bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dysferlinopathy Presenting as Rhabdomyolysis and Acute Renal Failure
Authors: Moody Shadé , Mancias Pedro
Published: May 2012

Dysferlinopathies are a heterogeneous group of autosomal recessive muscle disorders resulting from defects or deficiencies in dysferlin. Reported phenotypes range from isolated hyperCKemia to muscular dystrophy. We present a 15-year-old male adolescent who was diagnosed with a dysferlinopathy after presenting with acute renal failure secondary to rhabdomyolysis.
Examining the Relationship Between Male Rape Myth Acceptance, Female Rape Myth Acceptance, Victim Blame, Homophobia, Gender Roles, and Ambivalent Sexism
Authors: Davies Michelle , Gilston Jennifer , Rogers Paul
Published: May 2012

The relationship between male rape myth acceptance, female rape myth acceptance, attitudes toward gay men, a series of gender role and sexism measures, victim blame and assault severity were investigated. It was predicted that men would display more negative, stereotypical attitudes than women and that male rape myth endorsement would be related to, and predicted by, the other attitude and attribution scales. Respondents comprised 323 undergraduates (146 males and 177 females) from a large University in the Northwest of England. Results broadly conformed to predictions, with men generally more negative than women, and male rape myth acceptance significantly related to female rape myth acceptance, negative attitudes about gay men, gender role attitudes, and victim blame. Furthermore, male rape myth acceptance was predicted by female rape myth acceptance, gender attitudes, and victim blame. Methodological issues and implications for future work and those working with victims are discussed.
Intimate Partner Violence and Unintended Pregnancy Among Bangladeshi Women
Authors: Rahman Mosfequr , Sasagawa Toshiyuki , Fujii Ryota , Tomizawa Hideki , Makinoda Satoru
Published: May 2012

This study examined the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and unintended pregnancy using data from women reporting IPV in the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey. The analysis included 4,695 married women, aged 15 to 40 years, who had at least one birth in the last 5 years. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between IPV and pregnancy. About one third (30.4%) of women were abused physically and/or sexually and about one third (30.9%) of their births in the last 5 years were unintended. Compared with women who suffered no IPV, women who were abused sexually had a 1.64-fold increased risk of unintended pregnancy, which is higher than those who suffered physical abuse only (odds ratio: 1.35). The prevalence of unintended pregnancy among those who experienced severe physical violence was 1.60 times higher than those who reported no abuse. The findings indicate a significant relationship between IPV and unintended pregnancy among Bangladeshi women.
Violence Against Women in Video Games
Authors: Beck Victoria Simpson , Boys Stephanie , Rose Christopher , Beck Eric
Published: May 2012

Current research suggests a link between negative attitudes toward women and violence against women, and it also suggests that media may condition such negative attitudes. When considering the tremendous and continued growth of video game sales, and the resulting proliferation of sexual objectification and violence against women in some video games, it is lamentable that there is a dearth of research exploring the effect of such imagery on attitudes toward women. This study is the first study to use actual video game playing and control for causal order, when exploring the effect of sexual exploitation and violence against women in video games on attitudes toward women. By employing a Solomon Four-Group experimental research design, this exploratory study found that a video game depicting sexual objectification of women and violence against women resulted in statistically significant increased rape myths acceptance (rape-supportive attitudes) for male study participants but not for female participants.
The Consequences of Perpetrating Psychological Aggression in Dating Relationships
Authors: Shorey Ryan C. , Temple Jeff R. , Febres Jeniimarie , Brasfield Hope , Sherman Amanda E. , Stuart Gregory L.
Published: May 2012

Psychological aggression is the most prevalent form of aggression in dating relationships, with women perpetrating as much, if not more, psychological aggression than men. Researchers have advocated for an examination of the consequences that follow psychological aggression for the perpetrator, in hopes that this will lead to innovative intervention programs aimed at ameliorating dating violence. The current study investigated the self-reported consequences of having perpetrated psychological aggression against a dating partner among female college students in a current dating relationship ( N = 115). Participants endorsed numerous consequences as having followed their perpetration of psychological aggression, including both punishing and potentially reinforcing consequences. Furthermore, findings indicated that for some perpetrators, psychological aggression may function as a method of emotion regulation. Implications of these findings for future research and intervention are discussed.
Situated Organizational Identification in Newcomers
Authors: Stephens Keri K. , Dailey Stephanie L.
Published: May 2012

When employees enter organizations, they bring their life experiences with them, and those experiences may influence their organizational identification. The current study provides evidence for how Scott, Corman, and Cheney’s perspective on situated identification explains varying degrees of organization identification before and after newcomer orientation. Using a pretest, posttest survey design, these findings suggest that identification is changed by attending new employee orientation. Furthermore, prior non-work-related experiences with the hiring organization are explained as a type of membership negotiation that influences preorientation identification. The interaction effects are further examined to advance a more comprehensive view of how newcomers both individualize and adapt during new employee orientation and the role that multiple personal exposures to the organization can have.
Educational Innovation, Quality, and Effects
Authors: Hofman Roelande H. , de Boom Jan , Meeuwisse Marieke , Hofman W.H. Adriaan
Published: May 2012

Despite the extensive literature on educational innovations, there is only limited empirical research available into the impact of innovations on student achievement. In this article, the following research questions will be answered: What form do innovations in secondary education take, are there types of innovative schools, and what effect do these innovations have on school quality and student careers? The findings show that types of innovative schools differ significantly on quality assessments aspects of the Inspectorate of Education, quality of “time,” and of the “teaching-learning process.” Furthermore, the school output data showed that in the lower education tracks the more innovative schools obtain good results with their students, whereas in the higher education tracks the less innovative schools perform significantly better.
Suspected Methotrexate Toxicity From Omeprazole
Authors: McBride Ali , Antonia Scott J. , Haura Eric B. , Goetz Dawn
Published: May 2012

We report a case of methotrexate toxicity potentially induced by a drug interaction between methotrexate and omeprazole in a 25-year-old man with osteosarcoma. The patient was placed on omeprazole after his first cycle of high-dose methotrexate for stress ulcer prophylaxis, and it was discontinued before the start of the first day of the patient’s second round of high-dose methotrexate. The 24-hour methotrexate level was elevated and he continued to have sustained levels for 18 days. Side effects due to elevated serum methotrexate included seizures, mucositis, acute renal failure, and thrombocytopenia. Aggressive hydration, urinary alkalinization, and leucovorin were continued during the period of elevated methotrexate levels, with the patient receiving a course of hemodialysis and a dose of carboxypeptidase G2. The patient’s symptoms resolved, and his renal function returned to baseline within 2 months. The patient was able to receive future courses of chemotherapy without methotrexate. Although use of the Naranjo adverse reaction probability scale indicated a probable relationship (score of 6) between the patient’s development of methotrexate toxicity and omeprazole use, we believe this was a drug-drug interaction case consistent with previous reports in the literature.
Analytic solutions of optimal angularly constrained guidance for first-order lag system
Authors: Lee Yong-In , Kim Seung-Hwan , Tahk Min-Jea
Published: May 2012

Closed-form solutions of an optimal impact-angle-control guidance for a first-order lag system are derived. Under the assumptions of a stationary target and a first-order missile with constant speed and small flight path angle, they are obtained by solving a third-order linear time-varying ordinary differential equation. It is shown that the solutions are expressed by combinations of polynomial, logarithmic, and hypergeometric functions. Moreover, terminal misses due to the system lag and homing geometries for zero miss-distance have been studied. Linear and non-linear simulations are performed to verify the proposed results.
Ruptured feedback loops: Body image/schema and food journaling technologies
Authors: Griffin Meghan
Published: May 2012

The psychoanalytical term ‘body image’ is commonly understood by women today as a way of describing how we feel about our outward appearance compared to others. A second term—‘body schema’—remains part of the specialized vocabulary of philosophy, but provides a fuller account of how we come to experience our bodies in movement and in knowing the world around us. The two concepts together form our embodiment through feedback loops between mind, body, and technology. After briefly situating the practice of food journaling in response to the social pressure to be thin, I explore how the food journal serves as a site where these feedback loops between body image and body schema are ruptured, interrupting the eating process and providing cognitive dissonance in the weight reduction process. I propose the ecstatic body as a means to rejoin the body image and body schema through Health at Every Size practices.
Trade union support and political blockage: The actors’ viewpoint
Authors: Dufresne Anne
Published: May 2012

This article focuses on the perspectives of unions and employers towards the new areas of opportunity provided by transnational collective bargaining. It examines how the emergence of European framework agreements prompted the European Trade Union Federations, and in particular the European Metalworkers’ Federation, to formalize their procedures to regulate the negotiation of such agreements. They also encouraged the European Trade Union Confederation to elaborate key conditions for a possible legal framework for transnational company agreement. Finally, the article highlights the political developments and blockages which affect transnational collective bargaining, and possible solutions.
Long-term retention of injected aluminium-26
Authors: Newton D , Talbot RJ
Published: May 2012

Data previously reported on the whole-body retention of aluminium-26 (26Al) in a male volunteer are extended to 8 years after intravenous administration as citrate, when only ~2% of the injected tracer remained. The extended data, combined with a report elsewhere of the late urinary and faecal excretion of 26Al by this subject, reinforce indications that transdermal losses contribute to the clearance of systemic aluminium and mitigate its long-term accumulation from chronic exposure.
Scheduling science on television: A comparative analysis of the representations of science in 11 European countries
Authors: Lehmkuhl Markus , Karamanidou Christina , Mörä Tuomo , Petkova Kristina , Trench Brian ,   AVSA-Team2
Published: May 2012

This article explores the factors that influence the volume and structure of science programming by European television broadcasters, focussing on differences among channel patterns. It proposes three factors as relevant to understanding differences in science programming: A) the segmentation/fragmentation of television markets; B) the presence of middle sized commercial channels; C) the dependency of public service TV channels on commercial income (trading/advertising). We identified countries whose channel patterns encourage a varied picture of science – namely Sweden, Finland and Germany. They are distinguished from those which show a less differentiated picture and present a smaller volume of science content on television – such as Great Britain and Ireland. Finally, we identified countries whose channel patterns don’t encourage a varied picture of science – namely Spain, Greece, Bulgaria and Estonia – and these countries present their small volume of science content at off-peak hours, in contrast to patterns in Great Britain and Ireland.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Associated Factors Among Vector Control Workers in a Malaysian State
Authors: Masilamani Retneswari , Rasib Abdul , Darus Azlan , Ting Anselm Su
Published: May 2012

This study aims to determine the prevalence and associated factors of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among vector control workers in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted on 181 vector control workers who were working in district health offices in a state in Malaysia. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and audiometry. Prevalence of NIHL was 26% among this group of workers. NIHL was significantly associated with the age-group of 40 years and older, length of service of 10 or more years, current occupational noise exposure, listening to loud music, history of firearms use, and history of mumps/measles infection. Following logistic regression, age of more than 40 years and noise exposure in current occupation were associated with NIHL with an odds ratio of 3.45 (95% confidence interval = 1.68-7.07) and 6.87 (95% confidence interval = 1.54-30.69), respectively, among this group of vector control workers.
Monitoring of Blood Pressure Among Children and Adolescents in a Coastal Province in China
Authors: Ying-Xiu Zhang , Gui-Zhi Sun , Jin-Shan Zhao , Ming Lin , Zun-Hua Chu
Published: May 2012

Background. Several studies have provided ample evidence that hypertension in adults has its onset in childhood; children and adolescents with elevated blood pressure (BP) are more likely to become hypertensive adults. The present study examined the prevalence of relatively high BP among children and adolescents in Shandong, China. Subjects and methods. Data for this study were obtained from a large cross-sectional survey of schoolchildren carried out in 2010. A total of 38 860 students (19 481 boys and 19 379 girls) aged 7 to 17 years participated in this study. Relatively high BP status was defined as systolic blood pressure and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥95th percentile for age and gender. Results. Shandong children had a high BP level, with the 50th percentiles of systolic and diastolic blood pressure of children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 years in Shandong being above the reference values for Chinese children and adolescents by 3 to 12 mm Hg and 3 to 7 mm Hg for boys, and by 3 to 6 mm Hg and 3 to 5 mmHg for girls, respectively. The overall prevalence of relatively high BP was 26.22% for boys and 20.27% for girls. Conclusion. There is a high prevalence of relatively high BP among children and adolescents in Shandong, China. It has become a threatening hazard to children and adolescents and should arouse special attention.
Social Work and Evaluation
Authors: Wharton Tracy C. , Kazi Mansoor A.
Published: May 2012

With increased pressure on programs to evaluate outcomes, the issue of evaluation in social work has never been so topical. In response to these pressures, there has been a growing interest in evidence-based practice and strategies for the evaluation of social work programs. The American Evaluation Association (AEA) is an international professional association devoted to the application and exploration of evaluation in all its forms. With members around the globe and across all professions, the AEA is a source of vibrant discussion, information, resources, and policy analysis. The Social Work Topical Interest Group of the AEA is focused on the particular experiences, needs, and pressures of evaluation in our profession, and is dedicated to helping develop solid practices, and promoting the overall contribution of social work to program evaluation, providing a forum for scholarship, networking, and methodological support that is specific to our profession.
Improving Immunization Coverage in a Rural School District in Pierce County, Washington
Authors: Peterson Robin M. , Cook Carolyn , Yerxa Mary E. , Marshall James H. , Pulos Elizabeth , Rollosson Matthew P.
Published: May 2012

Washington State has some of the highest percentages of school immunization exemptions in the country. We compared school immunization records in a rural school district in Pierce County, Washington, to immunization records in the state immunization information system (IIS) and parent-held records. Correcting school immunization records resulted in an increase in the number of students classified as fully immunized from 1,189 to 1,564 ( p < .0001). We conducted school-based immunization clinics that increased the number of fully immunized students to 1,624 ( p = .013). Immunized students with certificates of exemption on file suggest exemptions of convenience. Strategies to improve school immunization services include assigning IIS access to school administrative staff and educating school staff and parents on the importance of immunization.
End-Times Theology, the Shadow of the Future, and Public Resistance to Addressing Global Climate Change
Authors: Barker David C. , Bearce David H.
Published: May 2012

The authors examine U.S. public attitudes regarding global climate change, addressing the puzzle of why support for governmental action on this front is tepid relative to what existing theories predict. Introducing the theoretical concept of relative sociotropic time horizons, the authors show that believers in Christian end-times theology are less likely to support policies designed to curb global warming than are other Americans. They then provide robustness checks by analyzing other policy attitudes. In so doing, the authors provide empirical evidence to suggest that citizens possessing shorter “shadows of the future” often resist policies trading short-term costs for hypothetical long-term benefits.
The Role of Reading Identities and Reading Abilities in Students’ Discussions About Texts and Comprehension Strategies
Authors: Hall Leigh A.
Published: May 2012

The present study examines how sixth grade students’ discussions about texts and comprehension strategies looked similar and/or different based on their identities as readers and their reading levels. Findings indicated that students who self-identified as high-performing readers talked about texts and strategies in ways that were different from students who self-identified as being average or low-performing readers. These differences remained regardless of students’ assessed reading levels. Students who identified as high-performing readers discussed using comprehension strategies as a way to clarify or deepen their knowledge of content and to support their interpretations of text. They also selected strategies based on what they believed would best help them address their specific comprehension problems. By comparison, students who identified as average or low-performing readers separated their talk about strategies from their talk about the texts and tended to have one or two favorite strategies that they repeatedly used regardless of their success.
Timing of Carcinogenicity Studies and Predictability of Genotoxicity for Tumorigenicity in Anti-HIV Drug Development
Authors: Wu Kuei-Meng , Powley Mark W. , Ghantous Hanan
Published: May 2012

The timing of carcinogenicity studies in parallel with the clinical development of anti–human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drugs has been flexible for most cases in the past. This includes postponement of the initiation of the studies and submission of final audited reports to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new drug application (NDA) approval. We address this regulatory practice for anti-HIV drugs for which, in the past, there had been no effective treatment. We also examine the correlation of genotoxicity data with carcinogenicity data for the varied subclasses of anti-HIV drugs. We suggest that this regulatory policy regarding the timing of carcinogenicity testing does not compromise the safety standards of FDA’s drug evaluation and the approval process. The policy does facilitate availability of these agents to meet the medical needs of the target population. Our analysis on the profile of carcinogenicity findings of anti-HIV drugs shows trends of class effects. Additionally, both carcinogenicity and genotoxicity data show significant correlations, which provide useful insights into issues involving these 2 important areas of toxicological investigations.
Outcome Orientated Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (OO-CAMHS): A whole service model
Authors: Timimi Sami , Tetley Dianne , Burgoine Wayne , Walker Gill
Published: May 2012

The international evidence base on factors that most influence outcomes in mental health care finds that matching therapeutic intervention to diagnosis has a clinically insignificant impact on outcomes. Decades of outcome research into treatment of psychiatric disorders shows that, despite the development of many new techniques, the outcomes being achieved in studies 30 years ago are similar to those being achieved now. In the last few years, new service models that incorporate systems of feedback on progress and alliance have emerged and show promise with regards improving overall outcomes for mental health service users. Growing familiarity with this outcome literature, together with a desire to be part of a service that can continue to improve patient outcomes, led a small community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services team to develop a new whole service model – Outcome Orientated Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (OO-CAMHS). OO-CAMHS incorporates key aspects of the evidence base on what could make a differential positive impact on outcomes and relinquishes those aspects that do not. In this paper, we outline the evidence base on which OO-CAMHS is built, describe the key features of the approach and present some of the early findings on its impact.
Vocabulary growth and composition in monolingual and bilingual Basque infants and toddlers
Authors: Barnes Julia , Garcia Iñaki
Published: May 2012

The question as to whether there is a threshold value for input below which bilinguals do not achieve a monolingual-like development often arises. Although input does not seem to be determining for learning syntax, according to Juan-Garau and Pérez-Vidal, the amount of vocabulary acquired is proportional to the time of exposure. This article contributes to the current discussion with data from very young children exposed either to monolingual input of Basque or to different degrees of bilingual input of Basque and Spanish/French. The corpus for the present investigation has been extracted from the adaptation to Basque of the MacArthur–Bates communicative development inventories 1 and 2 questionnaires based on parental reports. These questionnaires, adapted to more than 40 languages throughout the world ( www.sci.sdsu.edu/cdi ), involve monthly data collection from different children for each age interval between ages 8 and 30 months and have proved to be a powerful instrument to establish normal linguistic development and deviance at an early stage. This study finds that the development of productive vocabulary in the four input groups established follows the tendencies described by Bates et al. but at different paces corresponding to different vocabulary sizes. In other words, the ‘nominal bias’ lasts to a higher age in the lower input groups, and the lexical diversity appears earlier in the higher input groups. Furthermore, lexical verbs, not predicates, are analysed as a separate category based on the study by Barreña and Serrat, which showed a higher proportion of verbs appeared in Basque as compared to the surrounding Romance languages. This tendency towards the use of verbs is confirmed in the data collected from input groups with higher exposure to Basque.
Learning how to be a tähti: A case study of language development in everyday situations of a 7-year-old multilingual Finnish child
Authors: Slotte-Lüttge Anna , Pörn Michaela , Sahlström Fritjof
Published: May 2012

The aim is to study how a multilingual girl develops her understanding and use of the Finnish word tähti “star” and, in so doing, to contribute to the understanding of children’s language learning in multilingual settings. In recent understandings of learning and development, interaction is considered as constitutive of learning. Learning is not restricted to educational settings but occurs in different contexts. The multilingual setting in this article is a Swedish-language preschool class in a Finnish-dominated area in Finland. The analytic work is done within conversation analysis. The empirical material used consists of weeklong longitudinal video recordings of a 7-year-old multilingual child’s, Sara’s, everyday interaction at preschool, at postschool programs, and for large parts of the day at home. Through an analysis of 14 consecutive situations in which the word tähti is used, the article shows how Sara is being taught, how she learns, and how she uses a new concept. Furthermore, the analysis shows how her understanding of tähti is local and situated and does not extend beyond the contexts of use in the peer group. Through demonstrating how a close analysis of interaction can empirically substantiate claims of language learning, the article also contributes to the general understanding of language learning in multilingual settings.
Coming home: Challenges in family reintegration for trafficked women
Authors: Brunovskis Anette , Surtees Rebecca
Published: May 2012

This article presents challenges in family reintegration for returning Moldovan trafficking victims based on qualitative interviews with 19 victims of trafficking and 31 service providers, looking specifically at points of tension in reuniting with children and spouses. One main source of conflict is when migration expectations are unrealized; another is stressed behaviours of victims when they return. To avoid being stigmatized and blamed for association with prostitution and failed migration, most victims prefer to keep their trafficking a secret. However, this means that families may not understand or appreciate what they are going through in the post-trafficking stage and misinterpret stress, anxiety and trauma symptoms as aggression and hostility. Further, two additional factors – financial problems and stigma – add extra strain on family relationships. In terms of assistance needs, it is crucial to include a perspective on the family situation when working with trafficking victims.
‘That’s what I see’: Enhancing AIDS intervention research through deep ethnography
Authors: Block Ellen
Published: May 2012

This research is based on 13 months of ethnographic fieldwork conducted in rural Lesotho, Africa between 2007 and 2009. The article shows how cultural competence in intervention research can be improved through ethnographic fieldwork, borrowing primarily from anthropological research protocols. Through an exploration of the challenges of caring for AIDS orphans and children with HIV/AIDS, I demonstrate that deep ethnography is an effective way to gain the necessary in-depth cultural insight, particularly in the initial design stages of culturally competent interventions. This is particularly true for rural or remote communities where structural barriers, such as poverty, are pronounced. This interdisciplinary approach provides both valuable information for those interested in orphan care in rural sub-Saharan Africa, and also demonstrates the importance of the ethnographic approach for intervention research in social work.
Recommendation and visualization of similar movies using minimum spanning dendrograms
Authors: Vlachos Michail , Svonava Daniel
Published: May 2012

Exploration of graph structures is an important topic in data mining and data visualization. This work presents a novel technique for visualizing neighbourhood and cluster relationships in graphs; we also show how this methodology can be used within the setting of a recommendation system. Our technique works by projecting the original object distances onto two dimensions while carefully retaining the ‘backbone’ of important distances. Cluster information is also overlayed on the same projected space. A significant advantage of our approach is that it can accommodate both metric and non-metric distance functions. Our methodology is applied to a visual recommender system for movies to allow easy exploration of the actor–movie bipartite graph. The work offers intuitive movie recommendations based on a selected pivot movie and allows the interactive discovery of related movies based on both textual and semantic features.
Principled or Opportunist? Perceptions of Arlen Specter and His Party Switch During the 2010 Midterm Election
Authors: Evans Kevin , Peterson Rolfe , Hadley Nathan
Published: May 2012

While the literature on party switching identifies the reasons that politicians switch parties and the negative electoral consequences of doing so, it does not adequately explore why these consequences exist. To accomplish this task the authors look at citizen responses to party switching. The authors explore perceptions of Arlen Specter and his change in party affiliation during the 2010 midterm election by using original survey data gathered from residents of Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District. The authors posit that the information environment created by the parties, candidates, interest groups, and the media during the election frames the switch as both principled and opportunistic. The authors find that partisanship plays a large role in the frame that is accepted by citizens and that those frames subsequently influence their views of the candidate’s favorability.
Successfully Seal Pancreatic End After Thermal Distal Pancreatectomy Using Needle Arrays in Alternating Electromagnetic Fields
Authors: Chao Ying-Jui , Shan Yan-Shen , Zuchini Roberto , Tsai Hung-Wen , Lin Pin-Wen , Lee Gwo-Bin , Lin Xi-Zhang
Published: May 2012

Background. Pancreatic fistula is still the major postoperative morbidity after distal pancreatectomy (DP). An inductive heat technology via needle arrays in a system of alternating magnetic fields (AMFs) was designed to seal off the pancreatic end. Methods. Twenty Lanyu pigs were divided into 2 groups for DP: the conventional group had hand-sewn closure of the pancreatic end (n = 10), and the AMF group received thermal DP by AMF (n = 10). Pathological examinations of the resected and remnant pancreas were studied immediately after resection and on the 14th postoperative day (POD), respectively. The severity and the incidence of pancreatic abscess were compared. Results. The incidence and severity of pancreatic abscess were significantly decreased in the AMF group than those in the conventional group ( P = .009). In the immediate postoperative period, microscopic examination of the pancreatic resected end showed prominent coagulative necrosis, loss of NADPH-diaphorase activity, and significant apoptosis at the resected pancreas in the AMF group compared with the control group. Fourteen days after AMF ablation, the pancreatic stump end was covered with thick fibrosis, and histological study of the remnant pancreas showed that the parenchyma had well recovered with positive NADPH-diaphorase activity, and the pancreatic duct was sealed off successfully by prominent periductal fibrosis and intraductal plug. The body weight gain on the 14th POD was significantly increased in the AMF group (from 23.8 ± 1.8 kg to 25.4 ± 5.5 kg) compared with the conventional group (from 25.3 ± 2.1 to 25.4 ± 6.0 kg; P = .003). Conclusions. Inductive heats by the AMF system via needle array can be performed easily and can seal the pancreatic cut surface well during DP.
The 2008 Media Primary
Authors: Belt Todd L. , Just Marion R. , Crigler Ann N.
Published: May 2012

The press plays a crucial role early in the preprimary presidential campaign, determining which candidates appear viable to voters, contributors, and other media. This process necessarily benefits some candidates over others. We analyze how the press winnowed the candidate fields of both parties in the early 2008 preprimary campaign. We find coverage remarkably similar across a wide range of traditional and new media, including newspaper, radio, television, cable, legacy and web-native Internet news, and talk shows. The media ignored most candidates to concentrate on the Democratic contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama while paying less attention to the Republican race. Tone towards candidates was uniform except on partisan talk shows. The tone of Internet news was slightly more balanced than traditional outlets. Similar coverage across media results from journalistic preference for dramatic story lines, staffing constraints, and widespread speculation about candidate viability, which we describe as “handicapping the candidates.”
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Wakeboarding
Authors: Starr Harlan M. , Sanders Brett
Published: May 2012

Background:

Wakeboarding is an increasingly popular sport that involves aggressive stunts with high risk for lower extremity injury, including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. Little has been reported on prevalence or mechanism of ACL injury while wakeboarding.

Hypothesis:

The prevalence of ACL injury in wakeboarding approaches that of other high-risk sports. Analyzing the mechanism of ACL injury may aid in future efforts of prevention.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

In sum, 1580 surveys were sent internationally to professional and amateur wakeboarders. The survey questioned the participants on their history of an ACL tear while wakeboarding and asked them to describe the mechanism of injury and treatment.

Results:

A total of 123 surveys were returned. Of this group, 52 (42.3%) acknowledged having had an ACL tear while wakeboarding. The majority described feeling a pop or buckle after attempting to land a high jump. Only 5 participants (13.5%) described a rotational mechanism created by catching the board edge in the water. Thirty-seven participants (71.15%) said that the injury ruined their ability to wakeboard before reconstruction, and 41 (78.85%) had the injury repaired surgically.

Conclusion:

The prevalence of ACL tears in this data set, 42.3%, is the highest reported in the literature for wakeboarding and one of the highest for any sport. The main mechanism of injury appears to involve axial compression while one lands in a provocative position; it is not related to a rotational force created by fixed bindings. The injury should be surgically repaired to effectively continue the sport. Further study is needed to determine if wakeboarding represents a high-risk sport for ACL injury.

Clinical Significance:

Wakeboarding may be a high-risk sport for ACL injury. Noncontact axial compression appears to be the main mechanism of injury.
Comparison of Three Different Modes of Teaching Enrolled Nurses on Asthma Management
Authors: Prabhakaran Lathy , Chee Jane , Earnest Arul , Salleh Syahidah
Published: May 2012

Introduction. A group of nurse clinicians and educators at a tertiary hospital created their first online asthma management training program for enrolled nurses (ENs). The primary aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of 3 modes of teaching, namely, traditional classroom lecture (TCL), E-learning (EL), and a combination of E-learning and traditional classroom lectures (EL + TCL). The second aim was to examine factors associated with the retention of knowledge in asthma management and the learning preference of ENs. Methods. ENs were assigned to any one of the teaching methods. A pre–post study design was used to assess their knowledge on asthma management prior to teaching and 3 months after teaching. Results. Of the 162 ENs recruited, 59 were assigned to TCL, 55 to EL, and 48 to EL + TCL. A total of 145 (89.6%) ENs completed the 3-month follow-up study. There were significant differences in the mean scores for pre and 3 months post knowledge assessment for all 3 modes of teaching (P < .001). Furthermore, results showed that only 36 (22.2%) ENs would like to choose an asthma management course using EL, compared with 100 ENs (61.7%) preferring EL + TCL and 26 (16.1%) preferring TCL. In all, 156 (96.3%) ENs reported that the training program was useful to health care workers, and 138 (95.2%) ENs were able to apply what they learned to their practice setting. Conclusion. Nurses’ demographics and clinical settings did not affect knowledge retention. There were no significant differences in retention of knowledge among the 3 modes of teaching. However, there seems to be an increase in preference for the combination mode of teaching (EL + TCL) as compared with either method alone.
Acute Traumatic Tear of Gluteus Medius and Minimus Tendons in a Patient Without Antecedant Peritrochanteric Hip Pain
Authors: Stanton Michael C. , Maloney Michael D. , DeHaven Kenneth E. , Giordano Brian D.
Published: May 2012

Morphologic similarities between the abductor mechanisms of the hip and shoulder have given rise to the term rotator cuff tear of the hip. Although the true incidence of gluteus medius and minimus tears in the general population is unknown, the association between these tears and recalcitrant lateral hip pain has been described as greater trochanteric pain syndrome. Historically, tears of the gluteus medius and minimus have been thought to be attritional, and associated with chronic peritrochanteric pain, found incidentally during fracture fixation or hip arthroplasty, or with failure of abductor repair following arthroplasty utilizing the anterolateral approach. The literature supports favorable clinical outcomes with operative repair utilizing either endoscopic or open techniques. To our knowledge, there has never been a reported case of an acute traumatic tear of the gluteus medius and minimus that occurred without antecedant peritrochanteric hip pain. In this case, the patient was treated with acute open repair of the gluteus medius and minimus tendons within 3 weeks of injury and excellent clinical results were obtained at 6-month follow-up. Of note, the patient was notified and gave consent for his case to be used in publication.
Monocytic AML cells inactivate antileukemic lymphocytes: role of NADPH oxidase/gp91phox expression and the PARP-1/PAR pathway of apoptosis
Authors: Aurelius Johan , Thorén Fredrik B. , Akhiani Ali A. , Brune Mats , Palmqvist Lars , Hansson Markus , Hellstrand Kristoffer , Martner Anna
Published: May 2012

Dysfunction of T cells and natural killer (NK) cells has been proposed to determine the course of disease in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but only limited information is available on the mechanisms of lymphocyte inhibition. We aimed to evaluate to what extent human malignant AML cells use NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) as an immune evasion strategy. We report that a subset of malignant myelomonocytic and monocytic AML cells (French-American-British [FAB] classes M4 and M5, respectively), recovered from blood or BM of untreated AML patients at diagnosis, expressed the NADPH oxidase component gp91phox. Highly purified FAB M4/M5 AML cells produced large amounts of ROS on activation and triggered poly-[ADP-ribose] polymerase-1−dependent apoptosis in adjacent NK cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells. In contrast, immature (FAB class M1) and myeloblastic (FAB class M2) AML cells rarely expressed gp91phox, did not produce ROS, and did not trigger NK or T-cell apoptosis. Microarray data from 207 AML patients confirmed a greater expression of gp91phox mRNA by FAB-M4/M5 AML cells than FAB-M1 cells (P < 10−11) or FAB-M2 cells (P < 10−9). Our data are suggestive of a novel mechanism by which monocytic AML cells evade cell-mediated immunity.
Prediagnostic circulating carotenoid levels and the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma: the Multiethnic Cohort
Authors: Ollberding Nicholas J. , Maskarinec Gertraud , Conroy Shannon M. , Morimoto Yukiko , Franke Adrian A. , Cooney Robert V. , Wilkens Lynne R. , Le Marchand Loïc , Goodman Marc T. , Hernandez Brenda Y. , Henderson Brian E. , Kolonel Laurence N.
Published: May 2012

This analysis examined the association of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with prediagnostic carotenoid levels, a marker for a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. We conducted a nested case-control study within the Multiethnic Cohort with 271 NHL cases and 538 controls matched on sex, ethnicity, location (Hawaii or Los Angeles), birth year, date and time of blood draw, and hours fasting before blood draw. Serum carotenoid levels were obtained by high-pressure liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) according to tertiles of serum carotenoids and trend tests using continuous variables. Higher total serum carotenoids (ORT3 vs T1 = 0.66 [0.46-0.96]; Ptrend = .02), lycopene (OR = 0.54 [0.38-0.78]; Ptrend = .003), and α-cryptoxanthin (OR = 0.53 [0.36-0.78]; Ptrend = .003) were associated with a lower risk of NHL. For retinol (OR = 0.90 [0.61-1.33]; Ptrend = .04), a statistically significant inverse linear trend was detected. Risk estimates remained unchanged with adjustment for NHL risk factors and were similar in analyses stratified by sex and ethnicity; heterogeneity with NHL subtype was detected only for β-carotene. Other carotenoids, including α-carotene, β-carotene, lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin, showed no association with risk. These data provide support for a protective role of carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables in the etiology of NHL.
Perforin evolved from a gene duplication of MPEG1, followed by a complex pattern of gene gain and loss within Euteleostomi
Authors: D’Angelo Michael E , Dunstone Michelle A , Whisstock James C , Trapani Joseph A , Bird Phillip I
Published: May 2012

Background

The pore-forming protein perforin is central to the granule-exocytosis pathway used by cytotoxic lymphocytes to kill abnormal cells. Although this mechanism of killing is conserved in bony vertebrates, cytotoxic cells are present in other chordates and invertebrates, and their cytotoxic mechanism has not been elucidated. In order to understand the evolution of this pathway, here we characterize the origins and evolution of perforin.

Results

We identified orthologs and homologs of human perforin in all but one species analysed fromEuteleostomi,and present evidence for an earlier ortholog inGnathostomatabut not in more primitive chordates. In placental mammals perforin is a single copy gene, but there are multiple perforin genes in all lineages predating marsupials, except birds. Our comparisons of these many-to-one homologs of human perforin show that they mainly arose from lineage-specific gene duplications in multiple taxa, suggesting acquisition of new roles or different modes of regulation. We also present evidence that perforin arose from duplication of the ancient MPEG1 gene, and that it shares a common ancestor with the functionally related complement proteins.

Conclusions

The evolution of perforin in vertebrates involved a complex pattern of gene, as well as intron, gain and loss. The primordial perforin gene arose at least 500 million years ago, at around the time that the major histocompatibility complex-T cell receptor antigen recognition system was established. As it is absent from primitive chordates and invertebrates, cytotoxic cells from these lineages must possess a different effector molecule or cytotoxic mechanism.
Idiopathic premature ventricular contractions and ventricular tachycardias originating from the vicinity of tricuspid annulus: Results of radiofrequency catheter ablation in thirty-five patients
Authors: Yue-Chun Li , Wen-Wu Zhang , Na-Dan Zhou , Teng Zhang , Pin-Xiao Wang , Bei Ge , Jia Li , Kang-Ting Ji , Jia-Feng Lin
Published: May 2012

Background

In recent years, catheter ablation has increasingly been used for ablation of idiopathic premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) or ventricular tachycardias (IVTs). However, the mapping and catheter ablation of the arrhythmias originating from the vicinity of tricuspid annulus (TA) may not be fully understood. This study aimed to investigate electrophysiologic characteristics and effects of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for patients with symptomatic PVCs and IVTs originating from the vicinity of TA.

Methods

Characteristics of body surface electrocardiogram (ECG) and electrophysiologic recordings were analyzed in 35 patients with symptomatic PVCs/ IVTs originating from the vicinity of TA. RFCA was performed using pace mapping and activation mapping.

Results

Among the 35 patients with PVCs/IVTs arising from the vicinity of TA, complete elimination of PVCs/IVTs could be achieved by RFCA in 32 patients (success rate 91.43%) during a median follow-up period of 21 months. PVCs/IVTs originating from the vicinity of TA had distinctive ECG characteristics that were useful for identifying the precise origin. An rS pattern was recorded in lead V1 in 93.1% of patients with PVCs/IVTs from the free wall of TA, vs 16.7% of patients with PVCs/IVTs from the septal TA, whereas a QS pattern in lead V1 occurred in 83.3% of patients with PVCs/IVTs from the septal TA vs 6.9% of patients with PVCs from the free wall of the TA. The precordial R wave transition occurred by lead V3 or earlier in all patients with PVCs/IVTs originating from the septal portion of the TA, as compared to transition beyond V3 in all patients with PVCs/IVTs from the free wall of the TA.

Conclusions

RFCA is an effective curative therapy for symptomatic PVCs/IVTs originating from the vicinity of TA. There are specific characteristics in ECG and the ablation site could be located by ECG analysis.