bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Statins and Aspirin for Chemoprevention in Barrett's Esophagus: Results of a Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Authors: Choi Sung Eun , Perzan Katherine E. , Tramontano Angela C. , Kong Chung Yin , Hur Chin
Published: January 2014

Data suggest that aspirin, statins, or a combination of the two drugs may lower the progression of Barrett's esophagus to esophageal adenocarcinoma. However, aspirin is associated with potential complications such as gastrointestinal bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke, and statins are associated with myopathy. We developed a simulation disease model to study the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of aspirin and statin chemoprevention against esophageal adenocarcinoma. A decision analytic Markov model was constructed to compare four strategies for Barrett's esophagus management; all regimens included standard endoscopic surveillance regimens: (i) endoscopic surveillance alone, (ii) aspirin therapy, (iii) statin therapy, and (iv) combination therapy of aspirin and statin. Endpoints evaluated were life expectancy, quality-adjusted life years (QALY), costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER). Sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the impact of model input uncertainty on results. Assuming an annual progression rate of 0.33% per year from Barrett's esophagus to esophageal adenocarcinoma, aspirin therapy was more effective and cost less than (dominated) endoscopic surveillance alone. When combination therapy was compared with aspirin therapy, the ICER was $158,000/QALY, which was above our willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/QALY. Statin therapy was dominated by combination therapy. When higher annual cancer progression rates were assumed in the model (0.5% per year), combination therapy was cost-effective compared with aspirin therapy, producing an ICER of $96,000/QALY. In conclusion, aspirin chemoprevention was both more effective and cost less than endoscopic surveillance alone. Combination therapy using both aspirin and statin is expensive but could be cost-effective in patients at higher risk of progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma. Cancer Prev Res; 7(3); 341–50. ©2013 AACR.
Disruption of CD8+ Treg Activity Results in Expansion of T Follicular Helper Cells and Enhanced Antitumor Immunity
Authors: Alvarez Arias Diana A. , Kim Hye-Jung , Zhou Penghui , Holderried Tobias A.W. , Wang Xuan , Dranoff Glenn , Cantor Harvey
Published: January 2014

Tumor growth is associated with the inhibition of host antitumor immune responses that can impose serious obstacles to cancer immunotherapy. To define the potential contribution of Qa-1–restricted CD8 regulatory T cells (Treg) to the development of tumor immunity, we studied B6.Qa-1 D227K mice that harbor a point mutation in the MHC class Ib molecule Qa-1 that impairs CD8 Treg suppressive activity. Here, we report that the growth of B16 melanoma is substantially delayed in these Qa-1–mutant mice after therapeutic immunization with B16 melanoma cells engineered to express granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor compared with Qa-1 B6-WT controls. Reduced tumor growth is associated with enhanced expansion of follicular T helper cells, germinal center B cells, and high titers of antitumor autoantibodies, which provoke robust antitumor immune responses in concert with tumor-specific cytolytic T cells. Analysis of tumor-infiltrating T cells revealed that the Qa-1 DK mutation was associated with an increase in the ratio of CD8+ T effectors compared with CD8 Tregs. These data suggest that the CD8+ T effector–Treg ratio may provide a useful prognostic index for cancer development and raise the possibility that depletion or inactivation of CD8 Tregs represents a potentially effective strategy to enhance antitumor immunity. Cancer Immunol Res; 2(3); 207–16. ©2013 AACR.
Establishment of Tumor-Associated Immunity Requires Interaction of Heat Shock Proteins with CD91
Authors: Zhou Yu Jerry , Messmer Michelle Nicole , Binder Robert Julian
Published: January 2014

Host antitumor adaptive immune responses are generated as a result of the body's immunosurveillance mechanisms. How the antitumor immune response is initially primed remains unclear, given that soluble tumor antigens generally are quantitatively insufficient for cross-priming and tumors generally lack the classical pathogen-associated molecular patterns to activate costimulation and initiate cross-priming. We explored the interaction of the tumor-derived heat shock proteins (HSP) with their common receptor (CD91) on antigen-presenting cells (APC) as a mechanism for host-priming of T-cell–mediated antitumor immunity. Using targeted genetic disruption of the interaction between HSPs and CD91, we demonstrated that specific ablation of CD91 in APCs prevented the establishment of antitumor immunity. The antitumor immunity was also inhibited when the transfer of tumor-derived HSPs to APCs was prevented using an endogenous inhibitor of CD91. Inhibition was manifested in a reduction of cross-presentation of tumor-derived antigenic peptides in the lymph nodes, providing a molecular basis for the observed immunity associated with tumor development. Our findings demonstrate that early in tumor development, the HSP-CD91 pathway is critical for the establishment of antitumor immunity. Cancer Immunol Res; 2(3); 217–28. ©2013 AACR.
Transforming Growth Factor-β and Inflammation in Vascular (Type IV) Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome
Authors: Morissette Rachel , Schoenhoff Florian , Xu Zhi , Shilane David A. , Griswold Benjamin F. , Chen Wuyan , Yang Jiandong , Zhu Jie , Fert-Bober Justyna , Sloper Leslie , Lehman Jason , Commins Natalie , Van Eyk Jennifer E. , McDonnell Nazli B.
Published: January 2014

Background—

Vascular Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (VEDS) causes reduced life expectancy because of arterial dissections/rupture and hollow organ rupture. Although the causative gene,
COL3A1
, was identified >20 years ago, there has been limited progress in understanding the disease mechanisms or identifying treatments.

Methods and Results—

We studied inflammatory and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling biomarkers in plasma and from dermal fibroblasts from patients with VEDS. Analyses were done in terms of clinical disease severity, genotype–phenotype correlations, and body composition and fat deposition alterations. VEDS subjects had increased circulating TGF-β1, TGF-β2, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, C-reactive protein, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and leptin and decreased interleukin-8 versus controls. VEDS dermal fibroblasts secreted more TGF-β2, whereas downstream canonical/noncanonical TGF-β signaling was not different. Patients with
COL3A1
exon skipping mutations had higher plasma intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and VEDS probands had abnormally high plasma C-reactive protein versus affected patients identified through family members before any disease manifestations. Patients with VEDS had higher mean platelet volumes, suggesting increased platelet turnover because of ongoing vascular damage, as well as increased regional truncal adiposity.

Conclusions—

These findings suggest that VEDS is a systemic disease with a major inflammatory component. C-reactive protein is linked to disease state and may be a disease activity marker. No changes in downstream TGF-β signaling and increased platelet turnover suggest that chronic vascular damage may partially explain increased plasma TGF-β1. Finally, we found a novel role for dysregulated TGF-β2, as well as adipocyte dysfunction, as demonstrated through reduced interleukin-8 and elevated leptin in VEDS.
MicroRNA Control of High-Density Lipoprotein Metabolism and Function
Authors: Rayner Katey J. , Moore Kathryn J.
Published: January 2014

Recent discoveries of microRNAs (miRNAs) that control high-density lipoprotein abundance and function have expanded our knowledge of the mechanisms regulating this important lipoprotein subclass. miRNAs have been shown to regulate gene networks that control high-density lipoprotein biogenesis and uptake, as well as discrete steps in the reverse cholesterol transport pathway. Furthermore, high-density lipoprotein itself has been shown to transport miRNAs selectively in health and disease, offering new possibilities of how this lipoprotein may alter gene expression in distal target cells and tissues. Collectively, these discoveries offer new insights into the mechanisms governing high-density lipoprotein metabolism and function and open new avenues for the development of therapeutics for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
High-Density Lipoprotein
Authors: Lüscher Thomas F. , Landmesser Ulf , von Eckardstein Arnold , Fogelman Alan M.
Published: January 2014

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is a complex mixture of lipoproteins that is associated with many minor proteins and lipids that influence the function of HDL. Although HDL is a promising marker and potential therapeutic target based on its epidemiological data and the effects of healthy HDL in vitro in endothelial cells and macrophages, as well as based on infusion studies of reconstituted HDL in patients with hypercholesterolemia, it remains still uncertain whether or not HDL cholesterol–raising drugs will improve outcomes. Recent studies suggest that HDL becomes modified in patients with coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndrome because of oxidative processes that result in alterations in its proteome composition (proteome remodelling) leading to HDL dysfunction.
Long-Term Arrhythmia-Free Survival in Patients With Severe Left Ventricular Dysfunction and No Inducible Ventricular Tachycardia After Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Zaman Sarah , Narayan Arun , Thiagalingam Aravinda , Sivagangabalan Gopal , Thomas Stuart , Ross David L. , Kovoor Pramesh
Published: January 2014

Background—

A negative electrophysiology study (EPS) may delineate a subgroup of patients with severely impaired left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) whose care can be safely managed long-term without an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

Methods and Results—

Consecutive patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction underwent early (median 4 days) LVEF assessment. Patients with LVEF ≤40% underwent EPS. A prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator was implanted for a positive (inducible monomorphic ventricular tachycardia) but not a negative (no inducible ventricular tachycardia or inducible ventricular fibrillation/flutter) EPS result. Patients who would have become eligible for a late primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator with LVEF ≤30% or ≤35% with New York Heart Association class II/III heart failure were included and analyzed according to EPS result. Patients with LVEF >40%, ineligible for EPS, were followed up as control subjects (n=1286). The primary end point was survival free of death or arrhythmia (resuscitated cardiac arrest or sustained ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation). EPS performed in 128 patients with LVEF ≤30% or with LVEF ≤35% and heart failure was negative in 63% (n=80) and positive in 37% (n=48). Implantable-cardioverter defibrillators were implanted in <0.1%, 4%, and 90% of control, EPS-negative, and EPS-positive patients, respectively. The distribution of time to death or arrhythmia was comparable in control patients and EPS-negative patients with LVEF ≤30% or with LVEF ≤35% and heart failure (
P
=0.738), who both differed significantly from EPS-positive patients (
P
<0.001). At 3 years, 91.8±3.2%, 93.4±1.0%, and 62.7±7.5% of control, EPS-negative, and EPS-positive patients were free of death or arrhythmia, respectively.

Conclusions—

Revascularized patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction with severely impaired left ventricular function but no inducible ventricular tachycardia have a favorable long-term prognosis without the protection of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.
State Capacity and the Environmental Investment Gap in Authoritarian States
Authors: Ward Hugh , Cao Xun , Mukherjee Bumba
Published: January 2014

We construct an n-period, constrained optimization model where the authoritarian ruler maximizes expected rents subject to budget constraint of available surplus. We show that the larger state capacity is in the previous period, the worse environmental quality will be in the next period: while infrastructural investment and environmental protection increase with state capacity, the former increases at a faster rate which enlarges the gap between the two—the environmental investment gap. Given infrastructural public goods typically damage the environment, the larger this gap is the worse the environmental quality would be. This follows from rulers’ optimizing logic of equating marginal returns once we assume the declining marginal productivity of factors of production of surplus. We model three types of air and water pollutants in autocracies as a function of state capacity and other relevant variables. State capacity is associated with higher levels of all three types of pollutants.
Voter Polarization, Strength of Partisanship, and Support for Extremist Parties
Authors: Ezrow Lawrence , Tavits Margit , Homola Jonathan
Published: January 2014

In this study, we evaluate how voter polarization and the level of partisanship influence electoral outcomes. We show that when the level of partisanship is low, the polarization of voter preferences translates into popular support for extreme parties. In contrast, longstanding attachments to mainstream (moderate) parties dampen the relationship between voter polarization and support for extreme parties. The implication of these findings is that the lack of voter attachment to parties contributes to extreme party competition, while strong attachment can help reduce party extremism even if electorates are polarized.
Inadequate and Harmful Clinical Supervision
Authors: Ellis Michael V. , Berger Lauren , Hanus Alexa E. , Ayala Erin E. , Swords Brett A. , Siembor Michael
Published: January 2014

Two studies were conducted to revise and empirically test Ellis’s framework for inadequate and harmful supervision, and to determine the occurrence of inadequate and harmful clinical supervision from the supervisees’ perspective. For Study 1, we delineated 10 criteria for minimally adequate clinical supervision and defined inadequate and harmful supervision by differentiating self-identified and de facto supervision for each. Ratings from 34 supervision experts were used to generate a taxonomy of 16 de facto inadequate and 21 de facto harmful supervision descriptors. Because harmful supervision was distinct from, yet subsumed by, inadequate supervision, we revised the taxonomy and definitions accordingly. In Study 2, the occurrence of inadequate and harmful supervision was assessed for 363 supervisees; 93.0% were currently receiving inadequate supervision and 35.3% were currently receiving harmful supervision. Over half of the supervisees had received harmful clinical supervision at some point. Implications for research, training, and practice are discussed.
Predictive Discomfort in Single- and Combined-Axis Whole-Body Vibration Considering Different Seated Postures
Authors: DeShaw Jonathan , Rahmatalla Salam
Published: January 2014

Objective:

The aim of this study was to develop a predictive discomfort model in single-axis, 3-D, and 6-D combined-axis whole-body vibrations of seated occupants considering different postures.

Background:

Non-neutral postures in seated whole-body vibration play a significant role in the resulting level of perceived discomfort and potential long-term injury. The current international standards address contact points but not postures.

Method:

The proposed model computes discomfort on the basis of static deviation of human joints from their neutral positions and how fast humans rotate their joints under vibration. Four seated postures were investigated. For practical implications, the coefficients of the predictive discomfort model were changed into the Borg scale with psychophysical data from 12 volunteers in different vibration conditions (single-axis random fore-aft, lateral, and vertical and two magnitudes of 3-D). The model was tested under two magnitudes of 6-D vibration.

Results:

Significant correlations ( R2 = .93) were found between the predictive discomfort model and the reported discomfort with different postures and vibrations. The ISO 2631-1 correlated very well with discomfort ( R2 = .89) but was not able to predict the effect of posture.

Conclusion:

Human discomfort in seated whole-body vibration with different non-neutral postures can be closely predicted by a combination of static posture and the angular velocities of the joint.

Application:

The predictive discomfort model can assist ergonomists and human factors researchers design safer environments for seated operators under vibration. The model can be integrated with advanced computer biomechanical models to investigate the complex interaction between posture and vibration.
Representations of the Post-2000 Zimbabwean Economic Migrancy in Petina Gappah’s An Elegy for Easterly and Brian Chikwava’s Harare North
Authors: Manase Irikidzayi
Published: January 2014

The article examines the literary representations of the nexus between migration and the post-2000 crisis in Zimbabwe from the prism of post-colonialism and economic migrancy. It discusses Chikwava’s Harare North and Gappah’s An Elegy for Easterly mapping of the link between the local and the global, especially the way characters who migrate to “Harare North”—London, construct their aspirations, perceptions, and identities as they imagine the crisis at home and encounter life experiences at home and in Western metropolitan spaces that are defined by global capitalism. The paper therefore, examines Chikwava’s and Gappah’s depiction of the nature of the economic migrants’ escape from the effects of a local crisis and entrance into migrant spaces defined by global economic trajectories, and considers the contradictory positions they find themselves in as well as the various identities constituted thereof.
Exploring the Stress-Support-Distress Process Among Black Women
Authors: Norris Claire M. , Mitchell Flint D.
Published: January 2014

Research on mental health inequalities typically focuses on variations in individuals’ stress exposure and coping strategies (i.e., perceptions of support adequacy). This study extends prior research by asking how the stress-support-distress process operates among Black w2omen. Data come from a 2003 survey by the Center for the Study of Public Health Impacts of Hurricanes at Louisiana State University (LSU). Our findings challenge the prototypic stress-health models that fail to acknowledge social group differences in the stress-support-distress process. More importantly, our research points to the need for health professionals to consider how formal support systems (i.e., health promotion programs) and internal resources (i.e., health education) can positively impact Black women’s mental health.
“Reclaiming the Fallen”
Authors: Dalrymple Daniel A.
Published: January 2014

This article explores the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA)–Central Division, one of the many Garveyite groups that formed in the wake of Marcus Garvey’s 1927 deportation. The Central Division was formed in Harlem in 1935 and was active until the early 1940s. I argue that Garveyism remained relevant throughout the late 1930s and that the Central Division helped African Americans in Harlem in two major ways through representation and community outreach. Representation occurred primarily on the local level in dealing with government officials. Central Division membership (and even non-members) could use the expertise of the group to help secure aid, legal advice, and citizenship assistance, or help with a myriad of problems. The Division provided their services free of charge and took an aggressive stance on behalf of hundreds of African American citizens throughout the late 1930s and early 1940s. Community outreach consisted of a series of events, clubs, and events regularly sponsored by the Central Division ranging from trips to regular youth groups. While the years following Garvey’s deportation were not kind to the UNIA or its legacy, organizations such as the Central Division stretched diminishing resources in order to meet the direst needs of community members.
“What If I Write Circuses”
Authors: Jaupaj Artur
Published: January 2014

The New Western and/or Post-Western of the 1960s distorted and parodied the patterns of characterization of the classic western aiming at reaching atypical and more revealing truths about the western experience. Likewise, Ishmael Reed’s Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down (1969) undertakes to serve a similar purpose and beyond. It breaths fresh air into the so-called “exhausted” genre by providing more intriguing western histories, on the one hand, and revitalizes novel writing at a time when the novel is pronounced “dead,” on the other hand. What’s more, written at the height of the “counter-culture revolution,” it both undertakes to question and uproot preconceived absolutes and media-based realities regarding race, religion, and indigenous cultures by reviving the resourcefulness of Afro-American heritage. As such, it highlights Voodoo turned Hoodoo aesthetics as the best embodiment of this age-old culture and undermines the preeminence of popular culture, thus paving the way toward more experimental representations. Therefore, Loop Garoo Kid’s words while arguing with Bo Shmo, the neo-realist gang leader: “What’s the beef with me Bo Shmo, What if I write circuses?” reign supreme, as they depict the spirit of an era worth revisiting.
Investment Discrimination and the Proliferation of Preferential Trade Agreements
Authors: Baccini Leonardo , Dür Andreas
Published: January 2014

The proliferation of bilateral and regional trade agreements has arguably been the main change to the international trading system since the end of the Uruguay Round in the mid-1990s. We argue that investment discrimination plays a major role in this development. Preferential trade agreements can lead to investment discrimination because of tariff differentials on intermediary products and as a result of provisions that relax investment rules for the parties to the agreement. Excluded countries are sensitive to the costs that this investment discrimination imposes on domestic firms and react by signing a trade agreement that aims at leveling the playing field. We test our argument using a spatial econometric model and a newly compiled data set that includes 166 countries and covers a period of eighteen years (1990–2007). Our findings strongly support the argument that investment discrimination is a major driver of the proliferation of trade agreements.
Redescription, Reduction, and Emergence
Authors: Elder-Vass Dave
Published: January 2014

In response to Hansson Wahlberg, this paper argues, first, that he misunderstands the redescription principle developed in my book The Causal Power of Social Structures, and second, that his criticisms rest on an ontological individualism that is taken for granted but in fact lacks an adequate ontological justification of its own.
Measuring Discontinuity in Binary Longitudinal Data
Authors: Whalen Thor , Boeri Miriam
Published: January 2014

Life course perspectives focus on the variation in trajectories, generally to identify differences in variation dynamics and classify trajectories accordingly. Our goal here is to develop methods to gauge the discontinuity characteristics trajectories exhibit and demonstrate how these measures facilitate analyses aimed to evaluate, compare, aggregate, and classify behaviors based on the event discontinuity they manifest. We restrict ourselves here to binary event sequences, providing directions for extending the methods in future research. We illustrate our techniques to data on older drug users. It should be noted though that the application of these techniques is not restricted to drug use, but can be applied to a wide range of trajectory types. We suggest that the innovative measures of discontinuity presented can be further developed to provide additional analytical tools in social science research and in future applications. Our novel discontinuity measure visualizations have the potential to be valuable assessment strategies for interventions, prevention efforts, and other social services utilizing life course data.
Early Confucian Concept of Yi (议)and Deliberative Democracy
Authors: Tan Sor-hoon
Published: January 2014

Contributors to the debates about the compatibility of Confucianism and democracy and its implications for China’s democratization often adopt definitions of democracy that theories of deliberative democracy are critical of. Attention to deliberative democracy is timely given its importance in democratic discourses and recent experiments in “deliberative” or “consultative” democracy in China. Would Confucian understanding of political deliberation help or hinder deliberative democracy? This essay compares the concept of yi in the early Confucian texts with a contemporary concept of democratic deliberation. The differences between the concept of yi in early Confucian texts and the concept of democratic deliberation show that the presence of deliberation, even when they meet stringent norms, does not guarantee that the politics would be democratic. Rather, the political environment and processes must be democratized for deliberation to be democratic. This comparative study considers how the similarities between two concepts, and other aspects of Confucian philosophy might be deployed to close the gap between early Confucian view of ideal government and deliberative democracy. At the same time, it does not simply embrace all aspects of the chosen democratic theory, but argues that Confucian deliberative democracy may differ significantly, for example, in approaching politics from the perspective of a comprehensive ethical theory. In doing so, it offers a different conception of deliberative democracy and shows how the chosen theory is limited by certain assumptions specific to its own context and that the understanding of deliberative democracy needs to be expanded and modified to approach genuine universalism.
The Impact of Developmental Education on Community College Persistence and Vertical Transfer
Authors: Crisp Gloria , Delgado Chryssa
Published: January 2014

Developmental education has been cited as one of the most difficult issues facing community colleges. Despite the controversy and changes to educational policy regarding developmental education, there is a notable dearth of rigorous research measuring the causal effect of remediation on community college student outcomes. The present study uses data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS: 04/09) to measure the impact of developmental education on community college students’ odds of persistence and vertical transfer after controlling for enrollment in remediation and institutional-level variables. Propensity score matching results reveal that students who enroll in developmental courses are systematically different from community college students who do not remediate in gender, ethnicity, first-generation status, academic preparation and experiences during high school, and delayed college entry. Moreover, post-matching hierarchical generalized linear modeling (HGLM) findings demonstrate that developmental education may overall serve to decrease community college students’ odds of successfully transferring to a 4-year institution, with negative impacts on students enrolled in English and mathematics courses. Implications for research, policy, and practice are addressed.
Linking the Occupational Pressures of College Presidents to Presidential Turnover
Authors: Tekniepe Robert J.
Published: January 2014

Community colleges are expected to serve the needs of their local communities. Hence, college presidents are called on to lead this collaboration between the college and the community. Presidents, however, are affected by a multitude of factors that contribute to abridged tenures, a scenario that can have harmful effects on the educational institution, community, and collaboration. This study incorporated a quantitative research design based on Push–Pull Motivation Theory, a theory that broadly categorizes factors that affect turnover of executives into two areas. The first, push-induced factors, generally consists of organizational or community characteristics that motivate an elected board to dismiss an executive, or encourage him or her to seek employment elsewhere. The second, pull-induced factors, refers to conditions that facilitate an executive’s departure due to career advancement opportunities. The study focuses on these occupational pressures that affect college president turnover based on data collected from 101 presidents of community colleges across 34 states. The analysis reveals that increases in political conflict, internal pressures, external stakeholder demands, and fiscal stress have statistically significant effects on college president turnover.
Accusations of Acting White
Authors: Durkee Myles I. , Williams Joanna L.
Published: January 2014

The acting White accusation is a negative insult that many Black students encounter from peers, and research suggests that these experiences may be potentially detrimental to psychosocial outcomes. The current study examined the relationship between specific aspects of the acting White accusation (e.g., frequency of occurrence, induced discomfort), racial/ethnic identity (e.g., racial regard, exploration, commitment), and mental health (e.g., depressive symptoms, anxiety, emotional stress). Data from a sample of Black college students ( n = 198) were evaluated using both variable-centered and person-centered analytical techniques. Results indicated that frequency of the accusation predicted lower racial/ethnic identity and more severe mental health symptoms, whereas the level of discomfort predicted higher racial/ethnic identification. Latent class analysis revealed that perceived experiences with the acting White accusation were represented by four distinct profiles, three of which differed significantly in dimensions of racial/ethnic identity. Findings suggest that the accusation of acing White is perceived differently by individual Black students and carries a distinctive risk for psychosocial outcomes.
African American Undergraduate Students’ Wisdom and Ego-Identity Development
Authors: Bang Hyeyoung
Published: January 2014

The present study provides valuable insight into African American youths’ ego-identity and wisdom development. The study examines the relationship between wisdom dimensions (cognitive, affective, and reflective) and ego-identity statuses (achievement, moratorium, foreclosure, and diffusion), and age and gender differences among 198 African American college students (age 18-25 years). The study also examines how self-esteem and resilience are related to wisdom and ego-identity. The results show that (a) age contributes to reflective and affective dimensions of wisdom, (b) there is no association between identity achievement and wisdom, (c) moratorium, foreclosure, and diffusion are negatively associated with wisdom, (d) gender does not predict wisdom, but does affect foreclosure and diffusion, (e) reflective and affective wisdom are related to resilience and self-esteem, and (f) both resilience and self-esteem are related to identity achievement. This study provides insight into the importance of fostering reflective and affective abilities for holistic development among young African Americans.
Microaggressions and the Enduring Mental Health Disparity
Authors: Gómez Jennifer M.
Published: January 2014

Despite federal focus on reducing mental health disparities for Black Americans, mental health disparities persist, resulting in reduced access to and benefit from mental health care. Amid calls for deeper examination of etiology, the current literature review introduces discrimination in the form of microaggressions at the institutional level as one changeable systemic cause for mental health disparities. In combining the mental health disparity and microaggression literatures, I first review the evidence regarding prevalence and contributing factors for current mental health disparities and microaggressions. Next, I examine the potential contributing role that microaggressions as a form of institutional betrayal within mental health care may play in perpetuating these disparities. Finally, I review implications regarding the particular role of mental health care systems, the field of psychology in general, and Black American psychologists specifically in systematically reducing mental health disparities for Black Americans.
A defense of the lifeworld
Authors: Wirts Amelia M.
Published: January 2014

Hugh Baxter’s book Habermas: A Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy not only carefully recounts Habermas’ political and legal theory, but also raises several insightful criticisms of Habermas. Of particular note is Baxter’s criticism of Habermas’ system–lifeworld model originally presented in Theory of Communicative Action. Baxter argues that Habermas ought to discard the concept of the lifeworld because the distinction between lifeworld and system is no longer tenable in the model of political power presented in Habermas’ later work, Between Facts and Norms, which focuses more explicitly on law as a social system. Baxter contends that the lifeworld, which Habermas describes as those parts of our lives that are structured by communicative action and shared norms, is an unhelpful way of understanding our social world because, in reality, most of our interactions are structured both by communicative norms and by the strategic action typical of ‘the system’. I argue, however, that Habermas must retain the theoretical distinction between system and lifeworld, though in everyday practice they are not so neatly disentangled, because without such an element there would be no source of legitimacy for the law. Without a connection to the communicative action of the lifeworld, law and the political structure would be nothing but strategic action.
Exclusive Endoscopic Resection of Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Khoueir Nadim , Nicolas Nicolas , Rohayem Ziad , Haddad Amine , Abou Hamad Walid
Published: January 2014

Objective

To systematically review the exclusive endoscopic treatment of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma in the literature to define the clinical features in terms of staging and the treatment outcomes in terms of bleeding, recurrence, residual tumor, and complications.

Data Sources

Online databases, including PubMed and EMBASE, were used. Reference sections of identified studies were examined for additional articles.

Review Methods

The literature was searched by 2 reviewers with the following inclusion criteria: English or French language and exclusive endoscopic treatment of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. We were only able to perform a meta‐analysis on the categorical outcomes using DerSimonian and Laird random effects models.

Results

Ninety‐two studies were included with a majority of retrospective studies (54/92; 58.6%). No randomized controlled trials were found. A total of 821 patients were identified. The Radowski classification was the most commonly used (29/92; 31.15%). The mean operative blood loss was 564.21 mL (minimum, 20 mL; maximum, 1482 mL). It was 414.6 mL (minimum, 20 mL; maximum, 1000 mL) and 774.2 mL (minimum, 228 mL; maximum, 1482 mL), respectively, in the group with and without embolization. No conclusion could be made because it was not stratified by tumor stage and because of the absence of randomized controlled trials. The random effect estimate of recurrence was 10% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.3‐11.7). It was 9.3% (95% CI, 7.2‐11.5) for complications and 7.7% (95% CI, 5.4‐10.1) for residual tumor.

Conclusion

The endoscopic treatment is an evolving modality. It is considered today the treatment of choice. A new classification system based on the endoscopic approach should be proposed in future studies.
Prophylactic versus Reactive PEG Tube Placement in Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Kramer Scott , Newcomb Matthew , Hessler Joshua , Siddiqui Farzan
Published: January 2014

Objective

To understand the impact of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement timing on tube duration, weight loss, and disease control in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC).

Setting

A tertiary academic center.

Study Design

Historical cohort study.

Subjects and Methods

Seventy‐four patients with HNC were reviewed. Patients underwent cisplatinum‐based chemoradiation therapy with or without surgical resection. They received a PEG tube either before radiation therapy began (prophylactic) or after (reactive). Patients were matched on the basis of age, gender, TNM stage, tumor subsite, human papillomavirus (HPV) status, and chemoradiation dose.

Results

Patients receiving reactive PEG tubes had them in place for fewer days than those placed prophylactically (227 vs 139 days, P <. 01). There was no difference in percentage weight loss at 2, 6, or 12 months. There was no difference in survival or disease control between the groups.

Conclusions

Reactive PEG tube placement may afford patients a shorter duration of usage without incurring greater weight loss or poorer oncologic outcomes.
Labyrinthine Artery Detection in Patients with Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss by 7‐T MRI
Authors: Sato Hiroaki , Kawagishi Kazuaki
Published: January 2014

Objective

To compare the detection rates of the labyrinthine artery in subjects with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) and in normal‐hearing controls using 7‐T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Study Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Tertiary referral center.

Subjects and Methods

In 18 patients (9 males, 9 females) with ISSHL and 32 volunteers (21 males, 11 females) with normal hearing, 7‐T MRI (Discovery MR950; GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was performed with the 3‐dimensional time‐of‐flight spoiled gradient echo (3D TOF SPGR) sequence to compare the detection rates of the labyrinthine artery.

Results

The MRI scans were performed from 3 to 54 days after onset. Of the 18 patients with ISSHL, 8 showed complete recovery, 9 showed partial recovery, and the rest showed no recovery. The labyrinthine artery was depicted in 36 of 36 ears (100%) in the ISSHL group and 63 of 64 (98.4%) ears in the normal‐hearing group, with no significant difference in detection rates.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, the present study is the first to report depiction of the labyrinthine artery by 7‐T MRI. These preliminary results indicate occlusion of the labyrinthine artery would be rare in the pathogenesis of ISSHL, and they also demonstrate that the labyrinthine artery could be detected by ultra‐high‐field MRI.
Generation of a 3D Printed Temporal Bone Model with Internal Fidelity and Validation of the Mechanical Construct
Authors: Hochman Jordan B. , Kraut Jay , Kazmerik Katrice , Unger Bertram J.
Published: January 2014

Objective

To generate a rapid‐prototyped temporal bone model from computed tomography (CT) data with a specific focus on internal anatomic fidelity.

Study Design

Research ethics board‐approved prospective cohort study.

Setting

Current iterations of a rapid‐prototyped temporal bone model are complicated by absent void spaces and inconsistent bone density due to limited infiltrant exposure. The creation of a high‐fidelity model allows surgical trainees to practice in a standardized and reproducible training environment. This learning paradigm will significantly augment resident understanding of surgical approaches and techniques to prevent adverse outcomes.

Subjects and Methods

We describe a technique for generating internally accurate rapid‐prototyped anatomical models with solid and hollow structures, including void spaces. The novel slicing algorithm digitally deconstructs a model into segments and permits removal of extraneous print material and allows infiltrant penetration of the entire bone structure. Precise reassembly is facilitated by digitally generated fiducials. Infiltrant of choice was determined by expert assessment and subjected to objective mechanical property assessment with comparison to cadaveric sheep bone.

Results

The printed bone models are highly realistic. Void space representation was excellent with 88% concordance between cadaveric bone and the resultant rapid‐prototyped temporal bone model. Ultimately, cyanoacrylate with hydroquinone was determined to be the most appropriate infiltrant for both cortical and trabecular simulation. The mechanical properties of all tested infiltrants were similar to real bone.

Conclusion

This model serves as an excellent replica of a human temporal bone for training and preoperative surgical rehearsal and can be dissected in a true‐to‐life fashion.
Will I Ever Think I’m Thin Enough? A Moderated Mediation Study of Women’s Contingent Self-Esteem, Body Image Discrepancies, and Disordered Eating
Authors: Zeigler-Hill Virgil , Noser Amy
Published: January 2014

Low levels of global self-esteem have been shown to be associated with disordered eating such that individuals who possess more negative attitudes about themselves tend to report more disordered eating symptoms. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether appearance-based contingent self-esteem (i.e., the degree to which individuals base their self-esteem on their physical appearance) and actual–ideal body image discrepancies influence this association. This goal was accomplished with a sample of 877 college women who completed measures of global self-esteem, body image, appearance-based contingent self-esteem, and eating behaviors. A moderated mediation analysis showed that actual–ideal body image discrepancies mediated the association between global self-esteem and disordered eating and that this simple mediation was further moderated by appearance-based contingent self-esteem. Discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for the ways in which actual–ideal body image discrepancies and appearance-based contingent self-esteem influence the association between global self-esteem and disordered eating. Future research aimed at improving intervention and prevention of eating disorders should address the extent to which individuals base their self-worth on their appearance and consider whether reducing appearance-based contingencies of self-worth may protect individuals from developing patterns of disordered eating.
Morphometric Analysis of Brain Shape in Children With Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and/or Palate
Authors: Chollet Madeleine B. , DeLeon Valerie B. , Conrad Amy L. , Nopoulos Peg
Published: January 2014

The purpose of this study was to test for differences in brain shape among children with cleft palate only (n = 22), children with cleft lip and palate (n = 35), and controls (n = 39) using Euclidean distance matrix analysis. Sixteen percent of interlandmark distances differed between children with cleft palate only and controls, 10% differed between children with cleft lip and palate and controls, and 10% differed between children with cleft palate only and children with cleft lip and palate. Major differences in brain shape associated with cleft lip and/or palate included posterior expansion of the occipital lobe, reorientation of the cerebellum, heightened callosal midbody, and posterior displacement of the caudate nucleus and thalamus. Differences in brain shape unique to cleft palate only and to cleft lip and palate were also identified. These results expand upon previous volumetric studies on brain morphology in individuals with cleft lip and/or palate and provide additional evidence that the primary defect in cleft lip and/or palate results in both facial and brain dysmorphology.
Poly(dopamine) coating to biodegradable polymers for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Tsai Wei-Bor , Chen Wen-Tung , Chien Hsiu-Wen , Kuo Wei-Hsuan , Wang Meng-Jiy
Published: January 2014

In this study, a technique based on poly(dopamine) deposition to promote cell adhesion was investigated for the application in bone tissue engineering. The adhesion and proliferation of rat osteoblasts were evaluated on poly(dopamine)-coated biodegradable polymer films, such as polycaprolactone, poly(l-lactide) and poly(lactic- co-glycolic acid), which are commonly used biodegradable polymers in tissue engineering. Cell adhesion was significantly increased to a plateau by merely 15 s of dopamine incubation, 2.2–4.0-folds of increase compared to the corresponding untreated substrates. Cell proliferation was also greatly enhanced by poly(dopamine) deposition, indicated by shortened cell doubling time. Mineralization was also increased on the poly(dopamine)-deposited surfaces. The potential of poly(dopamine) deposition in bone tissue engineering is demonstrated in this study.
Coprecipitation of DNA-lipid complexes with apatite and comparison with superficial adsorption for gene transfer applications
Authors: Yazaki Yushin , Oyane Ayako , Tsurushima Hideo , Araki Hiroko , Sogo Yu , Ito Atsuo , Yamazaki Atsushi
Published: January 2014

Apatite can mediate gene transfer into cells by serving as a safe and biocompatible immobilization matrix for DNA and transfection reagents. Recently, an apatite layer that immobilized DNA-lipid complexes was prepared by a coprecipitation process in a supersaturated calcium phosphate solution. This composite layer (DNA–lipid–apatite layer) showed a higher gene transfer capability than an apatite layer with superficially adsorbed DNA-lipid complexes (DNA-lipid-adsorbed apatite layer). In this study, the DNA–lipid–apatite layer and the DNA-lipid-adsorbed apatite layer were compared for their physicochemical properties and gene transfer capabilities. The higher gene transfer capability of the DNA–lipid–apatite layer compared with that of the DNA-lipid-adsorbed apatite layer was reconfirmed by a luciferase assay using epithelial-like CHO-K1 cells. Physicochemical structure analyses showed that the DNA–lipid–apatite layer possessed a larger capacity for DNA-lipid complexes than the DNA-lipid-adsorbed apatite layer. The DNA–lipid–apatite layer released DNA-lipid complexes in a slow and sustained manner, whereas the DNA-lipid-adsorbed apatite layer released them in short bursts. Consequently, the release of DNA-lipid complexes from the DNA–lipid–apatite layer was larger in amount and longer in duration than release from the DNA-lipid-adsorbed apatite layer. This difference in release profiles may be responsible for the higher gene transfer capability of the DNA–lipid–apatite layer compared with that of the DNA-lipid-adsorbed apatite layer. The coprecipitation process and the resulting DNA–lipid–apatite layer have many applications in tissue engineering.
Healing Through Movement
Authors: Moe Angela M.
Published: January 2014

Perceptions of “belly dance” are that it is degrading, exploitive, and incongruous to feminism. Curiously, however, the dance is incredibly popular in various parts of the world, including the United States, as a form of recreation and creative expression. This article examines the apparent disconnect between public perception and practitioner standpoint. Findings indicate a strong holistic healing component, particularly in terms of gendered interpersonal victimization, where belly dance seems to hold potential for self-exploration and discovery. Grounded historically, culturally, and empirically, these findings are discussed in terms of their application to social work practice, as it relates to alternative therapies.