bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disengaging insulin from corticosterone: roles of each on energy intake and disposition
Authors: Warne James P. , Akana Susan F. , Ginsberg Abigail B. , Horneman Hart F. , Pecoraro Norman C. , Dallman Mary F.
Published: March 2009

Corticosterone and insulin play complex roles in the amount and composition of calories ingested, and the utilization and deposition of this energy. Understanding the interplay of these two hormones is complicated because increasing concentrations of corticosterone dose-dependently increase circulating insulin levels. We addressed individual contributions of each hormone by controlling, at steady-state levels, corticosterone (by adrenalectomy and exogenous replacement) and insulin (by streptozotocin-induced destruction of pancreatic β-cells and exogenous replacement) across a spectrum of concentrations in rats, creating 8 hormonal combinations. For 5 days after surgery, all rats received chow. At day 5, they were subdivided into those that continued to receive chow and those that had a choice between chow, lard, and 32% sucrose for a further 5 days. During the choice/chow period, total calories ingested were stimulated by corticosterone and choice diet, and subject to a corticosterone-insulin interaction. Sucrose, but not lard, intake was stimulated by insulin. Body weight was increased by insulin, decreased by high corticosterone, and unaffected by diet. White adipose tissue depot weights were stimulated by insulin, corticosterone, and diet. Plasma triglycerides, free fatty acids, total ketone bodies, glucose, and glycerol were all significantly increased by corticosterone and the choice diet but inhibited by insulin. In contrast, plasma leptin was only increased by insulin and diet, plasma glucagon and liver glycogen was only affected by insulin and liver triglycerides, and arcuate nucleus proopiomelanocortin mRNA was only influenced by diet. Collectively, these data show that corticosterone and insulin determine the intake, form, and compartmentalization of energy both independently and interactively.
Bladder hyperactivity and increased excitability of bladder afferent neurons associated with reduced expression of Kv1.4 α-subunit in rats with cystitis
Authors: Hayashi Yukio , Takimoto Koichi , Chancellor Michael B. , Erickson Kristin A. , Erickson Vickie L. , Kirimoto Tsukasa , Nakano Koushi , de Groat William C. , Yoshimura Naoki
Published: March 2009

Hyperexcitability of C-fiber bladder afferent pathways has been proposed to contribute to urinary frequency and bladder pain in chronic bladder inflammation including interstitial cystitis. However, the detailed mechanisms inducing afferent hyperexcitability after bladder inflammation are not fully understood. Thus, we investigated changes in the properties of bladder afferent neurons in rats with bladder inflammation induced by intravesical application of hydrochloric acid. Eight days after the treatment, bladder function and bladder sensation were analyzed using cystometry and an electrodiagnostic device of sensory function (Neurometer), respectively. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings and immunohistochemical staining were also performed in dissociated bladder afferent neurons identified by a retrograde tracing dye, Fast Blue, injected into the bladder wall. Cystitis rats showed urinary frequency that was inhibited by pretreatment with capsaicin and bladder hyperalgesia mediated by C-fibers. Capsaicin-sensitive bladder afferent neurons from sham rats exhibited high thresholds for spike activation and a phasic firing pattern, whereas those from cystitis rats showed lower thresholds for spike activation and a tonic firing pattern. Transient A-type K+current density in capsaicin-sensitive bladder afferent neurons was significantly smaller in cystitis rats than in sham rats, although sustained delayed-rectifier K+current density was not altered after cystitis. The expression of voltage-gated K+Kv1.4 α-subunits, which can form A-type K+channels, was reduced in bladder afferent neurons from cystitis rats. These data suggest that bladder inflammation increases bladder afferent neuron excitability by decreasing expression of Kv1.4 α-subunits. Similar changes in capsaicin-sensitive C-fiber afferent terminals may contribute to bladder hyperactivity and hyperalgesia due to acid-induced bladder inflammation.
Autophagy: molecular machinery, regulation, and implications for renal pathophysiology
Authors: Periyasamy-Thandavan Sudharsan , Jiang Man , Schoenlein Patricia , Dong Zheng
Published: March 2009

Autophagy is a cellular process of “self-eating.” During autophagy, a portion of cytoplasm is enveloped in double membrane-bound structures called autophagosomes, which undergo maturation and fusion with lysosomes for degradation. At the core of the molecular machinery of autophagy is a specific family of genes or proteins called Atg. Originally identified in yeast, Atg orthologs are now being discovered in mammalian cells and have been shown to play critical roles in autophagy. Traditionally, autophagy is recognized as a cellular response to nutrient deprivation or starvation whereby cells digest cytoplasmic organelles and macromolecules to recycle nutrients for self-support. However, studies during the last few years have indicated that autophagy is a general cellular response to stress. Interestingly, depending on experimental conditions, especially stress levels, autophagy can directly induce cell death or act as a mechanism of cell survival. In this review, we discuss the molecular machinery, regulation, and function of autophagy. In addition, we analyze the recent findings of autophagy in renal systems and its possible role in renal pathophysiology.
Cisplatin-induced apoptosis in p53-deficient renal cells via the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway
Authors: Jiang Man , Wang Cong-Yi , Huang Shuang , Yang Tianxin , Dong Zheng
Published: March 2009

Nephrotoxicity is the major limiting factor for the use of cisplatin in cancer therapy. Recent studies have demonstrated an important role for p53 in cisplatin-induced renal injury. Nevertheless, pharmacological and genetic blockade of p53 only provides partial renoprotective effects, suggesting the presence of p53-independent injury mechanisms. To understand the p53-independent mechanisms, we have now examined cisplatin-induced apoptosis in p53-deficient kidney cells. We show that cisplatin could induce Bax activation, cytochrome c release, and apoptosis in primary cultures of p53-deficient renal tubular cells, albeit at a level that was lower than in the wild-type cells. Cisplatin could also induce typical apoptosis in p53-deficient baby mouse kidney (BMK) cells. The apoptosis was caspase dependent and could be completely blocked by general caspase inhibitors. Bax and Bak, two key molecules in the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, were interdependently activated by cisplatin, with Bax translocation to and Bax/Bak oligomerization in mitochondria, leading to cytochrome c release. Importantly, cytochrome c release and apoptosis were diminished in Bax/Bak single or double-knockout BMK cells. Furthermore, overexpression of Bcl-2 could ameliorate cisplatin-induced cytochrome c release and apoptosis. Together, the results have demonstrated a p53-independent mechanism of cisplatin nephrotoxicity that involves the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis.
Noradrenergic Regulation of GABAergic Inhibition of Main Olfactory Bulb Mitral Cells Varies as a Function of Concentration and Receptor Subtype
Authors: Nai Qiang , Dong Hong-Wei , Hayar Abdallah , Linster Christiane , Ennis Matthew
Published: March 2009

The main olfactory bulb (MOB) receives a rich noradrenergic innervation from the pontine nucleus locus coeruleus (LC). Previous studies indicate that norepinephrine (NE) modulates the strength of GABAergic inhibition in MOB. However, the nature of this modulation and the NE receptors involved remain controversial. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of NE receptor subtypes in modulating the GABAergic inhibition of mitral cells using patch-clamp electrophysiology in rat MOB slices. NE concentration dependently and bi-directionally modulated GABAA receptor–mediated spontaneous and miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs/mIPSCs) recorded in mitral cells. Low doses of NE suppressed sIPSCs and mIPSCs because of activation of α2 receptors. Intermediate concentrations of NE increased sIPSCs and mIPSCs primarily because of activation of α1 receptors. In contrast, activation of β receptors increased sIPSCs but not mIPSCs. These results indicate that NE release regulates the strength of GABAergic inhibition of mitral cells depending on the NE receptor subtype activated. Functionally, the differing affinity of noradrenergic receptor subtypes seems to allow for dynamic modulation of GABAergic inhibition in MOB as function of the extracellular NE concentration, which in turn, is regulated by behavioral state.
On the Nonoscillation of Second‐Order Neutral Delay Differential Equation with Forcing Term
Authors: Zhang Jin-Zhu , Jin Zhen , Su Tie-Xiong , Wang Jian-Jun , Zhang Zhi-Yu , Yan Ju-Rang
Published: March 2009

This paper is concerned with nonoscillation of second‐order neutral delay
differential equation with forcing term. By using contraction mapping principle,
some sufficient conditions for the existence of nonoscillatory solution are established.
The criteria obtained in this paper complement and extend several known results in
the literature. Some examples illustrating our main results are given.
NiO Nanoparticles Synthesis by Chemical Precipitation and Effect of Applied Surfactant on Distribution of Particle Size
Authors: Bahari Molla Mahaleh Y. , Sadrnezhaad S. K. , Hosseini D.
Published: March 2009

Production of NiO by chemical precipitation is the approach utilized in this work. Materials mainly used in this project are nickel nitrate hex hydrate (as a basic material), sodium hydroxide (as a precipitator material), and the following surfactants (for reduction in particle size). Applied surfactants are in two kinds: polymeric (PVP, PEG) and cationic (CTAB) surfactants, 1.0 gram. Nanopowders properties are identified by TG, FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TEM. The results obtained confirm the presence of nickel oxide nanopowders produced during chemical precipitation.
Hemodynamic Effect of Unequal Anterior Cerebral Artery Flow Rates on the Anterior Communicating Artery Bifurcation: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Study
Authors: Rau Thomas , He Xing , Venugopal Prem , Viñuela Fernando , Duckwiler Gary , Valentino Daniel J.
Published: March 2009

Computational fluid dynamics techniques were used to investigate the hemodynamic effect
of unequal anterior cerebral artery flow rates on the anterior cerebral and anterior communicating
artery (ACA‐ACOM) bifurcation. Hemodynamics have long been implicated as a major
factor in cerebrovascular disease. Using an idealized 2D symmetric model of the ACA‐ACOM
geometry, the flow field and wall shear stress (WSS) at the bifurcation regions are assessed
for pulsatile inflows with left to right flow ratios of 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1. Unequal flow rates
through the ACA parent arteries result in bifurcation of the higher flow parent stream and a
shifting of the impingement points along the A2‐ACOM adjoining wall toward the contralateral ACA. Cross‐flow through the ACOM is generally unstable and results in increased WSS
at the impingement region from the higher flow parent artery and a double amplitude peak
in the WSS at the contralateral bifurcation region from local recirculation effects. These results
suggest that asymmetry in ACA flow rates result in increased hemodynamic stresses at the ACA‐ACOM bifurcation regions and suggest a possible factor for vessel weakening and
aneurysm formation.
Laser-Induced Photon-Branched Chain Reaction
in a Chemically-Active Gas-Dispersed Medium
Authors: Letfullin Renat R. , George Thomas F. , Duree Galen C.
Published: March 2009

A promising avenue in the development of high-energy pulsed chemical HF/DF lasers and amplifiers is the utilization of a
photon-branched chain reaction initiated in a two-phase active medium, that is, a medium containing a laser working gas
and ultradispersed passivated metal particles. These particles are evaporated under the action of IR laser radiation which
results in the appearance of free atoms, their diffusion into the gas, and the development of a photon-branching chain
process, which involves photons as both reactants and products. The key obstacle here is the formation of a relatively
large volume (in excess of 103 cm3) of the stable active medium and filling this
volume homogeneously for a short time with a submicron monodisperse metal aerosol, which has specified properties. In this paper, results are presented for an extensive study of laser initiation of a photon-branched chain reaction in a
gas-dispersed H2–F2
medium.
Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 and Nitric Oxide Levels in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Tuncel Deniz , Inanc Tolun Fatma , Toru Ismail
Published: March 2009

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of circulating growth hormone (GH), insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in the patients suffering from Parkinson's disease (PD). The study groups were consisted of 25 patients with PD and 25 matched healthy subjects as a control. The NO level of patients in PD group ( mol/L) was significantly lower than that in the control group ( mol/L) (P:.011). Although there were no statistically significant differences in the GH, IGF-1, and IGF BP-3 levels among the two groups, in this preliminary study, we found low NO and mildly elevated IGF-1 levels in the patients with PD. The results may be associated with adaptation or protective mechanisms in the neurodegenerative disease processes such as seen in the PD. Further studies should be carried out to confirm our results.
Existence of Positive Solutions for m‐Point Boundary Value Problems on Time Scales
Authors: Zhang Ying , Qiao ShiDong
Published: March 2009

We study the one‐dimensional p‐Laplacian m‐point boundary value problem , t ∈ [0, 1] T, u(0) = 0, , where T is a time scale, φp(s) = |s|p−2s, p > 1, some new results are obtained for the existence of at least one, two, and three
positive solution/solutions of the above problem by using Krasnosel′skll′s fixed point theorem, new fixed point theorem due to Avery and Henderson, as well as
Leggett‐Williams fixed point theorem. This is probably the first time the existence of positive
solutions of one‐dimensional p‐Laplacian m‐point boundary value problem on time scales has been studied.
Trace Element Concentrations in Bearded Seals (Erignathus barbatus) Near Red Dog Mine Compared to Other Locations in Alaska
Authors: Quakenbush Lori , Citta John J.
Published: March 2009

To determine if bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) harvested near a zinc and lead mine (Red Dog, Alaska , USA) by subsistence hunters from Kivalina, Alaska, were as safe to eat as bearded seals from other locations in Alaska, we compared 19 trace element concentrations in liver tissue. Liver concentrations from nine bearded seals harvested near the Red Dog Mine (RDM) port site were compared with 15 bearded seals from two reference sites (Hooper Bay and Little Diomede, Alaska, USA). Concentrations did not differ by gender, but we found statistically significant trends in concentrations of cadmium, mercury, manganese, selenium, and vanadium with age. Arsenic and copper were the only elements found to be more concentrated in the liver of bearded seals harvested near RDM than in the other locations. The predominant form of arsenic in marine mammals is known to be a nontoxic organic form, not the toxic inorganic form, and copper is an essential element. Although elevated near RDM, neither element was found at concentrations that presented health risks. We found no evidence that bearded seals harvested near RDM were less safe to eat or that trace element concentrations were greater than those found in bearded seals harvested elsewhere in Alaska or Canada.
Churg-Strauss Syndrome following PTU Treatment
Authors: Quax R. A. M. , Swaak A. J. G. , Baggen M. G. A.
Published: March 2009

Propylthiouracil (PTU) is a frequently prescribed drug in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. The use of PTU is, however, accompanied by numerous potentially serious side effects including vasculitis. PTU-related vasculitides can present as haematuria, pulmonary haemorrhage, or cutaneous lesion together with aspecific symptoms such as fever, myalgia, arthralgia, and fatigue. Cerebral involvement is seldom observed. We present a 49-year-old female with Graves' disease and asthma, who developed paresis of the proximal extremities, eosinophilia, pulmonary, and cutaneous lesions following treatment with PTU. A cerebral vasculitis consistent with Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) was suspected. Although cerebral involvement is seldom observed with PTU treatment, cerebral vasculitis should be considered in patients developing CNS symptoms.
Arterial–Venous Specification During Development
Authors: Swift Matthew R. , Weinstein Brant M.
Published: March 2009

The major arteries and veins of the vertebrate circulatory system are formed early in embryonic development, before the onset of circulation, following de novo aggregation of “angioblast” progenitors in a process called vasculogenesis. Initial embryonic determination of artery or vein identity is regulated by variety of genetic factors that work in concert to specify endothelial cell fate, giving rise to 2 distinct components of the circulatory loop possessing unique structural characteristics. Work in multiple in vivo animal model systems has led to a detailed examination of the interacting partners that determine arterial and venous specification. We discuss the hierarchical arrangement of many signaling molecules, including Hedgehog (Hh), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Notch, and chicken ovalbumin upstream-transcription factor II (COUP-TFII) that promote or inhibit divergent pathways of endothelial cell fate. Elucidation of the functional role of these genetic determinants of blood vessel specification together with the epigenetic factors involved in subsequent modification of arterial–venous identity will allow for potential new therapeutic targets for vascular disorders.
Hell Disarmed? The Function of Hell in Reformation Spirituality
Authors: Rasmussen Tarald
Published: March 2009

In Late Medieval Christianity, the concept of hell was closely connected to the sacrament of penance. Hell could be avoided through the right use of penance. And the cleansing sufferings in purgatory could to a certain extent replace the eternal sufferings in hell. The Protestant Reformation rejected purgatory, and returned to a traditional dualistic view of the relationship between heaven and hell. At the same time, hell seems to lose some of its religious importance in early Protestant spirituality. This change is illustrated through a comparison of two central texts belonging more or less to the same genre: on the one hand the famous Late Medieval illustrated

Ars moriendi

and on the other Luther's

Sermon von der Bereitung zum Sterben

from 1519.
The Longue Durée of the French Bourgeoisie
Authors: Heller Henry
Published: March 2009

Beginning with Engels, Marxist historiography viewed the absolute monarchy in France as mediating between the nobility and the emergent capitalist bourgeoisie. More recent Marxist accounts stress that the absolute monarchy reflected the interests of the nobility. Revisionist Marxist historians have taken this perspective to an extreme arguing that, at the height of the Bourbon monarchy in the seventeenth century, a capitalist bourgeoisie did not exist. This paper argues that, in taking such a view, these historians have ignored the ongoing dialectical opposition between the forces of rent and profit in the early-modern period. As a result, they have severed the connection between the ancien régime and the Revolution of 1789. Despite being thrown on the defensive by the advance of rent and the crystallisation of the absolutist state, a capitalist bourgeoisie that emerged in sixteenth-century France survived and persevered during the seventeenth century. It resumed the initiative in the succeeding period of the Enlightenment.
Contradiction and Abstraction: A Reply to Finelli
Authors: Arthur Christopher
Published: March 2009

Following the publication of my book The New Dialectic and Marx's 'Capital', and the symposium on it in Historical Materialism 13.2, a critique by Roberto Finelli recently appeared: 'Abstraction versus Contradiction: Observations on Chris Arthur's The New Dialectic and Marx's “Capital”' in Historical Materialism 15.2. Finelli argues that my systematic dialectic is not taken sufficiently far, in that I retain presuppositions not posited by the capitalist totality. Here, I argue against Finelli's closed totality of wholly abstract forms, not least because it affords no realistic exit strategy. I reaffirm that the logic of contradiction is required to conceptualise the capital relation.
Die radikale Linke als Massenbewegung. Kommunisten in Harburg-Wilhelmsburg 1918–1933
Authors: Bois Marcel
Published: March 2009

In the mid-1990s, Klaus-Michael Mallmann published his study on 'Communists in the Weimar Republic'. His newly established social-historical approach on the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) has since been taken up by other historians. One of them is Christian Gotthardt, who recently published a book with the promising title 'The Radical Left as a Mass Movement'. Here he focuses on the regional history of the KPD in the city of Harburg-Wilhelmsburg. The great strength of his book is the detailed description of the local Communists' day-to-day work. However, when turning his attention to the turning points of KPD history, the problems associated with adopting Mallman's social-historical approach become obvious. For example this leads them both to reject the theory of 'Stalinisation'. The article shows that Gotthardt, as well as Mallmann, had come to questionable conclusions on the development of the KPD of the Weimar Republic by focusing on events outside of their context in time and space.
Time Keeps on Ticking
Authors: Spengler Paul M. , White Michael J. , Ægisdóttir Stefanía , Maugherman Alan S.
Published: March 2009

In this rejoinder, the authors respond to reactions by Ridley and Shaw-Ridley and by Lichtenberg to their meta-analysis on the effects of experience on clinical judgment decision making accuracy.
Self-Construal in Chile and Norway
Authors: Kolstad Arnulf , Horpestad Silje
Published: March 2009

The study compares Chilean and Norwegian self-construal with regard to the concepts of independence and interdependence. Chile has been characterized as collectivistic and Norway as individualistic, and the hypothesis is that this characterization also distinguishes self-perception as independent and interdependent, respectively. The total sample consists of 368 university students. The instrument, Self-Construal Scale (SCS), measures the strength of independence and interdependence. The Chilean sample reports a higher score on both constructs. Both samples report the highest score on independence. The results are inconsistent with previous models that characterize Chile as collectivistic and Norway as individualistic. These characterizations are questioned. The findings also imply that a particular score on either independence or interdependence does not predict the score on the opposite variable. Individuals in the two cultures have a unique blend of independent and interdependent self-appraisal, which represent a composite mix of individualistic and collective elements in each culture.
Moving In/Out of Brussels' Historical Core in the Early 2000s: Migration and the Effects of Gentrification
Authors: Van Criekingen Mathieu
Published: March 2009

Exploring migration dynamics associated with gentrification is particularly important in order to shed light on the nature and contested effects of such processes. Quite paradoxically, however, this aspect remains underinvestigated in the gentrification literature. This paper explores the migratory dimensions of gentrification in Brussels' historical core, hence offering a view from a city wherein current rounds of middle-class reinvestment of inner urban space operate under circumstances that partially contrast with those reported from more prominent global cities. Findings stress that educated young adults living alone and renting from private landlords are predominant among both in- and out-movers to or from Brussels' historical core, suggesting in turn that renting in a gentrifying area is for most of them associated with a transitional step in their housing career. In addition, findings indicate that displacement of vulnerable residents is a limited but actual constituent of the migration dynamics in Brussels' historical core and point to other harmful consequences of gentrification in the area. In Brussels, gentrification and its effects operate under circumstances associated with the preponderance of a poorly regulated private rental housing market in the city's inner neighbourhoods.
(Re)Analysing Community Empowerment: Rationalities and Technologies of Government in Bristol's New Deal for Communities
Authors: MacLeavy Julie
Published: March 2009

Urban regeneration is increasingly framed around notions of community empowerment. Policy programmes seek to make communities visible and then strengthen and support them through the establishment of a leadership role in urban regeneration practices. At first glance, this appears to be a positive development. Yet commentators note how community partnerships—seen to invoke a `rolling back' of the state—are indicative of a particular economic logic that is governing urban policy provision. Partnerships, it is argued, constitute tokenistic organisations that do not represent the diversity of interests within a particular area. Instead, they work primarily in support of business or government agendas. This paper re-orientates this critique. Focusing on one example of a community-led urban regeneration programme—New Deal for Communities in Bristol—it explores the subjects and spaces to emerge in and through this new form of governance. By identifying the manner in which New Deal for Communities composes all participants as partnering subjects, it posits community engagement as the medium through which power is being reconstituted in extremely comprehensive ways. It then questions the possibilities for developing and sustaining alternative forms of collaborative practice.
In the Service of Tyranny: Debating the Role of Planning in Zimbabwe's Urban `Clean-up' Operation
Authors: Kamete Amin Y.
Published: March 2009

The paper debates the role of planning in `Operation Murambatsvina/Restore Order', Zimbabwe's 2005 controversial urban clean-up campaign. The discussion critically assesses two perspectives regarding the purported contribution and complicity of planning in what critics perceive to be the machinations of a regime that is internationally viewed as nefarious. This is done, first, by interrogating the role and contribution of planners and planning to the instigation and design of the operation before it was launched and, secondly, by determining the extent to which planners and planning served as the handmaiden of state repression during the operation. After weighing relevant empirical evidence on the culpability of planning, the discussion concludes that, while planning may escape the first charge, it certainly has a case to answer on the second.
Does Private Management of Water Supply Services Really Increase Prices? An Empirical Analysis in Spain
Authors: Martínez-Espiñeira Roberto , García-Valiñas Maria A. , González-Gómez Francisco
Published: March 2009

This paper attempts to explain differences in the average price of domestic water supply services in Spain, paying special attention to the effects of privatisation of the service on price levels. The empirical analysis is based on the application of a `treatment effects' model on a sample of 53 major urban municipalities. This model accounts for the fact that municipalities do not randomly distribute themselves between a group using strictly public ownership and management and a group where all or part of the service has been delegated to a private firm. It is found that, once this endogeneity is taken into account, there seems to be a positive and significant effect of privatisation on water price levels.
The Nursing Practice Environment and Nurse-Perceived Quality of Geriatric Care in Hospitals
Authors: Kim Hongsoo , Capezuti Elizabeth , Boltz Marie , Fairchild Susan
Published: March 2009

The relationships between general and geriatric-specific nursing practice environments (NPEs) and nurse-perceived quality of geriatric care in hospitals were examined using the Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystems Elders benchmarking database. The overall general NPE was negatively related, but the overall geriatric-specific NPE was positively related to quality of geriatric care. Among five subdomains of the general NPE measured by the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, Nurse Participation in Hospital Affairs was positively related to quality of geriatric care, whereas two subdomains were not significant, and another two were negatively related to quality of geriatric care. All three subdomains of the geriatric-specific NPE measured by the Geriatric Nursing Practice Environment scale were positively related to quality of geriatric care when adjusting for general NPE. These findings suggest geriatric-specific organizational support combined with nurse involvement in hospital decision making is critical for delivering quality geriatric care.
Anchoring-and-Adjustment Bias in Communication of Disease Risk
Authors: Senay Ibrahim , Kaphingst Kimberly A.
Published: March 2009

Over the next decade, advances in genomics will make it increasingly possible to provide patients with personalized, genetic-based risks of common diseases, allowing them the opportunity to take preventive steps through behavioral changes. However, previous research indicates that people may insufficiently adjust their subjective risk to the objective risk value communicated to them by a healthcare provider, a phenomenon called anchoring-and-adjustment bias. In this narrative review, we analyze existing research on how patients process disease-risk information, and the processing biases that may occur, to show that the bias observed in disease-risk communication is potentially malleable to change. We recommend that, to reduce this bias and change patients' misperceptions of disease risk in clinical settings, future studies investigate the effects of forewarning patients about the bias, tailoring risk information to their numeracy level, emphasizing social roles, increasing motivation to form accurate risk perception, and reducing social stigmatization, disease worry and information overload.
Meniscal Repair in the Elite Athlete
Authors: Logan Martin , Watts Mark , Owen James , Myers Peter
Published: March 2009

Background

The preservation of meniscal tissue is important to protect joint surfaces.

Purpose

We have an aggressive approach to meniscal repair, including repairing tears other than those classically suited to repair. Here we present the medium- to long-term outcome of meniscal repair (inside-out) in elite athletes.

Study Design

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

Forty-two elite athletes underwent 45 meniscal repairs. All repairs were performed using an arthroscopically assisted inside-out technique. Eighty-three percent of these athletes had ACL reconstruction at the same time. Patients returned a completed questionnaire (including Lysholm and International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC] scores). Mean follow-up was 8.5 years. Failure was defined by patients developing symptoms of joint line pain and/or locking or swelling requiring repeat arthroscopy and partial meniscectomy.

Results

The average Lysholm and subjective IKDC scores were 89.6 and 85.4, respectively. Eighty-one percent of patients returned to their main sport and most to a similar level at a mean time of 10.4 months after repair, reflecting the high level of ACL reconstruction in this group. We identified 11 definite failures, 10 medial and 1 lateral meniscus, that required excision; this represents a 24% failure rate. We identified 1 further patient who had possible failed repairs, giving a worst-case failure rate of 26.7% at a mean of 42 months after surgery. However, 7 of these failures were associated with a further injury. Therefore, the atraumatic failure rate was 11%. Age and size and location of the tears were not associated with a higher failure rate. Medial meniscal repairs were significantly more likely to fail than lateral meniscal repairs, with a failure rate of 36.4% and 5.6%, respectively ( P < .05).

Conclusion

Meniscal repair and healing are possible, and most elite athletes can return to their preinjury level of activity.
The Use of Mobility Devices Among Institutionalized Older Adults
Authors: Clarke Philippa , Chan Pamela , Santaguida P. Lina , Colantonio Angela
Published: March 2009

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to examine the demographic, health, and social characteristics of mobility device users in long-term care settings. Methods: Data were used from a recently institutionalized sample of older adults from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the factors associated with the use of different mobility devices (cane, walker, or wheelchair). Results: Over 70% used mobility aids (over 50% used a wheelchair). Mobility limitations were strongly associated with the use of mobility devices. However, among those with mobility limitations, educational resources reduced the odds of wheelchair use. Conclusions: Consistent with findings from the community setting, need factors are strongly associated with the use of mobility aids in institutions. However, socioeconomic resources may provide older adults with alternate ways to manage mobility limitations in institutional settings.
On the Modern Meaning of Philanthropy
Authors: Sulek Marty
Published: March 2009

The academic study of philanthropy presupposes a comprehensive definition that guides inquiry into what, exactly, philanthropy is and why it matters. At present, though, no such well-thought-out definition exists. Scholars tend to explore various facets of philanthropy, according to their particular academic interests, but without a comprehensive understanding of its full meaning. This article attempts to correct this lack of synoptic understanding by surveying prominent instances of usage and definitions of philanthropy in the modern era and synthesizing them into a overall framework for understanding its full modern meaning. In so doing, philanthropy is revealed to be a signal word, the evolution in the meaning of which reflects historically dominant philosophical and cultural trends in modern Western society. The subject of this article is further explored in a forthcoming article, to be published in the next issue of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, titled “On the Classical Meaning of Philanthrôpía.”
Ethics of Family Narrative Therapy
Authors: Miller Christopher Peyton , Forrest Alan W.
Published: March 2009

Narrative therapy allows the family to create new meanings for each member of a family while integrating family history. Narrative family counseling should be examined by family counselors for its effects on families and individuals. Potential ethical issues arise when the counselor using narrative methods explores the family's knowledge of itself and each individual's experience within the family. In this article, ethical dilemmas in narrative family therapy are examined and discussed.
Intimate Partner Violence Against Athabaskan Women Residing in Interior Alaska
Authors: Wood Darryl S. , Magen Randy H.
Published: March 2009

A survey instrument mirroring the National Violence Against Women Survey was administered in person to measure the incidence and prevalence of intimate partner violence against Athabaskan women residing in the interior of Alaska. Roughly two thirds of respondents (63.7%) reported an intimate partner assault victimization at some point in their adult lifetime, and 18% of the respondents reported that they had been physically assaulted by an intimate partner in the year preceding the survey. Findings revealed that intimate partner assault victimization is more prevalent and is considerably more frequent when compared to that reported for American women in general.
Material and Spatial Motion Problems in Nonlinear Electro- and Magneto-elastostatics
Authors: Vu D.K. , Steinmann P.
Published: March 2009

In this paper, material and spatial motion problems of the coupled nonlinear problem of electro-and magneto-elastostatics are discussed in the context of non-potential loading where mechanical loads are not assumed to be derived explicitly from some potential. A virtual work approach is used to derive the corresponding balance equations and boundary conditions of the material motion problems.
Must Elastic Materials be Hyperelastic?
Authors: Carroll M.M.
Published: March 2009

Rivlin's observation that elastic stress response that does not derive from a strain energy (Cauchy elasticity) admits negative work in closed cycles of deformations is demonstrated for specific isotropic stress responses and for a simple closed cycle of deformation. It is concluded that elastic materials must be hyperelastic.
Generalized Coupled Thermoplasticity Taking into Account Large Strains: Part I. Conditions of Uniqueness of the Solution of Boundary-Value Problem and Bifurcation Criteria
Authors: Śloderbach Zdzisław , Pajak Janusz
Published: March 2009

The global and local conditions of uniqueness and the criteria excluding a possibility of bifurcation of the equilibrium state for large and small strains are derived. The conditions and criteria are derived analyzing the problem of uniqueness of solution of the basic incremental boundary problem of coupled generalized thermoplasticity. This paper is a continuation of some previous work, but contains new derivation of the global and local criteria excluding a possibility of bifurcation of the equilibrium state for a comparison body dependent on statically admissible fields of stress velocity. All the thermomechanical coupling effects, non-associated laws of plastic flow and influence of plastic strains on thermoplastic properties of a body were taken into account in this work. Thus, the mathematical problem considered here is not a self-conjugated problem.
Point-Source Elastic Scattering by a Nested Piecewise Homogeneous Obstacle in an Elastic Environment
Authors: Athanasiadis C.E. , Stratis I.G. , Sevroglou V. , Tsitsas N.L.
Published: March 2009

A nested piecewise homogeneous elastic scatterer is embedded in a homogeneous elastic environment. The scatterer’s core may be rigid, cavity, Robin, or lossy penetrable. A 2D or 3D incident elastic field, generated by a point-source located in the homogeneous environment, impinges on the scatterer. The scattering problem is formulated in a dyadic form. The main purpose of this paper is to establish scattering relations for the elastic point-source excitation of a nested piecewise homogeneous scatterer. To this direction, we establish reciprocity principles and general scattering theorems relating the scattered fields with the corresponding far-field patterns. Furthermore, for a scatterer excited by a point-source and a plane wave, mixed scattering relations are derived. The optical theorem, relating the scattering cross-section with the field at the point-source’s location a is recovered as a corollary of the general scattering theorem. We present a detailed investigation for the 2D case and summarize the results for the 3D case, pointing out the main differences in the analysis.
Some Remarks on the fcc-fct Phase Transformation in InTl Alloys
Authors: Pitteri M.
Published: March 2009

Zimmer and collaborators have recently proposed an alternative approach to Landau’s for phase transformations, in which they replace the energy expression in terms of polynomials, a stiff family of functions, with one in terms of more flexible functions, for instance certain splines. One of the arguments in favor of this more flexible choice is the inability of an energy proposed earlier by Ericksen and James to fit reasonably well all the elasticities of an InTl alloy, in particular the wide difference in the measured L̂44 and L̂66 elasticities of the InTl martensite. While the proposal of Zimmer is theoretically very interesting and fit for numerical applications, and shows potential for modelling materials with complex internal structure, here I show that the pessimism about the standard Landau approach is indeed excessive as far as the weak points of the Ericksen-James energy are concerned. I propose a fourth-degree polynomial energy which extends the one of Ericksen and provides a fairly accurate fit of the equilibria as well as the elasticities for an In15.5\%Tl alloy; and perhaps also for different compositions in the InTl family. The starting point is the version of Ericksen’s theory [5] given in [12].
Negative Priming Within a Stroop Task in Children and Adolescents With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Their Siblings, and Independent Controls
Authors: Christiansen Hanna , Oades Robert D.
Published: March 2009

Objective: Negative priming (NP) is the slowed response to a stimulus that was previously ignored. Response times in NP task conditions were compared with the interference provided by congruent/incongruent stimuli in a Stroop condition in the same task in children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), their unaffected siblings, and independent controls. Method: Speed, accuracy, and variability of responses were compared using a computerized NP Stroop test for 35 children with ADHD, 24 siblings without diagnosis, and 37 independent healthy controls aged 6 to 17 years. Results: NP was evident at test onset for congruent trials in children without a diagnosis and was reduced initially in those with ADHD occurring in the absence of a significant Stroop interference effect and independently of age or symptom severity. Incongruency masked NP effects. Cases showed more intraindividual response-time variability. Conclusions: Both NP in normal children and its reduction in ADHD cases attenuated across trials reflecting the increased facilitation from previous stimulation.
Hunting the Unobservables for Optimal Social Security
Authors: Caliendo Frank N. , Gahramanov Emin
Published: March 2009

We study the optimal size of a pay-as-you-go social security program for an economy composed of both permanent-income and hand-to-mouth consumers. While previous work on this topic is framed within a two-period partial equilibrium setup, we study this issue in a life-cycle general equilibrium model. Because this type of welfare analysis depends critically on unobservable preference parameters, we methodically consider all parameterizations of the unobservables that are both feasible and reasonable—all parameterizations that can mimic key features of macro data (feasible) while still being consistent with micro evidence and convention (reasonable). The baseline model predicts that the optimal tax rate is between 6 percent and 15 percent of wage income.
Do Tax Incentives Affect Investment?
Authors: Gurley-Calvez Tami , Gilbert Thomas J. , Harper Katherine , Marples Donald J. , Daly Kevin
Published: March 2009

The authors construct panels of individual and corporate income tax data from 1997 to 2004 to investigate whether the new markets tax credit (NMTC) program leads to increased investment. The authors' approach is unique in the examination of development incentives as their focus is on investor behavior instead of community-level outcomes. They use both instrumental variables and propensity score approaches to address nonrandom selection into the program. The authors' results suggest at least a portion of NMTC investment by individual investors is ``new'' investment financed through a decrease in consumption. This ``new'' investment represents an increase in investment funds available to low-income communities. On the corporate side, the authors find no change in corporate investment levels in response to the NMTC. Using survey data from the Government Accountability Office, the authors infer that corporations have most likely shifted investment funds from higher income communities to NMTC-eligible communities.
Vocabulary Instruction Through Books Read in American Sign Language for English-Language Learners With Hearing Loss
Authors: Cannon Joanna E. , Fredrick Laura D. , Easterbrooks Susan R.
Published: March 2009

Reading to children improves vocabulary acquisition through incidental exposure, and it is a best practice for parents and teachers of children who can hear. Children who are deaf or hard of hearing are at risk for not learning vocabulary as such. This article describes a procedure for using books read on DVD in American Sign Language with English-language learners who are deaf or hard of hearing. This research examined the effectiveness of DVDs as a tool to increase a student’s production of the printed word in American Sign Language. The researchers used expository books with math vocabulary in a multiple-baseline design (ABC) across three sets of five vocabulary words. Four participants aged 10 to 12 with severe to profound hearing loss engaged in vocabulary activities using the DVD math expository books read through American Sign Language. DVDs alone were less effective for increasing vocabulary than when accompanied with preteaching of the target vocabulary words.
Proshchenkoite-(Y) from Russia — a new mineral species in the vicanite group: descriptive data and crystal structure
Authors: Raade G. , Grice J. D. , Erambert M. , Kristiansson P. , Witzke T.
Published: March 2009

A REE-bearing fluorosilicate from the Tommot REE-Nb deposit in Yakutia, Russia, described without a name in 1966, is characterized here as a new species, proshchenkoite-(Y), of the vicanite group of borosilicates. Wavelength-dispersive electron probe analyses gave the following empirical formula: Y3.70REE7.54Ca1.55Na1.16Mn0.77Th0.10Pb0.01)Σ14.83(Fe2+0.83Mn0.15Ti0.02)Σ1.00Ca1.00(P0.70Si0.26As0.04)Σ1.00Si0.26B3.20(O34.55F13.45)Σ48. Boron was analysed with a nuclear microprobe method based on the nuclear reaction 11B(p,α)2α. The simplified formula is (Y,REE,Ca,Mn)15(Fe2+,Mn)Ca(P,Si)Si6B3O34F14. The mineral is trigonal, R3m, with a = 10.7527(7) Å, c = 27.4002(18) Å, V = 2743.6(6) Å 3, Z = 3. The crystal structure was refined to Rl = 0.042 for 1819 observed reflections. Proshchenkoite-(Y) is isostructural with okanoganite-(Y), vicanite-(Ce) and hundholmenite-(Y), and the differences in site occupancies are discussed. The strongest six reflections of the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern [dobs in Å, (I), (hkl)] are: 4.441, (36), (202); 3.144, (77), (214); 3.028, (45). (009); 2.968, (100), (027); 1.782, (32), (330); and 1.713, (32), (1.2.14). The mineral is optically uniaxial (—) with ω 1.734(2) and 8 1.728(2). The Mohs hardness is about 5; density measured on material subject to incipient metamictization is 4.72 g/cm3, as compared to Dcalc = 4.955 g/cm3.

The result of electron microprobe analyses of alleged okanoganite-(Y) from the type locality in Okanogan County, Washington, USA, is also presented. We find here also that P > Si at one of the sites, whereas the analytical data of Boiocchi et al. (2004) indicate Si > P. Consequently, the mineral we have analysed is the P analogue of okanoganite-(Y), another new species.