bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
"Equation missing" -Functions on Quasimetric Spaces and Fixed Points for Multivalued Maps
Authors: Marín J , Romaguera S , Tirado P
Published: March 2011

We discuss several properties of "Equation missing"-functions in the sense of Al-Homidan et al.. In particular, we prove that the partial metric induced by any "Equation missing" weighted quasipseudometric space is a "Equation missing"-function and show that both the Sorgenfrey line and the Kofner plane provide significant examples of quasimetric spaces for which the associated supremum metric is a "Equation missing"-function. In this context we also obtain some fixed point results for multivalued maps by using Bianchini-Grandolfi gauge functions.
Polo-like Kinase Plk2 Is an Epigenetic Determinant of Chemosensitivity and Clinical Outcomes in Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Syed Nelofer , Coley Helen M. , Sehouli Jalid , Koensgen Dominique , Mustea Alexander , Szlosarek Peter , McNeish Iain , Blagden Sarah P. , Schmid Peter , Lovell David P. , Hatzimichael Eleftheria , Crook Tim
Published: March 2011

Resistance to platinum- and taxane-based chemotherapy remains a major clinical impediment to effective management of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). To gain insights into resistance mechanisms, we compared gene and confirmed expression patterns of novel EOC cell lines selected for paclitaxel and carboplatin resistance. Here, we report that resistance can be conferred by downregulation of the Polo-like kinase Plk2. Mechanistic investigations revealed that downregulation occurred at the level of transcription via associated DNA methylation of the CpG island in the Plk2 gene promoter in cell lines, primary tumors, and patient sera. Inhibitory RNA (RNAi)-mediated knockdown and ectopic overexpression established a critical functional role for Plk2 in determining apoptotic sensitivity to paclitaxel and carboplatin. In drug-resistant human EOC cell lines, Plk2 promoter methylation varied with the degree of drug resistance and transcriptional silencing of the promoter. RNAi-dependent knockdown of Plk2 abrogated G2-M cell-cycle blockade by paclitaxel, conferring resistance to both paclitaxel and platinum. Conversely, ectopic expression of Plk2 restored sensitivity to G2-M cell-cycle blockade and cytotoxicity triggered by paclitaxel. In clinical cases, DNA methylation of the Plk2 CpG island in tumor tissue was associated with a higher risk of relapse in patients treated postoperatively with carboplatin and paclitaxel (P = 0.003). This trend was also reflected in the analysis of matched serum samples. Taken together, our results implicate Plk2 as a clinically important determinant of chemosensitivity, in support of the candidacy of Plk2 as a theranostic marker to inform EOC management. Cancer Res; 71(9); 3317–27. ©2011 AACR.
Cep63 Recruits Cdk1 to the Centrosome: Implications for Regulation of Mitotic Entry, Centrosome Amplification, and Genome Maintenance
Authors: Löffler Harald , Fechter Anne , Matuszewska Marc , Saffrich Rainer , Mistrik Martin , Marhold Joachim , Hornung Christin , Westermann Frank , Bartek Jiri , Krämer Alwin
Published: March 2011

Centrosomes are central regulators of mitosis that are often amplified in cancer cells. Centrosomes function both as organizers of the mitotic spindle and as reaction centers to trigger activation of Cdk1 and G2/M transition in the cell cycle, but their functional organization remains incomplete. Recent proteomic studies have identified novel components of the human centrosome including Cep63, a protein of unknown function that Xenopus studies have implicated in mitotic spindle assembly and spindle inactivation after DNA damage. Here, we report that human Cep63 binds to and recruits Cdk1 to centrosomes, and thereby regulates mitotic entry. RNAi-mediated Cep63 depletion in U2OS cancer cells induced polyploidization through mitotic skipping. Elicitation of this phenotype was associated with downregulation of centrosomal Cdk1, mimicking the phenotype induced by direct depletion of Cdk1. In contrast, Cep63 overexpression induced de novo centrosome amplification during cell-cycle interphase. Induction of this phenotype was suppressible by cell treatment with the Cdk inhibitor roscovitine. In a survey of 244 neuroblastoma cases, Cep63 mRNA overexpression was associated with MYCN oncogene amplification and poor prognosis. In cultured cells, Cep63 overexpression was associated with an enhancement in replication-induced DNA breakage. Together, our findings define human Cep63 as a centrosomal recruitment factor for Cdk1 that is essential for mitotic entry, providing a physical link between the centrosome and the cell-cycle machinery. Cancer Res; 71(6); 2129–39. ©2011 AACR.
Overcoming Temozolomide Resistance in Glioblastoma via Dual Inhibition of NAD+ Biosynthesis and Base Excision Repair
Authors: Goellner Eva M. , Grimme Bradford , Brown Ashley R. , Lin Ying-Chih , Wang Xiao-Hong , Sugrue Kelsey F. , Mitchell Leah , Trivedi Ram N. , Tang Jiang-bo , Sobol Robert W.
Published: March 2011

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a devastating brain tumor with poor prognosis and low median survival time. Standard treatment includes radiation and chemotherapy with the DNA alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ). However, a large percentage of tumors are resistant to the cytotoxic effects of the TMZ-induced DNA lesion O6-methylguanine due to elevated expression of the repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) or a defect in the mismatch repair (MMR) pathway. Although a majority of the TMZ-induced lesions (N7-methylguanine and N3-methyladenine) are base excision repair (BER) substrates, these DNA lesions are also readily repaired. However, blocking BER can enhance response to TMZ and therefore the BER pathway has emerged as an attractive target for reversing TMZ resistance. Our lab has recently reported that inhibition of BER leads to the accumulation of repair intermediates that induce energy depletion–mediated cell death via hyperactivation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. On the basis of our observation that TMZ-induced cell death via BER inhibition is dependent on the availability of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), we have hypothesized that combined BER and NAD+ biosynthesis inhibition will increase TMZ efficacy in glioblastoma cell lines greater than BER inhibition alone. Importantly, we find that the combination of BER and NAD+ biosynthesis inhibition significantly sensitizes glioma cells with elevated expression of MGMT and those deficient in MMR, two genotypes normally associated with TMZ resistance. Dual targeting of these two interacting pathways (DNA repair and NAD+ biosynthesis) may prove to be an effective treatment combination for patients with resistant and recurrent GBM. Cancer Res; 71(6); 2308–17. ©2011 AACR.
CARMA3 is Crucial for EGFR-Induced Activation of NF-κB and Tumor Progression
Authors: Jiang Tang , Grabiner Brian , Zhu Yifan , Jiang Changying , Li Hongxiu , You Yun , Lang Jingyu , Hung Mien-Chie , Lin Xin
Published: March 2011

EGF activates NF-κB, and constitutively activated NF-κB contributes to EGFR mutation-associated tumorigenesis, but it remains unclear precisely how EGFR signaling leads to NF-κB activation. Here we report that CARMA3, a caspase recruitment domain (CARD)-containing scaffold molecule, is required for EGF-induced NF-κB activation. CARMA3 deficiency impaired the activation of the IKK complex following EGF stimulation, resulting in a defect of EGF-induced IκBα phosphorylation and NF-κB activation. We found that CARMA3 and Bcl10 contributed to several characteristics of EGFR-associated malignancy, including proliferation, survival, migration, and invasion. Most importantly, CARMA3 contributed to tumor growth in vivo. Our findings elucidate a crucial link between EGFR-proximal signaling components and the downstream IKK complex, and they suggest a new therapeutic target for treatment of EGFR-driven cancers. Cancer Res; 71(6); 2183–92. ©2011 AACR.
Sildenafil Reverses ABCB1- and ABCG2-Mediated Chemotherapeutic Drug Resistance
Authors: Shi Zhi , Tiwari Amit K. , Shukla Suneet , Robey Robert W. , Singh Satyakam , Kim In-Wha , Bates Susan E. , Peng Xingxiang , Abraham Ioana , Ambudkar Suresh V. , Talele Tanaji T. , Fu Li-Wu , Chen Zhe-Sheng
Published: March 2011

Sildenafil is a potent and selective inhibitor of the type 5 cGMP (cyclic guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate)-specific phosphodiesterase that is used clinically to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Here, we report that sildenafil has differential effects on cell surface ABC transporters such as ABCB1, ABCC1, and ABCG2 that modulate intracompartmental and intracellular concentrations of chemotherapeutic drugs. In ABCB1-overexpressing cells, nontoxic doses of sildenafil inhibited resistance and increased the effective intracellular concentration of ABCB1 substrate drugs such as paclitaxel. Similarly, in ABCG2-overexpressing cells, sildenafil inhibited resistance to ABCG2 substrate anticancer drugs, for example, increasing the effective intracellular concentration of mitoxantrone or the fluorescent compound BODIPY-prazosin. Sildenafil also moderately inhibited the transport of E217βG and methotrexate by the ABCG2 transporter. Mechanistic investigations revealed that sildenafil stimulated ABCB1 ATPase activity and inhibited photolabeling of ABCB1 with [125I]-iodoarylazidoprazosin (IAAP), whereas it only slightly stimulated ABCG2 ATPase activity and inhibited photolabeling of ABCG2 with [125I]-IAAP. In contrast, sildenafil did not alter the sensitivity of parental, ABCB1-, or ABCG2-overexpressing cells to non-ABCB1 and non-ABCG2 substrate drugs, nor did sildenafil affect the function of another ABC drug transporter, ABCC1. Homology modeling predicted the binding conformation of sildenafil within the large cavity of the transmembrane region of ABCB1. Overall, we found that sildenafil inhibits the transporter function of ABCB1 and ABCG2, with a stronger effect on ABCB1. Our findings suggest a possible strategy to enhance the distribution and potentially the activity of anticancer drugs by jointly using a clinically approved drug with known side effects and drug–drug interactions. Cancer Res; 71(8); 3029–41. ©2011 AACR.
Genetic Ablation of PKC Epsilon Inhibits Prostate Cancer Development and Metastasis in Transgenic Mouse Model of Prostate Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Hafeez Bilal Bin , Zhong Weixiong , Weichert Jamey , Dreckschmidt Nancy E. , Jamal Mohammad Sarwar , Verma Ajit K.
Published: March 2011

Protein kinase C epsilon (PKCϵ), a novel PKC isoform, is overexpressed in prostate cancer (PCa) and correlates with disease aggressiveness. However, the functional contribution of PKCϵ to development or progression of PCa remained to be determined. Here we present the first in vivo genetic evidence that PKCϵ is essential for both the development and metastasis of PCa in the transgenic mouse model of prostate adenocarcinoma (TRAMP). Heterozygous or homozygous genetic deletions of PKCϵ in FVB/N TRAMP inhibited PCa development and metastasis as analyzed by positron emission tomography/computed tomography, tumor weight determinations, and histopathology. We also examined biomarkers associated with tumor progression in this model, including markers of survival, proliferation, angiogenesis, inflammation, and metastatic progression. To find clues about the genes regulated by PKCϵ and linked to the Stat3 signaling pathway, we carried out focused PCR arrays of JAK/STAT signaling in excised PCa tissues from PKCϵ wild-type and nullizygous TRAMP mice. Notably, PKCϵ loss was associated with significant downregulation of proliferative and metastatic genes C/EBPβ (CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β), CRP (C-reactive protein), CMK, EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor), CD64, Jun B, and gp130. Taken together, our findings offer the first genetic evidence of the role of PKCϵ in PCa development and metastasis. PKCϵ may be potential target for prevention and/or treatment of PCa. Cancer Res; 71(6); 2318–27. ©2011 AACR.
Secondary Prevention Risk Interventions Via Telemedicine and Tailored Patient Education (SPRITE)
Authors: Shah Bimal R. , Adams Martha , Peterson Eric D. , Powers Benjamin , Oddone Eugene Z. , Royal Kira , McCant Felicia , Grambow Steven C. , Lindquist Jennifer , Bosworth Hayden B.
Published: March 2011

Background—

Secondary prevention by risk factor modification improves patient outcomes, yet it is often not achieved in clinical practice. Reasons for failure stem from challenges of prioritizing risk factor reduction and engaging patients in changing their behaviors. We hypothesize that a novel telemedicine intervention with tailored patient education could improve cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods—

To evaluate this intervention, we propose enrolling 450 patients with a recent myocardial infarction and hypertension into a 3-arm randomized, controlled trial. The first arm (n=150) will receive home blood pressure (BP) monitors plus a nurse-delivered, telephone-based tailored patient education intervention and will be enrolled into HealthVault, a Microsoft electronic health record platform. The second arm (n=150) will also receive BP monitors plus a tailored patient education intervention and be enrolled in HeartVault. However, the patient education intervention will be delivered by a Web-based program and will cover topics identical to those in the nurse-delivered intervention. Both arms will be compared with a control group receiving standard care (n=150). All participants will have an in-person assessment at baseline and at completion of the study, including standardized measurements of BP, LDL cholesterol, and glycosylated hemoglobin (in diabetic subjects). The study design will allow assessment of a telephone-based, nurse-administered disease management program versus standard care. The main outcome of interest is the reduction in systolic BP in each intervention group compared with the control group at 12 months. Secondary outcomes assessed will include reductions in LDL cholesterol, body weight, and glycosylated hemoglobin, as well as adherence to evidence-based therapies and improvement in health behaviors.

Conclusion—

If successful in optimizing BP control, managing other coronary heart disease risk factors, and demonstrating a lower cost, the Web-based disease management tool has the potential to enhance coronary artery disease management, quality of care, and ultimately, patient outcomes.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00901277.
An Administrative Claims Measure Suitable for Profiling Hospital Performance Based on 30-Day All-Cause Readmission Rates Among Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Krumholz Harlan M. , Lin Zhenqiu , Drye Elizabeth E. , Desai Mayur M. , Han Lein F. , Rapp Michael T. , Mattera Jennifer A. , Normand Sharon-Lise T.
Published: March 2011

Background—

National attention has increasingly focused on readmission as a target for quality improvement. We present the development and validation of a model approved by the National Quality Forum and used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for hospital-level public reporting of risk-standardized readmission rates for patients discharged from the hospital after an acute myocardial infarction.

Methods and Results—

We developed a hierarchical logistic regression model to calculate hospital risk-standardized 30-day all-cause readmission rates for patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction. The model was derived using Medicare claims data for a 2006 cohort and validated using claims and medical record data. The unadjusted readmission rate was 18.9%. The final model included 31 variables and had discrimination ranging from 8% observed 30-day readmission rate in the lowest predictive decile to 32% in the highest decile and a C statistic of 0.63. The 25th and 75th percentiles of the risk-standardized readmission rates across 3890 hospitals were 18.6% and 19.1%, with fifth and 95th percentiles of 18.0% and 19.9%, respectively. The odds of all-cause readmission for a hospital 1 SD above average were 1.35 times that of a hospital 1 SD below average. Hospital-level adjusted readmission rates developed using the claims model were similar to rates produced for the same cohort using a medical record model (correlation, 0.98; median difference, 0.02 percentage points).

Conclusions—

This claims-based model of hospital risk-standardized readmission rates for patients with acute myocardial infarction produces estimates that are excellent surrogates for those produced from a medical record model.
Human Cardiac Stem Cell Differentiation Is Regulated by a Mircrine Mechanism
Authors: Hosoda Toru , Zheng Hanqiao , Cabral-da-Silva Mauricio , Sanada Fumihiro , Ide-Iwata Noriko , Ogórek Barbara , Ferreira-Martins João , Arranto Christian , D'Amario Domenico , del Monte Federica , Urbanek Konrad , D'Alessandro David A. , Michler Robert E. , Anversa Piero , Rota Marcello , Kajstura Jan , Leri Annarosa
Published: March 2011

RETRACTION

This article has been retracted:

Circulation
. 2019;139:e1. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000644
Cardiovascular Outcomes in Framingham Participants With Diabetes
Authors: Chen Guanmin , McAlister Finlay A. , Walker Robin L. , Hemmelgarn Brenda R. , Campbell Norm R.C.
Published: March 2011

We designed this study to explore to what extent the excess risk of cardiovascular events in diabetic individuals is attributable to hypertension. We retrospectively analyzed prospectively collected data from the Framingham original and offspring cohorts. Of the 1145 Framingham subjects newly diagnosed with diabetes mellitus who did not have a previous history of cardiovascular events, 663 (58%) had hypertension at the time that diabetes mellitus was diagnosed. During 4154 person-years of follow-up, 125 died, and 204 experienced a cardiovascular event. Framingham participants with hypertension at the time of diabetes mellitus diagnosis exhibited higher rates of all-cause mortality (32 versus 20 per 1000 person-years;
P
<0.001) and cardiovascular events (52 versus 31 per 1000 person-years;
P
<0.001) compared with normotensive subjects with diabetes mellitus. After adjustment for demographic and clinical covariates, hypertension was associated with a 72% increase in the risk of all-cause death and a 57% increase in the risk of any cardiovascular event in individuals with diabetes mellitus. The population-attributable risk from hypertension in individuals with diabetes mellitus was 30% for all-cause death and 25% for any cardiovascular event (increasing to 44% and 41%, respectively, if the 110 normotensive subjects who developed hypertension during follow-up were excluded from the analysis). In comparison, after adjustment for concurrent hypertension, the population-attributable risk from diabetes mellitus in Framingham subjects was 7% for all-cause mortality and 9% for any cardiovascular disease event. Although diabetes mellitus is associated with increased risks of death and cardiovascular events in Framingham subjects, much of this excess risk is attributable to coexistent hypertension.
The ARIC Carotid MRI Study of Blood Cellular Markers: An Inverse Association of Monocyte Myeloperoxidase Content With Peripheral Arterial Disease
Authors: Matijevic Nena , Wu Kenneth K. , Nidkarni Nivedita , Heiss Gerardo , Folsom Aaron R.
Published: March 2011

We evaluated the association of blood monocyte and platelet activation markers with the risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in a multicenter study of atherosclerosis among African American and Caucasian patients. Flow cytometric analysis of blood cells was performed in 1791 participants (209 cases with PAD and 1582 noncases) from the cross-sectional Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Carotid Magnetic Resonance Imaging ([MRI] ARIC Carotid MRI) Study to assess platelet glycoproteins IIb and IIIa, P-selectin, CD40 ligand, platelet—leukocyte aggregates, monocyte lipopolysaccharide receptor, toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2 and 4, P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1, cyclooxygenase 2, and myeloperoxidase. Multivariate regression analyses evaluated the association of cellular markers with the risk of PAD. After adjusting for age, race, and gender, platelet CD40L, and monocyte myeloperoxidase (mMPO) levels were significantly lower (P < .001), and monocyte TLR-4 levels were higher (P = .03) in patients with PAD. With additional adjustments for conventional risk factors, mMPO remained inversely and independently associated with the risk of PAD (odds ratio [OR]: 0.35, P = .01).
Successful strategies for educating hard-to-reach populations: Lessons learned from Massachusetts’ train-the-trainer project using the Helping You Take Care of Yourself curriculum
Authors: Besculides Melanie , Trebino Lisa , Nelson Heather
Published: March 2011

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of providing education on breast, cervical and cardiovascular health to hard-to-reach women throughout Massachusetts using an innovative derivation of the ‘train-the-trainer’ approach. Innovation included use of contracts with community-based organizations (CBOs) that required data collection in return for payment.

Design: Quantitative and qualitative evaluation.

Setting: Hard-to-reach women throughout Massachusetts.

Methods: Contracted with CBOs to conduct educational sessions on breast, cervical, and cardiovascular health using a standardized curriculum. Collected and analyzed quantitative data from 2,526 women educated by CBOs to assess the programme’s reach and effectiveness. Interviewed staff involved in programme implementation and conducted focus groups with women educated to identify programme successes and areas for improvement.

Results: Thirty-three unique CBOs conducted 264 educational sessions, educating 2,526 women in one or more units (breast, cervical, or cardiovascular health) of the Helping You Take Care of Yourself curriculum. Quantitative data were obtained to assess programme effectiveness and the curriculum successfully increased knowledge for all health units. Qualitative evaluation identified several factors that contributed to the success of the programme, including: establishing relationships with CBOs that had existing ties in target communities; executing memoranda of understanding that required data collection for payment; developing curriculum toolkits and intensive staff training; and delivering education in small group settings.

Conclusion: The innovative structure of implementation of a ‘train-the-trainer’ approach allowed for expanded reach of the health education curriculum, educating more than 2,000 hard-to-reach women. The strategies employed can be applied to other health education programmes.
Chemical treatments of bamboo to modify its moisture absorption and adhesion to vinyl ester resin in humid environment
Authors: Hongyan Chen  , Menghe Miao  , Xin Ding
Published: March 2011

Moisture absorption is a major concern in the case of natural fibers used as reinforcement in structural composites. Bamboo strip as a kind of natural material has been used to reinforce vinyl ester resin, in this study. The moisture absorption behavior of the bamboo strips and their adhesion to vinyl ester resin at different levels of relative humidity (RH) during specimen fabrication are investigated. To improve moisture resistance and the adhesion to vinyl ester resin under high RH conditions, the bamboo strips are subject to different chemical treatments, that is with alkaline, pre-alkaline and acetic anhydride, pre-alkaline and potassium permanganate, and pre-alkaline and silane. The study of the equilibrium moisture content of modified bamboo strips shows that it is slightly increased by alkaline treatment, while it is reduced by the other three methods, especially by acetylation due to its well-known esterification. The interfacial shear strength (IFSS) by pull-out test is greatly improved after the modification and it decreases steadily as the fabrication RH levels increase for both untreated and treated samples. At high level RH (80% RH), IFSS is almost negligible except acetylated specimens. Results indicate that the severe negative impact on the IFSS by fabrication RH levels is not so considerable if the bamboo strips are subjected to acetylation as pretreatment. The interlaminar shear strength values based on short-beam shear test of unidirection bamboo strip mats/vinyl ester resin composites are well consistent with IFSS data.
Striving for the Moral Self: The Effects of Recalling Past Moral Actions on Future Moral Behavior
Authors: Jordan Jennifer , Mullen Elizabeth , Murnighan J. Keith
Published: March 2011

People’s desires to see themselves as moral actors can contribute to their striving for and achievement of a sense of self-completeness. The authors use self-completion theory to predict (and show) that recalling one’s own (im)moral behavior leads to compensatory rather than consistent moral action as a way of completing the moral self. In three studies, people who recalled their immoral behavior reported greater participation in moral activities (Study 1), reported stronger prosocial intentions (Study 2), and showed less cheating (Study 3) than people who recalled their moral behavior. These compensatory effects were related to the moral magnitude of the recalled event, but they did not emerge when people recalled their own positive or negative nonmoral behavior (Study 2) or others’ (im)moral behavior (Study 3). Thus, the authors extend self-completion theory to the moral domain and use it to integrate the research on moral cleansing (remunerative moral strivings) and moral licensing (relaxed moral strivings).
Financial Strain, Religious Involvement, and Life Satisfaction Among Older Mexican Americans
Authors: Krause Neal , Bastida Elena
Published: March 2011

The purpose of this study is to see if financial strain affects the religious involvement and life satisfaction of older Mexican Americans. In the process, an effort was made to explore the factors that promote financial strain in this ethnic group, including immigration status and English language use. The data come from a nationwide survey of older Mexican Americans. Support was found for the following core relationships in the study model: (1) Older adults who were born in Mexico will have less schooling; (2) less education will be associated with less frequent use of English; (3) less frequent use of English will be associated with greater financial strain; (4) greater financial strain leads to less formal involvement in the church; (5) older people who are less involved in the church will have a diminished sense of religious meaning; and (6) older adults with a lower sense of religious meaning will be less satisfied with life.
“Tribes Sharing Life”
Authors: Fahrenwald Nancy L. , Belitz Christine , Keckler Arliss
Published: March 2011

“Tribes Sharing Life” is an educational intervention about deceased organ donation for American Indian Tribal College and University (TCU) students. The classroom and web-based program was derived from cultural values and beliefs, and the Transtheoretical Model. The aim of this study was to develop and formatively evaluate the intervention for acceptability and satisfaction among advisory council members ( n = 10) and TCU students ( n = 22). Council evaluation results were strong. All items met the <3.0 mean acceptability criterion using an intervention materials review form. Content validity indices met criterion of 0.80 overall and for each item. Dialogue among tribal advisors led to culturally based changes in the images that portrayed the need for organ donation. TCU student evaluation of the revised intervention resulted in overall mean scores that met criterion for acceptability and satisfaction. Tribes Sharing Life is a formatively evaluated intervention that should undergo efficacy testing.
Post-stroke fatigue: a treatment protocol that is being evaluated
Authors: Zedlitz AMEE , Fasotti L , Geurts ACH
Published: March 2011

This series of articles for rehabilitation in practice aims to cover a knowledge element of the rehabilitation medicine curriculum. Nevertheless they are intended to be of interest to a multidisciplinary audience. The competency addressed in this article is the neuropsychologist.

AbstractPurpose: Post-stroke fatigue is a common and debilitating complaint, which has only recently received attention in clinical rehabilitation. Until now, no evidence-based treatments have been available for the condition. Therefore, a new treatment was designed to reduce post-stroke fatigue complaints: Cognitive and Graded Activity Training (COGRAT).

Rationale: Following the premise that post-stroke fatigue is primarily caused by brain damage, the treatment aims to prevent fatigue and to manage existing fatigue symptoms. The purpose of the added graded activity programme is to reduce fatigue by changing cognitions and enhancing physical fitness.

Theory into practice: COGRAT consists of a cognitive treatment and graded activity programme in small groups over 12 weeks. In the cognitive treatment, patients receive education on post-stroke fatigue and register their activities and fatigue to gain insight into their daily agenda and fatigability. Patients are then taught several compensation strategies. Cognitive behavioural therapy is used to diminish anxiety, facilitate behavioural change and manage fatigue symptoms. The graded activity programme consists of walking on a treadmill, strength training and home work assignments. Maximum heart rate and strength are increased from 40% at the beginning of the training to a maximum of 70%.

Considerations for future improvements: COGRAT is currently being evaluated in outpatients with severe post-stroke fatigue in a multicentre randomized controlled trial. Preliminary data suggest both positive short- and long-term effects. Adaptations for other neurological patient groups suffering from fatigue are suggested.
Assistive Technology and Students With High-incidence Disabilities
Authors: Bouck Emily C. , Maeda Yukiko , Flanagan Sara M.
Published: March 2011

Assistive technology use in secondary school and postschool has been shown to improve the educational attainment and life outcomes of students with high-incidence disabilities. This study used data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2—collected in the early to mid-2000s—to explore the relationship between receipt of assistive technology in school and postschool outcomes. Few students in this study reported receiving assistive technology in high school (7.8%) and fewer still after high school (1.1%). In general, students with high-incidence disabilities who reported receiving assistive technology in school had more positive postschool outcomes in terms of a paid job, wages, and participation in postsecondary education. Yet assistive technology receipt was not a statistically significant factor in the logistic regression model for any dependent variable (i.e., postschool outcome). Although positive implications for receipt of assistive technology in school were suggested, receipt was not a predictor for positive postschool outcomes.
Reviewing Policy: Starting the Wrong Conversations: The Public School Crisis and “Waiting for Superman”
Authors: Swalwell Katy , Apple Michael W.
Published: March 2011

The documentary “Waiting for Superman” has become one of those rare things, a (supposed) documentary that generates a wider audience. It also is one of the more recent embodiments of what Nancy Fraser (1989) labels as the “politics of needs and needs discourses.” Dominant groups listen carefully to the language and issues that come from below. They then creatively appropriate the language and issues in such a way that very real problems expressed by multiple movements are reinterpreted through the use of powerful groups’ understandings of the social world and of how we are to solve “our” problems. This is exactly what is happening in education; and it is exactly what this film tries to accomplish. We critically examine the arguments and assumptions that the film makes, as well as how it makes them. In the process, we demonstrate how it elides crucial questions, contradicts many of its own claims, and acts to close off the kinds of substantive discussions that are essential for serious educational reforms.
The psychologization of humanitarian aid: skimming the battlefield and the disaster zone
Authors: De Vos Jan
Published: March 2011

Humanitarian aid’s psycho-therapeutic turn in the 1990s was mirrored by the increasing emotionalization and subjectivation of fund-raising campaigns. In order to grasp the depth of this interconnectedness, this article argues that in both cases what we see is the post-Fordist production paradigm at work; namely, as Hardt and Negri put it, the direct production of subjectivity and social relations. To explore this, the therapeutic and mental health approach in humanitarian aid is juxtaposed with the more general phenomenon of psychologization. This allows us to see that the psychologized production of subjectivity has a problematic waste-product as it reduces the human to Homo sacer, to use Giorgi Agamben’s term. Drawing out a double matrix of a de-psychologizing psychologization connected to a politicizing de-politicization, it will further become possible to understand psycho-therapeutic humanitarianism as a case of how, in these times of globalization, psychology, subjectivity and money are all interrelated.
Advancing Group Research: The (Non) Necessity of Behavioral Data?
Authors: Reynolds Katherine J.
Published: March 2011

Behavioural data are important for group research and are widely used to inform and validate relevant theoretical propositions. There is more debate about the role of such data in illuminating the psychological processes that underpin group behaviour itself. This article focuses on this debate and outlines that behavioral data are limited because (a) they have difficulty distinguishing between interactions between individuals-as-individuals and individuals-as-group members, and (b) when the psychological group is properly understood it becomes clear that much of group research concerns individuals-as-group members and the emergence of a shared social identity (along with shifts in self-definition from I to we). The implication is that behavioural data per se are limited in being able to infer the very psychological processes that are central to group research. In conclusion, examples are outlined where in combination with a social identity perspective (and related work) behavioural data have been informative in advancing group research.
Imaging Learning: The Search for a Memory Trace
Authors: Fields R. Douglas
Published: March 2011

Learning is associated with structural changes in the human brain that can be seen and studied by MRI. These changes are observed in gray matter and surprisingly also in white matter tissue. Learning a wide range of skills, from sports, computer games, music, and reading, to abstract intellectual learning, including classroom study, is associated with structural changes in appropriate cortical regions or fiber tracts. The cellular changes underlying modifications of brain tissue during learning include changes in neuronal and glial morphology as well as vascular changes. Both alterations in axon morphology and myelination are thought to contribute to white matter plasticity during learning but to varying degrees depending on age. Structural changes in white matter could promote learning by improving the speed or synchrony of impulse transmission between cortical regions mediating the behavior. Action potentials can stimulate oligodendrocyte development and myelination by at least three known mechanisms that involve signaling molecules between axons and oligodendrocytes, which do not require neurotransmitter release from synapses. Integrating information from cellular/molecular and systems-level research on normal cognitive function, development, and learning is providing new insights into the biological mechanisms of learning and the structural changes produced in the brain.
Knowledge Linkage
Authors: Ying Tianyu , Xiao Honggen
Published: March 2011

Research subjects are indicative of problem areas amongst which knowledge traffic occurs and networks form in a scientific community. This article presents a social network analysis of tourism dissertation subjects based on ProQuest Dissertations and Theses–Full Text database (1994-2008). The study suggests an openness and vibrancy of tourism as a domain of knowledge from a social network perspective. Longitudinal examinations revealed a structural change in its knowledge development. Twenty-one subjects were identified as subdomains in this dynamic and interconnected knowledge system. The article also discusses the relationships between subject areas and doctoral program distributions for tourism research at North American institutions. Results of the study contribute to discussions on scientific community and knowledge networks in interdisciplinary tourism studies.
Exercise training leads to a reduction of elevated myostatin levels in patients with chronic heart failure
Authors: Lenk Karsten , Erbs Sandra , Höllriegel Robert , Beck Ephraim , Linke Axel , Gielen Stephan , Winkler Sven Möbius , Sandri Marcus , Hambrecht Rainer , Schuler Gerhard , Adams Volker
Published: March 2011

Background: In chronic heart failure (CHF), cardiac cachexia is often associated with the terminal stage of this disease. In animal studies it has been demonstrated that myostatin, a key regulator of skeletal muscle mass, is elevated in advanced stages of this syndrome.

Design: The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of myostatin in patients with late stage CHF (NYHA IIIb) in comparison to healthy subjects. Furthermore the effects of physical exercise on myostatin were analyzed.

Methods: Twenty-four patients were either randomized to a sedentary control group (CHF-S) or exercise training (CHF-E). At baseline and after 12 weeks mRNA and myostatin protein in the peripheral skeletal muscle as well as myostatin serum concentration were measured. Furthermore 12 age-matched healthy men were compared to all patients at baseline (HC).

Results: CHF patients showed a two-fold increase of myostatin mRNA ( p = 0.05) and a 1.7-fold ( p = 0.01) augmentation of protein content in skeletal muscle compared to healthy subjects. In late-stage CHF, exercise training led to a 36% reduction of the mRNA and a 23% decrease of the myostatin protein compared to baseline. The serum concentration of myostatin revealed no significant alteration between the groups.

Conclusion: In the skeletal muscle, myostatin increases significantly in the course of CHF. The observed effects of a significant reduction of myostatin in skeletal muscle after 12 weeks of exercise training demonstrate the reversibility of molecular changes that might be able to halt the devastating process of muscle wasting in chronic heart failure.
Lentiviral vector common integration sites in preclinical models and a clinical trial reflect a benign integration bias and not oncogenic selection
Authors: Biffi Alessandra , Bartolomae Cynthia C. , Cesana Daniela , Cartier Natalie , Aubourg Patrik , Ranzani Marco , Cesani Martina , Benedicenti Fabrizio , Plati Tiziana , Rubagotti Enrico , Merella Stefania , Capotondo Alessia , Sgualdino Jacopo , Zanetti Gianluigi , von Kalle Christof , Schmidt Manfred , Naldini Luigi , Montini Eugenio
Published: March 2011

A recent clinical trial for adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) showed the efficacy and safety of lentiviral vector (LV) gene transfer in hematopoietic stem progenitor cells. However, several common insertion sites (CIS) were found in patients' cells, suggesting that LV integrations conferred a selective advantage. We performed high-throughput LV integration site analysis on human hematopoietic stem progenitor cells engrafted in immunodeficient mice and found the same CISs reported in patients with ALD. Strikingly, most CISs in our experimental model and in patients with ALD cluster in megabase-wide chromosomal regions of high LV integration density. Conversely, cancer-triggering integrations at CISs found in tumor cells from γretroviral vector–based clinical trials and oncogene-tagging screenings in mice always target a single gene and are contained in narrow genomic intervals. These findings imply that LV CISs are produced by an integration bias toward specific genomic regions rather than by oncogenic selection.
Immune reconstitution under antiretroviral therapy: the new challenge in HIV-1 infection
Authors: Corbeau Pierre , Reynes Jacques
Published: March 2011

Although highly active antiretroviral therapy has enabled constant progress in reducing HIV-1 replication, in some patients who are “aviremic” during treatment, the problem of insufficient immune restoration remains, and this exposes them to the risk of immune deficiency–associated pathologies. Various mechanisms may combine and account for this impaired immunologic response to treatment. A first possible mechanism is immune activation, which may be because of residual HIV production, microbial translocation, co-infections, immunosenescence, or lymphopenia per se. A second mechanism is ongoing HIV replication. Finally, deficient thymus output, sex, and genetic polymorphism influencing apoptosis may impair immune reconstitution. In this review we will discuss the tools at our disposal to identify the various mechanisms at work in a given patient and the specific therapeutic strategies we could propose based on this etiologic diagnosis.
First report of multiple CEBPA mutations contributing to donor origin of leukemia relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Xiao Haowen , Shi Jimin , Luo Yi , Tan Yamin , He Jingsong , Xie Wanzhuo , Zhang Lifei , Wang Yingjia , Liu Lizhen , Wu Kangni , Yu Xiaohong , Cai Zhen , Lin Maofang , Ye Xiujin , Huang He
Published: March 2011

Donor cell leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation might provide a unique human model for our understanding of leukemogenesis in vivo. We hypothesized that the “2-genetic-hits model” may contribute to the “leukemization” of donor cells and first evaluated these genetic mutations that are implicated in the development of acute myeloid leukemia in a donor cell leukemia patient and donor. The patient and his donor-sister both harbored a germline mutation in CEBPA (584_589dup). Susceptible donor hematopoietic cells evolved to overt acute myeloid leukemia by developing 2 somatic CEBPA mutations (247dupC and 914_916dup) in the patient's microenvironment. These were identical to the acquired mutations identified in leukemic cells that originated from the patient during de novo acute myeloid leukemia. Our results provide the first report of multiple mutations of CEBPA contributing to the transformation of donor cells to the leukemic phenotype and provide clues to support the multiple-genetic-hits mechanism of donor cell leukemia.
Pumped double quantum dot with spin-orbit coupling
Authors: Khomitsky Denis , Sherman Eugene
Published: March 2011

We study driven by an external electric field quantum orbital and spin dynamics of electron in a one-dimensional double quantum dot with spin-orbit coupling. Two types of external perturbation are considered: a periodic field at the Zeeman frequency and a single half-period pulse. Spin-orbit coupling leads to a nontrivial evolution in the spin and orbital channels and to a strongly spin- dependent probability density distribution. Both the interdot tunneling and the driven motion contribute into the spin evolution. These results can be important for the design of the spin manipulation schemes in semiconductor nanostructures.

PACS numbers: 73.63.Kv,72.25.Dc,72.25.Pn
Growth factor-enriched autologous plasma improves wound healing after surgical debridement in odontogenic necrotizing fasciitis: a case report
Authors: Lopez-Fernandez Rubi , Ramirez-Melgoza Jorge , Martinez-Aguilar Nora Ernestina , Leon-Chavez Alicia , Martinez-Fong Daniel , Gonzalez-Barrios Juan Antonio
Published: March 2011

Background

Odontogenic necrotizing fasciitis of the neck is a fulminant infection of odontogenic origin that quickly spreads along the fascial planes and results in necrosis of the affected tissues. It is usually polymicrobial, occurs frequently in immunocompromised patients, and has a high mortality rate.

Case presentation

A 69-year old Mexican male had a pain in the maxillar right-canine region and a swelling of the submental and submandibular regions. Our examination revealed local pain, tachycardia, hyperthermia (39°C), and the swelling of bilateral submental and submandibular regions, which also were erythematous, hyperthermic, crepitant, and with a positive Godet sign. Mobility and third-degree caries were seen in the right mandibular canine. Bacteriological cultures isolated streptococcus pyogenes and staphylococcus aureus. The histopathological diagnosis was odontogenic necrotizing fasciitis of the submental and submandibular regions. The initial treatment was surgical debridement and the administration of antibiotics. After cultures were negative, the surgical wound was treated with a growth factor-enriched autologous plasma eight times every third day until complete healing occurred.

Conclusions

The treatment with a growth factor-enriched autologous plasma caused a rapid healing of an extensive surgical wound in a patient with odontogenic necrotizing fasciitis. The benefits were rapid tissue regeneration, an aesthetic and a functional scar, and the avoidance of further surgery and possible complications.
A biregional survey and review of first‐line treatment failure and second‐line paediatric antiretroviral access and use in Asia and southern Africa
Authors:   TREAT Asia Pediatric HIV Observational Database (TApHOD),   The International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) Southern Africa Paediatric Group
Published: March 2011

Background

To better understand the need for paediatric second‐line antiretroviral therapy (ART), an ART management survey and a cross‐sectional analysis of second‐line ART use were conducted in the TREAT Asia Paediatric HIV Observational Database and the IeDEA Southern Africa (International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS) regional cohorts.

Methods

Surveys were conducted in April 2009. Analysis data from the Asia cohort were collected in March 2009 from 12 centres in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Data from the IeDEA Southern Africa cohort were finalized in February 2008 from 10 centres in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Results

Survey responses reflected inter‐regional variations in drug access and national guidelines. A total of 1301 children in the TREAT Asia and 4561 children in the IeDEA Southern Africa cohorts met inclusion criteria for the cross‐sectional analysis.

Ten percent of Asian and 3.3% of African children were on second‐line ART at the time of data transfer. Median age (interquartile range) in months at second‐line initiation was 120 (78‐145) months in the Asian cohort and 66 (29‐112) months in the southern African cohort. Regimens varied, and the then current World Health Organization‐recommended nucleoside reverse transcriptase combination of abacavir and didanosine was used in less than 5% of children in each region.

Conclusions

In order to provide life‐long ART for children, better use of current first‐line regimens and broader access to heat‐stable, paediatric second‐line and salvage formulations are needed. There will be limited benefit to earlier diagnosis of treatment failure unless providers and patients have access to appropriate drugs for children to switch to.