bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A DNA Methylation Prognostic Signature of Glioblastoma: Identification of NPTX2-PTEN-NF-κB Nexus
Authors: Shukla Sudhanshu , Pia Patric Irene Rosita , Thinagararjan Sivaarumugam , Srinivasan Sujaya , Mondal Baisakhi , Hegde Alangar S. , Chandramouli Bangalore A. , Santosh Vani , Arivazhagan Arimappamagan , Somasundaram Kumaravel
Published: September 2013

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common, malignant adult primary tumor with dismal patient survival, yet the molecular determinants of patient survival are poorly characterized. Global methylation profile of GBM samples (our cohort; n = 44) using high-resolution methylation microarrays was carried out. Cox regression analysis identified a 9-gene methylation signature that predicted survival in GBM patients. A risk-score derived from methylation signature predicted survival in univariate analysis in our and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. Multivariate analysis identified methylation risk score as an independent survival predictor in TCGA cohort. Methylation risk score stratified the patients into low-risk and high-risk groups with significant survival difference. Network analysis revealed an activated NF-κB pathway association with high-risk group. NF-κB inhibition reversed glioma chemoresistance, and RNA interference studies identified interleukin-6 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 as key NF-κB targets in imparting chemoresistance. Promoter hypermethylation of neuronal pentraxin II (NPTX2), a risky methylated gene, was confirmed by bisulfite sequencing in GBMs. GBMs and glioma cell lines had low levels of NPTX2 transcripts, which could be reversed upon methylation inhibitor treatment. NPTX2 overexpression induced apoptosis, inhibited proliferation and anchorage-independent growth, and rendered glioma cells chemosensitive. Furthermore, NPTX2 repressed NF-κB activity by inhibiting AKT through a p53-PTEN-dependent pathway, thus explaining the hypermethylation and downregulation of NPTX2 in NF-κB-activated high-risk GBMs. Taken together, a 9-gene methylation signature was identified as an independent GBM prognosticator and could be used for GBM risk stratification. Prosurvival NF-κB pathway activation characterized high-risk patients with poor prognosis, indicating it to be a therapeutic target. Cancer Res; 73(22); 6563–73. ©2013 AACR.
New Strategies in Radiation Therapy: Exploiting the Full Potential of Protons
Authors: Mohan Radhe , Mahajan Anita , Minsky Bruce D.
Published: September 2013

Protons provide significant dosimetric advantages compared with photons because of their unique depth–dose distribution characteristics. However, they are more sensitive to the effects of intra- and intertreatment fraction anatomic variations and uncertainties in treatment setup. Furthermore, in the current practice of proton therapy, the biologic effectiveness of protons relative to photons is assumed to have a generic fixed value of 1.1. However, this is a simplification, and it is likely higher in different portions of the proton beam. Current clinical practice and trials have not fully exploited the unique physical and biologic properties of protons. Intensity-modulated proton therapy, with its ability to manipulate energies (in addition to intensities), provides an entirely new dimension, which, with ongoing research, has considerable potential to increase the therapeutic ratio. Clin Cancer Res; 19(23); 6338–43. ©2013 AACR.
Associations between Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the PI3K–PTEN–AKT–mTOR Pathway and Increased Risk of Brain Metastasis in Patients with Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Li Qianxia , Yang Ju , Yu Qianqian , Wu Huanlei , Liu Bo , Xiong Huihua , Hu Guangyuan , Zhao Jing , Yuan Xianglin , Liao Zhongxing
Published: September 2013

Purpose: Non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) metastasizes fairly often to the brain, but identifying which patients will develop brain metastases is problematic. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)–AKT–mTOR signaling pathway is important in the control of cell growth, tumorigenesis, and cell invasion. We hypothesized that genotype variants in this pathway could predict brain metastasis in patients with NSCLC.

Methods: We genotyped 16 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in five core genes (PIK3CA, PTEN, AKT1, AKT2, and FRAP1) by using DNA from blood samples of 317 patients with NSCLC, and evaluated potential associations with the subsequent development of brain metastasis, the cumulative incidence of which was estimated with Kaplan–Meier analysis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to analyze correlations between genotype variants and the occurrence of brain metastasis.

Results: In analysis of individual SNPs, the GT/GG genotype of AKT1: rs2498804, CT/TT genotype of AKT1: rs2494732, and AG/AA genotype of PIK3CA: rs2699887 were associated with higher risk of brain metastasis at 24-month follow-up [respective HRs, 1.860, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.199–2.885, P = 0.006; HR 1.902, 95% CI 1.259–2.875, P = 0.002; and HR 1.933, 95% CI 1.168–3.200, P = 0.010]. We further found that these SNPs had a cumulative effect on brain metastasis risk, with that risk being highest for patients carrying both of these unfavorable genotypes (P = 0.003).

Conclusions: Confirmation of our findings, the first to indicate that genetic variations in PI3K–AKT–mTOR can predict brain metastasis, in prospective studies would facilitate stratification of patients for brain metastasis prevention trials. Clin Cancer Res; 19(22); 6252–60. ©2013 AACR.
Promoter Hypomethylation of EpCAM-Regulated Bone Morphogenetic Protein Gene Family in Recurrent Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Hsu Ya-Ting , Gu Fei , Huang Yi-Wen , Liu Joseph , Ruan Jianhua , Huang Rui-Lan , Wang Chiou-Miin , Chen Chun-Liang , Jadhav Rohit R. , Lai Hung-Cheng , Mutch David G. , Goodfellow Paul J. , Thompson Ian M. , Kirma Nameer B. , Huang Tim Hui-Ming
Published: September 2013

Purpose: Epigenetic regulation by promoter methylation plays a key role in tumorigenesis. Our goal was to investigate whether altered DNA methylation signatures associated with oncogenic signaling delineate biomarkers predictive of endometrial cancer recurrence.

Experimental Design: Methyl-CpG-capture sequencing was used for global screening of aberrant DNA methylation in our endometrial cancer cohort, followed by validation in an independent The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. Bioinformatics as well as functional analyses in vitro, using RNA interference (RNAi) knockdown, were performed to examine regulatory mechanisms of candidate gene expression and contribution to aggressive phenotype, such as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Results: We identified 2,302 hypermethylated loci in endometrial tumors compared with control samples. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family genes, including BMP1, 2, 3, 4, and 7, were among the frequently hypermethylated loci. Interestingly, BMP2, 3, 4, and 7 were less methylated in primary tumors with subsequent recurrence and in patients with shorter disease-free interval compared with nonrecurrent tumors, which was validated and associated with poor survival in the TCGA cohort (BMP4, P = 0.009; BMP7, P = 0.007). Stimulation of endometrial cancer cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF) induced EMT and transcriptional activation of these genes, which was mediated by the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). EGF signaling was implicated in maintaining the promoters of candidate BMP genes in an active chromatin configuration and thus subject to transcriptional activation.

Conclusions: Hypomethylation signatures of candidate BMP genes associated with EpCAM-mediated expression present putative biomarkers predictive of poor survival in endometrial cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 19(22); 6272–85. ©2013 AACR.
Another Surprise from Metformin: Novel Mechanism of Action via K-Ras Influences Endometrial Cancer Response to Therapy
Authors: Iglesias David A. , Yates Melinda S. , van der Hoeven Dharini , Rodkey Travis L. , Zhang Qian , Co Ngai Na , Burzawa Jennifer , Chigurupati Sravanthi , Celestino Joseph , Bowser Jessica , Broaddus Russell , Hancock John F. , Schmandt Rosemarie , Lu Karen H.
Published: September 2013

Metformin is an oral biguanide commonly used for the treatment of type II diabetes and has recently been demonstrated to possess antiproliferative properties that can be exploited for the prevention and treatment of a variety of cancers. The mechanisms underlying this effect have not been fully elucidated. Using both in vitro and in vivo models, we examined the effects of metformin on endometrial tumors with defined aberrations in the PI3K/PTEN/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways to understand metformin mechanism of action and identify clinically useful predictors of response to this agent. In vitro assays of proliferation, cytotoxicity, and apoptosis were used to quantify the effects of metformin on endometrial cancer cell lines with mutations in the PI3K/PTEN/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways. The in vivo effects of oral metformin on tumor progression were further examined using xenograft mouse models of endometrial cancer. K-Ras localization was analyzed by confocal microscopy using GFP-labeled oncogenic K-Ras and by immunoblot following subcellular fractionation. Metformin inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and decreased tumor growth in preclinical endometrial cancer models, with the greatest response observed in cells harboring activating mutations in K-Ras. Furthermore, metformin displaces constitutively active K-Ras from the cell membrane, causing uncoupling of the MAPK signaling pathway. These studies provide a rationale for clinical trials using metformin in combination with PI3K-targeted agents for tumors harboring activating K-Ras mutations, and reveal a novel mechanism of action for metformin. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(12); 2847–56. ©2013 AACR.
Association of Low-Grade Albuminuria With Adverse Cardiac Mechanics
Authors: Katz Daniel H. , Selvaraj Senthil , Aguilar Frank G. , Martinez Eva E. , Beussink Lauren , Kim Kwang-Youn A. , Peng Jie , Sha Jin , Irvin Marguerite R. , Eckfeldt John H. , Turner Stephen T. , Freedman Barry I. , Arnett Donna K. , Shah Sanjiv J.
Published: September 2013

Background—

Albuminuria is a marker of endothelial dysfunction and has been associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The reasons for this association are unclear but may be attributable to the relationship between endothelial dysfunction and intrinsic myocardial dysfunction.

Methods and Results—

In the Hypertension Genetic Epidemiology Network (HyperGEN) Study, a population- and family-based study of hypertension, we examined the relationship between urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) and cardiac mechanics (n=1894, all of whom had normal left ventricular ejection fraction and wall motion). We performed speckle-tracking echocardiographic analysis to quantify global longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strain, and early diastolic (e′) tissue velocities. We used E/e′ ratio as a marker of increased left ventricular filling pressures. We used multivariable-adjusted linear mixed effect models to determine independent associations between UACR and cardiac mechanics. The mean age was 50±14 years, 59% were female, and 46% were black. Comorbidities were increasingly prevalent among higher UACR quartiles. Albuminuria was associated with global longitudinal strain, global circumferential strain, global radial strain, e′ velocity, and E/e′ ratio on unadjusted analyses. After adjustment for covariates, UACR was independently associated with lower absolute global longitudinal strain (multivariable-adjusted mean global longitudinal strain [95% confidence interval] for UACR Quartile 1 = 15.3 [15.0–15.5]% versus UACR Q4 = 14.6 [14.3–14.9]%,
P
for trend <0.001) and increased E/e′ ratio (Q1 = 25.3 [23.5–27.1] versus Q4 = 29.0 [27.0–31.0],
P
=0.003). The association between UACR and global longitudinal strain was present even in participants with UACR < 30 mg/g (
P
<0.001 after multivariable adjustment).

Conclusions—

Albuminuria, even at low levels, is associated with adverse cardiac mechanics and higher E/e′ ratio.
Increased Aortic Stiffness Predicts Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Uçar Hakan , Gür Mustafa , Yıldırım Arafat , Börekçi Abdürrezzak , Gözükara Mehmet Yavuz , Şeker Taner , Kaypaklı Onur , Türkoğlu Caner , Özaltun Betül , Akyol Selehattin , Harbalıoğlu Hazar , Şahin Durmuş Yıldıray , Elbasan Zafer , Çaylı Murat
Published: September 2013

Increased aortic stiffness (AS) has been shown to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in renal failure and was also found to be associated with even mild renal insufficiency. We investigated the relationship between contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and AS parameters such as pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx). Patients (n = 440) with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were included prospectively (mean age: 60.3 ± 10.3 years). The PWV and AIx were calculated using the single-point method. The PWV, age, diabetes, SYNTAX score, and contrast media dose were independent predictors for CIN ( P < .05, for all). The cutoff value for PWV obtained by the receiver–operator characteristic curve analysis was 10.35 m/s for the prediction of CIN (95% confidence interval: 0.838-0.916, sensitivity: 82.1%, specificity: 77.9%, and P < .001). In conclusion, a greater AS pre-PCI may predict CIN development in patients with stable CAD.
Characterization of the cellular structure based on user-interactive image analysis procedures
Authors: Pinto Javier , Solórzano Eusebio , Rodriguez-Perez Miguel Angel , de Saja Jose Antonio
Published: September 2013

This work addresses the development of a novel user-interactive image analysis computed technique to determine the main characteristics of the cellular structure of cellular materials with any density, morphology, and/or cell size from micrographs obtained from any source—scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, etc. The specific analyzed parameters are cell size (mean cell diameter), cell anisotropy, cell size distribution, and cell density. A comparison with several conventionally used methods is also presented in this work. The development of such application offers a quick (<3 min per micrograph) and complete characterization of the cellular structure, with reproducible results and good agreement with the typical manual measurement methods.
Ion Channels, Channelopathies, and Tooth Formation
Authors: Duan X.
Published: September 2013

The biological functions of ion channels in tooth development vary according to the nature of their gating, the species of ions passing through those gates, the number of gates, localization of channels, tissue expressing the channel, and interactions between cells and microenvironment. Ion channels feature unique and specific ion flux in ameloblasts, odontoblasts, and other tooth-specific cell lineages. Both enamel and dentin have active chemical systems orchestrating a variety of ion exchanges and demineralization and remineralization processes in a stage-dependent manner. An important role for ion channels is to regulate and maintain the calcium and pH homeostasis that are critical for proper enamel and dentin biomineralization. Specific functions of chloride channels, TRPVs, calcium channels, potassium channels, and solute carrier superfamily members in tooth formation have been gradually clarified in recent years. Mutations in these ion channels or transporters often result in disastrous changes in tooth development. The channelopathies of tooth include altered eruption ( CLCN7, KCNJ2, TRPV3), root dysplasia ( CLCN7, KCNJ2), amelogenesis imperfecta ( KCNJ1, CFTR, AE2, CACNA1C, GJA1), dentin dysplasia ( CLCN5), small teeth ( CACNA1C, GJA1), tooth agenesis ( CLCN7), and other impairments. The mechanisms leading to tooth channelopathies are primarily related to pH regulation, calcium homeostasis, or other alterations of the niche for tooth eruption and development.
Maternal Warmth and Early Adolescents’ Internalizing Symptoms and Externalizing Behavior
Authors: Alegre Albert , Benson Mark J. , Pérez-Escoda Núria
Published: September 2013

This study examines the relation between maternal warmth and the internalizing and externalizing problems of early adolescents, and the potential mediation of this relation by emotional insecurity. The hypotheses for the study derive from Cummings and Davies’ theory of emotional security. The current study extends the theory to security processes within the parent-adolescent relationship. A total of 203 early adolescents drawn from school samples in Spain participated in the study along with their mothers and their classroom teachers. The results supported the hypothesis. Emotional insecurity mediated the relationship between maternal warmth and adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems. Higher maternal warmth was linked to greater emotional security, which in turn was linked to fewer internalizing and externalizing problems. The findings extend the tenets of Emotional Security Theory and imply strategies for prevention and intervention.
Continuously moving table aorto-iliofemoral run-off contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography: image quality analysis in comparison to the multistep acquisition
Authors: Asbach Patrick , Meade Michael D , Sattenberg Ronald J , Klessen Christian , Huppertz Alexander , Heidenreich Jens O
Published: September 2013

Background

Optimal vessel contrast is a prerequisite for vascular imaging. Consecutive stationary imaging of multiple fields of view is contrary to the continuous contrast material passage through the vascular tree. A continuous acquisition of a magnetic resonance (MR) sequence might overcome this limitation.

Purpose

To investigate the image quality of a continuously moving table (CMT) acquisition compared with the established multistep approach for contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) of the aorto-iliofemoral run-off.

Material and Methods

Institutional review board approved this retrospective interindividual study of 60 consecutive patients referred to CE-MRA for peripheral arterial disease. Thirty patients underwent CE-MRA using the routine multistep acquisition and 30 patients were scanned using the CMT technique at 1.5 Tesla. All patients received a fixed contrast dose of 25 mL gadoterate meglumine. A quantitative analysis was performed to assess the relative contrast of 10 vascular segments from the proximal abdominal aorta to the distal calf arteries. A qualitative evaluation of three separate vascular regions (abdomen and pelvis, thighs, and calves) was performed. Two radiologists graded independently arterial vessel conspicuity, venous contamination, presence of artifacts, and diagnostic confidence on a 4-point scale. Overall scan time, including all localizer scans, was recorded. Statistical differences were tested using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with Bonferroni correction.

Results

No significant differences were found between the continuously moving table acquisition and the multistep acquisition with regard to the relative vascular contrast and the qualitative image criteria. The agreement between both readers was significant (Kendall tau rank correlation coefficient, 0.373). The absolute reader agreement was 71.4%. The mean overall scan time was 12 min 44 s for the CMT protocol and 21 min 41 s for the multistep protocol.

Conclusion

Aorto-iliofemoral run-off CE-MRA acquired with CMT technique provides a high image quality equivalent to a multistep technique at an overall scan time reduction of 41.3%.
Reproducibility of manual and semi-automated late enhancement quantification in patients with Fabry disease
Authors: Machann Wolfram , Geier Oliver , Koeppe Sabrina , O’Donnell Thomas , Greiser Andreas , Breunig Frank , Sandstede Joern , Hahn Dietbert , Koestler Herbert , Beer Meinrad
Published: September 2013

Background

Late enhancement (LE) imaging is increasingly used for diagnosis of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. However, the mostly patchy appearance of LE in this context may reduce the reproducibility of LE measurement.

Purpose

To report intra- and inter-observer variabilities of LE measurements in Fabry disease using manual and semi-automated quantification.

Material and Methods

Twenty MRI data-sets of male patients aged 44 ± 7 years were analyzed twice (interval 12 months) by one observer and additionally once by a second observer. Left ventricular (LV) parameters were determined using cine MRI. Gradient-echo LE images were analyzed by manual planimetry and by a semi-automatic prototype software. Variabilities were determined by Bland-Altman analyses and additionally intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) values were calculated to survey intra- and inter-observer reproducibility.

Results

The amount of LE was 5.2 ± 5.1 mL or 2.8 ± 2.6 % of LV mass (observer 2). LE was detected predominantly intramurally in a patchy pattern. All patients had LE restricted to the basal infero-lateral parts of the LV. The extent of LE correlated to LV mass (207 ± 70 g, P < 0.05, r = 0.6). The intra- and inter-observer variabilities were −0.6 to 1.0 mL and −0.7 to 1.6 mL, respectively (95% confidence intervals). ICC values were 0.981–0.999. The semi-automatic software allowed quantification of LE areas in all patients. The comparison of LE amount determined by semi-automatic software versus manual planimetry yielded an intra-observer variability ranging from −1.9 to 2.3 mL.

Conclusion

Semi-automatic planimetry of patchy LE in patients with Fabry disease is feasible. The determined intra- and inter-observer variabilities for manual and semi-automatic planimetry were in the range of 20–40% of LE amount with high ICC values.
Novel CT-guided coil localization of peripheral pulmonary nodules prior to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: a pilot study
Authors: Liu Li , Zhang Long Jiang , Chen Bo , Cao Jian Min , Lu Guang Ming , Yuan Lei , Li Kai , Xu Jian
Published: September 2013

Background

Small peripheral lung nodules detected on computed tomography (CT) scans are often difficult to find during thoracoscopic resection, and the present localizing techniques are inefficient or impractical.

Purpose

To evaluate a novel marking procedure for small peripheral pulmonary nodules using an embolization coil.

Material and Methods

Patients with small peripheral pulmonary nodules underwent preoperative CT-guided nodule localization using an embolization coil and then resection by fluoroscopically-guided video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS; group A, n = 22), or, underwent conventional VATS without prior location procedures (group B, n = 16). Comparisons were made between group A and group B concerning operative time, hospitalization, postoperative drainage, and complications. Histopathological diagnoses were made immediately after resection of pulmonary nodules.

Results

All CT-guided embolization coil fixations were successful. No patient in group A and eight (50%) in group B required conversion to open thoracotomy ( P < 0.0001). No severe complications occurred in either group. Compared with group B, group A had a significantly shorter mean operative time and hospitalization, and less postoperative drainage.

Conclusion

Preoperative localization of small peripheral pulmonary nodules using CT-guided embolization coil insertion and subsequent fluoroscopically-guided VATS resection is safer and more effective than conventional VATS.
Rodent Immunohistochemistry
Authors: Ward J. M. , Rehg J. E.
Published: September 2013

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a common adjunct in pathology for morphologic diagnosis, research pathology, and studying the pathogenesis of the disease. Proper technique and interpretation of an immunohistochemistry assay is of utmost importance. A variety of problems, including the presence of artifacts (nonspecific background or other staining problems) and the differentiation between nonspecific and specific staining, commonly occur. It is essential that antibody quality and IHC technique be optimized. We review the histologic patterns of specific and nonspecific staining after using IHC techniques, as well as basic troubleshooting procedures, and provide some examples of nonspecific staining and other artifacts especially in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues (FFPE) of mice.
Fatal Septicemia Caused by the Zoonotic Bacterium Streptococcus iniae During an Outbreak in Caribbean Reef Fish
Authors: Keirstead N. D. , Brake J. W. , Griffin M. J. , Halliday-Simmonds I. , Thrall M. A. , Soto E.
Published: September 2013

An outbreak of Streptococcus iniae occurred in the early months of 2008 among wild reef fish in the waters of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis, lasting almost 2 months. Moribund and dead fish were collected for gross, histological, bacteriological, and molecular analysis. Necropsy findings included diffuse fibrinous pericarditis, pale friable livers, and serosal petechiation. Cytological and histological analysis revealed granulocytic and granulomatous inflammation with abundant coccoid bacterial organisms forming long chains. Necrosis, inflammation, and vasculitis were most severe in the pericardium, meninges, liver, kidneys, and gills. Bacterial isolates revealed β-hemolytic, Gram-positive coccoid bacteria identified as S. iniae by amplification and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Results from biochemical and antimicrobial susceptibility analysis, together with repetitive element palindromic polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting, suggest that a single strain was responsible for the outbreak. The inciting cause for this S. iniae–associated cluster of mortalities is unknown.
Unidirectional power extraction from a channel connecting a bay to the open ocean
Authors: Adcock Thomas AA
Published: September 2013

Bays connected to the open ocean by a channel can give rise to large tidal currents which might be suitable for tidal stream turbines. The maximum power extractable from such a geometry was found by Blanchfield et al . (The extractable power from a channel linking a bay to the open ocean. Proc IMechE, Part A: J Power and Energy 222(3):289–297) to be given to within approximately 15%, as [Formula: see text], where a is the water level amplitude of the dominant tidal constituent in the open ocean and Q0 is the maximum volumetric flow rate in the undisturbed state. This analysis is based on turbines operating on both flood and ebb tides. In the present paper, we show that for sites with relatively small bays greater power can be extracted by only operating the turbines in one direction. The pros and cons of this alternative strategy are briefly discussed.
Did Mozart suffer from Asperger syndrome?
Authors: Raja Michele
Published: September 2013

The most reliable biographies of Mozart highlight elements that are compatible with current diagnostic criteria for Asperger syndrome including qualitative impairment in social interaction and stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms. Furthermore, numerous features are documented including difficulty in communicating his emotional state and in inferring the mental state of his interlocutors, motor clumsiness, specific skills and genius, left-handedness, special sense of humour, physical developmental abnormalities, bizarre thinking, overvalued ideas and delusions.
Educational Change and International Trade in Teacher Development
Authors: Greenwood Janinka , Alam Safayet , Kabir Ariful Haq
Published: September 2013

The study in one country to support the development of education in another is a regular event in the field of contemporary tertiary education, and it is likely to grow as developing countries accelerate their educational development projects and as Western universities seek international student funding. This article reports the case study of a specific teacher development project and examines the degree to which local development goals were met (or not) within an overtly international study experience, and uses the context and findings of the case to develop a discussion about fair academic trade. Because the stake holders in cross-national education are not univocal, it uses a number of different critical lenses to examine the findings and explore the complexities of the learning contract and its outcomes. It then offers a working model that nominates key elements for fair academic trade, and briefly reports on further collaborations that are growing out of the case study.
Improving accounting and accountability in local governments: The case of the Tennessee Taxpayers Association
Authors: Pridgen Annette , Flesher Dale L
Published: September 2013

While comprehensive auditing of federal government agencies in the United States had its inception in 1945, citizen-led efforts to evaluate and improve state and local government operations began much earlier. One such early pioneer organization was the Tennessee Taxpayers Association (TTA). Using group theory constructs from the political science field, this study documents how the TTA was able to use its power and influence to shape the development of accounting systems and accountability in the local governments of Tennessee as early as 1932. This study extends the body of historical research on public sector accounting by analyzing original publications issued by the TTA and documenting how the entity interacted with state and local governments and other power centers.
Let’s Burn Them All
Authors: Snyder Robert A.
Published: September 2013

This essay provides evidence from the neurosciences that standard Introduction to Management and Introduction to Organizational Behavior textbooks may inhibit, rather than facilitate, learning of the basic concepts and the rudimentary knowledge-basis that underlie the complex skills business students should learn in subsequent coursework and that they must hone in practice as future managers. Specific introductory textbook limitations that are addressed include the following: (a) the nearly total absence of neuroscience findings that have important relevance and application to management and organizational behavior; (b) the ineffective manner in which theories are presented; (c) the use of idiosyncratic, academically derived, or simply spot-invented language; (d) the nonengaging manner in which information (generally speaking) is presented; and (e) the question of whether such textbooks are being read, much less studied. Based on my recent, joyous experience in not using such textbooks, I propose, for readers’ possible consideration, an alternative (hyperlink) practice that is (a) fully compatible with recent neuroscience research on management, learning, and information retention/retrieval and (b) likely to dramatically increase student engagement with assigned readings in Introduction to Management and Introduction to Organizational Behavior courses and their ability to retrieve content and apply it during class discussions.
Policing ‘sexting’: Responsibilization, respectability and sexual subjectivity in child protection/crime prevention responses to teenagers’ digital sexual expression
Authors: Karaian Lara
Published: September 2013

This article examines the motivations, techniques and potential consequences of the governance of teenage sexting. I examine the over-representation of white, middle-class, heterosexual, female sexters, and abstinence from sexting discourses in the ‘Respect Yourself’ child protection/crime prevention initiative. This campaign, I suggest, exploits slut shaming in an effort to responsibilize teenage girls for preventing the purported harms that may flow from sexting—including humiliation, sexual violations and criminalization—for both themselves and their peers. I examine this responsibilization effort through the lens of critical whiteness, queer, girlhood/young feminist and porn studies’ theorizations of the politics of sexual respectability and sexual subjectification and argue that this campaign simultaneously: reveals anxieties about the decline of the moral authority of the white, middle-class, heterosexual nuclear family; constitutes certain teenage girls’ unintelligibility as sexual subjects; and, undermines teenage girls’ ability to challenge a normative sexual order in which they are often blamed extra/legally for their sexual victimization.
Masters of their Conditions III: Clinical applications of theater anthropology in cultural psychiatry
Authors: Arpin Jacques
Published: September 2013

Body learning gives actors basic structures and references that enable them to codify their actions in a script or score. With this score, acquired through training, performing and transmitting, actors who work with theater anthropology methodology offer strategies and tools that healers can use with their patients. This actor’s score has inspired a mode of working with patients both to understand the case history and guide the course of therapy. In this approach, patients are like authors who want to act out their dramaturgy, but who need a director-healer to organize the story and help them build their healing process. Together, patient and therapist work on stage to advance the treatment, at the same time enhancing their strategies and methods for collaboration.
Do it for charity! Radio’s mediation of civic engagement among British ex-pats in Portugal
Authors: David Inês , Rosales Marta Vilar
Published: September 2013

‘Following the social life’ of broadcasts, to use Marcus’ (1995) metaphor, this article explores how self-designated ‘expatriates’ residing in the south of Portugal use radio to advance efforts in support of local causes of public concern they become involved with as strategies of reterritorialization. Drawing on media ethnography, it argues that the radiophonic mediation of ‘charitable’ efforts foregrounds the possibilities and limitations of a connection to the public sphere facilitated by a commercial station in a lifestyle migration setting (Benson and O'Reilly, 2009; O’Reilly, 2000). Operating within an English-language public sphericule (Gitlin, 1998), broadcasts do not allow for deliberative interaction on air but rather promote the reproduction of ‘charitable’ values and practices among, mostly, British residents. However, mixing elements of critical and representative publicity, the radio’s specific mode of address and circulation of texts particularly reflects and plays into naturalized but ambivalent stances of connection with local realities.
Social capital and life satisfaction among Chinese and Korean elderly immigrants
Authors: Kim Bum J , Linton Kristen F , Lum Wesley
Published: September 2013

Research has indicated that many Asian Americans experience life dissatisfaction. Studies have also found that social capital is a protective factor for life satisfaction. This study analyzed the impact of social capital and other demographic characteristics on the life satisfaction of 172 Chinese elderly immigrants and 205 Korean elderly immigrants. Chinese and Korean elderly immigrants participated in a structured survey, which measured social capital, life satisfaction, and demographic variables. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to test the impact of social capital on life satisfaction among Chinese and Korean elderly immigrants.

Findings

Social capital was a strong predictor of life satisfaction among Korean elderly immigrants ( p < . 05), while only one aspect of social capital, community partnership, was associated with life satisfaction of Chinese elderly immigrants ( p < .05).

Applications

Social workers and social service agencies may improve life satisfaction among Korean and Chinese elderly immigrants by increasing their social capital.
Enhanced spray and evaporation model with multi-fuel mixtures for direct injection internal combustion engines
Authors: Kwak Kyoung Hyun , Jung Dohoy , Borgnakke Claus
Published: September 2013

A spray and evaporation model has been developed and embedded in a quasi-dimensional multi-zone direct injection internal combustion engine simulation framework. The model accounts for the behavior of the spray zone and fuel evaporation including sub-models for spray breakup, improved zone velocity estimations with transient fuel injection, spray penetration and tracking of evaporated fuel components. Each sub-model deals with multi-component fuel surrogates to simulate the real fuel effects. To enhance sensitivity of the model to the fuel components, additional thermophysical properties to the traditional spray model are incorporated. The ideal gas and the ideal solution are assumed in the model to retain computational efficiency. Finally, the model was validated against experiments and compared with other numerical methods. The ability of the new model to treat a multi-component fuel provides an improvement in the simulations of modern direct injection internal combustion engine when used with alternative fuels.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 based therapies: Effects beyond blood glucose control
Authors: Sivaraman Subash C , Barber Thomas M , O’Hare Paul , Randeva Harpal S
Published: September 2013

Therapies based on the gut-derived glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) are a recent addition to the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. They are either inhibitors of the enzyme DPP-4, which inactivates GLP-1, or analogues of GLP-1 that are resistant to enzymatic degradation. Clinical trials show that long-term treatment with these classes of drugs have a favourable impact on the patient’s lipid profile, reduce systolic blood pressure and reduce abdominal obesity, suggesting a significant cardiovascular benefit in addition to glycaemic control.

Transient nausea and vomiting are common adverse effects with this class of drugs and may occur due to reduction in gastric motility. GLP-1 based drugs might be associated with a slight increase in the risk of acute pancreatitis, but there is no evidence that these drugs cause pancreatic cancer in humans. GLP-1 based therapy induces medullary thyroid cancer in rat models, but there is no evidence of it increasing the risk in humans.

In animal models, GLP-1 and its analogues improve markers of diabetic nephropathy and diabetic neuropathy by modulating inflammatory pathways. In a rat model of diabetes, GLP-1 analogues preserve pancreatic beta cell function and beta cell mass. On-going studies are investigating whether these benefits are replicated in humans.

GLP-1 based drugs have a favourable effect on cardiovascular risk factors. They should be used with caution in patients at risk of pancreatitis. Animal studies suggest improvement in microvascular complications of diabetes.
ACL Reconstruction Preserving the ACL Remnant Achieves Good Clinical Outcomes and Can Reduce Subsequent Graft Rupture
Authors: Takazawa Yuji , Ikeda Hiroshi , Kawasaki Takayuki , Ishijima Muneaki , Kubota Mitsuaki , Saita Yoshitomo , Kaneko Haruka , Kim Sung-Gon , Kurosawa Hisashi , Kaneko Kazuo
Published: September 2013

Background:

Although anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction techniques that preserve remnant tissues have been described, complete preservation may be difficult, with little known about its clinical advantages.

Purpose:

To compare clinical outcomes in patients undergoing ACL reconstruction with and without ACL remnant preservation.

Study Design:

Case-control study.

Methods:

Of 372 patients who underwent surgical treatment of an ACL injury between September 2006 and July 2010, 154 had no remaining identifiable ligament tissue and were excluded from this study. Attempts were made to preserve the ACL remnant as much as possible in the remaining 218 patients. These patients were divided into 2 groups: those in whom the remnant was preserved (group 1, n = 85) and those in whom the remnant was not preserved (group 2, n = 98). Patients were followed for at least 24 months. Outcomes, including graft rupture, were compared in the 2 groups.

Results:

Time from injury to surgery was significantly shorter (7.3 ± 16.3 vs 16.0 ± 30.3 months; P < .05) and the preinjury Tegner activity was significantly higher (7.6 ± 1.4 vs 7.1 ± 1.2; P < .05; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-13.7) in group 1 than in group 2. The postoperative negative ratio of the pivot-shift test was similar in the 2 groups (87% vs 81%). Anterior stability of the knee, as measured by a KT-2000 arthrometer, was significantly better in group 1 than in group 2 (1.0 ± 0.8 vs 1.3 ± 1.0 mm; P < .05). ACL graft rupture occurred in 1 patient (1.1%) in group 1 and in 7 patients (7.1%) in group 2 ( P < .05). Regression analysis showed that preservation of the remnant decreased the likelihood of graft rupture (odds ratio, 11.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-101.7).

Conclusion:

These findings confirmed that preserving the remnant tissue of the ACL may facilitate recovery of function and decrease graft rupture after primary reconstruction.
Formation of ultrafine structure in as cast Ti7CuXSn alloys
Authors: Tsao L C , Wu R W , Wu M W , Huang C H , Chen R S
Published: September 2013

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the microstructure and microhardness of novel Ti7CuXSn alloys. Ti7CuXSn alloys with x = 0, 1, 2·5 and 5 wt- were synthesised using a well developed arc melting and casting method. The microstructure was analysed by means of optical microscopy, SEM and X-ray diffraction methods. The cellular grain size dG, lamellar spacing λL, volume fraction of Ti2Cu phases fv and microhardness HV were measured. The addition of Sn content into the Ti7Cu alloy can effectively increase the solubility of Cu in the eutectoid microstructure ( α-Ti+Ti2Cu), induce transformation of ultrafine α′ martensite microstructure and increase the volume fraction of the Ti2Cu phase fv. Especially, ultrafine microstructures have been produced in as cast Ti7Cu5Sn alloys. The value of HV increases with the increasing values of [Formula: see text] , [Formula: see text] and fv.
Improvement of bendability in Fusion AA3003/AA6xxx sheets with different clad thickness after artificial aging
Authors: Jin H , Lloyd D J
Published: September 2013

An ingot of AA6xxx Al–Si–Mg–Cu alloy clad with AA3003 Al–Mn alloy was co-cast by Fusion technology, processed to different final gauges and artificially aged to different strengths. The influence of artificial aging and cladding thickness on the strength bendability relationship was investigated. It has been demonstrated that a cladding with better bend performance than the core material can significantly improve the bendability. For AA6xxx alloy clad with AA3003 alloy, the bendability is also improved when the material is artificially aged, before and after peak aging. While the absolute level of bendability is dependent on the cladding thickness to some extent, bend performance is significantly improved even when the thickness of cladding is less than the mean grain size.
Influence of TiO2 on alpha case reaction of Al2O3 mould in Ti investment casting
Authors: Choi B-J , Lee S , Kim Y-J
Published: September 2013

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the alpha case reaction layer of Ti casting with four different mould materials: Al2O3, Al2O3+Ti, Al2O3+TiO2, and TiO2. Al2O3+Ti moulds were manufactured by a reaction between Al2O3 and Ti powder in air or vacuum. The results show that the Al2O3 mold exhibits an alpha case layer of ∼350 μm. The microstructural characterisation and surface hardness profiles of castings with Al2O3+Ti moulds indicated that the alpha case thickness decreased significantly to ∼45 μm. This difference was due to the presence of TiO2, which formed a TiO intermediate phase that acted as a diffusion barrier and hindered the alpha case reaction at the casting surface. In addition, Al2O3+TiO2 moulds were ineffective in alpha case reduction due to the unacceptable network between the TiO2 and binder.
Effect of B on microstructure and properties of low thermal expansion superalloy
Authors: Yu L X , Sun Y R , Sun W R , Zhang W H , Liu F , Xin X , Qi F , Jia D , Sun X F , Guo S R , Hu Z Q
Published: September 2013

The effect of B on microstructure and various properties including coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), HV hardness, and both smooth and notch stress rupture properties of modified Thermo-Span alloy was studied. The results show that B hardly dissolves in matrix. Increasing B content constrains the formation of Laves phase and grain boundary (GB) precipitation of Laves and G phases, but promotes the formation of M(Co, Fe)NbB boride. In low B doped alloy, its intrinsic high susceptibility to intergranular cracks leads to reduced rupture life and notch sensitivity. Increasing B improves grain boundary cohesion, tying up vacancies and reducing GB diffusion, which constrains the nucleation and propagation of intergranular microcracks, prolongs the rupture life and eliminates the notch sensitivity in the new alloy. Compared with conventional Thermo-Span alloy, the B doped modified alloy shows lower CTE and improved notch sensitivity.
Austenite grain coarsening of V-microalloyed medium carbon steel during high frequency induction heating: Monte Carlo simulation study
Authors: Kim T H , Park J K
Published: September 2013

The austenite grain coarsening behaviour of V-microalloyed (MA) medium carbon steel during induction heating at high frequency is studied, by varying induction input power, and using Gleeble simulating the ultrafast heating rates and Monte Carlo simulation. A significant coarsening of austenite grains occurs in the subsurface layers despite ultrafast heating rates. A distinctive feature is, unlike plain medium carbon steel, an abrupt grain coarsening below a critical depth from the surface. Gleeble experiments suggest that an abrupt grain coarsening is due to dissolution of VC particles. The Monte Carlo simulations, in a simplified temperature and particle fraction profiles, further show that the abrupt grain coarsening in V-MA steel during induction heating can occur not only by the particle pinning but also by the thermal pinning. The activation energy for grain growth is shown to be important in determining the relative contribution to the abrupt grain coarsening. The particle pinning plays an important role in the abrupt grain coarsening because the V-MA medium carbon steel, unlike Cr–Mo steel, shows moderate activation energy for grain growth.
Evaluation of effective mechanical properties of nanocomposites reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotube
Authors: Gahruei M H , Golestanian H
Published: September 2013

Effective mechanical properties of nanocomposites reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been determined using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The effects of several parameters on nanocomposite effective mechanical properties are investigated. First, FEA models are created consisting of MWCNTs with different spring constants to investigate the effects of the interlayer van der Waals forces. Next, the reinforcing efficiency of MWCNTs in different matrices is investigated using models consisting of matrices with different moduli of elasticity. In addition, the effects of MWCNT volume fraction are investigated. Finally, models were created to determine effective mechanical properties of nanocomposites reinforced with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs). Comparison of the results suggests that SWCNTs are more efficient in strengthening the matrix than MWCNTs. Also, Young's modulus prediction for multiwalled carbon nanotube in a propylene matrix is compared to experimental data investigated by Andrews et al. (2002), and good agreement is observed.