bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suppression of c-Cbl Tyrosine Phosphorylation Inhibits Neointimal Formation in Balloon-Injured Rat Arteries
Authors: Tang Zhihui , Wang Ying , Fan Yanbo , Zhu Yi , Chien Shu , Wang Nanping
Published: July 2008

Background—

c-Cbl, a ubiquitously expressed protooncogene, is tyrosine phosphorylated in response to a variety of stimuli, including growth factors such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and consequently activates signaling proteins such as phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and Akt. In the present study, we examined the role of c-Cbl tyrosine phosphorylation in vascular injury.

Methods and Results—

Western blotting showed that the tyrosine phosphorylation of c-Cbl was increased in balloon-injured rat carotid arteries and in cultured smooth muscle cells on stimulation by PDGF-BB, followed by the activations of Akt and the mammalian target of rapamycin. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of a c-Cbl mutant that ablates the major tyrosine phosphorylation sites attenuated the Akt and the mammalian target of rapamycin activation and decreased the proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells in response to PDGF-BB or fibroblast growth factor. These effects could be reversed by constitutively active PI3K or Akt, suggesting that c-Cbl phosphorylation promotes the PDGF-BB–induced proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells through the PI3K/Akt pathways. In addition, overexpression of c-Cbl-m increased the ubiquitination of the PDGF and fibroblast growth factor receptors. Importantly, in balloon-injured rat carotid arteries, local delivery of c-Cbl-m reduced the phosphorylation of Akt and the mammalian target of rapamycin, inhibited the migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells, and prevented neointimal hyperplasia.

Conclusions—

Our results demonstrate a novel role of c-Cbl in vascular remodeling after injury and suggest that modulation of c-Cbl tyrosine phosphorylation may be a therapeutic approach to treat vascular neointimal hyperplasia such as restenosis after angioplasty.
Antisense Oligonucleotide Directed to Human Apolipoprotein B-100 Reduces Lipoprotein(a) Levels and Oxidized Phospholipids on Human Apolipoprotein B-100 Particles in Lipoprotein(a) Transgenic Mice
Authors: Merki Esther , Graham Mark J. , Mullick Adam E. , Miller Elizabeth R. , Crooke Rosanne M. , Pitas Robert E. , Witztum Joseph L. , Tsimikas Sotirios
Published: July 2008

Background—

Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] is a genetic cardiovascular risk factor that preferentially binds oxidized phospholipids (OxPL) in plasma. There is a lack of therapeutic agents that reduce plasma Lp(a) levels.

Methods and Results—

Transgenic mice overexpressing human apolipoprotein B-100 (h-apoB-100 [h-apoB mice]) or h-apoB-100 plus human apo(a) to generate genuine Lp(a) particles [Lp(a) mice] were treated with the antisense oligonucleotide mipomersen directed to h-apoB-100 mRNA or control antisense oligonucleotide for 11 weeks by intraperitoneal injection. Mice were then followed up for an additional 10 weeks off therapy. Lp(a) levels [apo(a) bound to apoB-100] and apo(a) levels [“free” apo(a) plus apo(a) bound to apoB-100] were measured by chemiluminescent enzyme-linked immunoassay and commercial assays, respectively. The content of OxPL on h-apoB-100 particles (OxPL/h-apoB) was measured by capturing h-apoB-100 in microtiter wells and detecting OxPL by antibody E06. As expected, mipomersen significantly reduced plasma h-apoB-100 levels in both groups of mice. In Lp(a) mice, mipomersen significantly reduced Lp(a) levels by ≈75% compared with baseline (
P
<0.0001) but had no effect on apo(a) levels or hepatic apo(a) mRNA expression. OxPL/h-apoB levels were much higher at baseline in Lp(a) mice compared with h-ApoB mice (
P
<0.0001) but decreased in a time-dependent fashion with mipomersen. There was no effect of the control antisense oligonucleotide on lipoprotein levels or oxidative parameters.

Conclusions—

Mipomersen significantly reduced Lp(a) and OxPL/apoB levels in Lp(a) mice. The present study demonstrates that h-apoB-100 is a limiting factor in Lp(a) particle synthesis in this Lp(a) transgenic model. If applicable to humans, mipomersen may represent a novel therapeutic approach to reducing Lp(a) levels and their associated OxPL.
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study of Simvastatin in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Chou Sherry H.-Y. , Smith Eric E. , Badjatia Neeraj , Nogueira Raul G. , Sims John R. , Ogilvy Christopher S. , Rordorf Guy A. , Ayata Cenk
Published: July 2008

Background and Purpose—

Studies suggest statins ameliorate aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)-induced cerebral vasospasm and ischemic complications. We tested safety and feasibility of simvastatin 80 mg/d for vasospasm prevention in SAH patients.

Methods—

Thirty-nine statin-naïve Fisher grade 3 SAH subjects were double-blind randomized to receive simvastatin 80 mg/d (n=19) or placebo (n=20), stratified by Hunt and Hess grade. Primary end points were death and drug morbidity.

Results—

Mortality was 3/20 in the placebo and 0/19 in the simvastatin group. Study drug was withdrawn in 1 subject in each treatment group for reversible liver enzyme or creatine phosphokinase elevation. Angiographically-confirmed vasospasm occurred in 8/20 placebo and 5/19 simvastatin-treated subjects. Vasospasm-related ischemic infarcts developed in 5/20 placebo and 2/19 simvastatin-treated subjects.

Conclusion—

Simvastatin for the prevention of delayed cerebral ischemia is safe and feasible after SAH. A larger study is needed to test its efficacy.
Impact of a Protocol for Acute Antifibrinolytic Therapy on Aneurysm Rebleeding After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Starke Robert M. , Kim Grace H. , Fernandez Andres , Komotar Ricardo J. , Hickman Zachary L. , Otten Marc L. , Ducruet Andrew F. , Kellner Christopher P. , Hahn David K. , Chwajol Markus , Mayer Stephan A. , Connolly E. Sander
Published: July 2008

Background and Purpose—

ε-Aminocaproic acid (EACA) is an antifibrinolytic agent used to prevent rebleeding in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Although studies have found that a decrease in rebleeding with long-term antifibrinolytic therapy is offset by an increase in ischemic deficits, more recent studies have indicated that early, short-term therapy may be beneficial.

Methods—

We instituted a protocol for acute EACA administration starting at diagnosis and continued for a maximum duration of 72 hours after subarachnoid hemorrhage onset. We compared 73 patients treated with EACA with 175 non–EACA-treated patients. We sought to identify differences in the occurrence of rebleeding, side effects, and outcome.

Results—

Baseline characteristics were similar in the 2 groups. There was a significant decrease in rebleeding in EACA-treated patients (2.7%) versus non-EACA patients (11.4%). There was no difference in ischemic complications between cohorts. There was a significant 8-fold increase in deep venous thrombosis in the EACA group but no increase in pulmonary embolism. There was a nonsignificant 76% reduction in mortality attributable to rebleeding, a 13.3% increase in favorable outcome in good-grade EACA-treated patients, and a 6.8% increase in poor-grade patients.

Conclusions—

When used acutely, short-term EACA treatment resulted in decreased rebleeding without an increase in serious side effects in our selected group of patients. Randomized placebo-controlled trials are needed to determine whether acute antifibrinolytic therapy should be accepted as the standard of care in all patients.
Targeted Disruption of Hsp110/105 Gene Protects Against Ischemic Stress
Authors: Nakamura Junji , Fujimoto Motoaki , Yasuda Kunihiko , Takeda Kiyoshi , Akira Shizuo , Hatayama Takumi , Takagi Yasushi , Nozaki Kazuhiko , Hosokawa Nobuko , Nagata Kazuhiro
Published: July 2008

Background and Purpose—

Hsp110/105 belongs to the HSP110 heat shock protein family, which is a subgroup of the HSP70 family. In mammals, Hsp110/105 is constitutively expressed but exhibits particularly high levels in the brain. It has recently been shown that both Hsp110/105 and Hsp70 are elevated after cerebral ischemia. To study the physiological role of this protein in vivo, we generated
hsp110/105
knockout (KO) mice and investigate the effect of reduced Hsp110/105 levels on focal cerebral ischemia.

Methods—

hsp110/105
KO and wild-type mice were subjected to 30 minutes of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by reperfusion for 24 hours. The infarct volume and neurological scores were measured and compared. The Hsp70 chaperone activity of thermally denatured firefly luciferase was measured in
hsp110/105
KO embryonic fibroblasts.

Results—

The infarct volume and neurological deficit scores were significantly (
P
<0.05) reduced in
hsp110/105
KO mice compared with wild-type controls. In addition,
hsp110/105
KO embryonic fibroblasts exhibited a dose-dependent suppression of Hsp70 chaperone activity by the presence of Hsp110/105.

Conclusions—

These results demonstrate that
hsp110/105
KO mice are resistant to ischemic injury and that the protective effects of
hsp110/105
deficiency in cerebral ischemia may partly be mediated by an increase in the chaperone activity of Hsp70.
Hematopoietic Stem Cells Reduce Postischemic Inflammation and Ameliorate Ischemic Brain Injury
Authors: Schwarting Sönke , Litwak Sara , Hao Wenlin , Bähr Mathias , Weise Jens , Neumann Harald
Published: July 2008

Background and Purpose—

Systemic injection of hematopoietic stem cells after ischemic cardiac or neural lesions is one approach to promote tissue repair. However, mechanisms of possible protective or reparative effects are poorly understood. In this study we analyzed the effect of lineage-negative bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem and precursor cells (Lin
−
-HSCs) on ischemic brain injury in mice.

Methods—

Lin
−
-HSCs were injected intravenously at 24 hours after onset of a 45-minute transient cerebral ischemia. Effects of Lin
−
-HSCs injection on infarct size, apoptotic cell death, postischemic inflammation and cytokine gene transcription were analyzed.

Results—

Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-marked Lin
−
-HSCs were detected at 24 hours after injection in the spleen and later in ischemic brain parenchyma, expressing microglial but no neural marker proteins. Tissue injury assessment showed significantly smaller infarct volumes and less apoptotic neuronal cell death in peri-infarct areas of Lin
−
-HSC–treated animals. Analysis of immune cell infiltration in ischemic hemispheres revealed a reduction of invading T cells and macrophages in treated mice. Moreover, Lin
−
-HSC therapy counter-regulated proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine receptor gene transcription within the spleen.

Conclusions—

Our data demonstrate that systemically applied Lin
−
-HSCs reduce cerebral postischemic inflammation, attenuate peripheral immune activation and mediate neuroprotection after ischemic stroke.
Stroke Genetic Research and Adults With Impaired Decision-Making Capacity
Authors: Chen Donna T. , Meschia James F. , Brott Thomas G. , Brown Robert D. , Worrall Bradford B.
Published: July 2008

Background and Purpose—

In stroke and other brain disorders, severely affected phenotypes often impair decision-making capacity. Severity is in part under genomic control. Therefore, scientifically valid research into genetic risk may require inclusion of such impaired individuals. U.S. Federal regulations do not detail rules governing enrollment of adults with impaired decision-making capacity into genetic research. Rather, policy and practice are locally determined. This study was conducted to obtain data on how investigators and IRBs handle surrogate authorization to enroll probands into a genetic study where some may lack capacity because of ischemic stroke.

Methods—

Sequential surveys of sites from an ongoing North American study investigating genetic risks for ischemic stroke (2003: 49 sites, response rate=100%; 2007: 53 sites; response rate=91%) assessed whether and how investigators enroll adults with impaired decision-making capacity and determined frequency of IRB approval for enrollment by surrogate authorization.

Results—

Approximately 40% of sites report that their IRBs do not approve surrogate authorization to enroll stroke patients—43% (21/49) in 2003 and 35% (17/48) in 2007. Thirty-three percent of sites report evaluating eligible adults who lacked capacity to provide their own informed consent; 18% (9/49) in 2003 and 15% (7/48) in 2007 have enrolled these individuals. Surrogate enrollment is the most common method used. Most sites have not enrolled any individual lacking capacity to give his or her own consent.

Conclusions—

Our study suggests that enrollment by surrogate authorization into stroke genetic research is often not approved by IRBs, and even when allowed is frequently not used. For disorders like stroke, this situation has significant implications for scientific validity.
Long-Wave Dynamics of Sea Level Variations during Indian Ocean Dipole Events
Authors: Yuan Dongliang , Liu Hailong
Published: July 2008

Long-wave dynamics of the interannual variations of the equatorial Indian Ocean circulation are studied using an ocean general circulation model forced by the assimilated surface winds and heat flux of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The simulation has reproduced the sea level anomalies of the Ocean Topography Experiment (TOPEX)/Poseidon altimeter observations well. The equatorial Kelvin and Rossby waves decomposed from the model simulation show that western boundary reflections provide important negative feedbacks to the evolution of the upwelling currents off the Java coast during Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) events. Two downwelling Kelvin wave pulses are generated at the western boundary during IOD events: the first is reflected from the equatorial Rossby waves and the second from the off-equatorial Rossby waves in the southern Indian Ocean. The upwelling in the eastern basin during the 1997–98 IOD event is weakened by the first Kelvin wave pulse and terminated by the second. In comparison, the upwelling during the 1994 IOD event is terminated by the first Kelvin wave pulse because the southeasterly winds off the Java coast are weak at the end of 1994.

The atmospheric intraseasonal forcing, which plays an important role in inducing Java upwelling during the early stage of an IOD event, is found to play a minor role in terminating the upwelling off the Java coast because the intraseasonal winds are either weak or absent during the IOD mature phase. The equatorial wave analyses suggest that the upwelling off the Java coast during IOD events is terminated primarily by western boundary reflections.
Allen Ivey
Authors: Santiago-Rivera Azara L.
Published: July 2008

This article reviews the groundbreaking work of Dr. Allen Ivey through a personal interview and conversations with Mary Bradford Ivey, including a number of colleagues and former students. Allen's enormous contribution to the counseling profession spans nearly four decades. Although best known for microcounseling skills, which is widely taught in counseling programs, Allen considers developmental counseling and therapy one of his more important contributions. Allen has been a champion in promoting the application of multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills in the preparation of counselors. He has had a remarkable career, authoring more than 40 books and 200 articles, chapters, and monographs. More important, he has followed the principles of honor, respect, social justice, and equality that make him one of the giants in multicultural counseling.
The World Economy: The impact of rising oil prices and weak equity markets on global growth
Authors: Barrell Ray
Published: July 2008

In interesting times several things may happen simultaneously, and they may have connected roots. The financial turmoil that developed initially in the US banking sector had its roots in financial innovation that had made available cheap finance and increased demand for housing. This wave of low cost finance had spread to Europe, and house prices rose in a correlated way. The increase in demand in the world economy that resulted from strong growth in lending and high asset values helped raise output growth outside the OECD, and this in turn put upward pressure on oil prices. Markets sometimes work slowly, and the effects of the increase in demand on prices appear to be coming through just as the asset bubble is collapsing. The sequence of events was not inevitable, as low personal sector saving in the US and the UK as well as elsewhere could have been offset by tighter fiscal policy, and better prudential regulation of lenders would also definitely have helped. The desire to move financial regulation from the central bank, as in the UK, may have been for good, competition based, reasons, but it has meant that financial sector oversight has not taken account of the macroeconomic implications of a wave of lending that rested on risky financial innovation and therefore it has not properly addressed the issue of systemic risk (see Barrell and Davis, 2005). The resulting financial turmoil has meant that banks have made losses, and have been unable to trust each other's solvency when making deals. As a result three month interbank rates have risen well above central bank intervention rates, as can be seen in figure 1.
Financial crises and fiscal policy impacts on North America
Authors: Barrell Ray , Fic Tatiana , Orazgani Ali
Published: July 2008

The US economy appears to have avoided a technical recession this year. In the June issue of the quarterly accounts, which are considered as the first full estimate for the first quarter, first quarter GDP rose by 1 per cent on an annual basis, compared with 0.6 per cent growth recorded the quarter before. The relatively good growth was driven by net trade, with exports expanding at an annual rate of 5.3. The first-quarter contribution of net exports to GDP growth accounted for 0.8 percentage points of GDP growth expressed in annual terms.
Housing market downturns and Euro Area growth
Authors: Barrell Ray , Fic Tatiana , Gottschalk Sylvia , Liadze Iana
Published: July 2008

The Euro Area economy grew by 0.8 per cent in the first quarter of this year, and is proving more resilient than anticipated in our April forecast. We were then expecting a markedly less robust outturn of an increase of 0.4 per cent. However, despite this positive start, we still anticipate a downturn in the Euro Area's year-on-year economic growth. After peaking at 2.9 per cent in 2006, real GDP growth is projected to slow down to around 2 per cent over the forecast period. Sluggish domestic demand and diminishing contributions from net trade both contribute to this downturn. Household consumption is forecast to expand by 1 per cent in the short term, down from 1.6 per cent in 2007. Consumption growth is expected to be considerably weaker than in 2007 due to accelerating inflation and the slowdown in the growth of housing wealth, particularly in France, Ireland and Spain as well as elsewhere. Moreover, real disposable income growth is expected to slow down from 2 per cent in 2007 to about 1¼ per cent this year. Nominal wages are expected to rise by 3½ per cent on average this year, and HCP inflation is likely to pick up strongly to slightly more than 3¾ per cent per annum, 1½ percentage points above the level of last year.
Prospects for the UK economy
Authors: Kirby Simon
Published: July 2008

The economy is slowing as expected. NIESR's estimate of monthly GDP suggests that the rate of economic growth slowed from 0.3 per cent in the first quarter of this year to 0.2 per cent in the second quarter of this year (figure 1), the weakest rate of growth since the second quarter of 2001. Recent data on the state of the economy is mixed. Retail sales volume growth surged to 1.8 per cent per quarter in the three months to May 2008, up from a rate of growth of 1.2 per cent in the preceding three months. The index of production, however, recorded a fall of 0.5 per cent in the three months to May 2008. The index of services suggests services output growth has continued to be relatively subdued. The quarterly rate of growth in the three months to April was 0.3 per cent, half the rate of growth in the final quarter of 2007. While the retail sales data are not yet consistent with a consumer led slowdown, the decline of hotel and restaurant output in the three months to April suggests that other components of consumer spending are slowing.
Family Resiliency, Uncertainty, Optimism, and the Quality of Life of Individuals With HIV/AIDS
Authors: Frain Michael P. , Berven Norman L. , Chan Fong , Tschopp Molly K.
Published: July 2008

The purpose of the study is to contribute to the understanding of quality of life as it is experienced by a community-based, nonclinical sample of individuals with HIV/AIDS by applying family resiliency theory and cognitive appraisal concepts of uncertainty and optimism. Through the use of a Web-based survey, 125 individuals with HIV/AIDS completed an online questionnaire. Disease progression, as measured by CD4 count, is not found to be related to quality of life. When considered separately, both the family resiliency variables and the cognitive appraisal variables are found to predict quality of life. The overall prediction model, composed of the three sets of predictor variables—cognitive appraisal, family resiliency, and disease progression—is found to explain over 60% of the variance in quality of life of people with HIV/AIDS.
Biologically inspired scheme for continuous-time approximate dynamic programming
Authors: Vrabie Draguna , Lewis Frank , Abu-Khalaf Murad
Published: July 2008

Control system theory has been based on certain well understood and accepted techniques, such as transfer function-based methods, adaptive control, robust control, non-linear systems theory, state-space methods, etc. However, recently, the hypothesis that methods of modelling and analysis of life science systems hold out the power of significantly improving the performance of man-made control systems has gained increased interest, while becoming more and more a fact. For instance, in the last few decades many successful results were obtained by combining the potential of artificial neural networks (ANNs) with classical control structures. It has been shown that certain types of ANN can extend the capabilities of adaptive controllers by making them applicable for more complex non-linear systems, and at the same time greatly improving the system performance. In this paper, we will present a biologically inspired structure that will learn the optimal state feedback controller for a linear system, while at the same time performing continuous-time online control for the system at hand. Being based on a reinforcement learning technique, the optimal controller will be obtained while only making use of the input-to-state system dynamics. Mathematically speaking, the solution of the algebraic Riccati equation underlying the control problem will be obtained without making use of any knowledge of the system internal dynamics.
Chaos synchronization of coupled neurons under external electrical stimulation using adaptive H∞ control
Authors: Che Yan-Qiu , Jiang Wang  , Zhou Si-Si , Bin Deng  , Feng Dong
Published: July 2008

In this paper, H∞ control via an adaptive neural network approach is proposed to realize the synchronization of two gap junction coupled chaotic FitzHugh—Nagumo (FHN) neurons under external electrical stimulation. The control scheme is robust to the uncertainties such as unmodelled dynamics, ionic channel noise and external disturbances. Asymptotic chaos synchronization is obtained by proper choice of the control parameters. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method.
Exploring the Determinants of Nonprofit Coproduction of Public Service Delivery
Authors: Paarlberg Laurie E. , Gen Sheldon
Published: July 2008

Americans have long formed nonprofits to voluntarily coproduce public services. However, demand perspectives on the development of the nonprofit sector and supply perspectives on the activation of civic engagement suggest potentially contradictory explanations of collective coproduction. Using the case of nonprofit support for public k-12 education, the authors explore the community- and school-level determinants of nonprofit coproduction of public education. Their findings suggest that nonprofit coproduction is influenced by unmet demand for public services and the supply of human and financial resources necessary to engage in collective action. Although the formation of a nonprofit to support a public school may be related to the demand generated by heterogeneous preferences of service beneficiaries and the human capital to self-organize, the ability to generate a significant level of financial resources to support coproduction is related to the resources of the service beneficiaries and their integration into the larger community.
Professional Management and Service Levels in Small U.S. Communities
Authors: Folz David H. , Abdelrazek Reem
Published: July 2008

Based on a national survey of small U.S. cities between 5,000 and 25,000 in size, this study classifies the level of municipal services provided by small communities and examines the community and governmental features that are related to those cities that provide higher levels of urban services. The study finds that after controlling for differences in population size, wealth, education, and metro status, those small cities that have a professional city manager and an adaptive or administrative type of local government structure are somewhat more likely to provide qualitatively higher levels of municipal services, suggesting that professional managers play an important role in advancing the level of service provided in the communities they serve.
The Closing of the Civic Mind: Marcel Gauchet on the `Society of Individuals'
Authors: Braeckman Antoon
Published: July 2008

According to Gauchet we are living in a `society of individuals'. But a central term is missing from that formula, and not by any accident, for contemporary society has lost it from view: the term of the political. In sum, thus reads Gauchet's diagnosis, society today is haunted by a kind of individualism out of which no society can be conceived, as it obfuscates its political dimension. The aim of this article is to elaborate this diagnosis, and more specifically the idea that there is no society, and therefore no individual either, without the political. In order to do so, I will explore the meaning of the formula `society of individuals'. Within the scope of this analysis, I shall primarily pay attention to the `primacy of the political' in Gauchet. To conclude, I will assess Gauchet's diagnosis, by fathoming in what sense contemporary individualism, besides being an `eclipse of the political', is also a threat to democracy.
On Paul Ricoeur and the Translation— Interpretation of Cultures
Authors: Garcia Leovino Ma.
Published: July 2008

This article presents Paul Ricoeur's ideas about translation in view of giving some guidelines for the interpretation of cultures. Ricoeur's `hermeneutics of the self', which stresses the creativity of capable human being, has its source in a conviction of the superabundance of sense over the abundance of nonsense. It is the problem of the transmission of meaning from one language to another, from one culture to another that gives impetus to his preoccupation with translation. Ricoeur's radical astonishment before the plurality of languages and cultures and his deep conviction about `communication' among human beings made him realize the urgent `task of translation' that is accompanied by a `task of morning'. If translation is the paradigm of all exchanges, its practice can provide us some guidelines in the dialogue of cultures. First, one must courageously open oneself to the `test' of the Other, to welcome difference and respect it as unsurpassable. Second, one must wager on the possibility of an `equivalence without identity', to take a non-hierarchical view of cultures. Third, one must undertake the `task of mourning', to learn to narrate otherwise, to interpret otherwise.
Learning Disabilities Spectrum and Sexual Dimorphic Abilities in Girls with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Authors: Inozemtseva Olga , Matute Esmeralda , Juárez Jorge
Published: July 2008

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia could provide a promising model for the study of the effects of hormones on cognition. The aim of this study was to assess sexual dimorphic abilities related to oral language, spatial abilities, and verbal fluency and to determine the existence of learning disabilities in 11 congenital girls with adrenal hyperplasia compared with 11 healthy girls. Both groups underwent a neuropsychological evaluation using the Child Neuropsychological Assessment battery for Spanish-speaking children. Results showed that the congenital adrenal hyperplasia group had a significantly lower performance than the control group in the repetition and expression domains, right–left comprehension task, and verbal semantic fluency task. A higher incidence of learning disabilities (predominantly reading related) in the patient group compared with their controls was also evident. Thus, the presence of weak verbal areas along with a high incidence of learning disabilities related primarily, though not exclusively, to reading was documented in these girls.
Long-term Tolerability and Efficacy of Lamotrigine in Infants 1 to 24 Months Old
Authors: Piña-Garza Jesús Eric , Elterman Roy D. , Ayala Ricardo , Corral Maria , Mikati Mohamad A. , Piña-Garza Mary J. , Warnock Clay R. , Conklin Heather S. , Messenheimer John A.
Published: July 2008

This open-label study was designed to evaluate the long-term tolerability and efficacy of lamotrigine in 1- to 24-month-old infants with partial seizures. The study enrolled both lamotrigine-naïve patients and patients who had been previously exposed to lamotrigine in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients (n = 204) received lamotrigine according to a dosing schedule that depended on prior experience with lamotrigine and concurrent antiepileptic drug therapy for up to 48 weeks or their second birthday, whichever occurred last. Total duration of lamotrigine exposure (which included exposure during the placebo-controlled study in lamotrigine-experienced patients) was ≥24 weeks in 92% of patients, ≥48 weeks in 70% of patients, and ≥72 weeks in 20% of patients. A total of 20 (10%) patients (8 lamotrigine-naïve patients and 12 lamotrigine-experienced patients) transitioned to lamotrigine monotherapy. The most common adverse events were pyrexia (45% of patients), upper-respiratory tract infection (28%), and ear infection (22%). The only adverse event considered reasonably attributable to study medication in >2% of patients was irritability (n = 10; 5% of patients). No cases of serious rash were reported. The median percent reduction from baseline in partial seizure frequency in the sample as a whole was 74%. Seizure frequency was reduced by ≥50% from pre-lamotrigine baseline in 62% of patients in the sample as a whole, 60% of the lamotrigine-naïve subgroup, and 63% of the lamotrigine-experienced subgroup. In the sample as a whole, 13% of patients were seizure free during the Treatment Phase. Investigators considered clinical status at the last clinic visit to be improved (mildly, moderately, or markedly) relative to prelamotrigine clinical status in 76% of patients (150/197) and to be unchanged in 19% (37/197). In this study—the first large prospective investigation of the long-term tolerability and efficacy of an antiepileptic drug in a patient population 2 years and younger—lamotrigine administered for up to approximately 72 weeks was well tolerated and associated with good seizure control.
Outcome of Cerebellar Injury in Very Low Birth-Weight Infants: 6 Case Reports
Authors: Bednarek Nathalie , Akhavi Ahmad , Pietrement Christine , Mesmin François , Loron Gauthier , Morville Patrice
Published: July 2008

Cerebellum injury is a severe and underestimated complication in very low birth-weight infants. Six cases of extreme premature babies are reported: 3 of them died during the neonatal period; the other 3 survived with severe neurological disabilities. Microcephaly, strabismus, and severe developmental delay without major motor handicap are very peculiar for the preterm in the long-term outcome . Easy diagnosis is possible by specific ultrasound windows and early diagnosis is required regarding the possible severe prognosis and to organize precisely the follow-up.
Gender Differences in PTSD in Israeli Youth Exposed to Terror Attacks
Authors: Laufer Avital , Solomon Zahava
Published: July 2008

Differences between boys' and girls' exposure to terror and posttraumatic symptoms were examined in a sample of 2,999 Israeli adolescents. Gender differences were also assessed regarding perceived social support, religious beliefs, and ideological commitment. Results indicate that girls reported more posttraumatic symptoms than boys, although boys reported twice the rate of very severe symptoms. Differences were also found between boys and girls in levels of fear, religiosity, ideological commitment, and social support, but not regarding exposure. Path analysis revealed that gender is not a direct predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, it does have an indirect effect, especially through fear, which was the best predictor of PTSD. Social extrinsic religiosity and ideological intolerance were positive predictors of PTSD. The study concludes that gender differences in PTSD are largely the result of differences in levels of fear and are not due to differences in political ideology, religiosity, or social support.
Emergence of Nanodistricts in the United States
Authors: Shapira Philip , Youtie Jan
Published: July 2008

Multiple economic development theories suggest that research and innovation in emerging technologies will cluster in certain locations rather than being equally distributed among all regions. If this is the case, this distributional pattern has implications for where future economic opportunities and future risks will be concentrated. In this article, the authors probe nanotechnology research and commercialization at a regional level. The study examines the top 30 U.S. “nanodistricts,” or metropolitan areas that lead in nanotechnology research activity, during the 1990 to 2006 time frame. The authors explore the factors underlying the emergence of these 30 metropolitan areas through exploratory cluster analysis. The results indicate that although most of the leading nanodistricts are similar to top cities in previous rounds of emerging technologies, new geographic concentrations of nanotechnology research have surfaced as a result of having made concentrated investments in nanotechnology R&D into a single institution.
The Economic and Workforce Development Activities of American Business Associations
Authors: McCormick Lynn E. , Hawley Joshua D. , Meléndez Edwin
Published: July 2008

Renewed scholarly interest in clusters of firms has increased attention on institutions—including business associations—that serve them. Scholars investigating “labor market intermediaries” also wonder to what extent employers' associations conduct workforce development. Much research has been done on business associations in Europe and less developed countries; less studied are those in the United States. This article fills this gap by reporting survey results from 716 American business associations. The article asks, To what extent do American business associations engage in economic development activities beyond lobbying? Does involvement in economic development predict involvement in workforce development? and Are those who engage in more strategic economic development activities more likely to conduct strategic workforce development? Using regression analysis, we find that a substantial share are involved in more strategic economic and workforce development activities and that economic development—specifically, more strategic activities—is a strong predictor of engagement in workforce-related activities.
Who Wins From Local Economic Development?
Authors: Partridge Mark D. , Rickman Dan S. , Li Hui
Published: July 2008

The relative effectiveness of local economic development efforts often hinges on the question of who benefits from regional growth. The authors address this issue by decomposing U.S. county-level employment into four supply components: net commuting, the employment (unemployment) rate, the labor force participation rate, and population. They find that over all counties, net commuting represents the largest supply response, although this primarily holds in metropolitan areas. The benefits to original residents, measured as the sum of unemployment and labor force participation responses, are larger in rural counties. They also are larger in central-city counties of the larger metropolitan areas. The greatest benefits are found in persistent-poverty nonmetropolitan counties as well as in mining and manufacturing-dependent nonmetropolitan counties. Finally, sensitivity analysis indicates the importance of geographical scale and periodicity in assessing the issue of who benefits from regional job growth.
Community of Struggle: Gender, Violence, and Resistance on the U.S./Mexico Border
Authors: Téllez Michelle
Published: July 2008

Using 10 women's narratives, participant observation, archival research, and a focus group, this article analyzes women's social activism in a settler community in northern Mexico near the border. I argue that women's activism and emerging political consciousness provides a lens through which women critique structural violence and intimate partner violence and that ultimately provides new women-centered subjectivities. This article contributes to gender and social movements literature by examining the generation of a political consciousness engendered from women's grounded experience of living on the U.S./Mexico border. Furthermore, despite the unique sociopolitical conditions of the border, this article demonstrates that border residents have the agency to challenge, and more importantly, change their situation.
Registered Nurses' Attitudes Toward the Protection of Gays and Lesbians in the Workplace
Authors: Blackwell Christopher W.
Published: July 2008

This study explores the attitudes of registered nurses toward a nondiscrimination policy in the workplace protective of gays and lesbians and the overall homophobia of nurses. A potential sample of 520 registered nurses licensed in Florida was randomly selected from the state Board of Nursing licensee database. In all, 165 surveys were used in the analysis of the data. Structural equation modeling indicated that support of a nondiscrimination policy protective of gay men and lesbians in the workplace was negatively correlated with homophobia with a critical ratio value of —4.01. Nonsupport of a nondiscrimination policy was positively correlated with homophobia with a critical ratio value of 3.23. This finding suggests that the inclusion of workplace policies protective of gay men and lesbians might help decrease homophobic and discriminatory treatment that gay and lesbian nurses often encounter in the workplace.
Managing Sexual Orientation Diversity
Authors: Johnston Derek , Malina Mary A.
Published: July 2008

This article examines the relation between a firm's stock market value and the extent to which the firm manages sexual orientation diversity in its workplace. To investigate this issue, we analyze the stock market reaction to the release of the inaugural corporate equality index (CEI). The CEI rates firms on how extensively they manage gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) workplace issues. The article is structured as a series of competing hypotheses that parallel societal views on GLBT workplace equality. Proponents of GLBT workplace equality suggest that good corporate citizenship increases firm value although opponents argue that the primary, if not sole, purpose of the firm is to maximize shareholder wealth, and that the value of the firm may be negatively affected due to public backlash. Our findings suggest that GLBT-friendly workplace policies are at worst value neutral and firms are not penalized for supporting GLBT workforce diversity.
Campaign Advertisements' Impact on Voter Certainty and Knowledge of House Candidates' Ideological Positions
Authors: Koch Jeffrey W.
Published: July 2008

One expectation for American election campaigns is that they inform citizens about candidates' policy inclinations, clarifying the policy directions advocated by the major party nominees. Evidence from the 1998 elections to the House of Representatives indicates that the more negative issue advertisements were broadcast, the more confident citizens became that they knew the targeted candidate's ideological position. However, the more negative issue advertisements about a candidate aired, the greater citizens' perceptual error of the candidate's ideological position. Issue attack ads lead citizens to believe they know more than they actually do, failing to produce the democratic ideal of an informed electorate.
Neuronal Targeting in Diabetes Mellitus: A Story of Sensory Neurons and Motor Neurons
Authors: Zochodne D. W. , Ramji N. , Toth C.
Published: July 2008

Diabetes mellitus targets the peripheral nervous system in unique but disabling ways. Although several mechanisms may target peripheral neurons, they render a degenerative pattern of damage that begins in distal terminals. Moreover, sensory neurons are involved early, motor neurons later. By studying a variety of diabetic neuropathy models in rats, mice, and other species, an overall appreciation of its neurodegeneration emerges. Understanding how mechanisms of diabetes complications target peripheral neurons selectively may offer opportunities to intervene before irretrievable neuron loss develops.NEUROSCIENTIST 14(4):311–318, 2008. DOI: 10.1177/1073858408316175
Public Policy Regarding Specialty Hospitals
Authors: Dowd Bryan E.
Published: July 2008

Why do we need “public policy” regarding specialty hospitals? What is the rationale for government involvement in decisions by the private sector to invest in specialty hospitals? Two possibilities are reduced access to services primarily by the uninsured (a fairness concern) and changes in the types of patients receiving care resulting from poor consumer information (an efficiency concern). The fairness argument faces logical and empirical difficulties, and even if it proved to be true, it is not clear that limiting the growth of specialty hospitals would be an efficient way to address the problem. However, there is some empirical evidence to support the efficiency concern, and if specialty hospitals result in the treatment of patients with lower expected net benefits from treatment, then it is possible that physician-owned facilities could result in an increasingly inefficient allocation of health care resources, higher insurance premiums, and higher rates of uninsurance.
How Do Resource Dependencies Affect Treatment Practices?
Authors: Alexander Jeffrey A. , Wells Rebecca
Published: July 2008

This study uses resource dependence theory to examine how the concentration of client referrals into outpatient substance abuse treatment may affect treatment comprehensiveness. Data were from the 1995, 1999/2000, and 2005 waves of a national longitudinal survey. Results from generalized estimating equation models (sample sizes from 1,350 to 1,375) indicate that more concentrated referral sources were negatively associated with three of the four indicators of treatment comprehensiveness: the percentages of clients receiving routine medical care, mental health care, and financial counseling. Substance abuse treatment programs may be focusing their treatment practices to meet the demands of key referral sources. Given the importance of comprehensive treatment for substance abusing clients, however, these findings raise concerns about the potential implications of continued industry consolidation. The authors suggest strategies for organizations as well as policy makers to mitigate possible negative effects of very high reliance on one or two referral sources.
Amenorrhea as a Diagnostic Criterion for Anorexia Nervosa: A Review of the Evidence and Implications for Practice
Authors: Smith Adrian T. , Wolfe Barbara E.
Published: July 2008

Amenorrhea is currently a criterion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., Text rev. [DSM-IV-TR]) for the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (AN). Recently, there has been increased interest in examining the utility of this criterion. This article reviews the historical rationale for inclusion of amenorrhea in the DSM criteria for AN, clinical evidence evaluating amenorrhea as a diagnostic criterion for AN, and the nursing practice implications of amenorrhea as a diagnostic criterion for AN. Data suggest there is limited support for amenorrhea as a diagnostic criterion for AN. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc, 2008; 14(3), 209–215. DOI: 10.1177/1078390308320288
Association of vitamin D metabolite levels with relapse rate and disability in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Smolders J , Menheere P , Kessels A , Damoiseaux J , Hupperts R
Published: July 2008

Background

Multiple Sclerosis is associated with low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). We investigated the association between serum levels of 25(OH)D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), the biologically active metabolite, and clinical MS severity as expressed by EDSS-score and relapse rate.

Study-design

Cross-sectional study.

Patients and Methods

Serum samples from 267 MS patients were collected for 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D measurement. Clinical MS parameters at the date of serum sampling were determined. Results: Both metabolite levels were significantly lower in the progressive forms compared to the relapsing remitting (RR)MS phenotype. In RRMS patients (disease course ≤ 5 years), high 25(OH)D levels were associated with a high chance of remaining relapse-free. Low 25(OH)D levels were associated with high EDSS-scores. 1,25(OH)2D was not directly associated with relapse rate or EDSS-score, and was dependent of age and 25(OH)D level.

Conclusion

Serum levels of 25(OH)D were associated with both relapse rate and disability in MS patients. These results are suggestive for a disease modulating effect of the serum concentrations of 25(OH)D on MS. The low circulating 1,25(OH)2D levels in progressive MS are due to older age and lower 25(OH)D levels. The potential consequences for vitamin D supplementation in MS will be discussed.
Marginalized white ethnicity, race and crime
Authors: Webster Colin
Published: July 2008

White ethnicity is generally invisible and unexamined in racism, crime and justice debates. Serving mostly as a default comparator to describe visible minority experiences of crime and criminal justice processes, white ethnicity is seen as unproblematic as an ethnicity except as a potential source of racism. This article draws on aspects of `whiteness studies' in the USA and UK—focusing on marginalized white ethnicities—to explore racialized `white' ethnicity, both historically and today. Designations such as white `underclass', `new' migrants, `white trash' are offered to show that some whites are seen as `less white' than others within a hierarchy of `whiteness'. The article concludes that racism and classism towards marginalized white working-class ethnicities have criminalized these groups in ways not too dissimilar from the criminalization of visible working-class minorities.