bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Instrumentality Beliefs on Intrinsic Motivation: A Study of High-Achieving Adolescents
Authors: Kover David J. , Worrell Frank C.
Published: August 2011

For many students, school is a forward-looking endeavor, with implications for future educational opportunity, job prospects, and financial success. How does believing that school is linked to a desired future outcome—known as an instrumentality belief—influence motivation? A number of studies have indicated that rewards, or other concerns that are external to the task at hand, can diminish the intrinsic motivation to engage in that task, a fact that would call into question the adaptive nature of these instrumentality beliefs. In a recent study, Miller, DeBacker, and Greene (1999) indicated that instrumentality beliefs about school not only increase extrinsic motivation, but also increase intrinsic motivation. Miller et al. examined college students; the current study replicated their study in a population of high-achieving high school students. In the current study, the positive influence of instrumentality beliefs on intrinsic motivation was not found. Given these findings, we discuss the ways in which the future goals of high-achieving high school students may differ from those of students in a college population and offer directions for further research in this area that might elucidate these differences. Research of this sort may ultimately have important implications for how educators frame for students the relationship between schooling and their future goals.
Out-of-School Activities and Achievement Among Middle School Students in the U.S. and South Korea
Authors: Won Seoung Joun , Han Seunghee
Published: August 2011

This study examined the relationships between American and South Korean students' achievement and their time spent in out-of-school activities. Analyzing nationally representative data for 8,912 U.S. and 5,309 Korean middle school students from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003, we found differences in students' time-spending patterns for out-of-school activities and associations between out-of-school activities and academic achievement in the two countries. Although watching TV and playing with friends are the most common activities in both countries, Korean students spent more than 30% of their out-of-school hours using the Internet and playing PC games, whereas American students spent about 27% of their out-of-school hours playing sports and working at home or a paid job. Regarding the associations between out-of-school activities and achievement, playing sports was a positive predictor of achievement in the U.S. but a negative predictor in Korea, and doing homework was a negative predictor in the U.S. but a positive predictor in Korea. It was a positive predictor for high-achieving students in the U.S., but it was a negative predictor for low-achieving students in the U.S. By contrast, reading books was a common positive predictor of achievement in both nations. In addition, the relationships between achievement and the type of out-of-school activities differed by gender and achievement levels. These differences are greater among the lower achieving groups of each nation than the high achievers. Even though there are some limitations to the present study, these results may have important implications for parents and educators.
Mathematical Problems That Optimize Learning for Academically Advanced Students in Grades K-6
Authors: Chamberlin Scott A.
Published: August 2011

Several decades ago, V. A. Krutetskii conducted a multiyear study to investigate the various types of thinking that academically advanced, or as he called them, gifted mathematicians used. Following an in-depth look at Krutetskii's nine ways of thinking, a model is proposed that will provide direction for teachers in selecting problems. The model is comprised of four levels of mathematical tasks. Level 1 is mathematical exercises, Level 2 is word or story problems, Level 3 is mathematical problems, and Level 4 is authentic mathematical problem-solving tasks. Subsequently, an elaboration of high- and low-level tasks is applied to the four-level model. Consistent with Krutetskii's theory, the suggestion is then made that approximately of the curricula for students of advanced intellect in mathematics should be comprised of Levels 1 and 2 tasks, should be comprised of Level 3 tasks, and should be comprised of Level 4 tasks. Three implications are offered for teachers and four are offered for researchers. The first implication is that teachers must carefully scrutinize their curriculum to see that it meets the needs of all students, including academically advanced students. The second implication is that conceptual (deep) understanding of algorithms can be attained through the use of mathematical problems and authentically challenging tasks. The third implication is that teachers are not likely to have a database of problems that represents all levels if they use only the provided textbook. Researchers and educators should be reminded that additional time and effort is necessary to empirically research the proposed theory. Moreover, authentically challenging tasks, such as Model-Eliciting Activities, should be used with students, and they could be used for assessment.
“Just Challenge Those High-Ability Learners and They'll Be All Right!”. The Impact of Social Context and Challenging Instruction on the Affective Development of High-Ability Students
Authors: Eddles-Hirsch Katrina , Vialle Wilma , Rogers Karen B. , McCormick John
Published: August 2011

This study provided a voice to gifted elementary children attending three very different schools that endeavored to meet their atypical academic needs. Although educators have theorized that special programs for gifted students benefit gifted children academically and contribute positively to their social and emotional development, there is limited research to support this belief. The phenomenological framework used in this study allowed 27 gifted elementary students to present their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of extension class environments. The results demonstrate that while challenging instruction was clearly important for the emotional well-being of the advanced learners, it went hand in hand with the schools' approach to the social and emotional development of their student populations. The schools' objectives clearly influenced students' perceptions of emotional safety, acceptance of diversity, and teacher-student and peer relations in the schools. This finding differs from previous research results, which suggest that if a gifted child's cognitive abilities are catered to, his or her social and emotional needs will automatically be met. Whereas this study found that the social context of the school played an important role in the talent process, we also found a strong relationship between program type and socioaffective outcomes.
Costs and Benefits of Family Involvement in Homework
Authors: Voorhis Frances Landis Van
Published: August 2011

Homework represents one research-based instructional strategy linked to student achievement. However, challenges abound with its current practice. This paper presents the results of three 2-year longitudinal interventions of the Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) homework program in elementary mathematics, middle school language arts, and middle school science. Each weekly standards-related TIPS assignment included specific instructions for students to involve a family partner in a discussion, interview, experiment, or other interaction. Depending on subject and grade level, TIPS students returned between 72% and 91% of TIPS activities, and families signed between 55% and 83% of TIPS assignments. TIPS students and families responded significantly more positively than controls to questions about their emotions and attitudes about the homework experience, and TIPS families and students reported higher levels of family involvement in the TIPS subject. No differences emerged in the amount of time students spent on subject homework across the homework groups, but students using TIPS for 2 years earned significantly higher standardized test scores than did controls. The findings suggest that the benefits of TIPS intervention in terms of emotion and achievement outweigh its associated costs.
Mathematics Achievement: The Role of Homework and Self-Efficacy Beliefs
Authors: Kitsantas Anastasia , Cheema Jehanzeb , Ware Herbert W.
Published: August 2011

The present study used the U.S. portion of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) to examine how homework resources, mathematics self-efficacy, and time spent on homework impacted mathematics achievement across gender and ethnicity. The findings showed that achievement gaps diminished with the increase in availability of homework resources and the increase in mathematics self-efficacy. Increased proportions of homework time spent on mathematics homework were associated with a decrease in mathematics achievement. These findings suggest that educators should attempt to provide the resources for students to complete their homework and structure homework assignments accordingly. Interestingly, the findings also suggest that educators need to focus on enhancing self-efficacy with respect to mathematics for all students.
Can Stereotype Threat Be Measured? A Validation of the Social Identities and Attitudes Scale (SIAS)
Authors: Picho Katherine , Brown Scott W.
Published: August 2011

This study reported the development and validation of the Social Identities and Attitudes Scale (SIAS)—a stereotype threat susceptibility measure. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses conducted with college students revealed that the scale, which constitutes six key ST moderators, possessed strong psychometric properties. The SIAS makes it possible for researchers to establish a baseline for measuring ST susceptibility and, subsequently, the impact of interventions attempting to reduce it. It provides researchers with the means to tease ST effects apart, differentiate between levels of ST risk (e.g., low, moderate, high), and facilitate the development of specialized interventions for different ST risk levels. Its use as a tool for identifying high-risk ST individuals might also be useful for mixed methods research seeking to understand contextual factors that exacerbate ST for these individuals and, importantly, how they respond to these environments.
Adding Personality to Gifted Identification: Relationships Among Traditional and Personality-Based Constructs
Authors: Carman Carol A.
Published: August 2011

One of the underutilized tools in gifted identification is personality-based measures. Previous research has shown the Overexcitability Questionnaire II (OEQII) is able to differentiate between gifted and non-gifted respondents; however, the OEQII is difficult to administer and has questionable reliability. The Sensory Profile measures a similar construct to the OEQII without those issues. A multiple confirmatory factor analysis was utilized to examine the relationships between traditional identification methods (grade point average, achievement test, intelligence test, high school class rank) and personality-based measures (OEQII and Sensory Profile). The pattern of correlations between the four latent variables indicate this model could be measuring two constructs, one related to traditional intelligence-related aspects of giftedness and the other related to personality-related aspects of giftedness. If that is the case, a personality-based measure could prove to be a good measure of “personality-related” giftedness. Multiple discriminant analyses were then conducted to determine if the identification method would discriminate between gifted and nongifted in a sample of adult students at a large Midwestern university. Traditional identification methods and the OEQII were able to discriminate between gifted and nongifted but the Sensory Profile was not. One potential reason is that both the OEQII and Sensory Profile measure psychomotor and sensual overexcitabilities but only the OEQII measures imaginational, intellectual, and emotional overexcitabilities. Future research finding a personality-based instrument that is easy to administer and reliably measures the imaginational, intellectual, and emotional overexcitabilities is encouraged.
An Investigation of Measurement Invariance Across Genders on the Overexcitability Questionnaire–Two
Authors: Warne Russell T.
Published: August 2011

The Overexcitability Questionnaire–Two (OEQII) is a quantitative instrument for assessing overexcitabilities as they are described in Dabrowski’s theory of positive disintegration. This article uses multigroup confirmatory factor analysis to examine the measurement invariance of OEQII scores across genders. Results indicate that raw OEQII scores cannot be compared across genders. Caution should be used in interpreting OEQII scores.
College Student Effort Expenditure in Online Versus Face-to-Face Courses
Authors: Yang Yan , Cho YoonJung , Mathew Susan , Worth Sheri
Published: August 2011

The study investigated the differential impact of sense of classroom community on effort in online versus face-to-face courses while controlling for potential effects of gender and team learning orientation. The interaction effects from ANOVA results suggested a gender difference across the two course delivery formats, with male students expending more effort than females in online courses while females put more energy than males in face-to-face courses. The hierarchical regression analyses results showed differential predictive patterns of student effort, with multiple predictors of student effort in face-to-face courses in contrast to a single value-interest predictor in online courses after controlling for individual differences. The results suggested the need of instructional differentiation of the two course delivery formats and the importance of enhancing the value and interest of online courses to promote student effort in distance education programs.
Integrating Engineering Into K-6 Curriculum
Authors: Mann Eric L. , Mann Rebecca L. , Strutz Michele L. , Duncan Daphne , Yoon So Yoon
Published: August 2011

The fields of gifted and engineering education share many common interests, and their students share many common attributes. Infusing and making engineering implicit in the K-6 education programs creates opportunities to develop concepts, skills, and habits of the mind that are valuable in all disciplines while providing opportunities to discover and develop talent in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
Steps for the advanced product quality planning approach to improve product quality: a case of fastener manufacturing
Authors: Li D-C , Chang S-Y , Chen T-L , Liu C-W
Published: August 2011

Advanced product quality planning (APQP) is a robust production strategy and a real-time improvement method with a comprehensive quality processing procedure that uses statistical tools and technologies to improve product quality. APQP product development processes thus allow accurate and efficient production. The present paper proposes a procedure for APQP for the fastener industry. Realistic processes are used to explain the procedures used, including the activities involved in the five stages of the APQP approach: the planning and definition stage, the product design stage, process design stage, the manufacturing certification stage, and the improvement and feedback stage. The empirical study results show that the proposed APQP procedure can ensure product quality and capability of manufacturing equipment with improved Ppk, Cpk, and Cpm values.
Micromachining characterization of anisotropic pyrolytic carbon
Authors: Bajpai V , Salhotra G , Singh R K
Published: August 2011

Engineered features on pyrolytic carbon (PyC) have been demonstrated as an approach to optimize flow haemodynamics of the bileaflet mechanical heart valve (BMHV). To realize passive flow control in a functional BMHV, micro/meso-scale engineered features are required to be machined on the PyC leaflet. Since PyC is very brittle and has a layered anisotropic structure, its machining characteristics are different from those of standard isotropic materials. The surface finish requirements in these implants are also very stringent. A comprehensive approach needs to be devised which can create three-dimensional features with desired surface quality and integrity. Very little work has been reported on machining/micromachining of PyC, so it is expected that the present study will create the manufacturing knowledge base to generate engineered surfaces in PyC bio-implants. A full factorial experimental design was used to investigate the effect of micromilling process parameters (spindle speed, feed rate, depth of cut, tool diameter) on the response variables. Experiments were conducted in the AB plane (parallel to the layers) and the C plane (normal to the layers) to capture the effect of anisotropy. The process responses studied were cutting forces, surface roughness, surface morphology, and chip morphology. The mean radial/tangential forces and the mean surface roughness values increased by approximately 140 per cent and 77 per cent, respectively, when the cutting plane was changed from AB to C.
Safety and persistence of adoptively transferred autologous CD19-targeted T cells in patients with relapsed or chemotherapy refractory B-cell leukemias
Authors: Brentjens Renier J. , Rivière Isabelle , Park Jae H. , Davila Marco L. , Wang Xiuyan , Stefanski Jolanta , Taylor Clare , Yeh Raymond , Bartido Shirley , Borquez-Ojeda Oriana , Olszewska Malgorzata , Bernal Yvette , Pegram Hollie , Przybylowski Mark , Hollyman Daniel , Usachenko Yelena , Pirraglia Domenick , Hosey James , Santos Elmer , Halton Elizabeth , Maslak Peter , Scheinberg David , Jurcic Joseph , Heaney Mark , Heller Glenn , Frattini Mark , Sadelain Michel
Published: August 2011

We report the findings from the first 10 patients with chemotherapy-refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) we have enrolled for treatment with autologous T cells modified to express 19-28z, a second-generation chimeric antigen (Ag) receptor specific to the B-cell lineage Ag CD19. Eight of the 9 treated patients tolerated 19-28z+ T-cell infusions well. Three of 4 evaluable patients with bulky CLL who received prior conditioning with cyclophosphamide exhibited either a significant reduction or a mixed response in lymphadenopathy without concomitant development of B-cell aplasia. In contrast, one patient with relapsed ALL who was treated in remission with a similar T-cell dose developed a predicted B-cell aplasia. The short-term persistence of infused T cells was enhanced by prior cyclophosphamide administration and inversely proportional to the peripheral blood tumor burden. Further analyses showed rapid trafficking of modified T cells to tumor and retained ex vivo cytotoxic potential of CD19-targeted T cells retrieved 8 days after infusion. We conclude that this adoptive T-cell approach is promising and more likely to show clinical benefit in the setting of prior conditioning chemotherapy and low tumor burden or minimal residual disease. These studies are registered at www.clinicaltrials.org as #NCT00466531 (CLL protocol) and #NCT01044069 (B-ALL protocol).
Serglycin participates in retention of α-defensin in granules during myelopoiesis
Authors: Glenthøj Andreas , Cowland Jack B. , Heegaard Niels H. , Larsen Maria T. , Borregaard Niels
Published: August 2011

The mechanism by which proteins are targeted to neutrophil granules is largely unknown. The intracellular proteoglycan serglycin has been shown to have important functions related to storage of proteins in several types of granules. The possible role of serglycin in the localization of the α-defensin, human neutrophil peptide 1 (HNP-1), a major azurophil granule protein in human neutrophils, was investigated. Murine myeloid cells, stably transfected to express HNP-1, were capable of processing HNP-1, and HNP-1 was found to associate with serglycin in murine and human myeloid cell lines as well as in human bone marow cells. A transgenic mouse expressing HNP-1 in the myeloid compartment was crossed with mice deficient in serglycin or neutrophil elastase to investigate HNP-1 sorting and processing. Neither deficiency affected processing of HNP-1, but the ability to retain fully processed HNP-1 intracellularly was reduced in mice that lack serglycin. Human granulocyte precursors transfected with siRNA against serglycin displayed similar reduced capability to retain fully processed HNP-1, demonstrating a role of serglycin in retaining mature HNP-1 intracellularly, thus preventing potential toxic effects of extracellular HNP-1.
On the stability of an AQCQ-functional equation in random normed spaces
Authors: Park Choonkil , Jang Sun Young , Lee Jung Rye , Shin Dong Yun
Published: August 2011

In this paper, we prove the Hyers-Ulam stability of the following additive-quadratic-cubic-quartic functional equation

f(x+2y)+f(x-2y)=4f(x+y)+4f(x-y)-6f(x)(1)+f(2y)+f(-2y)-4f(y)-4f(-y)(2)(3)

in random normed spaces.

2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: 46S40; 39B52; 54E70
Accuracy and differential bias in copy number measurement of CCL3L1 in association studies with three auto-immune disorders
Authors: Carpenter Danielle , Walker Susan , Prescott Natalie , Schalkwijk Joost , Armour John AL
Published: August 2011

Background

Copy number variation (CNV) contributes to the variation observed between individuals and can influence human disease progression, but the accurate measurement of individual copy numbers is technically challenging. In the work presented here we describe a modification to a previously described paralogue ratio test (PRT) method for genotyping the CCL3L1/CCL4L1 copy variable region, which we use to ascertain CCL3L1/CCL4L1 copy number in 1581 European samples. As the products of CCL3L1 and CCL4L1 potentially play a role in autoimmunity we performed case control association studies with Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis clinical cohorts.

Results

We evaluate the PRT methodology used, paying particular attention to accuracy and precision, and highlight the problems of differential bias in copy number measurements. Our PRT methods for measuring copy number were of sufficient precision to detect very slight but systematic differential bias between results from case and control DNA samples in one study. We find no evidence for an association between CCL3L1 copy number and Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis.

Conclusions

Differential bias of this small magnitude, but applied systematically across large numbers of samples, would create a serious risk of false positive associations in copy number, if measured using methods of lower precision, or methods relying on single uncorroborated measurements. In this study the small differential bias detected by PRT in one sample set was resolved by a simple pre-treatment by restriction enzyme digestion.
Utilisation of malaria preventive measures during pregnancy and birth outcomes in Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Tongo Olukemi O , Orimadegun Adebola E , Akinyinka Olusegun O
Published: August 2011

Background

Malaria remains a major public health problem in sub Saharan Africa and the extent of utilisation of malaria preventive measures may impact on the burden of malaria in pregnancy. This study sought to determine the association between malaria preventive measures utilized during pregnancy and the birth outcomes of birth weight and preterm delivery.

Methods

This cross sectional survey involved 800 mothers who delivered at the University College Hospital, and Adeoyo Maternity Hospital, Ibadan. Data obtained included obstetric information, gestational age, birth weight and self reported use of malaria prevention strategies in index pregnancy.

Results

Most (95.6%) mothers used one or more malaria control measures. The most commonly used vector control measures were window net (84.0%), insecticide spray (71.5%) and insecticide treated bed nets (20.1%), while chemoprophylactic agents were pyrimethamine (23.5%), Intermittent Preventive Treatments with Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine (IPTsp) (18.5%) and intermittent chloroquine (9.5%) and 21.7% used herbal medications. The mean ± SD birthweight and gestational age of the babies were 3.02 kg ± 0.56 and 37.9 weeks ± 2.5 respectively. Preterm delivery rate was 19.4% and 9% had low birth weight.

Comparing babies whose mothers had IPTsp with those who did not, mean birth weight was 3.13 kg ± 0.52 versus 3.0 kg ± 0.56 (p = 0.016) and mean gestational age was 38.5 weeks ± 2.1 versus 37.8 weeks ± 2.5 (p = 0.002).

The non-use of IPTsp was associated with increased risk of having low birth weight babies (AOR: 2.27, 95% CI: 0.98; 5.28) and preterm birth (AOR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.08, 3.44). The non use of herbal preparations (AOR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.85) was associated with reduced risk of preterm birth. The mean ± SD birth weight and gestational ages of babies born to mothers who slept under ITNs were not significantly different from those who did not (p = 0.07 and 0.09 respectively).

Conclusions

There is a need for improved utilisation of IPTsp as well as discouraging the use of herbal medications in pregnancy in order to reduce pregnancy outcome measures of low birth weight and preterm deliveries in this environment.
Cholesterol-enriched diet causes age-related macular degeneration-like pathology in rabbit retina
Authors: Dasari Bhanu , Prasanthi Jaya RP , Marwarha Gurdeep , Singh Brij B , Ghribi Othman
Published: August 2011

Background

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) share several pathological hallmarks including β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation, oxidative stress, and apoptotic cell death. The causes of AD and AMD are likely multi-factorial with several factors such as diet, environment, and genetic susceptibility participating in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Epidemiological studies correlated high plasma cholesterol levels with high incidence of AD, and feeding rabbits with a diet rich in cholesterol has been shown to induce AD-like pathology in rabbit brain. High intake of cholesterol and saturated fat were also long been suspected to increase the risk for AMD. However, the extent to which cholesterol-enriched diet may also cause AMD-like features in rabbit retinas is not well known.

Methods

Male New Zealand white rabbits were fed normal chow or a 2% cholesterol-enriched diet for 12 weeks. At necropsy, animals were perfused with Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline and the eyes were promptly removed. One eye of each animal was used for immunohistochemistry and retina dissected from the other eye was used for Western blot, ELISA assays, spectrophotometry and mass spectrometry analyses.

Results

Increased levels of Aβ, decreased levels of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, increased levels of the pro-apoptotic Bax and gadd153 proteins, emergence of TUNEL-positive cells, and increased generation of reactive oxygen species were found in retinas from cholesterol-fed compared to normal chow-fed rabbits. Additionally, astrogliosis, drusen-like debris and cholesterol accumulations in retinas from cholesterol-fed rabbits were observed. As several lines of evidence suggest that oxidized cholesterol metabolites (oxysterols) may be the link by which cholesterol contributes to the pathogenesis of AMD, we determined levels of oxysterols and found a dramatic increase in levels of oxysterols in retinas from cholesterol-fed rabbits.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that cholesterol-enriched diets cause retinal degeneration that is relevant to AMD. Furthermore, our data suggests high cholesterol levels and subsequent increase in the cholesterol metabolites as potential culprits to AMD.
Global gene expression profiling of Plasmodium falciparum in response to the anti-malarial drug pyronaridine
Authors: Kritsiriwuthinan Kanyanan , Chaotheing Sastra , Shaw Philip J , Wongsombat Chayaphat , Chavalitshewinkoon-Petmitr Porntip , Kamchonwongpaisan Sumalee
Published: August 2011

Background

Pyronaridine (PN) and chloroquine (CQ) are structurally related anti-malarial drugs with primarily the same mode of action. However, PN is effective against several multidrug-resistant lines of Plasmodium falciparum, including CQ resistant lines, suggestive of important operational differences between the two drugs.

Methods

Synchronized trophozoite stage cultures of P. falciparum strain K1 (CQ resistant) were exposed to 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of PN and CQ, and parasites were harvested from culture after 4 and 24 hours exposure. Global transcriptional changes effected by drug treatment were investigated using DNA microarrays.

Results

After a 4 h drug exposure, PN induced a greater degree of transcriptional perturbation (61 differentially expressed features) than CQ (10 features). More genes were found to respond to 24 h treatments with both drugs, and 461 features were found to be significantly responsive to one or both drugs across all treatment conditions.

Filtering was employed to remove features unrelated to primary drug action, specifically features representing genes developmentally regulated, secondary stress/death related processes and sexual stage development. The only significant gene ontologies represented among the 46 remaining features after filtering relate to host exported proteins from multi-gene families.

Conclusions

The malaria parasite's molecular responses to PN and CQ treatment are similar in terms of the genes and pathways affected. However, PN appears to exert a more rapid response than CQ. The faster action of PN may explain why PN is more efficacious than CQ, particularly against CQ resistant isolates. In agreement with several other microarray studies of drug action on the parasite, it is not possible, however, to discern mechanism of drug action from the drug-responsive genes.
Psychometric validation of the revised SCOPA-Diary Card: expanding the measurement of non-motor symptoms in parkinson's disease
Authors: Rendas-Baum Regina , Buck Philip O , White Michelle K , Castelli-Haley Jane
Published: August 2011

Background

To identify key non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) to include in a daily diary assessment for off-time, revise the Scales for Outcomes of Parkinson's disease Diary Card (SCOPA-DC) to include these non-motor symptoms, and investigate the validity, reliability and predictive utility of the Revised SCOPA-DC in a U.S. population.

Methods

A convenience sample was used to recruit four focus groups of PD patients. Based on findings from focus groups, the SCOPA-DC was revised and administered to a sample of 101 PD patients. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test the domain structure of the Revised SCOPA-DC. The reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, and ability to predict off-time of the Revised SCOPA-DC were then assessed.

Results

Based on input from PD patients, the Revised SCOPA-DC included several format changes and the addition of non-motor symptoms. The Revised SCOPA-DC was best represented by a three-factor structure: Mobility, Physical Functioning and Psychological Functioning. Correlations between the Revised SCOPA-DC and other Health-Related Quality of Life scores were supportive of convergent validity. Known-groups validity analyses indicated that scores on the Revised SCOPA-DC were lower among patients who reported experiencing off-time when compared to those without off-time. The three subscales had satisfactory predictive utility, correctly predicting off-time slightly over two-thirds of the time.

Conclusions

These findings provide evidence of content validity of the Revised SCOPA-DC and suggest that a three-factor structure is an appropriate model that provides reliable and valid scores to assess symptom severity among PD patients with symptom fluctuations in the U.S.
Iterative algorithms for finding a common solution of system of the set of variational inclusion problems and the set of fixed point problems
Authors: Kangtunyakarn Atid
Published: August 2011

In this article, we introduce a new mapping generated by infinite family of nonexpansive mapping and infinite real numbers. By means of the new mapping, we prove a strong convergence theorem for finding a common element of the set of fixed point problems of infinite family of nonexpansive mappings and the set of a finite family of variational inclusion problems in Hilbert space. In the last section, we apply our main result to prove a strong convergence theorem for finding a common element of the set of fixed point problems of infinite family of strictly pseudo-contractive mappings and the set of finite family of variational inclusion problems.
Anandamide inhibits Theiler's virus induced VCAM-1 in brain endothelial cells and reduces leukocyte transmigration in a model of blood brain barrier by activation of CB1receptors
Authors: Mestre Leyre , Iñigo Paula M , Mecha Miriam , Correa Fernando G , Hernangómez-Herrero Miriam , Loría Frida , Docagne Fabian , Borrell José , Guaza Carmen
Published: August 2011

Background

VCAM-1 represents one of the most important adhesion molecule involved in the transmigration of blood leukocytes across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) that is an essential step in the pathogenesis of MS. Several evidences have suggested the potential therapeutic value of cannabinoids (CBs) in the treatment of MS and their experimental models. However, the effects of endocannabinoids on VCAM-1 regulation are poorly understood. In the present study we investigated the effects of anandamide (AEA) in the regulation of VCAM-1 expression induced by Theiler's virus (TMEV) infection of brain endothelial cells usingin vitroandin vivoapproaches.

Methods

i)in vitro: VCAM-1 was measured by ELISA in supernatants of brain endothelial cells infected with TMEV and subjected to AEA and/or cannabinoid receptors antagonist treatment. To evaluate the functional effect of VCAM-1 modulation we developed a blood brain barrier model based on a system of astrocytes and brain endothelial cells co-culture. ii)in vivo: CB1receptor deficient mice (Cnr1-/-) infected with TMEV were treated with the AEA uptake inhibitor UCM-707 for three days. VCAM-1 expression and microglial reactivity were evaluated by immunohistochemistry.

Results

Anandamide-induced inhibition of VCAM-1 expression in brain endothelial cell cultures was mediated by activation of CB1receptors. The study of leukocyte transmigration confirmed the functional relevance of VCAM-1 inhibition by AEA.In vivoapproaches also showed that the inhibition of AEA uptake reduced the expression of brain VCAM-1 in response to TMEV infection. Although a decreased expression of VCAM-1 by UCM-707 was observed in both, wild type and CB1receptor deficient mice (Cnr1-/-), the magnitude of VCAM-1 inhibition was significantly higher in the wild type mice. Interestingly, Cnr1-/-mice showed enhanced microglial reactivity and VCAM-1 expression following TMEV infection, indicating that the lack of CB1receptor exacerbated neuroinflammation.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that CB1receptor dependent VCAM-1 inhibition is a novel mechanism for AEA-reduced leukocyte transmigration and contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the beneficial role of endocannabinoid system in the Theiler's virus model of MS.
Mechanisms Underlying Purinergic P2X3 Receptor-Mediated Mechanical Allodynia Induced in Diabetic Rats
Authors: Xu Guang-Yin , Li Guangwen , Liu Ningang , Huang Li-Yen Mae
Published: August 2011

Background:

Diabetic neuropathy is a common neuropathy associated with paresthaesia and pain. The mechanisms underlying the painful conditions are not well understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the participation of purinergic P2X3 receptors in painful diabetic neuropathy.

Results:

Diabetes was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ). We showed that mechanical allodynia was induced two weeks after a STZ injection and lasted for at least another seven weeks. The mechanical allodynia was significantly attenuated by peripheral administration of the P2X receptor antagonists, PPADS or TNP-ATP. DiI was subcutaneously injected into the rat hindpaw to label hindpaw-innervated dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. ATP activated fast-inactivating P2X3 receptor-mediated currents in the labeled DRG neurons were studied. ATP responses in STZ-treated rats were ∼2-fold larger than those in control rats. Furthermore, the expression of P2X3 receptor proteins in the plasma membrane of L4-6 DRGs of STZ rats was significantly enhanced while the total expression of P2X3 receptors remained unaltered.

Conclusions:

These results indicate that a large enhancement of P2X3 receptor activity and an increase in the membrane expression of P2X3 receptors contribute to the development of chronic pain in STZ-induced diabetic rats and suggest a possible target for the treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain.
Indigenous utilization of termite mounds and their sustainability in a rice growing village of the central plain of Laos
Authors: Miyagawa Shuichi , Koyama Yusaku , Kokubo Mika , Matsushita Yuichi , Adachi Yoshinao , Sivilay Sengdeaune , Kawakubo Nobumitsu , Oba Shinya
Published: August 2011

Background

The objective of this study was to investigate the indigenous utilization of termite mounds and termites in a rain-fed rice growing village in the central plain of Laos, where rice production is low and varies year-to-year, and to assess the possibility of sustainable termite mound utilization in the future. This research was carried out from 2007 to 2009.

Methods

The termites were collected from their mounds and surrounding areas and identified. Twenty villagers were interviewed on their use of termites and their mounds in the village. Sixty-three mounds were measured to determine their dimensions in early March, early July and middle to late November, 2009.

Results

Eleven species of Termitidae were recorded during the survey period. It was found that the villagers use termite mounds as fertilizer for growing rice, vegetable beds and charcoal kilns. The villagers collected termites for food and as feed for breeding fish. Over the survey period, 81% of the mounds surveyed increased in volume; however, the volume was estimated to decrease by 0.114 m3 mound-1 year-1 on average due to several mounds being completely cut out.

Conclusion

It was concluded that current mound utilization by villagers is not sustainable. To ensure sustainable termite utilization in the future, studies should be conducted to enhance factors that promote mound restoration by termites. Furthermore, it will be necessary to improve mound conservation methods used by the villagers after changes in the soil mass of mounds in paddy fields and forests has been measured accurately. The socio-economic factors that affect mound utilization should also be studied.
Areca nut chewing and dependency syndrome: Is the dependence comparable to smoking? a cross sectional study
Authors: Mirza Saira S , Shafique Kashif , Vart Priya , Arain Moin I
Published: August 2011

Background

Areca nut is the seed of fruit oriental palm known asAreca catechu. Many adverse effects of nut chewing have been well documented in the medical literature. As these nuts are mixed with some other substances like tobacco and flavouring agents, it has been hypothesized that it might also cause some dependency symptoms among its users. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate dependency syndrome among areca nut users with and without tobacco additives and compare it with dependency associated with cigarette smoking among the male Pakistani population.

Methods

This was an observational cross sectional study carried out on healthy individuals, who were users of any one of the three products (areca nut only, areca nut with tobacco additives, cigarette smokers). Participants were selected by convenience sampling of people coming to hospital to seek a free oral check up. Information was collected about the socio-demographic profile, pattern of use and symptoms of dependency using the DSM-IV criteria for substance dependence. We carried out multiple logistic regressions to investigate association between socio-demographic profile, pattern of substance use and dependency syndrome.

Results

We carried out final analysis on 851 individuals, of which 36.8% (n = 314) were areca nut users, 28.4% (n = 242) were the chewers of areca with tobacco additives and 34.7% (n = 295) were regular cigarette smokers. Multivariate analyses showed that individuals using areca nut with tobacco additives were significantly more likely to have dependency syndrome (OR = 2.17, 95% CI 1.39-3.40) while cigarette smokers were eight times more likely to have dependency syndrome as compared to areca nut only users.

Conclusions

Areca nut use with and without tobacco additives was significantly associated with dependency syndrome. In comparison to exclusive areca nut users, the smokers were eight times more likely to develop dependence while areca nut users with tobacco additives were also significantly more likely to suffer from the dependence.
Legionella pneumophila serogroup 3 pneumonia in a patient with low-grade 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report
Authors: Mencacci Antonella , Corbucci Cristina , Castellani Alessio , Furno Paolo , Bistoni Francesco , Vecchiarelli Anna
Published: August 2011

Introduction

Nosocomial legionellosis has generally been described in immunodepressed patients, but Legionella pneumophila serogroup 3 has rarely been identified as the causative agent.

Case presentation

We report the case of nosocomial L. pneumophila serogroup 3 pneumonia in a 70-year-old Caucasian man with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Diagnosis was carried out by culture and real-time polymerase chain reaction of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The results of a urinary antigen test were negative. A hospital environmental investigation revealed that the hospital water system was highly colonized by L. pneumophila serogroups 3, 4, and 8. The hospital team involved in the prevention of infections was informed, long-term control measures to reduce the environmental bacterial load were adopted, and clinical monitoring of legionellosis occurrence in high-risk patients was performed. No further cases of Legionella pneumonia have been observed so far.

Conclusions

In this report, we describe a case of legionellosis caused by L. pneumophila serogroup 3, which is not usually a causative agent of nosocomial infection. Our research confirms the importance of carrying out cultures of respiratory secretions to diagnose legionellosis and highlights the limited value of the urinary antigen test for hospital infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. It also indicates that, to reduce the bacterial load and prevent nosocomial legionellosis, appropriate control measures should be implemented with systematic monitoring of hospital water systems.
Cardiac Natriuretic Peptides, Obesity, and Insulin Resistance: Evidence from Two Community-Based Studies
Authors: Khan Abigail May , Cheng Susan , Magnusson Martin , Larson Martin G. , Newton-Cheh Christopher , McCabe Elizabeth L. , Coviello Andrea D. , Florez Jose C. , Fox Caroline S. , Levy Daniel , Robins Sander J. , Arora Pankaj , Bhasin Shalender , Lam Carolyn S. P. , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Melander Olle , Wang Thomas J.
Published: August 2011

Background:

The natriuretic peptides play an important role in salt homeostasis and blood pressure regulation. It has been suggested that obesity promotes a relative natriuretic peptide deficiency, but this has been a variable finding in prior studies and the cause is unknown.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to examine the association between obesity and natriuretic peptide levels and evaluate the role of hyperinsulinemia and testosterone as mediators of this interaction.

Methods:

We studied 7770 individuals from the Framingham Heart Study (n = 3833, 54% women) and the Malmö Diet and Cancer study (n = 3918, 60% women). We examined the relation of plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels (N-BNP) with obesity, insulin resistance, and various metabolic subtypes.

Results:

Obesity was associated with 6–20% lower levels of N-BNP (P < 0.001 in Framingham, P = 0.001 in Malmö), whereas insulin resistance was associated with 10–30% lower levels of N-BNP (P < 0.001 in both cohorts). Individuals with obesity who were insulin sensitive had only modest reductions in N-BNP compared with nonobese, insulin-sensitive individuals. On the other hand, individuals who were nonobese but insulin resistant had 26% lower N-BNP in Framingham (P < 0.001) and 10% lower N-BNP in Malmö (P < 0.001), compared with nonobese and insulin-sensitive individuals. Adjustment for serum-free testosterone did not alter these associations.

Conclusions:

In both nonobese and obese individuals, insulin resistance is associated with lower natriuretic peptide levels. The relative natriuretic peptide deficiency seen in obesity could be partly attributable to insulin resistance, and could be one mechanism by which insulin resistance promotes hypertension.
The efficacy of 2D, non-linear noise reduction filtering in cardiac imaging: a pilot study
Authors: De Geer Jakob , Sandborg Michael , Smedby Örjan , Persson Anders
Published: August 2011

Background

Computed tomography (CT) is becoming increasingly popular as a non-invasive method for visualizing the coronary arteries but patient radiation doses are still an issue. Postprocessing filters such as 2D adaptive non-linear filters might help to reduce the dose without loss of image quality.

Purpose

To investigate whether the use of a 2D, non-linear adaptive noise reduction filter can improve image quality in cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA).

Material and Methods

CCTA examinations were performed in 36 clinical patients on a dual source CT using two patient dose levels: maximum dose during diastole and reduced dose (20% of maximum dose) during systole. One full-dose and one reduced-dose image were selected from each of the examinations. The reduced-dose image was duplicated and one copy postprocessed using a 2D non-linear adaptive noise reduction filter, resulting in three images per patient. Image quality was assessed using visual grading with three criteria from the European guidelines for assessment of image quality and two additional criteria regarding the left main artery and the overall image quality. Also, the HU value and its standard deviation were measured in the ascending and descending aorta. Data were analyzed using Visual Grading Regression and paired t-test.

Result

For all five criteria, there was a significant ( P < 0.01 or better) improvement in perceived image quality when comparing postprocessed low-dose images with low-dose images without noise reduction. Comparing full dose images with postprocessed low-dose images resulted in a considerably larger, significant ( P < 0.001) difference. Also, there was a significant reduction of the standard deviation of the HU values in the ascending and descending aorta when comparing postprocessed low-dose images with low-dose images without postprocessing.

Conclusion

Even with an 80% dose reduction, there was a significant improvement in the perceived image quality when using a 2D noise-reduction filter, though not approaching the quality of full-dose images. This indicates that cardiac CT examinations could benefit from noise-reducing postprocessing with 2D non-linear adaptive filters.