bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Pentapeptide Monocyte Locomotion Inhibitory Factor Protects Brain Ischemia Injury by Targeting the eEF1A1/Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Pathway
Authors: Zhang Yuefan , Chen Jun , Li Fan , Li Dong , Xiong Qinhui , Lin Yang , Zhang Dazhi , Wang Xiao-Fan , Yang Pengyuan , Rui Yao-Cheng
Published: July 2012

Background and Purpose—

Ischemic stroke is a major cause of death worldwide but lacks viable treatment or treatment targets. Monocyte locomotion inhibitory factor (MLIF) is a small heat-stable pentapeptide produced by
Entamoeba histolytica
in axenic culture, which is supposed to protect the brain from ischemic injury; the mechanism, however, remains unknown. In this study, we further investigated the mechanism underlying the protective role of MLIF in brain ischemia.

Methods—

A middle cerebral artery occlusion model in rats was used for detecting the effect of MLIF in the brain ischemia in vivo. To identify targets of MLIF in brain endothelial cells, we performed immunoprecipitation of biotin-conjugated MLIF and mass spectrometry.

Results—

MLIF can protect the brain from ischemic injury in vivo, yielding decreased ischemic volume, prolonged survival, and improved neurological outcome. In vitro studies showed that MLIF displayed protective effects through inhibition of expression of pathological inflammatory adhesion molecules and enhancing endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression and nitric oxide release in the cerebrovascular endothelium. The target screening experiments demonstrated binding of MLIF to the ribosomal protein translation elongation factor eEF1A1. MLIF enhanced endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression through stabilization of endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNA, and eEF1A1 was shown to be necessary for this enhanced expression. Knockdown of eEF1A1 or inhibition of endothelial nitric oxide synthase attenuated MLIF-mediated inhibition of adhesion molecule expression.

Conclusions—

In this study, we identified a new potential pharmacologically targetable mechanism underlying MLIF's protective effects in brain ischemia through the eEF1A1/endothelial nitric oxide synthase pathway.
A Social Connection Approach to Corporate Responsibility
Authors: Schrempf Judith
Published: July 2012

Corporate responsibility for consumption-related issues has been on the business ethics agenda for several decades. However, some recent consumption-related issues, such as obesity, differ qualitatively from the traditional product liability cases. This study proposes an alternative responsibility concept, referred to as the social connection corporate responsibility (CR). A detailed conceptualization of the social connection CR is presented and subsequently contrasted with the liability approach to CR. Then, a social connection logic to the case of obesity is applied, followed by an examination of how fast-food chains are socially connected to obesity and of what kind of responsibilities such a social connection implies.
ASC-dependent RIP2 Kinase Regulates Reduced PGE2 Production in Chronic Periodontitis
Authors: Taxman D.J. , Lei Y. , Zhang S. , Holley-Guthrie E. , Offenbacher S. , Ting J.P.-Y.
Published: July 2012

Levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and its processing enzyme, prostaglandin-endoperoxide-synthase-2/ cyclooxygenase-2 (PTGS2/COX-2), are elevated in actively progressing periodontal lesions, but suppressed in chronic disease. COX-2 expression is regulated through inflammatory signaling that converges on the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Emerging evidence suggests a role for the inflammatory adaptor protein, ASC/Pycard, in MAPK activation. We postulated that ASC may represent a mediator of the MAPK-mediated regulatory network of PGE2 production. Using RNAi-mediated gene slicing, we demonstrated that ASC regulates COX-2 expression and PGE2 production in THP1 monocytic cells following infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg). Production of PGE2 did not require the inflammasome adaptor function of ASC, but was dependent on MAPK activation. Furthermore, the MAP kinase kinase kinase CARD domain-containing protein RIPK2 was induced by Pg in an ASC-dependent manner. Reduced ASC and RIPK2 levels were revealed by orthogonal comparison of the expression of the RIPK family in ASC-deficient THP1 cells with that in chronic periodontitis patients. We show that pharmacological inhibition of RIPK2 represses PGE2 secretion, and RNAi-mediated silencing of RIPK2 leads to diminished MAPK activation and PGE2 secretion. These findings identify a novel ASC-RIPK2 axis in the generation of PGE2 that is repressed in patients diagnosed with chronic adult periodontitis.
Serum Antibody to Porphyromonas gingivalis in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Iwasaki M. , Taylor G.W. , Manz M.C. , Kaneko N. , Imai S. , Yoshihara A. , Miyazaki H.
Published: July 2012

Potentially significant associations between periodontal disease and chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been reported in recent studies. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between serum antibody to the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis ( P. gingivalis) and CKD in 215 Japanese individuals, aged 79 yrs. Serum antibody levels to P. gingivalis were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. An elevated serum antibody response was defined as the upper quartile and was compared with the bottom three quartiles. Participants were classified as having CKD when their glomerular filtration rate was between 15 and 59 mL/min/1.73 m2. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between elevated antibody status and the presence of CKD. Study participants with an elevated serum antibody to P. gingivalis were 2.6 times more likely to have CKD. The adjusted odds ratio of CKD for participants in the highest quartile of serum antibody to P. gingivalis was 2.59 (95% confidence interval, 1.05-6.34) when compared with others in lower quartiles after simultaneous adjustment for other covariates. In conclusion, the present study suggests that elevated serum antibody to P. gingivalis was significantly associated with decreased kidney function in a community-based cohort of elderly Japanese.
The Impact of Racial Diversity in the Classroom
Authors: Packard Josh
Published: July 2012

Diverse college campuses have been conclusively associated with a variety of positive outcomes for all students. However, we still know very little empirically about how student diversity directly impacts the core task of the university: classroom learning. While students vary based on race along a broad spectrum of experiences and backgrounds, we have yet to establish how those varying backgrounds might impact the ways students engage with course material. In this study, I examined student journals in order to understand how race influenced the ways students engaged with course material and found that black students are much more likely than their white student peers to find connections between course material and daily life, a central task of the sociological imagination. The results of these findings are important for sociologists in particular and educators in general as we seek to maximize the effects of increasingly diverse educational settings.
When Fake News Becomes Real
Authors: Balmas Meital
Published: July 2012

This research assesses possible associations between viewing fake news (i.e., political satire) and attitudes of inefficacy, alienation, and cynicism toward political candidates. Using survey data collected during the 2006 Israeli election campaign, the study provides evidence for an indirect positive effect of fake news viewing in fostering the feelings of inefficacy, alienation, and cynicism, through the mediator variable of perceived realism of fake news. Within this process, hard news viewing serves as a moderator of the association between viewing fake news and their perceived realism. It was also demonstrated that perceived realism of fake news is stronger among individuals with high exposure to fake news and low exposure to hard news than among those with high exposure to both fake and hard news. Overall, this study contributes to the scientific knowledge regarding the influence of the interaction between various types of media use on political effects.
The Magnitude and Resilience of Trust in the Center
Authors: Li Lianjiang
Published: July 2012

This article proposes two explanations for why public confidence in China’s central authorities has appeared high and stable since the early 1990s. Drawing on interviews with petitioners in Beijing, it argues that trust in the Center is resilient in the sense that individuals who might be expected to lose trust often manage to retain it by redefining what constitutes the Center and what is trustworthy about it. On one hand, they remain confident by excluding authorities they find untrustworthy from the Center. On the other hand, they remain confident in the Center’s commitment even when they no longer trust its capabilities. Drawing on a local survey conducted in 2011, this article suggests that global and generic measures used in national surveys may overstate the amount of public confidence in central authorities by missing two subtle variations. First, people may sound confident about central leaders in general while they only trust one or some leaders. Second, people may sound fully confident about central leaders while they only have partial trust.
Curtailment and Stochastic Curtailment to Shorten the CES-D
Authors: Finkelman Matthew D. , Smits Niels , Kim Wonsuk , Riley Barth
Published: July 2012

The Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression (CES-D) scale is a well-known self-report instrument that is used to measure depressive symptomatology. Respondents who take the full-length version of the CES-D are administered a total of 20 items. This article investigates the use of curtailment and stochastic curtailment (SC), two sequential analysis methods that have recently been proposed for health questionnaires, to reduce the respondent burden associated with taking the CES-D. A post hoc simulation based on 1,392 adolescents’ responses to the CES-D was used to compare these methods with a previously proposed computerized adaptive testing (CAT) approach. Curtailment lowered average test lengths by as much as 22% while always matching the classification decision of the full-length CES-D. SC and CAT achieved further reductions in average test length, with SC’s classifications exhibiting more concordance with the full-length CES-D than do CAT’s. Advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed.
Constructing Racial/Ethnic Difference in and Through Dutch Televised Soccer Commentary
Authors: van Sterkenburg Jacco , Knoppers Annelies , de Leeuw Sonja
Published: July 2012

The purpose of this study was to expand on current research about ways in which race and ethnicity are socially constructed through popular media culture. In this article we explore to what extent broadcast commentary of televised soccer in the Netherlands reproduces and challenges hegemonic discourses about race/ethnicity and is congruent with findings of similar research in other contexts. We used a layered approach toward race/ethnicity instead of the frequently used Black/White dichotomy in research on sports commentary. Our findings suggest that current Dutch soccer commentary displays a number of dominant racialized/ethnicized themes that at times resonate with colonial discourses, are in part congruent with racialized/ethnicized sport media representations found in other contexts and also challenge popular Dutch discourses about ethnicity. We place these findings in a broader historical and internationally comparative perspective.
Card-playing and Gambling in Eighteenth-century Russia
Authors: Keenan Paul R.
Published: July 2012

Although gambling was a prominent, not to say infamous, feature of nineteenth-century literary depictions of elite social life, the study of how the social and cultural relevance of certain games developed in the earlier period has been relatively neglected. This article examines the emergence of card-playing as a form of entertainment at the court and amongst the urban elite during the watershed period of the early to mid-eighteenth century as part of a broader engagement with European forms and fashions, catalysed by the reign of Peter I (1689–1725). The emphasis was essentially on the sociable nature of cards, but it was an activity fraught with potential risks for more ‘committed’ players. The Russian state’s role in restricting the potential excesses of any gambling, particularly (but not exclusively) amongst non-elite social groups, reflects the wider European concern about the financial and moral dangers of challenging Fate.
Reconsidering the March on Rome
Authors: Albanese Giulia
Published: July 2012

The aim of this article is to assess the role that Fascist representations of the March on Rome had in determining the overall direction of historical research on Fascism, and thus to understand why the violence practised during the days of the March has been neglected by both contemporaries and historians. The first part of the article examines the ways in which the March was seen by Fascists and anti-Fascists during the interwar years, when the Fascists were still in power. The second part considers historical interpretations of the March since the Second World War, in order to assess continuities and discontinuities within the historiography. The article ends by identifying the common ground shared by apparently discordant interpretations of the same event.
Biodistribution of ultra small gadolinium-based nanoparticles as theranostic agent: Application to brain tumors
Authors: Miladi Imen , Duc Géraldine Le , Kryza David , Berniard Aurélie , Mowat Pierre , Roux Stéphane , Taleb Jacqueline , Bonazza Pauline , Perriat Pascal , Lux François , Tillement Olivier , Billotey Claire , Janier Marc
Published: July 2012

Gadolinium-based nanoparticles are novel objects with interesting physical properties, allowing their use for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Gadolinium-based nanoparticles were imaged following intravenous injection in healthy rats and rats grafted with 9L gliosarcoma tumors using magnetic resonance imaging and scintigraphic imaging. Quantitative biodistribution using gamma-counting of each sampled organ confirmed that these nanoparticles were rapidly cleared essentially by renal excretion. Accumulation of these nanoparticles in 9L gliosarcoma tumors implanted in the rat brain was quantitated. This passive and long-duration accumulation of gadolinium-based nanoparticles in tumor, which is related to disruption of the blood–brain barrier, is in good agreement with the use of these nanoparticles as radiosensitizers for brain tumors.
Protein polymer hydrogels: Effects of endotoxin on biocompatibility
Authors: Beenken-Rothkopf Liese N , Karfeld-Sulzer Lindsay S , Zhang Xiaomin , Kissler Hermann , Michie Sara A , Kaufman Dixon B , Fontaine Magali J , Barron Annelise E
Published: July 2012

Protein polymer-based hydrogels have shown potential for tissue engineering applications, but require biocompatibility testing for in vivo use. Enzymatically crosslinked protein polymer-based hydrogels were tested in vitro and in vivo to evaluate their biocompatibility. Endotoxins present in the hydrogel were removed by Trition X-114 phase separation. The reduction of endotoxins decreased TNF-α production by a macrophage cell line in vitro; however, significant inflammatory response was still present compared to collagen control gels. A branched PEG molecule and dexamethasone were added to the hydrogel to reduce the response. In vitro testing showed a decrease in the TNF-α levels with the addition of dexamethasone. In vivo implantations into the epididymal fat pad of C57/BL6 mice, however, indicated a decreased inflammatory mediated immune response with a hydrogel treated with both PEGylation and endotoxin reduction. This study demonstrates the importance of endotoxin testing and removal in determining the biocompatibility of biomaterials.
Genetic Risk for Violent Behavior and Environmental Exposure to Disadvantage and Violent Crime
Authors: Barnes J. C. , Jacobs Bruce A.
Published: July 2012

Despite mounds of evidence to suggest that neighborhood structural factors predict violent behavior, almost no attention has been given to how these influences work synergistically (i.e., interact) with an individual’s genetic propensity toward violent behavior. Indeed, two streams of research have, heretofore, flowed independently of one another. On one hand, criminologists have underscored the importance of neighborhood context in the etiology of violence. On the other hand, behavioral geneticists have argued that individual-level genetic propensities are important for understanding violence. The current study seeks to integrate these two compatible frameworks by exploring gene–environment interactions (GxE). Two GxEs were examined and supported by the data (i.e., the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health). Using a scale of genetic risk based on three dopamine genes, the analysis revealed that genetic risk had a greater influence on violent behavior when the individual was also exposed to neighborhood disadvantage or when the individual was exposed to higher violent crime rates. The relevance of these findings for criminological theorizing was considered.
Does Acute Stress Disorder Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Following Bank Robbery?
Authors: Hansen Maj , Elklit Ask
Published: July 2012

Unfortunately, the number of bank robberies is increasing and little is known about the subsequent risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Several studies have investigated the prediction of PTSD through the presence of acute stress disorder (ASD). However, there have only been a few studies following nonsexual assault. The present study investigated the predictive power of different aspects of the ASD diagnosis and symptom severity on PTSD prevalence and symptom severity in 132 bank employees. The PTSD diagnosis, based on the three core symptom clusters, was best identified using cutoff scores on the Acute Stress Disorder scale. ASD severity accounted for 40% and the inclusion of other risk factors accounted for 50% of the PTSD severity variance. In conclusion, results indicated that ASD appears to predict PTSD differently following nonsexual assault than other trauma types. ASD severity was a stronger predictor of PTSD than ASD diagnosis.
Brief Wakeful Resting Boosts New Memories Over the Long Term
Authors: Dewar Michaela , Alber Jessica , Butler Christopher , Cowan Nelson , Della Sala Sergio
Published: July 2012

A brief wakeful rest after new verbal learning enhances memory for several minutes. In the research reported here, we explored the possibility of extending this rest-induced memory enhancement over much longer periods. Participants were presented with two stories; one story was followed by a 10-min period of wakeful resting, and the other was followed by a 10-min period during which participants played a spot-the-difference game. In Experiment 1, wakeful resting led to significant enhancement of memory after a 15- to 30-min period and also after 7 days. In Experiment 2, this striking enhancement of memory 7 days after learning was demonstrated even when no retrievals were imposed in the interim. The degree to which people can remember prose after 7 days is significantly affected by the cognitive activity that they engage in shortly after new learning takes place. We propose that wakeful resting after new learning allows new memory traces to be consolidated better and hence to be retained for much longer.
Digital marketing in independent libraries in the United Kingdom
Authors: Bishop Taylor , Rowley Jennifer
Published: July 2012

This article aims to investigate the approach to marketing and promotion adopted by independent libraries, with specific reference to the development of their digital presence. A three-phase mixed methodology approach was adopted which incorporated a website survey, a questionnaire, and telephone and face-to-face interviews. Data collection focused on the member libraries of the Association of Independent Libraries. Independent libraries are reluctant to engage fully with marketing and technology due to limited resources, fears over security and staff numbers, and a lack of familiarity with the concepts. In libraries where staff are already familiar with using digital technology, there is a greater uptake of digital applications on the library’s behalf. The libraries can benefit from viewing their offer more flexibly and communicating with patrons in ways appropriate to their targets including the use of websites, email and Web 2.0.
Public understanding of participation in regulatory decision-making: The case of bottled water quality standards in India
Authors: Bhaduri Saradindu , Sharma Aviram
Published: July 2012

“Science-based” standards are an integral part of modern regulatory systems. Studies on “public understanding of science” mostly focus on high technology areas in advanced economies. In contrast, the present study analyses the public understanding of regulation in the context of standard-setting for bottled water quality in India. Using primary data, the econometric models of this paper show that public understanding of participation in regulation depends on awareness of, and trust in, existing regulatory practices in a complex, non-linear manner. In this light, the paper argues that “deficit model” and “dialogue model” frameworks cannot be seen as two mutually exclusive frameworks of analyses.
Mood Regulation in Real Time
Authors: Isaacowitz Derek M.
Published: July 2012

Mechanisms have been proposed to underlie differences between younger and older adults in real-time mood regulation, but these mechanisms have not yet been shown to predict mood outcomes. One such mechanism is age-related positivity effects in attention and memory. In this article, I take one form of this possible mechanism—positive looking patterns—and consider (a) whether older adults, compared with younger adults, prefer positive looking and (b) whether positive looking helps older adults regulate their mood in real time. Evidence is more consistent for the former than the latter. A similar consideration is needed for other possible forms of positivity effects (e.g., positive memory) and other possible mechanisms that may explain age differences in real-time mood regulation.
How Do Infants Become Experts at Native-Speech Perception?
Authors: Werker Janet F. , Yeung H. Henny , Yoshida Katherine A.
Published: July 2012

Infants begin life ready to learn any of the world’s languages, but they quickly become speech-perception experts in their native language. Although this phenomenon has been well described, the mechanisms leading to native-language-listening expertise have not. In this article, we provide an in-depth review of one learning mechanism: distributional learning (DL), which has been shown to be important in phonetic category learning. DL is a domain-general statistical learning mechanism that involves tracking the relative frequency of phonetic tokens in speech input. Although DL is powerful, recent research has identified limitations to it as well. We conclude with a discussion of possible supplementary phonetic-learning mechanisms, which focuses on the surrounding context in which infants hear phonetic tokens and how it can augment DL and highlight important linguistic differences between perceptually similar stimuli.
Chopper: From the Inside: Discourses of the ‘celebrity’ criminal Mark Brandon Read
Authors: Mayr Andrea
Published: July 2012

Popular culture has been inundated with stories and images of True Crime for a long time, which is testament to people’s enduring fascination with criminals and their deviant actions. In such stories, which present actual cases of notorious crimes in a style that often resembles fiction, criminals are either reviled as monsters or lauded as cultural icons. More recently, popular autobiographical accounts by criminals themselves have begun to emerge within this True Crime genre. Typically self-celebratory in nature, such representations construct a rather glamorized public image of the author. This article undertakes a multimodal analysis of what has been classed as one typical example of this True Crime sub-genre, Australian Mark Brandon Read’s autobiographical account Chopper: From the Inside. It thereby seeks to demonstrate that the book, while glamorizing and mythologizing its protagonist, simultaneously offers scope for a qualitative understanding of Read’s life of crime and the sensual dynamics of his violent offending. To this end, the analysis focuses on some of the linguistic and pictorial strategies Read employs in constructing a public image of himself that alternates between the dangerous ‘hardman’ and the ‘larrikin’ criminal hero. However, it is also shown that Read’s account reveals a degree of critical self-reflection. In addition to the multimodal analysis, the article also endeavours to explore the link between celebrity and crime, thereby engaging with the nature of popular culture’s fascination with celebrated criminals.
Kicking the hornet’s nest: The rhetoric of social campaigning in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy
Authors: Thomas Bronwen
Published: July 2012

Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy has attracted huge audiences all over the world. Interest in the trilogy has been fuelled by revelations about the life and death of the author, and by clever publicity campaigns for both the books and the film adaptations, but little attention has been paid so far to the language and style of the novels. This article will focus on Larsson’s attempt to incorporate social campaigning and politics into the crime genre, and the extent to which he is able to combine rhetorical attacks on the injustices of contemporary Swedish society with a gripping plot. The article will offer a close analysis of the stylistic ‘gear shifts’ in the novels (Page, 1973), along with an examination of the various types of paratextual matter (Genette, 1997 [1987]) they incorporate. In addition, I will explore how far Larsson’s writing participates in the reworking of definitions of criminality and deviance within the genre (Gregoriou, 2007). Finally, the article will consider how far the film adaptations dilute Larsson’s social and political agenda, and tone down or glamorise the sexual violence which is such a feature of the novels.
Sports activities in a psychosocial perspective: Preliminary analysis of adolescent participation in sports challenges
Authors: Moreau Nicolas , Chanteau Olivier , Benoît Maryse , Dumas Marie-pier , Laurin-lamothe Audrey , Parlavecchio Luc , Lester Caroline
Published: July 2012

As the literature is far from being unanimous in regards to the psychosocial benefits of sports practice, we conducted a preliminary qualitative study with nine teenagers who participated in a group sporting challenge to better understand: (1) youths’ perceptions regarding the program’s most important dimensions and (2) its effects in the physical, psychological and social spheres of their life. Following these results, we highlighted six driving principles we consider to be significant to interventions involving sports as a tool for psychosocial development: (1) cooperation amongst youth; (2) facilitators’ discipline, direct involvement and positive attitude; (3) moving the youths beyond their physical, psychological and social comfort zones; (4) the interplay between enjoyment and effort; (5) constant innovation in training content; (6) risk as a driving force for cohesion and social ties.
Molecular Chaperones and Co-Chaperones in Parkinson Disease
Authors: Dimant Hemi , Ebrahimi-Fakhari Darius , McLean Pamela J.
Published: July 2012

Parkinson disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is caused by the pathological accumulation of proteins, including the ubiquitous presynaptic protein α-synuclein. Alterations in the metabolism of α-synuclein have clearly been linked to neurodegeneration, and early steps in the pathological sequence of this protein include the formation of oligomers, fibrils, and small aggregates. Targeting these early steps of oligomerization is one of the main therapeutic approaches in the quest to develop disease-modifying agents. Molecular chaperones, molecules that can mediate the proper folding and refolding of client proteins, are vital to cell function and survival and thus have been explored as potential therapeutic agents. Important to Parkinson disease, chaperones are capable of preventing α-synuclein misfolding, oligomerization, and aggregate formation as shown in vitro and in Parkinson disease animal models. Furthermore, chaperones and associated co-chaperones are closely linked to pathways of protein degradation, like the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy, and are thus able to remove irreversibly misfolded proteins. In this review, we summarize the role of molecular chaperones in Parkinson disease models and discuss the importance of preserving protein homeostasis to prevent neurodegeneration. We also review the growing number of exciting studies that have targeted molecular chaperone function as a novel therapeutic approach.
Becoming-(a)-Paper, or an Article Undone
Authors: Guttorm Hanna Ellen
Published: July 2012

This article illustrates the becoming of one conference paper. The thought of Deleuze and Guattari (1980/1987) on rhizomes enables us to think of a paper, an article, of thinking and writing as always becoming, in the middle, in between, as an assemblage and a multiplicity. This article (undone) consists of three texts, the first being the paper read at the 7th International Congress on Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI), the second, the paper written before traveling to the conference, and the last, a text written after the conference. The texts show a work in the making (Lather, 2007), while revealing some (n-1, writing on multiple dimensions, though never on all) lines of reading, thinking, and writing. Also the author’s nomadic, questioning, and hesitant mode of proceeding with her research, coming to (not-)knowing, is exemplified and performed. Simultaneously, this writing also deconstructs (and goes beyond) certain traditional scholarly reading, citing, writing, and arguing practices.
A Fantastic Decomposition
Authors: Holmes Rachel
Published: July 2012

This article draws on data from a single element of a larger project, which focused on the issue of “ how children develop a reputation as ‘naughty’ in the early years classroom.”1 The author draws attention to the (in)corporeal (re)formation of the line in school, undertaking a decomposition of the topological spaces of research/art/education. She attempts to decompose schoolchild iconography into the line as a product and subject of art practices, where it denotes space, gestures of containment, impulses to represent and make visible what might otherwise remain invisible. This experience of a methodological decomposition, (un)folding of the line in education into the line curated in the world of art, led the author to realize how the child could become not one idea and one image but many ideas folded into many images where the rituals and routines associated with the making of lines in school can be reconceptualized.
Characteristics Related to Protection Order Use Among Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Durfee Alesha , Messing Jill Theresa
Published: July 2012

One increasingly important resource for victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) is domestic violence civil protection orders (POs). Using a transdisciplinary framework, this article critically examines the use of POs by IPV victims seeking shelter services. Previous contact with police and medical professionals are the strongest predictors of having obtained a PO; education level, income, age, race, and having children in the shelter are also significant predictors of having obtained a PO. These findings are discussed in the context of previous research on help-seeking behaviors and the growing body of transdisciplinary research on violence against women.
Distinct features between longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis presenting with and without anti-Aquaporin 4 antibodies
Authors: Chang K-H , Lyu R-K , Chen C-M , Wu Y-R , Chang H-S , Huang C-C , Kuo H-C , Chu C-C , Hsu W-C , Ro L-S
Published: July 2012

Objectives:

Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) with spinal cord lesions spanning three or more vertebral segments is a key feature of neuromyelitis optica (NMO). However, the role of anti-aquaporin 4 (anti-AQP4) antibody, a sensitive biomarker of NMO, in the conversion of LETM to NMO remains uncertain.

Methods:

Thirty first-ever LETM patients were retrospectively analysed and divided into two groups according to the presence of anti-AQP4 antibodies.

Results:

Eighteen (60%) patients presented with anti-AQP4 antibodies. Fifteen (83.33%) anti-AQP4 (+) LETM patients converted to NMO, while only three of 12 (25%, p = 0.002) anti-AQP4 (-) LETM patients progressed to NMO, over a mean follow-up period of 5.63 years. Seven (38.89%) anti-AQP4 (+) and one (8.33%) anti-AQP4 (-) LETM patients received interferon-β1a treatment, respectively. Anti-AQP4 (+) LETM patients demonstrated a higher immunogamma globulin (IgG) index (0.68 ± 0.43 versus 0.47 ± 0.19, p = 0.018), annual relapse rate (0.72 ± 0.31 versus 0.42 ± 0.17, p = 0.01) and Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (4.28 ± 2.22 versus 2.67 ± 2.26, p = 0.031), than anti-AQP4 (-) LETM patients. In spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs), more than half (58.33%) of the anti-AQP4 (+) LETM patients were observed to have central grey matter-predominant involvement in the axial view, while peripheral white matter-predominant involvement (51.85%) was the most common pattern observed in the anti-AQP4 (-) LETM patients.

Conclusion:

Anti-AQP4 (+) LETM demonstrated a high conversion rate to NMO (83.33%), suggesting that anti-AQP4 (+) LETM may represent an early, isolated syndrome of NMO spectrum disorder. The greater number of patients receiving interferon-β treatment in anti-AQP4 (+) LETM may contribute to its high annual relapse rate.
Research in challenging environments: the case of Russia’s ‘managed democracy’
Authors: Roberts Sean P
Published: July 2012

The extensive reflexive literature from many social science disciplines suggests that there are multiple factors that combine to affect the process of research. However, the relatively weak reflexive tradition in the field of political science often suggests some kind of exceptionalism in this regard, reinforcing the notion of problem-free research and the kind of sanitised research ideal depicted in most textbooks. This article draws on original fieldwork notes to highlight some of the problems of interviewing elites and experts in the Russian Federation, arguing that along with a number commonly identified problems of research in this challenging environment, the prevailing political backdrop is also a factor to contend with. In the Russian case, the pressured domestic politics of ‘managed democracy’, along with events occurring on the international stage, resulted in some largely unanticipated problems during fieldwork which, in turn, elicited a number of researcher strategies in response.
An economy of false securities? An analysis of murders inside gated residential developments in the United States
Authors: Atkinson Rowland , Smith Oliver
Published: July 2012

The move to gated communities has been linked to both rising affluence and anxiety. These attempts to withdraw from the perceived dangers of urban areas are also predicated on the pursuit of a neighbourhood ideal, and freedom from danger is usually central to this ideal. This paper critically reconsiders these propositions by examining news reports and media narratives surrounding the nature of homicidal violence occurring within such developments. We have analysed fifty news reports from the last decade that address murder committed inside gated communities. In our analysis of these reports we suggest that attempts to neutralise danger in high crime societies are by no means guaranteed—even via the most strenuous efforts at deploying walls, gates and guards. Building on the arguments of Low (2003) and Zedner (2003), we suggest that demands for security are not only unending but that an outward-facing orientation that positions risk outside gated neighbourhoods is a denial of the continued danger of intimate and other forms of violence within communities and households behind gates. In this context the move to enclosure is more than a pragmatic attempt to defend against threat; it appears to reflect the impotence of efforts associated with addressing deep ontological insecurities. Studies continue to record high levels of fear in gated developments, and highly gendered risks of violence continue to be a part of the social reality of the segregated neighbourhood.
Identity and nostalgia in a globalised world: Investigating the international popularity of Midsomer Murders
Authors: Bergin Tiffany
Published: July 2012

The fictional crime programme Midsomer Murders is one of the UK’s most successful global television exports, yet scant previous research has probed the programme’s global popularity. In this article I argue that much of the programme’s international appeal is due to two characteristics: its evocation of the British crime fiction canon, and its nostalgia. Numerous scholars have examined rural nostalgia in British cultural life, but I argue that the global popularity of Midsomer Murders signals a new phenomenon: the emergence of nostalgia for Britain’s rural past among the non-British. I employ Jonathan Simon’s concept of ‘wilful nostalgia’ to analyse this new phenomenon and critically explore recent controversies about the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the case of Midsomer Murders.
Servant leadership in Italy and its relation to organizational variables
Authors: Bobbio Andrea , Dierendonck Dirk Van , Manganelli Anna Maria
Published: July 2012

This paper aimed to investigate three issues. First, the validation of the multi-dimensional Servant Leadership Survey (SLS) within the Italian context. Second, to enhance insight into the degree of servant leadership behaviour displayed by Italian leaders in organizational settings. Third, to support the fact that in Italy, too, servant leadership is positively correlated to leadership integrity, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behaviour while it is negatively correlated to cynicism towards one’s own work. A sample of about 800 adults, males and females, currently employed in profit and non-profit organizations, took part in the study. The factorial structure of SLS found support, and the survey showed satisfactory psychometric properties and reliability. Servant leadership expressed by Italian leaders turned out to be lower than in The Netherlands and in the UK. SLS scores were positively associated with leadership integrity, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behaviour, and negatively associated for cynicism.
Humility, civility, and vitality: Papal leadership at the turn of the seventh century
Authors: Kaufman Peter Iver
Published: July 2012

Pope Gregory I’s reconstruction of the church’s presence in Rome, and reassertion of Rome’s influence in Italy make his pontificate (590–604) significant for the history of Italian leadership. His correspondence with rivals, counsel for friends, and deployment of relics furnish historians with an opportunity to reassess what leadership theorists depict as “the humility factor” as well as what theorists identify as the roles of “disruption” and “dissonance” in the formulation and implementation of leadership strategies.
Culturally contingent leadership behaviour: An analysis of leadership as characterized by Andrea Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano
Authors: Furu Patrick
Published: July 2012

The interplay between culture and leadership styles has been widely acknowledged in both academic research and practitioner-based literature. While it has been established that culture influences leadership styles, it is clear that other contextual factors also determine the appropriate leadership approach. The contingency theory of leadership posits that effective leadership behaviour is contingent on a number of contextual or situational factors, and yet there is little agreement on exactly how these factors influence leadership effectiveness ( Lorsch, 2010 ). This study attempts to fill that void by analysing leadership as depicted in Italian author Andrea Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano novel series. The main contingency factors herein identified are key organizational activities, cultural context, the source of leader influence and the leader–follower relationship. The empirical material consisted of 11 novels in which 803 leadership situations were identified and analysed. The findings add to our understanding of leadership as a contingent phenomenon by linking a contingency theory of leadership with leadership’s cultural context.
Effectiveness and Safety of a Multicenter Extension and Retreatment Trial of Gel-200 in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Strand V. , Baraf H.S.B. , Lavin P.T. , Lim S. , Hosokawa H.
Published: July 2012

Objective:

To assess the continued effectiveness and safety of Gel-200 following observation and open-label retreatment in an extension protocol following a randomized, double-blind, phosphate buffered saline (PBS)-controlled trial (initial treatment trial).

Design:

Patients who completed initial blinded treatment were allowed to enroll into this extension protocol that permitted retreatment with Gel-200 when eligibility criteria were met. Retreatment was administered with a Gel-200 injection, without knowledge of initial treatment assignment (Gel-200 or PBS). Retreated patients were followed for up to 13 weeks. In the extension phase, durability of response following the first injection was analyzed by time to retreatment eligibility. During separate extension and retreatment phases, responses were assessed by WOMAC pain, stiffness, and physical function subscores, total score, and global assessments of disease activity (patient, physician) as well as safety of Gel-200.

Results:

In the extension phase, time-to-event analyses through 26 weeks following the initial injection showed statistically significantly longer times to retreatment in patients receiving Gel-200 compared with PBS ( P < 0.05). Retreatment with Gel-200, e.g., a second injection, resulted in statistically significant improvements from retreatment baseline in all outcome measures ( P < 0.0001). The incidence and type of adverse events after retreatment were comparable to those observed following initial injection of Gel-200 without allergic reactions, including “pseudosepsis” or unanticipated treatment-related serious adverse events.

Conclusions:

These data demonstrate that a single injection of Gel-200 resulted in durable effectiveness through 26 weeks and that repeated treatment with Gel-200 relieved symptomatic osteoarthritis with a favorable safety profile.
SNP variation in the promoter of the PRKAG3gene and association with meat quality traits in pig
Authors: Ryan Marion T , Hamill Ruth M , O’Halloran Aisling M , Davey Grace C , McBryan Jean , Mullen Anne M , McGee Chris , Gispert Marina , Southwood Olwen I , Sweeney Torres
Published: July 2012

Background

The PRKAG3 gene encodes the γ3 subunit of adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK), a protein that plays a key role in energy metabolism in skeletal muscle. Non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in this gene such as I199V are associated with important pork quality traits. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between gene expression of the PRKAG3 gene, SNP variation in the PRKAG3 promoter and meat quality phenotypes in pork.

Results

PRKAG3 gene expression was found to correlate with a number of traits relating to glycolytic potential (GP) and intramuscular fat (IMF) in three phenotypically diverse F1 crosses comprising of 31 Large White, 23 Duroc and 32 Pietrain sire breeds. The majority of associations were observed in the Large White cross. There was a significant association between genotype at the g.-311A>G locus and PRKAG3 gene expression in the Large White cross. In the same population, ten novel SNPs were identified within a 1.3 kb region spanning the promoter and from this three major haplotypes were inferred. Two tagging SNPs (g.-995A>G and g.-311A>G) characterised the haplotypes within the promoter region being studied. These two SNPs were subsequently genotyped in larger populations consisting of Large White (n = 98), Duroc (n = 99) and Pietrain (n = 98) purebreds. Four major haplotypes including promoter SNP’s g.-995A>G and g.-311A>G and I199V were inferred. In the Large White breed, HAP1 was associated with IMF% in the M. longissmus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and driploss%. HAP2 was associated with IMFL% GP-influenced traits pH at 24 hr in LTL (pHULT), pH at 45 min in LTL (pH45LT) and pH at 45 min in the M. semimembranosus muscle (pH45SM). HAP3 was associated with driploss%, pHULT pH45LT and b* Minolta. In the Duroc breed, associations were observed between HAP1 and driploss% and pHUSM. No associations were observed with the remaining haplotypes (HAP2, HAP3 and HAP4) in the Duroc breed. The Pietrain breed was monomorphic in the promoter region. The I199V locus was associated with several GP-influenced traits across all three breeds and IMF% in the Large White and Pietrain breed. No significant difference in promoter function was observed for the three main promoter haplotypes when tested in vitro.

Conclusion

Gene expression levels of the porcine PRKAG3 are associated with meat quality phenotypes relating to glycolytic potential and IMF% in the Large White breed, while SNP variation in the promoter region of the gene is associated with PRKAG3 gene expression and meat quality phenotypes.
Indication for Co-evolution of Lactobacillus johnsonii with its hosts
Authors: Buhnik-Rosenblau Keren , Matsko-Efimov Vera , Jung Minju , Shin Heuynkil , Danin-Poleg Yael , Kashi Yechezkel
Published: July 2012

Background

The intestinal microbiota, composed of complex bacterial populations, is host-specific and affected by environmental factors as well as host genetics. One important bacterial group is the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which include many health-promoting strains. Here, we studied the genetic variation within a potentially probiotic LAB species, Lactobacillus johnsonii, isolated from various hosts.

Results

A wide survey of 104 fecal samples was carried out for the isolation of L. johnsonii. As part of the isolation procedure, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (tRFLP) was performed to identify L. johnsonii within a selected narrow spectrum of fecal LAB. The tRFLP results showed host specificity of two bacterial species, the Enterococcus faecium species cluster and Lactobacillus intestinalis, to different host taxonomic groups while the appearance of L. johnsonii and E. faecalis was not correlated with any taxonomic group. The survey ultimately resulted in the isolation of L. johnsonii from few host species. The genetic variation among the 47 L. johnsonii strains isolated from the various hosts was analyzed based on variation at simple sequence repeats (SSR) loci and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) of conserved hypothetical genes. The genetic relationships among the strains inferred by each of the methods were similar, revealing three different clusters of L. johnsonii strains, each cluster consisting of strains from a different host, i.e. chickens, humans or mice.

Conclusions

Our typing results support phylogenetic separation of L. johnsonii strains isolated from different animal hosts, suggesting specificity of L. johnsonii strains to their hosts. Taken together with the tRFLP results, that indicated the association of specific LAB species with the host taxonomy, our study supports co-evolution of the host and its intestinal lactic acid bacteria.