bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Osteoprotegerin Predicts Progression of Chronic Heart Failure: Results From CORONA
Authors: Ueland Thor , Dahl Christen P. , Kjekshus John , Hulthe Johannes , Böhm Michael , Mach François , Goudev Assen , Lindberg Magnus , Wikstrand John , Aukrust Pål , Gullestad Lars
Published: January 2011

Background—

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) may be implicated in the pathogenesis of heart failure (HF), and circulating levels predict survival in patients with postinfarction HF. Our primary goal was to determine whether OPG provided independent prognostic information in patients with chronic HF, and to examine its potential interactions with statin therapy.

Methods and Results—

OPG as a risk factor for the primary end point (cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke; n=318), all-cause mortality (n=329), and all-cause mortality/hospitalization for worsening of heart failure (WHF; n=475) was investigated in 1464 patients (≥60 years, New York Heart Association class II to IV, ischemic systolic HF, optimal pharmacological therapy) in the Controlled Rosuvastatin Multinational Trial in HF (CORONA) population, randomly assigned to 10 mg rosuvastatin or placebo. In multivariate analyses, OPG (continuous variable) added no significant predictive information for risk estimation of the primary end point (adjusting for left ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association class, age, body mass index, diabetes, sex, intermittent claudication, heart rate, serum creatinine, apoA1, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide). However, OPG added independent predictive information for WHF hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR] 1.10 [1.04 to 1.16],
P
<0.001) and all-cause mortality/WHF hospitalization (HR 1.06 [1.01 to 1.11]). The HR indicated a reduced risk for all-cause mortality in the rosuvastatin group in those with lowest OPG values (tertile 1, HR=0.66 unadjusted [
P
=0.025]; HR=0.71 Cox adjusted [
P
=0.025]; interaction by treatment effect for the tertiles
P
=0.086).

Conclusions—

OPG added no predictive information for the primary end point, but independently predicted WHF hospitalization in older patients with advanced chronic systolic HF of ischemic etiology.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00206310.
Myocardial Injection With GSK-3β–Overexpressing Bone Marrow–Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Attenuates Cardiac Dysfunction After Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Cho Jaeyeaon , Zhai Peiyong , Maejima Yasuhiro , Sadoshima Junichi
Published: January 2011

Rationale:

Glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β upregulates cardiac genes in bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vitro. Ex vivo modification of signaling mechanisms in MSCs may improve the efficiency of cardiac cell-based therapy (CBT).

Objective:

To test the effect of GSK-3β on the efficiency of CBT with MSCs after myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods and Results:

MSCs overexpressing either GSK-3β (GSK-3β–MSCs), LacZ (LacZ-MSCs), or saline was injected into the heart after coronary ligation. A significant improvement in the mortality and left ventricular (LV) function was observed at 12 weeks in GSK-3β–MSC–injected mice compared with in LacZ-MSC– or saline-injected mice. MI size and LV remodeling were reduced in GSK-3β–MSC–injected mice compared with in LacZ-MSC– or saline-injected ones. GSK-3β increased survival and increased cardiomyocyte differentiation of MSCs, as evidenced by activation of an Nkx2.5-LacZ reporter and upregulation of troponin T. Injection of GSK-3β–MSCs induced Ki67-positive myocytes and c-Kit–positive cells, suggesting that GSK-3β–MSCs upregulate cardiac progenitor cells. GSK-3β–MSCs also increased capillary density and upregulated paracrine factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor A (Vegfa). Injection of GSK-3β–MSCs in which Vegfa had been knocked down abolished the increase in survival and capillary density. However, the decrease in MI size and LV remodeling and the improvement of LV function were still observed in MI mice injected with GSK-3β–MSCs without Vegfa.

Conclusions:

GSK-3β significantly improves the efficiency of CBT with MSCs in the post-MI heart. GSK-3β not only increases survival of MSCs but also induces cardiomyocyte differentiation and angiogenesis through Vegfa-dependent and -independent mechanisms.
H
2
O
2
Is the Transferrable Factor Mediating Flow-Induced Dilation in Human Coronary Arterioles
Authors: Liu Yanping , Bubolz Aaron H. , Mendoza Suelhem , Zhang David X. , Gutterman David D.
Published: January 2011

Rationale:

Endothelial derived hydrogen peroxide (H
2
O
2
) is a necessary component of the pathway regulating flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in human coronary arterioles (HCAs). However, H
2
O
2
has never been shown to be the endothelium-dependent transferrable hyperpolarization factor (EDHF) in response to shear stress.

Objective:

We examined the hypothesis that H
2
O
2
serves as the EDHF in HCAs to shear stress.

Methods and Results:

Two HCAs were cannulated in series (a donor intact vessel upstream and endothelium-denuded detector vessel downstream). Diameter changes to flow were examined in the absence and presence of polyethylene glycol catalase (PEG-CAT). The open state probability of large conductance Ca
2+
-activated K
+
(BK
Ca
) channels in smooth muscle cells downstream from the perfusate from an endothelium-intact arteriole was examined by patch clamping. In some experiments, a cyanogen bromide–activated resin column bound with CAT was used to remove H
2
O
2
from the donor vessel. When flow proceeds from donor to detector, both vessels dilate (donor:68±7%; detector: 45±11%). With flow in the opposite direction, only the donor vessel dilates. PEG-CAT contacting only the detector vessel blocked FMD in that vessel (6±4%) but not in donor vessel (61±13%). Paxilline inhibited dilation of endothelium-denuded HCAs to H
2
O
2
. Effluent from donor vessels elicited K
+
channel opening in an iberiotoxin- or PEG-CAT–sensitive fashion in cell-attached patches but had little effect on channel opening on inside-out patches. Vasodilation of detector vessels was diminished when exposed to effluent from CAT-column.

Conclusions:

Flow induced endothelial production of H
2
O
2
, which acts as the transferrable EDHF activating BK
Ca
channels on the smooth muscle cells.
Cerebral Microbleeds Are Predictive of Mortality in the Elderly
Authors: Altmann-Schneider Irmhild , Trompet Stella , de Craen Anton J.M. , van Es Adriaan C.G.M. , Jukema J. Wouter , Stott David J. , Sattar Naveed , Westendorp Rudi G.J. , van Buchem Mark A. , van der Grond Jeroen
Published: January 2011

Background and Purpose—

To investigate the prognostic value of cerebral microbleeds (CMB) regarding overall, cardiovascular-related, and stroke-related mortality and to investigate possible differences based on a cerebral amyloid angiopathy-type and nonlobar distribution of microbleeds.

Methods—

We included 435 subjects who were participants from the nested MRI substudy of the PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER). Cox proportional hazard models were applied to estimate the risk of overall, cardiovascular-related, and stroke-related death associated with microbleeds in general and microbleeds with a lobar distribution suggestive of the presence of cerebral amyloid angiopathy. The corresponding Kaplan-Meier survival curves were calculated.

Results—

Subjects with >1 CMB had a 6-fold risk of stroke-related death compared to subjects without CMB (hazard ratio, 5.97; 95% CI, 1.60–22.26;
P
=0.01). The diagnosis of nonlobar microbleeds was associated with >2-fold risk of cardiovascular death compared to subjects without microbleeds (hazard ratio, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.23–5.81;
P
=0.01). Subjects with probable cerebral amyloid angiopathy-type microbleeds had >7-fold risk of stroke-related death compared to subjects without CMB (hazard ratio, 7.20; 95% CI, 1.44–36.10;
P
=0.02).

Conclusions—

This is the first study investigating the association between microbleeds and risk of overall, cardiovascular-related, and stroke-related mortality in an elderly population. Our findings indicate that the diagnosis of microbleeds is potentially of clinical relevance. Larger studies are needed to expand our observations and to address potential clinical implications and cost-benefits of such a policy.
Carotid Artery Stenting Versus Carotid Endarterectomy
Authors: Economopoulos Konstantinos P. , Sergentanis Theodoros N. , Tsivgoulis Georgios , Mariolis Anargiros D. , Stefanadis Christodoulos
Published: January 2011

Background and Purpose—

The comparison between carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting (CAS) remains a debated field, especially in the context of long-term outcomes.

Methods—

Concerning the short-term (30-day) analysis, the numbers of outcomes per arm were abstracted, whereas outcomes per arm and hazard ratios were abstracted for long-term (≥1-year) results.

Results—

Thirteen randomized trials (3723 carotid endarterectomy and 3754 CAS patients) were eligible. Regarding short-term outcomes, CAS was associated with elevated risk for stroke and “death or stroke.” CAS also exhibited a marginal trend toward higher death and “death or disabling stroke” rates. Carotid endarterectomy presented with higher rates of myocardial infarction and cranial nerve injury. Concerning long-term outcomes, CAS was associated with higher rates of stroke (pooled OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.65) and “death or stroke” (pooled OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.48). These findings were replicated at the level of pooled hazard ratios and marginally regarding secondary preventive efficacy. The difference in long-term stroke rates was particularly sizeable in patients >68 years, but little difference in rates was observed in those <68 years. No statistically significant heterogeneity became evident. Metaregression did not reveal any significant modifying effect mediated by symptomatic/asymptomatic status, distal protection, early termination of trials, area of study origin, or CAS learning curve.

Conclusions—

This meta-analysis points to the significantly less frequent stroke events after carotid endarterectomy at the long-term context. The outcomes of carotid endarterectomy seem superior to CAS, but there may be subgroups, particularly younger patients, in whom the results seem equivalent.
The Two Worlds of Race: A Historical Perspective
Authors: Franklin John Hope
Published: January 2011

Franklin's essay traces the practices, policies, and laws that, from colonial times through the mid-1960s moment when he composed his essay, created and sustained the two worlds of race in America. He outlines the history of efforts from that period to alleviate racial distinctions and to foster a “world of equality and complete human fellowship.” Franklin cautions, however, that even certain well-intentioned efforts to extend services, opportunities, and rights to African Americans sometimes reinforced segregation and discrimination. He considers how key historical, legal, political, and social developments from the twentieth century - World War II, the growth of labor unions, the Great Migration, America's ascendancy as a world power, among others - advanced racial equality in America while often intensifying the backlash from opponents to such equality. Still, Franklin concludes optimistically that however strident those opponents may be, they “have been significantly weakened by the very force of the numbers and elements now seeking to eliminate the two worlds of race.”
“We're losing our country”: Barack Obama, Race & the Tea Party
Authors: Walker Clarence E.
Published: January 2011

This essay's approach to race and the Tea Party is twofold: to consider the role race plays in Tea Partiers' claim that they have “lost their country” and to question why blacks would be members of the Tea Party given its radically conservative views. To explore the latter, Walker looks to black and other minority conservatives from the past who embraced political conservatism as a means to escape stigmatization. Walker's essay argues that America has become less racist than it used to be, but he resists characterizing the nation as “post-racial.” He uses examples of conflicts between Asians, blacks, and Mexicans to further his point.
Differentiation of Hemicriconemoides mangiferae and H. litchi (Nematoda: Criconematina) based on morphometrics and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences
Authors: Chen Ruey-Shyang , Ni Hui-Fang , Tsay Tung-Tsuan , Chen Diann-Yih
Published: January 2011

Hemicriconemoides mangiferae and H. litchi, which have been considered as
junior synonyms of H. strictathecatus, are morphologically similar, making
identification difficult. In the present study, six populations of
Hemicriconemoides spp. were collected from mango and litchi in Taiwan and
were differentiated based on morphometrics and molecular characteristics. By
comparing morphometric data from females and males, three populations
collected from mango were identified as H. mangiferae and another three
populations from litchi were identified as H. litchi. According to SEM, both
of the H. mangiferae and H. litchi males had an areolated lateral field with
four incisures; caudal alae were not found. The internal transcribed spacer
(ITS) sequences of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) from these nematode populations were
sequenced and aligned. The sequence identity of the ITS region was 89-95%
between H. mangiferae and H. litchi populations, suggesting rDNA sequence
divergence could be a taxonomic aid for species differentiation. Since H.
mangiferae and H. litchi are closely related to H. strictathecatus, more
rDNA sequence information could be valuable to deal with molecular
phylogenetic relationships of these species in depth.
Differential responses of resistant and susceptible groundnut genotypes at cellular level to Ditylenchus africanus
Authors: Steenkamp Sonia , Jordaan Anine , Mc Donald Alexander , Waele Dirk
Published: January 2011

Ditylenchus africanus causes cellular breakdown in pod tissue of susceptible
groundnut cultivars. The histopathology of this nematode on a resistant
genotype was studied using light microscopy and compared with the
histopathology of D. africanus on a susceptible genotype. Plants of breeding
line PC254K1 and cv. Sellie were propagated in a glasshouse, inoculated with
D. africanus at inoculum levels of 2000, 5000 and 7000 nematodes per plant
and the pods were collected at 90, 120 and 150 days after planting. In
contrast to the susceptible genotype, only a small number of nematodes were
observed in restricted areas of the pod tissue of the resistant genotype.
Furthermore, the resistant genotype showed neither external symptoms nor
cellular breakdown in reaction to D. africanus. According to results of this
study, the mechanism of resistance involved may be the inhibition of proper
development, migration and reproduction of this nematode, thus preventing it
building up to damaging population levels.
The importance of feeding status and desiccation rate in successful anhydrobiosis of Panagrolaimus detritophagus
Authors: Salehian Shakiba , Braeckman Bart P. , Beladjal Lynda , Bert Wim , Clegg James S. , Mertens Johan
Published: January 2011

We examined the effect of nutritional status and desiccation rate on the
ability of Panagrolaimus detritophagus to undergo anhydrobiosis, as well as
to survive high temperatures in the dried state. Both nutrition and drying
rate were found to be important, with starvation and slow drying providing
better success at anhydrobiosis. The upper temperature for survival of dried
animals in laboratory studies was 80°C. Starved worms recovered from drying
more successfully when the starvation period was followed by a smooth,
gradual dry period prior to undergoing desiccation. Thus, the ability of
these worms to enter and leave anhydrobiosis is dependent on critical stress
signals.
Cross-Cutting Issues and Party Strategy in the European Union
Authors: Parsons Craig , Weber Till
Published: January 2011

Has European integration affected national electoral politics beyond the margins? Experts describe its main impact as empowerment of radical voices. Mainstream parties avoid European Union (EU) issues that divide their left-or right-based organizations; extreme parties attack the EU and the center’s silence. But EU issues also generate important dynamics inside mainstream parties. The authors theorize cross-cutting EU issues as an example of a general model of cross-issue interference. Two mechanisms of interference alter party strategizing. When electoral victories have strengthened leaders, cross-cutting issues produce muffling of more recently emerged issues. Divided parties cling to left—right issues and suppress fights over integration. But interference also runs the other way. When leadership is weak, muffling fails and challengers aggravate dissent. Internal fights on newer (EU) issues affect the selection of leadership on older (left—right) issues, generating displacement from electorally competitive positions. The authors document these mechanisms and their generality with mixed methods: pan-European panel analysis and interview-based accounts.
Development and Application of Detection Indices for Measuring Guessing Behaviors and Test-Taking Effort in Computerized Adaptive Testing
Authors: Chang Shu-Ren , Plake Barbara S. , Kramer Gene A. , Lien Shu-Mei
Published: January 2011

This study examined the amount of time that different ability-level examinees spend on questions they answer correctly or incorrectly across different pretest item blocks presented on a fixed-length, time-restricted computerized adaptive testing (CAT). Results indicate that different ability-level examinees require different amounts of time to answer pretest items, that is, field-test items, embedded in different item locations. Also, guessing behaviors and test-taking effort (TTE), measured using detection indices developed from this study, varied across the pretest items embedded in different locations. With these indices, unique response time patterns (RTP) and guessing patterns (GP) were identified for six ability groups. These indices could also be used to monitor the amount of effort and the guessing behaviors of examinees taking a CAT. The degree of the detection consistency among these indices could be used as reliability evidence to evaluate how reliable the indices are in detecting unusual test-taking behaviors. Once reliable detection was confirmed, a warning sign prompted from the computer screen could either encourage the examinee to take appropriate TTE or stop guessing so that the examinees could receive more accurate estimates of their ability.
Poverty and Development in a Marginal Community: Case Study of a Settlement of the Sugali Tribe in Andhra Pradesh, India
Authors: Kasi Eswarappa
Published: January 2011

The concepts of poverty and development have many meanings in contemporary globalized societies. Development by definition implies desired changes in terms of livelihood, improved quality of life and better access to assets and services, etc. However in reality development programmes sometimes have negative consequences, perhaps unintended, multiplying the acute scarcity of resources and opportunities, or reproducing poverty. Also, the consequences of developmental programmes often appear to be out of focus, and seen at the ground level, there seems to be a gap between what is intended and what is actualized. In this framework, this paper presents a case study of the social, cultural and economic correlates of the development processes in Adadakulapalle, a settlement of Sugali peoples, once a semi-nomadic tribe, in Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh, South India. The paper shows how factionalism and faction politics affect the implementation of development interventions. It also looks at the poverty in the settlement and focuses on the types of change that people have experienced with the implementation of different schemes by both government and other agencies. The type of change is discussed in the present study through the macro and micro analysis of development programmes.
An Initial Test of a Cognitive-Emotional Theory of Esteem Support Messages
Authors: Holmstrom Amanda J. , Burleson Brant R.
Published: January 2011

Esteem support is a form of social support that is provided to others with the intent of enhancing how they feel about themselves. This article outlines and assesses empirically a cognitive-emotional theory of esteem support messages (CETESM), which identifies (a) dimensions along which esteem support messages can be scaled, (b) mechanisms through which sophisticated esteem support messages should have their effects, and (c) outcomes that should be generated by messages that vary in quality. The merits of this theoretical model are evaluated in a study ( N = 506) examining esteem support messages for three types of esteem threat: failure, rejection, and transgression. Many of the theory’s tenets are supported by the study’s results.
From Podium to Living Room
Authors: Cho Jaeho , Choy Syng Pom
Published: January 2011

The primary goal of this study is to investigate whether and how elite debates stimulate citizens to take part in information seeking and conversation, two common forms of citizen communication that have been theorized as crucial to public deliberation and political engagement. Drawing on national survey data, this study finds that debate viewing was positively related to news consumption and political conversation. The data further suggest that part of these debate effects is mediated by either campaign interest or negative emotions and that the pattern of indirect debate effects is contingent on viewers’ partisanship. Negative emotional responses to candidates among partisans play a key role in mediating debate effects on communication behaviors, whereas negative emotions are of little consequence for nonpartisan viewers. For nonpartisan viewers, indirect effects of debate viewing on communication behavior operate only through campaign interest. Implications of these findings for debate research and deliberative democracy are discussed.
News Effects on Bonding and Bridging Social Capital: An Empirical Study Relevant to Ethnicity in the United States
Authors: Beaudoin Christopher E.
Published: January 2011

In an effort to adv ance decades of mass communication research on social capital and related indicators of social ties and civ ic engagement, this study prov ides an empirical assessment of social capital’s often discussed, but rarely tested, bonding and bridging dimensions. It examines how usage patterns of traditional news media (i. e. , newspaper and TV news) and online news media (i. e. , Internet news) are associated with bonding and bridging neighborliness, as defined by ethnicity. Analysis of data from a 2007 national surv ey demonstrates that traditional news media use—but not online news media use—is significantly associated with bonding neighborliness and bridging neighborliness. In addition, the relationship between traditional news media use and bonding neighborliness, as well as that between online news media use and bonding neighborliness, is more positiv e for Whites and Asians than for Blacks and Latinos. Results are discussed in terms of bonding and bridging social capital, ethnic media portrayals, and journalism and ethnicity in the United States.
Maintaining Workplace Friendships
Authors: Sias Patricia M. , Gallagher Erin B. , Kopaneva Irina , Pedersen Hannah
Published: January 2011

Workplace friendships are linked to many important processes and outcomes such as employee satisfaction, career development, creativity, and decision-making influence (Sias, 2009). Research has examined how workplace peer friendships develop and deteriorate, but largely ignored their maintenance. The studies reported here addressed this void. Study 1 identified communicative tactics individuals use to maintain friendships with peer coworkers. Study 2 assessed the perceived politeness/positive face threat of the tactics. Study 3 examined the extent to which perceived politeness, task interdependence and individual attachment style predict the likelihood an individual will use specific maintenance tactics.
Site of Resilience
Authors: Payne Yasser Arafat
Published: January 2011

The following argument calls for the radical reconceptualization of the concept of resiliency and resilience for street life–oriented Black men. This theoretical analysis critiques assumptions embedded within traditional models of resilience asserting (a) they are too value-laden, (b) place much of the onus on individuals to determine resilience, (c) lack a structural dimension, and (d) allow only “experts” to deem individuals as resilient or nonresilient. A site of resilience theoretical model is an alternative conceptualization presented to examine notions of resilience in street life–oriented Black men. The site of resilience theory (a) takes into account street life–oriented Black men’s subjective constructions of resilience; (b) examines them in relation to issues of race, gender, and social class; and (c) identifies psychological and physical spaces or “sites” for evaluating more relevantly the ways in which street life–oriented Black men cope and become resilient.
Making Up for Lost Opportunities: The Protective Role of Downward Social Comparisons for Coping With Regrets Across Adulthood
Authors: Bauer Isabelle , Wrosch Carsten
Published: January 2011

Two longitudinal studies showed that if adults confront low opportunities to overcome regrets, downward social comparisons can exert self-protective functions across the adult life span, irrespective of age (Study 1 N = 104 young and older adults, Study 2 N = 51 older adults). Both studies found that downward relative to upward social comparisons were associated with improvements in participants’ positive (but not negative) affect, if they perceived low as opposed to high opportunities to overcome regrets. Moreover, Study 2 showed that this beneficial effect on change in positive affect mediated the experience of fewer cold symptoms over time. Supplemental analyses further indicated that the mechanism linking social comparison processes and opportunities with positive (but not negative) affect was associated with the capacity for goal reengagement. In addition, these analyses showed that the obtained effects were largely unrelated to the severity of regret-related consequences and thus ruled out an alternative explanation of the findings.
The Role of Depressogenic Personality and Attachment in the Intergenerational Similarity of Depressive Symptoms: A Study With Early Adolescents and Their Mothers
Authors: Brenning Katrijn , Soenens Bart , Braet Caroline , Bosmans Guy
Published: January 2011

Parental depression has been identified as a risk factor for psychopathology in children, and for child depression in particular. Increasingly, research is addressing the underlying psychological processes that may explain the intergenerational similarity of depressive symptoms. In the present study, we aim to investigate the role of two theoretically relevant vulnerability factors in this intergenerational similarity, that is, (a) dimensions of depressogenic personality (i.e., sociotropy and autonomy) and (b) dimensions of attachment (i.e., anxiety and avoidance). Results in a sample of early adolescents and their mothers show significant intergenerational similarity in both sets of vulnerabilities. Moreover, the intergenerational similarity of both vulnerability factors was found to account for the association between mothers’ and children’s depressive symptoms. Within each generation there were also meaningful and specific associations between dimensions of depressogenic personality and dimensions of attachment, with sociotropy being primarily related to anxiety and with autonomy being primarily related to avoidance.
Attachment and the Management of Empathic Accuracy in Relationship-Threatening Situations
Authors: Simpson Jeffry A. , Kim John S. , Fillo Jennifer , Ickes William , Rholes W. Steven , Oriña M. Minda , Winterheld Heike A.
Published: January 2011

The current studies tested how attachment orientations are related to empathic accuracy (i.e., the accuracy with which one infers a partner’s private thoughts and feelings) during attachment-relevant discussions. In Study 1, married couples were videotaped discussing a severe or a less severe relationship issue that involved intimacy or jealousy. In Study 2, dating couples were videotaped trying to resolve a relationship conflict. Consistent with the revised empathic accuracy model, highly avoidant individuals were less empathically accurate in both studies. Relative to less anxious persons, highly anxious individuals were more empathically accurate when discussing intimacy issues that posed a potential threat to their relationship (in Study 1) and when they were rated as more distressed when discussing a relationship conflict (in Study 2). The findings are discussed in terms of how highly anxious and highly avoidant people differentially manage empathic accuracy to regulate negative affect and facilitate their interpersonal goals.
Teacher Free Speech and Expression in a Digital Age: A Legal Analysis
Authors: Bathon Justin M. , Brady Kevin P.
Published: January 2011

In this technological age, the definition of priv ate, public, and protected speech and expression for today’s school employees is largely misunderstood and unclear. This article addresses the current legal standards as well as some recent case law involving teacher speech and expression and its major implications for addressing teacher online speech. Finally, this article recommends some best practices for school leaders detailing the appropriate regulation of teacher online speech in the face of these multiple pressures.
Unleashing synergies in strategic networks of SMEs: The influence of partner fit on corporate entrepreneurship
Authors: Thorgren Sara , Wincent Joakim , Örtqvist Daniel
Published: January 2011

An increasing number of firms participate in inter-firm networks to improve their innovation, renewal, and venturing; efforts that can be termed ‘corporate entrepreneurship’. This article contributes to the literature by developing and testing explanations for how partner fit (that is, complementary capabilities and organizational compatibilities) influences networking firms’ corporate entrepreneurship. Using survey data on SMEs engaged in strategic networks with multiple partners, we found support for an argument suggesting that partner fit requires mediating variables to unleash the potential synergies of partner fit for corporate entrepreneurship. Specifically, our results suggest partner fit triggers resource leverage through processes of both combining resources and accumulating resources from interaction with network partners. Thus, a positive indirect relationship between partner fit and corporate entrepreneurship is present.
Remembering the Ancients: Observations on Technoscience in Čapek’s R.U.R
Authors: Cornell Christine
Published: January 2011

The technoscientific consequences of both the human drives for glory on the one hand and a comfortable life on the other potentially threaten human existence. R.U.R., a science fiction play by Karel Čapek, bridges ancient writers and contemporary technoscientific endeavors, encouraging us to consider these issues in light of persistent human nature.
Muscular Dystrophy in Dogs
Authors: Miyazato L. G. , Moraes J. R. E. , Beretta D. C. , Kornegay J. N.
Published: January 2011

Golden Retriever (GR) muscular dystrophy is an inherited degenerative muscle disease that provides an excellent model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in humans. This study defined the histopathologic lesions, including the distribution of type I and II muscle fibers (FTI and FTII), in 12 dystrophic and 3 nondystrophic dogs between 7 and 15 months of age. The authors were interested in studying the influence on disease phenotype from crossing the base GR breed with Yellow Labrador Retrievers. The dystrophic dogs were divided according to breed: GRs and Golden Labrador Retrievers (GLRs). On hematoxylin and eosin staining, histopathologic lesions were more severe in GRs than GLRs. Six of eight GR muscles (75%) had a severe lesion grade (grade 3). In contrast, seven GLR muscles (87.5%) had mild lesions (grade 2), and only one had severe lesions (grade 3). Changes in fiber-type distribution were more pronounced in GRs versus GLRs. FTI:FTII ratio inversion was observed in three dystrophic GRs but only one GLR. The mean diameter of FTI and FTII was smaller in GRs and GLRs than in nondystrophic dogs ( P < .01). The FTI of five GR muscles (62.5%) were larger than those of GLRs, whereas only one GLR muscle was larger ( P < .05). The differential was less pronounced for FTII, with four GR muscles being larger and three GLR being larger. Observations indicate that crossing the base GR breed with Labrador Retrievers lessened the severity of the GR muscular dystrophy phenotype.
A Rosenthal Fiber Encephalomyelopathy Resembling Alexander’s Disease in 3 Sheep
Authors: Kessell A. E. , Finnie J. W. , Manavis J. , Cheetham G. D. , Blumbergs P. C.
Published: January 2011

We report an encephalomyelopathy in three 18-month-old Merino sheep with features of adult-onset Alexander’s disease (AD), a human primary astrocytic disorder. The signature histologic finding was the presence of numerous hypereosinophilic, intra-astrocytic inclusions (Rosenthal fibers), mainly in perivascular, subpial, and subependymal sites, especially in the caudal brain stem and spinal cord. Although AD usually results from mutations in the glial fibrillary acidic protein ( GFAP) gene, no such mutation was detected in these sheep. However, the annual clinical presentation of this disorder in a few sheep in the affected flock is suggestive of a familial pattern of occurrence.
Associations between stress and migraine and tension-type headache: Results from a school-based study in adolescents from grammar schools in Germany
Authors: Milde-Busch Astrid , Blaschek Astrid , Heinen Florian , Borggräfe Ingo , Koerte Inga , Straube Andreas , Schankin Christoph , von Kries Rüdiger
Published: January 2011

Introduction: Stress is considered the major contributor to migraine and tension-type headache in adolescents. Previous studies have focused on general stressors, whereas the aim of the present study was to investigate associations between individuals’ stressful experiences and different types of headache.

Methods: Adolescents from 10th and 11th grades of grammar schools filled in questionnaires. Stressful experiences were measured with the Trier Inventory of Chronic Stress. Type of headache was classified according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders. Linear regressions, adjusted for sex and grade, were calculated to estimate differences in stress scores that can be attributed to migraine, tension-type headache or miscellaneous headache.

Results: A total of 1260 questionnaires were analysed. Tension-type headache, migraine and co-existing migraine plus tension-type headache were found in 48.7%, 10.2% and 19.8% of the participants. In subjects with migraine or co-existing migraine plus tension-type headache, high increases in stress scores were found in all investigated dimensions, whereas much weaker and inconsistent associations were found in subjects with tension-type headache only.

Conclusions: The characteristic of migraine is more associated with stressful experiences than this is the case for tension-type headache. This suggests that adolescent migraine patients might especially benefit from behavioural interventions regarding stress.
Improving the Interfacial Adhesion of Highly Filled PP—Bagasse Composites Designed by Taguchi Method
Authors: Lashgari S. , Garmabi H. , Lashgari S. , Mohammadian-Gezaz S.
Published: January 2011

In the present article, three different types of coupling agents at various concentrations were used to prepare high-content polypropylene/bagasse composites (65—75 wt%). Maleated polypropylene (PP-g-MA), glycidyl methacrylate-grafted polypropylene (PP-g-GMA), and thermoplastic starch (TPS) were chosen as the coupling agent to generate these wood—plastic composites in a lab-scale counter rotating twin-screw extruder. The changes in the morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties were investigated. Morphological studies showed that the fiber dispersion, wetting, and interfacial tension were improved in the presence of PP-g-MA and PP-g-GMA. Flexural properties, impact resistance, and heat deflection temperature of samples increased with incorporation of PP-g-MA and PP-g-GMA. The Cox’s model used to predict the flexural modulus exhibited a good fitting with the experimental data. With increasing coupling agent content; the thermo-mechanical properties of the composites were improved. The compatibilizing effect of PP-g-MA and PP-g-GMA is more obvious than TPS.
E-Government Interoperability
Authors: Pardo Theresa A. , Nam Taewoo , Burke G. Brian
Published: January 2011

E-Government continues to be recognized as a key strategy for improving government services and the effectiveness of public policies and programs. A key component of e-government initiatives is the ability of multiple government and nongovernment organizations to share and integrate information across their traditional organizational boundaries. E-Government interoperability represents a set of multidimensional, complementary, and dynamic capabilities needed among these networks of organizations in order to achieve successful information sharing. However, this view is complex and provides both researchers and practitioners with the challenge of understanding and developing multiple and very diverse interoperability capabilities. Researchers and practitioners alike are investing in efforts to build that understanding and to create new capability for coordinated action. Drawing on theories and research in the fields of enterprise architecture, capability maturity, information sharing, and system interoperability, the framework presented here provides unique value in both regards.
Linking Work–Family Conflict to Career Commitment
Authors: Okurame David E.
Published: January 2011

Little research attention has been given to the linkage between work–family conflict and career commitment. Likewise, although, theoretical arguments about the moderator effects of mentoring on the relationship between work–family conflict and career attitudes have been made in the literature, no research has investigated this assumption. This study examines the relationship between work-to-family conflict and career commitment and tested the moderating effects of gender and mentoring support in the relationship. Data were obtained from 286 employees in government establishments located in Abuja, Nigeria using a questionnaire. Results indicate that work–family conflict and career commitment have a significant negative relationship. Mentoring influenced the strength of the relationship. The negative relationship became very weak and nonsignificant for employees with high levels of mentoring support, whereas it was significantly stronger for employees with low levels of mentoring support. Contrary to hypothesis, gender was not a moderator. Practical implications of findings and future research directions are discussed.
Children as ‘differently equal’ responsible beings: Norwegian children’s views of responsibility
Authors: Bjerke Håvard
Published: January 2011

This article explores children’s views of responsibility and their position as responsible beings, drawing on an international research project with a focus on data from 109 children in Norway. Responsibility is explored as a practice that children experience as both a privilege and a burden in childhood. It is argued that there is an interwoven relation between participation rights and responsibilities for children, where ideas of the child as ‘being’ and ‘becoming’, ‘equal’ to and ‘different’ from adults are embedded. A difference-centred perspective is suggested as a way to accommodate children as ‘differently equal’ responsible beings.
Using multiple genetic variants as instrumental variables for modifiable risk factors
Authors: Palmer Tom M , Lawlor Debbie A , Harbord Roger M , Sheehan Nuala A , Tobias Jon H , Timpson Nicholas J , Smith George Davey , Sterne Jonathan AC
Published: January 2011

Mendelian randomisation analyses use genetic variants as instrumental variables (IVs) to estimate causal effects of modifiable risk factors on disease outcomes. Genetic variants typically explain a small proportion of the variability in risk factors; hence Mendelian randomisation analyses can require large sample sizes. However, an increasing number of genetic variants have been found to be robustly associated with disease-related outcomes in genome-wide association studies. Use of multiple instruments can improve the precision of IV estimates, and also permit examination of underlying IV assumptions. We discuss the use of multiple genetic variants in Mendelian randomisation analyses with continuous outcome variables where all relationships are assumed to be linear. We describe possible violations of IV assumptions, and how multiple instrument analyses can be used to identify them. We present an example using four adiposity-associated genetic variants as IVs for the causal effect of fat mass on bone density, using data on 5509 children enrolled in the ALSPAC birth cohort study. We also use simulation studies to examine the effect of different sets of IVs on precision and bias. When each instrument independently explains variability in the risk factor, use of multiple instruments increases the precision of IV estimates. However, inclusion of weak instruments could increase finite sample bias. Missing data on multiple genetic variants can diminish the available sample size, compared with single instrument analyses. In simulations with additive genotype-risk factor effects, IV estimates using a weighted allele score had similar properties to estimates using multiple instruments. Under the correct conditions, multiple instrument analyses are a promising approach for Mendelian randomisation studies. Further research is required into multiple imputation methods to address missing data issues in IV estimation.
Practical methods for competing risks data: A review
Authors: Bakoyannis Giorgos , Touloumi Giota
Published: January 2011

Competing risks data arise naturally in medical research, when subjects under study are at risk of more than one mutually exclusive event such as death from different causes. The competing risks framework also includes settings where different possible events are not mutually exclusive but the interest lies on the first occurring event. For example, in HIV studies where seropositive subjects are receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), treatment interruption and switching to a new HAART regimen act as competing risks for the first major change in HAART. This article introduces competing risks data and critically reviews the widely used statistical methods for estimation and modelling of the basic (estimable) quantities of interest. We discuss the increasingly popular Fine and Gray model for subdistribution hazard of interest, which can be readily fitted using standard software under the assumption of administrative censoring. We present a simulation study, which explores the robustness of inference for the subdistribution hazard to the assumption of administrative censoring. This shows a range of scenarios within which the strictly incorrect assumption of administrative censoring has a relatively small effect on parameter estimates and confidence interval coverage. The methods are illustrated using data from HIV-1 seropositive patients from the collaborative multicentre study CASCADE (Concerted Action on SeroConversion to AIDS and Death in Europe).
Early Career RNs’ Perceptions of Quality Care in the Hospital Setting
Authors: Cline Daniel D. , Rosenberg Marie-Claire , Kovner Christine T. , Brewer Carol
Published: January 2011

The purpose of this study was to explore early-career registered nurses’ perceptions of high-quality nursing care in hospitals. The study findings contribute to ongoing work intended to explore and define what quality nursing care is and how it ultimately impacts patients. The final sample analyzed for this article consisted of 171 narrative responses from hospital-based registered nurses. We used Krippendorff’s technique for qualitative content analysis to identify themes. Three themes emerged as integral to high quality nursing care: registered nurse presence, developing relationships, and facilitating the flow of knowledge and information. Development of nursing quality indicators should focus on nursing processes in addition to patient outcomes. Such a focus would better capture the complexity of hospital nursing care.
Impact Response Analysis of Prototype RC Girders with Sand Cushion Using Equivalent Fracture Energy Concept
Authors: Qadir Bhatti Abdul , Kishi Norimitsu
Published: January 2011

In order to establish a proper finite element model of prototype RC girder with sand element for impact response analysis, dynamic response analysis of RC girders with sand cushion subjected to impact force due to falling weight was performed to improve the state of the art of protective design for real scale rock-sheds using LS-DYNA code. Here, in order to establish a modification method for material properties of concrete so as to rationally analyze the prototype RC girder with sand cushion using coarse mesh, an equivalent fracture energy concept for concrete elements was proposed and the applicability was investigated comparing numerical analysis results with experimental results. From this study, it is confirmed that even though coarse mesh was used for prototype RC girder with sand cushion, similar results with those obtained using fine mesh can be assured.
Customer Orientation, Learning Orientation, and New Service Development
Authors: Tajeddini Kayhan
Published: January 2011

Although many studies have investigated the role of customer orientation and learning orientation on a firm’s performance in small, medium, and large enterprises, the literature provides little empirical evidence about the role of customer orientation and learning orientation within the hotel industry. This current work investigates the influence of these variables on new service development and their subsequent effect on performance (financial and perceptual). Also, the impact of participating managers’ positive attitude toward change on new service development has been examined. Using data from hotel managers and owners located in Switzerland, several hypotheses have been formulated and tested. The findings not only verify aspects of prior research but also provide a new insight by exploring customer orientation, learning orientation, and new service development simultaneously, revealing how these factors affect the performance of the Swiss hotel industry. Although support for some hypotheses was found, these results need to be evaluated in light of the limitations, which moderate the contribution and also provide areas for further research.