bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of the Work Role Motivation Scale for School Principals (WRMS-SP)
Authors: Fernet Claude
Published: November 2010

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a scale to assess work role motivation in school principals: the Work Role Motivation Scale for School Principals (WRMS-SP). The WRMS-SP is designed to measure intrinsic motivation, three types of extrinsic motivation (identified, introjected, and external), and amotivation with respect to three work roles (administrative, instructional leadership, and informative). Research Design: Data were gathered via a sample of 570 French Canadian school principals who completed an online questionnaire. Findings: Confirmatory factor analyses support (a) the 15-factor scale structure (5 types of motivation × 3 roles), (b) factor structure invariance over gender and job position, and (3) construct validity through a multitrait-multimethod matrix method analysis, which confirms the convergent and discriminant validity of the constructs and supports simplex patterns with respect to the roles, as well as intercorrelations between subscales and external criteria. Conclusions: The WRMS-SP is a promising instrument that could deepen our understanding, both theoretical and applied, of the professional functioning of principals and the repercussions on school success and improvement.
Union representation and training: The impact of Union Learning Representatives and the factors influencing their effectiveness
Authors: Bacon Nick , Hoque Kim
Published: November 2010

This article provides an assessment of the impact of Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) on both employer-funded and non-employer funded training in Britain. The findings, based upon the largest and most comprehensive national survey of ULRs conducted to date, suggest that while a significant proportion of ULRs have influenced training levels positively, a further 26 percent have had no positive impact on either employer-funded or non-employer funded training, and a further 13 percent have had a very limited impact. The article also develops an ‘Activity-Support-Characteristics’ (ASC) framework, and uses this framework to identify the factors that are associated with the ability of ULRs to influence training levels. The analysis shows ULRs are more likely to have had a positive impact on training where: they spend five hours a week or more on the role; they are supported by a workplace Learning Centre or a Union Learning Fund project; managers value their ULR activities; consultation or negotiation over training occurs; or the ULR represents no more than 200 employees.
Emotional politics in cleaning work: The case of Israel
Authors: Benjamin Orly , Bernstein Deborah , Motzafi-Haller Pnina
Published: November 2010

Emotional politics instil insecurity and doubt in working-class individuals. Researchers examining social degradation through (bad) employment or other stigma have demonstrated the exclusionary impact of this process. Some suggest that individuals respond to such emotional politics and other types of exclusion by identity-management strategies aiming at a sense of worth, whereas others have found self-isolation to dominate. Here we analyse the emotional politics emerging from women’s responses to exclusion in the socially degraded field of cleaning in three ethno-national contexts in Israel. The sample was composed of Mizrahi women in the southern periphery, immigrants from the Former Soviet Union and Israeli-Palestinian women from Arab settlements in the north. By analysing cleaning employees’ talk, we characterize these women’s struggle to derive a sense of worth from their breadwinning experience within a specific ethno-national context in terms of family, community and workplace. We discuss the similarities and differences among these three groups with regard to the relative weight of each of these circles for negotiation of belonging and inclusion.
Effects of Stimulus Octave and Timbre on the Tuning Accuracy of Secondary School Instrumentalists
Authors: Byo James L. , Schlegel Amanda L. , Clark N. Alan
Published: November 2010

To test the effects of octave and timbre on tuning accuracy, four stimuli—B-flat 4 sounded by flute, oboe, and clarinet and B-flat 2 sounded by tuba—functioned as reference pitches for high school wind players ( N = 72). The two stimulus octaves combined with participants’ assigned tuning notes created soprano, tenor, and bass tuning groups. All participants tuned to each instrument. Results indicated no effect due to tuning group. There was a significant difference due to stimulus. Participants’ responses were more out of tune to the tuba stimulus than to the oboe, clarinet, and flute stimuli, which were not different from each other. There was no difference in the distribution of in-tune, sharp, and flat responses across tuning stimuli, a result that differs from the “preference for sharpness” effect in previous research. Verbal and performance responses to the tuba, oboe, and flute stimuli revealed misconceptions between participants’ perceptions of tuning difficulty and actual performance difficulty and favored the use of oboe and flute as tuning references. Most of the participants (82%) reported tuning to the tuba as the prevalent approach to mass tuning in their school bands.
The case for a database of musical repertoire
Authors: Beheshti Setareh
Published: November 2010

Finding new repertoire poses endless obstacles for musicians. Often the search for an unknown piece or composer presents such an unforeseen challenge that the actual aesthetic and technical success of the work becomes secondary. A major contributing factor is the lack of an accessible and centralized database. Many notable bibliographic reference books do not cite unconventional composers. Hopes of finding non-western European composers are close to none and information about women composers is inconsistent. If a ‘non-standard’ composer is listed, their repertoire list is not complete or updated, thus making the search for new possibilities a time-consuming and disheartening endeavour. This article is a discussion about the current state of bibliographic references for music repertoire and how we can improve the existing situation. By demonstrating the discrepancies that exist among the available resources in the first half of the article, suggestions for updating this database are proposed as a viable solution in the second half.
A comparative study of piano curricula in Egypt and the USA (with specific reference to the School of Music at the University of Illinois)
Authors: Sahar Abdel Moneim Hanafy Eid
Published: November 2010

This research draws a comparison between the School of Music at the University of Illinois, USA and the Faculty of Music Education at Helwan University in Cairo, Egypt (the researcher’s academic appointment is at Menofia University, but she teaches on the faculty of Helwan University). The research answers two important questions: (1) What weaknesses in Egyptian piano curricula lead to students’ poor performance in exams? (2) What steps can be proposed to address these weaknesses and to help improve students’ performances in piano exams?

The research comprises three parts: Part 1 presents an overview of music education in Egypt and a detailed description of the Faculty of Music Education, its origin and development over the years. This part addresses music education in general and piano curricula in particular, while focusing on the relevant shortcomings that lead to students’ poor levels of piano performance. Part 2 sheds light on the piano curricula in the School of Music at the University of Illinois. Part 3 compares undergraduate piano curricula in both situations, highlighting relevant strengths and weaknesses. Finally, recommendations are proposed and conclusions stated to address weaknesses in the piano curricula of the Faculty of Music Education at Helwan University.
Re viewing listening: ‘Clip culture’ and cross-modal learning in the music classroom
Authors: Webb Michael
Published: November 2010

This article envisions a new, cross-modal approach to classroom music listening, one that takes advantage of students’ rising screen literacy and the ever-expanding archive of music-related visual material available on DVD and on video sharing sites such as YouTube. It is grounded in current literature on music performance studies, embodied music cognition studies, and screen multimedia studies. Seeking ways to bridge corporeal and cognitive approaches to music analysis, the article links this literature with the recent phenomenon of ‘clip culture’ and provides a sequence of exemplar introductory clip analyses organized according to a framework being developed to inform teacher preparation and classroom work schemes. Cross-modal listening in the context of the emerging clip culture, the article proposes, has the potential to contribute to the ways musical life and education is undergoing reorganization according to plural co-existing contexts and perspectives, including in the areas of pedagogy, technology and media, and repertoire and analysis.
‘There is no end to learning’: Lifelong education and the joyful learner
Authors: Roulston Kathryn
Published: November 2010

Originally aimed at young learners, Robert Schumann’s maxim that ‘There is no end to learning’ also applies to increasing numbers of people beginning and continuing to learn music as adults.This article presents a discussion on how researchers in the field of adult education discuss the adult learner and learning.Topics include: (1) adults’ motivations to participate in continuing education; (2) differences in child and adult learners; (3) the notion of ‘embodiment’ in adult learning; and (4) the value of current findings on non-western approaches to adult learning for music educators.The article concludes with recommendations for how music teachers who work with adults might employ strategies learned from adult education to ensure joyful learning experiences for their adult students.
Exploring an industry-based jazz education performance training programme
Authors: Kerr Derrin , Knight Bruce Allen
Published: November 2010

The Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music (CQCM) has maintained a partnership with Hamilton Island Enterprises (HIE) since 2002. As a part of this partnership, the Bachelor of Music (jazz & popular) students visit Hamilton Island (HI), an island resort located off the Australian east coast, four to six times annually to engage in 3 to 10 days of performance and educational activities. During each visit, students within the degree present daily performances in the HI’s many bars, restaurants and entertainment areas. The purpose of this article is to investigate the impact of the CQCM/HIE partnership on student learning in respect to the development of specific performance skills, including presenting confidently, reading audience responses, being aware of fellow band members and adapting to the requirements of each venue. The findings indicate that as experiential knowledge is developed in each of the areas investigated, there is value to the CQCM/ HIE partnership as an off-campus performance training programme.
Topography, Culture Areas, and Integration of Retired Migrants in a Coastal North Carolina County
Authors: Mitchell Jim , Wilson James L.
Published: November 2010

The later life migration literature includes analyses of migration streams, examination of later life migration precursors, the economic impact of migration, and meta-analyses advocating methodological refinement. Missing are studies of later life migrants post relocation, including their social integration in receiving communities. The small area analysis presented here evolved in consultation with a local Planning Committee including older adults and service providers that guided development of an aging services plan for Dare County on the North Carolina Outer Banks. Multiple methods were applied, including secondary historical and contextual data, in-depth interviews, and a brief survey of older adults using services. Findings suggest difference among communities in the integration of later life migrants with older natives that provides context for service needs and delivery. Community difference stems from topographical land form characteristics, socioeconomic and cultural difference between later life migrants and older natives, and the course of residential development across communities.
Cognitive Predictors of Satisfaction in Hong Kong Institutional Care Residents
Authors: Chong Alice Ming Lin
Published: November 2010

This article reports one of the first known studies which examine the association between cognitive factors and older people’s satisfaction with residential care. These factors are conceptually related to but have seldom been examined in institutional care. They include perceived service performance, service expectation, expectancy disconfirmation (operationalized as the difference between service expectation and perceived performance), perceived care need, and care need fulfillment. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with Chinese Hong Kong residents from 11 government-funded long-term care homes randomly and proportionately selected from two strata based on facility size. Finally, 405 residents were successfully interviewed. Path analysis revealed that perceived performance, expectancy disconfirmation, and being female predicted residents’ satisfaction with care. Perceived care need and care need fulfillment exerted an indirect effect on residents’ satisfaction through perceived performance. It is suggested that cognitive factors as perceived by the residents be included as predictors of resident satisfaction in long-term care.
A Controlled Trial of the Making Choices Program: Six-Month Follow-Up
Authors: Fraser Mark W. , Lee Jung-Sook , Kupper Lawrence L. , Day Steven H.
Published: November 2010

Objective: Six-month follow-up outcomes from a controlled trial of a program designed to prevent aggressive behavior in childhood are described. Method: Data were collected from three sequential cohorts of third graders in two public elementary schools (N =443). The Year 1 cohort received a routine health curriculum. The Year 2 cohort received the Making Choices program. The Year 3 cohort received the Making Choices program plus enhancements to promote behavioral generalization. Results: Six months after the end of prevention services, children in the intervention cohorts demonstrated significantly lower aggressive behavior when compared to children in the comparison cohort. The effects of the two programs were not significantly different. Conclusion: Both interventions appear to produce positive behavioral effects at follow-up.
Systemic Neutrophil Activation in a Mouse Model of Ischemic Stroke and Reperfusion
Authors: Morrison Helena , McKee Dana , Ritter Leslie
Published: November 2010

As a natural response to injury and disease, neutrophils activate, adhere to the microvasculature, migrate into brain tissue, and release toxic substances such as reactive oxygen species and proteases. This neutrophil response occurs when blood flow is returned to brain tissue (reperfusion) after ischemic stroke. Thus, the presence of activated systemic neutrophils increases the potential for tissue injury during reperfusion after ischemic stroke. Although experiments in rat models suggest that activated neutrophils play a pivotal role in cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury, little is known about systemic neutrophil activation during reperfusion following ischemic stroke in a mouse model. The purpose of this study was to characterize systemic leukocyte responses and neutrophil CD11b expression 15-min and 24-hr post-reperfusion in a mouse model of ischemic stroke. The intraluminal filament method of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) with reperfusion or a sham procedure was performed in male C57Bl/6 mice. Automated leukocyte counts and manual white blood cell (WBC) differential counts were measured. Flow cytometry was used to assess systemic neutrophil surface CD11b expression. The data suggest that the damaging potential of systemic neutrophil activation begins as early as 15 min and remains evident at 24 hr after the initiation of reperfusion. In addition, because transgenic mouse models, bred on a C57Bl/6 background, are increasingly used to elucidate single mechanisms of reperfusion injury after ischemic stroke, findings from this study are foundational for future investigations examining the damaging potential of neutrophil responses post-reperfusion after ischemic stroke in genetically altered mouse models within this background strain.
‘I am an Arab but I live in an English world’: Teaching social work in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Holtzhausen Leon
Published: November 2010

• Summary: This article advances a basic model for cross-cultural social work teaching linked to the use of appropriate cultural methodology that is fundamental to the learning success of Arab social work students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

• Findings: The article’s findings are based on qualitative research methodology and makes use of focus groups and narrative case studies. The article explores Arab social work students’ perception of receiving education in English in a fourth-year Social Work Practice course presented by a Western, English-speaking social work faculty. It also summarizes the self-reflective experiences of the author who lectured social work at a prominent university in the United Arab Emirates over a period of four years in order to generate some practical guidelines for social work educators on cross-cultural teaching and learning success located in a culture other than their own.

• Applications: In this regard, the article also shares some suggestions for teaching social work across cultural barriers in the UAE based on student perceptions and self-reflective experiences of the author.
Isolated flexor digitorum profundus tendon injuries in zones IIA and IIB repaired with figure of eight sutures
Authors: Al-Qattan M. M.
Published: November 2010

The ‘figure of eight’ suture technique for flexor tendon repair is known to be simple and strong but it has the major disadvantage of being bulky, with the knots outside the repair site. When the superficialis tendon is intact it may cause impingement and/or increase the work of flexion with postoperative mobilization and it is not known whether this bulky repair is suitable for isolated profundus injuries in zone II. A series of 36 patients (36 fingers) with clean-cut isolated flexor digitorum profundus tendon injuries in zones IIA/IIB were reviewed retrospectively. Repairs were done with three ‘figure of eight’ sutures and the pulleys proximal to the tendon laceration level were vented. Postoperatively, early active exercises were carried out. There were no ruptures. At a mean final follow-up of 6 months, the outcome (in range of motion) was excellent in 27 fingers and good in the remaining nine fingers by the Strickland criteria. It was concluded that the bulky ‘figure of eight’ technique can be used in isolated profundus tendon injuries in zones IIA/IIB.
Zone 2 lacerations of both flexor tendons of all fingers in the same patient
Authors: Al-Qattan M. M.
Published: November 2010

Over an eight-year period, the author has treated five males (mean age of 31 years) with clean-cut zone 2 lacerations of both flexor tendons of all fingers using the same surgical technique (profundus only repair using three ‘figure of eight’ core sutures and proximal venting of the pulley system) and the same postoperative mobilization programme (a dorsal blocking splint with immediate active motion that allowed full extension at the interphalangeal joints). There were no ruptures of the repaired 20 fingers. At final follow-up (mean of 22 months after surgery), the outcome was considered excellent in 12 fingers, good in four fingers and fair in the remaining four fingers by the Strickland–Glogovac criteria. The outcome was similar in all four fingers for every patient supporting the hypothesis of previous studies that the outcome of repair of clean-cut flexor tendon lacerations in zone 2 is related to the psychological and biologic characteristics of the patient.
Balancing the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy in colorectal cancer
Authors: Braun Michael S. , Seymour Matthew T.
Published: November 2010

As the therapeutic options for the treatment of colorectal cancer have expanded over the past 20 years, so has the complexity of decision making. The goals of treatment in the palliative, adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings vary and it is not only the efficacy of drugs that influence treatment decisions. Age, performance status, the presence of significant comorbidities and the different treatment regimens and strategies provide medical oncologists with an array of options to attempt to maximize patients’ quality of life and longevity.
Roadmap to risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS) success
Authors: Balian John D. , Wherry Janice C. , Malhotra Rachpal , Perentesis Valerie
Published: November 2010

Medical safety-related risk management is a rapidly evolving and increasingly important aspect of drug approval and market longevity. To effectively meet the challenges of this new era, we describe a risk management roadmap that proactively yet practically anticipates risk-management requirements, provides the foundation for enduring yet appropriately flexible risk-management practices, and leverages these techniques to efficiently and effectively utilize risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS)/risk minimization programs as market access enablers. This fully integrated risk-management paradigm creates exciting opportunities for newer tools, techniques, and approaches to more successfully optimize product development, approval, and commercialization, with patients as the ultimate beneficiaries.
NK-cell education is shaped by donor HLA genotype after unrelated allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Haas Philippe , Loiseau Pascale , Tamouza Ryad , Cayuela Jean-Michel , Moins-Teisserenc Hélène , Busson Marc , Henry Guylaine , Falk Christine S. , Charron Dominique , Socié Gérard , Toubert Antoine , Dulphy Nicolas
Published: November 2010

The rules governing natural killer (NK)–cell education in the allogeneic environment created by unrelated hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) are still largely elusive, especially in an unrelated donor setting. NK-cell inhibitory receptors for self-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) play a central role in the acquisition or maintenance of NK-cell functional competence. Therefore, the responsiveness of different NK-cell subsets was assessed as a function of their expression or absence of expression of self-HLA–specific inhibitory receptors, in a large cohort (n = 60) of unrelated HSCT recipients. A fully effective NK-cell education process was achieved within the first year after allogeneic HSCT and lasted for at least 3 years thereafter. In addition, HLA-mismatched HSCT led to a stable education pattern that was determined by the donor's HLA ligands. These data suggest that the NK cell's education partner could be of hematopoietic rather than extrahematopoietic origin. This donor-ligand–driven NK-cell education model would suggest a sustained graft-versus-leukemia effect after HLA-mismatched HSCT.
Genetic mapping and developmental timing of transmission ratio distortion in a mouse interspecific backcross
Authors: Eversley Chevonne D , Clark Tavia , Xie Yuying , Steigerwalt Jill , Bell Timothy A , de Villena Fernando PM , Threadgill David W
Published: November 2010

Background

Transmission ratio distortion (TRD), defined as statistically significant deviation from expected 1:1 Mendelian ratios of allele inheritance, results in a reduction of the expected progeny of a given genotype. Since TRD is a common occurrence within interspecific crosses, a mouse interspecific backcross was used to genetically map regions showing TRD, and a developmental analysis was performed to identify the timing of allele loss.

Results

Three independent events of statistically significant deviation from the expected 50:50 Mendelian inheritance ratios were observed in an interspecific backcross between the Mus musculus A/J and the Mus spretus SPRET/EiJ inbred strains. At weaning M. musculus alleles are preferentially inherited on Chromosome (Chr) 7, while M. spretus alleles are preferentially inherited on Chrs 10 and 11. Furthermore, alleles on Chr 3 modify the TRD on Chr 11. All TRD loci detected at weaning were present in Mendelian ratios at mid-gestation and at birth.

Conclusions

Given that Mendelian ratios of inheritance are observed for Chr 7, 10 and 11 during development and at birth, the underlying causes for the interspecific TRD events are the differential post-natal survival of pups with specific genotypes. These results are consistent with the TRD mechanism being deviation from Mendelian inheritance rather than meiotic drive or segregation distortion.
Up-regulated expression of type II very low density lipoprotein receptor correlates with cancer metastasis and has a potential link to β-catenin in different cancers
Authors: He Lei , Lu Yanjun , Wang Peng , Zhang Jun , Yin Chuanchang , Qu Shen
Published: November 2010

Background

Very low density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) has been considered as a multiple function receptor due to binding numerous ligands, causing endocytosis and regulating cellular signaling. Our group previously reported that enhanced activity of type II VLDLR (VLDLR II), one subtype of VLDLR, promotes adenocarcinoma SGC7901 cells proliferation and migration. The aim of this study is to explore the expression levels of VLDLR II in human gastric, breast and lung cancer tissues, and to investigate its relationship with clinical characteristics and β-catenin expression status.

Methods

VLDLR II expression was examined using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot in tumor tissues from 213 gastric, breast and lung cancer patients, tumor adjacent noncancerous tissues by same methods. Correlations between VLDLR II and clinical features, as well as β-catenin expression status were evaluated by statistical analysis.

Results

The immunohistochemical staining of VLDLR II showed statistical difference between tumor tissues and tumor adjacent noncancerous tissues in gastric, breast and lung cancers (P= 0.034, 0.018 and 0.043, respectively). Moreover, using Western, we found higher VLDLR II expression levels were associated with lymph node and distant metastasis in gastric and breast cancer (P< 0.05). Furthermore, highly significant positive correlations were found between VLDLR II and β-catenin in gastric cancer (r= 0.689;P< 0.001)breast cancer (r= 0.594;P< 0.001).

Conclusions

According to the results of the current study, high VLDLR II expression is correlated with lymph node and distant metastasis in gastric and breast cancer patients, the data suggest that VLDLR II may be a clinical marker in cancers, and has a potential link with β-catenin signaling pathway. This is the first to reveal the closer relationship of VLDLR II with clinical information.
Lessons from genome-wide studies: an integrated definition of the coactivator function of histone acetyl transferases
Authors: Anamika Krishanpal , Krebs Arnaud R , Thompson Julie , Poch Olivier , Devys Didier , Tora Làszlò
Published: November 2010

Histone acetylation is one of the key regulatory mechanisms controlling transcriptional activity in eukaryotic cells. In higher eukaryotes, a number of nuclear histone acetyltransferase (HAT) enzymes have been identified, most of which are part of a large multisubunit complex. This diversity, combined with the large number of potentially acetylable lysines on histones, suggested the existence of a specific regulatory mechanism based on the substrate specificity of HATs. Over the past decade, intensive characterisations of the HAT complexes have been carried out. However, the precise mode of action of HATs, and particularly the functional differences amongst these complexes, remains elusive. Here we review current insights into the functional role of HATs, focusing on the specificity of their action. Studies based on biochemical as well as genetic approaches suggested that HATs exert a high degree of specificity in their acetylation spectra and in the cellular processes they regulate. However, a different view emerged recently from genomic approaches that provided genome-wide maps of HAT recruitments. The careful analysis of genomic data suggests that all HAT complexes would be simultaneously recruited to a similar set of loci in the genome, arguing for a low specificity in their function. In this review, we discuss the significance of these apparent contradictions and suggest a new model that integrates biochemical, genetic and genome-wide data to better describe the functional specificity of HAT complexes.
Shenqi fuzheng, an injection concocted from chinese medicinal herbs, combined with platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review
Authors: Dong Ju , Su Shi-Yue , Wang Min-Yan , Zhan Zhen
Published: November 2010

Background

Platinum-based chemotherapy has been a standard therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but it has high toxicity. In China, Shenqi Fuzheng, a newly developed injection concocted from Chinese medicinal herbs has been reported that may increase efficacy and reduce toxicity when combined with platinum-based chemotherapy, but little is known about it outside of China. The aim of this study was to systematically review the existing clinical evidence on Shenqi Fuzheng Injection(SFI) combined with platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC.

Methods

Pubmed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, and CBM search were organized for all documents published, in English and Chinese, until April 2010. The randomized controlled clinical trials were selected based on specific criteria, in which a SFI plus platinum-based chemotherapy treatment group was compared with a platinum-based chemotherapy control group for patients with advanced NSCLC. The quality of studies was assessed by modified Jadad's scale, and Revman 4.2 software was used for data syntheses and analyses.

Results

Twenty nine studies were included in this review based on our selection criteria. Of them, ten studies were of high quality and the rest were of low quality, according to the modified Jadad scale. The meta-analysis showed there was a statistically significant higher tumor response (RR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.32; P = 0.001) and performance status ((RR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.45 to 1.70; P < 0.00001); but lower severe toxicity for WBC (RR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.29 to 0.47; P < 0.00001), PLT (RR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.52; P < 0.00001), HB (RR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.66; P < 0.0001) and nausea and vomiting (RR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.47; P < 0.00001), when the SFI plus platinum-based chemotherapy treatment group was compared with the platinum-based chemotherapy control group. Sensitivity analysis was restricted to studies with the high quality, and the result was similar when the studies with low quality were excluded. Asymmetry was observed in a funnel plot analysis, and Egger's test also indicated an evidence of publication bias (P = 0.016).

Conclusions

SFI intervention appears to be useful to increase efficacy and reduce toxicity when combined with platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC, although this result needs to be further verified by more high-quality trials.
Electronic versus paper diaries: a pilot study of concordance and adherence in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation therapy
Authors: Blondin Joseph M , Abu-Hasaballah Khamis S , Tennen Howard , Lalla Rajesh V
Published: November 2010

Background

Interactive Voice Response Systems (IVRS) and other electronic data collection methods have begun to replace conventional paper diaries as a way to capture daily patient reports. However, these methods have not been compared in head and neck (H&N) cancer patients receiving radiation therapy.

Methods

15 subjects with H&N cancer were asked to complete daily IVRS calls and daily paper diaries during radiation therapy. We compared response consistency and comparative adherence across the two methods.

Results

86.1% (1920/2231) of participants' responses were consistent between IVRS and paper diaries. 79.5% of the expected number of paper diaries were completed, compared to 66.2% of IVRS phone calls.

Conclusions

In this pilot study of H&N cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, concordance was high between responses recorded by paper diaries and IVRS. Although adherence appeared to be higher for the paper diaries, it is possible that they may not have been completed at the proper time.
Zebrafish Tie-2 shares a redundant role with Tie-1 in heart development and regulates vessel integrity
Authors: Gjini Evisa , Hekking Liesbeth H. , Küchler Axel , Saharinen Pipsa , Wienholds Erno , Post Jan-Andries , Alitalo Kari , Schulte-Merker Stefan
Published: November 2010

Tie-2 is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family and is required for vascular remodeling and maintenance of mammalian vessel integrity. A number of mutations in the human TIE2 gene have been identified in patients suffering from cutaneomucosal venous malformations and ventricular septal defects. How exactly Tie-2 signaling pathways play different roles in both vascular development and vascular stability is unknown. We have generated a zebrafish line carrying a stop mutation in the kinase domain of the Tie-2 receptor. Mutant embryos lack Tie-2 protein, but do not display any defect in heart and vessel development. Simultaneous loss of Tie-1 and Tie-2, however, leads to a cardiac phenotype. Our study shows that Tie-1 and Tie-2 are not required for early heart development, yet they have redundant roles for the maintenance of endocardial-myocardial connection in later stages. Tie-2 and its ligand Angiopoietin-1 have also been reported to play an important role in vessel stability. We used atorvastatin and simvastatin, drugs that cause bleeding in wild-type zebrafish larvae, to challenge vessel stability in tie-2 mutants. Interestingly, recent clinical studies have reported hemorrhagic stroke as a side effect of atorvastatin treatment. Exposure of embryos to statins revealed that tie-2 mutants are significantly protected from statin-induced bleeding. Furthermore, tie-2 mutants became less resistant to bleeding after VE-cadherin knockdown. Taken together, these data show that atorvastatin affects vessel stability through Tie-2, and that VE-cadherin and Tie-2 act in concert to allow vessel remodeling while playing a role in vessel stability. Our study introduces an additional vertebrate model to study in vivo the function of Tie-2 in development and disease.
Ena drives invasive macrophage migration in Drosophila embryos
Authors: Tucker Philippa K. , Evans Iwan R. , Wood Will
Published: November 2010

It is seldom the primary tumour that proves fatal in cancer, with metastasis the fundamental pathological process for disease progression. Upregulation of Mena, a member of the evolutionarily conserved Ena/VASP family of actin cytoskeletal regulators, promotes metastasis and invasive motility of breast cancer cells in vivo. To complement in vitro studies of Ena/VASP function in fibroblasts, we manipulated levels of Ena, the Drosophila homologue of Mena, in migrating embryonic macrophages (haemocytes). Consistent with data from fibroblasts in vitro, Ena localises to regions of actin dynamics within migrating haemocytes, stimulates lamellipodial dynamics and positively regulates the number and length of filopodia. However, whereas Ena overexpression in fibroblasts reduces migration speeds, overexpressing Ena in haemocytes leads to a dramatic increase in migration speeds, more closely resembling the increased motility of breast cancer cells that overexpress Mena. We provide evidence that this key difference is due to spatial constraints imposed on cells within the three-dimensional environment of the embryo; this might explain how Mena can be used to promote aggressive migratory behaviour during cancer progression.
Phosphoinositides differentially regulate bacterial uptake and Nramp1-induced resistance toLegionellainfection inDictyostelium
Authors: Peracino Barbara , Balest Alessandra , Bozzaro Salvatore
Published: November 2010

Membrane phosphatidylinositides recruit cytosolic proteins to regulate phagocytosis, macropinocytosis and endolysosomal vesicle maturation. Here, we describe effects of inactivation of PI3K, PTEN or PLC on Escherichia coli and Legionella pneumophila uptake by the professional phagocyte Dictyostelium discoideum. We show that L. pneumophila is engulfed by macropinocytosis, a process that is partially sensitive to PI3K inactivation, unlike phagocytosis of E. coli. Both processes are blocked by PLC inhibition. Whereas E. coli is rapidly digested, Legionella proliferates intracellularly. Proliferation is blocked by constitutively expressing Nramp1, an endolysosomal iron transporter that confers resistance against invasive bacteria. Inactivation of PI3K, but not PTEN or PLC, enhances Legionella infection and suppresses the protective effect of Nramp1 overexpression. PI3K activity is restricted to early infection and is not mediated by effects on the actin cytoskeleton; rather L. pneumophila, in contrast to E. coli, subverts phosphoinositide-sensitive fusion of Legionella-containing macropinosomes with acidic vesicles, without affecting Nramp1 recruitment. A model is presented to explain how Legionella escapes fusion with acidic vesicles and Nramp1-induced resistance to pathogens.
The mitochondrial UPR – protecting organelle protein homeostasis
Authors: Haynes Cole M. , Ron David
Published: November 2010

Mitochondria are required for numerous essential metabolic processes including the regulation of apoptosis; therefore, proper maintenance of the mitochondrial proteome is crucial. The protein-folding environment in mitochondria is challenged by organelle architecture, the presence of reactive oxygen species and the difficulties associated with assembly of the electron transport chain, which consists of components encoded by both the mitochondrial and the nuclear genomes. Mitochondria have dedicated molecular chaperones and proteases that promote proper protein folding, complex assembly and quality control. Work in cultured mammalian cells and Caenorhabditis elegans has yielded clues to the mechanisms linking perturbations in the protein-folding environment in the mitochondrial matrix to the expression of nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins. Here, we review the current knowledge of this mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt), compare it with the better understood UPR of the endoplasmic reticulum and highlight its potential impact on development and disease.
A single starfish Aurora kinase performs the combined functions of Aurora-A and Aurora-B in human cells
Authors: Abe Yusuke , Okumura Eiichi , Hosoya Takamitsu , Hirota Toru , Kishimoto Takeo
Published: November 2010

Aurora, an essential mitotic kinase, is highly conserved during evolution. Most vertebrates have at least two Aurora kinases, Aurora-A and Aurora-B, which have distinct functions in the centrosome–spindle and inner centromere–midbody, respectively. However, some non-vertebrate deuterostomes have only a single Aurora. It remains to be verified whether the single Aurora performs the same functions as vertebrate Auroras A and B combined. We have isolated a cDNA of a single Aurora (ApAurora) from the echinoderm starfish, Asterina pectinifera, and show that ApAurora displays most features of both Aurora-A and Aurora-B in starfish oocytes and early embryos. Furthermore, ApAurora that is stably expressed in HeLa cells can substitute for both human Aurora-A and Aurora-B when either is reduced by RNAi. A single ApAurora thus has properties of both Aurora-A and Aurora-B in starfish eggs and HeLa cells. Together with phylogenetic analysis indicating that ApAurora forms a clade with all types of vertebrate Auroras and single Auroras of non-vertebrate deuterostomes, our observations support the idea that the single Aurora found in non-vertebrate deuterostomes represents the ancestor that gave rise to various types of vertebrate Auroras. This study thus provides functional evidence for phylogenetic considerations.
Variation in Antiepileptic Drug Adherence Among Older Patients with New-Onset Epilepsy
Authors: Zeber John E , Copeland Laurel A , Pugh Mary Jo V
Published: November 2010

Background:

Medication adherence among patients with epilepsy remains a significant challenge, even for patients prescribed newer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), leading to increased risks of seizures, hospitalizations, and higher treatment costs. Despite substantial research identifying numerous risk factors, the role of specific medications has been neglected.

Objective:

To analyze adherence to 9 different AEDs in a national clinical sample of elderly patients with new-onset epilepsy.

Methods:

Patients over age 66 receiving care in the Veterans Health Administration were eligible if they met criteria for new-onset epilepsy with AED monotherapy of at least 3 months. A cross-sectional study design was used to assess adherence as defined by the medication possession ratio (MPR) and a 90-day or longer medication gap. Multivariable logistic regression modeled each dichotomous adherence outcome as a function of clinical and demographic measures.

Results:

The sample (N = 6373) was primarily male (98%), white (79%), and exempt from medication copayments due to disability status; nearly 40% had a prior psychiatric or dementia diagnosis. Nearly half of the patients were poorly adherent, with rates ranging from 42% to 63% across AEDs. In multivariable models, patients on phenobarbital, valproate, and gabapentin were significantly less likely to be adherent on both outcomes, while lamotrigine and levetiracetam were positively associated with adherence per the MPR.

Conclusions:

Adherence difficulty in this elderly cohort is attributable to several factors, yet specific AEDs substantially increased this risk. Drugs that produce adverse effects such as cognitive difficulty or weight gain may prove detrimental to maintaining appropriate adherence early in the treatment course. Given comparable efficacy among AEDs, providers should be aware that certain medications impart differential risks of poor adherence in older patients with epilepsy.
Use of GPS activity sensors to measure active and inactive behaviours of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)
Authors: Gottardi Elisa , Tua Frédérique , Cargnelutti Bruno , Maublanc Marie-Line , Angibault Jean-Marc , Said Sonia , Verheyden Hélène
Published: November 2010

The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of GPS 3300 to predict active (feeding, moving) and inactive (bedded, standing) behaviours in European roe deer. Observed activity of three tame roe deer was correlated with the three variables provided by the activity sensors of their collars (normalised for each individual) using discriminant analyses. The best model discriminated correctly 84% of the “active” time intervals (defined as roe deer spending at least 30% of the time active) and 97% of inactive ones. We tested for consistency with movements using 11 wild roe deer, six living in a forest and five in an open habitat. As expected, wild deer identified as inactive (sensors) were mostly immobile (GPS locations, 831 records of 1096), whereas deer known to be moving were mostly classified as active (493 of 758 records). The records classified as inactive but moving (24% of inactive records or 35% of moving records) can indicate short distance displacement, erroneous detection of movement, or moving without neck movements. The records classified as active but immobile (46% of active ones, 33% of immobile ones) can represent feeding on a small patch without detectable movements.
Seasonal Effects on Human Striatal Presynaptic Dopamine Synthesis: Figure 1.
Authors: Eisenberg Daniel P. , Kohn Philip D. , Baller Erica B. , Bronstein Joel A. , Masdeu Joseph C. , Berman Karen F.
Published: November 2010

Past studies in rodents have demonstrated circannual variation in central dopaminergic activity as well as a host of compelling interactions between melatonin—a scotoperiod-responsive neurohormone closely tied to seasonal adaptation—and dopamine in the striatum and in midbrain neuronal populations with striatal projections. In humans, seasonal effects have been described for dopaminergic markers in CSF and postmortem brain, and there exists a range of affective, psychotic, and substance abuse disorders that have been associated with both seasonal symptomatic fluctuations and dopamine neurotransmission abnormalities. Together, these data indirectly suggest a potentially crucial link between circannual biorhythms and central dopamine systems. However, seasonal effects on dopamine function in the living, healthy human brain have never been tested. For this study, 86 healthy adults underwent18F-DOPA positron emission tomography scanning, each at a different time throughout the year. Striatal regions of interest (ROIs) were evaluated for differences in presynaptic dopamine synthesis, measured by the kinetic rate constant,Ki, between fall–winter and spring–summer scans. Analyses comparing ROI averageKivalues showed significantly greater putamen18F-DOPAKiin the fall–winter relative to the spring–summer group (p= 0.038). Analyses comparing voxelwiseKivalues confirmed this finding and evidenced intrastriatal localization of seasonal effects to the caudal putamen (p< 0.05, false-discovery rate corrected), a region that receives dopaminergic input predominantly from the substantia nigra. These data are the first to directly demonstrate a seasonal effect on striatal presynaptic dopamine synthesis and merit future research aimed at elucidating underlying mechanisms and implications for neuropsychiatric disease and new treatment approaches.
Changes in Prefrontal Axons May Disrupt the Network in Autism
Authors: Zikopoulos Basilis , Barbas Helen
Published: November 2010

Neural communication is disrupted in autism by unknown mechanisms. Here, we examined whether in autism there are changes in axons, which are the conduit for neural communication. We investigated single axons and their ultrastructure in the white matter of postmortem human brain tissue below the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC), which are associated with attention, social interactions, and emotions, and have been consistently implicated in the pathology of autism. Area-specific changes below ACC (area 32) included a decrease in the largest axons that communicate over long distances. In addition, below ACC there was overexpression of the growth-associated protein 43 kDa accompanied by excessive number of thin axons that link neighboring areas. In OFC (area 11), axons had decreased myelin thickness. Axon features below LPFC (area 46) appeared to be unaffected, but the altered white matter composition below ACC and OFC changed the relationships among all prefrontal areas examined, and could indirectly affect LPFC function. These findings provide a mechanism for disconnection of long-distance pathways, excessive connections between neighboring areas, and inefficiency in pathways for emotions, and may help explain why individuals with autism do not adequately shift attention, engage in repetitive behavior, and avoid social interactions. These changes below specific prefrontal areas appear to be linked through a cascade of developmental events affecting axon growth and guidance, and suggest targeting the associated signaling pathways for therapeutic interventions in autism.