bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cross-National Assessment of Adaptive Behavior in Three Countries
Authors: Oakland Thomas , Iliescu Dragos , Chen Hsin-Yi , Chen Juliet Honglei
Published: January 2013

Measures of adaptive behaviors provide an important tool in the repertoire of clinical and school/educational psychologists. Measures that assess adaptive behaviors typically have been built in Western cultures and developed in light of behaviors common to them. Nevertheless, these measures are used elsewhere despite a paucity of data that examine their cross-national transportability. The issue of test transportability of such measures is important because they are used in cultures that differ from those in which they initially were developed as well as with immigrants. This present article describes the Romanian and Taiwan adaptation process of the U.S.–developed Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Second Edition (ABAS-II) Parent Form for ages 5 to 21. Steps taken to help ensure a valid translation and cultural adaptation process are described. Data from more than 3,000 parents who completed the ABAS-II are examined across these three test versions, focusing on score differences, internal consistency, intercorrelations, and factor structure equivalence. Data from the three versions display considerable similarity. Score differences are infrequent between the three versions yet display some differences mainly at lower ages. Scale reliabilities are high and comparable for all the three versions. Correlation patterns are sufficiently similar between the three versions. Confirmatory factor analyses show a similar fit for all three versions.
When Funders Do Direct Advocacy
Authors: Jung Tobias , Kaufmann Julia , Harrow Jenny
Published: January 2013

This article examines the role of the Corston Independent Funders’ Coalition (CIFC), a group of grant-making trusts and foundations that came together in 2008 to take a direct and active advocacy role. Using an existing policy reform blueprint, CIFC aimed to influence government policy on the treatment of women in the United Kingdom’s criminal justice system. Conceptualizing the CIFC as an ad hoc advocacy network, the authors use a retrospective mixed-methods approach to explore the context that gave rise to the CIFC, examine the setting-up and operation of the network, and reflect on its achievements. The case highlights some of the tensions associated with advocacy networks and points toward the challenges of defining and building identity in a preoccupied policy space. It raises questions about whether and how established foundations might be able to take on a more direct policy advocacy role.
Identification of wheel–rail contact forces based on strain measurements, an inverse scheme and a finite-element model of the wheel
Authors: Ronasi Hamed , Johansson Håkan , Larsson Fredrik
Published: January 2013

The wheel–rail contact force is an essential parameter in many aspects in railway mechanics, for instance, in rolling contact fatigue analysis. Since the wheel–rail contact force cannot be measured directly, instrumented wheelsets have been developed to collect the radial strains at certain positions on the wheel web. In this paper, an inverse method to estimate the wheel–rail contact force history based on strain measurements is discussed. In the proposed method, the contact force is determined by minimizing the least-squares discrepancy between measured radial strains and corresponding computed strains from a three-dimensional finite-element model of the wheel. The inverse method is compared with the existing method based on direct extraction of the contact force from combinations of measured strains using Wheatstone bridges. Using synthetic data, it is found that the proposed inverse method is insensitive to the eigenmodes of the wheel, as opposed to the existing method. In addition, noise reduction by using Tikhonov regularization and by choosing proper sampling rates are discussed.
Effects of 1.8 GHz radiofrequency radiation on protein expression in human lens epithelial cells
Authors: Zhang Y. , Yao K. , Yu Y. , Ni S. , Zhang L. , Wang W. , Lai K.
Published: January 2013

Objective:

The aim of the present study was to observe the effects of 1.8 GHz radiofrequency (RF) radiation on the protein expression of human lens epithelial cells (hLECs) in vitro.

Methods:

The hLECs were exposed and sham-exposed to 1.8 GHz RF radiation (specific absorption rate (SAR) of 4 W/kg) for 2 h. After exposure, the proteins extracted from LECs were loaded on the Ettan MDLC system connected to the LTQ-Orbitrap MS for screening the candidate protein biomarkers induced by RF. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the levels of messenger RNA of candidate biomarkers. After the hLECs were exposed to 1.8 GHz RF (SAR of 2, 3 and 4 W/kg) for 2 h, the Western blot assay was utilized to measure the expression levels of the above-screened candidate protein biomarkers.

Results:

The results of shotgun proteomic analysis indicated that there were eight proteins with differential expression between exposure and sham exposure groups. The results of qRT-PCR showed that there were three genes with expressional differences (valosin containing protein (VCP), ubiquitin specific peptidase 35 (USP35) and signal recognition particle 68 kDa (SRP68)) between exposure and sham exposure groups. The results of Western blot assay exhibited that the expressional levels of VCP and USP35 proteins significantly increased and the expressional level of protein SRP68 significantly decreased in hLECs exposed to 1.8 GHz RF radiation (SAR of 3 and 4  W/kg) for 2 h when compared with the corresponding sham groups ( p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

The shotgun proteomics technique can be applied to screen the proteins with differential expression between hLECs exposed to 1.8 GHz RF and hLECs sham-exposed to 1.8 GHz RF, and three protein biomarkers associated with RF radiation were validated by Western blot assay.
Measuring mumbo jumbo: A preliminary quantification of the use of jargon in science communication
Authors: Sharon Aviv J. , Baram-Tsabari Ayelet
Published: January 2013

Leaders of the scientific community encourage scientists to learn effective science communication, including honing the skill to discuss science with little professional jargon. However, avoiding jargon is not trivial for scientists for several reasons, and this demands special attention in teaching and evaluation. Despite this, no standard measurement for the use of scientific jargon in speech has been developed to date. Here a standard yardstick for the use of scientific jargon in spoken texts, using a computational linguistics approach, is proposed. Analyzed transcripts included academic speech, scientific TEDTalks, and communication about the discovery of a Higgs-like boson at CERN. Findings suggest that scientists use less jargon in communication with a general audience than in communication with peers, but not always less obscure jargon. These findings may lay the groundwork for evaluating the use of jargon.
Improving Acute Stress Responses
Authors: Jamieson Jeremy P. , Mendes Wendy Berry , Nock Matthew K.
Published: January 2013

Contrary to lay beliefs, physiological changes that co-occur with stress are not necessarily bad. Much can be done during stressful experiences to promote adaptive responses. In this article, we review recent research on one method for improving acute stress responses: reappraising arousal. A growing body of research suggests that cognitive appraisals are powerful tools that help shift negative stress states to more positive ones. Arousal reappraisal instructs individuals to think of stress arousal as a tool that helps maximize performance. By reframing the meaning of the physiological signals that accompany stress, arousal reappraisal breaks the link between negative affective experiences and malignant physiological responses. We demonstrate how this approach can benefit physiological reactivity, attention, and performance and explore its potential applications.
The World Within Reach
Authors: Brockmole James R. , Davoli Christopher C. , Abrams Richard A. , Witt Jessica K.
Published: January 2013

Our mental processing of the visual world is not independent of our physical actions within it. Placing objects near one’s hands and interacting with objects using tools can enhance visual perception, bias and prolong the allocation of attention, and distort memory in systematic ways. This suggests that the world within our reach is cognitively different from the world beyond reach. In this review, we examine the evidence supporting this conclusion, focusing on the cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie these effects, the parameters that may control their emergence, and their potential practical applications.
The Integrative Process
Authors: Weinstein Netta , Przybylski Andrew K. , Ryan Richard M.
Published: January 2013

Recent research has provided new insights into the integrative process, which allows for unified self-functioning. In this article, we review recent work that has used a variety of behavioral, physiological, dual-process, and survey techniques to examine personality integration. On the basis of theoretical considerations and the growing body of findings, we highlight three subprocesses—namely, awareness, ownership/autonomy, and nondefensiveness—and summarize evidence linking these facets of integration to energy, wellness, and relational benefits. Finally, we review contextual factors, such as autonomy support and unconditional regard, that have been shown to be conducive to integration, and we suggest tools that may be used in future research on integration.
Early Foundations for Mathematics Learning and Their Relations to Learning Disabilities
Authors: Geary David C.
Published: January 2013

Children’s quantitative competencies upon entry into school can have lifelong consequences. Children who start behind generally stay behind, and mathematical skills at school completion influence employment prospects and wages in adulthood. I review the current debate over whether early quantitative learning is supported by (a) an inherent system for representing approximate magnitudes, (b) an attentional-control system that enables explicit processing of quantitative symbols, such as Arabic numerals, or (c) the logical problem-solving abilities that facilitate learning of the relations among numerals. Studies of children with mathematical learning disabilities and difficulties have suggested that each of these competencies may be involved, but to different degrees and at different points in the learning process. Clarifying how and when these competencies facilitate early quantitative learning and developing interventions to address their impact on children have the potential to yield substantial benefits for individuals and for society.
The Impact of Questionnaire Design on Prevalence and Incidence Rates of Self-Reported Delinquency
Authors: Enzmann Dirk
Published: January 2013

Based on two samples of juveniles (total n = 1,629), this experimental study explores effects of modifying the design (not the wording) of a self-report questionnaire on prevalences and incidences of delinquency - the core instrument of the second International Self-Report Delinquency (ISRD-2) study. Research questions are: Do rates of self-reported delinquency differ by questionnaire design? Are there differences in item nonresponse? Do these effects differ by person characteristics, especially self-control? Do effect sizes of predictors of offending differ by questionnaire design? Omitting follow-up questions and reversing the response categories no/yes generates higher levels of self-reported delinquency as to minor offenses. Item nonresponse is affected by the design of filter questions and by person characteristics (e.g., low self-control) correlating with delinquency. Although the modifications reduce underreporting, effects of predictors on delinquency do not differ substantially. Nevertheless, more variance is explained using the modified version data.
Self-Reported Property Crime Patterns in 30 Countries
Authors: Marshall Chris E.
Published: January 2013

In this article, we investigate the use of a multivariate exploratory data analysis technique, nonlinear principle components analysis (NPCA). The technique is presented as a means for thorough descriptive analysis in a multivariate setting and with data of varying levels of measurement. The technique includes a strong visualization component of the kind previously only available for only one- and two-variable situations. This multivariate technique makes possible more thorough pre-analysis examination of data, a step frequently overlooked in most quantitative research. The data examined are self-reported prevalence measures for property crime from the Second International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD-2). Our examination suggested that: (a) the property variable seems to group around two underlying dimensions (“Simple Object Dimension” and the “Complex Object Dimension”); (b) hacking proved to be a potentially very interesting but yet problematic variable due to interpretation of the item by the youthful respondents; and (c) the groupings and subgroupings of variables do show distinct nonrandom relationships among the 30 country property crime profiles in the analysis as well as the Esping-Andersen/ISRD-2 clustering system widely used in ISRD-2 research efforts.
Perceived Diversity and Team Functioning
Authors: Hentschel Tanja , Shemla Meir , Wegge Jürgen , Kearney Eric
Published: January 2013

Based on data from 38 organizational teams ( N = 241), we investigated the influence of perceived diversity on team identification and relationship conflict. Moreover, we examined the roles of diversity beliefs as a moderator and group affective tone as a mediator of these relationships. Objective diversity in age, gender, educational level, nationality, or tenure was not related to perceived diversity, team identification, or emotional conflict. But as hypothesized, perceived diversity was negatively associated with team identification and positively associated with relationship conflict. Diversity beliefs moderated these effects. Negative group affective tone mediated the relationship among perceived diversity, diversity beliefs, and relationship conflict. We found a similar trend for positive group affective tone with regard to the relationship among perceived diversity, diversity beliefs, and team identification. These results illustrate the central role of shared affect and diversity beliefs in determining whether work group diversity is an asset or a liability.
Sustainability and Place-Based Enterprise
Authors: Shrivastava Paul , Kennelly James J.
Published: January 2013

In this article, we critique the “placeless” character of enterprise sustainability research and introduce the concept of the place-based enterprise (PBE), arguing that such enterprises offer a potentially important means of fostering ecological and social sustainability in local communities. Drawing on a variety of disciplinary perspectives, we offer a specification of the concept of place and explore the relationships between places and enterprises. We maintain that PBEs, whose resources, productive activities, and ownership are anchored in specific local places, and who themselves possess a sense of place, may be more likely than conventional enterprises to pursue locally beneficial economic, social, and environmental outcomes. A typology of PBEs and suggestions for future research are proposed.
Evaluating Loyalty Constructs Among Hotel Reward Program Members Using eWom
Authors: Berezan Orie , Raab Carola , Tanford Sarah , Kim Yen-Soon
Published: January 2013

Electronic word-of-mouth has become a driving force for hospitality businesses. Achieving customer loyalty is a primary goal of hospitality businesses, and reward programs are one mechanism for doing so. Customer-based communication channels have the potential to undermine or support these efforts. This study investigated attitudes toward hotel loyalty programs among members of flyertalk.com, a forum for frequent travelers. A content analysis of 1,519 comments from members of five major hotel programs was conducted. The core categories that emerged were program experience, value, process, obtaining status, company-created communication, customer-created communication, and defection motivators and inhibitors. A paradigm model indicated that communication is the most important loyalty antecedent, and that all antecedents influence loyalty via the program experience. The emergent relationships suggest that managers should actively monitor online channels and take action to correct issues that cause member frustration and dissatisfaction. Otherwise, these problems can escalate through the rapid spread of electronic word-of-mouth.
Cortisol as a Biomarker of Stress in Term Human Labor
Authors: Benfield Rebecca D. , Newton Edward R. , Tanner Charles J. , Heitkemper Margaret M.
Published: January 2013

Literature on the use of plasma cortisol to quantify psychophysiological stress in humans is extensive. However, in parturition at term gestation, the use of cortisol as a biomarker of stress is particularly complex. Plasma cortisol levels increase as labor progresses. This increase seems to be important for maintenance of maternal/fetal well-being and facilitation of normal labor progress. Unique physiological and methodological issues involved in the use of cortisol as a biomarker of stress in labor present challenges for researchers. This review examines these issues, suggests mixed methods and within-subject repeated measures designs, and offers recommendations for assay procedures for parturient sampling. Documentation of clinical interventions and delivery outcomes may elucidate relationships among psychophysiological stressors, cortisol, and normal labor progress. With attention to these methodological issues, analysis of plasma cortisol may lead to clinical interventions that support normal labor physiology.
Love’s best habit: The uses of media in romantic relationships
Authors: Storey John , McDonald Katy
Published: January 2013

The article critically examines how people use media when in romantic relationships. By ‘use’ we mean two things: the use of media discourses and the use of media technologies. The main findings are based on analysis of 42 discursive questionnaires and 14 semi-structured interviews consisting of almost 20 hours of recorded material.
Individual decision making in relation to participation in cardiovascular screening: A study of revealed and stated preferences
Authors: Søgaard Rikke , Lindholt Jes , Gyrd-Hansen Dorte
Published: January 2013

Aims: The (cost-)effectiveness of a screening programme may be strongly influenced by the participation rate. The objective of this study was to compare participants’ and non-participants’ motives for the attendance decision as well as their overall preferences for participation in cardiovascular disease screening. Methods: This study sampled 1053 participants and 1006 non-participants from a screening trial and randomly allocated the participants to receive different levels of additional information about the screening programme. An ad hoc survey questionnaire about doubt and arguments in relation to the participation decision was given to participants and non-participants along with a contingent valuation task. Results: Among participants, 5% had doubt about participation and the most frequent argument was that they did not want the test result. Among non-participants, 40% would reconsider their non-participation decision after having received additional information while the remainder 60% stood by their decision and provided explicit arguments for it. After having received additional information the participants still valued the programme significantly higher than non-participants, but the difference was relatively small. Conclusions: Participants and non-participants in cardiovascular screening programmes seem to have different strengths of preferences, which signals that their behavioural choice is founded in rational thinking. Furthermore, it appears that additional information and a second reflection about the participation decision may affect a substantial proportion of non-participants to reverse their decision, a finding that should receive policy interest.
The sixth survey of the Tromsø Study (Tromsø 6) in 2007–08: Collaborative research in the interface between clinical medicine and epidemiology: Study objectives, design, data collection procedures, and attendance in a multipurpose population-based health survey
Authors: Eggen Anne Elise , Mathiesen Ellisiv B. , Wilsgaard Tom , Jacobsen Bjarne K. , Njølstad Inger
Published: January 2013

Aims: To provide a synopsis of the sixth survey of the Tromsø Study, Tromsø 6, objectives and new target areas, study design, follow-up studies, data collection, attendance, and participant characteristics. Methods: The Tromsø Study, initiated in 1974, is an epidemiological, prospective study of health conditions and chronic diseases, and a resource for the surveillance of disease risk factors. The purpose of Tromsø 6 (2007–08) was to collect novel and repeated measurements of exposure data and to assess levels of disease risk factors. Tromsø 6 included a main study that comprised two screening visits and several follow-up studies. Main study data collection: First visit ( n=12,984): questionnaires, interviews, measurements of height, weight, hip and waist circumference, heart rate, blood pressure, forearm bone density, grip strength, pain sensitivity measurements, and blood and hair samples and nose and throat swab cultures. Second visit ( n=7307): sampling of biological specimens (blood, urine, nose and throat swab cultures) and clinical examinations (12-lead electrocardiography, cognitive tests, visual acuity test, retinal photography, carotid ultrasound, spirometry, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and echocardiography. Results: A total of 12,984 participants aged 30–87 years were examined. The attendance rate was 66%, lower than in previous Tromsø Study surveys. The attendance was lowest in the youngest and oldest, those invited for the first time, and lower in men than women. Conclusions: The completion of the survey with this comprehensive data collection went satisfactorily. The decreasing attendance rate calls for new recruitment strategies and optimisation of the study organisation to facilitate attendance.
‘Hurtling down the track’: The significance of Australian population debates in an era of anxiety
Authors: Jacobs Keith
Published: January 2013

This article focuses on some of the fantasies underpinning contemporary politics and the way that these ‘perform’, in effect, to occlude more complex understandings. To develop my argument, I deploy a critical discourse analysis to consider the narratives used by politicians during the 2010 Australian Federal election campaign to galvanise popular support by raising the ‘threat’ posed by large-scale population growth. I argue that narratives framing ‘population growth as unsustainable’ have a resonance with sections of the electorate because they connect to a sense of unease about the present and the future. The vexed debates surrounding population size are indicative of anxieties that lie beneath the surface of political discourse.
Drug market disruption and systemic violence: Cannabis markets in Copenhagen
Authors: Moeller Kim , Hesse Morten
Published: January 2013

This study aims to examine the association between drug law enforcement and rates of serious violence. A police crackdown on a large and stable cannabis market in Copenhagen disrupted established hierarchies among criminal groups and spurred renewed competition. In the five-year period after the crackdown in 2004 there were more homicides and attempted homicides in Denmark than in any five-year period for the previous 20 years. In the Copenhagen region we found 19 shootings that had a connection to known cannabis sellers or cannabis-selling locations. No such episodes were known prior to the crackdown. We estimate a fixed-effects (within) regression model for all Danish municipalities for the period 2000–9 ( N = 2110, 269 groups). We find that there has been a significant relationship ( p = .001) between drug arrests and charges for serious violence the following year, after correcting for demographic and social covariates found to be correlated with violence.
Capturing Mobile Telepresence through Logging and Video Shadowing
Authors: Isaacs Ellen , Szymanski Margaret H.
Published: January 2013

We used a two-phase study design that incorporated a novel video shadowing approach to learn how close-knit groups use technology to stay connected while mobile and to identify their unmet needs. In the first phase, we conducted a logging study with small groups in which each member logged all their interactions over 3 days, enabling us to identify suitable groups for the second, video shadowing phase. In the second phase, we separately observed and video recorded each member of the selected groups over the same half-day period as they connected in both mobile and stationary settings, a novel approach that others have been reluctant to try. This targeted shadowing approach enabled us to gain a rich understanding of the groups’ interactions across multiple media and devices that would not be possible using other indirect methods.
State Coordinating Institutions and Agenda Setting on the U.S. Supreme Court
Authors: Goelzhauser Greg , Vouvalis Nicole
Published: January 2013

What determines state success when petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court for review? We suggest that states can improve the likelihood of securing Supreme Court review by coordinating litigation efforts. This coordination occurs in two ways. First, some states coordinate their appellate litigation efforts internally through the creation of state solicitors general offices. Second, external coordination occurs when states join amicus briefs at the agenda setting stage urging the Supreme Court to grant review in state-filed cases. Using new data on all state-filed certiorari petitions from the 2001-2009 terms, we find that internal and external coordination is associated with an increased likelihood of the Supreme Court granting review in state-filed cases.
The Impact of Endograft Surveillance on a Vascular Imaging Service
Authors: Karthikesalingam Alan , Young Mark , Powell Sophie A. , Morshedian Golnaz , Ramachandran Veni , D’Abate Fabrizio , Thompson Matthew M. , Holt Peter J. E.
Published: January 2013

Background:

Surveillance is considered mandatory after endovascular repair (EVR), but its impact on imaging services remains unreported. This study reports the effect of EVR surveillance on imaging resources.

Methods:

A single-center’s duplex database was interrogated from January 1, 2004 to January 1, 2012. All examinations requested by a vascular surgeon were reported, including preoperative abdominal aortic aneurysms, surveillance after EVR, lower limb arterial and venous duplex, and arteriovenous fistulae.

Results:

A total of 24 309 patients underwent duplex. The EVR surveillance increased from 192 scans in 2004 to 1325 scans in 2011, 9.5% (192 of 2030) and 34.4% (1325 of 3850) of each year’s examinations. By 2011, EVR surveillance was the most common indication for duplex.

Conclusion:

Lifelong EVR surveillance creates a rapidly increasing workload for imaging services. Further research should aim to reduce the burden of EVR surveillance. Targeting surveillance to the minority of patients at greatest risk of endograft failure might optimize the usage of imaging resources.
Racial Disparities in Survival After Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer in Kentucky, 2001-2010
Authors: Antwi Samuel , Tucker Thomas C. , Coker Ann L. , Fleming Steve T.
Published: January 2013

Whether the African American race remains a significant predictor of poorer prostate cancer survival after adjusting for other sociodemographic and treatment-related factors remains unclear. We examined whether disparities in survival among 18,900 African American and Caucasian men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Kentucky remained after adjusting for health insurance (payor source), cancer treatment, cancer stage at diagnosis, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, smoking status, and Appalachian region. After adjusting for these predictors, African American men living in Kentucky had poorer prostate cancer survival after 5 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.33; 95% confidence interval = 1.11, 1.59) and 10 years (HR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.18, 1.28) of follow-up, and for the entire follow-up period (HR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.26, 1.65) compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Thus, health insurance status, cancer treatment, cancer stage at diagnosis, PSA level at diagnosis, smoking status, and geographic location did not explain the racial gap in survival in Kentucky.
What Do We Know About Older Abusers? A Typology of Violent Husbands Dwelling in Lifelong Intimate Violence Relationships
Authors: Band-Winterstein Tova
Published: January 2013

Most research on intimate partner violence to date has focused on young men. Although interest and research regarding older abused women has increased in recent years, research on the voices and experiences of older abusive men is still scarce. The purpose of this article is to present a typology of older battering men dwelling in lifelong intimate violence relationships. Fifteen older Israeli abusive men, aged 65 to 84 years, were interviewed in depth. Four types were identified: the “Non-quitter,” the “Cover-up”-er, the “In-between”-er, and the “Normalizer.” These types were constructed based on four dimensions: the construction of violence over the years, the perception of the spouse over the years, losses accompanying the violent relationship, and the meaning of violence in old age. The four types enable an in-depth look at the experiential world of older abusers and paint a complex picture of various ways in which abusive men live with violence over time.
Does engagement in meaningful occupation reduce challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disabilities? A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Ball Jo , Fazil Qulsom
Published: January 2013

Over several years, there has been much debate about the best way to manage challenging behaviour. Although national guidance highlights the importance of meaningful occupation, it is unclear to what extent this helps. This systematic review of the literature aimed to answer the question, ‘does engagement in meaningful occupation reduce challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disability?’ By searching a range of databases, electronic resources and web pages, 13 relevant articles were identified. Additionally, experts in the field were contacted, hand searches were performed and citation searches were carried out. These 13 articles were critically appraised and analysed using narrative synthesis. Although the amount of research identified was limited and the methodological quality was variable, some broad themes arose. A skilled and structured approach for carrying out occupation may be effective in reducing challenging behaviour; however, more robust research is needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn.
Recent advances in the management of choreas
Authors: Burgunder Jean-Marc
Published: January 2013

The management of patients with chorea, in particular Huntington’s disease, is a complex task requiring skills in a number of areas. This paper reviews new knowledge on this topic and places it in the context of established procedures. It is focused on Huntington’s disease, since this is the disorder, for which most publications on management have been published in the past few years. Management starts with appropriate diagnosis and differential diagnosis, with the aim of finding disorders with chorea amenable to causative treatment. The place of genetic testing and the importance of genetic counselling is stressed, as well as the importance of precise observation in the course of the disorder to tailor appropriate therapies. Pharmacological treatment is based on poor evidence but to a large extent on expertise from centres devoted to the care of patients with Huntington’s disease. It is focused mainly on motor and psychiatric aspects of the phenotype. Nonpharmacological treatment is important and is best offered in a multidisciplinary care setting.
BMO and Lipschitz norm estimates for the composition of Green’s operator and the potential operator
Authors: Dai Zhimin , Xing Yuming , Ding Shusen
Published: January 2013

In this paper, we establish BMO and Lipschitz norm inequalities for the composition of Green’s operator and the potential operator. We also investigate the relationship among the Lipschitz norm, the BMO norm and the

L
p

-norm. Finally, we display some examples for applications.

MSC:35J60, 31B05, 58A10, 46E35.
The gain and loss of chromosomal integron systems in the Treponemaspecies
Authors: Wu Yu-Wei , Doak Thomas G , Ye Yuzhen
Published: January 2013

Background

Integron systems are now recognized as important agents of bacterial evolution and are prevalent in most environments. One of the human pathogens known to harbor chromosomal integrons, the Treponema spirochetes are the only clade among spirochete species found to carry integrons. With the recent release of many new Treponema genomes, we were able to study the distribution of chromosomal integrons in this genus.

Results

We find that the Treponema spirochetes implicated in human periodontal diseases and those isolated from cow and swine intestines contain chromosomal integrons, but not the Treponema species isolated from termite guts. By examining the species tree of selected spirochetes (based on 31 phylogenetic marker genes) and the phylogenetic tree of predicted integron integrases, and assisted by our analysis of predicted integron recombination sites, we found that all integron systems identified in Treponema spirochetes are likely to have evolved from a common ancestor—a horizontal gain into the clade. Subsequent to this event, the integron system was lost in the branch leading to the speciation of T. pallidum and T. phagedenis (the Treponema sps. implicated in sexually transmitted diseases). We also find that the lengths of the integron attC sites shortened through Treponema speciation, and that the integron gene cassettes of T. denticola are highly strain specific.

Conclusions

This is the first comprehensive study to characterize the chromosomal integron systems in Treponema species. By characterizing integron distribution and cassette contents in the Treponema sps., we link the integrons to the speciation of the various species, especially to the pathogens T. pallidum and T. phagedenis.
Physiologic and laboratory correlates of depression, anxiety, and poor sleep in liver cirrhosis
Authors: Ko Fang-Yuan , Yang Albert C , Tsai Shih-Jen , Zhou Yang , Xu Lie-Ming
Published: January 2013

Background

Studies have shown psychological distress in patients with cirrhosis, yet no studies have evaluated the laboratory and physiologic correlates of psychological symptoms in cirrhosis. This study therefore measured both biochemistry data and heart rate variability (HRV) analyses, and aimed to identify the physiologic correlates of depression, anxiety, and poor sleep in cirrhosis.

Methods

A total of 125 patients with cirrhosis and 55 healthy subjects were recruited. Each subject was assessed through routine biochemistry, 5-minutes ECG monitoring, and psychological ratings of depression, anxiety, and sleep. HRV analysis were used to evaluate autonomic functions. The relationship between depression, sleep, and physiologic correlates was assessed using a multiple regression analysis and stepwise method, controlling for age, duration of illness, and severity of cirrhosis.

Results

Reduced vagal-related HRV was found in patients with severe liver cirrhosis. Severity of cirrhosis measured by the Child-Pugh score was not correlated with depression or anxiety, and only had a weak correlation with poor sleep. The psychological distress in cirrhosis such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia were correlated specifically to increased levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), increased ratios of low frequency to high frequency power, or reduced nonlinear properties of HRV (α1 exponent of detrended fluctuation analysis).

Conclusions

Increased serum AST and abnormal autonomic nervous activities by HRV analysis were associated with psychological distress in cirrhosis. Because AST is an important mediator of inflammatory process, further research is needed to delineate the role of inflammation in the cirrhosis comorbid with depression.
Structural equation modeling of factors contributing to quality of life in Japanese patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Kikuchi Hiromi , Mifune Nobuhiro , Niino Masaaki , Kira Jun-ichi , Kohriyama Tatsuo , Ota Kohei , Tanaka Masami , Ochi Hirofumi , Nakane Shunya , Kikuchi Seiji
Published: January 2013

Background

To improve quality of life (QOL) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), it is important to decrease disability and prevent relapse. The aim of this study was to examine the causal and mutual relationships contributing to QOL in Japanese patients with MS, develop path diagrams, and explore interventions with the potential to improve patient QOL.

Methods

Data of 163 Japanese MS patients were obtained using the Functional Assessment of MS (FAMS) and Nottingham Adjustment Scale-Japanese version (NAS-J) tests, as well as four additional factors that affect QOL (employment status, change of income, availability of disease information, and communication with medical staff). Data were then used in structural equation modeling to develop path diagrams for factors contributing to QOL.

Results

The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score had a significant effect on the total FAMS score. Although EDSS negatively affected the FAMS symptom score, NAS-J subscale scores of anxiety/depression and acceptance were positively related to the FAMS symptom score. Changes in employment status after MS onset negatively affected all NAS-J scores. Knowledge of disease information improved the total NAS-J score, which in turn improved many FAMS subscale scores. Communication with doctors and nurses directly and positively affected some FAMS subscale scores.

Conclusions

Disability and change in employment status decrease patient QOL. However, the present findings suggest that other factors, such as acquiring information on MS and communicating with medical staff, can compensate for the worsening of QOL.
Graded or threshold response of the tet-controlled gene expression: all depends on the concentration of the transactivator
Authors: Heinz Niels , Hennig Katharina , Loew Rainer
Published: January 2013

Background

Currently, the step-wise integration of tet-dependent transactivator and tet-responsive expression unit is considered to be the most promising tool to achieve stable tet-controlled gene expression in cell populations. However, disadvantages of this strategy for integration into primary cells led us to develop an “All-In-One” vector system, enabling simultaneous integration of both components. The effect on tet-controlled gene expression was analyzed for retroviral “All-In-One” vectors expressing the M2-transactivator either under control of a constitutive or a new type of autoregulated promoter.

Results

Determination of luciferase activity in transduced cell populations indicated improvement of the dynamic range of gene expression for the autoregulated system. Further differences were observed regarding induction kinetics and dose–response. Most notably, introduction of the autoregulated system resulted in a threshold mode of induction, whereas the constitutive system exhibited pronounced effector-dose dependence.

Conclusion

Tet-regulated gene expression in the applied autoregulated system resembles a threshold mode, whereby full induction of the tet-unit can be achieved at otherwise limiting doxycycline concentrations.
Declining malaria parasite prevalence and trends of asymptomatic parasitaemia in a seasonal transmission setting in north-western Burkina Faso between 2000 and 2009–2012
Authors: Geiger Carolin , Agustar Hani Kartini , Compaoré Guillaume , Coulibaly Boubacar , Sié Ali , Becher Heiko , Lanzer Michael , Jänisch Thomas
Published: January 2013

Background

Malaria transmission was reported to have declined in some East African countries. However, a comparable trend has not been confirmed for West Africa. This study aims to assess the dynamics of parasite prevalence and malaria species distribution over time in an area of highly seasonal transmission in Burkina Faso. The aim was also to compare frequency of asymptomatic parasitaemia between wet and dry season by parasite density status and age group.

Methods

During the years 2009–2012, six cross-sectional studies were performed in the rural village Bourasso in the Nouna Health District in north-west Burkina Faso. In subsequent rainy and dry seasons blood samples were collected to assess the parasite prevalence, species, density and clinical parameters. In total, 1,767 children and adults were examined and compared to a baseline collected in 2000.

Results

The microscopical parasite prevalence (mainly P. falciparum) measured over the rainy seasons decreased significantly from 78.9% (2000) to 58.4%, 55.9% and 49.3%, respectively (2009–2011; p <0.001). The frequency of Plasmodium malariae infections (mono- and co-infections) decreased parallel to the overall parasite prevalence from 13.4% in 2000 to 2.1%, 4.1% and 4.7% in 2009–2011 (p <0.001). Comparing parasite-positive subjects from the rainy season versus dry season, the risk of fever was significantly reduced in the dry season adjusting for parasite density (grouped) and age group.

Conclusions

The results of this study suggest a decline of malaria transmission over the rainy seasons between 2000 and 2009–2011 in the region of Nouna, Burkina Faso. The decreased transmission intensity was associated with lower prevalence of P. malariae infections (both mono-infections and co-infections). Asymptomatic parasitaemia was more frequent in the dry season even adjusting for parasite density and age group in a multivariate regression. Possible reasons for this observation include the existence of less pathogenic Plasmodium falciparum genotypes prevailing in the dry season, or the effect of a reduced incidence density during the dry season.
Factors associated with health-related quality of life among Indian women in mining and agriculture
Authors: D’Souza Melba Sheila , Karkada Subrahmanya Nairy , Somayaji Ganesha
Published: January 2013

Background

Women facing social and economic disadvantage in stressed communities of developing countries are at greater risk due to health problems. This paper investigates the relationships between structural, health and psychosocial predictors among women in mining and agricultural communities. This paper is a report of a study of the predictors of the health-related quality of life among Indian women in mining and agricultural communities.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used. The instruments used are SF-36 Health Survey and Coping Strategy Checklist. ANOVA, MANOVA and GLM were used in the analysis. The study was conducted between January-September 2008 with randomly selected women in a mining (145) and an agricultural community (133) in India.

Results

Women in the agricultural community had significantly increased Physical Health, Mental Health and SF36 scores compared with those in the mining community. Years of stay, education and employment were significant predictors among women in the agricultural community. 39% (33%) and 40% (26%) of the variance in Physical and Mental health respectively among women in agricultural and mining communities are predicted by the structural, health and psychosocial variables.

Conclusion

Perceived health status should be recognised as an important assessment of Physical and Mental Health among women in rural stressed communities. Cognitive, emotional and behavioural coping strategies are significant predictors of health related quality of life. Implications. Nurses should use the SF-36 as a diagnostic tool for assessing health related quality of life among women and discuss coping strategies, so that these can target women’s adaptive behaviour. This should be an essential part of the nursing process for facilitating adaptive process for improved health related quality of life.
Utero-placental expression of angiotensin-(1–7) and ACE2 in the pregnant guinea-pig
Authors: Valdés Gloria , Corthorn Jenny , Bharadwaj Manish S , Joyner JaNae , Schneider Daniela , Brosnihan K Bridget
Published: January 2013

Background

In humans, trophoblast invasion, vascular remodeling and placental development are critical to determine the fate of pregnancy. Since guinea-pigs (GP) and humans share common pregnancy features including extensive trophoblast invasion, transformation of the uterine spiral arteries and a haemomonochorial placenta, the GP animal model was deemed suitable to extend our knowledge on the spatio-temporal immunoreactive expression of the vasodilator arpeptide of the renin-angiotensin system, angiotensin-(1–7) [Ang-(1–7)] and its main generating enzyme, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).

Methods

Utero-placental units were collected in days 15, 20, 40 and 60 of a 64–67 day long pregnancy in 25 Pirbright GP. Ang-(1–7) and ACE2 expression in utero-placental units were evaluated by immunohistochemistry.

Results

Ang-(1–7) and ACE2 were detected in the endothelium and syncytiotrophoblast of the labyrinthine placenta, interlobium, subplacenta, giant cells, syncytial sprouts, syncytial streamers, and myometrium throughout pregnancy. In late pregnancy, perivascular or intramural trophoblasts in spiral and mesometrial arteries expressed both factors. Immunoreactive Ang-(1–7) and ACE2 were present in decidua and in the vascular smooth muscle of spiral, myometrial and mesometrial arteries, which also express kallikrein (Kal), the bradykinin receptor 2 (B2R), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its type 2 receptor (KDR), but no endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). In addition, the signal of Ang-(1–7) and ACE2 was especially remarkable in giant cells, which also show Kal, B2R. eNOS, VEGF and KDR.

Conclusions

The spatio-temporal expression of Ang-(1–7) and ACE2 in GP, similar to that of humans, supports a relevant evolutionary conserved function of Ang-(1–7) and ACE2 in decidualization, trophoblast invasion, vascular remodeling and placental flow regulation, as well as the validity of the GP model to understand the local adaptations of pregnancy. It also integrates Ang-(1–7) to the utero-placental vasodilatory network. However, its antiangiogenic effect may counterbalance the proangiogenic activity of some of the other vasodilator components.