bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Storage Instructions for Inhalation Capsules
Authors: Renswouw Dein C. van , Laarhoven Anna C. M. van , Haren Matthijs J. van , Bouvy Marcel L. , Weda Marjolein
Published: August 2010

The objective was to study the influence of storage conditions on the quality of inhalation capsules and to investigate patients’ knowledge and adherence to storage instructions. Inhalation capsules marketed in the Netherlands were stored at normal (20°C/60% relative humidity) and dry (20°C/25% relative humidity) conditions during 34 days and checked for brittleness. After 1 day of storage at normal conditions, no brittleness was perceived. Longer periods and dry conditions increased the risk of brittleness. Only tiotropium capsules resisted all test situations. Subsequently, patients using inhalation capsules were sent a questionnaire in order to investigate their knowledge and actual behavior regarding storage of the capsules. Adherence to the required storage instructions was achieved by only 31.8% of all patients. Inferior storage locations turned out to be the main problem, 58.7% of the patients applied an incorrect place. Knowledge of the required storage instructions was lacking in 83.6% of all patients. It is concluded that the majority of patients store their inhalation capsules incorrectly and have insufficient knowledge of the appropriate storage conditions. Incorrectly stored capsules may become brittle and cause splintering during inhalation. The feeling of splinters in the mouth/throat may reduce the patient’s confidence in the product’s quality and affect compliance.
The Influence of a Spirituality-Based Intervention on Quality of Life, Depression, and Anxiety in Community-Dwelling Adults With Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Delaney Colleen , Barrere Cynthia , Helming Mary
Published: August 2010

Purpose and Design: The specific aims of this pre-experimental pilot study were to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an individualized spirituality-based intervention on health-related outcomes (quality-of-life [QOL], depression, and anxiety) in community-dwelling patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods: Self-reported QOL, depression, and anxiety data were provided by cardiac patients recruited from three community-based organizations, ( N = 27) at baseline and one month later. The Spirituality Scale developed by the principal investigator assessed study participants’ level of spirituality and scoring on the subscales activated one or more of three spirituality-based interventions. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate temporal changes. Findings: Patients who participated in the 1-month intervention demonstrated a significant modest increase in overall QOL. There was a trend toward lower depression scores but this was not significant. No significant changes were seen in anxiety scores. Content analysis of patients’ perceptions of feasibility supports the acceptability of the intervention. Conclusion: Results from this small pilot study provide preliminary evidence that the individualized spirituality-based intervention used in this study holds promise as an addition to traditional cardiac care and has the potential to improve QOL in community-dwelling adults with CVD.
The Inventory of Motivations for Hospice Palliative Care Volunteerism: A Tool for Recruitment and Retention
Authors: Claxton-Oldfield Stephen , Wasylkiw Louise , Mark Mariko , Claxton-Oldfield Jane
Published: August 2010

Given the essential role of volunteers in hospice palliative care, it would be beneficial to have a recruitment and retention tool that is reliable and valid. To address this gap, the current investigation sought to adapt and extend the Inventory of Motivations for Palliative Care Volunteerism (IMPCV) of Claxton-Oldfield, Jefferies, Fawcett, Wasylkiw, and Claxton-Oldfield.1 The purpose of study 1 was to address methodological concerns of the IMPCV using 141 undergraduate students. After conceptually relevant items were added to the IMPCV, participants indicated the degree of influence each of the motivations would have on their, and another person’s, decision to become a hospice palliative care volunteer. In both cases, 5 internally consistent subscales were identified through principal components analysis: altruism, civic responsibility, self-promotion, leisure, and personal gain. Convergent and discriminant validity were demonstrated using an established measure of empathy. In study 2, 141 hospice palliative care volunteers completed the revised and renamed Inventory of Motivations for Hospice Palliative Care Volunteerism (IMHPCV). Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the 5-factor structure of the IMHPCV. The authors encourage other researchers to use the IMHPCV as a measurement tool in studying the motivations of hospice palliative care volunteers.
How Good Is Good Enough? A Multidimensional, Best-Possible Standard for Research Design
Authors: Gerring John
Published: August 2010

Recent years have seen a shift in methodological emphasis from the observable properties of a sample to its unobservable properties, that is, judgments about the process by which the data were generated. Considerations of research design have moved front and center. This article attempts to bridge discussions of experimental and quasi-experimental data and of quantitative and qualitative approaches, so as to provide a unified framework for understanding research design in causal analysis. Specifically, the author argues that all research designs aim to satisfy certain fundamental criteria, applicable across methods and across fields. These criteria are understood as desirable, ceteris paribus, and as matters of degree. The implications of this framework for methodological standards in the social sciences are taken up in the final section of the article. There, the author argues for a best-possible standard of proof that judges overall methodological adequacy in light of other possible research designs that might be applied to a particular research question.
Spanish-Language Radio Advertisements and Latino Voter Turnout in the 2006 Congressional Elections
Authors: Panagopoulos Costas , Green Donald P.
Published: August 2010

Because Hispanic voters are seldom targeted for campaign communication and because they listen to radio at higher rates than non-Hispanics, Spanish-language radio represents an attractive venue for testing whether nonpartisan mass media messages can mobilize voters. We conducted a large-scale, national field experiment testing the impact of nonpartisan Spanish-language radio advertisements on Latino voter turnout in the 2006 congressional elections. The experiment, encompassing 206 congressional districts, indicates that nonpartisan radio ads represent an effective and cost-efficient means of raising Latino turnout in federal elections.
The Military Genogram: A Solution-Focused Approach for Resiliency Building in Service Members and Their Families
Authors: Weiss Eugenia L. , Coll Jose E. , Gerbauer Jennifer , Smiley Kate , Carillo Ed
Published: August 2010

In recent decades, it has become evident among mental health practitioners that the military is a unique culture that is comprised of distinct ethics, core values, codes of conduct, and strict hierarchical roles. In light of the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq, veterans and their families are seeking mental health services due to a variety of psychosocial issues; however, mental health practitioners are lacking military-specific knowledge in understanding individuals within the military subculture. In addition, they are ill-equipped with interventions aimed at supporting the military family. Historically, the genogram has been an effective tool in delineating intergenerational family patterns that influence the functioning of the presenting client and his or her family. Therefore, this article proposes a military-specific genogram as an assessment and treatment instrument for the social worker to use with the client and his or her family to provide a comprehensive understanding of the military service member and his or her family. The application of the military genogram will be conducted in this article to demonstrate its utility and value. Furthermore, the genogram will encompass a solution-focused approach that promotes a strengths-based and resiliency perspective to be used with service members and their families.
Effects of Familial Attachment, Social Support, Involvement, and Self-Esteem on Youth Substance Use and Sexual Risk Taking
Authors: Hamme Peterson Christina , Buser Trevor J. , Westburg Nancy G.
Published: August 2010

A study of protective factors against substance use and sexual risk taking was conducted among 610 high-poverty urban youth. Higher levels of family attachment, social support, involvement, and self-esteem were associated with lower levels of risk behaviors.
Structural enhancements for increased energy absorption in composite sandwich structures
Authors: Stapleton Scott E , Adams Daniel O
Published: August 2010

Facesheet debonding and buckling failure modes are often the cause of low energy absorption in composite sandwich panels under edgewise compression loading. To control the failure mode and initial failure location, the use of structural enhancements coupled with crush initiators were investigated. Three types of structural enhancements (end bevels, stitching, and core webbing) were incorporated into four composite sandwich configurations consisting of woven or random mat carbon/epoxy facesheets with foam or balsa wood cores. The effectiveness of these structural enhancements, combined with the use of crush initiators, was evaluated using dynamic edgewise compression testing. Results show that structural enhancements coupled with crush initiators may be used to increase the energy absorption capabilities of composite sandwich structures. However, the effectiveness of the structural enhancements investigated is highly dependant upon the stiffness and strength properties of the facesheets and core as well as the strength of the facesheet/core interfaces. These findings suggest that composite sandwich structures may be designed for enhanced energy absorption through the proper design of the sandwich configuration and the incorporation of a suitable structural enhancement.
Articulating circumstance, identity and practice: toward a discursive framework of organizational changing
Authors: Guowei Jian
Published: August 2010

The literature on organizational change abounds with models that map the trajectory of change with ordered stages or episodes. However, limited progress has been made in understanding the dynamic process of changing or becoming from one stage or episode to another. To enhance our knowledge of changing, this study intends to offer a discursive framework grounded in a process-oriented perspective of organization. The framework highlights key discursive dynamics of changing by integrating recent developments in several streams of research. It conceptualizes changing as discursive struggles over articulating multiple layers of meaning. These layers comprise the articulation of organizational circumstance, organizational and individual identities and organizational practice.To illustrate the utility of this framework, the author undertook a discourse analysis of real-time communication among members in a large US insurance corporation. The interpretation was grounded in data from a four-month ethnographic study. The analysis effectively demonstrates how organizational changing takes place in interrelated layers of discursive action. It also offers critique on potential discursive effects of stage models when applied by practitioners in managing organizational change programs.
'It's in the Game' and Above the Game
Authors: Conway Steven
Published: August 2010

This article is a participant-observer case study of a group of sports videogame players. The game played, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, belongs to the author-designated ‘televisual’ sub-genre, remediating (Bolter and Grusin, 1999) aspects of televisual coverage such as the broadcast angle, action replays and commentary teams. We investigate the use of these games and their position within both gaming and sport culture. To do so we approach the player from four perspectives: dress, body language, argot (slang, group-specific dialect), and proxemics (examining how people spatially situate themselves in regard to one another within the social environment). These categories then combine to formulate the last section, ‘Social Play’, where we discuss the social meta-game being enacted between participants to barter social status, capital (Bourdieu, 1984) and specific gamer capital (Consalvo, 2007).
The Web 2.0 Olympics
Authors: Hutchins Brett , Mikosza Janine
Published: August 2010

The Beijing Olympics was the largest sports mega-event in history and represents an opportunity to assess the dynamics of the media sport cultural complex in a post-broadcast age. This article argues that the internet and web are transforming and intensifying the digital mediatization of Olympic sport in terms of the amount and types of content available across multiple platforms. From the perspective of Olympic and sports officials, these developments possess a Janus-faced character, simultaneously offering additional avenues to promote the Olympic brand and experience globally and challenging their capacity to maintain control over Olympic related media in online environments. This situation is the result of long-established broadcast media strategies colliding with the networking capacity of Web 2.0 and the operation and popularity of ‘social software’ such as blogs and Facebook. The evidence presented is drawn from Olympic policy documents, media reports and interviews with sports officials and athletes.
Visual Landscape Analysis of Urban Open Spaces: A Case Study of the Coastline of Göcek Settlement, Muğla, Türkiye
Authors: Malkoc Emine , Kilicaslan Cigdem , Ozkan Mehmet Bulent
Published: August 2010

This article presents a visual analysis of the landscape characteristic of Göcek settlement, a Mediterranean coastal town affiliated to Muğla, located in the south-west of Turkey. The aim was to provide an identity for a contemporary coastal town by studying use of its public open spaces. The analysis had four parts: data collection, development of forms, fieldwork and finally evaluation and synthesis. In the fieldwork section of the study, the coastline, which is considered outstanding in terms of its tourism potential, was divided into seven sub-areas and each was analysed in terms of spatial, perceptual, sensory and social aspects and the level to which it met user expectations. In addition to the visual analyses, a questionnaire was conducted with 70 respondents concerning their accessibility to the area, period of stay, what they did, reasons why they preferred the study area and the elements that enhanced or reduced the visual quality of the area. The results of the visual analyses and questionnaires carried out in the seven sub-areas, showed that overall people’s perception of the public spaces were generally at a medium level on the scale used. So, within this context, the message was that the visual quality and liveability of Göcek, which aims to make progress in terms of tourism, have to be enhanced.
Combining the representation approach with the framing concept: Television news coverage of the Arab population in Israel during conflict
Authors: Avraham Eli , First Anat
Published: August 2010

This article examines the portrayal of Israel’s Arab population in the Hebrew media, with particular attention to coverage by the national television channels of two violent incidents: events surrounding the first Land Day (30 March 1976) and events of the protests in October 2000, at the start of the Al-Aqsa Intifada. Our purpose is twofold: first, to explore how Israeli Arabs are portrayed during violent conflict, and, second, to examine the means of presentation in terms of a time frame, in accordance with the view that the presentation process is dynamic. The research relied primarily on qualitative analysis of media content, but attention was also paid to the quantitative aspects of the coverage. Here we used two complementary theories — the representation approach and the framing concept. At the core of both these theories lies the constructionist approach, which serves as their point of origin.
Framing Latinas: Hispanic women through the lenses of Spanish-language and English-language news media
Authors: Correa Teresa
Published: August 2010

It is argued that the media’s tendency to stereotype minority groups is due, in part, to a weak identification with them. This study compared the frames used by the Miami Herald (MH), an English-language newspaper targeted to general audiences, and El Nuevo Herald (ENH), its Spanish-language counterpart targeted to Hispanics, to explore whether the stronger media identification with the audience affects the type of frames used to depict Latinas. Using framing as a theoretical framework, this investigation found that the MH emphasized the individual achievements of successful women and described them as a new profitable market. ENH highlighted the family sacrifices of successful females and depicted them as family-devoted and sensual. As a result, the greater cultural identification with the audience may avoid manifest negative stereotypes but embrace pan-ethnic stereotypes that, eventually, may become harmful because they contribute to the homogenization and racialization of a group such as Latinas.
A two-step technique for damage assessment using numerical and experimental vibration data
Authors: Cury Alexandre A , Borges Carlos CH , Barbosa Flávio S
Published: August 2010

The degradation process of structural systems is usually due to a combination of reasons such as design or constructive problems, unexpected loading or even natural causes. Such deterioration process results in damaged regions whose main characteristics are localized stiffness decreases in the structure. In this article, the efficiency of a damage detection technique is analyzed through experimental tests and numerical simulations performed in a cantilever beam involving several damage scenarios. The methodology consists of two stages: (i) damage location — determined by means of the strain energy deviation between damaged and undamaged structural vibration modes; and (ii) damage quantification — developed through the analysis of measured natural frequencies of a damaged structure and its respective undamaged numerical model. In general, this two-step strategy shows good results although more robust results are obtained by using numerical data rather than by experimental data.
Integrative Literature Review: Concept Mapping: A Strategy to Support the Development of Practice, Research, and Theory Within Human Resource Development
Authors: Daley Barbara J. , Conceição Simone C.O. , Mina Liliana , Altman Brian A. , Baldor Maria , Brown James
Published: August 2010

The purpose of this integrative literature review is to summarize research on concept mapping and to offer ideas on how concept mapping can facilitate practice, research, and theory development within human resource development. In this review, more than 300 articles, written in both English and Spanish, presented at two different concept mapping conferences were reviewed. Six researchers reviewed the articles and created a matrix outlining the research studies, the methods, the findings, and the implications. This matrix was then used to conduct an in-depth analysis and identify six overall themes of the research presented. These themes were identified as (a) teaching and learning, (b) assessment and scoring, (c) knowledge development, (d) software development, (e) professional development, and (f) research methods. Finally, the identified themes were used to advance implications for the use of concept mapping within human resource development.
Enhancement of the Response of B16F1 Melanoma to Fractionated Radiotherapy and Prolongation of Survival by Withaferin A and/or Hyperthermia
Authors: Kalthur Guruprasad , Uma Devi Pathirissery
Published: August 2010

Withaferin A (WA), isolated from Indian medicinal plant Withania somnifera has weak antitumor and radiosensitizing property. The present investigation was planned to evaluate the tumor sensitizing effect of WA with or without local hyperthermia on the response of B16F1 melanoma to fractionated and acute radiotherapy. C57BL mice bearing tumors of 100 ± 10mm3 were treated with fractionated radiotherapy (RT, 2Gy x 5 days/week, 4 weeks), withaferin A (15mg/kg, i.p., 5 days/ week, 3 weeks), local hyperthermia (HT, 43°C once a week, 3 weeks) and their combinations, or acute RT (40Gy), WA (40mg/kg), HT (43°C, 30min) and their combinations. Treatment response was studied by tumor regression, growth delay and animal survival. Acute RT+HT produced 50% partial response which increased to 62.5% with combination of WA. In fractionated regimen, trimodality combination resulted in 100% PR. Acute RT+HT and WA+RT produced similar increase in growth delay (GD) compared to RT alone which further increased in trimodality treatment. Fractionated WA+RT+HT for 3 weeks produced a higher GD and survival than all other treatments. In conclusion, WA is a better radiosensitizer than HT in fractionated regimen and the response of radioresistant tumors like melanoma can be significantly enhanced by combining nontoxic doses of WA with fractionated RT, with or without HT, allowing decrease in radiation dose.
Acupuncture for Dysphagia After Chemoradiation Therapy in Head and Neck Cancer: A Case Series Report
Authors: Weidong Lu  , Posner Marshall R. , Wayne Peter , Rosenthal David S. , Haddad Robert I.
Published: August 2010

Background: Dysphagia is a common side effect following chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Methods: In this retrospective case series, 10 patients with HNC were treated with acupuncture for radiation-induced dysphagia and xerostomia. All patients were diagnosed with stage III/IV squamous cell carcinoma. In all, 7 of 10 patients were percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube dependent when they began acupuncture. Manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture were used once a week. Results: A total of 9 of 10 patients reported various degrees of subjective improvement in swallowing functions, xerostomia, pain, and fatigue levels. Overall, 6 (86%) of 7 PEG tube-dependent patients had their feeding tubes removed after acupuncture, with a median duration of 114 days (range 49 to 368 days) post CRT. One typical case is described in detail. Conclusions: A relatively short PEG tube duration and reduced symptom severity following CRT were observed in these patients. Formal clinical trials are required to determine the causality of the observations.
Too Ashamed to Report: Deconstructing the Shame of Sexual Victimization
Authors: Weiss Karen G.
Published: August 2010

This article deconstructs the shame of sexual victimization by highlighting shame as a culturally mediated response triggered by threats to victims’ gendered selves. An exploration of victims’ narratives from the National Crime Victimization Survey reveals that 13% of respondents who experience rape or sexual assault express shame (i.e., self-blame, humiliation, or fear of public scrutiny) in their narratives. Looking separately at women’s and men’s shame narratives, the study delineates the cultural ideologies regarding gender and sexuality that contribute to victims’ definitions of their situations as shameful, and ultimately, to their reluctance to report incidents to the police.
Interjournalistic discourse about African Americans in television news coverage of Hurricane Katrina
Authors: Johnson Kirk A. , Sonnett John , Dolan Mark K. , Reppen Randi , Johnson Laura
Published: August 2010

This article examines how on-air conversations between journalists indicate how US television coverage of a race-related crisis can reflect racial ideology. Using critical discourse analysis, we examined interjournalistic discourse about African Americans in national network and cable news programs that aired after Hurricane Katrina reached New Orleans. While we expected conversational semantic items from conservative Fox News to reflect racial ideology, we also found such discursive elements from politically moderate and progressive news organizations such as CBS, CNN, and MSNBC. These findings are consistent with Anxiety Uncertainty Management theory, which predicts that exposure to stressors in unfamiliar settings causes individuals to think in ethnocentric, dichotomous, stereotypical ways. Our research underscores the impact of white privilege on language, communication, and news production, and the need for cultural competence training to enhance journalists’ ability to discuss racial matters with ease.
Superiority and susceptibility: How activist audiences imagine the influence of mainstream news messages on self and others
Authors: Rauch Jennifer
Published: August 2010

This article examines how US activists articulated the third-person effect, a widespread perception that others are more influenced by media messages than the self is. The discursive, qualitative approach used here contrasts with surveys and experiments prevalent in TPE research: groups watched a news program and responded to non-directional questions in a naturalistic setting. Group members, who reported feeling better informed about current events than the average person, alternately identified themselves as invulnerable and vulnerable to media influence. Discourse analysis showed participants using the pronoun ‘they’ to distinguish themselves from the mass audience; however, they also used ‘I’, ‘we’ and ‘you’ to convey first-person and second-person perceptions, suggesting multiple and shifting identifications. This study reveals three conversational strategies — role-playing, inventing dialogue and posing hypothetical statements — through which even people who feel a sense of ‘media superiority’ over others imagine themselves being susceptible to mainstream news. The results, derived from a context allowing people to express mobile and conflicting identities, have implications both for communication scholarship and for social-change agents.
In their own words: The construction of the image of the immigrant in Peninsular Spanish broadsheets and freesheets
Authors: Alonso Belmonte Isabel , McCabe Anne , Chornet-Roses Daniel
Published: August 2010

This study examines the discourse representation of migrant voices in two Spanish broadsheets and two freesheets through the analysis of quoted utterances. Data analyzed were gathered within the framework of a year-long EU research pilot project aimed at developing a cost-effective methodology to comparatively analyze print media content from six EU member states (FRA2—2007—3200—02-NP-02, 2008). Within the paradigm of CDA and drawing on Appraisal Theory (Martin and White, 2005), we analyzed the writer’s use of different types of reported speech, the corresponding reporting verbs, the endorsement of the reported voices, and the attitudes and emotions that these denote. Results show some significant differences in the way immigrants’ voices are reported in Spanish broadsheets and freesheets. While the stories from the broadsheets depict voices of human suffering, freesheets articles show a different immigrant voice: one which is confident, successful, and well-adapted to the host environment.
Treatment options in Cheyne-Stokes respiration
Authors: Randerath Winfried J.
Published: August 2010

About half of the patients suffering from heart failure present with sleep-disordered breathing. In most cases obstructive and central breathing disturbances (including Cheyne-Stokes respiration [CSR]) coexist. CSR is defined by a waxing and waning pattern of the tidal volume. While its pathophysiology has not been elucidated completely, increased ventilatory sensitivity for CO2 and therefore an imbalance of the respiratory drive and effort, a chronic hyperventilatory state, and changes of the apnoeic threshold are considered to play a relevant role. However, CSR in heart failure impairs survival and quality of life of the patients and is therefore a major challenge of respiratory sleep medicine. If CSR persists despite optimal medical and interventional therapy of the underlying cardiac disorder, oxygen supply, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and bilevel pressure are often trialled. However, there is insufficient evidence to recommend oxygen or bilevel treatment. CPAP has proven to improve left ventricular function. In addition, retrospective analyses suggested a reduction of mortality under CPAP in heart failure patients with CSR. However, these findings could not be reproduced in the prospective controlled CanPAP trial. More recently, adaptive servoventilation (ASV) has been introduced for treatment of CSR or coexisting sleep-related breathing disorders. ASV devices aim at counterbalancing the ventilatory overshoot and undershoot by applying variable pressure support with higher tidal volume (TV) during hypoventilation and reduced TV during hyperventilation. ASV has proven to be superior to CPAP but the long-term efficacy and the influences on cardiac parameters and survival are still under investigation.
Circulating tumour cells: their utility in cancer management and predicting outcomes
Authors: Krebs Matthew G. , Hou Jian-Mei , Ward Tim H. , Blackhall Fiona H. , Dive Caroline
Published: August 2010

Recent advances in technology now permit robust and reproducible detection of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) from a simple blood test. Standardization in methodology has been instrumental in facilitating multicentre trials with the purpose of evaluating the clinical utility of CTCs. We review the current body of evidence supporting the prognostic value of CTC enumeration in breast, prostate and colorectal cancer, using standardized approaches, and studies evaluating the correlation of CTC number with radiological outcome. The exploitation of CTCs in cancer management, however, is now extending beyond prognostication. As technologies emerge to characterize CTCs at the molecular level, biological information can be obtained in real time, with the promise of serving as a ‘surrogate tumour biopsy’. Current studies illuminate the potential of CTCs as pharmacodynamic and predictive biomarkers and potentially their use in revealing drug resistance in real time. Approaches for CTC characterization are summarized and the potential of CTCs in cancer patient management exemplified via the detection of epidermal growth factor receptor mutations from CTCs in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The opportunity to learn more about the biology of metastasis through CTC analysis is now being realized with the horizon of CTC-guided development of novel anticancer therapies.
Apremilast: a novel PDE4 inhibitor in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases
Authors: Schett Georg , Sloan Victor S. , Stevens Randall M. , Schafer Peter
Published: August 2010

Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) is a key enzyme in the degradation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and is centrally involved in the cytokine production of inflammatory cells, angiogenesis, and the functional properties of other cell types such as keratinocytes. In this review article, apremilast, a novel small molecule inhibitor of PDE4, is introduced. Apremilast has profound anti-inflammatory properties in animal models of inflammatory disease, as well as human chronic inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Apremilast blocks the synthesis of several pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 23, CXCL9, and CXCL10 in multiple cell types. In contrast to the biologics, which neutralize pro-inflammatory mediators at the protein level, apremilast modulates production of these mediators at the level of mRNA expression. Apremilast also interferes with the production of leukotriene B4, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and matrix metalloproteinase and reduces complex inflammatory processes, such as dendritic cell infiltration, epidermal skin thickening, and joint destruction. As this novel PDE4 inhibitor interferes with several key processes of inflammation, it may emerge as a promising new drug for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as those of the skin and the joints.
Review: Free fatty acid receptors: emerging targets for treatment of diabetes and its complications
Authors: Lee Kennedy R. , Vangaveti Venkat , Jarrod Ghassan , Shashidhar Venkatesh , Shashidhar Venkatesh , Baune Bernhard T.
Published: August 2010

Fatty acids (FAs) are important as metabolic substrates and as structural components of biological membranes. However, they also function as signalling molecules. Recently, a series of G protein-coupled receptors (GPRs) for FAs has been described and characterized. These receptors have differing specificities for FAs of differing chain length and degree of saturation, for FA derivatives such as oleoylethanolamide, and for oxidized FAs. They are a critical component of the body’s nutrient sensing apparatus, and small molecule agonists and antagonists of these receptors show considerable promise in the management of diabetes and its complications. Agonists of the long-chain free fatty acid receptors FFAR1 and GPR119 act as insulin secretagogues, both directly and by increasing incretins. Although, drugs acting at short-chain FFA receptors (FFAR2 and FFAR3) have not yet been developed, they are attractive targets as they regulate nutrient balance through effects in the intestine and adipose tissue. These include regulation of the secretion of cholecystokinin, peptide YY and leptin. Finally, GPR132 is a receptor for oxidized FAs, which may be a sensor of lipid overload and oxidative stress, and which is involved in atherosclerosis. Regulation of its signalling pathways with drugs may decrease the macrovascular risk experienced by diabetic patients. In summary, FA receptors are emerging drug targets that are involved in the regulation of nutrient status and carbohydrate tolerance, and modulators of these receptors may well figure prominently in the next generation of antidiabetic drugs.
How Can Elementary Teachers Measure Singing Voice Achievement? A Critical Review of Assessments, 1994-2009
Authors: Salvador Karen
Published: August 2010

The first content standard of the National Standards for Music Education requires that students sing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. Although state and district elementary music curricula vary widely, many are based on the National Standards for Music Education and therefore include singing as a primary content area and method of teaching and learning music. However, classroom assessments of singing voice achievement and development vary widely, and information about reliability and validity of these assessments is rarely reported. The purpose of this article was to identify and discuss measurements of singing voice achievement for elementary aged students that have been used in research studies from dissertations and refereed music education journals since the publication of the National Standards for Music Education in 1994. The author describes each measurement tool, discusses its validity and reliability, and evaluates the practicality of each measure for classroom use by elementary general music teachers. Finally, recommendations for how one of these measures might be used to improve instruction in an elementary music classroom have been made.
Reduced-intensity versus conventional myeloablative conditioning allogeneic stem cell transplantation for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a retrospective study from the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation
Authors: Mohty Mohamad , Labopin Myriam , Volin Liisa , Gratwohl Alois , Socié Gérard , Esteve Jordi , Tabrizi Reza , Nagler Arnon , Rocha Vanderson ,   on behalf of the Acute Leukemia Working Party of EBMT
Published: August 2010

This retrospective study assessed the outcome of 576 adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients aged ≥ 45 years, and who received a reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC; n = 127) or myeloablative conditioning (MAC; n = 449) allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) from a human leukocyte antigen-identical sibling while in complete remission. With a median follow-up of 16 months, at 2 years, the cumulative incidences of nonrelapse mortality and relapse incidence were 29% ± 2% (MAC) versus 21% ± 5% (RIC; P = .03), and 31% ± 2% (MAC) versus 47% ± 5% (RIC; P < .001), respectively. In a multivariate analysis, nonrelapse mortality was decreased in RIC recipients (P = .0001, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.98) whereas it was associated with higher relapse rate (P = .03, HR = 0.59). At 2 years, LFS was 38% ± 3% (MAC) versus 32% ± 6% (RIC; P = .07). In multivariate analysis, the type of conditioning regimen (RIC vs. MAC) was not significantly associated with leukemia-free survival (P = .23, HR = 0.84). Despite the need for randomized trials, we conclude that RIC allo-SCT from a human leukocyte antigen-identical donor is a potential therapeutic option for acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients aged ≥ 45 years in complete remission and not eligible for MAC allo-SCT.
Eosinophils in the zebrafish: prospective isolation, characterization, and eosinophilia induction by helminth determinants
Authors: Balla Keir M. , Lugo-Villarino Geanncarlo , Spitsbergen Jan M. , Stachura David L. , Hu Yan , Bañuelos Karina , Romo-Fewell Octavio , Aroian Raffi V. , Traver David
Published: August 2010

Eosinophils are granulocytic leukocytes implicated in numerous aspects of immunity and disease. The precise functions of eosinophils, however, remain enigmatic. Alternative models to study eosinophil biology may thus yield novel insights into their function. Eosinophilic cells have been observed in zebrafish but have not been thoroughly characterized. We used a gata2:eGFP transgenic animal to enable prospective isolation and characterization of zebrafish eosinophils, and demonstrate that all gata2hi cells in adult hematopoietic tissues are eosinophils. Although eosinophils are rare in most organs, they are readily isolated from whole kidney marrow and abundant within the peritoneal cavity. Molecular analyses demonstrate that zebrafish eosinophils express genes important for the activities of mammalian eosinophils. In addition, gata2hi cells degranulate in response to helminth extract. Chronic exposure to helminth- related allergens resulted in profound eosinophilia, demonstrating that eosinophil responses to allergens have been conserved over evolution. Importantly, infection of adult zebrafish with Pseudocapillaria tomentosa, a natural nematode pathogen of teleosts, caused marked increases in eosinophil number within the intestine. Together, these observations support a conserved role for eosinophils in the response to helminth antigens or infection and provide a new model to better understand how parasitic worms activate, co-opt, or evade the vertebrate immune response.
Repeated reunions and splits feature the highly dynamic evolution of 5S and 35S ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) in the Asteraceae family
Authors: Garcia Sònia , Panero José L , Siroky Jiri , Kovarik Ales
Published: August 2010

Background

In flowering plants and animals the most common ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) organisation is that in which 35S (encoding 18S-5.8S-26S rRNA) and 5S genes are physically separated occupying different chromosomal loci. However, recent observations established that both genes have been unified to a single 35S-5S unit in the genus Artemisia (Asteraceae), a genomic arrangement typical of primitive eukaryotes such as yeast, among others. Here we aim to reveal the origin, distribution and mechanisms leading to the linked organisation of rDNA in the Asteraceae by analysing unit structure (PCR, Southern blot, sequencing), gene copy number (quantitative PCR) and chromosomal position (FISH) of 5S and 35S rRNA genes in ~200 species representing the family diversity and other closely related groups.

Results

Dominant linked rDNA genotype was found within three large groups in subfamily Asteroideae: tribe Anthemideae (93% of the studied cases), tribe Gnaphalieae (100%) and in the "Heliantheae alliance" (23%). The remaining five tribes of the Asteroideae displayed canonical non linked arrangement of rDNA, as did the other groups in the Asteraceae. Nevertheless, low copy linked genes were identified among several species that amplified unlinked units. The conserved position of functional 5S insertions downstream from the 26S gene suggests a unique, perhaps retrotransposon-mediated integration event at the base of subfamily Asteroideae. Further evolution likely involved divergence of 26S-5S intergenic spacers, amplification and homogenisation of units across the chromosomes and concomitant elimination of unlinked arrays. However, the opposite trend, from linked towards unlinked arrangement was also surmised in few species indicating possible reversibility of these processes.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that nearly 25% of Asteraceae species may have evolved unusual linked arrangement of rRNA genes. Thus, in plants, fundamental changes in intrinsic structure of rDNA units, their copy number and chromosomal organisation may occur within relatively short evolutionary time. We hypothesize that the 5S gene integration within the 35S unit might have repeatedly occurred during plant evolution, and probably once in Asteraceae.
Final results of a phase I/II pilot study of capecitabine with or without vinorelbine after sequential dose-dense epirubicin and paclitaxel in high-risk early breast cancer
Authors: Müller Volkmar , Thomssen Christoph , Schmidt Marcus , Glados Manfred , Jackisch Christian , Heilmann Volker , Hinke Axel , Lehnert Antje , Borowicz Henryk , Möbus Volker
Published: August 2010

Background

The integration of the non-cross-resistant chemotherapeutic agents capecitabine and vinorelbine into an intensified dose-dense sequential anthracycline- and taxane-containing regimen in high-risk early breast cancer (EBC) could improve efficacy, but this combination was not examined in this context so far.

Methods

Patients with stage II/IIIA EBC (four or more positive lymph nodes) received post-operative intensified dose-dense sequential epirubicin (150 mg/m² every 2 weeks) and paclitaxel (225 mg/m² every 2 weeks) with filgrastim and darbepoetin alfa, followed by capecitabine alone (dose levels 1 and 3) or with vinorelbine (dose levels 2 and 4). Capecitabine was given on days 1-14 every 21 days at 1000 or 1250 mg/m2 twice daily (dose levels 1/2 and 3/4, respectively). Vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 was given on days 1 and 8 of each 21-day course (dose levels 2 and 4).

Results

Fifty-one patients were treated. There was one dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) at dose level 1. At dose level 2 (capecitabine and vinorelbine), five of 10 patients experienced DLTs. Therefore evaluation of vinorelbine was abandoned and dose level 3 (capecitabine monotherapy) was expanded. Hand-foot syndrome and diarrhoea were dose limiting with capecitabine 1250 mg/m2 twice daily. At 35.2 months' median follow-up, the estimated 3-year relapse-free and overall survival rates were 82% and 91%, respectively.

Conclusions

Administration of capecitabine monotherapy after sequential dose-dense epirubicin and paclitaxel is feasible in node-positive EBC, while the combination of capecitabine and vinorelbine as used here caused more DLTs.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN38983527.
Correlation of NF-κB signal pathway with tumor metastasis of human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Yan Ming , Xu Qin , Zhang Ping , Zhou Xiao-jian , Zhang Zhi-yuan , Chen Wan-tao
Published: August 2010

Background

Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling constitutes a key event in the multistep process of carcinogenesis, progression and treatment in many cancer types. However, the significance of NF-κB pathway for complex and tissue-specific aspects of head and neck cancer progression, such as invasion and metastasis, is less understood.

Methods

The expression of NF-κB p65 in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) clinical specimens by immunohistochemistry. The role of NF-κB activity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma was determined by western blot, reporter assay and EMSA analysis in vitro and metastasis assays in vivo in different metastatic potential tumor cells. Furthermore, the apoptosis rate and expression of metastasis-related protein such as MMP9 and VEGF were examined by Annexin V/PI staining and Western blot, respectively.

Results

A higher level of active nuclear-localized NF-κB was observed in the metastatic SCCHN specimens group (p < 0.01). The NF-κB activities of SCCHN cell lines with different metastatic potentials were then determined and in excellent agreement with results found in SCCHN specimens, highly metastatic SCCHN cell lines expressed high level of NF-κB activity. The treatment of highly metastatic SCCHN cells with NF-κB inhibitors reduced the in vitro cell invasion capacity of the cells without affecting the apoptotic rate. Additionally, the NF-κB inhibitors significantly inhibited the experimental lung metastasis of Tb cells and lymph node metastasis of TL cells in nude mice. Furthermore, the expression of metastasis-related proteins, such as matrix metalloproteinase 9 and vascular endothelial growth factor, was inhibited by pyrrolidine dithiocarbonate.

Conclusions

This study suggests that NF-κB activity significantly contributes to tumor hematologic and lymphatic metastases and may aid in the development of early detection methods or therapies targeting non-conventional molecular targets.
Exploring the impact of mentoring functions on job satisfaction and organizational commitment of new staff nurses
Authors: Weng Rhay-Hung , Huang Ching-Yuan , Tsai Wen-Chen , Chang Li-Yu , Lin Syr-En , Lee Mei-Ying
Published: August 2010

Background

Although previous studies proved that the implementation of mentoring program is beneficial for enhancing the nursing skills and attitudes, few researchers devoted to exploring the impact of mentoring functions on job satisfaction and organizational commitment of new nurses. In this research we aimed at examining the effects of mentoring functions on the job satisfaction and organizational commitment of new nurses in Taiwan's hospitals.

Methods

We employed self-administered questionnaires to collect research data and select new nurses from three regional hospitals as samples in Taiwan. In all, 306 nurse samples were obtained. We adopted a multiple regression analysis to test the impact of the mentoring functions.

Results

Results revealed that career development and role modeling functions have positive effects on the job satisfaction and organizational commitment of new nurses; however, the psychosocial support function was incapable of providing adequate explanation for these work outcomes.

Conclusion

It is suggested in this study that nurse managers should improve the career development and role modeling functions of mentoring in order to enhance the job satisfaction and organizational commitment of new nurses.