bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Family with a Novel Termination Mutation in Hepatic Nuclear Factor 1α in Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young Type 3 Which Is Unresponsive to Sulphonylurea Therapy
Authors: Demol S. , Lebenthal Y. , Bar-Meisels M. , Phillip M. , Gat-Yablonski G. , Gozlan Y.
Published: March 2014

Background: Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a monogenic form of diabetes mellitus. Aims: To identify the genetic basis in a family with 3 generations of diabetes and to assess the concordance between the genotype and phenotype. Methods: A molecular analysis was performed on genomic DNA using polymerase chain reaction, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and sequencing. A mixed-meal tolerance test (MMTT) was performed with/without glibenclamide. Abdominal ultrasonography was performed on all family members with diabetes due to the location of the mutation. Results: A novel c.618G>A, p.W206X termination mutation was identified in the hepatic nuclear factor 1α (HNF1α) gene. The mutation was identified in the proband and 8 of the 14 family members tested. An MMTT stimulus (±2.5 and 5 mg glibenclamide) produced a similar glucose profile and C-peptide graph in both the obese proband and her nonobese mother, showing no effect of the glibenclamide. No evidence of liver adenomas was found in the abdominal ultrasonography. Conclusions: We described a novel c.618G>A, p.W206X mutation in HNF1α associated with MODY 3 but not with hepatocellular adenoma. In contradistinction to most MODY 3 mutations, treatment with sulphonylurea was found to be a clinically ineffective alternative to insulin therapy.
Elimination of Large Uremic Toxins by a Dialyzer Specifically Designed for High-Volume Convective Therapies
Authors: Maduell F. , Arias-Guillen M. , Fontseré N. , Ojeda R. , Rico N. , Vera M. , Elena M. , Bedini J.L. , Wieneke P. , Campistol J.M.
Published: March 2014

Background: Unlike conventional hemodialysis treatments, which rely almost solely on diffusion-related mechanisms for solute removal, hemodiafiltration (HDF) allows more efficient removal of higher molecular weight toxins due to convective transport mechanisms. To facilitate the removal of these toxins in HDF treatment modalities, dialyzers with highly efficient high-flux membranes are necessary. This study assessed the large uremic toxin removal ability of a high-flux dialyzer (FX CorDiax 60) specifically designed to facilitate convective therapies compared with a standard high-flux dialyzer (FX 60). Methods: In an open, randomized, cross-over, single-center, controlled, prospective clinical study, 30 adult chronic hemodialysis patients were treated by post-dilution online HDF with the FX 60 or the FX CorDiax 60 dialyzer. All other dialysis parameters were kept constant in both study arms. The reduction rate (RR) of blood urea nitrogen, phosphate, β2-microglobulin (β2-m), myoglobin, prolactin, α1-microglobulin, α1-acid glycoprotein, albumin and total protein as well as the elimination into dialysate was intraindividually compared for the two dialyzer types. Results: For FX CorDiax 60 versus FX 60, the RR was significantly higher for blood urea nitrogen (86.23 ± 4.14 vs. 84.89 ± 4.59%, p = 0.015), β2-m (84.67 ± 3.79 vs. 81.30 ± 4.82%, p < 0.0001), myoglobin (75.23 ± 10.48 vs. 58.60 ± 12.1%, p < 0.0001), prolactin (72.96 ± 9.68 vs. 56.91 ± 13.01%, p < 0.0001) and α1-microglobulin (20.89 ± 18.27 vs. 13.60 ± 12.50%, p = 0.016). There were no significant differences in the RR for phosphate, α1-acid glycoprotein, albumin and total protein. Mass removal was significantly higher with the FX CorDiax 60 than with the FX 60 for β2-m (0.26 ± 0.09 vs. 0.24 ± 0.09 g, p = 0.0006), myoglobin (1.83 ± 0.89 vs. 1.51 ± 0.76 mg, p = 0.0017), prolactin (0.17 ± 0.13 vs. 0.14 ± 0.08 mg, p = 0.02) and albumin (4.25 ± 3.49 vs. 3.01 ± 2.37 g, p = 0.03). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that treating patients with an FX CorDiax 60 instead of an FX 60 dialyzer in post-dilution HDF mode significantly increases the elimination of middle molecules.
Nine-Year Follow-Up of Children with Atopic Dermatitis by General Practitioners
Authors: Misery Laurent , Ansolabehere Xavier , Grandfils Nathalie , Georgescu Victor , Taieb Charles
Published: March 2014

The frequency of associated comorbidity and the cost of treatments in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) followed up in primary care settings are poorly known. We carried out a retrospective cohort study on a longitudinal electronic medical records database of patients consulting a panel of general practitioners in France. All subjects with AD diagnosed during the first year of life were selected and matched with infants without the disease according to sex (1,163 vs. 1,163). Subjects were followed up for 9 years. Associated diseases, drug consumptions and available medical costs were detailed. Comparisons between subjects and controls were carried out. Subjects with AD had more comorbidities than others, especially in respiratory and ophthalmic system organs. The number of prescribed treatments in the field of skin diseases as well as overall medical costs (general practitioner consultations and prescribed drugs) were higher among atopic subjects, but differences were attenuated with age.
An Abnormal MRI Signal in Both Lateral Geniculate Bodies Is a Diagnostic Indicator for Patients with Behçet's Disease
Authors: Ogawa Yuka , Nakagawa Michitaka , Yazaki Masahide , Ikeda Shu-ichi , Shu Sayuri
Published: March 2014

A few case reports involving Behçet's disease have described visual field defects ascribed to the lateral geniculate body; however, no cases of lesions in both lateral geniculate bodies have been reported. A 50-year-old male who had fever and genital ulceration 3 months earlier noticed visual field defects. A T2-weighted MRI and FLAIR image showed high-intensity lesions in both lateral geniculate bodies. The posterior end of the optic tracts and lateral geniculate bodies were bilaterally enhanced with gadolinium. Because of the presence of three (aphthous stomatitis, genital ulceration and uveal inflammation) of the four major symptoms, the patient was diagnosed with an abortive type of Behçet's disease and started predonisolone at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg, after which he showed a rapid improvement of all symptoms. The lesions in the lateral geniculate bodies had disappeared on the MRI images taken 2 weeks after treatment onset. In addition to Behçet's disease, several case reports have observed lesions in both lateral geniculate bodies. Their visual field defects disappeared within half a year, in parallel with the healing process of the primary diseases. The pathogenesis of the lesions in both lateral geniculate bodies in these cases is believed to be related to the underlying disorders, especially vascular involvement from inflammation. The appearance of lesions in both lateral geniculate bodies on MRI scans may indicate the presence of systemic inflammatory diseases such as Behçet's disease, but further examinations are required.
Interruption of classic CD40L-CD40 signalling but not of the novel CD40L-Mac-1 interaction limits arterial neointima formation in mice
Authors: Willecke Florian , Tiwari Shilpa , Rupprecht Benjamin , Wolf Dennis , Hergeth Sonja , Hoppe Natalie , Dufner Bianca , Schulte Lisa , Michel Nathaly Anto , Bukosza Nora , Marchini Timoteo , Jäckel Markus , Stachon Peter , Hilgendorf Ingo , Zeschky Katharina , Schleicher Rebecca , Langer Harald F. , von zur Muhlen Constantin , Bode Christoph , Peter Karlheinz , Zirlik Andreas
Published: March 2014

The co-stimulatory immune molecule CD40L figures prominently in a variety of inflammatory conditions including arterial disease. Recently, we made the surprising finding that CD40L mediates atherogenesis independently of its classic receptor CD40 via a novel interaction with the leukocyte integrin Mac-1. Here, we hypothesised that selective blockade of the CD40L-Mac-1 interaction may also retard restenosis. We induced neointima formation in C57/BL6 mice by ligation of the left carotid artery. Mice were randomised to daily intraperitoneal injections of either cM7, a small peptide selectively inhibiting the CD40L-Mac-1 interaction, scM7, a scrambled control peptide, or saline for 28 days. Interestingly, cM7-treated mice developed neointima of similar size compared with mice receiving the control peptide or saline as assessed by computer-assisted analysis of histological cross sections. These data demonstrate that the CD40L-Mac-1 interaction is not required for the development of restenosis. In contrast, CD40-deficient mice subjected to carotid ligation in parallel, developed significantly reduced neointimal lesions compared with respective wild-type controls (2872 ± 843 µm² vs 35469 ± 11870 µm²). Flow cytometry in CD40-deficient mice revealed reduced formation of platelet-granulocyte and platelet-inflammatory monocyte-aggregates. In vitro, supernatants of CD40-deficient platelet-leukocyte aggregates attenuated proliferation and increased apoptosis of smooth muscle cells. Unlike in the setting of atherosclerosis, CD40L mediates neointima formation via its classic receptor CD40 rather than via its recently described novel interaction with Mac-1. Therefore, selective targeting of CD40L-Mac-1 binding does not appear to be a favorable strategy to fight restenosis.
Differences among western European countries in anticoagulation management of atrial fibrillation
Authors: Ammentorp Bettina , Darius Harald , De Caterina Raffaele , Schilling Richard John , Schmitt Josef , Zamorano José Luis , Kirchhof Paulus , Le Heuzey Jean-Yves
Published: March 2014

Due to improved implementation of guidelines, new scoring approaches to improve risk categorisation, and introduction of novel oral anticoagulants, medical management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is continuously improving. The PREFER in AF registry enrolled 7,243 consecutive patients with ECG-confirmed AF in seven European countries in 2012–2013 (mean age: 71.5 ± 10.7 years; 60.1% males; mean CHA2DS
2
-VASc score: 3.4). While patient characteristics were generally homogeneous across countries, anticoagulation management showed important differences: the proportion of patients taking vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) varied between 86.0% (in France) and 71.4% (in Italy). Warfarin was used predominantly in the UK and Italy (74.9% and 62.0%, respectively), phenprocoumon in Germany (74.1%), acenocoumarol in Spain (67.3%), and fluindione in France (61.8 %). The major sites for international normalised ratio (INR) measurements were biology laboratories in France anticoagulation clinics in Italy, Spain, and the UK, and physicians’ offices or self-measurement in Germany. Temporary VKA discontinuation and bridging with other anticoagulants was frequent (at least once in the previous 12 months for 22.9% of the patients, on average; ranging from 29.7% in Germany to 14.9% in the UK). Time in therapeutic range (TTR), defined as at least two of the last three available INR values between 2.0–3.0 prior to enrolment, ranged from 70.3% in Spain to 81.4% in Germany. TTR was constantly overestimated by physicians. While the type and half-lives of VKA as well as the mode of INR surveillance differed, overall quality of anticoagulation management by TTR was relatively homogenous in AF patients across countries.
Text and Context in Religious Studies and Yogācāra Cognitive Theory: Discovering Theory “in the Wild”
Authors: Waldron William S.
Published: March 2014

Abstract

This paper discusses the creative dynamic between abstraction, reification, and reflexivity in the study of religion in general and textual analysis and Indian Buddhist thought in particular. I define “texts” narrowly, as written materials signifying human speech, something doubly removed from sensory experience, inviting abstraction and reification, while enabling reflexive analysis. Such analyses accumulate in literate civilizations — alienating yet enabling us. For example, the critical methods of Biblical analysis ironically undermined its ownahistoricalassumptions, e.g., the idea of anUrtextindependent of historical context. Philosophy of science displays similar developments: abstract theories enable analyses of data, which are, however, only meaningful within specific contexts of interpretation. Indian Buddhist philosophy similarly critiques ordinary assumptions about identity, subserved by our innate tendencies to abstract and reify experience, while recognizing its analytic insights. Its own accumulating traditions led Buddhist thinkers to critique multiple theories of cognition, concluding that, like anUrtext, the notion of an independent Self is an abstract social and especially linguistic construct that, nevertheless, operates at the deepest levels of our common cognitive processes — an insight that depended on textual traditions to develop.
Fulfilling Article 29:1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child—the Aims of Education—through Religious Education
Authors: Jawoniyi Oduntan
Published: March 2014

Abstract

This article examines whether or not the ubiquitous model of religious education (i.e., non-confessional multifaith religious education (re)) in state schools in Great Britain is capable of fulfilling the aims of education articulated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (uncrc). It maintains that to the degree that this re model aims to promote critical, rational, and cognitive understanding of religion, it seeks to facilitate the development of children’s mental abilities. It also contends that to the extent that re curriculum contents mirror the theistic worldviews and non-theistic ideologies identified within its pluralistic social order, this curriculum subject aims to foster children’s development of respect for: human rights and fundamental freedoms; individual identity, affiliation, cultural diversity and pluralism; mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence; and, the natural environment. In these respects, re in state schools in Great Britain aspires to fulfil the educational aims enunciated in the uncrc.
A new Stumpffia (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae) from the Ranomafana region, south-eastern Madagascar
Authors: NDRIANTSOA SERGE H. , RIEMANN JANA C. , VENCES MIGUEL , KLAGES JOHANNES , RAMINOSOA NOROMALALA R. , RÖDEL MARK-OLIVER , GLOS JULIAN
Published: March 2014

We describe a new species of small-sized frogs from degraded rainforest patches in the southern central east of Madagascar. Stumpffia miery sp. nov. has a snout-vent length of 13–15 mm and can be distinguished from all other nominal species of Stumpffia by its body size and absence of toe reduction combined with length reduction of fingers I, II and IV in external view. The advertisement call is a single tonal chirping note that ranges in duration between 51–88 ms and is emitted after relatively regular inter-note intervals (duration of 2679–4247 ms, call repetition rate 0.3/sec, frequency range 7700–8300 Hz, dominant frequency 7751–8225 Hz). Its type locality is the Ambolo forest fragment close to Ranomafana village in southeastern Madagascar. Molecular data from DNA sequences of one mitochondrial and one nuclear gene indicate a high divergence from all nominal species of Stumpffia, suggesting that it represents a strongly differentiated independent evolutionary unit. Stumpffia miery sp. nov. is apparently able to tolerate some degree of habitat degradation and therefore is probably not threatened with extinction.
Microphysical and Dynamical Characteristics of Low-Precipitation and Classic Supercells
Authors: Grant Leah D. , van den Heever Susan C.
Published: March 2014

The sensitivity of supercell morphology to the vertical distribution of moisture is investigated in this study using a cloud-resolving model with 300-m horizontal grid spacing. Simulated storms are found to transition from classic (CL) to low-precipitation (LP) supercells when the strength of elevated dry layers in the environmental moisture profile is increased. Resulting differences in the microphysical and dynamical characteristics of the CL and LPs are analyzed.

The LPs produce approximately half of the accumulated surface precipitation as the CL supercell. The precipitating area in the LPs is spatially smaller and overall less intense, especially in the rear-flank downdraft region. The LPs have smaller deviant rightward storm motion compared to the CL supercell, and updrafts are narrower and more tilted, in agreement with observations. Lower relative humidities within the dry layers enhance evaporation and erode the upshear cloud edge in the LPs. This combination favors a downshear distribution of hydrometeors. As a result, hail grows preferentially along the northeastern side of the updraft in the LPs as hail embryos are advected cyclonically around the mesocyclone, whereas the primary midlevel hail growth mechanism in the CL supercell follows the classic Browning and Foote model. The differing dominant hail growth mechanisms can explain the variations in surface precipitation distribution between CLs and LPs. While large changes in the microphysical structure are seen, similarities in the structure and strength of the updraft and vorticity indicate that LP and CL supercells are not dynamically distinct storm types.
Assessing the Importance of Prominent Warm SST Anomalies over the Midlatitude North Pacific in Forcing Large-Scale Atmospheric Anomalies during 2011 Summer and Autumn
Authors: Okajima Satoru , Nakamura Hisashi , Nishii Kazuaki , Miyasaka Takafumi , Kuwano-Yoshida Akira
Published: March 2014

Sets of atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) experiments are conducted to assess the importance of prominent positive anomalies in sea surface temperature (SST) observed over the midlatitude North Pacific in forcing a persistent basin-scale anticyclonic circulation anomaly and its downstream influence in 2011 summer and autumn. The anticyclonic anomaly observed in October is well reproduced as a robust response of an AGCM forced only with the warm SST anomaly associated with the poleward-shifted oceanic frontal zone in the midlatitude Pacific. The equivalent barotropic anticyclonic anomaly over the North Pacific is maintained under strong transient eddy feedback forcing associated with the poleward-deflected storm track. As the downstream influence of the anomaly, abnormal warmth and dryness observed over the northern United States and southern Canada in October are also reproduced to some extent. The corresponding AGCM response over the North Pacific to the tropical SST anomalies is similar but substantially weaker and less robust, suggesting the primary importance of the prominent midlatitude SST anomaly in forcing the large-scale atmospheric anomalies observed in October 2011. In contrast, the model reproduction of the atmospheric anomalies observed in summer was unsuccessful. This appears to arise from the fact that, unlike in October, the midlatitude SST anomalies accompanied reduction of heat and moisture release from the ocean, indicative of the atmospheric thermodynamic forcing on the SST anomalies. Furthermore, the distinct seasonality in the AGCM responses to the warm SST anomalies may also be contributed to by the seasonality of background westerlies and storm track.
Summer High Temperature Extremes in Southeast China: Bonding with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and East Asian Summer Monsoon Coupled System
Authors: Wang Weiwen , Zhou Wen , Chen Deliang
Published: March 2014

This study investigates summer high temperature extremes (HTEs) in southeast China and their linkage with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and atmospheric circulations in the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). An interdecadal change in HTEs associated with the abrupt shift of the ENSO–monsoon climate in the late 1980s is demonstrated. Before this interdecadal shift, the interannual variability of HTEs was linked mainly to temperature adjustments associated with the meridional displacement of the East Asian jet stream (EAJS), whereas after the shift HTEs were found to follow an ENSO cycle, which may be due to intensified and persistent ENSO activities, tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) warming, and changes in atmospheric teleconnections. Impacts of the EAJS, the South Asian high (SAH), and the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH) on HTEs are further investigated based on empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. It is found that mainly the first leading EOF mode with a homogeneous spatial pattern shows dominance before the interdecadal shift, whereas both of the first two leading EOF modes show dominance after the interdecadal shift. A possible mechanism of how HTEs in southeast China are linked to the EAJS, the SAH, and the WNPSH in the ENSO–monsoon coupled system is proposed.
Energy Fluxes in the Quasigeostrophic Double Gyre Problem
Authors: Straub David N. , Nadiga Balasubramanya T.
Published: March 2014

The classic baroclinic, wind-driven, double gyre problem is considered over a range of deformation radii, wind stress amplitudes, and bottom friction coefficients with the aim of better understanding the transfer of energy across scales. In this β-plane basin setting, significant differences are found with respect to classic studies of geostrophic turbulence, which generally assume zonal periodicity and for which the β term does not play a direct role in the energy transfers. In a basin geometry, the β term can play a direct role in the transfers; for example, it can be the dominant term allowing for energy transfer between the basin scale and the baroclinic mesoscale. It is also found that barotropization of baroclinic energy forces the barotropic mode near scales at which bottom drag damps this mode. Associated with this, the barotropic, nonlinear, inverse energy cascade does not extend between mesoscale injection and large-scale dissipation wavenumbers, as is often assumed. Instead, it is part of a “double cascade” of barotropic energy in which the nonlinear inverse cascade is nearly offset by a forward cascade associated with the β term. This is particularly evident in weak bottom drag simulations, for which a time eddy-mean decomposition of the flow reveals the double cascade to be associated with the eddy-only terms.
Assessment and Treatment of Obstructive Sleep-Disordered Breathing
Authors: Bodenner Kaitlyn Anne , Jambhekar Supriya K. , Com Gulnur , Ward Wendy L.
Published: March 2014

Obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (OSDB) is a condition that affects 1% to 3% of the pediatric population. These disorders are difficult to diagnosis and left untreated may be serious, including not only medical comorbidities but also cognitive, academic, behavioral, and emotional sequelae. This article is designed to bring awareness of the severity and prevalence to family physicians and pediatricians. It reviews detailed information concerning OSDB, including the predisposing factors, assessment of presenting features, and treatment.
Compressed modernity and glocal entanglement: The contested transformation of parenting discourses in postwar Taiwan
Authors: Lan Pei-Chia
Published: March 2014

This article examines the contested transformation of parenting discourses in postwar Taiwan as a case of global sociology. The author argues that such transformative change embodies Taiwan’s compressed condition of modernity, entangled with a variety of global forces and transnational connections. This article looks at two critical periods of discursive transformation, including a top-down project marked by US aid and the family planning programme during the 1950s and 1960s, and a bottom-up campaign activated by transnational elites to advocate schooling reform and parental education in the post-Martial Law period. The author raises the concept ‘glocal entanglement’ to describe the cultural and institutional entanglements between societies under asymmetrical power relations, and emphasizes that parents across class divides had differential access to globalization and uneven relations with the modernity projects.
Hyperbranched polysiloxane functionalization of graphene oxide for improved mechanical properties of cyanate ester nanocomposites
Authors: Zhang Meng-Meng , Yan Hong-Xia , Gong Chao , Zhang Fei-Fei
Published: March 2014

We report an efficient and novel method to functionalize graphene oxide nanosheets with hyperbranched polysiloxane and successfully compound them with dicyclopentadiene bisphenol dicyanate ester resin to prepare nanocomposites. Fourier transform infrared spectra were used to examine the surface functionalization of graphene oxide. The effects of functionalized graphene oxide on the mechanical, thermal, dielectric and water-resistant properties of dicyclopentadiene bisphenol dicyanate ester resin were investigated systematically. Results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) show that the addition of modified graphene oxide can facilitate the curing reaction of dicyclopentadiene bisphenol dicyanate ester. Compared with pure dicyclopentadiene bisphenol dicyanate ester resin, the impact and flexural strengths of the nanocomposite materials are improved markedly with up to 60% and 47% increasing magnitude, respectively. Meanwhile, the modified graphene oxide/dicyclopentadiene bisphenol dicyanate ester systems show lower and more stable dielectric constant and loss than pure dicyclopentadiene bisphenol dicyanate ester resin over the testing frequency from 10 to 60 MHz. In addition, the thermal stability and moisture resistance of modified graphene oxide/dicyclopentadiene bisphenol dicyanate ester nanocomposties are also superior to that of pure dicyclopentadiene bisphenol dicyanate ester resin.
Geography, Outcome, and Casualties
Authors: Schutte Sebastian
Published: March 2014

This study introduces a theoretical model of how insurgency develops as a function of reactive mobilization. The theory extends a classic distance-decay model by incorporating Kalyvas’ typology of violence. It implies that geographic conditions crucially determine the accuracy of applied violence and thereby its public perception, which in turn determines the actors’ ability to mobilize. As a first test of these effects, I propose a new geographic indicator that expresses the spatial accessibility of a country’s population for both central governments and peripheral insurgent movements. Two empirical implications of the theory are tested with a large- N data set on outcomes and casualties in insurgencies. The new indicator is significantly associated with both military outcomes and the number of casualties in insurgencies since 1970 and strengthens statistical predictions.
Relating Self-Concept Consistency to Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being in Eight Cultures
Authors: Church A. Timothy , Katigbak Marcia S. , Ibáñez-Reyes Joselina , de Jesús Vargas-Flores José , Curtis Guy J. , Tanaka-Matsumi Junko , Cabrera Helena F. , Mastor Khairul A. , Zhang Hengsheng , Shen Jiliang , Locke Kenneth D. , Alvarez Juan M. , Ching Charles M. , Ortiz Fernando A. , Simon Jean-Yves R.
Published: March 2014

Western theories suggest that self-concept consistency is important for well-being, but cultural psychologists have proposed that this relationship may be weaker in collectivistic or dialectical cultures. Hypotheses regarding the ability of self-concept (cross-role) consistency and short-term stability to predict hedonic and eudaimonic well-being across cultures were tested. College students in the United States, Australia, Mexico, Venezuela, the Philippines, Malaysia, China, and Japan rated their traits in various roles at test and retest and completed measures of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. In all cultures, cross-role consistency and short-term stability were inversely associated with negative affect, an aspect of hedonic well-being, and positively associated with Big Five Emotional Stability. In contrast, cross-role consistency and short-term stability were related to eudaimonic well-being more reliably in individualistic cultures than in collectivistic cultures, although the results in China only partially conformed to this pattern. We concluded that cross-role variability and short-term instability of self-concepts have a significant temperamental or affective basis, and this temperamental basis is a cultural universal. In addition, cultural psychology predictions of a weaker relationship between self-concept consistency and well-being in collectivistic cultures, as compared with individualistic cultures, were largely supported for eudaimonic well-being.
Gingival Tissue Transcriptomes Identify Distinct Periodontitis Phenotypes
Authors: Kebschull M. , Demmer R.T. , Grün B. , Guarnieri P. , Pavlidis P. , Papapanou P.N.
Published: March 2014

The currently recognized principal forms of periodontitis—chronic and aggressive—lack an unequivocal, pathobiology-based foundation. We explored whether gingival tissue transcriptomes can serve as the basis for an alternative classification of periodontitis. We used cross-sectional whole-genome gene expression data from 241 gingival tissue biopsies obtained from sites with periodontal pathology in 120 systemically healthy nonsmokers with periodontitis, with available data on clinical periodontal status, subgingival microbial profiles, and serum IgG antibodies to periodontal microbiota. Adjusted model-based clustering of transcriptomic data using finite mixtures generated two distinct clusters of patients that did not align with the current classification of chronic and aggressive periodontitis. Differential expression profiles primarily related to cell proliferation in cluster 1 and to lymphocyte activation and unfolded protein responses in cluster 2. Patients in the two clusters did not differ with respect to age but presented with distinct phenotypes (statistically significantly different whole-mouth clinical measures of extent/severity, subgingival microbial burden by several species, and selected serum antibody responses). Patients in cluster 2 showed more extensive/severe disease and were more often male. The findings suggest that distinct gene expression signatures in pathologic gingival tissues translate into phenotypic differences and can provide a basis for a novel classification.
Four-year Survival of Endodontically Treated Premolars Restored with Fiber Posts
Authors: Juloski J. , Fadda G.M. , Monticelli F. , Fajó-Pascual M. , Goracci C. , Ferrari M.
Published: March 2014

The objective of this prospective clinical trial was to investigate the influence of the residual coronal structure of endodontically treated teeth and the type of cement used for luting fiber posts on four-year clinical survival. Two groups (n = 60) were defined, depending on the amount of residual coronal dentin after abutment build-up and final preparation: (1) more than 50% of coronal residual structure; and (2) equal to or less than 50% of coronal residual structure. Within each group, teeth were randomly divided into 2 subgroups (n = 30) according to the material used for luting fiber posts: (A) resin core build-up material, Gradia Core; or (B) self-adhesive universal cement GCem Automix. The rate of success was assessed based on clinical and intra-oral radiographic examinations at the follow-up after 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 months. The highest 48-month success and survival rates were recorded in group 1A (90% and 100%, respectively), whereas teeth in group 2B exhibited the lowest performance (63.3% success rate, 86.6% survival rate). Cox regression analysis revealed that neither the amount of coronal residual structure nor the luting material significantly influenced the failure risk ( p > .05) ( ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT01532947).
Music and Affective Phenomena
Authors: Diaz Frank M. , Silveira Jason M.
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study was to establish trends in the study of music and affective phenomena through a content and bibliometric analysis of three eminent music research journals, the Journal of Research in Music Education, Psychology of Music, and Music Perception, for the years 1990 through 2009. Excluding editorials, paper responses, and book reviews, 1,293 articles were examined, resulting in 286 (22%) publications that met criteria for further analysis. Data indicated several trends with respect to the sample analyzed, including a notable but not significant decrease of affective studies in the Journal of Research in Music Education, with significant increases in the journal Music Perception. Other trends indicated the emergence of topics and methods that were less prevalent when compared to the overall sample but that evidenced significant increases throughout the period analyzed. These increases occurred for topics relating to expression, physiological and neurological issues and for the use of descriptive methodologies. Other notable trends included increases in examinations of folk, jazz, and world musics.
Evaluative and Behavioral Correlates to Intrarehearsal Achievement in High School Bands
Authors: Montemayor Mark
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships of teaching effectiveness, ensemble performance quality, and selected rehearsal procedures to various measures of intrarehearsal achievement (i.e., musical improvement exhibited by an ensemble during the course of a single rehearsal). Twenty-nine high school bands were observed in two rehearsals of a common music selection. Separate panels of experts evaluated ensemble performance quality from audio recordings and teacher effectiveness from video recordings. Rehearsal frames were identified in second-day rehearsals, and “before” and “after” rehearsal trials for each target ( N = 404) were extracted and evaluated for achievement. Selected rehearsal procedures within each frame also were measured. Results indicated no significant relationships between rehearsal effectiveness scores and any of five conceptualizations of intrarehearsal achievement. Significant, positive correlations were found between performance quality and three achievement computations, and between performance quality and rehearsal effectiveness. With one exception, none of the selected rehearsal procedures were associated with achievement differences within rehearsal frames. These findings suggest limitations of considering ensemble teacher evaluation in terms of student achievement. An ensemble’s extant skill level may contribute more to short-term rehearsal achievement than does the quality of its conductor’s rehearsing.
Measuring Student Learning in Social Statistics
Authors: Delucchi Michael
Published: March 2014

This study used a pretest-posttest design to measure student learning in undergraduate statistics. Data were derived from 185 students enrolled in six different sections of a social statistics course taught over a seven-year period by the same sociology instructor. The pretest-posttest instrument reveals statistically significant gains in knowledge for each course section and all sections combined. The results demonstrate that pretests can establish students’ prior knowledge at the beginning of the semester, while posttests measure learning at the end of the course. Namely, pretest-posttest knowledge gain was influenced more by the content and presentation of the social statistics course than by students’ statistical ability and/or test-taking skills prior to the class. Recommendations on the use of pretest-posttest data to inform pedagogy in social statistics are included in the discussion.
Synthesis of kaolin/sodium alginate-grafted poly(acrylic acid-co-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid) hydrogel composite and its sorption of lead, cadmium, and zinc ions
Authors: Zhu Linhui , Zhang Lili , Tang Yaoji , Ma Dong , Yang Jing
Published: March 2014

A new composite, kaolin/sodium alginate-grafted poly(acrylic acid- co-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid) (KL/SA- g-P(AA- co-AMPS)), was synthesized by intercalation graft polymerization of KL, SA, partially neutralized AA, and AMPS, using ammonium persulfate as an initiator and N, N′-methylenebisacrylamide as a cross-linker. The composite was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Possible mechanisms for the process of intercalation graft polymerization were speculated. The composite was used for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Sorption behavior of heavy metal ions such as lead (Pb2+), cadmium (Cd2+), and zinc (Zn2+) on (KL/SA- g-P(AA- co-AMPS) was investigated. Maximal adsorption capacities for Pb2+, Cd2+, and Zn2+ ions were 834.7, 69.9, and 139.8 mg g−1, respectively. It was found that the adsorption of Pb2+ and Zn2+ ions was in agreement with the Freundlich model, whereas that of Cd2+ ion was consistent with both Langmuir and Freundlich models. Mechanisms for the adsorption process were also discussed. It indicated that chelation played an important role for the adsorption of Pb2+ ions, while ion exchange was decisive for the adsorption of Zn2+ and Cd2+ ions. It has been concluded that KL/SA- g-P(AA- co-AMPS) hydrogel composite offered excellent potential for the removal of heavy metal ions from contaminated water. In addition, the hydrogel composite could be regenerated and reused in wastewater treatment.
Stratified Sampling Using Cluster Analysis
Authors: Tipton Elizabeth
Published: March 2014

Background:

An important question in the design of experiments is how to ensure that the findings from the experiment are generalizable to a larger population. This concern with generalizability is particularly important when treatment effects are heterogeneous and when selecting units into the experiment using random sampling is not possible—two conditions commonly met in large-scale educational experiments.

Method:

This article introduces a model-based balanced-sampling framework for improving generalizations, with a focus on developing methods that are robust to model misspecification. Additionally, the article provides a new method for sample selection within this framework: First units in an inference population are divided into relatively homogenous strata using cluster analysis, and then the sample is selected using distance rankings.

Result:

In order to demonstrate and evaluate the method, a reanalysis of a completed experiment is conducted. This example compares samples selected using the new method with the actual sample used in the experiment. Results indicate that even under high nonresponse, balance is better on most covariates and that fewer coverage errors result.

Conclusion:

The article concludes with a discussion of additional benefits and limitations of the method.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Acute Acoustic Trauma: A Rapid Systematic Review
Authors: van der Veen Erwin L. , van Hulst Rob A. , de Ru J. Alexander
Published: March 2014

In this rapid systematic review, we studied the clinical question, What is the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on hearing thresholds in patients who suffered a recent acute acoustic trauma? After screening for eligible titles and abstracts and extracting duplicates, 6 original research papers could be found. The general methodology of the studies was weak and the differences between these studies were too profound to pool the data, especially because of heterogeneity in adjuvant therapies, follow‐up, and treatment protocol. The mean dB of hearing recovery in these studies ranged from 17 to 47 dB in the groups treated with hyperbaric oxygen versus 5 to 46 dB in the groups who did not receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy. We conclude that the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on hearing thresholds in patients with hearing loss caused by a recent acute acoustic trauma remains unclear. A well‐designed randomized controlled trial with enough power is advised to answer this clinical question.
Demographic factors affecting the commitment of medical records personnel at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana
Authors: Mensah Monica , Adjei Emmanuel
Published: March 2014

The demographic variables of employees have been noted as important determinants of their commitment to work. This paper reports empirical research findings on the relationship between the demographic factors of medical records management personnel at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, and their commitment to work, and proposes recommendations based on the findings. The study was quantitative. One hundred and six (106) copies of a questionnaire were administered to the 106 medical records personnel in the 28 clinical departments of the KBTH, and 92 (87 percent) were obtained in complete form and used for the analysis. Regression analysis was used to investigate the extent to which the demographic variables of the respondents determined their organizational commitment. The key finding of the study was that positive relationships exist between demographic variables (age, gender, job tenure, educational level) and organizational commitment of medical records personnel at KBTH. The findings indicate the need for the management of KBTH to consider the demographic factors of the medical records staff in an attempt to improve their commitment to work.
The effect of clozapine and risperidone on attentional bias in patients with schizophrenia and a cannabis use disorder: An fMRI study
Authors: Machielsen Marise WJ , Veltman Dick J , van den Brink Wim , de Haan Lieuwe
Published: March 2014

Cannabis use disorders (CUDs) are highly comorbid in patients with schizophrenia and are associated with poor outcome. Clozapine has been put forward as the first choice antipsychotic in this comorbid group. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the assumed superiority of clozapine. We compared the effects of clozapine and risperidone on attentional bias, subjective craving and associated regional brain activity in patients with schizophrenia and CUD. Overall, 36 patients with schizophrenia and 19 healthy controls were included. Patients were randomised to antipsychotic treatment with clozapine or risperidone. At baseline and after 4 weeks of medication use, regional brain responses were measured during a classical Stroop and a cannabis word Stroop using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Clozapine-treated CUD patients showed a larger reduction in craving and in activation of the insula during the cannabis word Stroop, while risperidone-treated patients showed a larger decrease in activation of the right anterior cingulate cortex during the classical Stroop. A significant association was found between decreases in subjective craving and decreases in insula activation during the cannabis word Stroop. These findings strongly suggest that clozapine may be a better treatment choice in patients with schizophrenia and CUD than risperidone.
Brainstem response to hypercapnia: A symptom provocation study into the pathophysiology of panic disorder
Authors: Goossens Liesbet , Leibold Nicole , Peeters Ronald , Esquivel Gabriel , Knuts Inge , Backes Walter , Marcelis Machteld , Hofman Paul , Griez Eric , Schruers Koen
Published: March 2014

Background:

The biological basis of uncued panic attacks is not yet understood. An important theory concerning the nature and cause of panic disorder is the ‘suffocation false alarm theory’. This alarm is supposed to be over-sensitive in panic disorder patients and can be triggered by CO2. No neurobiological substrate has been identified for such an alarm. The present study investigates differences in brain activation in panic patients, healthy individuals and experienced divers in response to CO2, representing three groups with descending sensitivity to CO2.

Method:

Brain activation was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Subjects breathed through a mouthpiece delivering a continuous flow of 100% oxygen for two minutes, followed by a hypercapnic gas mixture (7% CO2) for the next two minutes. Statistical analysis was performed using SPM8.

Results:

There was a significant main effect of group in response to the CO2. Patients show increased brainstem activation in response to hypercapnia compared to controls and divers. Subjective feelings of breathing discomfort were positively correlated with brain activation in the anterior insula in all groups.

Conclusion:

This is the first study showing that the behavioural response to CO2 that characterises panic disorder patients is likely due to increased neural sensitivity to CO2 at brainstem level.
Quantitative measurements of brain iron deposition in cirrhotic patients using susceptibility mapping
Authors: Xia Shuang , Zheng Gang , Shen Wen , Liu Saifeng , Zhang Long Jiang , Haacke E Mark , Lu Guang Ming
Published: March 2014

Background

Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) has been used to detect micro-bleeds and iron deposits in the brain. However, no reports have been published on the application of SWI in studying iron changes in the brain of cirrhotic patients.

Purpose

To compare the susceptibility of different brain structures in cirrhotic patients with that in healthy controls and to evaluate susceptibility as a potential biomarker and correlate the measured susceptibility and cadaveric brain iron concentration for a variety of brain structures.

Material and Methods

Forty-three cirrhotic patients (27 men, 16 women; mean age, 50 ± 9 years) and 34 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (22 men, 12 women; mean age, 47 ± 7 years) were included in this retrospective study. Susceptibility was measured in the frontal white matter, basal ganglia, midbrain, and dentate nucleus and compared with results gathered from two postmortem brain studies. Correlation between susceptibility and clinical biomarkers and neuropsychiatric tests scores was calculated.

Results

In cirrhotic patients, the susceptibility of left frontal white matter, bilateral caudate head, and right substantia nigra was higher than that in healthy controls ( P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between susceptibility and iron concentration from one postmortem brain study (r = 0.835, P = 0.01) in eight deep grey matter structures and another in five brain structures (r = 0.900, P = 0.03). The susceptibility of right caudate head (r = 0.402) and left caudate head (r = 0.408) correlated with neuropsychological test scores (both P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Abnormal iron deposits occur in cirrhotic patients and abnormal susceptibility of some brain regions appears to reflect neurocognitive changes.
Two- and three-dimensional CT measurements of urinary calculi length and width: a comparative study
Authors: Lidén Mats , Thunberg Per , Broxvall Mathias , Geijer Håkan
Published: March 2014

Background

The standard imaging procedure for a patient presenting with renal colic is unenhanced computed tomography (CT). The CT measured size has a close correlation to the estimated prognosis for spontaneous passage of a ureteral calculus. Size estimations of urinary calculi in CT images are still based on two-dimensional (2D) reformats.

Purpose

To develop and validate a calculus oriented three-dimensional (3D) method for measuring the length and width of urinary calculi and to compare the calculus oriented measurements of the length and width with corresponding 2D measurements obtained in axial and coronal reformats.

Material and Methods

Fifty unenhanced CT examinations demonstrating urinary calculi were included. A 3D symmetric segmentation algorithm was validated against reader size estimations. The calculus oriented size from the segmentation was then compared to the estimated size in axial and coronal 2D reformats.

Results

The validation showed 0.1 ± 0.7 mm agreement against reference measure. There was a 0.4 mm median bias for 3D estimated calculus length compared to 2D ( P < 0.001), but no significant bias for 3D width compared to 2D.

Conclusion

The length of a calculus in axial and coronal reformats becomes underestimated compared to 3D if its orientation is not aligned to the image planes. Future studies aiming to correlate calculus size with patient outcome should use a calculus oriented size estimation.