bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antitumor and Antiangiogenic Effects of Aspirin-PC in Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Huang Yan , Lichtenberger Lenard M. , Taylor Morgan , Bottsford-Miller Justin N. , Haemmerle Monika , Wagner Michael J. , Lyons Yasmin , Pradeep Sunila , Hu Wei , Previs Rebecca A. , Hansen Jean M. , Fang Dexing , Dorniak Piotr L. , Filant Justyna , Dial Elizabeth J. , Shen Fangrong , Hatakeyama Hiroto , Sood Anil K.
Published: September 2016

To determine the efficacy of a novel and safer (for gastrointestinal tract) aspirin (aspirin-PC) in preclinical models of ovarian cancer, in vitro dose–response studies were performed to compare the growth-inhibitory effect of aspirin-PC versus aspirin on three human (A2780, SKOV3ip1, and HeyA8) and a mouse (ID8) ovarian cancer cell line over an 8-day culture period. In the in vivo studies, the aspirin test drugs were studied alone and in the presence of a VEGF-A inhibitor (bevacizumab or B20), due to an emerging role for platelets in tumor growth following antiangiogenic therapy, and we examined their underlying mechanisms. Aspirin-PC was more potent (vs. aspirin) in blocking the growth of both human and mouse ovarian cancer cells in monolayer culture. Using in vivo model systems of ovarian cancer, we found that aspirin-PC significantly reduced ovarian cancer growth by 50% to 90% (depending on the ovarian cell line). The efficacy was further enhanced in combination with Bevacizumab or B20. The growth-inhibitory effect on ovarian tumor mass and number of tumor nodules was evident, but less pronounced for aspirin and the VEGF inhibitors alone. There was no detectable gastrointestinal toxicity. Both aspirin and aspirin-PC also inhibited cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and increased apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells. In conclusion, PC-associated aspirin markedly inhibits the growth of ovarian cancer cells, which exceeds that of the parent drug, in both cell culture and in mouse model systems. We also found that both aspirin-PC and aspirin have robust antineoplastic action in the presence of VEGF-blocking drugs. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(12); 2894–904. ©2016 AACR.
Alkylating Agent–Induced NRF2 Blocks Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress–Mediated Apoptosis via Control of Glutathione Pools and Protein Thiol Homeostasis
Authors: Zanotto-Filho Alfeu , Masamsetti V. Pragathi , Loranc Eva , Tonapi Sonal S. , Gorthi Aparna , Bernard Xavier , Gonçalves Rosângela Mayer , Moreira José C.F. , Chen Yidong , Bishop Alexander J.R.
Published: September 2016

Alkylating agents are a commonly used cytotoxic class of anticancer drugs. Understanding the mechanisms whereby cells respond to these drugs is key to identify means to improve therapy while reducing toxicity. By integrating genome-wide gene expression profiling, protein analysis, and functional cell validation, we herein demonstrated a direct relationship between NRF2 and Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress pathways in response to alkylating agents, which is coordinated by the availability of glutathione (GSH) pools. GSH is essential for both drug detoxification and protein thiol homeostasis within the ER, thus inhibiting ER stress induction and promoting survival, an effect independent of its antioxidant role. NRF2 accumulation induced by alkylating agents resulted in increased GSH synthesis via GCLC/GCLM enzyme, and interfering with this NRF2 response by either NRF2 knockdown or GCLC/GCLM inhibition with buthionine sulfoximine caused accumulation of damaged proteins within the ER, leading to PERK-dependent apoptosis. Conversely, upregulation of NRF2, through KEAP1 depletion or NRF2-myc overexpression, or increasing GSH levels with N-acetylcysteine or glutathione-ethyl-ester, decreased ER stress and abrogated alkylating agents–induced cell death. Based on these results, we identified a subset of lung and head-and-neck carcinomas with mutations in either KEAP1 or NRF2/NFE2L2 genes that correlate with NRF2 target overexpression and poor survival. In KEAP1-mutant cancer cells, NRF2 knockdown and GSH depletion increased cell sensitivity via ER stress induction in a mechanism specific to alkylating drugs. Overall, we show that the NRF2-GSH influence on ER homeostasis implicates defects in NRF2-GSH or ER stress machineries as affecting alkylating therapy toxicity. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(12); 3000–14. ©2016 AACR.
Restoring Retinoic Acid Attenuates Intestinal Inflammation and Tumorigenesis in APCMin/+ Mice
Authors: Penny Hweixian Leong , Prestwood Tyler R. , Bhattacharya Nupur , Sun Fionna , Kenkel Justin A. , Davidson Matthew G. , Shen Lei , Zuniga Luis A. , Seeley E. Scott , Pai Reetesh , Choi Okmi , Tolentino Lorna , Wang Jinshan , Napoli Joseph L. , Engleman Edgar G.
Published: September 2016

Chronic intestinal inflammation accompanies familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and is a major risk factor for colorectal cancer in patients with this disease, but the cause of such inflammation is unknown. Because retinoic acid (RA) plays a critical role in maintaining immune homeostasis in the intestine, we hypothesized that altered RA metabolism contributes to inflammation and tumorigenesis in FAP. To assess this hypothesis, we analyzed RA metabolism in the intestines of patients with FAP as well as APCMin/+ mice, a model that recapitulates FAP in most respects. We also investigated the impact of intestinal RA repletion and depletion on tumorigenesis and inflammation in APCMin/+ mice. Tumors from both FAP patients and APCMin/+ mice displayed striking alterations in RA metabolism that resulted in reduced intestinal RA. APCMin/+ mice placed on a vitamin A–deficient diet exhibited further reductions in intestinal RA with concomitant increases in inflammation and tumor burden. Conversely, restoration of RA by pharmacologic blockade of the RA-catabolizing enzyme CYP26A1 attenuated inflammation and diminished tumor burden. To investigate the effect of RA deficiency on the gut immune system, we studied lamina propria dendritic cells (LPDC) because these cells play a central role in promoting tolerance. APCMin/+ LPDCs preferentially induced Th17 cells, but reverted to inducing Tregs following restoration of intestinal RA in vivo or direct treatment of LPDCs with RA in vitro. These findings demonstrate the importance of intestinal RA deficiency in tumorigenesis and suggest that pharmacologic repletion of RA could reduce tumorigenesis in FAP patients. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(11); 917–26. ©2016 AACR.
Weight Gain Trajectories Associated With Elevated C‐Reactive Protein Levels in Chinese Adults
Authors: Thompson Amanda L. , Koehler Elizabeth , Herring Amy H. , Paynter Lauren , Du Shufa , Zhang Bing , Popkin Barry , Gordon‐Larsen Penny
Published: September 2016

Background

Recent longitudinal work suggests that weight change is an important risk factor for inflammation across the full range of
BMI
. However, few studies have examined whether the risk of inflammation differs by patterns of weight gain over time. Using latent class trajectory analysis, we test whether patterns of weight gain are associated with elevated high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐
CRP
2–10 mg/L).

Methods and Results

Data come from China Health and Nutrition Survey (
CHNS
) participants (n=5536), aged 18 at baseline to 66 years in 2009, with measured weight over 18 years. Latent class trajectory analysis was used to identify weight‐change trajectories in 6 age and sex strata. Multivariable general linear mixed‐effects models fit with a logit link were used to assess the risk of elevated hs‐
CRP
across weight trajectory classes. Models were fit within age and sex strata, controlling for baseline weight, adult height, and smoking, and included random intercepts to account for community‐level correlation. Steeper weight‐gain trajectories were associated with greater risk of elevated hs‐
CRP
compared to more moderate weight‐gain trajectories in men and women. Initially high weight gain followed by weight loss was associated with lower risk of elevated hs‐
CRP
in women aged 18 to 40.

Conclusions

Latent class trajectory analysis identified heterogeneity in adult weight change associated with differential risk of inflammation independently of baseline weight and smoking. These results suggest that trajectories of weight gain are an important clinical concern and may identify those at risk for inflammation and the development of cardiometabolic disease.
Cerebral Microbleeds, Vascular Risk Factors, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Markers: The Northern Manhattan Study
Authors: Caunca Michelle R. , Del Brutto Victor , Gardener Hannah , Shah Nirav , Dequatre‐Ponchelle Nelly , Cheung Ying Kuen , Elkind Mitchell S. V. , Brown Truman R. , Cordonnier Charlotte , Sacco Ralph L. , Wright Clinton B.
Published: September 2016

Background

Cerebral microbleeds (
CMB
s) represent intracerebral hemorrhages due to amyloid angiopathy or exposure to modifiable risk factors. Few community‐based stroke‐free studies including blacks and Hispanics have been done.

Methods and Results

The Northern Manhattan Study (
NOMAS
) is a stroke‐free, racially and ethnically diverse cohort study. Brain
MRI
was performed in 1290 participants, 925 of whom had available T2* gradient‐recall echo data. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association of sociodemographics, vascular risk factors, apolipoprotein E (
APOE
) genotype, and brain
MRI
markers with
CMB
presence and location. The prevalence of
CMB
s in our cohort was 5%. Of the 46 participants with
CMB
s, 37% had only deep
CMB
s, 48% had only lobar
CMB
s, and 15% had
CMB
s in both locations. The difference in
CMB
distribution was not statistically significant across race/ethnic group or
APOE
genotype. In multivariable analyses, age (
OR
[95%
CI
]: 1.09 [1.04, 1.15]) and
SBI
s (2.58 [1.01, 6.59]) were positively associated with
CMB
presence, and diabetes medication use was negatively associated (0.25 [0.07, 0.86]).

Conclusions

CMB
s may represent the severity of vascular disease in this racially and ethnically diverse cohort. Larger studies are needed to elucidate the association between diabetes medication use and
CMB
presence.
Cumulative Exposure to Ideal Cardiovascular Health and Incident Diabetes in a Chinese Population: The Kailuan Study
Authors: Liu Xiaoxue , Cui Liufu , Wang Anxin , Wang Xizhu , Song Qiaofeng , Li Shanshan , Shi Jihong , Zhao Xiaohong , Chen Shuohua , Du Xin , Ji Chunpeng , Huxley Rachel , Guo Yuming , Wu Shouling
Published: September 2016

Background

It is unclear whether ideal cardiovascular health (
CVH
), and particularly cumulative exposure to ideal
CVH
(cum
CVH
), is associated with incident diabetes. We aimed to fill this research gap.

Methods and Results

The Kailuan Study is a prospective cohort of 101 510 adults aged 18 to 98 years recruited in 2006–2007 and who were subsequently followed up at 2‐ (Exam 2), 4‐ (Exam 3), and 6 (Exam 4)‐year intervals after baseline. The main analysis is restricted to those individuals with complete follow‐up at all 4 examinations and who had no history of diabetes until Exam 3. Cumulative exposure to ideal
CVH
(cum
CVH
) was calculated as the summed
CVH
score for each examination multiplied by the time between the 2 examinations (score×year). Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between cum
CVH
and incident diabetes. In fully adjusted models, compared with the lowest quintile of cum
CVH
, individuals in the highest quintile had ~68% (95% confidence interval [
CI
] 60‐75) lower risk for incident diabetes (compared with 61% [95%
CI
52‐69] lower risk when using baseline
CVH
). Every additional year lived with a 1‐unit increase in ideal
CVH
was associated with a 24% (95%
CI
21‐28) reduction in incident diabetes.

Conclusions

Ideal
CVH
is associated with a reduced incidence of diabetes, but the association is likely to be underestimated if baseline measures of
CVH
exposure are used. Measures of cumulative exposure to ideal
CVH
are more likely to reflect lifetime risk of diabetes and possibly other health outcomes.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL
:
https://www.chictr.org
. Unique identifier: Chi
CTRTNC
‐11001489.
Effect of dietary modification by calorie restriction on cholesterol levels in lipoprotein(a) and other lipoprotein classes
Authors: Hirowatari Yuji , Manita Daisuke , Kamachi Keiko , Tanaka Akira
Published: September 2016

Background

Dietary habits are associated with obesity which is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. The objective is to estimate the change of lipoprotein(a) and other lipoprotein classes by calorie restriction with obesity index and Framingham risk score.

Methods

Sixty females (56 ± 9 years) were recruited. Their caloric intakes were reduced during the six-month period, and the calorie from fat was not more than 30%. Lipoprotein profiles were estimated at baseline and after the six-month period of calorie restriction. Cholesterol levels in six lipoprotein classes (HDL, LDL, IDL, VLDL, chylomicron and lipoprotein(a)) were analysed by anion-exchange liquid chromatography. The other tests were analysed by general methods. Additionally, Framingham risk score for predicting 10-year coronary heart disease risk was calculated.

Results

Body mass index, waist circumference, insulin resistance, Framingham risk score, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and IDL-cholesterol were significantly decreased by the calorie restriction, and the protein and cholesterol levels of lipoprotein(a) were significantly increased. The change of body mass index was significantly correlated with those of TC, VLDL-cholesterol and chylomicron-cholesterol, and that of waist circumference was significantly correlated with that of chylomicron-cholesterol. The change of Framingham risk score was significantly correlated with the change of IDL-C.

Conclusion

Obesity indexes and Framingham risk score were reduced by the dietary modification. Lipoprotein profile was improved with the reduction of obesity indexes, but lipoprotein(a) was increased. The changes of obesity indexes and Framingham risk score were related with those of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, e.g. IDL, VLDL and CM.
Antiphospholipid and antioangiogenic activity in females with recurrent miscarriage and antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Pelusa Hector F , Pezzarini Eleonora , Basiglio Cecilia L , Musuruana Jorge , Bearzotti Mariela , Svetaz María J , Daniele Stella M , Bottai Hebe , Arriaga Sandra MM
Published: September 2016

Background

Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disease characterized by thrombosis, fetal losses and thrombocytopenia associated to antiphospholipid antibodies. They are directed to phospholipids, such as cardiolipins (anticardiolipin) and lupus anticoagulant or to complexes formed by phospholipids and protein cofactors, such as β2 glycoprotein 1 (a-β2GP1) and annexin V (a-annexin V). These auto-antibodies may be considered as a family of antibodies involved in thrombotic events and antiphospholipid activity. On the other hand, some proangiogenic factors are involved in the normal development of placental vasculature, such as the vascular endothelial growth factor. Overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor in its soluble form (sVEGFR-1) has been associated to a higher antiangiogenic activity. Our aim was to analyse the association between anticardiolipin, lupus anticoagulant, a-β2GP1, a-annexin V and sVEGFR-1 with recurrent miscarriage before week 10 of gestation in females with antiphospholipid syndrome.

Methods

We studied 24 females (primary or secondary antiphospholipid syndrome), who were divided into two groups: females with recurrent miscarriage before week 10 of gestation (M; n = 12) and females with no history of fetal loss (NM; n = 12). Anticardiolipin, a-β2GP1, a-annexin V and sVEGF-R1 concentrations were assessed by ELISA, while lupus anticoagulant was assessed by screening and confirmatory tests.

Results

A significant association was observed between the number of positive biomarkers and the belonging group ( P < 0.05). Besides, a positive result for lupus anticoagulant and a-β2GP1 was found to be significantly associated to the M group ( P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Lupus anticoagulant and a-β2GP1 may be implicated in pregnancies complicated by recurrent miscarriage in females with antiphospholipid syndrome.
School self-evaluation for school improvement: Examining the measuring properties of the LEAD surveys
Authors: Antoniou Panayiotis , Myburgh-Louw Jacqui , Gronn Peter
Published: September 2016

Research evidence suggests school self-evaluation with the participation of school stakeholders could improve teaching and learning. Identification and use of appropriate self-evaluation frameworks, however, is not an easy task for schools. Such a framework, the LEAD School Effectiveness Surveys, has been developed by Independent Schools Victoria in Australia. The LEAD suite of school stakeholder surveys enables schools to evaluate their overall effectiveness in several domains and make informed decisions for school improvement. This article evaluates the reliability as well as the face, content and construct validity of the LEAD surveys and discusses the ways in which school self-evaluation results could contribute to school improvement. Data were gathered from a total of 119,749 students, teaching staff, general and parents taking the LEAD Surveys in 112 independent (non-government) schools and followed a five-year longitudinal design from 2009 to 2013. The results support the reliability as well as the face, content and construct validity of the LEAD surveys. The importance of evaluating the measuring properties of instruments used for school self-evaluation is discussed and suggestions for school self-evaluation are provided.
Lasting Effects? Referrals and Career Mobility of Demographic Groups in Organizations
Authors: Merluzzi Jennifer , Sterling Adina
Published: September 2016

While prior research has suggested that network-based hiring in the form of referrals can lead to better career outcomes, few studies have tested whether such career advantages differ across demographic groups. Using archival data from a single organization for nearly 16,000 employees over an 11-year period, the authors examine the effect of hiring by referrals on the number of promotions employees receive and the differences in this effect across demographic groups. Drawing on theories of referral-based hiring, inequality, and career mobility, they argue that referral-based hiring provides unique promotion advantages for minorities compared to those hired without a referral. Consistent with this argument, they find that referrals are positively associated with promotions for one minority group, blacks, even after controlling for individual and regional labor market differences. The authors explore the possible mechanism for this finding, with initial evidence pointing to referrals providing a signal of quality for black employees. These results suggest refinement to prior research that attests that referral-based hiring disadvantages racial minorities.
“Double Burden of Malnutrition”
Authors: Kulkarni Vani S. , Kulkarni Veena S. , Gaiha Raghav
Published: September 2016

India has one of the highest rates of underweight burden, with signs of rising obesity. Coexistence of underweight and overweight persons is symptomatic of the “double burden of malnutrition.” The present study throws new light on the “double burden of malnutrition” among Indian women in the age group 22–49 years. The analysis is based on a nationally representative household survey, India Human Development Survey. Our results indicate the continuing pattern of socioeconomic segregation of underweight and overweight/obese women, with a large concentration of underweight women among the low socioeconomic group and of overweight/obese women among the high socioeconomic group. Further, relative food prices of food items like cereals and vegetables are significantly associated with the risk of being underweight and overweight/obese. Additionally, we find notable rural/urban differences. The relationship between socioeconomic factors and the probability of being underweight and overweight/obese is stronger in urban than in rural areas. Given that the health implications of being underweight and overweight/obese are equally grim, provision of healthy food items at affordable prices and implementation of programs for preventive and curative care of plausible illnesses related to underweight and overweight/obese are imperative.
Job satisfaction in African public administrations: a systematic review
Authors: Vigan Fanou Arsène , Giauque David
Published: September 2016

In this study, we present a review of public agents’ job satisfaction in Africa between 1990 and 2014. Using the systematic review methodology, we analyse and put in perspective 22 English and French publications on this subject. Results suggest that work environment attributes are the most important antecedents of job satisfaction among African public servants, whereas the effects of personal and work characteristics are marginal. We also found that most of the research dedicated to job satisfaction in Africa relied primarily on theoretical frameworks developed in Western countries. This leads to unexpected results, indicating the need to fit the research models to local specificities. The consequences of job satisfaction in Africa and suggestions for future research are also discussed.

Points for practitioners

This contribution allows practitioners to obtain an overview of the factors that promote the satisfaction/dissatisfaction of public sector employees in Africa. It helps them identify factors on which to act for the implementation of effective personnel policies geared towards the officials’ performance and welfare. The results suggest paying attention to factors related to the working environment (such as the atmosphere at work, organisational support and working conditions) in order to enhance effectively job satisfaction in African public organisations. However, practices such as the establishment of clear objectives and procedures, autonomy, work content, and the recognition of effort are not to be overlooked.
Improving quality of life via social work: Influence of residential and community variables on life satisfaction
Authors: Moreno-Jiménez M Pilar , Vallejo Macarena , Ríos M Luisa
Published: September 2016

The aim of this study is to assess the relationships between residential satisfaction (RS), sense of community (SOC), and citizen participation in a sample of 740 Spanish adults, and the impact these variables have on their life satisfaction (LS). The results show low levels of participation (social and community) and medium to high levels of LS, SOC, and RS. LS is positively affected by such situations as being in a relationship, being employed, and home ownership. It appears that positive socio-economic conditions favor LS. A regression analysis indicates that 15.2 percent of LS can be predicted by both RS and participation.
Investigating the carbon materials’ microwave absorption and its effects on the mechanical and physical properties of carbon fiber and carbon black/ polypropylene composites
Authors: Rezania Jafar , Rahimi Hamid
Published: September 2016

Carbon compounds have high dielectric losses, which means that these materials are heated efficiently by microwave irradiation. Carbon materials can be used as microwave absorbers in polymeric materials that are transparent to microwave irradiation. In this paper, carbon-reinforced polypropylene composites were exposed to microwave irradiation and then their dynamic mechanical thermal properties, electromagnetic shielding, and surface morphology were investigated. The test results showed that mechanical and physical properties of carbon–polypropylene composites improved following microwave exposure. The dynamic mechanical thermal analysis results showed that their storage and loss modulus were improved following microwave treatment. It is postulated that microwave irradiation heats carbon materials, which is likely to melt neighboring matrix thus improving interfacial adhesion and structural defects.
Morphology and thermal properties of nanocomposites based on chiral poly(ester-imide) matrix reinforced by vitamin B1 functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Mallakpour Shadpour , Soltanian Samaneh
Published: September 2016

Chemical functionalization of carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes with vitamin B1 was carried out under ultrasonic irradiation. The functionalized nanotubes were embedded in a chiral and biodegradable poly(ester-imide) to prepare multiwalled carbon nanotubes reinforced polymer nanocomposites. Optically active poly(ester-imide) was synthesized by step-growth polymerization of aromatic diol and amino acid based diacid. The vitamin B1 functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes and the resulting nanocomposites were examined using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis results indicated that temperature at 10% weight loss was increased from 409℃ for pure PEI to 419℃, 427℃, and 430℃ for nanocomposites containing 5%, 10%, and 15% functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes, respectively. The Fourier-transform scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images exhibited that the functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes were separated individually and enwrapped by polymer chains.
Financial and legal decision-making capacity in the aphasic population – a narrative review
Authors: Carr Frances
Published: September 2016

Introduction

Capacity is assumed to be present unless proven otherwise. Assessments of specific decision-making capacity for financial and legal decisions, although challenging in the general population, becomes almost impossible for individuals with language disorders (i.e. aphasia) in the absence of appropriate communication aids. Several capacity aids exist for the general population; however, it is unclear whether any communication aids exist specifically for the aphasic population to assist assessment of financial and legal decision-making capacity.

Method

A literature review was conducted of six databases with the assistance of a research librarian. From 171 articles screened, 12 were included in the final review.

Results

The literature focus was on medical decision-making capacity, and in particular, patient consent. Few articles addressed legal or financial decision-making capacity. Several articles identified the presence of general and specific capacity aids for the general population; however, there was a clear absence of similar communication aids available for the aphasic population with only one communication aid identified to assist with decision-making capacity assessment for healthcare and accommodation decisions only.

Conclusion

Whilst a significant amount of research has been done on decision-making capacity, it is mostly focused on healthcare; in particular, on patient consent for treatment for the non-aphasic population. Although a communication aid exists to aid assessment of decision-making capacity for healthcare for aphasic individuals, no similar tools exist to aid financial and legal decision-making capacity assessments. This paper highlights an important problem encountered during clinical practice which requires further research.
Relationship Between the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status in Patients Referred for a Dementia Evaluation
Authors: Schmitt Andrew L. , Livingston Ronald B. , Goette William F. , Galusha-Glasscock Jeanine M.
Published: September 2016

The current study examined the relationship between the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in a large, heterogeneous sample of patients referred for dementia assessment ( N = 495; 37% males, 63% females; M age = 76.8 years, SD = 7.0). The MMSE showed a significant moderate correlation with the RBANS Total Scale score ( r = .65). Moderate significant correlations were found between the MMSE and the RBANS indexes ( r = .41 to .49). The MMSE demonstrated moderate correlations with RBANS factor scores of .63 for Factor 1 (memory/learning) and .58 for Factor 2 (visuospatial/attention). These correlations suggest that the MMSE is best considered a measure of global cognitive functioning with the strongest correlations between broader measures.
Attention Moderates the Relationship Between Primary Psychopathy and Affective Empathy in Undergraduate Students
Authors: Tamura Ayame , Sugiura Yoshinori , Sugiura Tomoko , Moriya Jun
Published: September 2016

Psychopathy is personality traits, which is consisted of primary psychopathy characterized by affective and interpersonal problems and secondary psychopathy characterized by behavioral problems. Prior researchers have suggested that people with psychopathy have peculiar attention, which prevents them from detecting information peripheral to their concern, and we hypothesized that this explains their low empathy. Based on these reasoning, the present study assessed whether attention moderates the relationship between psychopathy and affective empathy. Eighty-five undergraduates (40 men and 45 women; mean age = 19.8 years; SD = 1.6) completed the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and a perceptual load task. Hierarchical regression showed that a significant moderation effect was found: primary psychopathy was negatively associated with affective empathy, among those with reduced interference from task-irrelevant stimuli under a medium level of perceptual load. Future study should need to replicate this finding with clinical population.
Chest Pain Patients at Veterans Hospitals Are Increasingly More Likely to Be Observed Than Admitted for Short Stays
Authors: Wright Brad , O’Shea Amy M. J. , Glasgow Justin M. , Ayyagari Padmaja , Vaughan Sarrazin Mary
Published: September 2016

Observation stays are an outpatient service used to diagnose and treat patients for extended periods of time while a decision is made regarding inpatient admission or discharge. Although the use of observation stays is increasing, little is known about which patients are observed and which are admitted for similar periods of time as inpatients. The aim was to identify patient characteristics associated with being observed rather than admitted for a short stay (<48 hours) within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). In our longitudinal analysis, we used logistic regression within a generalized estimating equation framework to model observation stays as a function of patient characteristics, time trends, and hospital fixed effects. To minimize heterogeneity between groups, we limit our sample to patients with a presenting diagnosis of chest pain. Our analysis includes a total of 121 584 hospital events, which consist of all observation and short-stay admissions for chest pain patients at VHA hospitals between 2005 and 2013. Both the absolute and relative use of observation stays increased markedly over time. The odds of an observation stay were higher among women, but lower among older patients and rural residents. Despite strong evidence that chest pain patients are increasingly more likely to be observed than admitted, suggesting a substitution effect, we find little evidence of within-hospital disparities in VHA observation stay use.
Physicians-Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives Interactions and Conflict of Interest
Authors: Patwardhan Avinash R.
Published: September 2016

Physician-industry relationships have come a long way since serious debates began after a 1990 Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources report on the topic. On one side, the Sun Shine Act of 2007, now a part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that mandates disclosure of payments and gifts to the physicians, has injected more transparency into the relationships, and on the other side, numerous voluntary self-regulation guidelines have been instituted to protect patients. However, despite these commendable efforts, problem persists. Taking the specific case of physician-pharmaceutical sales representative (PSR) interactions, also called as detailing, where the PSRs lobby physicians to prescribe their brand drugs while bringing them gifts on the side, an August 2016 article concluded that gifts as small as $20 are associated with higher prescribing rates. A close examination reveals the intricacies of the relationships. Though PSRs ultimately want to push their drugs, more than gifts, they also bring the ready-made synthesized knowledge about the drugs, something the busy physicians, starving for time to read the literature themselves, find hard to let go. Conscientious physicians are not unaware of the marketing tactics. And yet, physicians too are humans. It is also the nature of their job that requires an innate cognitive dissonance to be functional in medical practice, a trait that sometimes works against them in case of PSR interactions. Besides, PSRs too follow the dictates of the shareholders of their companies. Therefore, if they try to influence physicians using social psychology, it is a job they are asked to do. The complexity of relationships creates conundrums that are hard to tackle. This commentary examines various dimensions of these relationships. In the end, a few suggestions are offered as a way forward.
The Physical and Psychological Health of Migrants in Guangzhou, China
Authors: Chen Hongsheng , Zhu Zhenjun , Sun Dongqi , Wang Xingping
Published: September 2016

This study analyzed the health of migrants in 4 types of neighborhood in the city of Guangzhou in China. The research shows that the health of internal migrants in urban villages and private housing neighborhoods is much better than those living in older inner city neighborhoods (which are known as jiefang shequ) and unit neighborhoods (which are known as danwei). The reasons behind this are the facts that the migrants in urban villages tend to be relatively young and there tend to be better social and economic conditions in the private housing neighborhood. Moreover, among the 4 kinds of neighborhood, the gap between psychological health and physical health is the largest in urban villages. In addition, migrants who are younger, have better working conditions, and have higher levels of education have better health scores, and they tend to have more friends in the city, larger houses, better insurance, and more satisfaction with their neighborhood relationships, and they tend to be better adapted to urban life. As for the determinants of health, individual characteristics, community factors, and insurance are the most important factors. Specifically, individual age and age of housing have negative influences on physical health while insurance has a positive effect. This study shows that the type of neighborhood that migrants live in has a great impact on their psychological health, which can be improved by promoting neighborhood environments. Last, we propose that it is necessary to implement different strategies in different communities.
Founding the father: Constructing a paternal identity in Aleksandr Pushkin’s The Blackamoor of Peter the Great and Alexandre Dumas’s Blanche de Beaulieu
Authors: Alexandrova Ekaterina R.
Published: September 2016

This article investigates how Aleksandr Pushkin and Alexandre Dumas – writers of partial African descent – reconstruct their forefathers’ identities, and to some extent their own, through fictional narratives, thereby restoring ‘whitewashed’ black legacy to its rightful place. The focus on the forefather in Pushkin’s The Blackamoor of Peter the Great (begun around 1827) and Dumas’s Blanche de Beaulieu (1826) reflects a watershed moment in the writers’ personal and professional lives, in which they were preoccupied with their public image, their creative legitimacy and their legacy. By simultaneously evoking, yet concealing, the writers’ ancestry, these fictions permit a surreptitious exploration of its distressing aspects. Although the narrative construction of the ancestors’ identity operates within the constraints of the hierarchical representational binaries described by Said in Orientalism, the texts ultimately destabilize these binaries, exemplifying literature’s unique ability to subvert hegemonic ideology.
Exploration of Item Selection in Dual-Purpose Cognitive Diagnostic Computerized Adaptive Testing
Authors: Dai Buyun , Zhang Minqiang , Li Guangming
Published: September 2016

Cognitive diagnostic computerized adaptive testing (CD-CAT) can be divided into two broad categories: (a) single-purpose tests, which are based on the subject’s knowledge state (KS) alone, and (b) dual-purpose tests, which are based on both the subject’s KS and traditional ability level ([Formula: see text]). This article seeks to identify the most efficient item selection method for the latter type of CD-CAT corresponding to various conditions and various evaluation criteria, respectively, based on the reduced reparameterized unified model (RRUM) and the two-parameter logistic model of item response theory (IRT-2PLM). The Shannon entropy (SHE) and Fisher information methods were combined to produce a new synthetic item selection index, that is, the “dapperness with information (DWI)” index, which concurrently considers both KS and [Formula: see text] within one step. The new method was compared with four other methods. The results showed that, in most conditions, the new method exhibited the best performance in terms of KS estimation and the second-best performance in terms of [Formula: see text] estimation. Item utilization uniformity and computing time are also considered for all the competing methods.
Raising children in Fukushima
Authors: Otsuki M.
Published: September 2016

Before the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011, I never thought about radiation. After the accident, I originally evacuated with my two sons, but we returned home a few weeks later to be with my husband and parents-in-law as I felt that life with my family was what mattered and the very basis of my happiness. Today, 5 years after the accident, some people are able to think positively about the situation, and some remain uncertain. This article offers my experience and thoughts as a mother to help enable others to feel less stressed about eating food produced in Fukushima, and suggests ideas to help lift their spirits.
Evaluation of Cardiac Toxicity Biomarkers in Rats from Different Laboratories
Authors: Kim Kyuri , Chini Naseem , Fairchild David G. , Engle Steven K. , Reagan William J. , Summers Sandra D. , Mirsalis Jon C.
Published: September 2016

There is a great need for improved diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of potential cardiac toxicity in drug development. This study reports the evaluation of several commercially available biomarker kits by 3 institutions (SRI, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer) for the discrimination between myocardial degeneration/necrosis and cardiac hypertrophy as well as the assessment of the interlaboratory and interplatform variation in results. Serum concentrations of natriuretic peptides (N-terminal pro-atrial natriuretic peptide [NT-proANP] and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP]), cardiac and skeletal troponins (cTnI, cTnT, and sTnI), myosin light chain 3 (Myl3), and fatty acid binding protein 3 (FABP3) were assessed in rats treated with minoxidil (MNX) and isoproterenol (ISO). MNX caused increased heart-to-body weight ratios and prominent elevations in NT-proANP and NT-proBNP concentrations detected at 24-hr postdose without elevation in troponins, Myl3, or FABP3 and with no abnormal histopathological findings. ISO caused ventricular leukocyte infiltration, myocyte fibrosis, and necrosis with increased concentrations of the natriuretic peptides, cardiac troponins, and Myl3. These results reinforce the advantages of a multimarker strategy in elucidating the underlying cause of cardiac insult and detecting myocardial tissue damage at 24-hr posttreatment. The interlaboratory and interplatform comparison analyses also showed that the data obtained from different laboratories and platforms are highly correlated and reproducible, making these biomarkers widely applicable in preclinical studies.
The comparative analysis of neighborhood sustainability assessment tool
Authors: Lin Kuan W , Shih Chih M
Published: September 2016

From Ebenezer Howard’s concept of garden cities to visions of the sustainable development of ecocities, people have engaged in numerous attempts to curb hazards of residential environments and excessive capitalized development resulting from mass industrialization. However, many countries have adopted widely used green building assessment tools to conduct neighborhood sustainability assessment of ecocities. An ecocommunity assessment tool of Taiwan was established according to current green building policies, the content of which focuses on technological aspects rather than on the closely correlated social and economic aspects within ecocities. To thoroughly review neighborhood sustainability assessment tools, this study conducted a qualitative and quantitative analysis of internationally renowned assessment tools and tools used in developed Asian countries. This study concluded that (a) a number of countries have proposed neighborhood sustainability assessment tools that strongly emphasize resource and energy categories but neglect economic development; (b) the neighborhood sustainability assessment tools in Asia possess special characteristics; and (c) indicators of neighborhood sustainability assessment tools must enable mutual links and public participation.
Paving the way towards superstar destinations: Models of convex demand for quality
Authors: Chorus Caspar G
Published: September 2016

This article highlights the importance for urban planning, of the under-researched notion of superstar destinations. Furthermore, it presents and compares destination choice models that generate a convex demand for destination quality, and thereby explain and predict the existence of so-called superstar destinations. When compared to their competition, superstar destinations are much more popular than differences in quality between the superstar and other destinations would suggest at first sight. Although convexity of demand for quality is a known precondition for the existence of superstars, it remains unclear what mechanism might cause this imperfect substitution between different quality levels. The article proposes several choice models that generate a convexity of demand for quality, thereby paving the way for (modelling) the existence of superstar destinations. These models are compared using numerical simulations, which show that each of the proposed models has the potential to generate superstar effects, although for most models the effect decreases for larger choice sets. Results suggest that including reference-dependency into choice models helps overcome this potential limitation, as it leads to superstar effects for larger choice sets typically encountered in real life destination choice situations.
“Give Me Sight Beyond Sight”
Authors: Stingl Alexander I.
Published: September 2016

This is the second of two special issues, and the articles are grouped according to two themes: The previous, first issue featured articles that shared the theme Technologies and the Political, while this second issue is focused on the theme of Subjectivities. In this second, somewhat expanded, introduction, the “sky’s the limit.” This introduction canvasses various theoretical and conceptual-empricial perspectives that the articles of both issues touch on and further tries to open many doors through which readers are invited to go on their own rather than give readymade answers. This introduction is written not only to give both an overview of some of the most important conceptual, methodological, and empirical contexts that the two special issues evoke but also to create invitations for many further conversations to be had from here on forward by beginning the interrogating and troubling of the intercourse between “science” and “science fiction”: beause all of this has happened before and will happen again.
Linking Diversity of Collaborative Policymaking Venues With Procedural Justice Perceptions: A Study of U.S. Marine Aquaculture Partnerships
Authors: Kim Jangmin , Siddiki Saba
Published: September 2016

Diversity has long been recognized as a critical component of collaborative governance. Among many rationales, the representation of diverse perspectives and participants in collaborative governance arrangements is expected to facilitate holistic understandings of complex public policy and management issues while promoting principles of democracy and inclusion. Such outcomes, however, are typically only achievable if the process of collaboration similarly engenders these principles. In this article, we investigate the dynamic relationship between diversity and perceived procedural justice in the context of 10 collaborative policymaking groups involved in guiding U.S. marine aquaculture policy development. Among our key findings is that certain types of participant diversity (i.e., affiliation and intergovernmental diversity) and diversity in beliefs about science and local knowledge are significantly associated with perceptions of procedural justice among participants within the collaborative groups. We also find that the relationship between participant diversity and perceived procedural justice is curvilinear; the positive effect of diversity is highest when the level of diversity is moderate (an inverted U-shaped pattern). We conclude our article with practical implications and suggestions for future research on procedural justice within collaborative partnerships.
Exploring rater cognition: A typology of raters in the context of music performance assessment
Authors: Wesolowski Brian C.
Published: September 2016

This manuscript sought to investigate rater cognition by exploring rater types based upon differential severity and leniency associated with rating scale items, rating scale category functioning, and dimensions of music performance assessment. The purpose of this study was to empirically identify typologies of operational raters based upon systematic differential severity indices in the context of large ensemble music performance assessment. A rater cognition information-processing model was explored based upon two frameworks: a framework for scoring and a framework for audition. Rater scoring behavior was examined using a framework for scoring, where raters’ mental processes compare auditory images to the scoring criteria used to generate a scoring decision. The scoring decisions were evaluated using the Multifaceted Rasch Partial Credit Measurement Model. A rater typology was then examined under the framework of audition, where similar schemata were defined through raters’ clustering of differential severity indices related to items and compared across performance dimensions. The results provided three distinct rater-types: (a) the syntactical rater; (b) the expressive rater; and (c) the mental representation rater. Implications for fairness and precision in the assessment process are discussed as well as considerations for validity of scoring processes.