bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Training Modality on Strength and Physical Function in Older Adults
Authors: Misic Mark M. , Valentine Rudy J. , Rosengren Karl S. , Woods Jeffrey A. , Evans Ellen M.
Published: July 2009

Background: The importance of maintaining strength in older adults is well documented and various training modalities have been recommended; however, the effectiveness of various interventions with high translation to public health practice has not been completely characterized. Additionally, the interrelations among mode, strength, and lower extremity physical function (LEPF) changes in older adults warrant further investigation. Purpose: The primary aims were to examine the effectiveness of cardiovascular endurance training (CVE) compared with balance and flexibility training (FLEX) and to explore the relationship of muscle strength to LEPF. Methods: Fifty-five adults (69.1 ± 5.6 years, 35 female) were randomly assigned to 10 months of CVE or FLEX. Knee extension and flexion at 60 and 120°·s–1 were measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. LEPF was measured using a battery of tasks. The CVE group exercised using treadmills, cycles, and elliptical trainers. The FLEX group participated in a group exercise class that incorporated flexibility and balance activities. Results: The CVE training group significantly improved peak oxygen consumption by 6% (p = 0.03), while the FLEX training group showed no change (p = 0.47). Participants significantly improved peak torque at both speeds and muscle actions by 21–65% (p ≤ 0.05), with no group effect (p > 0.05). Both groups also significantly improved performance on all LEPF tasks included in this study (4–7%, p ≤ 0.05). Significant correlations (all p = 0.00) were found between improvements in strength and improvements in LEPF including timed walk and peak torque extension and flexion at 60°·s–1 (r = 0.40 and 0.27, respectively), obstacle walk and peak torque extension and flexion at 60 and 120°·s–1 (r range 0.27–0.40), and stair ascent and peak torque extension at 120°·s–1 (r = 0.37). Conclusions: Sedentary older adults achieve similar improvements in strength and LEPF with either CVE or FLEX training with the latter being related to improvements in leg strength.
Interactions of Ficolin and Mannose-Binding Lectin with Fibrinogen/Fibrin Augment the Lectin Complement Pathway
Authors: Endo Yuichi , Nakazawa Naomi , Iwaki Daisuke , Takahashi Minoru , Matsushita Misao , Fujita Teizo
Published: July 2009

Ficolin and mannose-binding lectin (MBL) are animal lectins that are involved in innate immunity by initiating the lectin complement pathway. Here, we report that interactions between these lectins and fibrinogen/fibrin augment the lectin pathway. An ELISA revealed that recombinant mouse ficolin A (rFcnA), rMBL-A and rMBL-C bind to fibrinogen in a dose-dependent manner. Affinity Western blotting showed that these lectins bind to the Aα- and Bβ-chains of fibrinogen and the α- and β-chains of fibrin, but not to the γ-chain, and that rMBL-A and rMBL-C preferentially bind to the α- and β-chains. The C4 deposition activity on Fbg-coated plates was observed by using mouse serum, and the deposition on GlcNAc-coated plates was enhanced by fibrinogen supplementation and further enhanced by the addition of thrombin. Similar effects of fibrinogen and fibrin were observed in the bindings of these lectins to a Gram-positive pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, and in the subsequent C3 deposition on the bacteria. In particular, the lectin pathway, through MBLs, seemed to synchronize with blood coagulation. Therefore, it is suggested that the lectin pathway collaborates with the coagulation system in the first-line host defense against pathogens under conditions such as injury and inflammation.
Ex vivo Model of Cranial Suture Morphogenesis and Fate
Authors: Slater Bethany J. , Lenton Kelly A. , James Aaron , Longaker Michael T.
Published: July 2009

Background/Aims: Craniosynostosis, the premature fusion of cranial sutures, is a common congenital defect. In vivo models for studying cranial suture biology impose inherent restrictions on tissue accessibility and manipulation. The present study was performed to investigate the utility of the renal capsule assay in overcoming these limitations and providing a reproducible model system for studying cranial suture morphogenesis and fate. Materials and Methods: The posterior frontal suture, which fuses physiologically, and the coronal and sagittal sutures, which remain patent, were dissected from postnatal and embryonic mouse calvaria and placed under the renal capsule of syngeneic recipient mice (n = 72 in total). Sutures were harvested from 1–14 days after transplantation for histological and morphometric analysis. Suture transplants were compared with nonmanipulated sutures at equivalent developmental stages. The derivation of cells associated with the growing transplants was analyzed using β-actin-GFP (green fluorescent protein) transgenic mice. Results: Sutures transplanted under the renal capsule maintained normal suture morphology and fate with the posterior frontal suture fusing and the coronal and sagittal sutures remaining patent. In posterior frontal suture transplants, the fusion process mimicked in vivo suture fusion with a delay of 1–2 days. In comparison to in vivo suture complexes, transplant thickness and trabeculation were significantly increased. In addition, we found that osteoblasts within the growing transplant were derived from the transplant itself rather than the host. Conclusion: The renal capsule supports the growth of cranial sutures. In this system transplanted sutures recapitulate the anatomical development and fate (fusion or patency) of cranial sutures in vivo. This model system will facilitate controlled ex vivo manipulations of both embryonic and postnatal sutures.
Mannose-Binding Lectin Deficiency and Respiratory Tract Infection
Authors: Eisen Damon P.
Published: July 2009

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is an innate immune system pattern recognition protein that kills a wide range of pathogenic microbes through complement activation. A substantial proportion of all human populations studied to date have MBL deficiency due to MBL2 polymorphisms, which potentially increases susceptibility to infectious disease. MBL binds numerous respiratory pathogens but the capsule of Streptococcus pneumoniae abrogates its efficient binding. Clinical studies in humans have shown that MBL deficiency appears to predispose to severe respiratory tract infection. A recent meta-analysis shows that MBL deficiency was associated with death in patients with pneumococcal infection after adjusting for bacteraemia and comorbidities. Human clinical studies have also shown associations between MBL deficiency and various less common respiratory infections. Intracellular infections like tuberculosis may be less common with MBL deficiency because of reduced opsonophagocytosis. Lung secretions contain small amounts of MBL that are potentially sufficient to activate complement, but their measurement is confounded by dilution inherent in collection techniques. Therefore, if this protein does play a role in pulmonary immunity it is presumably through prevention of haematogenous dissemination of respiratory pathogens while adding to mucosal defences. Ficolins are collectins that are structurally and functionally related to MBL and are either present in serum or expressed in tissues including the lung. Limited variation in serum levels of L- and H-ficolin result from the presence of FCN2 and FCN3 polymorphisms. Initial studies on the impact of FCN2 polymorphisms or low L-ficolin levels do not seem to show major associations with respiratory infection. MBL is being developed as a new immunotherapeutic agent for prevention of infection in immunocompromised hosts. The available literature suggests that it may also be of benefit in MBL deficient patients with severe pneumonia. This review concentrates on clinical associations between MBL deficiency and susceptibility to respiratory tract infection.
Successful Treatment of Systemic-Sclerosis-Related Digital Ulcers with a Selective Endothelin Type A Receptor Antagonist (Sitaxentan)
Authors: Gholam P. , Sehr T. , Enk A. , Hartmann M.
Published: July 2009

Digital ulcers represent a major vascular complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and can be difficult to treat with the common vasodilators. Herein, we report on a 39-year-old patient with recalcitrant SSc-related digital ulcers treated successfully with sitaxentan (100 mg q.d.), a selective endothelin type A receptor antagonist. During the 6 months of treatment, we noticed a remarkable decrease in pain, a nearly complete healing of the preexistent ulcers and no development of new ulcers. No side effects were noted.
Intravascular Large B-Cell Lymphoma of the Skin: Typical Clinical Manifestations and a Favourable Response to Rituximab-Containing Therapy
Authors: Feldmann Robert , Schierl Michael , Sittenthaler Matthias , Jahn Reinhild , Wogritsch Christian , Cerroni Lorenzo , Steiner Andreas , Breier Friedrich
Published: July 2009

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVBCL) is a rare malignant neoplasm characterized by the proliferation of large B cells within the blood vessels. The disease can be limited to the skin, but involvement of other organs is common. We report a case of cutaneous IVBCL in a 62-year-old man with minimal histological changes in contrast to prominent skin lesions. The patient was successfully treated with rituximab in combination with CHOP chemotherapy.
Prevalence of Body Dysmorphic Features in Patients Undergoing Cosmetic Procedures at the National Skin Centre, Singapore
Authors: Hsu C. , Ali Juma H. , Goh C.L.
Published: July 2009

Background: Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is characterised by an obsessive preoccupation with a slight defect in appearance, and recognition is essential. Objective: To screen by a previously developed questionnaire the prevalence of BDD in an aesthetics clinic in Singapore. This questionnaire has a positive predictive value of 70% and a negative predictive value of 100%; patients answering that they were preoccupied with their appearance and having answered ‘yes’ in part A, answered 8 further questions (part B) grading the degree of distress (B4) and impairment (B5) of social functioning. Methods: The questionnaire was given to 396 patients: 198 attending Mandalay Aesthetics Clinic and 198 controls at a general outpatient clinic. The screen was considered suggestive of BDD if the patients: were preoccupied by their defect (question A) and qualified the degree of stress (question B4) or impairment of functioning (question B5) as moderate to severe. Results: 58.1% of patients undergoing cosmetic procedures answered ‘yes’ to question A (odds ratio = 18.21, 95% confidence interval = 9.87–33.59). 41.74 and 26.96% of those qualified the distress (question B4) and impairment (question B5) as moderate to severe. Conclusion: A calculated prevalence of 29.4% in an aesthetics centre warrants systematic screening for BDD.
The Effect of Combined Treatment with Oral Clindamycin and Oral Rifampicin in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Authors: van der Zee Hessel H. , Boer Jurr , Prens Errol P. , Jemec Gregor B.E.
Published: July 2009

Background: A previous limited study showed promising results of combined oral treatment with rifampicin 600 mg and clindamycin 600 mg for 10 weeks. Objective: To expand and to validate the basis for this therapy, we reviewed the response to different treatment durations. Method: A retrospective study in 34 patients. Results: Twenty-eight of 34 patients (82%) experienced at least partial improvement, and 16 (47%) showed a total remission. The maximum effect of treatment appeared within 10 weeks. Following total remission, 8 of 13 (61.5%) patients treated as mentioned above experienced a relapse after a mean period of 5.0 months. Nonresponders were predominantly patients with severe disease. Conclusion: Combination treatment with oral rifampicin and clindamycin is a promising treatment option for hidradenitis suppurativa, despite the frequent occurrence of diarrhea as a side effect. The length and the dosage of treatment are not yet firmly established.
Improved Long-Term Survival After Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair
Authors: Mani Kevin , Björck Martin , Lundkvist Jonas , Wanhainen Anders
Published: July 2009

Background—

Treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has changed significantly over the past 2 decades. In this perspective, time trends in long-term survival were studied.

Methods and Results—

We identified 8663 primary intact and 4171 ruptured AAA repairs in the Swedish Vascular Registry from 1987 to 2005. Mortality was obtained from the national population registry. Crude survival was analyzed, including all mortality. To analyze the long-term outcome among those surviving the AAA repair, relative survival, which denotes the survival rate of patients compared with that of the general population adjusted for age, sex, and calendar year, was calculated, excluding 90-day mortality. In a comparison of AAA repairs from 1987 to 1999 and 2000 to 2005, age (71.4 versus 72.5 years;
P
<0.001), patients with comorbidities (65.0% versus 68.5%;
P
<0.001), and endovascular repair (1.6% versus 17.0%;
P
<0.001) increased. After intact AAA repair, crude 5-year survival was 69.0% (99% confidence interval [CI], 67.7 to 70.4), and relative 5-year survival excluding 90-day mortality was 90.3% (99% CI, 88.6 to 92.0). Relative 5-year survival was better for those operated on from 2000 to 2005 compared with 1987 to 1999 (difference, 4.7%; 99% CI, 1.3 to 8.1), for men versus women (4.6%; 99% CI, 0.4 to 8.8), and for octogenarians versus patients <80 years of age (10.2%; 99% CI, 1.5 to 18.8); no difference was observed between open and endovascular repair (6.0%; 99% CI, −1.5 to 13.4). After ruptured AAA repair, crude 5-year survival was 41.7% (99% CI, 39.6 to 43.7) and relative 5-year survival was 87.1% (99% CI, 83.9 to 90.3). No significant differences in relative 5-year survival were observed between time periods, sex, or age groups.

Conclusions—

Long-term survival improved over time after intact AAA repair despite a change in case mix toward older patients with more comorbidities. Long-term survival was stable after ruptured AAA repair.
Outcomes of Early Risk Stratification and Targeted Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Implantation After ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Treated With Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Zaman Sarah , Sivagangabalan Gopal , Narayan Arun , Thiagalingam Aravinda , Ross David L. , Kovoor Pramesh
Published: July 2009

Background—

Methods to identify high-risk patients and timing of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy after ST-elevation myocardial infarction need further optimization.

Methods and Results—

We evaluated outcomes of early ICD implantation in patients with inducible ventricular tachycardia. Consecutive patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction underwent early left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) assessment. Patients with LVEF >40% were discharged (group 1); patients with LVEF ≤40% underwent risk stratification with electrophysiological study. If no ventricular tachycardia was induced, patients were discharged without an ICD (group 2). If sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (≥200-ms cycle length) was induced, an ICD was implanted before discharge (group 3). Follow-up was obtained up to 30 months in all patients and up to 48 months in a subgroup of patients with LVEF ≤30% without an ICD. The primary end point was total mortality. Group 1 (n=574) had a mean LVEF of 54±8%; group 2 (n=83), 32±6%; and group 3 (n=32), 29±7%. At a median follow-up of 12 months, there was no significant difference in survival between the 3 groups (
P
=0.879), with mortality rates of 3%, 3%, and 6% for groups 1 through 3, respectively. In the subgroup of group 2 patients with LVEF ≤30% and no ICD (n=25), there was 9% mortality at a median follow-up of 25 months. In group 3, 19% had spontaneous ICD activation resulting from ventricular tachycardia.

Conclusions—

Early ICD implantation limited to patients with inducible ventricular tachycardia enables a low overall mortality in patients with impaired LVEF after primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
Conventional Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Metabolic Syndrome in Predicting Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Progression in Young Adults
Authors: Koskinen Juha , Kähönen Mika , Viikari Jorma S.A. , Taittonen Leena , Laitinen Tomi , Rönnemaa Tapani , Lehtimäki Terho , Hutri-Kähönen Nina , Pietikäinen Matti , Jokinen Eero , Helenius Hans , Mattsson Noora , Raitakari Olli T. , Juonala Markus
Published: July 2009

Background—

Conventional risk factors and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are cross-sectionally associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in young adults. We evaluated the relations of conventional risk factors and MetS to the 6-year progression of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in a population of young adults.

Results and Methods—

The study included 1809 subjects (aged 32±5 years) who had IMT measured in 2001 and 2007. Risk factor measurements included low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index, C-reactive protein, smoking, and family history of coronary disease in addition to MetS components. We used European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance, revised National Cholesterol Education Program, and International Diabetes Federation definitions to diagnose MetS in 2001. Waist circumference (
P
<0.0001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (
P
=0.01), and insulin (
P
=0.003) were directly associated with IMT progression in a multivariable model adjusted for age, sex, and baseline IMT (model
R
2
=24%). When the MetS/European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance definition was included in the model, it was directly associated with IMT progression (
P
=0.03), but its inclusion did not improve the model’s predictive value. IMT increased 79±7 μm (mean±SEM) in subjects with MetS according to the MetS/European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance definition and 42±2 μm in subjects without MetS (
P
<0.0001). In addition, the number of MetS components was linearly associated with IMT progression (
P
<0.0001). Similar results were seen with MetS/revised National Cholesterol Education Program and MetS/International Diabetes Federation definitions.

Conclusions—

Obesity, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high insulin level predicted IMT progression in young adults. All MetS definitions identified young adults with accelerated IMT progression, but we found no evidence that MetS would predict IMT progression more than expected from the sum of its risk components.
Trends in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Individuals With and Without Diabetes Mellitus in the Framingham Heart Study
Authors: Preis Sarah Rosner , Pencina Michael J. , Hwang Shih-Jen , D'Agostino Ralph B. , Savage Peter J. , Levy Daniel , Fox Caroline S.
Published: July 2009

Background—

Individuals with diabetes mellitus are at 2- to 3-fold increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) relative to those without diabetes. Our objective was to examine CVD risk factor level changes among individuals with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus from 1970 to 2005 in the Framingham Heart Study.

Methods and Results—

We included 4195 participants (3990 with no diabetes and 205 with diabetes) 50 years of age and 3495 participants (3178 with no diabetes and 317 with diabetes) 60 years of age. Contemporaneous CVD risk factor levels were measured; linear regression models were used to assess the interaction between diabetes status and calendar year on CVD risk factor levels. Among 50-year-olds without diabetes mellitus, there was an increase in body mass index of 0.39 kg/m
2
per 10 years, whereas for those with diabetes, there was an increase of 2.52 kg/m
2
(
P
value for the diabetes-by–calendar year interaction [
P
for interaction] <0.001). For low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the mean decrease was −7.43 mg/dL per decade (nondiabetes) and −15.5 mg/dL for diabetes (
P
for interaction=0.002). For systolic blood pressure, the mean decrease was −3.35 mm Hg per decade (nondiabetes) and −3.50 mm Hg for diabetes (
P
for interaction=0.97). The direction of the trends for those with diabetes relative to those without diabetes was similar for 60-year-olds.

Conclusions—

Compared with individuals without diabetes mellitus, individuals with diabetes experienced a greater increase in body mass index, a greater decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and a similar magnitude of decline in systolic blood pressure. Individuals with diabetes mellitus have not experienced the necessary declines in CVD risk factors to overcome their increased risk of CVD. Further efforts are needed to aggressively control CVD risk factors among individuals with diabetes mellitus.
Estrogen Receptor-β Activation Results in S-Nitrosylation of Proteins Involved in Cardioprotection
Authors: Lin Jeffrey , Steenbergen Charles , Murphy Elizabeth , Sun Junhui
Published: July 2009

Background—

It has been shown that the activation of estrogen receptor-β (ER-β) plays an important cardioprotective role against ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the mechanism for this protection is not clear. We hypothesize that estrogen protects by ER-β activation, which leads to S-nitrosylation (SNO) of key cardioprotective proteins.

Methods and Results—

We treated ovariectomized C57BL/6J mice with the ER-β selective agonist 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-proprionitrile (DPN), 17β-estradiol (E2), or vehicle using Alzet minipumps for 2 weeks. Isolated hearts were Langendorff perfused and subjected to ischemia and reperfusion. Compared with vehicle-treated hearts, DPN- and E2-treated hearts had significantly better postischemic functional recovery and decreased infarct size. To test the specificity of DPN, we treated ER-β–knockout mice with DPN. However, no cardioprotective effect of DPN was found in ER-β–knockout mice, indicating that the DPN-induced cardioprotection occurs through the activation of ER-β. Using DyLight-maleimide fluors and a modified biotin switch method, we used a 2-dimensional DyLight fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis proteomic method to quantify differences in SNO of proteins. DPN- and E2-treated hearts showed an increase in SNO of a number of proteins. Interestingly, many of these proteins also had been shown to have increased SNO in preconditioned hearts. In addition, the DPN-induced cardioprotection and increased SNO were abolished by treatment with a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor.

Conclusion—

The activation of ER-β by DPN treatment leads to increased protein SNO and cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion injury, suggesting that long-term estrogen exposure protects hearts largely via activation of ER-β and nitric oxide/SNO signaling.
Independent Relations of Left Ventricular Structure With the 24-Hour Urinary Excretion of Sodium and Aldosterone
Authors: Jin Yu , Kuznetsova Tatiana , Maillard Marc , Richart Tom , Thijs Lutgarde , Bochud Murielle , Herregods Marie-Christine , Burnier Michel , Fagard Robert , Staessen Jan A.
Published: July 2009

Previous studies reported on the association of left ventricular mass index (LVMI) with urinary sodium or with circulating or urinary aldosterone. We investigated the independent associations of LVMI with the urinary excretion of both sodium and aldosterone. We randomly recruited 317 untreated subjects from a white population (45.1% women; mean age 48.2 years). Measurements included echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) properties, the 24-hour urinary excretion of sodium and aldosterone, plasma renin activity (PRA), and proximal (RNa
prox
) and distal (RNa
dist
) renal sodium reabsorption, assessed from the endogenous lithium clearance. In multivariable-adjusted models, we expressed changes in LVMI per 1-SD increase in the explanatory variables, while accounting for sex, age, systolic blood pressure, and the waist-to-hip ratio. LVMI increased independently with the urinary excretion of both sodium (+2.48 g/m
2
;
P
=0.005) and aldosterone (+2.63 g/m
2
;
P
=0.004). Higher sodium excretion was associated with increased mean wall thickness (MWT: +0.126 mm,
P
=0.054), but with no change in LV end-diastolic diameter (LVID: +0.12 mm,
P
=0.64). In contrast, higher aldosterone excretion was associated with higher LVID (+0.54 mm;
P
=0.017), but with no change in MWT (+0.070 mm;
P
=0.28). Higher RNa
dist
was associated with lower relative wall thickness (−0.81×10
−2
,
P
=0.017), because of opposite trends in LVID (+0.33 mm;
P
=0.13) and MWT (−0.130 mm;
P
=0.040). LVMI was not associated with PRA or RNa
prox.
In conclusion, LVMI independently increased with both urinary sodium and aldosterone excretion. Increased MWT explained the association of LVMI with urinary sodium and increased LVID the association of LVMI with urinary aldosterone.
Arterial Load and Ventricular-Arterial Coupling
Authors: Chirinos Julio A. , Rietzschel Ernst R. , De Buyzere Marc L. , De Bacquer Dirk , Gillebert Thierry C. , Gupta Amit K. , Segers Patrick
Published: July 2009

Accurate quantification of arterial function is crucial to distinguishing disease states from normal variants. However, there are little data regarding methods to scale arterial load to body size in humans. We studied 2365 adults aged 35 to 55 years free of overt cardiovascular disease. We assessed arterial hemodynamics and ventricular-vascular coupling with carotid tonometry and Doppler echocardiography. To define normal (physiological) relationships between hemodynamic indices and body size, we used nonlinear regression to analyze a selected reference subsample (n=612) with normal weight (body mass index 18 to 25 kg/m
2
), waist circumference, and metabolic parameters. Most arterial hemodynamic indices demonstrated important relationships with body size, which were frequently allometric (nonlinear). Allometric indexation using appropriate powers (but not ratiometric indexation) effectively eliminated the relationships between indices of arterial load and body size in normal subjects. In the entire sample (n=2365), the adverse effects of obesity on arterial load and end-systolic ventricular stiffening were clearly demonstrated only after appropriate indexation to account for the expected normal relationship to body size. After adjustment for age and sex, a progressive increase in indexed systemic vascular resistance, effective arterial and ventricular end-systolic elastance, and a decrease in total arterial compliance were seen from normal weight to obesity (
P
<0.0001). Arterial load relates to body size in an allometric fashion, calling for scaling with the use of appropriate powers. Obesity exerts adverse effects on arterial load and ventricular stiffening that go beyond the normal relationship with body size. Allometric normalization should allow more accurate quantification of arterial load in future studies.
The Effects of Inclusion on Classmates of Students with Special Needs: The Case of Serious Emotional Problems
Authors: Fletcher Jason M.
Published: July 2009

In this article, I examine the current policy of full inclusion of children receiving special education services in regular education classrooms. Specifically, I focus on the policy's effects on the classmates of children with special needs, with a particular focus on classmates of students with serious emotional problems. Results suggest that students with a classmate with a serious emotional problem experience reductions in first-grade test scores, especially students in low-income schools. Results that attempt to capture sorting across and within schools using school-level fixed effects specifications are qualitatively similar. The magnitude of the reduction in mathematics achievement is approximately 30–60 percent of the size of the adjusted black-white achievement gap. Since nearly 10 percent of the student population has a classmate with a serious emotional problem, the aggregate effect on test scores of the policy of including these students is potentially quite large.
Speed Kills: Analyzing the Deployment of Conventional Ballistic Missiles
Authors: Sugden Bruce M.
Published: July 2009

Should the United States deploy conventional ballistic missiles (CBMs) in support of the prompt global strike (PGS) mission? Most important, do the political-military benefits outweigh the risks of CBM deployment? The United States, if it works to mitigate the risk of misperception and an inadvertent nuclear response, should deploy near-term CBMs in support of the PGS mission. The prompt response of CBMs would likely be sufficient to defeat many time-sensitive, soft targets, provided actionable intelligence was available. Near-term CBMs, those options capable of being deployed prior to 2013, would have the required attributes to defeat their targets: payload flexibility, throw weight, and accuracy. More specifically, the U.S. Navy's Conventional Trident Modification is a cost-effective, near-term PGS option that would mitigate the concerns of CBM opponents. The large-scale use of midterm and long-term CBMs against mobile targets and hard and deeply buried targets, however, will require a wider range of technologies that have yet to mature. Thus, the United States should continue investing in research and development for a broad portfolio of PGS options to cover the emerging target set.
Ending the Korean War: The Role of Domestic Coalition Shifts in Overcoming Obstacles to Peace
Authors: Stanley Elizabeth A.
Published: July 2009

Bargaining models of war suggest that war ends after two sides develop an overlapping bargaining space. Domestic mechanisms—domestic governing coalitions, a state's elite foreign policy decisionmaking group, and their role in ending interstate war—are critical in explaining how, when, and why that bargaining space develops. Through preference, information, and entrapment obstacles, wars can become “stuck” and require a change in expectations to produce a war-terminating bargaining space. A major source of such change is a shift in belligerents' governing coalitions. Events in the United States, China, and the Soviet Union during the Korean War illustrate the dynamics of these obstacles and the need for domestic coalition shifts in overcoming them before the conflict could be brought to an end.
Cortical Projection Topography of the Human Splenium: Hemispheric Asymmetry and Individual Differences
Authors: Putnam Mary Colvin , Steven Megan S. , Doron Karl W. , Riggall Adam C. , Gazzaniga Michael S.
Published: July 2009

The corpus callosum is the largest white matter pathway in the human brain. The most posterior portion, known as the splenium, is critical for interhemispheric communication between visual areas. The current study employed diffusion tensor imaging to delineate the complete cortical projection topography of the human splenium. Homotopic and heterotopic connections were revealed between the splenium and the posterior visual areas, including the occipital and the posterior parietal cortices. In nearly one third of participants, there were homotopic connections between the primary visual cortices, suggesting interindividual differences in splenial connectivity. There were also more instances of connections with the right hemisphere, indicating a hemispheric asymmetry in interhemispheric connectivity within the splenium. Combined, these findings demonstrate unique aspects of human interhemispheric connectivity and provide anatomical bases for hemispheric asymmetries in visual processing and a long-described hemispheric asymmetry in speed of interhemispheric communication for visual information.
Effect of Attention on Early Cortical Processes Associated with the Sound-induced Extra Flash Illusion
Authors: Mishra Jyoti , Martínez Antigona , Hillyard Steven A.
Published: July 2009

When a single flash of light is presented interposed between two brief auditory stimuli separated by 60–100 msec, subjects typically report perceiving two flashes [Shams, L., Kamitani, Y., & Shimojo, S. Visual illusion induced by sound. Brain Research, Cognitive Brain Research, 14, 147–152, 2002; Shams, L., Kamitani, Y., & Shimojo, S. Illusions. What you see is what you hear. Nature, 408, 788, 2000]. Using ERP recordings, we previously found that perception of the illusory extra flash was accompanied by a rapid dynamic interplay between auditory and visual cortical areas that was triggered by the second sound [Mishra, J., Martínez, A., Sejnowski, T. J., & Hillyard, S. A. Early cross-modal interactions in auditory and visual cortex underlie a sound-induced visual illusion. Journal of Neuroscience, 27, 4120–4131, 2007]. In the current study, we investigated the effect of attention on the ERP components associated with the illusory extra flash in 15 individuals who perceived this cross-modal illusion frequently. All early ERP components in the cross-modal difference wave associated with the extra flash illusion were significantly enhanced by selective spatial attention. The earliest attention-related modulation was an amplitude increase of the positive-going PD110/PD120 component, which was previously shown to be correlated with an individual's propensity to perceive the illusory second flash [Mishra, J., Martínez, A., Sejnowski, T. J., & Hillyard, S. A. Early cross-modal interactions in auditory and visual cortex underlie a sound-induced visual illusion. Journal of Neuroscience, 27, 4120–4131, 2007]. The polarity of the early PD110/PD120 component did not differ as a function of the visual field (upper vs. lower) of stimulus presentation. This, along with the source localization of the component, suggested that its principal generator lies in extrastriate visual cortex. These results indicate that neural processes previously shown to be associated with the extra flash illusion can be modulated by attention, and thus are not the result of a wholly automatic cross-modal integration process.
Human Visual System Automatically Encodes Sequential Regularities of Discrete Events
Authors: Kimura Motohiro , Schröger Erich , Czigler István , Ohira Hideki
Published: July 2009

For our adaptive behavior in a dynamically changing environment, an essential task of the brain is to automatically encode sequential regularities inherent in the environment into a memory representation. Recent studies in neuroscience have suggested that sequential regularities embedded in discrete sensory events are automatically encoded into a memory representation at the level of the sensory system. This notion is largely supported by evidence from investigations using auditory mismatch negativity (auditory MMN), an event-related brain potential (ERP) correlate of an automatic memory-mismatch process in the auditory sensory system. However, it is still largely unclear whether or not this notion can be generalized to other sensory modalities. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the contribution of the visual sensory system to the automatic encoding of sequential regularities using visual mismatch negativity (visual MMN), an ERP correlate of an automatic memory-mismatch process in the visual sensory system. To this end, we conducted a sequential analysis of visual MMN in an oddball sequence consisting of infrequent deviant and frequent standard stimuli, and tested whether the underlying memory representation of visual MMN generation contains only a sensory memory trace of standard stimuli (trace-mismatch hypothesis) or whether it also contains sequential regularities extracted from the repetitive standard sequence (regularity-violation hypothesis). The results showed that visual MMN was elicited by first deviant (deviant stimuli following at least one standard stimulus), second deviant (deviant stimuli immediately following first deviant), and first standard (standard stimuli immediately following first deviant), but not by second standard (standard stimuli immediately following first standard). These results are consistent with the regularity-violation hypothesis, suggesting that the visual sensory system automatically encodes sequential regularities. In combination with a wide range of auditory MMN studies, the present study highlights the critical role of sensory systems in automatically encoding sequential regularities when modeling the world.
The Evocative Power of Sounds: Conceptual Priming between Words and Nonverbal Sounds
Authors: Schön Daniele , Ystad Sølvi , Kronland-Martinet Richard , Besson Mireille
Published: July 2009

Two experiments were conducted to examine the conceptual relation between words and nonmeaningful sounds. In order to reduce the role of linguistic mediation, sounds were recorded in such a way that it was highly unlikely to identify the source that produced them. Related and unrelated sound–word pairs were presented in Experiment 1 and the order of presentation was reversed in Experiment 2 (word–sound). Results showed that, in both experiments, participants were sensitive to the conceptual relation between the two items. They were able to correctly categorize items as related or unrelated with good accuracy. Moreover, a relatedness effect developed in the event-related brain potentials between 250 and 600 msec, although with a slightly different scalp topography for word and sound targets. Results are discussed in terms of similar conceptual processing networks and we propose a tentative model of the semiotics of sounds.
Neural Representations and Mechanisms for the Performance of Simple Speech Sequences
Authors: Bohland Jason W. , Bullock Daniel , Guenther Frank H.
Published: July 2009

Speakers plan the phonological content of their utterances before their release as speech motor acts. Using a finite alphabet of learned phonemes and a relatively small number of syllable structures, speakers are able to rapidly plan and produce arbitrary syllable sequences that fall within the rules of their language. The class of computational models of sequence planning and performance termed competitive queuing models have followed K. S. Lashley [The problem of serial order in behavior. In L. A. Jeffress (Ed.), Cerebral mechanisms in behavior (pp. 112–136). New York: Wiley, 1951] in assuming that inherently parallel neural representations underlie serial action, and this idea is increasingly supported by experimental evidence. In this article, we developed a neural model that extends the existing DIVA model of speech production in two complementary ways. The new model includes paired structure and content subsystems [cf. MacNeilage, P. F. The frame/content theory of evolution of speech production. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 21, 499–511, 1998] that provide parallel representations of a forthcoming speech plan as well as mechanisms for interfacing these phonological planning representations with learned sensorimotor programs to enable stepping through multisyllabic speech plans. On the basis of previous reports, the model's components are hypothesized to be localized to specific cortical and subcortical structures, including the left inferior frontal sulcus, the medial premotor cortex, the basal ganglia, and the thalamus. The new model, called gradient order DIVA, thus fills a void in current speech research by providing formal mechanistic hypotheses about both phonological and phonetic processes that are grounded by neuroanatomy and physiology. This framework also generates predictions that can be tested in future neuroimaging and clinical case studies.
Responding with Restraint: What Are the Neurocognitive Mechanisms?
Authors: Jahfari Sara , Stinear Cathy M. , Claffey Mike , Verbruggen Frederick , Aron Adam R.
Published: July 2009

An important aspect of cognitive control is the ability to respond with restraint. Here, we modeled this experimentally by measuring the degree of response slowing that occurs when people respond to an imperative stimulus in a context where they might suddenly need to stop the initiated response compared with a context in which they do not need to stop. We refer to the RT slowing that occurs as the “response delay effect.” We conjectured that this response delay effect could relate to one or more neurocognitive mechanism(s): partial response suppression (i.e., “active braking”), prolonged decision time, and slower response facilitation. These accounts make different predictions about motor system excitability and brain activation. To test which neurocognitive mechanisms underlie the response delay effect, we performed two studies with TMS and we reanalyzed fMRI data. The results suggest that the response delay effect is at least partly explained by active braking, possibly involving a mechanism that is similar to that used to stop responses completely. These results further our understanding of how people respond with restraint by pointing to proactive recruitment of a neurocognitive mechanism heretofore associated with outright stopping.
Dispositions as Virtues
Authors: Sockett Hugh
Published: July 2009

The value of conceptualizing the desirable dispositions of the teacher as virtues is illuminated through distinguishing such dispositions-as-virtues from other dispositions and from personality traits. Dispositions as virtues are qualities achieved by the individual's initiative, in the face of obstacles, and are intrinsically motivated. The complexity of any construct for student assessment is illustrated through distinguishing educational goals from teacher dispositions, specifically social justice; describing dispositions under the three categories of character, intellect, and care; and then indicating the complexity of each through self-knowledge, truthfulness, and compassion as exemplars of each category. Finally, using William Hare's work on open-mindedness, it is argued that transparent assessment is needed in which criteria are perspicuous to assessor and assessed. Student teachers can then create self-assessment protocols for each disposition-as-virtue to enhance understanding and professional growth.
Complex Interactions in Student Teaching
Authors: Valencia Sheila W. , Martin Susan D. , Place Nancy A. , Grossman Pam
Published: July 2009

Student teaching is a cornerstone of teacher preparation, yet it remains one of the most difficult experiences to understand. Calls for an ecological approach to research on student teaching prompted this study in which the experience is examined from the perspective of the three key triad members. Using activity theory, this study explores how their interactions in specific contexts shaped opportunities for student teachers to learn to teach language arts. The findings reveal that all members of the triad were simultaneously operating in multiple settings and facing competing demands that shaped their actions and stances. Consequently, there were numerous instances of lost opportunities for student teachers to learn to teach, including sparse feedback on teaching subject matter and few links to methods courses, plus limited opportunities to develop identities as teachers. The structures that frame student teaching and its participants have deep roots in the cultures of universities and schools that must be considered if student teaching is to maximize its potential.
A Successful Professional Development Model in Mathematics
Authors: Higgins Joanna , Parsons Ro
Published: July 2009

The design and implementation of the professional development model of the New Zealand Numeracy Development Project has been successful in improving teacher knowledge and practice as well as raising student outcomes. Since 2000, more than 25,000 teachers in English-medium settings have participated in the project. In New Zealand the terms English-medium and Māori-medium are used to distinguish the language of instruction. settings have participated in the project. A content analysis across a large data set from evaluations conducted during the first four years of the project, identified three pedagogical tools that participants describe as improving their mathematics knowledge and practice: the number framework; the diagnostic interview; and the strategy teaching model. The article argues that the power of the professional development model lies in the integration of the three pedagogical tools ensuring that professional learning focuses on the core ideas of the project within the context of the teacher's classroom. This focus has enabled teachers to deepen their professional knowledge, change their instructional practice and improve their responsiveness to students' diverse learning needs.
Cultivating Self in the Context of Transformative Professional Development
Authors: Jurow A. Susan
Published: July 2009

In this study, the author combines insights from ethnography and discourse analysis to examine how a model of selfhood was cultivated through the social practices of a transformative professional development program for urban public school leaders. Participants were introduced to the notion of an inner self that is knowing, vulnerable, and connected to others through (a) the modeling of multiple ways of talking about an inner self, (b) ritual experience of self in relation to others, and (c) the connection of self to a natural order. Taken together, the author found that the social practices of the retreat aimed to reposition the school leaders to try on new ways of seeing themselves both personally and professionally. This study contributes to our nascent understandings of both the practices and potential of transformative professional development.
Virtue out of Necessity? Compliance, Commitment, and the Improvement of Labor Conditions in Global Supply Chains
Authors: Locke Richard , Amengual Matthew , Mangla Akshay
Published: July 2009

Private, voluntary compliance programs, promoted by global corporations and nongovernmental organizations alike, have produced only modest and uneven improvements in working conditions and labor rights in most global supply chains. Through a detailed study of a major global apparel company and its suppliers, this article argues that this compliance model rests on misguided theoretical and empirical assumptions concerning the power of multinational corporations in global supply chains, the role information (derived from factory audits) plays in shaping the behavior of key actors (e.g., global brands, transnational activist networks, suppliers, purchasing agents, etc.) in these production networks, and the appropriate incentives required to change behavior and promote improvements in labor standards in these emergent centers of global production. The authors argue that it is precisely these faulty assumptions and the way they have come to shape various labor compliance initiatives throughout the world—even more than a lack of commitment, resources, or transparency by global brands and their suppliers to these programs—that explain why this compliance-focused model of private voluntary regulation has not succeeded. In contrast, this article documents that a more commitment-oriented approach to improving labor standards coexists and, in many of the same factories, complements the traditional compliance model. This commitment-oriented approach, based on joint problem solving, information exchange, and the diffusion of best practices, is often obscured by the debates over traditional compliance programs but exists in myriad factories throughout the world and has led to sustained improvements in working conditions and labor rights at these workplaces.
Health Benefits for Vocational Rehabilitation Consumers: Comparison of Access Rates With Workers in the General Population
Authors: Lustig Daniel C. , Strauser David R.
Published: July 2009

Access to health insurance is one of the critical aspects of securing employment for people with disabilities. This study investigated whether vocational rehabilitation consumers secured employment with an employer who offered health insurance at similar rates to workers in the general population. In general, the results show that vocational rehabilitation consumers had significantly lower health insurance access rates than workers in the general population. Implications for rehabilitation counselors are discussed.