bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heavy Metals and Cardiovascular Disease: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2006
Authors: Agarwal Shikhar , Zaman Tarique , Murat Tuzcu E. , Kapadia Samir R
Published: March 2011

We assessed the role of lead and cadmium as partial mediators between smoking and composite cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease (CCVD). We also studied the association between urinary heavy metals and CCVD. Pooled data from NHANES 1999-2006 were examined. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease was determined using a standardized questionnaire asking about history of stroke, angina, heart attack, coronary artery disease, and congestive heart failure. Increasing serum cadmium levels were associated with increasing prevalence of CCVD (P-trend: .03). Adjusted odds-ratio (OR) for active smokers versus never smokers was 2.09 (1.67-2.63). Adjustment for lead did not affect the OR but adjustment for cadmium significantly attenuated the OR (1.54 [1.17-2.03]). Significant association was observed between CCVD and urinary antimony, cadmium, cobalt, and tungsten. High levels of serum cadmium (>0.61 µg/L) were associated with CCVD. The relationship between smoking and CCVD was partially mediated through cadmium. Urinary antimony, cadmium, cobalt, and tungsten may be associated with CCVD.
Asymptomatic Carotid Disease and Cardiac Surgery Consensus
Authors: Stansby Gerard , Macdonald Sumaira , Allison Robert , de Belder Mark , Brown Martin M. , Dark John , Featherstone Roland , Flather Marcus , Ford Gary A. , Halliday Alison , Malik Iqbal , Naylor Ross , Pepper John , Rothwell Peter M.
Published: March 2011

The Carotid Disease and Cardiac Surgery Consensus Meeting was convened as a multidisciplinary gathering to consider the management of patients undergoing cardiac surgery who are found to have asymptomatic carotid artery disease. There are no randomized trials concerning whether carotid interventions are of value in this situation and the natural history is unclear. Bilateral carotid artery disease (≥70% stenosis) should be regarded clinically relevant when considering hemodynamic and short-term surgical stroke risk. However, this may be because the presence of significant carotid disease is also a marker for aortic arch and intracerebral disease. A natural history study is urgently needed to determine the incidence, predictive factors, and natural history of asymptomatic carotid disease in patients undergoing contemporary cardiac surgical interventions to inform the design of any future randomized trial.
Contemporary Management of Infrapopliteal Peripheral Arterial Disease
Authors: Falluji Nezar , Mukherjee Debabrata
Published: March 2011

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common manifestation of atherosclerotic vascular disease and the incidence of infrapopliteal PAD continues to rise in the population. The historical experience with surgical and endovascular interventions for infrapopliteal stenosis was disappointing as operators experienced high rates of early technical failures and procedural complications, coupled with high rates of restenosis in this vascular territory when compared with more proximal vascular beds. While patients with infrapopliteal PAD may be asymptomatic, the majority would ultimately develop intermittent claudication or may also present with critical limb ischemia. In this article, we review the current literature, and discuss some of the technical aspects of endovascular therapy in this vascular bed. We also emphasize the importance of adjunctive evidence-based therapies such as antiplatelet agents, statins, and lifestyle modification such as smoking cessation in this particularly high-risk cohort to optimize clinical outcomes.
Association of Interleukin-6 Gene Polymorphism With Angina Pectoris
Authors: Amorim Fernanda Gobbi , Campagnaro Bianca Prandi , Tonini Clarissa Loureiro , Norbim Ana Paula Capua , Louro Iuri Drummond , Vasquez Elisardo Corral , Arruda Jose Airton , Meyrelles Silvana Santos
Published: March 2011

In this study, we investigated the role of the -174G>C polymorphism of interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a predisposing factor to angina pectoris. Patients were separated into 2 groups: angina (N = 72) and nonangina (N = 71). There were no statistical differences between groups for all cardiovascular risk factors evaluated. The GG genotype frequency was 18% lower in the angina than in the non-angina group, whereas GC + CC was 18% higher in the angina group ( P = .036). The frequency of G allele was 11% lower in the angina than in the nonangina group and C allele was 11% higher in the angina group ( P = .043). Patients carrying the C allele showed a 2-fold increased risk for angina pectoris ( P = .036). Our study demonstrates a high incidence of the -174G>C polymorphism of the IL-6 gene in patients with angina pectoris compared with those carrying the G allele, reinforcing the contribution of genetic factors to the symptoms of angina pectoris.
Paradoxical Increase in Arterial Compliance in Obese Pubertal Children
Authors: Chalmers Laura J. , Copeland Kenneth C. , Hester Casey N. , Fields David A. , Gardner Andrew W.
Published: March 2011

We determined whether arterial compliance measured by pulse wave analysis is impaired in obese pubertal children compared to normal weight controls, and assessed whether arterial compliance is associated with ambulatory activity. Body fat percentage was significantly different between the normal (n = 33) and obese (n = 34) participants ( P < .001). Large ( P = .012) and small ( P < .001) arterial compliance were lower in the normal-weight group. After adjusting for height, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, race, sex, and Tanner stage, large arterial compliance was no longer different between groups ( P = .066), whereas small arterial compliance remained higher in the obese group ( P < .001). Obese pubertal children have paradoxically increased small arterial compliance compared to that of normal weight children, even after adjusting for height, blood pressure, race, sex, and Tanner stage. Thus, obesity in adolescence is not associated with impairments in small arterial compliance.
Coronary Calcification and Hormones
Authors: Koulaouzidis George , Henein Michael
Published: March 2011

The pathogenesis of coronary artery calcification and its role in atherogenesis has not been completely understood but is a new focus of interest in experimental and clinical research. Various bioactive substances, including hormones, have been implicated in the process of arterial calcification. This review considers the relationship between coronary artery calcification and hormones. These hormones may become therapeutic targets for the prevention of arterial calcification.
Exercise Performance, Physical Activity, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Participants With Stable Angina
Authors: Gardner Andrew W. , Montgomery Polly S. , Ritti-Dias Raphael M. , Thadani Udho
Published: March 2011

We compared exercise performance, daily physical activity, and health-related quality of life in 115 participants with stable angina and 441 controls without coronary artery disease or stable angina. Participants with stable angina had shorter 6-min walk distance (P = .003), and lower total leisure-time physical activity (P = .003) than the controls. Group differences in these measures remained (P < .05) after adjusting for age, race, current smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Participants with stable angina also had lower health-related quality of life for physical function (P < .001), general health (P = .002), and vitality (P < .001), but group differences did not remain (P > .05) after adjustment for comorbid conditions. Participants with stable angina have impaired exercise performance and reduced daily physical activity. Thus, they are prime candidates for exercise interventions designed to improve daily physical activity and exercise performance.
Maximizing Players’ Anticipation by Applying the Proximity-Compatibility Principle to the Design of Video Games
Authors: Caroux Loïc , Le Bigot Ludovic , Vibert Nicolas
Published: March 2011

Objective: Two experiments were conducted to investigate elements of the spatial design of video game interfaces.

Background: In most video games, both the objects and the background scene are moving. Players must pay attention to what appears in the background to anticipate events while looking at head-up displays. According to the proximity-compatibility principle, game-related information should be placed as close as possible to the anticipation zone.

Method: Participants played a video game where they had to anticipate the upward movement of obstacles. The score location was manipulated. The average vertical gaze position and dispersion were used to assess anticipation and extent of visual scanning, respectively.

Results: Putting the score at the bottom rather than the top of the game window, within the anticipation zone, was expected to minimize attentional moves. Experiment 1 revealed lower average gaze positions and reduced extent of visual scanning in that condition, but the score performance did not improve significantly. Experiment 2 demonstrated that players’ performance increased compared with the bottom condition when the score was displayed just below but outside the game window, despite an increased extent of visual scanning.

Conclusion: Positioning the score just outside the anticipation zone facilitated anticipation of the movement of obstacles and led to better performance than when the score overlapped with the game anticipation zone.

Application: For games requiring visual anticipation, contextual information should be located in the direction of anticipation but not within the anticipation zone. This recommendation complements the proximity compatibility principle for simple dynamic displays.
A follow-up study of family burden in patients with bipolar affective disorder
Authors: Maji K.R. , Sood Mamta , Sagar Rajesh , Khandelwal Sudhir K.
Published: March 2011

Introduction: Research in the last two decades has documented a high level of burden in caregivers of bipolar disorder. The present study is aimed at studying family burden among relatives of patients with bipolar affective disorder.

Methods: Thirty four consecutive hospitalized patients with bipolar affective disorder currently in mania and their relatives were assessed twice: at the time of admission and during follow-up four weeks after discharge. A semi-structured performa designed for the study was completed. Patients were assessed on Young’s Mania Rating Scale and relatives were assessed on Family Burden Assessment Scale.

Results: More than 90% of family members reported severe subjective (rated by relative) and objective burden (rated by interviewer) at admission; none of them was free of burden. At the time of follow-up, about one quarter (23.5%) and two thirds (64.7%) of family members did not experience any objective and subjective burden respectively; subjective and objective family burden was moderate in about one third (35.3%) and a half (52.9%), respectively. None of the family members reported severe burden subjectively, while the objective burden was rated to be severe in a quarter (23.5%) of family members.

Limitations: The study was limited by the lack of a control group from an outpatient setting as hospitalization increases family burden. Also, the rater at the second assessment was not blind to ratings at the first assessment.

Conclusions: Almost all the family members experienced severe burden initially. Even when symptoms subsided, family members continued to experience burden specifically related to finances. Objective burden was significantly higher than subjective burden.
Protecting self-esteem from stigma: A test of different strategies for coping with the stigma of mental illness
Authors: Ilic Marie , Reinecke Jost , Bohner Gerd , Hans-Onno Röttgers , Beblo Thomas , Driessen Martin , Frommberger Ulrich , Corrigan Patrick William
Published: March 2011

Background: To date, there has been little research into effective strategies for preventing the detrimental effects of stigma on the well-being of people with mental illness.

Aim: The present research set out to identify adaptive strategies for dealing with the stigma of mental illness.

Methods: On the basis of the responses of 355 people with mental illness (PWMI) a standardized questionnaire assessing 10 identity management strategies was developed. Participants also reported their personal experiences with stigma, depression and self-esteem.

Results: Hierarchical regression analyses showed that after controlling for depression and stigmatizing experiences, the strategies of community involvement, humour and positive ingroup stereotyping were related to higher self-esteem. Secrecy, selective disclosure and attempts at overcompensation or disproving stereotypes were related to lower self-esteem. The following strategies were unrelated to self-esteem: comparing the present social position of PWMI with that in the past, normalization of the illness within a medical model, information seeking and selective withdrawal.

Conclusions: PWMI should be encouraged to seek support within their community and to develop a positive image of their ingroup.
Initiating communication about parental mental illness in families: An issue of confidence and security
Authors: Pihkala Heljä , Sandlund Mikael , Cederström Anita
Published: March 2011

Background: Beardslee’s family intervention (FI) is a family-based intervention to prevent psychiatric problems for children of mentally ill parents. The parents’ experiences are of importance in family-based interventions.

Method: Twenty five parents were interviewed about their experiences of FI. Data were analysed by qualitative methods.

Discussion: Confidence and security in the professionals and in FI as a method were prerequisites for initiating communication about the parents’ mental illness with the children.

Conclusions: FI provides a solid base for an alliance with the parents and might be a practicable method when parenthood and children are discussed with psychiatric patients.
Change in the health of tsunami-exposed mothers three years after the natural disaster
Authors: Wickrama Thulitha , Ketring Scott A.
Published: March 2011

Background: Women’s experiences with secondary stressors resulting from natural disasters, such as increased economic insecurity, expanded caregiving responsibilities and disrupted family life, may contribute to women’s mental and physical health problems.

Aims: The present study investigates change and stability in post-tsunami depressive symptoms and perceived physical health of tsunami-exposed mothers over three and a half years.

Methods: Using data from 160 tsunami-affected mothers, the present study uses structural equation modelling to investigate (1) change, stability, cross-lagged reciprocal influences of mental and physical health and (2) the meditation effect of negative life events on the relationship between tsunami exposure and post-tsunami depressive symptoms and perceived physical health of tsunami-exposed mothers from 2005 to 2008.

Results: Tsunami exposure contributed to depressive symptoms among mothers independently of pre-tsunami family adversities. Average depressive symptoms showed a decline whereas poor physical health showed an increase over this period. The results also revealed an interrelated health process between depression and physical health over time. Continuity of health problems were mediated by secondary stressors that also exerted an additive effect on later health problems.

Conclusions: Post-disaster intervention and recovery programmes should focus not only on mothers’ exposure to natural disasters, but also their pre- and post-natural disaster adversities. They should reach disaster-exposed mothers directly and have an integrated health approach to disrupt continuities of health problems.
Delusion content across the 20th century in an American psychiatric hospital
Authors: Cannon Brooke J. , Kramer Lorraine Masinos
Published: March 2011

Background: Differences in delusion content have been studied across time periods and in various international samples, with variations reflecting sociocultural influences. A similar analysis of delusion content in an American sample has yet to be reported.

Aims: The current study seeks to contribute to this growing database by reporting delusion content from a sample in the US across a 100-year period.

Methods: Archival medical records of 102 patients hospitalized for psychosis across the 20th century were examined for types of delusion content. Random samples were selected from each decade. All patients were hospitalized at the same state psychiatric facility in the US.

Results: Persecutory was the most common delusion category, followed by religious, somatic and grandiose. Greater frequency of persecutory delusions occurred after 1950. Delusion content also reflected sociocultural factors during the associated time period.

Conclusions: As in most samples internationally, persecutory was the most common delusion type. Delusion content paralleled sociocultural changes, as has been reported in non-American samples.
A preliminary study on the attitude of the Japanese public towards creative artwork by people with mental illness
Authors: Yamauchi Takashi , Takeshima Tadashi , Koh Eugen , Chiba Hisomu , Nakagawa Ryuji , Sudo Anju , Ono Sayaka , Okazaki Yuji , Kikkawa Takehiko
Published: March 2011

Background: Although researchers have suggested that consumer art can help reduce the stigma of mental illness, there is little evidence of the attitudes of the Japanese public towards such artwork.

Material: A total of 277 Japanese visitors attending an exhibition of visual arts by people with mental illness completed a short questionnaire.

Discussion: After their visit, approximately 87% of the participants reported being strongly or fairly impressed by the creative art. Word frequency analysis implied generally positive attitudes towards the works.

Conclusions: The Japanese public might generally have positive and empathetic attitudes towards artwork by people with mental illness.
The Benefits Trap
Authors: Olney Marjorie F. , Lyle Cindy
Published: March 2011

In the first of two rounds of interviews, 12 Social Security Administration (SSA) beneficiaries, all of whom professed a desire to work, discussed their perspectives on barriers to employment. Two years later, 8 of the 12 engaged in a second round of interviews. Only 1 of the 8 participants had succeeded in becoming self-supporting. After a review of the literature concerning the effects of SSA procedures in discouraging beneficiaries from seeking full-time work, the authors tell the stories of these participants and then analyze the findings using a phenomenological framework. They conclude by positing suggestions for how to improve outcomes for SSA beneficiaries in the future.
Becoming Public Notes on Governance and Local Welfare in Italy
Authors: Bifulco Lavinia
Published: March 2011

As the sectors of intervention traditionally assigned to the responsibility of the State gradually become spaces of mobilization for a plurality of actors, the notion of “public” appears problematic: it is difficult to define what distinguishes the structures of governance, the actors involved, and the problems and interests treated, as being of a public nature. This article tackles these issues with particular attention given to governance of social policies in Italy. The aim is twofold: to shed light on the ambivalence of the current transformations of the public realm and to outline their implications with respect to public administration.
The Distribution of Decision Making
Authors: Nahuis Roel
Published: March 2011

Nowadays, the cockpit model for public policy planning has been largely replaced by a model of distributed decision making. Taking a dramaturgical perspective on politics, this article follows issues when they are displaced between different settings for decision making. A typology of five different displacements is proposed and linked to staging effects of settings. This typology could form the basis of a theory with which complex, interactive, and distributed decision-making processes can be understood in more general terms. The approach is applied to a case of decision making about an innovative flexible public transport system in the Netherlands.
Collective Agency for Service Volunteers
Authors: Stirling Christine , Bull Rosalind
Published: March 2011

Policy makers promote volunteering in part because it is a powerful mechanism for expanding local community services. Volunteers, however, are subject to processes and power dynamics within organizations, which limit their collective agency. This article reports key findings of a study of rural ambulance volunteers’ agency. The study demonstrated that collective identity is part of the ensemble of power that allows volunteers’ interests to be marginalized within organizations. Findings highlighted barriers for volunteers who were unhappy with the organizational support they received. A critical realist analysis revealed that rural location and community discourses underpinned the volunteers’ lack of collective agency.
Strategic Planning in an International Nongovernmental Development Organization
Authors: Harris Matthew J.
Published: March 2011

There are few empirical studies that explore how managers at senior executive levels of international nongovernmental development organizations (INGDOs) conciliate multiple identities with purposeful strategic change. This article offers rich excerpts from high-level strategy meetings in two Member Organizations of a major INGDO and explores deeply embedded tensions in its organizational identity. In the case study, there were several identities in play simultaneously—“we attend to donors,” “we attend to beneficiaries,” “we attend to the confederation,” and finally “we attend to ourselves.” Strategic planning meetings were therefore fraught with tension over the balance between generalist versus specialist activities, organizational survival, autonomy, and image. Managers reconciled these tensions by creating a meta-identity of a “strategic organization”: “We may attend to different things but we attend to all of these things in a purposeful and directed way.” As aid organizations become ever larger and more complex, there is a need for a research agenda that explores how their identities coexist, are constructed, reconstructed, and managed in practice and the implication for their strategies.
Semiotic combinations in Pan: A comparison of communication in a chimpanzee and two bonobos
Authors: Lyn Heidi , Greenfield Patricia M. , Savage-Rumbaugh E. Sue
Published: March 2011

Communicative combinations of two bonobos (Pan paniscus) and a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) are compared. All three apes utilized ordering strategies for combining symbols (lexigrams) or a lexigram with a gesture to express semantic relations such as agent of action or object of action. Combinatorial strategies used by all three apes revealed commonalities with child language, spoken and signed, at the two-year-old level. However, many differences were also observed: e.g., combinations made up a much smaller proportion and single symbols a much larger proportion of ape production compared with child production at a similar age; and ape combinations rarely exceeded three semiotic elements. The commonalties and differences among three sibling species highlight candidate combinatorial capacities that may underlie the evolution of human language.
Diabetes Management in the Nursing Home
Authors: Garcia Theresa J. , Brown Sharon A.
Published: March 2011

Purpose

Diabetes mellitus is a disease with debilitating potential. Growing numbers of elderly individuals are being admitted to under-resourced nursing homes with this often complicated, time-intensive, and costly diagnosis. The purpose of this systematic review of the literature was to determine the trends in diabetes management in nursing homes over the last decade including the use of clinical practice guidelines and the evaluation of management outcomes.

Methods

Ten medical, nursing, psychological, legal, and business databases were searched for articles written in English between 2000 and 2010 addressing diabetes management in nursing homes or long-term care settings. They were analyzed to determine diabetes management characteristics, use of clinical practice guidelines, resident outcomes associated with different regimens, and implications for improved management and outcomes.

Results

A total of 20 studies from 6 countries, primarily the United States, including both qualitative and quantitative designs and a combined sample of 779 707 residents, met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies described frequencies of various management practices and found rare clinical practice guideline adherence.

Conclusion

A severe lack of research relating management practices to health and quality-of-life outcomes was evident as was a lack of the voice of the resident in determining the diabetes regimen. Clear implications were found for improvement in diabetes management education for residents, families, and all health care providers in this setting.
Development of an Online Diabetes Prevention Lifestyle Intervention Coaching Protocol for Use in Primary Care Practice
Authors: Simkin-Silverman Laurey R. , Conroy Molly B. , Bhargava Tina , McTigue Kathleen M.
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The translation of an evidence-based lifestyle intervention to an online delivery format has the potential to provide an effective treatment option for obesity in primary care practice. Research is needed, however, to standardize e-counseling procedures to promote the training of health coaches and the dissemination to primary care settings. This article describes the development of an online lifestyle intervention coaching protocol adapted from the Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle intervention curriculum.

Conclusions

The delivery of patient counseling via the Internet may enable the dissemination of high-quality lifestyle advice to prevent diabetes in patients whose schedules or geographic constraints prohibit their participation in in-person counseling sessions.
Understanding Impulsive Aggression: Angry Rumination and Reduced Self-Control Capacity Are Mechanisms Underlying the Provocation-Aggression Relationship
Authors: Denson Thomas F. , Pedersen William C. , Friese Malte , Hahm Aryun , Roberts Lynette
Published: March 2011

Interpersonal provocation is a common and robust antecedent to aggression. Four studies identified angry rumination and reduced self-control as mechanisms underlying the provocation—aggression relationship. Following provocation, participants demonstrated decreased self-control on an unpleasant task relative to a control condition (Study 1). When provoked, rumination reduced self-control and increased aggression. This effect was mediated by reduced self-control capacity (Study 2). State rumination following provocation, but not anger per se, mediated the effect of trait rumination on aggression (Study 3). Bolstering self-regulatory resources by consuming a glucose beverage improved performance on a measure of inhibitory control following rumination (Study 4). These findings suggest that rumination following an anger-inducing provocation reduces self-control and increases aggression. Bolstering self-regulatory resources may reduce this adverse effect.
Spoiled Milk: An Experimental Examination of Bias Against Mothers Who Breastfeed
Authors: Smith Jessi L. , Hawkinson Kristin , Paull Kelli
Published: March 2011

Drawing from the objectification literature, three experiments tested the hypothesis that breastfeeding mothers are the victims of bias. In Study 1, participants rated a woman who had breastfed as incompetent. Study 2 replicated these effects and determined that the bias was specific to conditions that sexualized the breast. In Study 3, participants interacted with a confederate in which attention was drawn to her as a mother, as a mother who breastfeeds, as a woman with sexualized breasts, or in a neutral condition. Results showed the breastfeeding confederate was rated significantly less competent in general, in math and work specifically, and was less likely to be hired compared to all other conditions, except for the sexualized breast condition. Importantly, the breastfeeding mother emphasis and the sexualized breast emphasis resulted in equally negative evaluations. Results suggest that although breastfeeding may be economical and healthy, the social cost is potentially great.
“Pray for Those Who Mistreat You”: Effects of Prayer on Anger and Aggression
Authors: Bremner Ryan H. , Koole Sander L. , Bushman Brad J.
Published: March 2011

Although some religious teachings have been used to justify aggression, most religious teachings promote peace in human affairs. Three experiments tested the hypothesis that praying for others brings out the more peaceful side of religion by reducing anger and aggression after a provocation. In Experiment 1, praying for a stranger led provoked participants to report less anger than control participants who thought about a stranger. In Experiment 2, provoked participants who prayed for the person who angered them were less aggressive toward that person than were participants who thought about the person who angered them. In Experiment 3, provoked participants who prayed for a friend in need showed a less angry appraisal style than did people who thought about a friend in need. These results are consistent with recent evolutionary theories, which suggest that religious practices can promote cooperation among nonkin or in situations in which reciprocity is highly unlikely.
Only Two Hours?
Authors: Evans Cortney A. , Jordan Amy B. , Horner Jennifer
Published: March 2011

This study examines parents’ and children’s reaction to the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation to limit children’s television (TV) viewing to 2 hours a day or less. To better understand the challenges faced by parents who would seek to adhere to the guidelines, we conducted qualitative small group interviews with 60 parent/child dyads from each of the following three age groups: 6 to 7, 9 to 10, and 12 to 13 years ( N = 180 children and 180 parents). Parents and children were interviewed separately and transcripts were thematically analyzed using Atlas.ti. Results indicate three salient challenges: (a) limiting children’s TV time will cause conflict in the home because of children’s anger at parents’ rules and increased bickering between siblings; (b) replacing TV as an entertainer takes time away from parents and requires monetary and community resources that are not available; and (c) TV is seen as a beneficial presence in the home, offering entertainment, free babysitting, and educational opportunities.
Chronic Progressive Nephropathy in Male F344 Rats in 90-Day Toxicity Studies
Authors: Travlos Greg S. , Hard Gordon C. , Betz Laura J. , Kissling Grace E.
Published: March 2011

The occurrence and severity of spontaneous chronic progressive nephropathy (CPN) in control male F344 rats as well as the frequency of treatment-related CPN exacerbation were histopathologically reevaluated. A series of 43 National Toxicology Program (NTP) 90-day toxicity studies comparing the influence of NIH-07 or NTP-2000 diets was examined. Relationships between the histopathologic findings at 90 days and renal tubule proliferative lesions recorded in subsequent 2-year bioassays for 24 chemicals were statistically analyzed. CPN lesions were observed in 100% of the control male rats regardless of diet, but CPN was more severe in control rats fed NIH-07. Approximately one-third of the 90-day studies demonstrated a treatment-related exacerbation of CPN severity, which was independent of diet. For chemicals that proceeded to 2-year bioassays, all studies with a statistically significant increase in renal tubule tumors (RTT) at 2 years had treatment-related exacerbation of CPN in the 90-day and 2-year studies. These findings indicate that CPN occurs ubiquitously in young male F344 rats and that treatment-related exacerbation of CPN in 90-day studies is a relatively common occurrence, having the potential to be predictive of an increased incidence of RTT in subsequent 2-year bioassays.
Reporting of Toxicologic Histopathology
Authors: Holland Tom
Published: March 2011

There are substantial differences between the information required in a diagnostic histopathology report and an experimental pathology report. A diagnostic report rests on the authority of the person issuing it, so there is less emphasis on the data and analysis on which the diagnosis is based being in the report. By contrast, an experimental report gains its authority from the integrity of the data and the objective analysis of that data. It is recommended that the current diagnostic reporting of the histopathology component of toxicological studies be changed to a more experimental report approach.
Principals as Partners: Counselors as Collaborators
Authors: Dahir Carol A. , Burnham Joy J. , Stone Carolyn B. , Cobb Nicole
Published: March 2011

School principals and school counselors have the ability to forge a unique collaborative relationship to improve student achievement. Historically, school counselors have altered the primary focus of their work as deemed by the perspective of their principals.With an emphasis on improving student success in school, this study revealed the differences in counselor-principal priorities and perceptions and suggests the importance of counselor and principal collaboration to support this common goal.
World Bank lending and deforestation: A cross-national analysis
Authors: Shandra John M , Shircliff Eric , London Bruce
Published: March 2011

The article presents a cross-national analysis that tests hypotheses drawn from dependency theory that poor nations undergoing World Bank investment and structural adjustment loans tend to have higher rates of deforestation than poor nations not undergoing these types of loans. In doing so, the article analyzes cross-national data for a sample of 61 nations from 1990 to 2005. The study finds substantial support for the dependency theory hypothesis. It also finds that a number of other factors help to explain deforestation. These include non-governmental organizations, democracy, agricultural and forestry-based economic activity, population growth, data quality and tropical climate. The article concludes with a discussion of the findings, methodological implications, policy suggestions and possible directions for future research.
Effects of dual task balance training on dual task performance in elderly people: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Hiyamizu Makoto , Morioka Shu , Shomoto Koji , Shimada Tomoaki
Published: March 2011

Objective: To investigate the effects of dual task balance training in the elderly on standing postural control while performing a cognitive task.

Design: A randomized two-group parallel controlled trial.

Participants: Forty-three subjects (all >65 years old) were enrolled in the study and were assigned randomly to either an experimental group ( n = 21) or a control group ( n = 22).

Interventions: Subjects in the experimental group were given strength and balance training while performing cognitive tasks simultaneously. Subjects in the control group were given strength and balance training only. The training was administered twice a week for three months.

Measurements: The Chair Stand Test, Functional Reach Test, Timed Up and Go Test and Trail Making Test were measured. The sway length of the centre of gravity was measured during standing while performing the Stroop task. The rate of Stroop task was also measured. All measurements were collected at baseline and after the training period.

Results: There were no significant differences in Functional Reach Test, Timed Up and Go Test and sway length at baseline and after training between the two groups. However, the rate of Stroop task ( P < 0.05) was significantly higher after training in the experimental group than in the control group.

Conclusions: These results suggest that dual task balance training in elderly people improves their dual task performance during standing postural control.
A description of a cognitive rehabilitation programme evaluated in brain tumour patients with mild to moderate cognitive deficits
Authors: Gehring K , Aaronson NK , Taphoorn MJB , Sitskoorn MM
Published: March 2011

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

Background: There is a paucity of literature on the rationale, design, and content of successful cognitive rehabilitation programmes. In the current paper, we describe in detail a cognitive rehabilitation programme that has previously proven effective in a randomized controlled trial in patients with primary brain tumours. The programme’s content may be of practical interest to those working with populations of cognitively impaired patients.

Programme: The programme consists of six weekly, individual, 2-hour sessions plus homework, and incorporates both strategy training and attention retraining. The elements were taken from two of the few programmes that are evidence-based. It's design consists of psycho-education, teaching of strategies to compensate for problems in attention, memory and executive functioning in daily life. The retraining was based on the assumption that a target process can be improved by frequently practising exercises. It is focused on attention as intact attention may also be necessary for adequate functioning of other cognitive domains. The hierarchically organized exercises, embedded in a game-like computer program, were tailored to the needs of the individual patient.

Evaluation: Mean total training time was estimated to be 35 hours in seven weeks. Adherence to the programme was high. The majority of the participants found the programme to be (very) useful. However, older participants found the programme more burdensome than younger patients.

Discussion: Splitting up and spreading out sessions may increase the feasibility and usefulness of the programme for older participants. Further suggestions for improvements and future studies on this programme are also provided.
Increased risk-taking behavior in dopamine transporter knockdown mice: further support for a mouse model of mania
Authors: Young Jared W , van Enkhuizen Jordy , Winstanley Catharine A , Geyer Mark A
Published: March 2011

Reduced functioning of the dopamine transporter (DAT) has been linked to bipolar disorder (BD). Mice with reduced DAT functioning (knockdown, KD) exhibit a behavioral profile in the mouse Behavioral Pattern Monitor (BPM) consistent with patients with BD mania in the human BPM. Patients with BD also exhibit increased risk taking, which can be quantified using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). We hypothesized that DAT KD mice would exhibit increased risk-taking behavior in a novel mouse version of the IGT. DAT KD and wildtype (WT) littermates were trained in the mouse IGT. In session 1, KD mice initially made riskier choices, but later performed comparably to WT mice. Once trained to stable choice performance, DAT KD mice continued to exhibit a trend to choose the riskier options more than WT mice. Finally, we confirmed that these DAT KD mice also exhibited an exploratory profile in the BPM consistent with patients with BD mania, where risky choice behavior modestly correlated with specific exploration. These data demonstrate that DAT KD mice chose the riskier options more than WT mice, providing further support for the use of DAT KD mice as a model of BD mania.
From Nursing Home to Green House
Authors: Loe Meika , Moore Crystal Dea
Published: March 2011

This article tracks the changing roles of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) as they transition from a traditional nursing home setting to a “deinstitutionalized” care setting called the Green House. The Green House concept, developed by William Thomas, MD and based on the Eden Alternative paradigm, emphasizes autonomy, dignity, privacy, and reciprocal relationships between residents and staff. This qualitative work focuses on how CNAs (called “shabazim” in the Green House) negotiated the transition from traditional nursing home to the Green House model. Interview, focus group, and participant observation data before and after the transition to the Green Houses reveal that in the traditional nursing home environment, informants report that resident-CNA interactions tend to be rushed, detached, and adversarial, whereas in the Green House care environment, interdependency and stronger ties are promoted. Shabazim report diminished guilt and enhanced sense of empowerment in their new role.
Mexican American Males Providing Personal Care for Their Mothers
Authors: Evans Bronwynne C. , Belyea Michael J. , Ume Ebere
Published: March 2011

We know little about Mexican American (MA) family adaptation to critical events in the informal caregiving experience but, in these days of economic and social turmoil, sons must sometimes step up to provide personal care for their aging mothers. This article compares two empirically real cases of MA males who provided such care, in lieu of a female relative. The cases are selected from a federally funded, descriptive, longitudinal, mixed-methods study of 110 MA caregivers and their care recipients. In case-oriented research, investigators can generate propositions (connected sets of statements) that reflect their findings and conclusions, and can be tested against subsequent cases: Caregiving strain and burden in MA males may have more to do with physical and emotional costs than financial ones; MA males providing personal care for their mothers adopt a matter-of-fact approach as they act “against taboo”; and this approach is a new way to fulfill family obligations.
Achieving Safety
Authors: Eisenberg Anna , Bauermeister José A. , Pingel Emily , Johns Michelle Marie , Santana Matthew Leslie
Published: March 2011

Conceptualizations of safer sex practices among young gay men (YGM) are frequently structured around communication between partners and the subsequent utilization or absence of condoms in a sexual encounter. Drawing on a sample of 34 in-depth interviews with YGM, ages 18 to 24, the authors explore the ways in which conceptualizations and definitions of safer sex are discussed and enacted. Placing attention on their safer sex practices, the authors analyze the conversations that do and do not occur among YGM and their partners, including the strategies (e.g., negotiated safety, condom communication and negotiation) that are commonly perceived as most useful by YGM. The authors provide recommendations regarding how to craft safer sex messages for YGM by considering their competing demands.
A novel method for toxicology: In vitro culture system of a rat preantral follicle
Authors: Wan Xuying  , Zhu Jiangbo  , Zhu Yuping  , Xili MA , Liu Zhen  , Wang Fei  , Xu Guifeng  , Zhang Tianbao
Published: March 2011

Preantral follicle in vitro culture systems have been successfully or nearly successfully established for sheep, pig and mouse, and applied on follicle development and regulation research on reproductive biology and physiology. However, there have been few studies concerning rat preantral follicle in vitro development. The objective is to establish an in vitro culture system for rat preantral follicles which can be used for reproductive biology and toxicology research. Rat preantral follicles are mechanically separated, cultured in vitro in single follicle mode for continuous 12 days using 96-well plates, and then administrated ovulation induction. The observation on follicle development, hormone level, and ovum formation are recorded and assessed. Taking in vivo growth and in vitro maturation of ocytes group as control group, in vitro growth and maturation of oocytes group is assessed to see whether this in vitro culture method is successful. The conditions for rat follicle culture are determined based on the mouse pre-antral follicle culture. The in vitro culture system for rat preantral follicles established in this study is feasible and successful, and can serve as model for reproductive biology and toxicology research.
p53 and Bcl-2expression in response to boldenone induced liver cells injury
Authors: Tousson Ehab , Alm-Eldeen Abeer , El-Moghazy Mostafa
Published: March 2011

Boldenone is an anabolic steroid developed for veterinary use. Recently, it is used by bodybuilders in both off-season and pre-contest, where it is well known for increasing vascularity while preparing for a bodybuilding contest. So, the present study was designed to investigate the possible effect of using growth promoter boldenone undecylenate on the rabbit liver tissue. Thirty-two adult New Zealand rabbits were divided into four groups (8 animals each). Control group includes animals that injected intramuscularly with olive oil and dissected after 3 weeks. The experimental groups include animals that receive one, two and three intramuscular injections of 5 mg/kg body weight boldenone, respectively. The animals were dissected after 3, 6 and 9 weeks respectively, where the interval of each dose of boldenon was 3 weeks. Small pieces of the liver tissues were sent for the histopathological examination. Apoptotic p53 and antiapoptotic Bc1-2 proteins were localized immunohistochemically. Histological observations of the liver tissue showed that the sinusoidal congestion was the most prominent feature that extended from the centrilobular to the periportal regions. Hepatocellular vacuolation in the centrilobular region was also detected. Liver immunohistochemical observation showed a significant increase of the apoptotic protein p53 and a significant decrease in the antiapoptotic Bc1-2 proteins. The highest frequency of p53 positive cells was observed in the liver sections of three dose of boldenone injections, while the lowest in control group, also the highest frequency of Bcl-2 positive cells was observed in the liver sections of control group while the lowest in three dose of boldenone injections. The present results investigate that people should be careful if they want to use such steroids to enhance their strength and endurance.
Comparison of heavy metals in marine sediments from coast areas in East and Southeast Asian countries during the years 2000—2010
Authors: Fang Guor-Cheng , Yang Hung-Chieh
Published: March 2011

Comparisons of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in marine sediments from coast areas in Southeast and East Asian countries during the years 2000—2010 are studied and discussed in this paper. The results indicate that the average compositions of Cd ranged from 0.13 to 0.89 mg/kg, and the average compositions of Cr ranged from 0.09 to 96.0 mg/kg. Moreover, the average compositions of Cu ranged from 3.00 to 148 mg/kg, and the average compositions of Ni ranged from 1.00 to 37.4 mg/kg. In addition, the average compositions of Pb ranged from 1.00 to 111 mg/kg. Finally, the average compositions of Zn ranged from 4.00 to 595 mg/kg. From the point of view of metals distribution areas for this study, the average highest metal of Ni occurred in East Asia, while the highest metals of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn occurred in Southeast Asian countries.