bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Initial Validation of the Coping With Academic Demands Scale
Authors: Suldo Shannon M. , Dedrick Robert F. , Shaunessy-Dedrick Elizabeth , Fefer Sarah A. , Ferron John
Published: October 2014

Successful coping with academic demands is important given the inverse relationship between stress and positive adjustment in adolescents. The Coping With Academic Demands Scale (CADS) is a new measure of coping appropriate for students pursuing advanced high school curricula, specifically Advanced Placement (AP) classes and the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. We developed the CADS in parallel with a new measure of stress designed for this same population. We generated an initial item pool using multiple sources including focus groups and individual interviews with 177 students, 72 teachers, and 47 parents. Multiple iterations of expert review and item analyses resulted in 120 items, which were completed by 727 high school students in six schools (312 IB, 415 not in IB but taking at least one AP class). Exploratory factor analyses and additional item review indicated a 16-factor solution with 58 items. Cronbach’s alpha reliabilities for the factors ranged from .53 to .90, with 11 factors exceeding .70. All 16 factors had test–retest reliabilities greater than .70. Support for the construct validity of the CADS scores was provided using a nomological network, which specified relationships between the CADS and broader dimensions of school-related coping dimensions (task, avoidance, and emotion-oriented), as well as indicators of achievement (grade point averages) and mental health (life satisfaction). An additional seven items that were not part of the 16-factor CADS, but which were identified as relevant in different phases of instrument development, are provided as a resource for researchers.
Positive Psychology and Familial Factors as Predictors of Latina/o Students’ Hope and College Performance
Authors: Cavazos Vela Javier , Lerma Eunice , Lenz A. Stephen , Hinojosa Karina , Hernandez-Duque Omar , Gonzalez Stacey L.
Published: October 2014

We investigated the contributions of positive psychology and familial factors as predictors of hope and academic performance among 166 Latina/o college students enrolled at a Hispanic Serving Institution of Higher Education. The results indicated that presence of meaning in life, search for meaning in life, daily spiritual experiences, and mother’s educational level were significant predictors of goal-specific hope. None of the positive psychology or familial factors predicted Latina/o students’ college performance.
Working the Pony
Authors: Fernández-Esquer Maria Eugenia , Diamond Pamela M.
Published: October 2014

We present a model of the drinking practices of Latina immigrants who work in bars or cantinas and are compensated for drinking 8 oz beer or ponies with customers, hence working the pony. A total of 358 women recruited from 61 randomly selected cantinas were interviewed as part of a community study conducted in a metropolitan area in the U.S. Southwest. Participants reported drinking an average of 21 beers on nights they worked for ponies. Multiple regression results indicate that drinking practices are related to sociodemographic, work history, drug use, and sexual risk characteristics. The drinking of cantineras is more than 4 times higher than the heavy episodic drinking of high risk Latino male drinkers and young male restaurant workers. The findings suggest that they may be at risk of multiple health problems and could benefit from alcohol risk-reduction interventions.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Acculturation Rating Scale–II Scale 2
Authors: Gamst Glenn , Meyers Lawrence S.
Published: October 2014

The present study compared the dimensionality and viability of Cuéllar, Arnold, and Maldonado’s 18-item Marginality Scale to the recently proposed 17-item revision of this scale by Gutierrez, Franco, Powell, Peterson, and Reid. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a 15-item 3-factor solution based on Cuéllar et al. and a 17-item 2-factor solution based on Gutierrez et al. both produced adequate fits to the data. However, MANOVA results using Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans–II (ARSMA-II) Scale-1 acculturation typologies (separation, assimilation, integration, and marginalization) to form separate groups showed more sensitive differentiation with the Cuéllar et al. three-subscale structure (Anglo Marginalization, Mexican Marginalization, and Mexican American Marginalization) than the Gutierrez et al. two-subscale structure (Dominant Culture Marginality and Native Culture Marginality). Implications for future research were discussed.
Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Homeless Populations in El Paso, Texas
Authors: Castañeda Ernesto , Klassen Jonathan D. , Smith Curtis
Published: October 2014

This article compares Hispanic and non-Hispanic homeless populations in El Paso, Texas. Surveys were collected in “traditional homeless spaces” as well as in non-traditional spaces where Hispanics may be more heavily represented. Snowball techniques were also used to find and survey marginally housed individuals. Despite these improvements to typical homeless counts, this study finds Hispanics to be underrepresented when compared with the general population of El Paso, which is 80.7% Hispanic. Of the 678 individuals who answered the survey, 670 reported their race or ethnicity, of which 445 (66%) were Hispanic and 225 (34%) were non-Hispanic. Comparisons were made between the two populations’ experiences and characteristics, and many disparities were found. Researchers, policy makers, and practitioners should keep these differences in mind when designing policies to address homelessness.
Framing the Future
Authors: Wehmeyer Michael L.
Published: October 2014

There is an established and still-growing evidence base that promoting self-determination has positive school and post-school benefits for students with disabilities, and yet efforts to do so remain sporadic, at best. This article examines the evidence that promoting self-determination is critically important for students with disabilities, explores reasons such efforts are not wide-spread, and provides recommendations to remedy this situation.
Incident-Level Analysis of 703 Retrospective Self-Reports of Ordinary Violence Recalled by 334 Swedes Aged 6 to 45 Years
Authors: Gill Peter Edward , Larsson Paula
Published: October 2014

There is wide variation in how exposure to violence is conceptualized. Perceptions of ordinary violence are linked to people’s actual experiences, which may be direct, indirect, observed, or vicarious, and all through filters of gender, class, community, and culture. Event-recall interviews were conducted among a convenience sample of Swedish males ( n = 132) and females ( n = 202) aged 6 to 45 years. Respondents spontaneously recalled 703 events (averaging 2.3 events for males, 2.1 for females). For men, 93% of events were male(s)-on-male(s), 2% female-on-female, and 2% male(s)-on-female(s). For women, 42% of events were male(s)-on-male(s), 19% female(s)-on-female(s), 24% male(s)-on-females, and 10% female(s)-on-male(s). Interviewee’s roles differed. Of males, 17% were aggressors, 40% victims, and 43% observers. Of females, 12% were aggressors, 30% victims, and 58% observers. For males, there was a significant increase in degree of seriousness of events from junior-, to high school, to college. For females, events became more serious as interviewees progressed from aggressor to victim to observer. For males, violent events between strangers were significantly more serious than all other combinations of acquaintanceship. Most recently recalled events were the most serious for males (no effect for females). Participation in sports was linked to seriousness of events recalled by females, events being described as more serious by females who participated in sports, this effect being stronger for those females who participated in contact/collision and self-defense sports. The significant correlation between trauma and seriousness is nearly twice as strong for females which might be taken as an indication of stronger moral pathos.
Real-World Barriers to Assessing and Treating Mental Health Problems With IPV Survivors
Authors: Simmons Catherine A. , Lindsey Leslie , Delaney Matthew J. , Whalley Anna , Beck J. Gayle
Published: October 2014

Barriers to assessing and treating mental health problems with intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors were identified with qualitative responses from 62 IPV helping professionals who participated in an online survey question. Data were analyzed using a concept mapping approach, which resulted in following eight distinct clusters: (a) unsure, (b) limited IPV specific resources, (c) barriers to access, (d) systems-taboos, (e) immediate crisis needs, (f) fear-stigma, (g) offender’s control and (h) cultural concerns. The opinions expressed in these clusters help to better explain logistic, relational, and intrapersonal obstacles that can limit women IPV survivors’ ability to receive care for mental health conditions. Extending previous quantitative work by the authors (Simmons, Whalley, & Beck, 2014), the current portion of this project generates new ways of looking at barriers to service delivery, which can be used to develop theory and guide further research.
Intimate Partner Violence Among Hong Kong Young Adults
Authors: Zhang Huiping , Wong William C. W. , Ip Patrick , Fan Susan , Yip Paul S. F.
Published: October 2014

Intimate partner violence is a serious social problem and public health issue affecting the well-being of the young adults. However, there is very little epidemiological evidence on the incidence and associated health problems in contemporary Chinese society. Using a representative community sample of 1,223 young adults aged 18 to 27 years conducted by Hong Kong Family Planning Association in 2011, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence, risk factors, and possible health consequences of intimate partner violence among young adults in Hong Kong. It is found that the prevalence of lifetime and preceding 1-year intimate partner violence by former or current partners was 8.6% and 4.9% respectively. Male youths who were older were less likely to experience past-year intimate partner violence (odds ratio [OR] = 0.21, p < .05) and those who had a university degree or were unemployed were more likely to experience past-year intimate partner violence (OR = 8.48, p < .01 and OR = 8.14, p < .05 respectively). Female youths who had a full-time job were less likely to experience the lifetime violence (OR = 0.15, p < .05) and those who were ever pregnant with current partner were more likely to experience both lifetime intimate partner violence (OR = 5.00, p < .05) and past-year violence (OR = 5.63, p < .05). Both female and male victims were more likely to be subjected to mental health problems and only female victims felt fear for the violent partner.
Mental Health Disorders Among Women Victims of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Dossa Nissou Ines , Zunzunegui Maria Victoria , Hatem Marie , Fraser William Donald
Published: October 2014

To assess the effects of sexual violence (SV) in armed conflicts on women’s mental health, on its own and in conjunction with reproductive health issues such as fistula or chronic pelvic pain (CPP). A cross-sectional population-based study of 320 women living in Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, aged 15 to 45 years, was conducted. Women who experienced conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) were compared with those who experienced non-conflict-related sexual violence (NCRSV) and those who never experienced such acts. Data were gathered through individual interviews by local staff using standardized questionnaires. The outcomes investigated were post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms severity and psychological distress symptoms (PDS) severity. Experience of SV in either context was associated with more severe PDS ( p < .0001). Only CRSV was associated with more severe PTSD symptoms ( p < .0001). Women who suffered from fistula or CPP also had a higher PDS score mean ( p < .0001 and p = .007) and a higher PTSD symptoms score mean ( p < .0001, for both reproductive health issues). Multivariate analyses showed that compared with women who never experienced SV and never suffered from fistula or CPP, those who experienced CRSV and suffered from fistula or CPP had the most severe PDS and PTSD symptoms after adjustment for potential confounders. The differences in PDS and PTSD symptoms severity were all significant ( p < .0001). Psychological and physical health care are urgently needed for women who experienced CRSV, particularly those with additional issues of fistula or CPP. Current interventions should simultaneously seek to improve both reproductive and mental health.
The Role of Psychopathy and Exposure to Violence in Rape Myth Acceptance
Authors: Debowska Agata , Boduszek Daniel , Dhingra Katie , Kola Susanna , Meller-Prunska Aleksandra
Published: October 2014

The main aim of the present study was to specify and test a structural model to examine the relationships between four psychopathy dimensions (Interpersonal Manipulation, Callous Affect, Erratic Lifestyle, and Antisocial Behavior), childhood exposure to violence, and rape myth acceptance while controlling for gender, age, sample type (prisoner vs. non-prisoner), and relationship status. Participants were a sample of non-offending adults ( n = 319) recruited from the University of Security in Poznan, and a sample of prisoners ( n = 129) incarcerated in Stargard Szczecinski Prison. Results indicated that the model provided a good fit for the data, and that Callous Affect and childhood exposure to violence had a significant positive effect on attitudes toward rape and rape victims. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed.
Evaluation of the CAN SPAM Act: Testing Deterrence and Other Influences of E-mail Spammer Legal Compliance Over Time
Authors: Kigerl Alex C.
Published: October 2014

E-mail spam has been growing since its inception. The Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act (CAN SPAM Act) is U.S. federal legislation that was passed in response to the growing spam problem. A series of evaluations followed after the Act, most of which reported that compliance with the Act’s requirements among spammers had not been affected. However, none of these evaluations used methods that were sufficiently rigorous, failing to capture the continuous nature of CAN SPAM Act’s enforcement, using a limited number of measures of noncompliance, and ignoring a variety of possible spurious influences. This research addresses all of these limitations by analyzing a sample of 5,490,905 spam e-mails sent between 1998 and 2013. Ten measures of spammer compliance with the CAN SPAM Act were operationalized to test the impact the Act had. Thirteen measures of CAN SPAM Act enforcement were coded from news articles and included in a time-series regression. Findings suggest that the Act may in fact be a deterrent, but in such a way as to increase CAN SPAM Act violations of header forgery as a precaution against being caught.
Becoming a Drug Dealer: Local Interaction Orders and Criminal Careers
Authors: Duck Waverly
Published: October 2014

This article reports on an ethnographic study of the process by which a young man became a drug dealer in a in a small northeastern US city. Drug dealing was the principal occupation in his predominantly black neighborhood. This process is treated as an initiation into a criminal career that involved not only the mastery of specific steps of drug dealing but also learning the expectations of the local interaction order framing the space where he lives. Approached in this way, one young man’s story offers a window into the local interaction order of a drug-dealing space: a set of local social practices that must be routinely mastered in the area where he grew up. The pervasiveness of drug-dealing practices in the local interaction order offers valuable insight into how and why male youth in this locale would enter the drug trade and are at considerable risk of arrest.
Computational fluid dynamics simulations of blade damage effect on the performance of a transonic axial compressor near stall
Authors: Li Yan-Ling , Sayma Abdulnaser I
Published: October 2014

Gas turbine axial compressor blades may encounter damage during service for various reasons such as damage by debris from casing or foreign objects impacting the blades, typically near the rotor’s tip. This may lead to deterioration of performance and reduction in the surge margin. The damage breaks the cyclic symmetry of the rotor assembly; thus, computational fluid dynamics simulations have to be performed using full annulus compressor assembly. Moreover, downstream boundary conditions are unknown during rotating stall or surge, and simulations become difficult. This paper presents unsteady computational fluid dynamics analyses of compressor performance with tip curl damage. Computations were performed near the stall boundary. The primary objectives are to understand the effect of the damage on the flow behaviour and compressor stability. Computations for the undamaged rotor assembly were also performed as a reference case. A transonic axial compressor rotor was used for the time-accurate numerical unsteady flow simulations, with a variable area nozzle downstream simulating an experimental throttle. Computations were performed at 60% of the rotor design speed. Two different degrees of damage for one blade and multiple damaged blades were investigated. Rotating stall characteristics differ including the number of stall cells, propagation speed and rotating stall cell characteristics. Contrary to expectations, damaged blades with typical degrees of damage do not show noticeable effects on the global compressor performance near stall.
A new approach in the study of frictionless collisions using inertances
Authors: Pandrea Nicolae , Stănescu Nicolae-Doru
Published: October 2014

This paper presents a complete study on the collision without friction of two rigid bodies with and without bilateral constraints. Our goal is to obtain the same formulae for the impulse, the energy of the lost velocities, and the loss of kinetic energy as in the case of the collision of two particles. The study is performed with the aid of the notion of inertance. The dependence on the constraints is given by the inertances. The calculations are realized using the results from the theory of screws (plückerian coordinates). The obtained formulae are general, written in matrix form, and they may be easily used in any practical problem. We give the general algorithms for the collision of two rigid bodies with and without bilateral constraints. The equality of the coefficients of restitution in the Newton, Poisson, and energetic models is also proved. The numerical examples highlight the theory.
Characterization and tracking control of a nonlinear electrohydraulic valve-cylinder system
Authors: Das J , Mishra Santosh Kr , Paswan RamaShankar , Kumar Ajit , Kumar Sujit , Saha R , Mookherjee S
Published: October 2014

It is well known that simple proportional, integral, and derivative control yields poor tracking performance due to the friction- and flow-related nonlinearities in electrohydraulic servo-systems. Nonlinear effects are more significant in proportional valve having deadband and non-matched ports with potential application in systems with complex ground friction in off-road vehicles or complex inertia loads in simulators meant for pilot training. A feedforward-based controller has been designed here by performing a number of characterization experiments for achieving good tracking performance overcoming severe nonlinearities. An algebraic model of friction has been developed for including hysteresis beyond the static friction zone in a double-rod piston-cylinder arrangement. A proportional valve with non-matched ports and large deadband has been characterized in terms of command signal to flow gains for each metered port and a leakage coefficient. Also, a dynamic model for the valve with embedded control has been constructed. All these models have been integrated together to predict the piston-motion dynamics. A simple theoretical analysis with a fixed command excitation revealed that following the initial transients a sustained oscillation over a constant mean piston velocity could exist for low pump pressure and valve damping due to the flow-motion coupling. The bandwidth and damping coefficient of the valve flow have been estimated through a comparison between the predicted and experimentally measured piston displacement variation with time. Besides evaluating the feedforward using the algebraic friction model along with assuming incompressible flow and negligible valve leakage, the predictions of the complete model were used to ascertain the proportional, integral, and derivative gains to be implemented in real-time control. Up to 0.5 Hz sinusoidal excitation, the proposed control revealed excellent tracking performance. Controls with only proportional, integral, and derivative and proportional, integral, and derivative together with feedforward exhibited noticeable phase shifts, respectively, from frequencies 0.0625 Hz and 0.6 Hz. Hence, the proposed controller can be useful in low-cost, low-power, precision applications up to 0.5 Hz input excitations.
Gross Domestic Product, Science Interest, and Science Achievement: A Person × Nation Interaction
Authors: Tucker-Drob Elliot M. , Cheung Amanda K. , Briley Daniel A.
Published: October 2014

Maximizing science achievement is a critical target of educational policy and has important implications for national and international economic and technological competitiveness. Previous research has identified both science interest and socioeconomic status (SES) as robust predictors of science achievement, but little research has examined their joint effects. In a data set drawn from approximately 400,000 high school students from 57 countries, we documented large Science Interest × SES and Science Interest × Per Capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) interactions in the prediction of science achievement. Student interest in science is a substantially stronger predictor of science achievement in higher socioeconomic contexts and in higher-GDP nations. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that in higher-opportunity contexts, motivational factors play larger roles in learning and achievement. They add to the growing body of evidence indicating that substantial cross-national differences in psychological effect sizes are not simply a logical possibility but, in many cases, an empirical reality.
Providing Views of the Driving Scene to Drivers’ Conversation Partners Mitigates Cell-Phone-Related Distraction
Authors: Gaspar John G. , Street Whitney N. , Windsor Matthew B. , Carbonari Ronald , Kaczmarski Henry , Kramer Arthur F. , Mathewson Kyle E.
Published: October 2014

Cell-phone use impairs driving safety and performance. This impairment may stem from the remote partner’s lack of awareness about the driving situation. In this study, pairs of participants completed a driving simulator task while conversing naturally in the car and while talking on a hands-free cell phone. In a third condition, the driver drove while the remote conversation partner could see video of both the road ahead and the driver’s face. We tested the extent to which this additional visual information diminished the negative effects of cell-phone distraction and increased situational awareness. Collision rates for unexpected merging events were high when participants drove in a cell-phone condition but were reduced when they were in a videophone condition, reaching a level equal to that observed when they drove with an in-car passenger or drove alone. Drivers and their partners made shorter utterances and made longer, more frequent traffic references when they spoke in the videophone rather than the cell-phone condition. Providing a view of the driving scene allows remote partners to help drivers by modulating their conversation and referring to traffic more often.
Behavioral and Neural Valuation of Foods Is Driven by Implicit Knowledge of Caloric Content
Authors: Tang Deborah W. , Fellows Lesley K. , Dagher Alain
Published: October 2014

The factors that affect food choices are critical to understanding obesity. In the present study, healthy participants were shown pictures of foods to determine the impact of caloric content on food choice. Brain activity was then measured while participants bid for a chance to purchase and eat one item. True caloric density, but not individual estimates of calorie content, predicted how much participants were willing to pay for each item. Caloric density also correlated with the neural response to food pictures in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a brain area that encodes the value of stimuli and predicts immediate consumption. That same region exhibited functional connectivity with an appetitive brain network, and this connectivity was modulated by willingness to pay. Despite the fact that participants were poor at explicitly judging caloric content, their willingness to pay and brain activity both correlated with actual caloric density. This suggests that the reward value of a familiar food is dependent on implicit knowledge of its caloric content.
Feminist theory and contemporary developmental psychology: The case of children’s executive function
Authors: Miller Patricia H , Scholnick Ellin K
Published: October 2014

Burman’s landmark book, Deconstructing Developmental Psychology, criticized the field from three perspectives: decontextualized measurements and depictions of children’s behavior; androcentric biases; and covert political frameworks. In this article, Burman’s analysis is applied to the current state of cognitive developmental research in general, and then specifically with a focus on a hot topic, children’s executive function (cognitive self-control). Suggestions are made for how adopting Burman’s framework to deconstruct executive function research and theorizing can be used to construct an enriched, more complete, account of the development of executive function.
Does IQ measure ability for complex cognition?
Authors: Richardson Ken , Norgate Sarah H.
Published: October 2014

A popular conception of the “intelligence,” or g, thought to be measured by IQ tests, is that of a cognitive “strength” variable that facilitates complex cognition such as reasoning and problem solving. Yet test items seem remarkably un-complex when compared with everyday cognition. Here, typical verbal and non-verbal test items are examined and arguments asserting their complexity are challenged. In contrast, several lines of research indicate how “real life” cognition is much more complex than that required by such items. The claim that an IQ-job performance correlation is stronger for more complex jobs is also challenged. This leads to the suggestion that other sources of variance, including cultural, affective, and other non-cognitive factors, may explain differences in test performance. An alternative explanation for the still-puzzling “Flynn effect” is proposed, with the idea that IQ differences reflect cultural “distance” (from possibly equal, but different, complexities) rather than a universal cognitive “strength.”
α-Tocopherol mediated amelioration of camptothecin-induced free radical damage to avert cardiotoxicities
Authors: Singh K , Bhori M , Marar T
Published: October 2014

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as [Formula: see text], hydrogen peroxide, and OH− are highly toxic to cells. Cellular antioxidant enzymes and free radical scavengers normally protect a cell from toxic effects of ROS. However, when generation of ROS overtakes the antioxidant defense of the cells, it leads to various pathological conditions. The present study investigated the protective efficacy of α-tocopherol on the peroxidative damage and abnormal antioxidant levels in the myocardial tissue of camptothecin (CPT), administered at the dosage of 6 mg/kg/day in male Wistar rats. CPT-administered rats showed significant increase ( p < 0.001) in lipid peroxidation and abnormal changes in the activities/levels of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase) and nonenzymic antioxidants (reduced glutathione and vitamin E). Alterations in the levels of tissue alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase ( p < 0.01), alanine transaminase ( p < 0.001), and aspartate transaminase ( p < 0.001) were also observed in CPT-treated rats. In contrast, rats pretreated with α-tocopherol showed significant revision of elevated levels of lipid peroxides and abnormal antioxidant enzyme activity suggesting the ameliorative property of vitamin E. Histopathological alterations in the heart tissue observed after CPT administration were also protected in animals that were pretreated with vitamin E. Based on our results, we conclude that supplementation of vitamin E may improve the efficacy of standard and experimental cancer therapies by subsiding the toxic effect of the antineoplastic agent.
Role of recombinant human erythropoietin against mitomycin C-induced cardiac, hepatic and renal dysfunction in Wistar rats
Authors: Rjiba-Touati K , Ayed-Boussema I , Belarbia A , Mokni M , Achour A , Bacha H , Abid S
Published: October 2014

Mitomycin C (MMC) is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic drugs. However, the dose of MMC is greatly limited by its toxicity in normal tissues. Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO), an erythropoietic hormone, has also been shown to exert tissue protective effects. The purpose of this study was to explore the protective effect of rhEPO against MMC-induced heart, liver, and renal dysfunction. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into six groups (with six animals each), namely control, rhEPO alone group, MMC alone group, and rhEPO + MMC group (pre-, co-, and posttreatment conditions). The results showed that MMC induced a marked cardiac, renal, and liver failure characterized by a significant decrease in body weight, organs weight, and organs ratio and a significant increase in creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transferase, and conjugated and total bilirubin levels in serum. Histological examination showed that MMC caused liver alterations. rhEPO treatment restored body weight, organs weight, and organs ratio as well as serum biochemical parameters and histological damage caused by MMC exposure.
Expression of selected proteins of the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of apoptosis in human leukocytes exposed to N-nitrosodimethylamine
Authors: Iwaniuk A , Jabłońska E , Jabłoński J , Ratajczak-Wrona W , Garley M
Published: October 2014

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a xenobiotic widespread in human environment capable of regulating the lifespan of immune cells. In this study, we examined the roles of the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)/death receptor 5 (DR5) complex and the Fas molecule in the induction of the extrinsic apoptosis pathway in human neutrophils (polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs)) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) exposed to NDMA. Also we assessed these proteins ability to trigger the intrinsic apoptosis pathway in those cells. For this purpose, we examined the expression of Fas-associated protein with death domain, truncated Bid (tBid) proteins, and apoptogenic factors such as apoptosis-inducing factor, Smac/Diablo, Omi/HtrA2, and caspase-3 as an indication of accomplished apoptosis phenomenon. PMNs and PBMCs were isolated from whole blood by density gradient centrifugation using Polymorphrep. Apoptotic cells were assessed with flow cytometry using a ready-made kit. The expression of proapoptotic molecules was investigated by Western blot analysis of PMNs and PBMCs treated with NDMA and/or rhTRAIL. The obtained results confirm the proapoptotic effects of NDMA on the examined human leukocytes and indicate an active participation of the TRAIL/DR5 complex and Fas protein in the process of apoptosis. Moreover, the research revealed distinct mechanisms of intrinsic apoptosis pathway activation between PMNs and PBMCs exposed to NDMA, as confirmed by the different levels of tBid, Smac/Diablo, Omi/HtrA2, and caspase-3 expression in those cells.
Immunoexpressions of embryonic and nonembryonic stem cell markers (Nanog, Thy-1, c-kit) and cellular connections (connexin 43 and occludin) on testicular tissue in thyrotoxicosis rat model
Authors: Oltulu F , Aktug H , Uysal A , Turgan N , Oktem G , Erbas O , Yavasoglu NU Karabay , Yavasoglu A
Published: October 2014

In this study, possible thyrotoxicosis-related histological changes in testicular tissues of rats with experimentally induced thyrotoxicosis model were evaluated on cellular connections and stem cell markers. Two experimental groups, thyrotoxicosis and control, each consisting of eight animals were used. Rats in the thyrotoxicosis group were injected intraperitoneally with 3,3′,5-triiodo-l-thyronine (50 µg/100 g body weight/day) for 10 days. At the end of the study, animals in both groups were anesthetized, and blood samples were collected for biochemical analyses. Their testes were dissected out and histological procedure was conducted to perform further histochemical, immunohistochemical analyses and tissue expression analysis by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Expression of the stem cell markers such as c-kit and Thy-1 significantly decreased in the testes of the thyrotoxicosis group compared with the control group; however, Nanog expression was not detected in any of the groups. Similarly, connexin 43 and occludin expressions were also found to be significantly lower in the thyrotoxicosis group. These results on cellular connections are supported with the tissue expression analysis. Our findings are indicative of supporting microenvironmental tissue decay rather than parenchyma damage, which has been actually ignored in the literature. In conclusion, experimental thyrotoxicosis model may have adverse effects on the cell junctional complexes, cell–cell interactions, and pluripotency capacity.
Apigenin modulates the expression levels of pro-inflammatory mediators to reduce the human insulin amyloid-induced oxidant damages in SK-N-MC cells
Authors: Amini R , Yazdanparast R , Ghaffari SH
Published: October 2014

Amyloid depositions of proteins play crucial roles in a wide variety of degenerative disorders called amyloidosis. Although the exact mechanisms involved in amyloid-mediated cytotoxicity remain unknown, increased formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen species and overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines are believed to play key roles in the process. In that regard, we investigated the effect of apigenin, a common dietary flavonoid with high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties on potential factors involved in cytotoxicity of human insulin amyloids. Pretreatment of SK-N-MC neuroblastoma cells with apigenin increased cell viability and reduced the apoptosis induced by insulin fibrils. In addition, apigenin attenuated insulin fibril-induced ROS production and lipid peroxidation. Our result also demonstrated that pretreatment of the fibril-affected cells with apigenin caused an increase in catalase activity and the intracellular glutathione content along with reduction in nitric oxide production and nuclear factor κB, tumor necrosis factor α, and interleukin 6 gene expression based on real-time polymerase chain reaction evaluation. In accordance with these results, apigenin could be a promising candidate in the design of natural-based drugs for treatment or prevention of amyloid-related disorders.
Edaravone ameliorates the adverse effects of valproic acid toxicity in small intestine
Authors: Oktay S , Alev B , Tunali S , Emekli-Alturfan E , Tunali-Akbay T , Koc-Ozturk L , Yanardag R , Yarat A
Published: October 2014

Valproic acid (VPA) is a drug used for the treatment of epilepsy, bipolar psychiatric disorders, and migraine. Previous studies have reported an increased generation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress in the toxic mechanism of VPA. Edaravone, a free radical scavenger for clinical use, can quench free radical reaction by trapping a variety of free radical species. In this study, effect of edaravone on some small intestine biochemical parameters in VPA-induced toxicity was investigated. Thirty seven Sprague Dawley female rats were randomly divided into four groups. The groups include control group, edaravone (30 mg–1 kg–1 day–1) given group, VPA (0.5 g–1 kg–1 day–1) given group, VPA + edaravone (in same dose) given group. Edaravone and VPA were given intraperitoneally for 7 days. Biochemical parameters such as malondialdehyde, as an index of lipid peroxidation(LPO), sialic acid (SA), glutathione levels and glutathione peroxidase, glutathione- S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, myeloperoxidase, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and tissue factor (TF) activities were determined in small intestine samples by colorimetric methods. Decreased small intestine antioxidant enzyme activities, increased LPO and SA levels, and increased activities of ALP and TF were detected in the VPA group. Based on our results edaravone may be suggested to reverse the oxidative stress and inflammation due to VPA-induced small intestine toxicity.
Recurrent spontaneous subdural hematoma secondary to immune thrombocytopenia in a patient with overlap syndrome
Authors: Goh K G , Ong S G
Published: October 2014

Patients with autoimmune connective tissue disease may manifest as overlap syndrome with features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and myositis. Those presenting with active SLE can present with immune thrombocytopenia (IT) and may be complicated with subdural hematoma which, though rare, is potentially life-threatening. We report here a patient with overlap syndrome who had recurrent spontaneous subdural hematoma due to severe thrombocytopenia which did not respond to corticosteroids and azathioprine. Her platelet count became normal with three doses of low-dose intravenous cyclophosphamide (IV CYC) given at 3-weekly intervals. She remained in remission with maintenance therapy with azathioprine.
Hydroxychloroquine and pregnancy on lupus flares in Korean patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Koh J H , Ko H S , Kwok S-K , Ju J H , Park S-H
Published: October 2014

We investigated the clinical and laboratory characteristics of pregnancies with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and identified lupus flare predictors during pregnancy. Additionally, we examined lupus activity and pregnancy outcomes in SLE patients who continued, discontinued or underwent no hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) treatment during pregnancy. We retrospectively analyzed 179 pregnancies in 128 SLE patients at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Korea, between 1998 and 2012 and then assessed the clinical profiles and maternal and fetal outcomes. Overall, 90.5% of pregnancies resulted in a successful delivery and were divided into two groups: those who experienced lupus flares (80 pregnancies, 44.7%) and those who did not (99 pregnancies, 55.3%). Increased preeclampsia, preterm births, low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and low 1-minute Apgar scores occurred in pregnancies with lupus flares compared to pregnancies in quiescent disease. Lupus flares were predicted by HCQ discontinuation, a history of lupus nephritis, high pre-pregnancy serum uric acid and low C4 levels. Our study indicates that achieving pre-pregnancy remission and continuing HCQ treatment during pregnancy are important for preventing lupus flares.
Number of imputations needed to stabilize estimated treatment difference in longitudinal data analysis
Authors: Lu Kaifeng
Published: October 2014

Multiple imputation procedures replace each missing value with a set of plausible values based on the posterior predictive distribution of missing data given observed data. In many applications, as few as five imputations are adequate to achieve high efficiency relative to an infinite number of imputations. However, substantially more imputations are often needed to stabilize imputation-based inference at the analysis stage. Imputation-based inference at the analysis stage is considered stable if the conditional variability of the multiple imputation estimator, half-width of 95% confidence interval, test statistic, and estimated fraction of missing information given observed data is within specified thresholds for simulation error. For the estimation of treatment difference at study end for normally distributed responses in longitudinal trials, we calculate the multiple imputation quantities for an infinite number of imputations analytically and use simulations to assess the variability of the number of imputations needed at the analysis stage in repeated sampling.
The Structure of Age Homophily in Co-Offending Groups
Authors: Carrington Peter J.
Published: October 2014

This article examines age homophily among co-offenders, using data on approximately 440,000 co-offenses recorded by police in Canada during 2006 to 2009. Log-linear models for social mobility tables are applied to an 86-by-86 table of frequencies of co-offending among year-of-age groups for individuals from 3 to 88 years old. The results indicate strong age homophily for co-offenders of all ages, but decreasing with age. There is further structuration into four age groups: children (3-11 years), youth (12-17 years), young adults (18-45 years), and older adults (46-88 years). The “Fagin” hypothesis that offenders below the age of criminal responsibility are particularly attractive as co-offenders for older offenders is disconfirmed.
Connectedness at the End of Life Among People Admitted to Inpatient Palliative Care
Authors: Håkanson Cecilia , Öhlén Joakim
Published: October 2014

The significance of connectedness for well-being is well known. At the end of life however, illness and body decline may challenge a person’s ability of staying and feeling connected. The aim of this phenomenological study was to interpret meanings of connectedness, through narrative interviews with persons admitted to inpatient palliative care in Sweden. Results involving connectedness through the body, connectedness to, and uncanniness toward other patients, and connectedness to significant others and society are discussed. The study underscores the importance of connectedness until death. However, in inpatient palliative care this is complex. Patients can cocreate or challenge each other’s sense of connectedness through the symbolism of illness and diseased bodies. Moreover, the capability of connectedness is influenced by illness, spatiality, atmosphere, activities, and resources in the care place.
Prediction of damage in the hole-flanging process using a physically based approach
Authors: Kacem Ahmed , Krichen Abdelkader , Manach Pierre-Yves
Published: October 2014

The aim of this work is to identify the limits of the hole-flanging process experimentally and numerically by a physically based approach of damage for two different aluminium alloy sheets. Two hole-flanging conditions were considered, namely hole-flanging without ironing in which the flange is formed by edge stretching, and hole-flanging with ironing in which the metal is squeezed between the punch and the die. The forming defects were characterized experimentally by scanning electron microscope observations performed in critical zones of the flanged parts. The forming defects were also predicted numerically by a 3D finite element model based on Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman constitutive equations. To evaluate the accuracy of the developed finite element model, material damage distribution within the workpiece during the process was studied and compared with experimental observations. Furthermore, the effects of the clearance-thickness ratio on the damage behaviour were investigated for different diameter of the initial hole. This study provides relevant and new results in the design of many parts obtained by hole-flanging. Results showed that the model predicts accurately all types of failures (orange peel aspect, necking, microvoids, tear) for different conditions and both materials. Moreover, despite the large deformation induced by ironing, such conditions decrease the damage, due to void closure effects, that is in agreement with experimental results.
Illicit Injections in Bodybuilders
Authors: AbdullGaffar Badr
Published: October 2014

The practice of self-injection of anabolic steroids (AS) in bodybuilders is common. AS are not the only materials used by bodybuilders for muscle augmentation or image enhancement. Other materials, for example, plant oils, silicon, Vaseline, and paraffin are also injected either in a pure form or mixed with AS. Muscle bulking is the main aim. However, bodybuilders undergo illicit injections for cosmetic, therapeutic, and sexual purposes. Even though the practice of unsupervised injection is probably common in the sports community, site-specific complications are underreported in the medical literature and mostly limited to case reports. Complications can be clinically and pathologically challenging because some can be confused with nonneoplastic and, more important, with neoplastic lesions. Bodybuilders are reluctant to disclose information because of stigma and legal issues. This study attempts to correlate the clinical manifestations and histomorphological features of different injected materials used for different purposes by bodybuilders in our region. A series of 11 cases out of 9 male bodybuilders was studied. A variety of clinical presentations and histological tissue reactions was identified, with some overlapping features between some cases. We identified 5 basic tissue reaction patterns depending on the injected materials, site, and duration of injection. Certain histological features provide useful hints in the absence of prior knowledge of injection history. However, in other cases, a retrospective enquiry by clinicians is warranted to avoid pitfalls. The medical and sports community should be aware of these injection-site complications. Bodybuilders should be discouraged from this practice by implementing appropriate educational and legislative measures.
The Multidimensional Assessment of Perfectionistic Automatic Thoughts
Authors: Flett Gordon L. , Hewitt Paul L.
Published: October 2014

In the current article, we comment on a recent article by Stoeber, Kobori, and Brown that provided evidence suggesting that a multidimensional approach to perfectionistic cognitions is superior to a unidimensional approach in predicting maladjustment. They also showed with their data from a university student sample that our Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory has multiple factors in contrast to our unidimensional approach. Our commentary focuses primarily on the issue of whether the Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory should be considered unidimensional versus multidimensional and outlines concerns about how perfectionism cognition factors should be used and interpreted. Although there are serious interpretive problems inherent in existing multidimensional measures of perfectionism cognitions, it is apparent that a cognitive approach is an important and viable supplement to the extensive focus on the trait multidimensional perfectionism that is currently in vogue. We conclude by discussing the potential clinical uses of cognitive assessments of perfectionism.