnic CO2 reactivity following prazosin (−0.48 ± 0.093 cm·s−1·mmHg−1) was greater compared with placebo (−0.19 ± 0.087 cm·s−1·mmHg−1; P < 0.05 for interaction). In contrast, the change in hypercapnic CO2 reactivity following prazosin (−0.23 cm·s−1·mmHg−1) was similar to placebo (−0.31 cm·s−1·mmHg−1; P = 0.50 for interaction). These data indicate that the sympathetic nervous system contributes to CO2 reactivity via α1-adrenoreceptors; blocking this pathway with prazosin reduces CO2 reactivity to hypocapnia but not hypercapnia.
Role for NGF in augmented sympathetic nerve response to activation of mechanically and metabolically sensitive muscle afferents in rats with femoral artery occlusion
Authors: Lu Jian , Xing Jihong , Li Jianhua
Published: June 2012

Arterial blood pressure and heart rate responses to static contraction of the hindlimb muscles are greater in rats whose femoral arteries were previously ligated than in control rats. Also, the prior findings demonstrate that nerve growth factor (NGF) is increased in sensory neurons-dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons of occluded rats. However, the role for endogenous NGF in engagement of the augmented sympathetic and pressor responses to stimulation of mechanically and/or metabolically sensitive muscle afferent nerves during static contraction after femoral artery ligation has not been specifically determined. In the present study, both afferent nerves and either of them were activated by muscle contraction, passive tendon stretch, and arterial injection of lactic acid into the hindlimb muscles. Data showed that femoral occlusion-augmented blood pressure response to contraction was significantly attenuated by a prior administration of the NGF antibody (NGF-Ab) into the hindlimb muscles. The effects of NGF neutralization were not seen when the sympathetic nerve and pressor responses were evoked by stimulation of mechanically sensitive muscle afferent nerves with tendon stretch in occluded rats. In addition, chemically sensitive muscle afferent nerves were stimulated by lactic acid injected into arterial blood supply of the hindlimb muscles after the prior NGF-Ab, demonstrating that the reflex muscle responses to lactic acid were significantly attenuated. The results of this study further showed that NGF-Ab attenuated an increase in acid-sensing ion channel subtype 3 (ASIC3) of DRG in occluded rats. Moreover, immunohistochemistry was employed to examine the number of C-fiber and A-fiber DRG neurons. The data showed that distribution of DRG neurons with different thin fiber phenotypes was not notably altered when NGF was infused into the hindlimb muscles. However, NGF increased expression of ASIC3 in DRG neurons with C-fiber but not A-fiber. Overall, these data suggest that 1) NGF is amplified in sensory nerves of occluded rats and contributes to augmented reflex sympathetic and blood pressure responses evoked by stimulation of chemically, but not mechanically, sensitive muscle afferent nerves and 2) NGF likely plays a role in modulating the muscle metaboreflex via enhancement of ASIC3 expression in C-fiber of DRG neurons.
Transitions between sleep and feeding states in rat ventral striatum neurons
Authors: Tellez Luis A. , Perez Isaac O. , Simon Sidney A. , Gutierrez Ranier
Published: June 2012

Neurons in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) have been shown to participate in several behavioral states, including feeding and sleep. However, it is not known if the same neuron participates in both states and, if so, how similar are the responses. In addition, since the NAc contains several cell types, it is not known if each type participates in the transitions associated with feeding and sleep. Such knowledge is important for understanding the interaction between two different neural networks. For these reasons we recorded ensembles of NAc neurons while individual rats volitionally transitioned between the following states: awake and goal directed, feeding, quiet-awake, and sleeping. We found that during both feeding and sleep states, the same neurons could increase their activity (be activated) or decrease their activity (be inactivated) by feeding and/or during sleep, thus indicating that the vast majority of NAc neurons integrate sleep and feeding signals arising from spatially distinct neural networks. In contrast, a smaller population was modulated by only one of the states. For the majority of neurons in either state, we found that when one population was excited, the other was inhibited, suggesting that they act as a local circuit. Classification of neurons into putative interneurons [fast-spiking interneurons (pFSI) and choline acetyltransferase interneurons (pChAT)] and projection medium spiny neurons (pMSN) showed that all three types are modulated by transitions to and from feeding and sleep states. These results show, for the first time, that in the NAc, those putative inhibitory interneurons respond similarly to pMSN projection neurons and demonstrate interactions between NAc networks involved in sleep and feeding.
Regulation of ERBB2 Receptor by t-DARPP Mediates Trastuzumab Resistance in Human Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Hong Jun , Katsha Ahmed , Lu Pengcheng , Shyr Yu , Belkhiri Abbes , El-Rifai Wael
Published: June 2012

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is an aggressive malignancy with a poor outcome. Although targeting ERBB2 with trastuzumab has been evaluated in clinical trials, the molecular mechanisms of trastuzumab resistance remain uncharacterized in EAC. The dopamine and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein of MR 32000 (DARPP-32), also known as PPP1R1B, is located together with ERBB2 at the 17q12-q21 amplicon. We evaluated the expression of a transcript variant of DARPP-32 (t-DARPP) and ERBB2 in 141 primary tumors and investigated the role of t-DARPP in trastuzumab resistance using OE19 and OE33 EAC cell models. Overexpression of t-DARPP mRNA was detected in two-thirds of tumors with a correlation between ERBB2 and t-DARPP overexpression levels (r = 0.58, P = 0.003). Cell viability and clonogenic survival assays showed that t-DARPP increased survival by 40% in response to trastuzumab (P < 0.01). The Annexin-V staining and Western blot analysis indicated that t-DARPP effectively abrogated trastuzumab-induced apoptosis, inhibited cleavage of caspase-3, and blocked trastuzumab-induced dephosphorylation of ERBB2 and AKT proteins. The knockdown of endogenous t-DARPP reversed these effects and sensitized cells to trastuzumab (P < 0.01). The cycloheximide-based protein degradation analysis indicated that t-DARPP extended the half-life of ERBB2, explaining the increase in the basal levels of ERBB2, p-ERBB2(Y1248), and p-AKT(S473). Coimmunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis showed that t-DARPP associated with ERBB2 in a protein complex, and interfered with trastuzumab binding to the ERBB2 receptor. Using EAC-xenografted mouse model, t-DARPP enhanced tumor growth and rendered tumors unresponsive to trastuzumab. This study establishes t-DARPP as a mediator of trastuzumab resistance and underscores its potential importance in clinical trials of EAC. Cancer Res; 72(17); 4504–14. ©2012 AACR.
Conditional Survival after Hepatic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Cirrhotic Patients
Authors: Cucchetti Alessandro , Piscaglia Fabio , Cescon Matteo , Ercolani Giorgio , Terzi Eleonora , Bolondi Luigi , Zanello Matteo , Pinna Antonio D.
Published: June 2012

Purpose: Survival estimates are commonly reported as actuarial survival after the first observation, but future survival probabilities can change over time. Conditional survival is a measure of prognosis for patients who have sometimes already survived several years since diagnosis; however, data on conditional survival for cirrhotic patients, resected for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), are lacking.

Experimental Design: Clinical data from 300 consecutive cirrhotic patients who underwent HCC resection were reviewed and the actuarial survival estimated. The 5-year conditional survival was calculated as CS = S(x + 5)/S(x) and represents the probability of surviving an additional 5 years, given that the patient has already survived x years.

Results: The 3-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates were, respectively, 69.0%, 57.7%, and 25.3% and were lower in cases of portal hypertension, Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score ≥9, United Network for Organ-Sharing T3 tumor, GIII–GIV tumors, and microscopic vascular invasion. However, the 5-year conditional survival calculation showed that patients resected for more advanced (T3) tumors or with adverse histologic features will experience the same survival probabilities as patients with less advanced tumors or favorable histology from the third year after surgery onward, as they had probably escaped recurrence from intrahepatic metastases. Patients who underwent repeated hepatectomy for recurrence presented higher conditional survival.

Conclusions: Conditional survival showed that the impact of different variables influencing survival is not linear over time after hepatic resection. Information derived from conditional survival can be used to better manage patients with HCCs, including the potential future setting of adjuvant therapies and the choice of listing, or not, for transplantation resected patients not recurring within 2 years. Clin Cancer Res; 18(16); 4397–405. ©2012 AACR.
Crenolanib Inhibits the Drug-Resistant PDGFRA D842V Mutation Associated with Imatinib-Resistant Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors
Authors: Heinrich Michael C. , Griffith Diana , McKinley Arin , Patterson Janice , Presnell Ajia , Ramachandran Abhijit , Debiec-Rychter Maria
Published: June 2012

Purpose: To determine the potential of crenolanib, a potent inhibitor of PDGFRA, to treat malignancies driven by mutant PDGFRA.

Experimental Design: The biochemical activity of crenolanib was compared with imatinib using a panel of PDGFRA-mutant kinases expressed in several different cell line models, including primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) cells. The antiproliferative activity of crenolanib was also studied in several cell lines with PDGFRA-dependent growth.

Results: Crenolanib was significantly more potent than imatinib in inhibiting the kinase activity of imatinib-resistant PDGFRA kinases (D842I, D842V, D842Y, DI842-843IM, and deletion I843). For example, crenolanib was 135-fold more potent than imatinib against D842V in our isogenic model system, with an IC50 of approximately 10 nmol/L. The relative potency of crenolanib was further confirmed in BaF3 and primary GIST cells expressing PDGFRA D842V. In contrast, imatinib was at least 10-fold more potent than crenolanib in inhibiting the V561D mutation. For all other tested PDGFRA mutations, crenolanib and imatinib had comparable potency.

Conclusions: Crenolanib is a potent inhibitor of imatinib-resistant PDGFRA kinases associated with GIST, including the PDGFRA D842V mutation found in approximately 5% of GISTs. The spectrum of activity of crenolanib suggests that this drug is a type I inhibitor (inhibitor of activated conformation of kinase). Based in part on these results, a phase II clinical study of this agent to treat GIST with the PDGFRA D842V mutation has been initiated. Clin Cancer Res; 18(16); 4375–84. ©2012 AACR.
Heat Shock Cognate 70 Regulates the Translocation and Angiogenic Function of Nucleolin
Authors: Ding Yanping , Song Nan , Liu Chang , He Ting , Zhuo Wei , He Xiaoli , Chen Yang , Song Xiaomin , Fu Yan , Luo Yongzhang
Published: June 2012

Objective—

Cell surface nucleolin (NCL) plays fundamental roles in tumor angiogenesis. However, the mechanism underlying its surface translocation remains obscure. The present study discovered that heat shock cognate 70 (Hsc70) is essential in both the surface translocation and the angiogenic function of NCL.

Methods and Results—

We identified that Hsc70 interacted with NCL in endothelial cells via the peptide-binding domain of Hsc70 and the RNA-binding domain of NCL. Functional knockdown of Hsc70 remarkably inhibited the expression of surface NCL, which was rescued by wild-type Hsc70 rather than its truncations. Phosphorylation of NCL by either protein kinase C-ξ or casein kinase 2 mediated its interaction with Hsc70 and the surface expression. Hsc70 regulated NCL translocation via stabilizing NCL and enhancing its interaction with nonmuscle myosin heavy chain 9. Moreover, Hsc70 was associated with NCL-induced endothelial cell migration and tubule formation in vitro and angiogenesis in both matrigel plugs and xenograft tumors. Tissue array analysis revealed that the expression levels of NCL and Hsc70 were intimately correlated in human lung adenocarcinomas.

Conclusion—

Our study demonstrates that Hsc70 is a prerequisite for the surface translocation and angiogenic function of NCL, which suggests strategies to target both Hsc70 and NCL for more effective antiangiogenic therapies.
Both Internalization and AIP1 Association Are Required for Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 2-Mediated JNK Signaling
Authors: Ji Weidong , Li Yonghao , Wan Ting , Wang Jing , Zhang Haifeng , Chen Hong , Min Wang
Published: June 2012

Objective—

The proinflammtory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF), primarily via TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1), induces nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)–dependent cell survival, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and caspase-dependent cell death, regulating vascular endothelial cell (EC) activation and apoptosis. However, signaling by the second receptor, TNFR2, is poorly understood. The goal of this study was to dissect how TNFR2 mediates NF-κB and JNK signaling in vascular EC, and its relevance to in vivo EC function.

Methods and Results—

We show that TNFR2 contributes to TNF-induced NF-κB and JNK signaling in EC as TNFR2 deletion or knockdown reduces the TNF responses. To dissect the critical domains of TNFR2 that mediate the TNF responses, we examine the activity of TNFR2 mutant with a specific deletion of the TNFR2 intracellular region, which contains conserved domain I, domain II, domain III, and 2 TNFR-associated factor-2-binding sites. Deletion analyses indicate that different sequences on TNFR2 have distinct roles in NF-κB and JNK activation. Specifically, deletion of the TNFR-associated factor-2-binding sites (TNFR2–59) diminishes the TNFR2-mediated NF-κB, but not JNK activation; whereas, deletion of domain II or domain III blunts TNFR2-mediated JNK but not NF-κB activation. Interestingly, we find that the TNFR-associated factor-2-binding sites ensure TNFR2 on the plasma membrane, but the di-leucine LL motif within the domain II and aa338–355 within the domain III are required for TNFR2 internalization as well as TNFR2-dependent JNK signaling. Moreover, domain III of TNFR2 is responsible for association with ASK1-interacting protein-1, a signaling adaptor critical for TNF-induced JNK signaling. While TNFR2 containing the TNFR-associated factor-2-binding sites prevents EC cell death, a specific activation of JNK without NF-κB activation by TNFR2–59 strongly induces caspase activation and EC apoptosis.

Conclusion—

Our data reveal that both internalization and ASK1-interacting protein-1 association are required for TNFR2-dependent JNK and apoptotic signaling. Controlling TNFR2-mediated JNK and apoptotic signaling in EC may provide a novel strategy for the treatment of vascular diseases.
Elderly Patients Are at Higher Risk for Poor Outcomes After Intra-Arterial Therapy
Authors: Chandra Ronil V. , Leslie-Mazwi Thabele M. , Oh Daniel C. , Chaudhry Zeshan A. , Mehta Brijesh P. , Rost Natalia S. , Rabinov James D. , Hirsch Joshua A. , González R. Gilberto , Schwamm Lee H. , Yoo Albert J.
Published: June 2012

Background and Purpose—

Conflicting data exist regarding outcomes after intra-arterial therapy (IAT) in elderly stroke patients. We compare safety and clinical outcomes of multimodal IAT in elderly versus nonelderly patients and investigate differences in baseline health and disability as possible explanatory factors.

Methods—

Data from a prospectively collected institutional IAT database were analyzed comparing elderly (80 years or older) versus nonelderly patients. Baseline demographics, angiographic reperfusion (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction scale score 2–3), rate of parenchymal hematoma type 2, and 90-day modified Rankin Scale scores were compared in univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results—

There were 49 elderly and 130 nonelderly patients treated between 2005 and 2010. Between the 2 cohorts, there was no significant difference in Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction 2 to 3 reperfusion (71% vs 75%;
P
=0.57), time to reperfusion (
P
=0.77), or rate of parenchymal hematoma type 2 (4% vs 7%;
P
=0.73) after IAT. However, elderly patients had significantly lower rates of good outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 0–2: 2% vs 33%;
P
<0.0001) and higher mortality (59% vs 24%;
P
<0.0001) at 90 days. Atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, hypertension, hyperlipidema, and baseline disability were significantly more common in elderly patients. Adjusting for baseline disability, stroke severity, and reperfusion, elderly patients were 29-times more likely to be dependent or dead at 90 days (odds ratio, 28.7; 95% confidence interval, 3.2–255.7;
P
=0.003).

Conclusions—

Despite comparable rates of reperfusion and significant hemorrhage, elderly patients had worse clinical outcomes after IAT, which may relate, in part, to worse baseline health and disability. The use of IAT in the elderly should be performed after a careful analysis of the potential risks and benefits.
Incentive Life-cycles
Authors: Obloj Tomasz , Sengul Metin
Published: June 2012

In this paper, we study the individual and organizational learning mechanisms leading to the evolution of the division of value between economic actors under a given contractual arrangement. Focusing on the division of value between a firm and its employees, we theorize that following a change in the organizational incentive structure, employees learn, over time and with experience, how to be more productive under the implied objectives of the incentive regime, as well as how to game or exploit it. Results, based on outlet-level data from a Polish commercial bank over a 13-month period, show that the bank outlets’ value creation (sales revenue from primary loans) and value appropriation (the sum of outlet employees’ monthly bonus) both increased, at a decreasing rate, over time as outlet employees gained experience under the new incentive regime. In parallel, the bank’s share (the percentage of value created by outlets retained by the bank) increased at first, then, after reaching a plateau, decreased continuously, indicating that the ability of the incentive regime to induce the intended results evolved, giving rise to an incentive life-cycle. In exploring the underlying micromechanisms, we found strong quantitative and qualitative evidence for the presence and relative paces of productive and adverse learning in bank outlets, as well as for the role of prior experience. This is the first empirical study to show that individual and organizational learning processes can influence the evolution of the division of value between economic actors.
Social support (family and supervisor), work–family conflict, and burnout: Sex differences
Authors: Blanch Angel , Aluja Anton
Published: June 2012

We examined how work-family conflict (WFC) mediated the relationship between social support (supervisor and family) and burnout, and how sex moderated this relationship ( N = 343 Spanish workers). The results sustained hypotheses in accordance with a biosocial model of sex differences. There were full mediation effects of work interference with family (WIF) in the association of work support with burnout for men, and of family support with burnout for women. This suggests that sex moderated these mediation processes. The findings are discussed in terms of a shift in the differential assignment of family roles to men and women, despite the fact that women might be the main contributors to domestic work and related tasks.
Interpreting change as controllable: The role of network centrality and self-efficacy
Authors: Vardaman James M , Amis John M , Dyson Benedict P , Wright Paul M , Van de Graaff Randolph Robert
Published: June 2012

Interpreting organizational change initiatives as controllable can mean the difference between achieving positive or negative outcomes. However, little is known about the factors that underpin such interpretations. This study examines how interpretations of controllability are influenced by individual centrality in social networks and change-related self-efficacy. Drawing on a sample of 148 US public school teachers facing a significant organizational transformation, our analysis reveals that change-related self-efficacy fully mediates relationships between centrality within instrumental and expressive organizational social networks and individual interpretations of change controllability. Network centrality, and the associated access to information and social support that accompany it, are theorized to provide the confidence necessary to interpret change as within one’s control. Drawing upon social network theory, we provide insights into how change is interpreted as controllable, and how the nature of change may dictate which types of centrality are most important for such interpretations. Implications for the broader understanding of change are also discussed.
Benchmarking of triaxial failure criteria for composite laminates: Comparison between models of ‘Part (A)’ of ‘WWFE-II’
Authors: Kaddour AS , Hinton MJ
Published: June 2012

As a part of the Second World-Wide Failure Exercise, the originators (or their collaborators) of three-dimensional failure theories applied their methods to 12 carefully selected challenging problems (test cases). In this article, the ‘blind’ theoretical predictions from 12 failure theories, making the backbone of Part (A) of the Second World-Wide Failure Exercise, are compiled in a structured manner. Key features in each theory are identified including: types of failure models employed, whether linear or nonlinear analysis was carried out, reliance on software and numerical methods, allowance for thermal stresses and identification of modes of failure. The results (failure envelopes and stress–strain curves) have been superimposed to show similarities and differences between the predictions of the various theories. In addition, bar charts have been constructed to demonstrate the levels of agreement between the predicted failure stresses and strains. Sources of differences between the predictions of the various three-dimensional failure theories are discussed. Further publications are planned in Part B in which comparison will be made between the predictions described here and the experimental results.
Uncertainty modelling and code calibration for composite materials
Authors: Toft Henrik Stensgaard , Branner Kim , Mishnaevsky Leon , Sørensen John Dalsgaard
Published: June 2012

Uncertainties related to the material properties of a composite material can be determined from the micro-, meso- or macro-scales. These three starting points for a stochastic modelling of the material properties are investigated. The uncertainties are divided into physical, model, statistical and measurement uncertainties which are introduced on the different scales. Typically, these uncertainties are taken into account in the design process using characteristic values and partial safety factors specified in a design standard. The value of the partial safety factors should reflect a reasonable balance between risk of failure and cost of the structure. Consideration related to calibration of partial safety factors for composite material is described, including the probability of failure, format for the partial safety factor method and weight factors for different load cases. In a numerical example, it is demonstrated how probabilistic models for the material properties formulated on micro-scale can be calibrated using tests on the meso- and macro-scales. The results are compared to probabilistic models estimated directly from tests on the macro-scale. In another example, partial safety factors for application to wind turbine blades are calibrated for two typical lay-ups using a large number of load cases and ratios between the aerodynamic forces and the inertia forces.
A study on monitoring the drilling of polymeric nanocomposite laminates using acoustic emission
Authors: Rajakumar I Paul Theophilus , Hariharan P , Srikanth I
Published: June 2012

The aim of this article is to monitor process induced defects such as delamination while drilling carbon fiber reinforced plastic nanocomposite laminates using acoustic emission. The carbon fiber reinforced plastic nanocomposite laminates were prepared and drilling experiments were carried out in the laminates using solid carbide drills of diameter 6 mm. The input parameters considered were cutting speed, feed, and wt% carbon nanofiber present in carbon fiber reinforced plastic nanocomposite laminates. A three level test for each parameter was conducted using L27 orthogonal array. The output response measured were acoustic emission characteristics such as root mean square of the signal, rise time, counts, energy, duration, peak amplitude, counts to peak, hits, average frequency, delamination, thrust force, and torque. The monitored parameters were analyzed and concluded that it is enough to monitor root mean square of the acoustic emission signal alone since all the other acoustic emission parameters are very closely related to acoustic emission root mean square. Monitoring the drilling of carbon fiber reinforced plastic nanocomposite laminates using acoustic emission is presented in this article which has not been reported so far.
Using Video Self- and Peer Modeling to Facilitate Reading Fluency in Children With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Decker Martha M. , Buggey Tom
Published: June 2012

The authors compared the effects of video self-modeling and video peer modeling on oral reading fluency of elementary students with learning disabilities. A control group was also included to gauge general improvement due to reading instruction and familiarity with researchers. The results indicated that both interventions resulted in improved fluency. Students in both experimental groups improved their reading fluency. Two students in the self-modeling group made substantial and immediate gains beyond any of the other students. Discussion is included that focuses on the importance that positive imagery can have on student performance and the possible applications of both forms of video modeling with students who have had negative experiences in reading.
Transformations in Citizenship
Authors: Rasch Elisabet Dueholm
Published: June 2012

In this article, I analyze how Guatemalan indigenous citizens claim their rights to be citizens and agents of their own development through local resistance to large-scale mining projects. These indigenous communities face massive resource extraction by multinational mining companies that endangers the quality of land and water, adversely affects community relations, and impedes indigenous self-determination. At the same time, the political recognition of indigenous peoples allows them to negotiate the regulation of natural resources on the basis of their ethnic identity, as neoliberal reforms have led to decentralization and greater responsibilities for development at the municipal level. I argue that narratives of “alternative development and citizenship” are not only shaped within the multi-scalar character of the anti-mining movement but also constructed within the different ways the resistance is framed, that is, as an indigenous struggle, as a class-based resistance, or as resistance against neoliberal development policies in general. To understand the complex ways that citizenship is constructed from below, we need to take these two dimensions of analysis into account.
Who Owns the Minerals? Repoliticizing Neoliberal Governance in Brazil and Chile
Authors: Nem Singh Jewellord T.
Published: June 2012

In the debate about post-neoliberal governance in Latin America, a key aspect is how the election of Left governments opened up new discussions about the role of the state in the economy. While Brazil and Chile are difficult to classify as “post neoliberal” states, their particular engagement with the global economy offers new insights about the aspirations and difficulties of a new kind of democratic politics based on a renegotiation between states and markets. The article contributes by exploring how natural resources have been managed in post-dictatorial Brazil and Chile. While legacies of neoliberalism clearly go in the way of greater state control over resources, it is also the case that highly institutionalized models of resource management have been contested for their profound emphasis on growth over equity. Instead, labor unions in mining and petroleum sectors have sought to embed social justice in extractive strategies of growth by rebuilding a stronger role for the state, forging a new “social contract” between the state and labor movement, and opening discussions on resource ownership and economic development. Yet these are changes in the margins precisely because of the embeddedness of neoliberalism in state–society relations. This analysis of repoliticization in Brazil and Chile traces attempts at changing the notions of resource ownership and economic development within the broader context of political demobilization of labor, privatization of resources, and depoliticization of mining management through technification and exclusionary practices.
Regulatory Forum Opinion Piece*
Authors: Leach Michael W.
Published: June 2012

With the advances in cell culture methodologies and molecular biology that have occurred over the past several decades, biologics have become as common as small molecules within the portfolios of the pharmaceutical industry. Toxicologic pathologists should be aware of some of the fundamental differences between small molecules and biologics. Effects are not always observed in studies following administration of biologics. When findings are observed, the toxicologic pathologist should initially determine whether the effect(s) are mediated (directly or indirectly) via the intended pharmacology, exaggerated pharmacology, an immune response, and/or off target effects. Following this determination, the toxicologic pathologist should provide an assessment regarding the relevance of the findings to the intended clinical population, usually humans. The toxicologic pathologist may also be asked to assess unusual species and models. Given their broad background in physiology and immunology, toxicologic pathologists are uniquely positioned to provide this input to drug development teams.
A Systematic Review of Laryngomalacia and Acid Reflux
Authors: Hartl Trevor T. , Chadha Neil K.
Published: June 2012

Objective

To identify and appraise the evidence for an association between laryngomalacia (LM) and acid reflux through a systematic review of the existing literature.

Data Sources

MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and collected additional publications cited in bibliographies.

Review Methods

Literature search by both authors with structured criteria to select studies evaluated for systematic review. The Oxford Centre for Evidence‐Based Medicine (CEBM) guidelines were applied to assess study quality of evidence.

Results

Twenty‐seven studies, representing 1295 neonates with LM, were included. Levels of evidence varied from CEBM level 2a (n = 1) to 4 (n = 23). Although reflux definitions were diverse, overall reflux prevalence in this group was 59% (pooled odds ratio [OR] of 4 controlled studies = 1.15, P =. 67). Further evidence supporting an association between reflux and LM included the ubiquity of acid reflux using dual‐probe pH monitoring in children with LM (2 studies; n = 84), the increased prevalence of reflux in severe as compared with mild LM (3 studies; n = 237; pooled OR = 9.86, P <. 0001), case series and reports of LM improvement with antireflux therapy (6 studies; n = 275), and histological evidence of reflux‐related laryngeal inflammation in children with LM (2 studies; n = 18).

Conclusion

The literature shows a coexistence between acid reflux and LM, but the evidence for a causal association is limited. In view of the widespread use of antireflux treatment in LM, a randomized controlled trial of antireflux medication vs placebo appears justified.
Revisited
Authors: Damgaard Gloria , Bunkers Sandra Schmidt
Published: June 2012

The authors of this column describe the South Dakota Board of Nursing’s 11 year journey utilizing a humanbecoming theory-based regulatory decisioning model. The column revisits the model with an emphasis on the cocreation of a strategic plan guiding the work of the South Dakota Board of Nursing through 2014. The strategic plan was influenced by the latest refinements of the humanbecoming postulates and the humanbecoming community change concepts. A graphic picture of the decisioning model is presented along with future plans for the theory-based model.
Altruism
Authors: Milton Constance L.
Published: June 2012

The concept of altruism has been viewed or defined as a professional value of the nursing discipline. The author in this column begins a discussion of its philosophical origins as a normative bioethical concept with implications for the term’s current usage in practice and teaching-learning contexts. Alternative views, potential definitions, and meanings from a nursing theoretical perspective are explored.
Doing the Right Thing in Healthcare
Authors: Karnick Paula M.
Published: June 2012

Healthcare in America is at stake based on the pretense of doing the right thing. The current situation leaves many Americans without quality healthcare. By identifying and recognizing some of these issues perhaps healthcare professionals may begin to offer solutions and stand up for patients.
Coming Home Revisited
Authors: Baumann Steven L. , Smith Donald G.
Published: June 2012

The war in Iraq and Afghanistan has involved the deployment of hundreds of thousands of American soldiers, many of whom are married and have children. The experience of one military family living through a deployment in Iraq in 2011 is discussed and interpreted in light of Parse’s humanbecoming family model. The model provides a useful way for nurses, and others, to understand families, in a way that honors their values and struggles in an everchanging and unpredictable world. Included is a brief discussion on how communication technologies are changing the experience of military deployment for families.
Thinking Unleashed
Authors: Condon Barbara Backer
Published: June 2012

As the nursing profession continues to expand, the tendency to think based on the medical model also seems to be increasing. The thinking that is currently taught in nursing curricula is well known as critical thinking. However, over the years, the numerous attempts to revise and redefine critical thinking indicate awareness, by educators and members of the profession, of its limitations. The author of this column discusses some of these limitations, while proposing a more open and transparent way of thinking for nurses based upon humanbecoming ontology involving the emerging now, the resurrection of listening and silence, and contemplative thought.
Unitary Pattern
Authors: Musker Kathleen M.
Published: June 2012

It is the purpose of this article to illuminate the phenomenon of unitary pattern through a review of theoretical literature. Unitary pattern is a phenomenon of significance to the discipline of nursing because it is manifested in and informs all person-environment health experiences. Unitary pattern was illuminated by: addressing the barriers to understanding the phenomenon, presenting a definition of unitary pattern, and exploring Eastern and Western theoretical literature which address unitary pattern in a way that is congruent with the definition presented. This illumination of unitary pattern will expand nursing knowledge and contribute to the discipline of nursing.
A naphthyl-imide-based epoxy resin
Authors: Ren Hua , Tang Shaochun , Syed Junaid Ali , Meng Xiangkang
Published: June 2012

A novel heat-resistant epoxy resin based on N, N’-bis(5-hydroxy-1-naphthyl) pyromellitic diimide was prepared and its cure kinetics with 4,4-diaminodiphenysulfone (DDS) was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) under non-isothermal and isothermal conditions. Under non-isothermal condition, the effective activation energy calculated from the advanced isoconversional method (AICM) varies with curing conversion, which is different from that obtained by Kissinger’s model. This should be attributed to the formation of highly crosslinked network later in the curing stage. The isothermal curing process at different temperatures could be well fitted by Kamal’s model in the initial curing stage but deviates subsequently. The deviation is corrected by introducing a diffusion factor in Kamal’s model. In addition, the naphthyl-imide epoxy resin is used to prepare carbon fiber reinforced composites and their applications were explored. The composites exhibit a high glass transition temperature, low moisture absorption, sufficient flame retardance and especially very low tensile strength loss at high temperature.
Inequality and the political economy of education: An analysis of individual preferences in OECD countries
Authors: Busemeyer Marius R.
Published: June 2012

Scholarly interest in the study of education from the perspective of political science has increased rapidly in the last few years. However, the literature focuses on comparing education politics at the country level, neglecting the analysis of micro-level foundations of education policies in terms of individual preferences and their interaction with macro contexts. This paper provides a first step in addressing this research gap, engaging in a multilevel analysis of survey data for a large number of OECD countries. The core research question is how institutional contexts – in this case socio-economic and educational inequalities – shape the micro-level association between the individual income position and support for education spending. The core finding is that these different dimensions of inequality have different implications at the micro level. Higher levels of socio-economic inequality enhance the conflict between the rich and the poor over public investments in education. By contrast, when access to higher levels of education is effectively restricted, the rich are more likely to support public education spending. This is because higher levels of educational stratification ensure that further public investments in education benefit the rich relatively more than the poor, who in turn become less willing to support this kind of public spending.
Explaining the introduction of automatic pension indexation provisions in 17 OECD countries, 1945–2000
Authors: Fernández Juan J.
Published: June 2012

Previous quantitative research regarding the long expansionary era of public pension generosity has relied mainly on aggregate expenditure data, which capture many pension policy dimensions. Yet, the overall level of national pension generosity may differ from the generosity of each important dimension. To improve our understanding of public pension reforms that increase generosity levels, this study examines the introduction of automatic indexation clauses between 1945 and 2000. The paper tests predictions of welfare policy development and policy diffusion theories. Using event history methods, we argue that the inflation rate and the incumbency of Christian democratic parties are the main determinants of these policy reforms. Countries with higher inflation rates and more entrenched Christian democratic parties are more likely to link pensions in payment or past wages considered for initial calculation purposes to an economic index. This suggests that political parties differ in their support for each measure that improves pension generosity depending on its expected redistributive impact.
Managing risks in EU health services policy: Spot markets, legal certainty and bureaucratic resistance
Authors: Greer Scott , Jarman Holly
Published: June 2012

European Union (EU) healthcare services policy has been largely driven by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) applying the law of the internal market to the previously separate area of healthcare systems. We argue that it opened up two major risks: that health service planning would be disrupted by cross-border flows of patients and professionals, including ostensibly interchangeable professionals or procedures that actually vary in quality; and that health systems would be disrupted by the application of liberalizing EU regulatory frameworks. The threats have largely been managed by four developments. Cross-border flows have largely appeared as spot markets rather than broad competition. States, meanwhile, have managed both regulatory and planning risks by debating and then legislating, which increases legal certainty, and the ECJ has taken the hint and become more cautious in its rulings. Meanwhile, states and health systems alike have implemented a strategy of ‘bureaucratic resistance’ upon discovering how easy it is to comply in only the narrowest ways, thereby limiting affects on systems and regulations alike. The experience testifies to the difficulty of creating and sustaining health markets, but also to the risks of international trade in health services and the amount of effort it takes to manage such risks.
Reasons for Permanent Tooth Extractions in Taiwan
Authors: Lee Chen-Yi , Chang Yong-Yuan , Shieh Tien-Yu , Chang Chin-Shun
Published: June 2012

There has been no study in Taiwan on reasons for extraction of permanent teeth. This study aimed to determine the reasons for permanent teeth extraction in Taiwan. This study performed a secondary data analysis based on the National Health Insurance Research Database. The 2009 database was adopted and there are 131 104 records of dental visits in the database; among them, 4958 visits (from 4811 patients) have a coding of extraction. The results showed that dental caries (55.3%) was the main reason for tooth extraction, followed by periodontal disease (22.1%). Extraction because of dental caries was commonly observed in all age-groups, and extractions because of periodontal disease increased in those older than 35 years. Maxillary and mandibular third molar were the most frequently removed tooth types, and most were extracted because of dental caries and impaction respectively.
Occupational Exposure to Blood-Borne Pathogens in a Tertiary Hospital
Authors: Mazi Waleed , Senok Abiola C. , Assiri Abdullah M. , Kazem Najla , Abato Avigail Tan
Published: June 2012

Incidence and risk factors for occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens (OEBBPs) in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia was assessed. Reported sharps injuries from 2009 to 2010 were analyzed and benchmarked using patient days. OEBBPs caused by sharps injuries increased from 41 in 2009 to 65 in 2010, with an incidence rate of 4.09/10 000 patient days in 2009 and 5.9/10 000 patient days in 2010. Most episodes (41%) occurred during recapping of hollow bore needles after obtaining blood specimens. The highest incidence was among nursing staff(n/N = 87/106; 82%), and injuries also occurred in housekeeping staff (3.7%). A correlationbetween morning shift and OEBBPs was observed, and the highest number of episodes occurred in the emergency room (21.5%) and renal dialysis unit (16.9%). There was exposure to HCV (n = 13) and HBV (n = 4) but not to HIV (n = 0), and no seroconversions were documented. Education on adherence to universal precaution measures and use of safety engineered devices as well as the introduction of an OEBBP notification hotline are recommended.
Selection Bias of Internet Panel Surveys
Authors: Tsuboi Satoshi , Yoshida Honami , Ae Ryusuke , Kojo Takao , Nakamura Yosikazu , Kitamura Kunio
Published: June 2012

Purpose. To investigate the selection bias of an Internet panel survey organized by a commercial company. Methods. A descriptive study was conducted. The authors compared the characteristics of the Internet panel survey with a national paper-based survey and with national governmental statistics in Japan. Results. The participants in the Internet panel survey were composed of more women, were older, and resided in large cities. Regardless of age and sex, the prevalence of highly educated people in the Internet panel survey was higher than in the paper-based survey and the national statistics. In men, the prevalence of heavy drinkers among the 30- to 49-year-old population and of habitual smokers among the 20- to 49-year-old population in the Internet panel survey was lower than what was found in the national statistics. Conclusions. The estimated characteristics of commercial Internet panel surveys were quite different from the national statistical data. In a commercial Internet panel survey, selection bias should not be underestimated.