bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mipu1 Inhibits Lipid Accumulation Through Down-Regulation of CD36 in RAW264.7 Cells
Authors: Qu Shun-Lin , Fan Wen-Jing , Zhang Chi , Guo Fang , Pan Wen-Jun , Han Dan , Li Wei , Zhu Yu-Ning , Jiang Zhi-Sheng
Published: September 2015

Background/Aims: Our recent data indicated that Mipu1 overexpression reduces lipid intake and CD36 expression of macrophages in the presence of oxLDL. However, the mechanism of Mipu1 inhibiting lipid accumulation in macrophages is not elucidated. Methods: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blot analysis were used to detect expression of Mipu1 and CD36. The promoter activity of CD36 was studied using luciferase assays. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) was used to show the recruitment of Mipu1 onto the CD36 promoter. High-performance liquid chromatography and Dil-labeled lipoprotein were used to detect cholesterol accumulation. Results: Here, we show that CD36 overexpression rescues oxLDL-induced cholesterol accumulation in RAW264.7-Mipu1 cells. Analysis of the mouse CD36 promoter revealed two potential Mipu1-response elements (MRE), one of which (from -237bp to -244bp, ACTTAC) was shown, using mutagenesis and deletion analysis, to be functional. Mipu1 was demonstrated to bind to CD36 promoter, and oxLDL treatment resulted in increases in their interaction as assessed by ChIP. Conclusions: It was demonstrated that Mipu1 inhibited the lipid accumulation of macrophages and it down-regulated CD36 expression in the presence of oxLDL.
Circadian Clock Gene Plays a Key Role on Ovarian Cycle and Spontaneous Abortion
Authors: Li Ruiwen , Cheng Shuting , Wang Zhengrong
Published: September 2015

Background/Aims: Circadian locomotor output cycles protein kaput (CLOCK) plays a key role in maintaining circadian rhythms and activation of downstream elements. However, its function on human female reproductive system remains unknown. Methods: To investigate the potential role of CLOCK, CLOCK-shRNAs were transfected into mouse 129 ES cells or injected into the ovaries of adult female mice. Western blotting was utilized to analyze the protein interactions and flow cytometry was used to assess apoptosis. Results: The expression of CLOCK peaked at the 6th week in the healthy fetuses. However, an abnormal expression of CLOCK was detected in fetuses from spontaneous miscarriage. To determine the effect of CLOCK on female fertility, a small hairpin RNA (shRNA) strategy was used to specifically knockdown the CLOCK gene expression in vitro and in vivo. Knockdown of CLOCK induced apoptosis in mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells and inhibited the proliferation in mES cells in vitro. CLOCK knockdown also led to decreased release of oocytes and smaller litter size compared with control in vivo. Conclusions: Collectively, theses findings indicate that CLOCK plays an important role in fertility and that the CLOCK knockdown leads to reduction in reproduction and increased miscarriage risk.
Innovative Interventional and Imaging Registries: Precision Medicine in Cerebrovascular Disorders
Authors: Liebeskind David S.
Published: September 2015

Background: Precision medicine in cerebrovascular disorders may be greatly advanced by the use of innovative interventional and imaging-intensive registries. Registries have remained subsidiary to randomized controlled trials, yet vast opportunities exist to leverage big data in stroke. Summary: This overview builds upon the rationale for innovative, imaging-intensive interventional registries as a pivotal step in realizing precision medicine for several cerebrovascular disorders. Such enhanced registries may serve as a model for expansion of our translational research pipeline to fully leverage the role of phase IV investigations. The scope and role of registries in precision medicine are considered, followed by a review on the history of stroke and interventional registries, data considerations, critiques or barriers to such initiatives, and the potential modernization of registry methods into efficient, searchable, imaging-intensive resources that simultaneously offer clinical, research and educational added value. Key Messages: Recent advances in technology, informatics and endovascular stroke therapies converge to provide an exceptional opportunity for registries to catapult further progress. There is now a tremendous opportunity to deploy registries in acute stroke, intracranial atherosclerotic disease and carotid disease where other clinical trials leave questions unanswered. Unlike prior registries, imaging-intensive and modernized methods may leverage current technological capabilities around the world to efficiently address key objectives and provide added clinical, research and educational value.
Association of Self-Reported Frailty with Falls and Fractures among Patients New to Dialysis
Authors: Delgado Cynthia , Shieh Stephanie , Grimes Barbara , Chertow Glenn M. , Dalrymple Lorien S. , Kaysen George A. , Kornak John , Johansen Kirsten L.
Published: September 2015

Background: Although frailty has been linked to higher risk of falls and fracture in the general population, only few studies have examined the extent to which frailty is associated with these outcomes among patients with end-stage renal disease, who are at particularly high risk for these events. Methods: A total of 1,646 patients who were beginning maintenance hemodialysis in 297 dialysis units throughout the United States from September 2005 to June 2007 were enrolled in the Comprehensive Dialysis Study, and 1,053 Medicare beneficiaries were included in this study. Self-reported frailty was defined by the patients endorsing 2 or more of the following: poor physical functioning, exhaustion or low physical activity. Falls and fractures requiring medical attention were identified through Medicare claims data. We examined the association between frailty and the time to first fall or fracture using the Fine-Gray modification of Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusted for demographics, Quételet's body mass index, diabetes mellitus, heart failure and atherosclerosis. Results: Seventy-seven percent of patients were frail by self-report. The median length of follow-up was 2.5 (1.0-3.9) years. Crude rates of first medically urgent falls or fractures were 66 and 126 per 1,000 person-years in non-frail and self-reported frail participants, respectively. After accounting for demographic factors, comorbidities and the competing risk of death, self-reported frailty was associated with a higher risk of falls or fractures requiring medical attention (hazards ratio 1.60, 95% CI 1.16-2.20). Conclusion: Participants reporting frailty experienced nearly twice the risk of medically urgent falls or fractures compared to those who did not report frailty.
Effect of Pet Insects on the Psychological Health of Community-Dwelling Elderly People: A Single-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial
Authors: Ko Hae-Jin , Youn Chang-Ho , Kim Seong-Hyun , Kim So-Yun
Published: September 2015

Background: There is evidence that animal-assisted therapy has positive effects on mental health, especially in elderly people. Caring for insects is easy, relatively inexpensive, and does not require much space. Objective: The aim of this 8-week randomized, controlled, single-blinded study was to investigate the effect of pet insects on the psychological health of community-dwelling elderly people. Methods: Elderly subjects (≥65 years old) attending a community center in Daegu, Korea, were enrolled in the study between April and May 2014 and randomized at a 1:1 ratio to receive insect therapy and health advice or only health advice. The insect group received 5 crickets in a cage with sufficient fodder and a detailed instruction manual. At baseline and at 8 weeks, all subjects underwent psychometric tests via a direct interview [Beck Anxiety Inventory, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Insomnia Severity Index, Fatigue Severity Scale, and Brief Encounter Psychosocial Instrument] and laboratory analyses of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, biological antioxidant potential, and derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites). Results: The insect-caring (n = 46) and control (n = 48) groups did not differ in baseline characteristics. The insect-caring group had significantly lower GDS-15 scores at week 8 (3.20 vs. 4.90, p = 0.004) and, after adjustment for baseline values, a significantly greater change in GDS-15 scores relative to baseline (-1.12 vs. 0.20, p = 0.011). They also had a significantly greater change in MMSE scores relative to baseline (1.13 vs. 0.31, p = 0.045). The two groups did not differ in terms of other psychometric and laboratory tests. No serious risks or adverse events were reported. Conclusion: Caring for insects, which is cost-effective and safe, was associated with a small to medium positive effect on depression and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly people.
A Risk Score to Guide Cystatin C Testing to Detect Occult-Reduced Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate
Authors: Peralta Carmen A. , Muntner Paul , Scherzer Rebecca , Judd Suzanne , Cushman Mary , Shlipak Michael G.
Published: September 2015

Background/Aims: Persons with occult-reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 detected by serum cystatin C but missed by creatinine) have high risk for complications. Among persons with preserved kidney function by creatinine-based eGFR (eGFRcreat >60 ml/min/1.73 m2), tools to guide cystatin C testing are needed. Methods: We developed a risk score to estimate an individual's probability of reduced eGFR by cystatin C (eGFRcys <60 ml/min/1.73 m2) in The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study and externally validated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). We used logistic regression with Bayesian model averaging and variables available in practice. We assessed performance characteristics using calibration and discrimination measures. Results: Among 24,877 adults with preserved kidney function by creatinine, 13.5% had reduced eGFRcys. Older and Black participants, current smokers and those with higher body mass index, lower eGFRcreat, diabetes, hypertension and history of cardiovascular disease were more likely to have occult-reduced eGFR (p < 0.001). The final risk function had a c-statistic of 0.87 in REGARDS and 0.84 in NHANES. By risk score, 72% of occult-reduced eGFR cases were detected by screening only 22% of participants. Conclusions: A risk score using characteristics readily accessible in clinical practice can identify the majority of persons with reduced eGFRcys, which is missed by creatinine.
Alveolar Epithelial Cells in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection: Active Players or Innocent Bystanders?
Authors: Scordo Julia M. , Knoell Daren L. , Torrelles Jordi B.
Published: September 2015

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that kills one person every 18 s. TB remains a global threat due to the emergence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) strains and the lack of an efficient vaccine. The ability of M.tb to persist in latency, evade recognition following seroconversion, and establish resistance in vulnerable populations warrants closer examination. Past and current research has primarily focused on examination of the role of alveolar macrophages and dendritic cells during M.tb infection, which are critical in the establishment of the host response during infection. However, emerging evidence indicates that the alveolar epithelium is a harbor for M.tb and critical during progression to active disease. Here we evaluate the relatively unexplored role of the alveolar epithelium as a reservoir and also its capacity to secrete soluble mediators upon M.tb exposure, which influence the extent of infection. We further discuss how the M.tb-alveolar epithelium interaction instigates cell-to-cell crosstalk that regulates the immune balance between a proinflammatory and an immunoregulatory state, thereby prohibiting or allowing the establishment of infection. We propose that consideration of alveolar epithelia provides a more comprehensive understanding of the lung environment in vivo in the context of host defense against M.tb.
How to Supplement Iron in Patients with Renal Anemia
Authors: Tanaka Shinji , Tanaka Tetsuhiro
Published: September 2015

Iron deficiency is a major cause of hyporesponsiveness to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and is often observed in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with anemia. With iron supplementation, ESA doses can be decreased, resulting in lower treatment costs and possibly lower cardiovascular risks that are associated with high-dose ESA therapy. The 2012 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes Guideline specified ferritin ≤500 ng/ml and transferrin saturation (TSAT) ≤30% as thresholds of iron parameters for CKD patients. However, long-term safety (in terms of mortality, cardiovascular/infection risk and tissue deposition) of high-dose intravenous iron supplementation with such high target levels of ferritin/TSAT has not been confirmed. Recently, there has been increase in the use of intravenous iron and average ferritin levels in dialysis patients in the United States. Clinical trials conducted so far have been underpowered to conclusively establish the long-term safety of intravenous iron supplementation. Results from observational studies are conflicting, and many experimental studies have even shown negative effects of intravenous iron. Clearly, randomized clinical trials are urgently needed, studying various doses of intravenous iron, with sufficient patient numbers and longer observation periods, to investigate mortality, cardiovascular effects and infection risks of this treatment. Until the long-term safety of iron supplementation at high doses is established, a more prudent decision on iron supplementation with lower target levels of ferritin/TSAT seems reasonable, in light of the decades of experience with ESA that has shown that definitive clinical outcomes have been dissociated from surrogate outcomes (especially hemoglobin concentration).
Influence of Amyloid-β on Cognitive Decline After Stroke/Transient Ischemic Attack
Authors: Liu Wenyan , Wong Adrian , Au Lisa , Yang Jie , Wang Zhaolu , Leung Eric Y.L. , Chen Sirong , Ho Chi L. , Mok Vincent C.T.
Published: September 2015

Background and Purpose—

We hypothesized that comorbid amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition played a key role in long-term cognitive decline in subjects with stroke/transient ischemic attack.

Methods—

We recruited 72 subjects with cognitive impairment after stroke/transient ischemic attack to receive Carbon-11-labeled Pittsburgh compound B positron emission tomography. We excluded subjects with known clinical Alzheimer’s disease. Those with and without Alzheimer’s disease–like Aβ deposition were classified as mixed vascular cognitive impairment (mVCI, n=14) and pure VCI (pVCI, n=58), respectively. We performed Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment to evaluate global cognition and cognitive domains (memory, visuospatial function, language, attention, and executive function) at 3 to 6 months (baseline) and annually for 3 years after the index event. We compared cognitive changes between mVCI and pVCI using linear mixed models and analysis of covariance adjusted for age and education.

Results—

Over 3 years, there were significant differences between mVCI and pVCI on change of MMSE score over time (group×time interaction,
P
=0.007). We observed a significant decline on MMSE score (
P
=0.020) in the mVCI group but not in the pVCI group (
P
=0.208). The annual rates of decline on MMSE (
P
=0.023) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment score (
P
=0.003) were greater in the mVCI group than in the pVCI group. Memory, visuospatial, and executive function domain scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment were related to Aβ deposition.

Conclusions—

Compared with subjects without Alzheimer’s disease–like Aβ deposition, those with Aβ deposition experienced a more severe and rapid cognitive decline over 3 years after stroke/transient ischemic attack. Aβ was associated with changes in multiple cognitive domains.
Desmotheca (Orthotrichaceae): Gondwanan fragmentation and the origin of a Southeast Asian genus

Authors: Vitt Dale H.
Published: September 2015

Desmotheca Lindberg was proposed in 1872 as a replacement name for the illegitimate Cryptocarpon Dozy & Molk. (1844) and Cryptocarpus Dozy & Molk. (1846). Seven names have been placed in these genera, from which two species appear to be taxonomically valid. Desmotheca apiculata (Dozy & Molk.) Card. occurs from New Caledonia and New Guinea west to Indonesia and the Andaman Islands, north to Burma, Thailand, Vietnam and Mindanao in the Philippines, while D. brachiata (Hook. & Wils.) Vitt comb. nova is restricted to the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The evolution and dispersal of this genus can be related to the northward movement of Gondwanan island blocks during the Cretaceous.
Gradsteinia andicola, a remarkable aquatic moss from South America

Authors: Ochyra Ryszard
Published: September 2015

A new moss genus and species, Gradsteinia andicola, is described from the northern Andes of Colombia. It is an aquatic moss known sterile and characterized by 1) oblong or oblong-ovate, concave, cucullate and recurved-apiculate leaves with a very strong and variable costa that is basically single but commonly repeatedly branched and spurred from the base, giving the leaves a polycostate appearance; 2) thick-walled, porose and irregularly uni- to multistratose lamina cells; 3) bicellular axillary hairs; 4) the presence of incomplete limbidia; 5) the absence of paraphyllia, pseudoparaphyllia, central strand and alar cells. Until the sporophyte of Gradsteinia becomes known, this very distinct genus is tentatively placed in the family Donrichardsiaceae, based primarily upon the presence of variously multistratose leaf laminae and leaf areolation.
On the occurrence of bryophytes and macrolichens in different lowland rain forest types at Mabura Hill, Guyana

Authors: Cornelissen J. H.C. , Gradstein S. R.
Published: September 2015

A floristic and ecological study of bryophytes and macrolichens in different lowland rain forest types around Mabura Hill, Guyana, South America, yielded 170 species: 52 mosses, 82 liverworts and 36 macrolichens. Lejeuneaceae account for about 30% of the species and are the dominant cryptogamic family of the lowland rain forest. Special attention was paid to the flora of the forest canopy, by using mountaineering techniques. It appeared that 50% of the bryophyte species and 86% of the macrolichens occurred exclusively in the canopy. Dry evergreen ‘walaba’ forest on white sand is particularly rich in lichens whereas the more humid ‘mixed’ forest on loamy soil is characterized by a rather rich liverwort flora. More species are exclusive to the mixed forest than to dry evergreen forest due to the ‘canopy effect’, i.e. the occurrence of xerophytic species in the outer canopy of both dry and humid forests. Furthermore, canopy species have wider vertical distributions on trees in the dry evergreen forest than in the mixed forest, due to the more open canopy foliage of the dry evergreen forest.
Validation of the names of four Iranian plant taxa
Authors: Mahmoodi Mohammad , Ghahremaninejad Farrokh , Maassoumi Ali-Asghar
Published: September 2015

Acantholimon flabellum Assadi (2005: 32), A. moradii Assadi (2005: 37), Cousinia farimanensis Assadi (2011: 6) and C. mozdouranensis Djavadi & Attar (2005: 287) were described from Iran without indication of the herbarium in which the holotype specimens were conserved. Therefore, these names were not validly published (Art. 40.7 of the ICN, McNeill et al. 2012) and need to validation.
Berberis × baoxingensis (Berberidaceae), a new putative hybrid from western Sichuan, China
Authors: Li Xinhua , LI WEN-HUI , ZHANG LI-CUN , YIN XIAO-MING
Published: September 2015

Berberis ×baoxingensis is described from Baoxing county, Sichuan Province, China, photographs are provided to thoroughly demonstrate its morphological characteristics. This new species is characterized by bicolored flowers, solitary to 3-fascicled, and the dense raised columnar lenticels revealed by SEM observation on the periderm of branches. B. ×baoxingensis displays close affinities with two sympatric congeners, it resembles B. sanguinea in the bicolored flowers, but differs obviously in the brownish yellow, subterete verruculose branches or twigs. B. ×baoxingensis shares the similarity of branch features with B. verruculosa, but the latter differs in fragrant yellow flowers, pruinose berries, and the leaves pruinose on the abaxial surface. Field population sampling and statistic analysis are applied to further clarify the morphological differences among the three congeners. Because B. ×baoxingensis exhibits remarkable intermediate features in a set of key taxonomic characters between B. sanguinea and B. verruculosa, its speciation was possibly derived from the natural hybridization between the two sympatric congeneric species.
Typification of Angiospermae described from the Bonin Islands 2: Archichlamydeae
Authors: Ohi-Toma Tetsuo , Watanabe-Toma Kana , Murata Jin
Published: September 2015

We are investigating the type material of taxa described from the Bonin Islands in Japan. Some taxa require typification, because specimens have not been cited in the protologue or cited specimens included multiple collections, or because the citations contained ambiguous locality and/or collector data. In addition, an earlier lectotypification is often inadequate because of an error or lack of specific information. Recently, we designated or reconfirmed the lectotype for 10 taxa of Metachlamydeae at the Botanical Gardens section of TI. Here, the lectotype was newly designated or the type status was reconfirmed for 13 taxa based on the herbarium materials of Archichlamydeae and their related literature.
A new species of Dichocarpum (Ranunculaceae) from Guizhou, China

Authors: JIANG WEI-KE , DING LING , ZHOU TAO , HE SHUN-ZHI , LI YUN-CHAO , HUANG LU-QI
Published: September 2015

Dichocarpum wuchuanense S. Z. He, a new species from Guizhou, China, is described and illustrated. This taxon belongs to sect. Dichocarpum based on its non-tumescent torus during fruiting. The new species resembles D. hypoglaucum from which it differs by its slender and longer rhizome, 3(‒5)-foliolate abaxially non-pruinose and smaller seeds. A histological examination, palynology and seed microscopic structures are provided along with detailed habitat and distribution data. An analysis of the nrDNA ITS sequences of D. wuchuanense supports its recognition as a taxonomic entity distinct from D. hypoglaucum. The taxonomic affinities of the new species are briefly discussed.
Spionidae (Annelida: ‘Polychaeta’: Canalipalpata) from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia: the genera Malacoceros, Scolelepis, Spio, Microspio, and Spiophanes
Authors: Meißner Karin , Götting Miriam
Published: September 2015

Seven species belonging to the spionid genera Malacoceros, Scolelepis, Spio, Microspio, and Spiophanes were found during the polychaete workshop on Lizard Island in August 2013. One species is new to science and named Scolelepis inversa n. sp., another Scolelepis species is probably also a new species but was represented in our samples by only a single specimen and not formally described. All other species have been reported previously from Australia. Species diagnoses of all species found during the workshop and of Scolelepis balihaiensis Hartmann-Schröder, 1979, Microspio microcera (Dorsey, 1977) and M. minuta (Hartmann-Schröder, 1962) have been critically reviewed and amended based on the study of type material. The potential synonymy of Microspio minuta (Hartmann-Schröder, 1962) and M. microcera (Dorsey, 1977) is discussed. The new combination Spio jirkovi (Sikorski, 1992) proposed by Sikorski (2013) is returned to Malacoceros. We added DNA barcodes for five species collected in the Lizard Island area to public databases which will be useful in future phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies. For Microspio we provide the first sequence data for this genus.
The Oweniidae (Annelida; Polychaeta) from Lizard Island (Great Barrier Reef, Australia) with the description of two new species of Owenia Delle Chiaje, 1844
Authors: PARAPAR JULIO , MOREIRA JUAN
Published: September 2015

Study of the Oweniidae specimens (Annelida; Polychaeta) from Lizard Island (Great Barrier Reef, Australia) stored at the Australian Museum, Sydney and newly collected in August 2013 revealed the presence of three species, namely Galathowenia quelis Capa et al., 2012 and two new species belonging to the genus Owenia Delle Chiaje, 1844. Owenia dichotoma n. sp. is characterised by a very short branchial crown of about 1/3 of thoracic length which bears short, dichotomously-branched tentacles provided with the major division close to the base of the crown. Owenia picta n. sp. is characterised by a long branchial crown of about 4/5 of thoracic length provided with no major divisions, ventral pigmentation on thorax and the presence of deep ventro-lateral groove on the first thoracic chaetiger. A key of Owenia species hitherto described or reported in South East Asia and Australasia regions is provided based on characters of the branchial crown.
Assessing Validity of Measurement in Learning Disabilities Using Hierarchical Generalized Linear Modeling
Authors: Sideridis Georgios D.
Published: September 2015

The purpose of the present studies was to test the hypothesis that the psychometric characteristics of ability scales may be significantly distorted if one accounts for emotional factors during test taking. Specifically, the present studies evaluate the effects of anxiety and motivation on the item difficulties of the Rasch model. In Study 1, the validity of a reading comprehension scale was evaluated using the Rasch model with 60 students with learning disabilities (LD). Item parameters were retested for the presence of anxiety and results indicated that the scale was substantially more difficult in its presence. Study 2 replicated the findings of Study 1 using maladaptive motivation and extended with inclusion of adaptive motivational variables in order to reverse the effect. Results using students with and without LD indicated that the difficulty levels of the scale was lower for students with LD, in the presence of positive motivation, compared with a typical student group. Study 3 extended the dichotomous hierarchical generalized linear model with polytomous data. The measures of an ability test were adjusted for the presence of anxiety and results indicated that differential item functioning was observed at both the global level and the most difficult ability item. It is concluded that the difficulty levels of a scale are heavily influenced by situational factors during testing, such as students’ entry levels of motivation and affect.
The Role of Entertainment Media in Perceptions of Police Use of Force
Authors: Donovan Kathleen M. , Klahm Charles F.
Published: September 2015

Scholars have long noted the importance of the media in shaping citizens’ attitudes about crime and justice. Most studies have focused on the impact of news and particularly local TV news, yet Americans spend far more time watching entertainment media. We examine the portrayal of police misconduct in crime dramas, and how exposure to these portrayals affects perceptions of the police. We find that viewers of crime dramas are more likely to believe the police are successful at lowering crime, use force only when necessary, and that misconduct does not typically lead to false confessions. In contrast, perceptions regarding the frequency of force are unaffected. Our results add to a growing literature demonstrating the importance of entertainment media for attitudes toward crime and the criminal justice system.
Application of the HCR-20 Version 3 in Civil Psychiatric Patients
Authors: Howe Jacqueline , Rosenfeld Barry , Foellmi Melodie , Stern Stephanie , Rotter Merrill
Published: September 2015

This study provides both a structural analysis of the Historical-Clinical-Risk Management–20 (HCR-20) Version 3 and an examination of the correspondence between the HCR-20 Versions 2 and 3. HCR-20 Versions 2 and 3 risk ratings were completed for 64 psychiatric inpatients. Moderate to good interrater reliability was observed for the Version 3 subscales and summary risk ratings. Subscale scores and summary risk ratings on the Version 2 were significantly correlated with the corresponding scales and indices on the Version 3, although correlations were stronger when ratings were completed by the same rater as opposed to different raters. Version 3 items corresponding to Violence, Violent Attitudes, Violent Ideation or Intent, and Insight were the strongest predictors of the summary risk ratings, although some differences emerged when risk factor presence ratings were weighted by relevance ratings. The implications of these findings for risk assessment practice are discussed.
Student Evaluation of Teaching
Authors: Reisenwitz Timothy H.
Published: September 2015

The online administration of student evaluations has its shortcomings, including low participation, or low response rates, and bias. This study examines nonresponse bias in online student evaluations of instruction, that is, the differences between those students who complete online evaluations and those who decide not to complete them. It builds on the work of Estelami that revealed a response bias based on the timing in which the evaluations were completed, that is, differences in early evaluations versus later evaluations. In contrast, this study examines the demographic variables that have contributed to nonresponse bias in online student evaluations, namely gender, grade point average, and ethnicity. It also examines multiple psychographic variables that may contribute to nonresponse bias: time poverty, complaining behavior, and technology savviness. The study utilized t tests and logistic regression (logit analysis) to analyze the data collected from undergraduate business students. This study found that there are significant differences between those who complete online student evaluations and those who do not. Implications for academic administrators are discussed.
Vitamin A, Iron, and Zinc Content of Fortified Maize Meal and Bread at the Household Level in 4 Areas of South Africa
Authors: van Jaarsveld Paul J. , Faber Mieke , van Stuijvenberg Martha E.
Published: September 2015

Background:

A national mandatory food fortification program, fortifying wheat flour and maize meal with various micronutrients, was introduced in South Africa in 2003 to address micronutrient deficiencies.

Objective:

This study aimed to determine vitamin A, iron, and zinc content of raw maize meal and wheat flour bread sampled at household level from 2 urban and 2 rural areas in South Africa and to compare with the regulatory minimum requirements.

Methods:

Maize meal (250 g) and/or supermarket/local shop bread (3 inner slices) were collected from 50 randomly selected households from each study area. Maize meal samples were reduced to 10 composite samples per area. Bread samples were composited similarly; 1 composite sample consisted of 15 intact slices. Overall, 8 composite samples were obtained for both brown and white bread. The Southern African Grain Laboratory analyzed the samples for vitamin A, iron, and zinc.

Results:

Mean content of maize meal (100 g) represented ratios of 0.56 to 0.98 of the minimum fortification requirement for vitamin A, 0.76 to 1.08 for iron, and 0.89 to 1.00 for zinc; brown bread (100 g) represented ratios of 0.57, 1.97, and 1.67 of the minimum requirement for vitamin A, iron, and zinc, respectively, and white bread (100 g) represented ratios of 0.89, 2.22, and 2.07 for vitamin A, iron, and zinc, respectively.

Conclusion:

The variation in vitamin A, iron, and zinc content in maize meal and the higher than required iron and zinc content in wheat bread needs to be investigated in further studies.
Informing a Behavior Change Communication Strategy
Authors: Kodish Stephen , Aburto Nancy , Dibari Filippo , Brieger William , Agostinho Saozinha P. , Gittelsohn Joel
Published: September 2015

Background:

Nutrition interventions targeting the first 1000 days show promise to improve nutritional status, but they require effective implementation. Formative research is thus invaluable for developing such interventions, but there have been few detailed studies that describe this phase of work within the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement.

Objective:

To inform a stunting prevention intervention in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, by describing the sociocultural landscape and elucidating characteristics related to young child food, illness, and health.

Methods:

This formative research utilized a rapid assessment procedures (RAP) approach with 3 iterative phases that explored local perceptions and behaviors around food and illness among the Macua, Mwani, and Maconde ethnic groups. Ethnographic methods, including in-depth interviews, direct observations, free lists, and pile sorts, were used to collect data from community leaders, caregivers, and children 6 to 23 months. Data were analyzed drawing from grounded theory and cultural domain analysis.

Results:

Geographic differences drive sociocultural characteristics amid 3 ethnic groups that allow for segmentation of the population into 2 distinct audiences for behavior change communications. These 2 communities have similar classification systems for children’s foods but different adult dietary patterns. Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement did not fall into the existing food classification systems of either community, and participants preferred its promotion through community leader channels. Community members in both groups have little recognition of and perceived severity toward nutrition-related illnesses.

Conclusion:

Within Cabo Delgado, the cultural heterogeneity yields substantial differences related to food, illness, and health that are necessary to consider for developing an effective nutrition intervention.
Roles of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and heme oxygenase-1 in ethylbenzene-induced renal toxicity in NRK-52E cells
Authors: Zhang Ming , Wang Yanrang , Wang Xiaojun , Liu Jing , Zhang Jingshu , Gu Qing
Published: September 2015

Ethylbenzene is an important industrial chemical, but its potential toxicity is a recent concern. Our previous study investigated the renal toxicity of ethylbenzene in vivo. Rat renal epithelial cells (NRK-52E cells) were incubated with 0, 30, 60, and 90 µmol/L of ethylbenzene for 24 h in vitro to investigate ethylbenzene-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis, and the expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and nuclear factor (erythroid 2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2). The cell survival rate in the ethylbenzene-treated groups was significantly lower than the control group. Ethylbenzene significantly increased intracellular reactive oxygen species and apoptosis. Malondialdehyde levels were significantly elevated compared with the control group, while glutathione levels and glutathione peroxidase activities were decreased in ethylbenzene-treated groups. The activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase were also markedly reduced. A significant dose-dependent increase in HO-1 and Nrf2 messenger RNA expression levels was observed in ethylbenzene-treated groups compared with the control group. Similarly, ethylbenzene treatment enhanced protein expression of HO-1 and Nrf2 in a dose-dependent manner. Our results indicated that ethylbenzene induced oxidative stress, apoptosis, and upregulation of HO-1 and Nrf2 in NRK-52E cells, which contributes to ethylbenzene-induced renal toxicity.
Exploration of Why Alaskans Use Complementary Medicine
Authors: Heafner Jessica Colleen , Buchanan Bethany
Published: September 2015

Purpose: To explore why Alaskans choose to pursue complementary medicine as a health care option. Design: Qualitative descriptive. Method: A purposive convenient recruitment methodology was used to recruit project participants. Focus groups were conducted to collect the research data. Findings: Five themes were identified that highlighted why participants use complementary medicine: dissatisfaction, effective, holistic, relationship focused, and a personal journey.
Family Communication About the Donor Conception
Authors: Van Parys H. , Provoost V. , Wyverkens E. , De Sutter P. , Pennings G. , Buysse A.
Published: September 2015

In literature, disclosure of donor conception in lesbian families has been considered an obvious and straightforward event. However, little is known about the ways in which donor conception is discussed in planned lesbian co-mother families. This study focuses on the process of parent–child communication about the donor conception on a within-family level. Six families, including 7 children and 12 parents, were interviewed about their family communication with regard to donor conception. A dyadic interview analysis revealed that family members managed the space taken up by the topic of donor conception in their daily conversations. Within these conversations, they also took care of each other and of their family relationships. In addition, children had an active position in the co-construction of the donor conception narrative. Linking these findings to the concepts of relational management and functionality of donor conception narratives, this study informs practitioners in the field of medically assisted reproduction.
Serostatus Disclosure, Stigma Resistance, and Identity Management Among HIV-Positive Gay Men in Ireland
Authors: Murphy Patrick J. , Hevey David , O’Dea Siobhán , Ní Rathaille Neans , Mulcahy Fiona
Published: September 2015

In this study, we examined how non-infectiousness due to antiretroviral therapy has affected HIV-positive gay men’s experience of serostatus disclosure to casual sex partners. Interviews were conducted with 15 seropositive gay men living in Ireland. Using grounded theory, three constructions of non-disclosure were proposed—as self-protection, as a morally permissible act, and as a rejection of the HIV-positive identity. Each construction entailed an aspect related to the sexual exclusion of those living with HIV, and an aspect related to their social exclusion. The extent to which the lives of those interviewed were affected by stigma was starkly revealed, as was the extent to which they stigmatized others living with HIV and rejected the HIV-positive identity. The research highlights the failure to socially normalize HIV and that interventions are needed to reduce the distress associated with seropositivity.
Strategist, organize thyself
Authors: Barnett Michael L.
Published: September 2015

Thousands of scholars and hundreds of millions of dollars are devoted to the study of management. What has society gained from this significant and ongoing allocation of scarce talent and money? As many of our most senior scholars have noted, less than we would like. We can do better. Through an organized process, we can develop more managerial knowledge with fewer resources. In this essay, I outline two suggestions—roadmaps and the Theories of Management Catalog—that could organize and advance management knowledge and bring us into better fit with our decreasingly munificent environment.
The Limited Informativeness of Meta-Analyses of Media Effects
Authors: Valkenburg Patti M.
Published: September 2015

In this issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science, Christopher Ferguson reports on a meta-analysis examining the relationship between children’s video game use and several outcome variables, including aggression and attention deficit symptoms (Ferguson, 2015, this issue). In this commentary, I compare Ferguson’s nonsignificant effects sizes with earlier meta-analyses on the same topics that yielded larger, significant effect sizes. I argue that Ferguson’s choice for partial effects sizes is unjustified on both methodological and theoretical grounds. I then plead for a more constructive debate on the effects of violent video games on children and adolescents. Until now, this debate has been dominated by two camps with diametrically opposed views on the effects of violent media on children. However, even the earliest media effects studies tell us that children can react quite differently to the same media content. Thus, if researchers truly want to understand how media affect children, rather than fight for the presence or absence of effects, they need to adopt a perspective that takes differential susceptibility to media effects more seriously.
On Integrating the Components of Self-Control
Authors: Kotabe Hiroki P. , Hofmann Wilhelm
Published: September 2015

As the science of self-control matures, the organization and integration of its key concepts becomes increasingly important. In response, we identified seven major components or “nodes” in current theories and research bearing on self-control: desire, higher order goal, desire–goal conflict, control motivation, control capacity, control effort, and enactment constraints. To unify these diverse and interdisciplinary areas of research, we formulated the interplay of these components in an integrative model of self-control. In this model, desire and an at least partly incompatible higher order goal generate desire–goal conflict, which activates control motivation. Control motivation and control capacity interactively determine potential control effort. The actual control effort invested is determined by several moderators, including desire strength, perceived skill, and competing goals. Actual control effort and desire strength compete to determine a prevailing force, which ultimately determines behavior, provided that enactment constraints do not impede it. The proposed theoretical framework is useful for highlighting several new directions for research on self-control and for classifying self-control failures and self-control interventions.
Decentering and Related Constructs
Authors: Bernstein Amit , Hadash Yuval , Lichtash Yael , Tanay Galia , Shepherd Kathrine , Fresco David M.
Published: September 2015

The capacity to shift experiential perspective—from within one’s subjective experience onto that experience—is fundamental to being human. Scholars have long theorized that this metacognitive capacity—which we refer to as decentering—may play an important role in mental health. To help illuminate this mental phenomenon and its links to mental health, we critically examine decentering-related constructs and their respective literatures (e.g., self-distanced perspective, cognitive distancing, cognitive defusion). First, we introduce a novel metacognitive processes model of decentering. Specifically, we propose that, to varying degrees, decentering-related constructs reflect a common mental phenomenon subserved by three interrelated metacognitive processes: meta-awareness, disidentification from internal experience, and reduced reactivity to thought content. Second, we examine extant research linking decentering-related constructs and their underlying metacognitive processes to mental health. We conclude by proposing future directions for research that transcends decentering-related constructs in an effort to advance the field’s understanding of this facet of human experience and its role in (mal)adaptation.
ATF4 plays a pivotal role in the development of functional hematopoietic stem cells in mouse fetal liver
Authors: Zhao Yunze , Zhou Jie , Liu Dan , Dong Fang , Cheng Hui , Wang Weili , Pang Yakun , Wang Yajie , Mu Xiaohuan , Ni Yanli , Li Zhuan , Xu Huiyu , Hao Sha , Wang Xiaochen , Ma Shihui , Wang Qian-fei , Xiao Guozhi , Yuan Weiping , Liu Bing , Cheng Tao
Published: September 2015

The fetal liver (FL) serves as a predominant site for expansion of functional hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) during mouse embryogenesis. However, the mechanisms for HSC development in FL remain poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that deletion of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) significantly impaired hematopoietic development and reduced HSC self-renewal in FL. In contrast, generation of the first HSC population in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros region was not affected. The migration activity of ATF4−/− HSCs was moderately reduced. Interestingly, the HSC-supporting ability of both endothelial and stromal cells in FL was significantly compromised in the absence of ATF4. Gene profiling using RNA-seq revealed downregulated expression of a panel of cytokines in ATF4−/− stromal cells, including angiopoietin-like protein 3 (Angptl3) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA). Addition of Angptl3, but not VEGFA, partially rescued the repopulating defect of ATF4−/− HSCs in the culture. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay in conjunction with silencing RNA-mediated silencing and complementary DNA overexpression showed transcriptional control of Angptl3 by ATF4. To summarize, ATF4 plays a pivotal role in functional expansion and repopulating efficiency of HSCs in developing FL, and it acts through upregulating transcription of cytokines such as Angptl3 in the microenvironment.
Cadaveric bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells: first experience treating a patient with large severe burns
Authors: Mansilla Eduardo , Marín Gustavo H. , Berges Mirta , Scafatti Silvia , Rivas Jaime , Núñez Andrea , Menvielle Martin , Lamonega Roberto , Gardiner Cecilia , Drago Hugo , Sturla Flavio , Portas Mercedes , Bossi Silvia , Castuma Maria Victoria , Peña Luengas Sandra , Roque Gustavo , Martire Karina , Tau Jose Maria , Orlandi Gabriel , Tarditti Adrian
Published: September 2015

Background

In January 2005, Rasulov et al. originally published “First experience in the use of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for the treatment of a patient with deep skin burns”. Here, we present the first ever treated patient with cadaveric bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (CMSCs) in the history of Medicine.

Methods

A young man, who severely burned 60 % of his total body surface with 30 % of full-thickness burns while working with a grass trimmer that exploded, was involved in the study. MSCs were obtained from the bone marrow of a cadaver donor in a routine procurement procedure of CUCAIBA, the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ministry of Health, Transplantation Agency, cultured, expanded, and applied on the burned surfaces using a fibrin spray after early escharotomy.

Results

So far, our preliminary experience and our early results have been very impressive showing an outstanding safety data as well as some impressive good results in the use of CMSCs.

Conclusions

Based on all this, we think that improvements in the use of stem cells for burns might be possible in the near future and a lot of time as well as many lives could be saved by many other research teams all over the world. CMSCs will probably be a real scientific opportunity in Regenerative Medicine as well as in Transplantation.
Reduced attention-driven auditory sensitivity in
hallucination-prone individuals
Authors: Rayner Louise H. , Lee Kwang-Hyuk , Woodruff Peter W. R.
Published: September 2015

Background

Evidence suggests that auditory hallucinations may result from abnormally
enhanced auditory sensitivity.

Aims

To investigate whether there is an auditory processing bias in healthy
individuals who are prone to experiencing auditory hallucinations.

Method

Two hundred healthy volunteers performed a temporal order judgement task
in which they determined whether an auditory or a visual stimulus came
first under conditions of directed attention (‘attend-auditory’ and
‘attend-visual’ conditions). The Launay–Slade Hallucination Scale was
used to divide the sample into high and low hallucination-proneness
groups.

Results

The high hallucination-proneness group exhibited a reduced sensitivity to
auditory stimuli under the attend-auditory condition. By contrast,
attention-directed visual sensitivity did not differ significantly
between groups.

Conclusions

Healthy individuals prone to hallucinatory experiences may possess a bias
in attention towards internal auditory stimuli at the expense of external
sounds. Interventions involving the redistribution of attentional
resources would have therapeutic benefit in patients experiencing
auditory hallucinations.