bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deletion of
Phd2
in Myeloid Lineage Attenuates Hypertensive Cardiovascular Remodeling
Authors: Ikeda Jiro , Ichiki Toshihiro , Matsuura Hirohide , Inoue Eriko , Kishimoto Junji , Watanabe Aya , Sankoda Chikahiro , Kitamoto Shiro , Tokunou Tomotake , Takeda Kotaro , Fong Guo‐Hua , Sunagawa Kenji
Published: June 2013

Background

Hypertension induces cardiovascular hypertrophy and fibrosis. Infiltrated macrophages are critically involved in this process. We recently reported that inhibition of prolyl hydroxylase domain protein 2 (
PHD
2), which hydroxylates the proline residues of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐α (
HIF
‐α) and thereby induces
HIF
‐α degradation, suppressed inflammatory responses in macrophages. We examined whether myeloid‐specific
Phd2
deletion affects hypertension‐induced cardiovascular remodeling.

Methods and Results

Myeloid‐specific
PHD
2‐deficient mice (MyPHD2KO) were generated by crossing
Phd2
‐floxed mice with LysM‐Cre transgenic mice, resulting in the accumulation of
HIF
‐1α and
HIF
‐2α in macrophage. Eight‐ to ten‐week‐old mice were given
N
G
‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐
NAME
), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, and Angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion. L‐
NAME
/Ang II comparably increased systolic blood pressure in control and MyPHD2KO mice. However, MyPHD2KO mice showed less aortic medial and adventitial thickening, and macrophage infiltration. Cardiac interstitial fibrosis and myocyte hypertrophy were also significantly ameliorated in MyPHD2KO mice.
Transforming growth factor
‐β and
collagen
expression were decreased in the aorta and heart from MyPHD2KO mice. Echocardiographic analysis showed that left ventricular hypertrophy and reduced ejection fraction induced by L‐
NAME
/Ang II treatment in control mice were not observed in MyPHD2KO mice. Administration of digoxin that inhibits
HIF
‐α synthesis to L‐
NAME
/Ang II‐treated MyPHD2KO mice reversed these beneficial features.

Conclusions

Phd2
deletion in myeloid lineage attenuates hypertensive cardiovascular hypertrophy and fibrosis, which may be mediated by decreased inflammation‐ and fibrosis‐associated gene expression in macrophages.
PHD
2 in myeloid lineage plays a critical role in hypertensive cardiovascular remodeling.
Chinese Medicine Neuroaid Efficacy on Stroke Recovery
Authors: Chen Christopher L.H. , Young Sherry H.Y. , Gan Herminigildo H. , Singh Rajinder , Lao Annabelle Y. , Baroque Alejandro C. , Chang Hui Meng , Hiyadan John Harold B. , Chua Carlos L. , Advincula Joel M. , Muengtaweepongsa Sombat , Chan Bernard P.L. , de Silva H. Asita , Towanabut Somchai , Suwanwela Nijasri C. , Poungvarin Niphon , Chankrachang Siwaporn , Wong K.S. Lawrence , Eow Gaik Bee , Navarro Jose C. , Venketasubramanian Narayanaswamy , Lee Chun Fan , Bousser Marie-Germaine
Published: June 2013

Background and Purpose—

Previous clinical studies suggested benefit for poststroke recovery when MLC601 was administered between 2 weeks and 6 months of stroke onset. The Chinese Medicine Neuroaid Efficacy on Stroke recovery (CHIMES) study tested the hypothesis that MLC601 is superior to placebo in acute, moderately severe ischemic stroke within a 72-hour time window.

Methods—

This multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 1100 patients with a National Institutes of Health
Stroke
Scale score 6 to 14, within 72 hours of onset, to trial medications for 3 months. The primary outcome was a shift in the modified Rankin Scale. Secondary outcomes were modified Rankin Scale dichotomy, National Institutes of Health
Stroke
Scale improvement, difference in National Institutes of Health
Stroke
Scale total and motor scores, Barthel index, and mini-mental state examination. Planned subgroup analyses were performed according to age, sex, time to first dose, baseline National Institutes of Health
Stroke
Scale, presence of cortical signs, and antiplatelet use.

Results—

The modified Rankin Scale shift analysis–adjusted odds ratio was 1.09 (95% confidence interval, 0.86–1.32). Statistical difference was not detected between the treatment groups for any of the secondary outcomes. Subgroup analyses showed no statistical heterogeneity for the primary outcome; however, a trend toward benefit in the subgroup receiving treatment beyond 48 hours from stroke onset was noted. Serious and nonserious adverse events rates were similar between the 2 groups.

Conclusions—

MLC601 is statistically no better than placebo in improving outcomes at 3 months when used among patients with acute ischemic stroke of intermediate severity. Longer treatment duration and follow-up of participants with treatment initiated after 48 hours may be considered in future studies.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00554723.
Refusal to Save Lives: A Perspective from International Criminal Law
Authors: Scheinert Josh
Published: June 2013

This article examines whether or not the refusal to accept life-saving humanitarian aid can qualify as a crime against humanity in international criminal law. By looking at the refusal to accept a certain HIV/AIDS drug in South Africa, and humanitarian aid in the wake of Cyclone Nargis in Burma, this article seeks to test the limits of the current understanding and conception of what a crime against humanity is. After a thorough review of the jurisprudence the article turns to apply the law to what transpired in South Africa and to Burma, and concludes that those situations do comport with the crime against humanity of ‘other inhumane acts’.
Seeking Asylum before the International Criminal Court. Another Challenge for a Court in Need of Credibility
Authors: Yabasun Dersim , Holvoet Mathias
Published: June 2013

In 2012 the International Criminal Court (ICC) celebrates its ten-year anniversary since its establishment. It is fair to say that the current age of the Court reflects its present maturity. At the time of writing, the Court has finally rendered its first verdict, by condemning the Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga for the conscription of child soldiers after a rather wobbly trial that took 6 years. In May 2011, the Court faced another unprecedented challenge. Four witnesses transferred from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to testify in the Lubanga and Katanga & Ngudjolo Chui (hereinafter: Katanga) trials, applied for asylum in the Netherlands. This matter, which was not anticipated in the Statute or secondary sources of ICC law, raises issues concerning the cooperation between the ICC, the Netherlands as host state and the DRC, and raises intriguing questions about the interaction of international criminal law and international refugee law.
Sovereign Wealth Funds and Socially Responsible Investing: An Emerging Public Fiduciary
Authors: Richardson Benjamin J.
Published: June 2013

The dramatic growth of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) in recent decades has made them a significant phenomenon in global financial markets and raised the prospect of more enlightened investing that respects the environmental underpinnings of economic prosperity. Until the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, the movement for socially responsible investing (SRI) had been the only noteworthy dissenting voice to the traditional complacency about the financial economy’s wider impacts. That financial calamity not only unveiled a systemic malaise in the financial alchemy of the global economy but also highlighted its social and environmental sequelae. The rise of SWFs, several of which are legally mandated to practice SRI, gives hope that states may reclaim some public oversight over finance capitalism.

The purpose of this article is to investigate the governance of some SWFs with a view to assessing their capacity to contribute to environmental sustainability. As public financial institutions empowered by a broader conception of investment that takes account of social and environmental factors, SWFs have the incipient markings of ‘public fiduciaries’. SWFs could provide a novel way to interpolate the public trust environmental responsibilities of the state into the governance of the financial economy. This article focuses on the French and Norwegian SWFs, which arguably have the most comprehensive SRI practices of all SWFs. Both, however, have struggled to reconcile their ethical and financial mandates into a coherent investment philosophy. But their putative fiduciary responsibilities to society through an increasingly long-term investing perspective suggest a new normative direction to reconcile these tensions and to thereby help institutionalize the principles of intergenerational equity and sustainable development in the context of financial markets.
Climate Change, Sea Level Rise and Protecting Displaced Coastal Communities: Possible Solutions
Authors: George Puthucherril Tony
Published: June 2013

Climate change and sea level rise are realities that are upon us and which will profoundly impact the lives and basic rights of millions of coastal residents all over the world. As the law stands both at the international and at certain national levels, the basic human rights of the climate displaced are not adequately protected. This paper identifies two possible displacement scenarios, based on the continued availability/non-availability of land in the face of sea level rise and other climate change impacts; namely, the sinking Small Island Developing States phenomeon, where land disappears and there is no surplus land to support habitation, and all other cases, where the coastal land is battered severely but it can be re-utilized through appropriate adaptation measures or even if coastal frontage land disappears there is still land available inland. On this basis, the paper proposes three possible solutions: (1) bilateral or regional treaties to facilitate resettlement of the inhabitants of sinking Small Island Developing States, (2) appropriate coastal climate change adaptation implemented via integrated coastal zone management and (3) creation of new arrangements under the international climate change regime to provide financial assistance and technological support to respond to both situations. Even though the primary focus of this paper is on coastal communities in South Asia, the lessons that it offers are relevant to other coastal contexts as well.
Limits and phylogenetic relationships of East Asian fishes in the subfamily Oxygastrinae (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae)
Authors: TANG KEVIN L. , AGNEW MARY K. , HIRT M. VINCENT , LUMBANTOBING DANIEL N. , RALEY MORGAN E. , SADO TETSUYA , TEOH VIEW-HUNE , YANG LEI , BART HENRY L. , HARRIS PHILLIP M. , HE SHUNPING , MIYA MASAKI , SAITOH KENJI , SIMONS ANDREW M. , WOOD ROBERT M. , MAYDEN RICHARD L.
Published: June 2013

The cyprinid subfamily Oxygastrinae is composed of a diverse group of fishes that has been taxonomically and phyloge-netically problematic. Their great variation in appearance, life histories, and trophic diversity resulted in uncertainty re-garding their relationships, which led to their historical classification across many disparate subfamilies. The phylogenetic relationships of Oxygastrinae are resolved based on sequence data from four loci: cytochrome b, cytochrome c oxidase I, opsin, and recombination activating gene 1. A combined data matrix consisting of 4114 bp for 144 taxa was compiled and analyzed using maximum likelihood and parsimony optimality criteria. The subfamily Oxygastrinae is recovered as a monophyletic group that includes Ancherythroculter, Aphyocypris, Candidia, Chanodichthys, Ctenopharyngodon, Culter, Distoechodon, Elopichthys, Hainania, Hemiculter, Hemiculterella, Hemigrammocypris, Hypophthalmichthys, Ischikauia, Macrochirichthys, Megalobrama, Metzia, Mylopharyngodon, Nicholsicypris, Nipponocypris, Ochetobius, Opsariichthys, Oxygaster, Parabramis, Parachela, Paralaubuca, Pararasbora, Parazacco, Plagiognathops, Pseudobrama, Pseudohe-miculter, Pseudolaubuca, Sinibrama, Squaliobarbus, Toxabramis, Xenocyprioides, Xenocypris, Yaoshanicus, and Zacco. Of these genera, the following were found to be monophyletic: Aphyocypris, Distoechodon, Hypophthalmichthys, Nip-ponocypris, Opsariichthys, Parachela, Paralaubuca, Plagiognathops, Xenocyprioides, and Xenocypris. The following genera were not monophyletic: Metzia, Hemiculter, Toxabramis, Ancherythroculter, Chanodichthys, Culter, Megalobra-ma. The remainder are either monotypic or were represented by only a single species. Four genera not examined in this study are provisionally classified in Oxygastrinae: Anabarilius, Longiculter, Pogobrama, and Rasborichthys.
A new blind snake (Typhlopidae) from Northeastern Cuba
Authors: DOMÍNGUEZ MICHEL , G. ANSEL FONG , ITURRIAGA MANUEL
Published: June 2013

Typhlops leptolepis sp. nov. is a new blind snake from Holguín Province, northeastern region of Cuba. The new species is characterized by its small and thin body size, as well as a narrow rostral in dorsal view, longer than broad, with parallel to curved sides, tapering toward anterior tip. The preocular is in contact with third supralabial only. It has 20 anterior scale rows reducing to 18 posteriorly at around midbody or posterior to midbody, moderate to high middorsal scale counts (250– 308), and a peculiar coloration (head, neck, and tail whitish spotted in ventral view). Based on its morphology, the new species can be placed within the Typhlops lumbricalis species group and a key to the species belonging to this group is presented.
One new species and one new combination of the genus Neocyrtopsis Liu & Zhang, 2007 (Orthoptera: Meconematinae) from Emeishan, China
Authors: WANG HAI-JIAN , CAO CHENG-QUAN , SHI FU-MING
Published: June 2013

The paper describes one new species, i.e. Neocyrtopsis (Neocyrtopsis) emeishanensis Shi sp. nov., transfers Phlugiolopsis platycata Shi & Zheng, 1994 to the genus Neocyrtopsis and redescribes the species.
Evaluation of Turbulent Surface Flux Parameterizations over Tall Grass in a Beijing Suburb
Authors: Wang Linlin , Gao Zhiqiu , Pan Zaitao , Guo Xiaofeng , Bou-Zeid Elie
Published: June 2013

Numerical weather and climate prediction systems necessitate accurate land surface–atmosphere fluxes, whose determination typically replies on a suite of parameterization schemes. The authors present a field investigation over tall grass in a Beijing suburb, where the aerodynamic roughness length (z0) and zero-plane displacement height (d) are found to be 0.02 and 0.44 m, respectively (the value of d is close to two-thirds the average grass height during this field experiment). Both z0 and d values are then used as input parameters of an analytic model of flux footprint; the footprint model reveals that eddy-covariance flux measurements are mainly representative of the tall grass surface concerned herein, potential influences from anthropogenic sources in this suburban area notwithstanding. Based on the “fair weather” data (with an energy balance ratio of 0.89), the authors evaluate four parameterizations of turbulent surface fluxes, namely, a total of three traditional “iterative” schemes and one “noniterative” scheme developed recently to reduce computational time. Their performances are intercompared in terms of the estimations of the sensible heat flux and two turbulence components (the friction velocity and temperature scale). In weakly stable to unstable conditions, two schemes are recommended here for their good performance overall; the first scheme stems jointly from the work of Högström and Beljaars and Holtslag, and the second stems from that of Li et al.. For this tall grass surface, the choice of z0/z0h = 100 (z0h is the thermal roughness length) is more appropriate than another choice of 10, because the former produces comparatively accurate sensible heat flux estimations.
A Global Model for the Diapycnal Diffusivity Induced by Internal Gravity Waves
Authors: Olbers Dirk , Eden Carsten
Published: June 2013

An energetically consistent model for the diapycnal diffusivity induced by breaking of internal gravity waves is proposed and tested in local and global settings. The model [Internal Wave Dissipation, Energy and Mixing (IDEMIX)] is based on the spectral radiation balance of the wave field, reduced by integration over the wavenumber space, which yields a set of balances for energy density variables in physical space. A further simplification results in a single partial differential equation for the total energy density of the wave field. The flux of energy to high vertical wavenumbers is parameterized by a functional derived from the wave–wave scattering integral of resonant wave triad interactions, which also forms the basis for estimates of dissipation rates and related diffusivities of ADCP and hydrography fine-structure data. In the current version of IDEMIX, the wave energy is forced by wind-driven near-inertial motions and baroclinic tides, radiating waves from the respective boundary layers at the surface and the bottom into the ocean interior. The model predicts plausible magnitudes and three-dimensional structures of internal wave energy, dissipation rates, and diapycnal diffusivities in rough agreement to observational estimates. IDEMIX is ready for use as a mixing module in ocean circulation models and can be extended with more spectral components.
Predicting Spring Tornado Activity in the Central Great Plains by 1 March
Authors: Elsner James B. , Widen Holly M.
Published: June 2013

The authors illustrate a statistical model for predicting tornado activity in the central Great Plains by 1 March. The model predicts the number of tornado reports during April–June using February sea surface temperature (SST) data from the Gulf of Alaska (GAK) and the western Caribbean Sea (WCA). The model uses a Bayesian formulation where the likelihood on the counts is a negative binomial distribution and where the nonstationarity in tornado reporting is included as a trend term plus first-order autocorrelation. Posterior densities for the model parameters are generated using the method of integrated nested Laplacian approximation (INLA). The model yields a 51% increase in the number of tornado reports per degree Celsius increase in SST over the WCA and a 15% decrease in the number of reports per degree Celsius increase in SST over the GAK. These significant relationships are broadly consistent with a physical understanding of large-scale atmospheric patterns conducive to severe convective storms across the Great Plains. The SST covariates explain 11% of the out-of-sample variability in observed F1–F5 tornado reports. The paper demonstrates the utility of INLA for fitting Bayesian models to tornado climate data.
Facts about FEMA Household Disaster Aid: Examining the 2008 Floods and Tornadoes in Missouri
Authors: Kousky Carolyn
Published: June 2013

Very little empirical work has been done on disaster aid in the United States. This paper examines postdisaster grants to households from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the state of Missouri in 2008, when the state experienced flooding, storms, and tornadoes. The paper answers the following questions: What was the aid for? How much was given? How many people applied for aid? How many households received aid and how many were denied? Why were some applicants denied aid? Is there any relationship between aid received and socioeconomic or demographic characteristics of communities? The paper finds that the majority of aid grants are for very small amounts of money, on the order of a few thousand dollars. Over half of aid applications are denied, often because of ineligible or insufficient damage. The paper provides some important basic information on the nature of disaster grants to households and also generates several hypotheses for future research.
Damping and low-velocity impact behavior of filled composite pyramidal lattice structures
Authors: Yin Sha , Wu Linzhi , Yang Jinshui , Ma Li , Nutt Steven
Published: June 2013

Composite pyramidal lattice structures with hollow trusses afford a convenient means to enable functionality by inserting elements into free volumes within or between trusses. In this study, vibration and low-velocity impact tests were carried out to investigate the dynamic behavior of hollow composite pyramidal lattice structures filled with silicone rubber. Frequencies and the corresponding damping ratios were obtained, which revealed that the damping ratios of space-filled composite pyramidal lattices increased by two times but those of hybrid composite pyramidal lattices decreased by 2% for the first three orders compared with hollow composite pyramidal lattices. Energy absorption capability for rubber-filled structures increased and the rubber filled between trusses can prevent tup penetration. Desired functional potentials can be realized for composite pyramidal lattice structures by serious selection of filling materials and the corresponding geometry.
Fibre surface modifications through different treatments with the help of design expert software for natural fibre-based biocomposites
Authors: Islam MR , Beg MDH , Mina MF
Published: June 2013

Composites of untreated and treated kenaf fibres with recycled polypropylene were fabricated by melt-cast technique with and without using maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene. To improve interfacial bonding between kenaf fibres and recycled polypropylene, surface modifications of fibres were performed through ultrasound, enzyme and alkali pre-treatments. Klason lignin test, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used for the characterization of fibres. For characterization of composites, the samples were examined by density measurements, mechanical tests, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction study, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Results revealed that ultrasound was able to remove the highest amount of lignin (32%). Tensile strength of the composites was increased by 57%, 58% and 40% due to the treatment with alkali, ultrasound and enzyme, respectively. Optimization of treatment parameters was carried out by means of the design expert software. The optimum treatment parameters, such as alkali concentration, soaking time in alkali, sonication power, temperature, enzyme concentration and soaking time in enzyme were found to be 4.6 wt%, 4.95 h, 99.96%, 94.46℃, 1.26 wt% and 3.89 h, respectively, which are reasonably close to the experimental ones. The preferential b-axis orientation in recycled polypropylene crystal was found to be more apparent due to treated kenaf fibres with maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene than untreated kenaf fibres with maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene. A correlation among crystallinity, surface morphology, and tensile and thermal properties of composites with the fibre-matrix interactions has been established.
The Relationship Between Physical Intimate Partner Violence and Sexually Transmitted Infection Among Women in India and the United States
Authors: Spiwak Rae , Afifi Tracie O. , Halli Shiva , Garcia-Moreno Claudia , Sareen Jitender
Published: June 2013

To investigate the association between physical intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexually transmitted infection (STI) in two national samples. Data came from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions Wave 2 ( n = 34,653) and the National Family Health Survey-3 ( n = 124 385). Ever-married women between the ages of 20 and 49 were asked if they had experienced physical violence by their partner in the past year. Outcomes were presence of doctor confirmed HIV and self-reported STI. Age at first intercourse was examined as a mediator of the relationship between IPV and STI. Logistic regression examined associations between IPV, age at first intercourse and STI. Compared to individuals with no physical IPV, risk for STI was higher for individuals who experienced past year IPV living in the United States and India, however once controlling for age at first intercourse, age, education, household wealth/income and past year sexual violence, the relationship between IPV, and STI was significant in the American sample [(AOR) = 1.65, 95% (CI) = 1.21-2.26], however not for individuals living in India [(AOR) = 1.75, 95% (CI) = 0.84-3.65]. Individuals with exposure to physical IPV are at increased odds for STI. Age at first intercourse although a marker of risk, may not be an accurate marker of risky sexual behavior in both samples.
Democracy in Transition
Authors: Gunderson Gregory Gilbert , Beaty LeAnn , Gladkyy Oleksandr
Published: June 2013

Reforming a totalitarian state requires the changing of old institutions to new democratic ones, establishing new democratic procedures, changing people’s mindsets and introducing new democratic values. Many observers claim that Ukraine, the second-most populous country of the former Soviet Union, has fallen short of making meaningful democratic reforms. While much work in this regard remains to be done, it would be unfair to claim that Ukraine has not made any advancement with regard to democratic reforms. In this article, we describe and analyze broadly the correlation between the establishment of the new administrative court system in Ukraine and the ability of asylum-seekers to gain asylum status as evidence of intentional democratic reforms. The findings, which derive from data gathered from the Ukraine Register of Court cases from May 2009 through May 2010, suggest that Ukraine has implemented such reforms slowly and awkwardly. However, we suggest that Ukraine’s recent establishment of an administrative court reveals that deliberate, albeit cautious, steps have been taken to limit the power of the current government and hold it responsive and responsible towards the people.
Sexuality and Social Reproduction: Reflections from an Indian Feminist Debate
Authors: Gopal Meena
Published: June 2013

This article tries in a preliminary manner to establish links between sexual labour, the negotiations of everyday life and the reproduction of social relations. The context for this interrogation is the recent ban in 2005 on dancing in beer bars in the Indian city of Mumbai; the attempts by the state to legitimise its action amidst a range of national and international rhetoric on sexual labour, and the voices of women who were disenfranchised due to the state ban. Women’s interrogation of their role in sexual labour and their struggle for dignity and respect in the domain of work is discussed in the light of the negative discourse weighing against them, while also bringing in historical and contemporary accounts of other forms of ‘stigmatised’ labour. The attempt is to understand how notions of dignity and respectability are intertwined with shifts in gender, caste, class locations and the struggles of social movements. Significant in this discussion are various examples of how women choose to ‘move away’ in their constant search for livelihoods and survival. The article is an attempt to illuminate how an expanded notion of social reproduction could recognise labours of different kinds with the voices of those embodying these labours having a say in how justice and entitlements should devolve.
Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis confirmed following serological surveillance of small ruminants in Grenada, West Indies
Authors: Kumthekar Sachin , Manning Elizabeth J. B. , Ghosh Pallab , Tiwari Keshaw , Sharma Ravindra N. , Hariharan Harry
Published: June 2013

Surveillance for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis ( Map) infection in small ruminants of Grenada was undertaken using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Among the 479 sheep tested, 11 (2.3%) were ELISA positive while only 1 out of 260 goats (0.3%) was ELISA positive. Five of the 12 ELISA-positive animals were also positive in a commercial agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) assay, and 4 of these showed acid-fast rods consistent with Map in fecal smears. Two sheep that were test-positive by ELISA, AGID, and fecal smears were euthanized and necropsied. Both had gross and histological lesions of paratuberculosis affecting the ileocecal area of small intestines and adjacent lymph nodes. These tissues were successfully cultured in 2 of 3 variants of Middlebrook 7H10 medium. The identity of acid-fast organisms isolated from the tissues was confirmed as Map by multiplex conventional polymerase chain reaction. Using IS 1311 amplification and Hinf I restriction digest analysis, isolates were identified as cattle (C) strains of Map. The current study describes Map infection in Grenada and confirms the presence of C type in sheep on the island of Carriacou. The low seroprevalence in clinically normal animals on the islands of Grenada and Carriacou suggests that control measures implemented in the near future may have a good chance of preventing spread of the infection.
High incidence of Mycobacterium avium subspecies hominissuis infection in a zoo population of bongo antelopes (Tragelaphus eurycerus)
Authors: Moravkova Monika , Mrlik Vojtech , Parmova Ilona , Kriz Petr , Pavlik Ivo
Published: June 2013

Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis ( Mah) infection was diagnosed in 5 captive bongo antelopes ( Tragelaphus eurycerus) originating from a collection in a zoological garden. The animals suffered from emaciation. Postmortem examination revealed nodular lesions in the lungs of all 5 examined animals. Acid-fast bacilli were observed in the lungs of 4 animals. Culture and polymerase chain reaction identification based on IS 901 negativity and IS 1245 positivity confirmed Mah infection in the lungs of all 5 antelopes. In 3 animals, Mah was also isolated from other organs (liver, spleen, and kidney). Molecular analysis of these isolates using IS 1245 restriction fragment length polymorphism and/or mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units–variable number tandem repeat revealed that the studied antelopes were infected by 1 identical genotype. Furthermore, in 2 antelopes, other genotypes were also detected. This shows the possibility of either genetic modifications occurring during infection or polyclonal infection. Culture examination of environmental samples from the enclosures holding the bongos revealed Mah in mulch bark, peat, and soil. Genotyping of these environmental isolates determined several genotypes with 1 dominant genotype that was identical to the dominant genotype detected in antelopes.
Who Goes There? Linking Remote Cameras and Schoolyard Science to Empower Action
Authors: Tanner Dawn , Ernst Julie
Published: June 2013

Taking Action Opportunities (TAO) is a curriculum that combines guided reflection, a focus on the local environment, and innovative use of wildlife technology to empower student action toward improving the environment. TAO is experientially based and uses remote cameras as a tool for schoolyard exploration. Through TAO, students engage in research design, implementation, and analysis, and increase participation in environmentally responsible behavior. TAO was tested with fifth-grade students (age 10-11 years) through a pre- and posttest design. Treatment groups ( n = 93; 4 classes, 2 years) were compared with control ( n = 89; 4 classes, 2 years) and baseline data ( n = 458) to measure knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Students in the treatment groups demonstrated significant ( p < .01) gain in all categories. These students left fifth grade with experience, skill, and confidence in improving their environment.
Across the Colonial Divide
Authors: Cavino Hayley Marama
Published: June 2013

This essay engages questions of evaluator role and indigenous peoples participation in evaluation within colonial and decolonization contexts. Specifically, I critique the Western emphasis on cultural competence and contrast the utility of ‘mainstream’ evaluation approaches alongside three indigenous inquiry models (Te Kotahitanga, Whakawhanaungatanga, and He Taniko) as utilized by/with indigenous Maori in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Using practical examples of evaluation projects conducted with and by Maori, the article highlights the very different ‘evaluation conversations’ happening amongst ‘mainstream’ practitioners—where the focus is on difference, competency, and issues of access—relative to those occurring amongst indigenous evaluators and communities—where evaluation praxis is framed within broader struggles for sovereignty and self-determination. By placing these paradigms in conversation with each other, I highlight the ways in which evaluation approaches that engage indigenous people and places are always representative of particular standpoints. This is because evaluation is unavoidably and simultaneous in dialog with the prevailing contexts of colonization and decolonization vis-a-vis the location and moment in which it occurs. The essay foregrounds the ways in which `mainstream' evaluation's preoccupation with issues of cultural competency fails to fully address the needs and aspirations of indigenous peoples. In contrast, the realization of Maori capacity to meet our evaluation needs as Maori, and as represented in the ongoing development and use of our own approaches and models, not only facilitates a more culturally meaningful evaluation process but also concurrently constitutes an expression of our sovereignty and agency.
Challenges to using evidence from systematic reviews to stop ineffective practice: an interview study
Authors: Shepperd Sasha , Adams Richard , Hill Alison , Garner Sarah , Dopson Sue
Published: June 2013

Objectives

To examine the challenges to using systematic review evidence to develop guidance for decommissioning ineffective health services, and the problems experienced by clinicians and commissioners when they attempt to implement the evidence from this guidance.

Methods

Interviews with 23 clinicians and 15 commissioners from nine commissioning organizations (Primary Care Trusts) in the south of England.

Results

Participants identified generic and intervention-specific barriers to using systematic review evidence to develop and implement decommissioning. Generic barriers included: contradictions within the health care system arising from policy; managing a high volume of evidence; difficulty in applying the evidence to the local context; and patient or parent expectations. Intervention-specific factors included: the influence of industry; an absence of systems for monitoring local implementation of guidance; and the availability of different codes for the same procedure which made monitoring some practices unreliable.

Conclusions

The micro practices of commissioners are shaped by the wider system of health policy, the knowledge producing and delivery agencies associated with health care, and power dynamics within the health care system. If decommissioning is to be guided by evidence, then adequate resources to support the process are necessary. This includes long-term engagement of clinicians, providing alternatives to the decommissioned activity and tackling perverse incentives. An important precursor to decommissioning is obtaining data on the nature and extent of current clinical practice and using these data to monitor variation in the implementation of guidance.
The effect of psychosocial interventions delivered by telephone and videophone on quality of life in early-stage breast cancer survivors and their supportive partners
Authors: Badger Terry , Segrin Chris , Pasvogel Alice , Lopez Ana Maria
Published: June 2013

We examined the effectiveness of two psychosocial interventions for improving QOL in recently diagnosed breast cancer survivors and their partners. The interventions were telephone health education (THE) and interpersonal counselling. The latter was delivered by telephone (TC) or by videophone (VC) in 8 weekly one-to-one sessions. Fifty two dyads composed of a woman with breast cancer and her supportive partner were randomly assigned to THE, TC or VC. The average age of the survivors was 53 years (range 40–66), and they were mainly white, married, with a college education, and employed. Approximately half of the supportive partners were spouses. Surveys of quality of life (QOL) were made at three points in the study, each separated by 8 weeks. There was significantly higher attrition in the THE group compared to the videophone or telephone counselling groups among both survivors (44% vs. 10% and 8%) and partners (44% vs. 10% and 15%). Regardless of group, participants showed increased QOL over time. Survivors’ and partners’ social well-being improved in the telephone and videophone interpersonal counselling treatment groups, but not in the health education group. Telephone-delivered psychosocial interventions can be effective for managing QOL in breast cancer survivors and their supportive partners. There was no evidence of superior outcomes associated with using videophones over the conventional telephone.
A 9-year evaluation of temporal trends in alosetron postmarketing safety under the risk management program
Authors: Tong Kenneth , Nicandro Jean Paul , Shringarpure Reshma , Chuang Emil , Chang Lin
Published: June 2013

Objectives:

Adverse events (AEs) of ischemic colitis (IC) and complications of constipation (CoC) associated with alosetron are rare and have been adjudicated during the first 5.5 years of the risk management program (RMP); however, changes in incidence rates relative to reductions in AE reports and increases in alosetron prescriptions over the 9-year RMP have not been evaluated. The authors aim to evaluate temporal trends in alosetron postmarketing safety over the 9-year RMP.

Methods:

The alosetron safety database was searched to identify cases of IC, CoC, and related AEs from 20 November 2002 to 31 December 2011. Adjudication of IC and CoC cases were based on US Food and Drug Administration-defined criteria. Incidence rates were calculated using the number of AEs and alosetron prescriptions (expressed as cases/1000 patient-years exposure).

Results:

A total of 29 cases were adjudicated as probable/possible IC and 7 cases were adjudicated as CoC. Cumulative adjudicated incidence rate of IC (1.03 cases/1000 patient-years) is low and stable, while that of CoC (0.25 cases/1000 patient-years) is low, declining progressively over time. Decreases in the incidence rates of potential symptoms of IC (abdominal pain with bloody diarrhea/hematochezia) and CoC (constipation) were also observed.

Conclusions:

Over the 9-year RMP period, incidence rates of IC and CoC remain rare. Substantial reductions over time were observed in the incidence of CoC and in symptoms suggestive of IC or CoC, while IC incidence has been stable at approximately 1.0 case/1000 patient-years. Decreases in AEs and serious outcomes associated with IC and CoC since the reintroduction of alosetron are likely attributable to the RMP.
Pulmonary Hypertension and the Interdependence of Ventricular Function
Authors: Afifi Sherif , Singh Mandeep
Published: June 2013

Pulmonary hypertension is a hemodynamic problem that can result in grave morbidity and mortality, including right-sided heart failure and sudden death. The nature of the pulmonary circulation makes it highly interdependent with right ventricular function. Thus, the study of functional deterioration in pulmonary blood flow should always take into account the impact on right ventricular function, and vice versa. In this article, a comprehensive discussion of the pathophysiology, monitoring, and diagnosis is provided for the complicated disorder of pulmonary hypertension.
Hemodynamic Effects of Volume-Controlled Ventilation Versus Pressure-Controlled Ventilation in Head Trauma Patients
Authors: Othman Mahmoud M. , Farid Ahmed M. , Mousa Sherif A. , Sultan Mohamed A.
Published: June 2013

Background. Controlled ventilation for head trauma patients should reduce hypoxemia, hypercapnia and prevent secondary brain injury. However, changes in cardiac output and arterial blood pressure are the common consequences of mechanical ventilation. This study was designed to compare pressure- versus volume-controlled ventilation modes in severe head trauma patients to identify the mode with least hemodynamic compromise and best oxygenation profile. Methods. This prospective crossover study was carried out on 15 severe head trauma patients admitted to surgical ICU for mechanical ventilation and critical care. All patients were initially ventilated with volume-controlled ventilation for 12 hours then the mode of ventilation was changed to pressure-controlled ventilation for the next 12 hours. Arterial and pulmonary artery catheters were inserted for continuous monitoring of arterial blood pressure, cardiac output, pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, and systemic vascular resistance every 4 hours from the start of each ventilation mode. Lung mechanics and arterial blood gases were simultaneously recorded during the times of hemodynamic monitoring. Results. Cardiac output did not show significant changes between the 2 ventilation modes and mean group differences at 4, 8, and 12 hours were −0.2, −0.2, −0.1 L/min (95% confidence interval = −1.04 to 0.64, −0.92 to 0.52, and −0.68 to 0.48 L/min), respectively. Additionally, the other hemodynamic variables were comparable at all levels of study analysis. Volume-controlled ventilation was associated with significant higher peak air way pressure in comparison with pressure-controlled ventilation after 4, 8, and 12 hours. The oxygenation values and other lung mechanics were not significantly change between the 2 ventilation modes. Conclusion. Both volume-controlled and pressure-controlled ventilations have comparable hemodynamic and oxygenation profiles in severe head trauma patients for short-term ventilation.
The Moral Compass of Insecurity
Authors: Koleva Spassena , Selterman Dylan , Iyer Ravi , Ditto Peter , Graham Jesse
Published: June 2013

Three studies examined the associations between relational adult attachment and moral judgment. Study 1 shows that attachment-related anxiety and avoidance are uniquely and differentially related to moral concerns. Relative to low insecurity, higher avoidance was associated with weaker moral concerns about harm and unfairness, whereas higher anxiety was associated with stronger moral concerns about harm, unfairness, and impurity. Study 2 replicates these associations and shows that the effect for harm and fairness is mediated by attachment differences in empathic concern, whereas the effect for purity is mediated by disgust sensitivity. Furthermore, using an alternative measure of moral judgment we replicate the negative association between avoidance and harm concerns. Study 3 unpacks fairness judgments into three subcomponents and shows that even at this level avoidance and anxiety show divergent associations. Future directions for empirical examinations of morality and attachment are discussed.
Happy Tweets
Authors: Ritter Ryan S. , Preston Jesse Lee , Hernandez Ivan
Published: June 2013

We analyze data from nearly 2 million text messages (tweets) across over 16,000 users on Twitter to examine differences between Christians and atheists in natural language. Analyses reveal that Christians use more positive emotion words and less negative emotion words than atheists. Moreover, two independent paths predict differences in expressions of happiness: frequency of words related to an intuitive (vs. analytic) thinking style and frequency of words related to social relationships. These findings provide the first evidence that the relationship between religion and happiness is partially mediated by thinking style. This research also provides support for previous laboratory studies and self-report data, suggesting that social connection partially mediates the relationship between religiosity and happiness. Implications for theory and the future of social science using computational methods to analyze social media are discussed.
Reduced Amplitude of the 24 Hour Activity Rhythm
Authors: Bullock Ben , Murray Greg
Published: June 2013

In this study, we sought to advance understanding of trait vulnerability to bipolar disorder (BD) by testing whether instability of the 24-hr activity rhythm was a biomarker of the trait. Locomotor activity was measured over 7 days using actigraphy in participants allocated to groups of high ( n = 36) and low ( n = 36) trait vulnerability for BD. As predicted, the high-vulnerability group recorded a significantly lower 24-hr activity rhythm amplitude than the low-vulnerability group, indicating a less stable activity pattern. Consistent with the notion of accumulating risk, results showed the lowest activity rhythm amplitudes in participants in the high-vulnerability group with a history of depression. Secondary investigations showed that mania proneness explained more variance than depression proneness, pointing to specificity of the findings for BD. The data reinforce claims that instability of daily rhythms is a biomarker of trait vulnerability to BD.
Improving PMTCT Uptake in Rural South Africa
Authors: Weiss Stephen M. , Karl Peltzer , Olga Villar-Loubet , Shikwane Molatelo E. , Ryan Cook , Jones Deborah L.
Published: June 2013

Introduction:

Despite the widespread availability of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs, many women in sub-Saharan Africa do not participate in PMTCT. This pilot study aimed to utilize partner participation in an intervention to support PMTCT uptake.

Methods:

Couples (n = 239) were randomized to receive either a comprehensive couples-based PMTCT intervention or the standard of care.

Results:

Compared to the standard of care, participants receiving the intervention increased HIV- and PMTCT-related knowledge ( F1,474 = 13.94, p = .004) and uptake of PMTCT, as defined by infant medication dosing (74% vs. 46%, χ2 = 4.69, p = .03).

Discussion:

Results indicate that increasing male attendance at antenatal clinic visits may be “necessary but not sufficient” to increase PMTCT uptake. Increasing HIV knowledge of both partners and encouraging active male participation in the PMTCT process through psychoeducational interventions may be a strategy to increase the uptake of PMTCT in South Africa.