bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
3-Dimensional non-linear FEM modeling and analysis of steady-rolling of radial tires
Authors: Guan Yanjin  , Zhao Guoqun  , Cheng Gang
Published: December 2010

The 3D finite element method modeling based on MSC.MARC software was studied and a non-linear FEM model was developed. The non-linear mechanical properties of elastomers were described by the Mooney—Rivlin model. The rebar model was employed to simulate complex multilayer rubber—cord composites and directly define the cord directions varying with their positions. The radial tire model was established based on consideration of the geometric non-linearity due to large deformation, the material’s non-linearities of cord—rubber composites, the non-linear boundary conditions from tire—rim contact and tire—road contact. The steady-rolling performance of 195/60R14 radial tire was analyzed numerically. Under free-rolling state, centrifugal force had a certain effect on the contact performance of the radial tire. Under load rating, the stiffness of tire increased with the increase of the rotary speed. Under braking state, high stress region moves to the direction contrary to the running direction. The high stress region moves to the running direction under driving state. Compared with braking condition, the level of normal stress and friction stress in the contact region was higher under the driving conditions. Cord equivalent stress of the tire belt was larger near the tire shoulder, and smaller in the center of contact zone. Cord equivalent stress increased sharply with the rotary speed. Meanwhile, the maximum cord equivalent stress was higher under the driving state. The gradient of strain energy density near the belt end was larger. The strain energy density of the tire shoulder was the largest.
Art Spaces in Community and Economic Development: Connections to Neighborhoods, Artists, and the Cultural Economy
Authors: Grodach Carl
Published: December 2010

There is growing interest in the arts in community and economic development, yet little research examines the dynamics of community-based arts institutions to inform urban planning and policy. Drawing on interviews with participants and organizers of small and midsized art spaces, the study explores the factors that influence their involvement in neighborhood revitalization and outreach, support for artistic communities, and efforts to build bridges to commercial cultural sectors. Art spaces function as a conduit for building social networks that contribute to both community revitalization and artistic development. But issues pertaining to the location, organization, and management of art spaces may limit their community and economic development potential. The article concludes with proposals to craft stronger arts-based community and economic development programs.
Dimensionality and Validity of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale for Use With Latino Adolescents
Authors: Supple Andrew J. , Plunkett Scott W.
Published: December 2010

This study evaluated the construct validity and factor structure of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) using a large sample ( n = 814) of adolescents in Mexican, Salvadoran, and Guatemalan immigrant families who completed surveys in English. Results suggested that the RSES may be best specified as assessing two somewhat distinct yet related constructs. There was a high degree of measurement equivalence across the three nationality groups and also a high degree of equivalence across samples separated by generational status (adolescents born in the United States vs. not). There was relatively strong evidence to suggest that bidimensionality of the RSES for use with Salvadoran and Guatemalan adolescents is related to method effects associated with negatively worded items. Findings also suggested that two RSES factors (positive self-esteem and self-deprecation) assess substantively distinct elements of self-esteem as psychological control by mothers, age, and generational status were more strongly related to a self-deprecation (negatively worded items) factor than to a positive self-esteem factor. Implications for using the RSES in research on Latino adolescents are discussed.
The Teaching Perspectives Inventory at 10 Years and 100,000 Respondents
Authors: Collins John B. , Pratt Daniel D.
Published: December 2010

The Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI) measures teachers’ profiles on five contrasting views of what it means “to teach.” The inventory can be used in aiding self-reflection, developing statements of teaching philosophy, engendering conversations about teaching, and recognizing legitimate variations on excellence in teaching. Available at www.TeachingPerspectives.com , the TPI is a free, self-report, self-scoring inventory that promotes a pluralistic understanding of teaching and equips respondents with a more explicit vocabulary for reflecting on their own teaching and that of others. Ten years of accumulated responses for more than 100,000 respondents in more than 100 countries has provided a rich data bank for analysis of the instrument’s reliability, validity, and utility in promoting conversations about teaching that are respectful of disciplinary and professional signature pedagogies as well as cultural and social variations on how teaching is understood and valued.
Statistical Approaches to Testing the Relationships of the Built Environment with Resident-Level Physical Activity Behavior and Health Outcomes in Cross-Sectional Studies with Cluster Sampling
Authors: Cerin Ester
Published: December 2010

To achieve valid conclusions, studies exploring associations of the built environment with residents' physical activity and health-related outcomes need to employ statistical approaches accounting for clustered data. This article discusses the following main statistical approaches: analysis of covariance, regression models with robust standard errors, generalized estimating equations, and multilevel generalized linear models. The choice of a statistical method depends on the characteristics of the study and research questions. While the first three approaches are employed to account for clustering in the data, multilevel models can also help unravel more substantive issues within a social ecological theoretical framework of health behavior.
Reflections on Love’s Spirals
Authors: Kenny Gerard
Published: December 2010

This article seeks to explore how the experience of love and its expression might inform and guide reflection and inquiry into love. Despite the importance of love in our personal and professional lives, it remains a topic that has further scope for inquiry within nursing circles. The article takes as its catalyst an encounter that emerged out of a piece of research that was exploring individuals’ experiences of becoming healers and the journey they undertook. One participant spoke deeply and profoundly of his experience of love, which generated for me a personal, experiential, and intellectual process of inquiry. The article seeks to try and create a synthesis between rational inquiry and subjective experience. It explores W. B. Yeats’s notion of a gyre, a spiral, as an image and metaphor for integrating different conceptions and understandings of love. It seeks to illustrate how a more integrated understanding of love may open up spaces of inquiry that are more flexible, creative, and spontaneous.
From social conflict to social dialogue: Counter-mobilization on the European waterfront
Authors: Turnbull Peter
Published: December 2010

Can trade unions organize internationally and ensure common standards of employment to prevent capital flight, social dumping and an international ‘race-to-the-bottom’? The experience of European dockworkers suggests that trade unions need to frame domestic conflicts in a global context and respond to foreign or international pressures within domestic politics before they can shift the scale of contention from the national to the European level. The campaigns against proposed Port Services Directives demonstrate that if social actors can project their domestic claims vertically onto international institutions and/or foreign actors they can divert the course of EU policy-making. In particular, if they can co-operate with other social actors through horizontal networks across different countries with similar claims, they can use both conflict and dialogue to protect their interests.
CAPM in Up and Down Markets
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Wihlborg Clas
Published: December 2010

The pricing of equity in six European emerging capital markets is analysed using both the conventional CAPM and a ‘conditional’ CAPM wherein up and down markets are separated. International influences on the stock markets are also analysed. The empirical evidence from a sample of 1,131 firms from the six markets indicates that there exists a significant relationship between beta and returns when up and down markets are separated. The international CAPM performs well in some markets that have become increasingly integrated with the world market. The general implication of the analysis is that beta can be a useful risk-measure for investors and portfolio managers considering investments in emerging markets.
Evaluating Stock Index Return Value-at-Risk Estimates in South Africa
Authors: McMillan David , Thupayagale Pako
Published: December 2010

This article evaluates the performance of a range of alternative volatility models in forecasting volatility and value-at-risk (VaR) in the context of the Basle regulatory framework, using stock index return data from South Africa. We extend the current research in emerging markets by considering a wider selection of GARCH-based models, including a variety of asymmetric and long memory models. Our results suggest that models incorporating both asymmetric and long memory attributes generally outperform all other methods in estimating VaR across the three percentiles we considered. These findings are similar to the volatility forecasting exercise we also conduct. More generally, we find that the standard RiskMetrics model is consistently outperformed by all the GARCH-type models we have analysed in the context of VaR modelling. Finally, our results emphasise the importance of using the stringent probability criteria prescribed by the Basle regulatory framework, and of employing out-of-sample forecast evaluation techniques for the selection of forecasting models that provide accurate VaR estimates.
Corporate Governance, Competition and Firm Performance
Authors: Pant Manoj , Pattanayak Manoranjan
Published: December 2010

The objective of this article is to disentangle the combined effect of product market competition and corporate governance variables on firm performance. While the linkage between internal governance mechanism and firm performance is well established in several studies, the interaction between internal and external governance mechanism has received scanty attention in emerging market economies. Here we have shown the independent and interaction effect of ownership and competition variables on firm productivity. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we document that competition has in reality become a discernible force in developing economies. The econometric modelling result shows that while the stand-alone effect of ownership variable on productivity is mostly insignificant, there is a strong positive interaction effect with competition variables.
Understanding Individual Communication Styles in Counseling
Authors: Keteyian Robert V.
Published: December 2010

Focusing on individual communication styles can guide interventions, provide natural validation, and enhance creativity in the counseling relationship. The author has developed a framework for defining individual communication style components, drawing on learning style theory and Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Using the natural language of the client, problem solving is better connected to client strengths.
The United States Food and Drugs Administration Approves a Generic Enoxaparin
Authors: Ofosu Frederick A.
Published: December 2010

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved on July 23, 2010, the abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) by Sandoz Inc for a generic enoxaparin (Lovenox) as the FDA is satisfied with the active ingredient ‘‘sameness’’ and the interchangeability of Lovenox with this generic version. Regulatory authorities that consider low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) as drugs approve generic LMWHs via an ANDA pathway, whereas EMEA views them as biological medicines and will therefore regulate copies of LMWHs via a biosimilar pathway because only similar copies can be manufactured. Furthermore, European Medicines Agency (EMEA) requires appropriately powered clinical trails to establish comparable efficacy and safety profiles for biosimilar and their branded LMWHs counterparts. The safety issues that have led to withdrawal of some generic LMWHs from some Asian and South American countries mandate the need for a broad consensus defining the minimum attributes copies of LMWHs required for efficacy and safety.
Internal Carotid Artery Dissection and Ischemic Cerebral Infarction in the Setting of Essential Thrombocythemia
Authors: Freilinger T. , Saam T. , Duering M. , Dichgans M. , Peters N.
Published: December 2010

Cervical artery dissection (CAD) is an important etiology of stroke in young adults. Its etiology is incompletely understood. Here, we report a young woman who presented with acute ischemic stroke in the setting of internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection and essential thrombocythemia (ET). We present a review of previous cases with comorbidity of CAD and ET and discuss the pathophysiological implications of this co-occurrence. In particular, we speculate that ET may increase the susceptibility of cervical vessels to spontaneous dissection, for example, by disturbing the microcirculation within the vessel wall.
Case Notes for the Impeachment of an Ability Traitor: A Textor’s Inquiry
Authors: Badley Graham
Published: December 2010

These case notes are a response to “An ability traitor at work: A treasonous call to subvert writing from within.” The notes analyze Holbrook’s treachery despite her own admission of guilt. The inquiry is meant to provide firmer grounds for impeachment. The main accusation is that, as an able teacher and writer, Holbrook appears guilty of a trahison des clercs. The case writer is, like Holbrook, a textor, a weaver of threads, a fabricator of texts. The four main allegations woven into the text examine Holbrook as a writer who apparently betrays the essay form, a traitor who disrupts the view from nowhere, a promoter of assemblage as another betrayal of writing, and as a treasonous producer of a “dis/comfort text.” The main outcome of this textor’s inquiry is that the only treachery committed by Holbrook is more apparent than real.
Lechem Hara (Bad Bread), Lechem Tov (Good Bread): Survival and Sacrifice During the Holocaust
Authors: Rawicki Jerry , Ellis Carolyn
Published: December 2010

In Judaism, human nature is understood as existing on a spectrum between yetzer hara (evil inclination) and yetzer tov (good inclination). Jews struggle to suppress the yetzer hara and exercise the yetzer tov. Based on an oral history interview and cocreated by a survivor of the Holocaust and a researcher, this story focuses on bread (lechem) and hunger in a Polish ghetto. The narrative encourages reflection about the tangled intermingling of the generosity of self-sacrifice and the instinctive drive for survival.
Relationship between brain MRI lesion load and short-term disease evolution in non-disabling MS: a large-scale, multicentre study
Authors: Rovaris Marco , Rocca Maria A , Barkhof Frederik , Calabrese Massimiliano , De Stefano Nicola , Khalil Michael , Fazekas Franz , Fisniku Leonora , Gallo Paolo , Miller David H , Montalban Xavier , Polman Chris , Rovira Alex , Sombekke Madeleine H , Sormani Maria Pia , Stromillo Maria Laura , Filippi Massimo
Published: December 2010

Background and Objectives: We evaluated clinical and conventional MRI features of a large population of patients with non-disabling MS to identify potential markers of a benign disease course.

Methods: In seven MAGNIMS centres we retrospectively identified 182 patients with benign (B) MS (EDSS score ≤3.0, disease duration ≥15 years) and 187 patients with non-disabling relapsing–remitting MS (NDRRMS) (Expanded Disability Status Scale score ≤3.0, disease duration between 5 and 14 years), in whom clinical data were collected within two weeks from a brain T2-weighted scan. Brain T2 lesion volume (LV) was measured in all patients. In 146 BMS and 146 NDRRMS patients, clinical data were also available after a median follow up of 29 months (range: 7–104 months).

Results: Mean LV was higher in BMS than in NDRRMS patients ( p < 0.001), but the mean ratio between LV and disease duration was higher in NDRRMS than in BMS patients (1.1 vs. 0.6 ml/year, p < 0.001). In BMS patients, brain LV was correlated with EDSS score increase at follow up ( r = 0.18, p = 0.03).

Conclusions: An overall low rate of brain LV increase during a long-lasting disease course might be a feature of BMS. In BMS patients, a high brain LV might be associated with worsening of locomotor disability at short-term follow up.
Oligoclonal bands predict multiple sclerosis after optic neuritis: a literature survey
Authors: Skov AG , Skov T , Frederiksen JL
Published: December 2010

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in inflammation and demyelination of neurones in the central nervous system (CNS). The first sign of MS is often monosymptomatic optic neuritis (MON). Cerebrospinal fluid from a patient with MS analysed by electrophoresis often shows a split to form so called oligoclonal bands (OCBs). OCBs consist of proteins from activated lymphocytes and plasma cell clones.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to review the published literature on OCBs in MON patients and perform a meta-analysis of the studies in order to assess the utility of OCB determination in patients with MON in the prediction of their risk of MS.

Methods: Review and meta-analysis of the results of 10 published studies.

Results: OCBs as a predictive test had a sensitivity of 73–100% (mean 88.5%), a specificity of 41–90% (mean 57%) and OR-values between 2.75 and 171 (mean 34.2). The areal under the summary receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.89 (unweighted) and 0.82 (weighted). The studies showed large heterogeneity in the diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusion: This literature-based meta-analysis provides evidence that OCBs may have a high predictive value for the development of MS in patients with MON. Standardization of laboratory methods and diagnostic criteria would help bring out the full clinical potential of the test. To elucidate the predictive value of OCBs versus MRI, we recommend that a similar meta-analysis of studies of MRI in MON be performed.
Bones in the rebel lady’s boudoir: ethnology, race and trophy-hunting in the American Civil War
Authors: Harrison Simon
Published: December 2010

This article discusses the collection and use of enemy skulls and other bones as trophies by soldiers and their supporters in the American Civil War. This behaviour was condemned at the time as that of ‘savages’. However, the author argues that it was a local symptom of the shifts taking place after the Enlightenment in the ways in which human diversity was conceptualized. Civil War soldiers who collected and displayed their enemies’ remains did so for some of the same reasons that comparative anatomists had begun to collect, display and study such objects at the time. They, too, assumed that the fundamental material evidence of human differences lay under the skin, in the bones and, above all, in the skull.
Braving a faceless new world? Conceptualizing trust in the pharmaceutical industry and its products
Authors: Brown Patrick , Calnan Michael
Published: December 2010

Pharmaceutical products are commonly relied upon by professionals, and correspondingly patients, within a wide range of healthcare contexts. This dependence, combined with the inherent risk and uncertainty surrounding both medical practice and the drugs it harnesses, points towards the importance of trust in the pharmaceutical industry – a subject which has been much neglected by researchers. This article begins to address this deficiency by mapping out a conceptual framework which may form a useful basis for future research into this important topic. The often negative portrayal of the pharmaceutical industry in the public sphere belies a state of apparent confidence in its products. The role of prescribing professionals as ‘mediators of trust’ amid a faceless system of production and, alongside regulators, as bases of assurance in the quality of drugs goes some way towards explaining this contradiction. Recent policy moves towards fostering increased patient ‘expertise’ and responsibility for illness management, a widening of over-the-counter medication availability and a growing market of products (mainstream and illicit) via the Internet suggest this role of ‘facework’ in facilitating trust may be becoming more marginal. This heightened requirement for trusting amid the unfamiliar, and an apparent willingness to do so, underlines the need for further research into trust in the industry – both mainstream and underground – and its products. Within this discussion an agenda for furthering our understandings of the political-economy of the pharmaceutical industry becomes apparent, one which might be most effectively approached by way of a broader political-economy of hope and trust.
Professionalization and its discontents
Authors: Timmons Stephen
Published: December 2010

The sociology of professions has generally considered professionalization as a desirable outcome for occupational groups. This case study of professionalization in the UK National Health Service, based on an analysis of documents, presents a challenge to that view. For many groups, the state is now so comprehensively dominant in the process of professionalization that it can effectively dictate professional status on its own terms. Many of the advantages that accrued to professions that developed historically will not be available to groups that professionalize under this new regime. Though elite groups within the profession studied (Operating Department Practice) were strongly in favour of professionalization, throughout the process there were also dissenting voices. This case study will show how professionalization, despite being described as the ‘Holy Grail’ by those in favour of it, turned out to be, at best, a mixed blessing. While medicine may still be able to negotiate with the state for other groups, professionalization can in the future be equated with regulation.
A change in the climate? The journalism of opinion at News Corporation
Authors: McKnight David
Published: December 2010

In 2007 the global media company News Corporation announced that it would become ‘carbon neutral’ and generally endorsed scientific warnings about global warming. Its CEO, Rupert Murdoch, signaled not only that the media group held a corporate view toward the issue of climate change but that its editorial coverage would henceforth change. This article examines the period before this change of direction. From 1997 to 2007 newspapers and television stations owned by News Corporation, based on their editorials, columnists and commentators, largely denied the science of climate change and dismissed those who were concerned about it. While the intensity of commentary and editorials about climate change varied between media outlets owned by News Corporation in the USA, Britain and Australia, its corporate view framed the issue as one of political correctness rather than science. Scientific knowledge was portrayed as an orthodoxy and its own stance, and that of ‘climate sceptics’ as one of courageous dissent.
‘We should make money on our news’: The problem of profitability in network broadcast journalism history
Authors: Socolow Michael J
Published: December 2010

The US broadcast networks have traditionally argued that their news divisions were unprofitable. The networks used their news divisions to secure regulatory advantages by claiming that losses incurred in producing broadcast journalism proved a commitment to operating in the public interest. Network broadcast journalism was promoted as a singular genre, resistant to the economic imperative found elsewhere in American broadcasting. This article explores the history of profitability in network broadcast journalism, and, by doing so, it challenges the traditional economic and regulatory narrative. Countering the myth of the unprofitable network news division raises important questions concerning journalistic independence and autonomy within American broadcasting.
Transitioning International Nurses: An Outlined Evidence-Based Program for Acute Care Settings
Authors: Yu Xu
Published: December 2010

Based on synthesized evidence of transitional challenges facing international nurses and review of existing transition programs in the United States, this article outlines an evidence-based transition program specifically developed for all newly arrived international nurses. This employer-based transition program is designed to meet the unique needs of international nurses working in foreign health care environments. Implications for regulatory agencies, employers, and international nurses related to implementation of this proposed program are elaborated within national and international contexts of new developments relevant to international nurses. This article is predicated on the position that transition of newly arrived international nurses is a regulatory issue and predicts that transition program is likely to be required in the United States in the foreseeable future as is the case in both United Kingdom and Australia.
Preliminary Analysis of the “Survey of Educators’ Knowledge and Value of Research-Based Practices for Students With Autism”
Authors: Williams Cathy M. , Fan Weihua , Goodman Gay
Published: December 2010

Because of the increased prevalence of autism and current legislation mandates, public schools are increasingly responsible for educating students with autism. The current literature describes a variety of instructional methods that have been successful in educating these students. However, many educators are not exposed to this information. To determine educators’ needs in this area, the knowledge they possess and the information they value regarding these methods must be determined. The purpose of this study was to develop a survey that measures educators’ knowledge of research-based practices for instructing students with autism and the value they place on information regarding these practices and then conduct a preliminary analysis of the survey’s psychometric properties. The results indicated that the survey possesses excellent reliability and good construct validity. It is expected that this survey can be used by school districts as a needs assessment that will support the provision of continuing education and professional development in the area of instructional methods for students with autism.
Design and implementation of an institutional case report form library
Authors: Nahm Meredith , Shepherd John , Buzenberg Ann , Rostami Reza , Corcoran Andrew , McCall Jonathan , Pietrobon Ricardo
Published: December 2010

Background Case report forms (CRFs) are used to collect data in clinical research. Case report form development represents a significant part of the clinical trial process and can affect study success. Libraries of CRFs can preserve the organizational knowledge and expertise invested in CRF development and expedite the sharing of such knowledge. Although CRF libraries have been advocated, there have been no published accounts reporting institutional experiences with creating and using them.

Purpose We sought to enhance an existing institutional CRF library by improving information indexing and accessibility. We describe this CRF library and discuss challenges encountered in its development and implementation, as well as future directions for continued work in this area.

Methods We transformed an existing but underused and poorly accessible CRF library into a resource capable of supporting and expediting clinical and translational investigation at our institution by (1) expanding access to the entire institution; (2) adding more form attributes for improved information retrieval; and (3) creating a formal information curation and maintenance process. An open-source content management system, Plone (Plone.org), served as the platform for our CRF library.

Results We report results from these three processes. Over the course of this project, the size of the CRF library increased from 160 CRFs comprising an estimated total of 17,000 pages, to 177 CRFs totaling 1.5 gigabytes. Eighty-two of these CRFs are now available to researchers across our institution; 95 CRFs remain within a contractual confidentiality window (usually 5 years from database lock) and are not available to users outside of the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI). Conservative estimates suggest that the library supports an average of 37 investigators per month. The resources needed to curate and maintain the CRF library require less than 10% of the effort of one full-time equivalent employee.

Limitations Although we succeeded in expanding use of the CRF library, creating awareness of such institutional resources among investigators and research teams remains challenging and requires additional efforts to overcome. Institutions that have not achieved a critical mass of attractive research resources or effective dissemination mechanisms may encounter persistent difficulty attracting researchers to use institutional resources. Further, a useful CRF library requires both an initial investment of resources for development, as well as ongoing maintenance once it is established.

Conclusions CRF libraries can be established and made broadly available to institutional researchers. Curation – that is, indexing newly added forms – is required. Such a resource provides knowledge management capacity for institutions until standards and software are available to support widespread exchange of data and form definitions.
Norovirus: changing epidemiology, changing virology. The challenges for infection control
Authors: Harris JP , Allen DJ , Ituriza-Gomara M.
Published: December 2010

Norovirus infection is the commonest cause of outbreaks and sporadic cases of acute gastrointestinal disease in England and Wales. It is estimated that 4.5% of the population are infected by norovirus each year. Some years see more infections than others and occasionally peaks of summer time activity can occur. Current surveillance of norovirus is based on two main sources of information, routine laboratory reporting and reports of norovirus outbreaks. There are still significant barriers impeding a better understanding of the biology and epidemiology of noroviruses. Modern genetic techniques have shed light on ways in which the virus interacts with its host and evades the immune system. Some of these techniques have also led to new tools that may be useful in tracking outbreaks of norovirus, and in turn, to study the effect of potential intervention strategies, aimed at preventing or curtailing transmission within outbreaks.
Chemotherapy for breast cancer in pregnancy: evidence and guidance for oncologists
Authors: McGrath Sophie E. , Ring Alistair
Published: December 2010

It has been estimated that up to 3.8% of breast cancers may be diagnosed in women who are pregnant, with an estimated 1 in 3000–3500 deliveries occurring in women with breast cancer. Owing to the lack of large randomized trials available to guide our clinical practice, our decisions regarding adjuvant systemic management are based on retrospective analyses, case reports and a small number of prospective studies. A tailored approach to treatment is required with careful consideration given at all stages to the needs of the mother and risks to the foetus. Management is critically influenced by the stage of pregnancy, especially the first trimester. Anthracycline-based chemotherapy may be administered during the second and third trimesters, with apparently few short-term implications. Limited data shows the taxanes may also be given with few adverse events at these stages. Weekly fractionation regimens may allow closer monitoring of pregnancy with prompt termination of agents, if necessary. Data concerning the long-term risks of systemic anticancer treatment are limited. All stages of patient management should be discussed within a multidisciplinary team and a clear consensus of treatment options communicated to the mother. Delaying chemotherapy until after delivery may be reasonable in some cases, but where the delay is likely to be prolonged, a decision must be made on the basis of risks versus benefits.
Beyond Crisis Care in Brain Injury Rehabilitation in Australia
Authors: Muenchberger Heidi , Kendall Elizabeth , Collings Catherine
Published: December 2010

Objective: The aim of this commentary was to bring together the various significant issues associated with delivering brain injury rehabilitation in Australia. Through observational critique, the authors aimed to identify gaps in practice and opportunities for change. Approach: In light of Australia’s national health reform process, it is necessary to consider rehabilitation practices and models for brain injury service delivery. There are lessons to be learned within the Australian system, but also opportunities to apply international reform. Conclusion: For those within the service delivery system, brain injury rehabilitation can often appear to be a crisis-driven response. Gaps in service provision persist, leaving individuals who have reduced cognitive and emotional capacity to self-navigate an unpredictable health system at a time in their lives when they are least prepared to do so. Deficiencies in the delivery of timely and appropriate psychosocial or behavioral rehabilitation services undoubtedly contribute to the current pressures on the health system created by increased length of stay in neurological and slow-to-recover rehabilitation units, repeat presentations to primary care, and frequent use of community mental health services. Implication: The experiences of people with acquired brain injury highlights the need for early and targeted interventions that can deal with emerging complexities and support needs, interorganizational approaches, and new accommodation options with a matched service philosophy. Rather than count on good fortune, individual outcomes, and the future of brain injury, rehabilitation ought to depend on deliberate and systemic design.
Human and rhesus macaque hematopoietic stem cells cannot be purified based only on SLAM family markers
Authors: Larochelle Andre , Savona Michael , Wiggins Michael , Anderson Stephanie , Ichwan Brian , Keyvanfar Keyvan , Morrison Sean J. , Dunbar Cynthia E.
Published: December 2010

Various combinations of antibodies directed to cell surface markers have been used to isolate human and rhesus macaque hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). These protocols result in poor enrichment or require multiple complex steps. Recently, a simple phenotype for HSCs based on cell surface markers from the signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) family of receptors has been reported in the mouse. We examined the possibility of using the SLAM markers to facilitate the isolation of highly enriched populations of HSCs in humans and rhesus macaques. We isolated SLAM (CD150+CD48−) and non-SLAM (not CD150+CD48−) cells from human umbilical cord blood CD34+ cells as well as from human and rhesus macaque mobilized peripheral blood CD34+ cells and compared their ability to form colonies in vitro and reconstitute immune-deficient (nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency/interleukin-2 γc receptornull, NSG) mice. We found that the CD34+ SLAM population contributed equally or less to colony formation in vitro and to long-term reconstitution in NSG mice compared with the CD34+ non-SLAM population. Thus, SLAM family markers do not permit the same degree of HSC enrichment in humans and rhesus macaques as in mice.
Regulated expression of microRNAs-126/126* inhibits erythropoiesis from human embryonic stem cells
Authors: Huang Xinqiang , Gschweng Eric , Van Handel Ben , Cheng Donghui , Mikkola Hanna K. A. , Witte Owen N.
Published: December 2010

MicroRNAs (miRs) play an important role in cell differentiation and maintenance of cell identity, but relatively little is known of their functional role in modulating human hematopoietic lineage differentiation. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) provide a model system to study early human hematopoiesis. We differentiated hESCs by embryoid body (EB) formation and compared the miR expression profile of undifferentiated hESCs to CD34+ EB cells. miRs-126/126* were the most enriched of the 7 miRs that were up-regulated in CD34+ cells, and their expression paralleled the kinetics of hematopoietic transcription factors RUNX1, SCL, and PU.1. To define the role of miRs-126/126* in hematopoiesis, we created hESCs overexpressing doxycycline-regulated miRs-126/126* and analyzed their hematopoietic differentiation. Induction of miRs-126/126* during both EB differentiation and colony formation reduced the number of erythroid colonies, suggesting an inhibitory role of miRs-126/126* in erythropoiesis. Protein tyrosine phosphatase, nonreceptor type 9 (PTPN9), a protein tyrosine phosphatase that is required for growth and expansion of erythroid cells, is one target of miR-126. PTPN9 restoration partially relieved the suppressed erythropoiesis caused by miRs-126/126*. Our results define an important function of miRs-126/126* in negative regulation of erythropoiesis, providing the first evidence for a role of miR in hematopoietic differentiation of hESCs.
Left-Ventricular Remodeling After Myocardial Infarction Is Associated with a Cardiomyocyte-Specific Hypothyroid Condition
Authors: Pol Christine J. , Muller Alice , Zuidwijk Marian J. , van Deel Elza D. , Kaptein Ellen , Saba Alessandro , Marchini Maja , Zucchi Riccardo , Visser Theo J. , Paulus Walter J. , Duncker Dirk J. , Simonides Warner S.
Published: December 2010

Similarities in cardiac gene expression in hypothyroidism and left ventricular (LV) pathological remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) suggest a role for impaired cardiac thyroid hormone (TH) signaling in the development of heart failure. Increased ventricular activity of the TH-degrading enzyme type 3 deiodinase (D3) is recognized as a potential cause. In the present study, we investigated the cardiac expression and activity of D3 over an 8-wk period after MI in C57Bl/6J mice. Pathological remodeling of the noninfarcted part of the LV was evident from cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis, and impairment of contractility. These changes were maximal and stable from the first week onward, as was the degree of LV dilation. A strong induction of D3 activity was found, which was similarly stable for the period examined. Plasma T4 levels were transiently decreased at 1 wk after MI, but T3 levels remained normal. The high D3 activity was associated with increased D3 mRNA expression at 1 but not at 4 and 8 wk after MI. Immunohistochemistry localized D3 protein to cardiomyocytes. In vivo measurement of TH-dependent transcription activity in cardiomyocytes using a luciferase reporter assay indicated a 48% decrease in post-MI mice relative to sham-operated animals, and this was associated with a 50% decrease in LV tissue T3 concentration. In conclusion, pathological ventricular remodeling after MI in the mouse leads to high and stable induction of D3 activity in cardiomyocytes and a local hypothyroid condition.
Thyroid Hormone Receptor β (THRB) Is a Major Target Gene for MicroRNAs Deregulated in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma (PTC)
Authors: Jazdzewski Krystian , Boguslawska Joanna , Jendrzejewski Jaroslaw , Liyanarachchi Sandya , Pachucki Janusz , Wardyn Kazimierz A. , Nauman Alicja , de la Chapelle Albert
Published: December 2010

Context:

Loss of the thyroid hormone receptor is common in tumors. In mouse models, a truncated THRB gene leads to thyroid cancer. Previously, we observed up-regulation of the expression of eight microRNAs (miRs) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) tumors.

Objective:

Our objective was to determine whether THRB might be inhibited by miRs up-regulated in PTC.

Design:

The potential binding of miR to the 3′-untranslated region of THRB was analyzed in silico. Direct inhibition by miRs binding to the cloned 3′-untranslated region of THRB was evaluated using luciferase assays. Inhibition of endogenous THRB and its target genes (DIO1 and APP) was examined in cell lines transfected by pre-miRs. The impact on thyroid hormone response element (TRE) was evaluated in promoter assays. Correlations between the expression of THRB and miRs was evaluated in 13 PTC tumor/normal tissue pairs.

Results:

THRB contains binding sites for the top seven miRs up-regulated in PTC (P = 0.0000002). Direct interaction with THRB was shown for miR-21 and miR-146a. We observed lower levels of THRB transcripts in cell lines transfected with miR-21, -146a, and -221 (down-regulation of 37–48%; P < 0.0001), but not with miR-181a. THRB protein was suppressed down to 10–28% by each of four miRs. Concomitant expression of DIO1 and APP was affected (down-regulation of 32–66%, P < 0.0034 and up-regulation of 48–57%, P < 0.0002, respectively). All four miRs affected TRE activity in promoter assays. Down-regulation of luciferase occurred after transfection with pTRE-TK-Luc construct and each of four miRs. The analysis of tumor/normal tissue pairs revealed down-regulation of THRB in 11 of 13 pairs (1.3- to 9.1-fold), and up-regulation of miR-21, -146a, -181a, and -221 in almost all pairs.

Conclusions:

MiRs up-regulated in PTC tumors directly inhibit the expression of THRB, an important tumor suppressor gene.
TOX3 is a neuronal survival factor that induces transcription depending on the presence of CITED1 or phosphorylated CREB in the transcriptionally active complex
Authors: Dittmer Sonja , Kovacs Zsuzsa , Yuan Shauna H. , Siszler Gabriella , Kögl Manfred , Summer Holger , Geerts Andreas , Golz Stefan , Shioda Toshi , Methner Axel
Published: December 2010

TOX3 is a nuclear protein containing a high mobility group (HMG)-box domain, which regulates Ca2+-dependent transcription in neurons through interaction with the cAMP-response-element-binding protein (CREB). TOX3 appears to be associated with breast cancer susceptibility and was previously shown to be expressed downstream of a cytoprotective cascade together with CITED1, a transcriptional regulator that does not bind directly to DNA. In the present study we show that TOX3 is predominantly expressed in the brain, forms homodimers and interacts with CITED1. TOX3 overexpression protects neuronal cells from cell death caused by endoplasmic reticulum stress or BAX overexpression through the induction of anti-apoptotic transcripts and repression of pro-apoptotic transcripts, which correlates with enhanced transcription involving isolated estrogen-responsive elements and estrogen-responsive promoters. However, both functions cannot be inhibited with the anti-estrogen fulvestrant and are only attenuated by mutation of estrogen-responsive elements. TOX3 also interacts with native CREB and induces the CREB-responsive BCL-2 promoter, which can be inhibited by coexpression of CITED1. Coexpression of CREB, by contrast, abolishes TOX3-mediated transcription from the estrogen-responsive complement C3 promoter. Our results suggest that TOX3 can enhance transcriptional activation from different cytoprotective promoters and that this is dependent on the predominance of either phosphorylated CREB or CITED1 within the transcriptionally active complex.
Stress-specific composition, assembly and kinetics of stress granules in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Buchan J. Ross , Yoon Je-Hyun , Parker Roy
Published: December 2010

Eukaryotic cells respond to cellular stresses by the inhibition of translation and the accumulation of mRNAs in cytoplasmic RNA–protein (ribonucleoprotein) granules termed stress granules and P-bodies. An unresolved issue is how different stresses affect formation of messenger RNP (mRNP) granules. In the present study, we examine how sodium azide (NaN3), which inhibits mitochondrial respiration, affects formation of mRNP granules as compared with glucose deprivation in budding yeast. We observed that NaN3 treatment inhibits translation and triggers formation of P-bodies and stress granules. The composition of stress granules induced by NaN3 differs from that of glucose-deprived cells by containing eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)3, eIF4A/B, eIF5B and eIF1A proteins, and by lacking the heterogeneous nuclear RNP (hnRNP) protein Hrp1. Moreover, in contrast with glucose-deprived stress granules, NaN3-triggered stress granules show different assembly rules, form faster and independently from P-bodies and dock or merge with P-bodies over time. Strikingly, addition of NaN3 and glucose deprivation in combination, regardless of the order, always results in stress granules of a glucose deprivation nature, suggesting that both granules share an mRNP remodeling pathway. These results indicate that stress granule assembly, kinetics and composition in yeast can vary in a stress-specific manner, which we suggest reflects different rate-limiting steps in a common mRNP remodeling pathway.
Fabrication of Nanoframe Structures by Site-selective Assembly of Gold Nanoparticles on Silver Cubes in an Ionic Liquid
Authors: Okazaki Ken-ichi , Sakuma Junya , Yasui Jun-ichi , Kuwabata Susumu , Hirahara Kaori , Tanaka Nobuo , Torimoto Tsukasa
Published: December 2010

Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) prepared by sputter deposition of Au in an ionic liquid were selectively assembled at the edges and vertices of Ag nanocubes, the surfaces of which were modified with a self-assembled monolayer of 1-octadecanethiol and 4-amino-2-mercaptopyrimidine. Chemical etching of Ag from the resulting Au–Ag binary nanocomposites resulted in the formation of Au nanoframes.
Inhibitory Effects of Hybrid Liposomes Composed of Phosphatidylcholine and Docosahexaenoic Acid on the Growth of Colon Cancer Cells along with Apoptosis and Differentiation
Authors: Goto Koichi , Zako Keiko , Komizu Yuji , Ueoka Ryuichi
Published: December 2010

Novel hybrid liposomes (DMPC/DHA) composed of l-α-dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine and docosahexaenoic acid were produced. DMPC/DHA were smaller and more stable than pure DMPC liposomes. It is attractive that DMPC/DHA could remarkably inhibit the growth of human colon cancer HCT116 cells along with apoptosis and differentiation in vitro.
A survey of neonatal tetanus at a district general hospital in north-east Nigeria
Authors: Hassan Bala , Popoola Ayo , Olokoba Abdulfatai , Salawu Fatai K
Published: December 2010

Neonatal tetanus (NNT) remains among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria and a huge challenge in achieving the fourth goal of the Millennium Development Goals. We reviewed the morbidity and mortality pattern among neonates with NNT admitted to the District General Hospital in north-east Nigeria from 2006 to 2009. Half of the patients were from rural areas and were delivered at home by untrained traditional birth attendants with no prior antenatal health care. Razor blades and scissors were the instruments used to cut the cord in nonhygienic conditions. Spasticity, lack of sucking, trismus, fever, omphalitis, risus sardonicus and opisthotonus were the most common presenting signs and symptoms. Overall, mortality was 56%. Health education of mothers and traditional birth attendants, the promotion of hospital delivery and antenatal tetanus immunization of all pregnant women, particularly in rural areas, are recommended if NNT is to be prevented.