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Athlete endorsers' transgressions pose a dilemma for loyal fans who have established emotional attachments toward the individual. However, little is known regarding how fans maintain their support for the wrongdoer. Drawing on moral psychology and social identity theory, the current study proposes and examines a conceptual model incorporating athlete identification, moral emotions, moral reasoning strategies, and consumer evaluations. By using an actual scandal involving an NFL player (i.e., Ray Rice), the results show that fan identification suppresses the experience of negative moral emotions but facilitates fans' moral disengagement processes, which enables fans to support the wrongdoer. Moreover, negative moral emotions motivate the moral coupling process. Findings contribute to the sport consumer behavior literature that highly identified fans seem to regulate negative emotions but deliberately select moral disengagement reasoning strategies to maintain their positive stance toward the wrongdoer and associated brands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marketing managers often face dilemmas when their athlete endorsers are accused of immoral behavior. However, research findings have been equivocal as to whether athletes' transgressions damage endorsed brand evaluations. Using two experiments, we empirically demonstrate that consumers' moral reasoning (i.e., moral rationalization, moral coupling, and moral decoupling) has differential effects on evaluations of a transgressor (Study 1). In Study 2, we examine the causal effect of moral reasoning choice on evaluations of the transgressor and the associated brand. Findings show that moral coupling has negative effects on the athlete and brand evaluations, whereas moral decoupling and moral rationalization positively affect brand attitude and purchase intent through positive evaluation of the athlete. Findings from this study provide empirical evidence to explain how and why some consumers continue or discontinue their support for a troubled athlete and associated brand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Although the role of capsule endoscopy (CE) in Crohn's disease (CD) has expanded, CE is not used routinely for diagnosing and evaluating CD in Korea. We aimed to investigate current patterns of practice and evaluate the clinical significance of the use of CE in CD in Korean patients. Methods: Among 651 CE procedures performed for various indications, we retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients who underwent CE in 57 cases of suspected CD (sCD) and 14 cases of established CD (eCD). Results: In the sCD group, CE was most commonly used for the initial diagnosis of CD (54.4%). Capsule retention was found in only 1 patient in the eCD group (1/71, 1.4%). In the sCD group, 28.1% of patients were diagnosed with CD on the basis of CE findings; other diseases diagnosed included tuberculous enteritis (7.0%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced enteropathy (5.3%), and other enteritis (17.5%). Only 11.5% of patients with eCD (14/122) underwent CE. The indication for CE in the 14 patients with eCD was to assess disease extent and activity. The overall diagnostic yield of CE was 59.7%. Therapeutic strategies were changed in 70.2% of patients in the sCD group and 50% of those in the eCD group based on CE findings. Conclusions: In clinical practice, CE was most commonly indicated for the initial diagnosis of CD and was not generally performed in patients with eCD. CE appears to be an effective diagnostic modality for evaluating sCD and is useful for determining therapeutic strategies for patients with sCD and those with eCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate the differences in lower airway inflammatory immune responses, including cellular responses and responses in terms of inflammatory mediators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the airway, to rhinovirus (RV) infection on asthma exacerbation by comparing a control and a murine asthma model, with or without RV infection. Methods: BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally injected with a crude extract of Dermatophagoides farinae (Df ) or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and were subsequently intranasally treated with a crude extract of Df or PBS. Airway responsiveness and cell infiltration, differential cell counts in BALF, and cytokine and chemokine concentrations in BALF were measured 24 hours after intranasal RV1B infection. Results: RV infection increased the enhanced pause (Penh) in both the Df sensitized and challenged mice (Df mice) and PBS-treated mice (PBS mice) (P<0.05). Airway eosinophil infiltration increased in Df mice after RV infection (P<0.05). The levels of interleukin (IL) 13, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and regulated on activation, normal T cells expressed and secreted (RANTES) increased in response to RV infection in Df mice, but not in PBS mice (P<0.05). The level of IL-10 significantly decreased following RV infection in Df mice (P<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the augmented induction of proinflammatory cytokines, Th2 cytokines, and chemokines that mediate an eosinophil response and the decreased induction of regulatory cytokines after RV infection may be important manifestations leading to airway inflammation with eosinophil infiltration and changes in airway responsiveness in the asthma model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report single step-like asymmetric magnetoconductance from a double-walled carbon nanotube single electron transistor contacted by ferromagnetic cobalt electrodes. The device conductance changed significantly when the direction of the applied magnetic field was reversed, but did not show the spin-valve-type double extrema feature near the coercive field of the electrodes. The magnetoconductance also showed quasi-periodic sign-reversing oscillations with respect to the applied bias. The bias-dependent oscillation of the magnetoconductance was compared with the quantum dot stability diagram for the device. As a result, it was confirmed that the asymmetric magnetoconductance was caused by the magneto-Coulomb effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We applied the pediatric risk of mortality (PRISM) III score to study patients in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), where children with various kinds of diseases were hospitalized. We analyzed whether this scoring system was useful to predict patient mortality in the PICU. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients hospitalized in a 5-bed PICU at a tertiary general hospital. Children who were transferred to other hospitals and remained under pediatric intensive care were excluded from this study. Results We studied a total of 105 children, which included 63 boys (60%) and 42 girls (40%). The mean age was 4.2 years (range 0-17 years). The children were admitted to the PICU for various conditions, including respiratory disease (31 children), neurological disease (30 children), congenital anomaly or neonatal disease (11 children), hemato-oncological disease (10 children), accident or poisoning (7 children), cardiovascular disease (5 children), sepsis (2 children), and the other miscellaneous diseases (9 children). The mean period of PICU stay was 9 days (range 2-66 days). Out of the 105 patients, 94 survived and 11 died. Thus, the mortality rate was calculated as 10.5%. PRISM III scores of the patients were between 0 and 38, with a mean ± SD of 5.0 ± 6.7. In comparison with previous studies on PICU patients with similar PRISM scores, the patients included in our study exhibited a higher mortality. The area under the curve for the prediction of mortality by PRISM III was 0.107. Among the variables included in PRISM III, Glasgow coma scale, pupillary light reflex, and platelet counts were associated with patient mortality. Conclusions In a PICU with a wide spectrum of diseases, PRISM III was not a useful predictor of patient mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence and describe the epidemiological characteristics of Kawasaki disease among children in Korea. Questionnaires for surveying the epidemiology of Kawasaki disease were distributed to a total of 101 hospitals that conduct pediatric residency programs. Then, we retrospectively obtained the data, which covered a three-year period (2006-2008) and analyzed them. During the three-year study period, a total of 9039 cases of Kawasaki disease were reported from 84 hospitals (response rate, 83.2%), comprising 5375 boys and 3664 girls (male : female ratio, 1.47:1). The outbreak rate per 100 000 children <5 years old was 108.7 in 2006, 118.3 in 2007 and 112.5 in 2008 (average rate, 113.1). The seasonal distribution showed a slightly higher incidence rate in winter and summer. The patients' mean age of onset was 32.6 months, while the proportions of sibling cases and recurrent cases were 0.17% and 2.2%, respectively. Coronary arterial abnormalities were detected during follow up by echocardiogram in 17.5% of all cases including dilatations (16.4%) and aneurysms (2.1%). The average annual incidence rate of Kawasaki disease in Korea has been continuously increasing, and reached 113.1/100 000 children <5 years old, which is the second highest rate in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: M. pneumoniae pneumonia (MP) has been reported in 10-40% of community-acquired pneumonia cases. We aimed to evaluate the difference of clinical features in children with MP, according to their age and chest radiographic patterns. Methods: The diagnosis of MP was made by examinations at both admission and discharge and by two serologic tests: the indirect microparticle agglutinin assay (≥1:40) and the cold agglutinins titer (≥1:32). A total of 191 children with MP were grouped by age: ≤ 2 years of age (29 patients), 3-5 years of age (81 patients), and ≥6 years of age (81 patients). They were also grouped by pneumonia pattern: bronchopneumonia group (96 patients) and segmental/lobar pneumonia group (95 patients). Results: Eighty-six patients (45%) were seroconverters, and the others showed increased antibody titers during hospitalization. Among the three age groups, the oldest children showed the longest duration of fever, highest Creactive protein (CRP) values, and the most severe pneumonia pattern. The patients with segmental/lobar pneumonia were older and had longer fever duration and lower white blood cell (WBC) and lymphocyte counts, compared with those with bronchopneumonia. The patient group with the most severe pulmonary lesions had the most prolonged fever, highest CRP, highest rate of seroconverters, and lowest lymphocyte counts. Thrombocytosis was observed in 8% of patients at admission, but in 33% of patients at discharge. Conclusions: In MP, older children had more prolonged fever and more severe pulmonary lesions. The severity of pulmonary lesions was associated with the absence of diagnostic IgM antibodies at presentation and lymphocyte count. Short-term paired IgM serologic test may be mandatory for early and definitive diagnosis of MP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • The analgesic and anti-inflammatory efficacy of dexibuprofen compared with ibuprofen in adults with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and dental pain. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • Dexibuprofen is as effective and tolerable as ibuprofen, and a dose of 5 mg kg−1 of dexibuprofen would be sufficient to control fever caused by upper respiratory tract infection in children. AIM To evaluate the antipyretic efficacy and tolerability of dexibuprofen compared with ibuprofen in children with fever caused by upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). METHODS The study population consisted of children aged 6 months to 14 years. At the time of visit to the hospital, the children had fever; the cause of fever was determined to be URTI by a paediatrician based on history taking and physical examination. The study was a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, controlled parallel group, comparative, Phase 3 clinical trial, conducted at three hospitals. By using a computer-based random assignment program, the subjects were allocated to the following three groups: 5 mg kg−1 dexibuprofen group, 7 mg kg−1 dexibuprofen group, and 10 mg kg−1 ibuprofen group. RESULTS In the clinical trial of the antipyretic action of dexibuprofen in patients with fever caused by URTI, there was no statistically significant difference in maximal decrease of temperature and mean time to become apyrexial among the 5 mg kg−1 dexibuprofen, 7 mg kg−1 dexibuprofen and 10 mg kg−1 ibuprofen groups ( P > 0.05). There also was no significant difference in adverse drug reaction ( P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Dexibuprofen is as effective and tolerable as ibuprofen. A dose of 5 mg kg−1 and 7 mg kg−1 dexibuprofen in place of 10 mg kg−1 ibuprofen would be sufficient to control fever caused by URTI in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular ordering of pyrrolyl-terminated alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (PyCnSH SAMs) on Au(111) substrates (n = 11 or 12) was investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and various spectroscopic methods. The SAMs, which were in a disordered state when formed at room temperature, could be ordered either globally by thermal annealing at 70 °C, or locally via stimulation with repetitive STM scans. The ordered phase was characterized by small domains of molecular rows formed along 〈112̄〉 directional set with an inter-row corrugation period close to 1.44 nm, in which defects were abundant. Based on the experimental results, the molecular arrangement in the ordered PyCnSH SAM was proposed to be a (5×√3)rect structure with a molecular deficiency ≥10%. While mechanical interactions between molecules and scanning probe tips had been pointed out as the major cause of scan-induced phase transformations in other SAM systems, electronic or electrostatic factors were thought to affect considerably the scan-induced ordering process in this SAM system. From comparison of surface molecular coverage between disordered and thermally ordered SAMs of PyC12SH, it was inferred that the disorder could be ascribed to both kinetic and thermodynamic factors. The kinetic barrier to the ordered phase was supposed to result from strong dipole–dipole interactions among the pyrrolyl endgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is key to their reconstituting ability, but the factors regulating the process remain poorly understood. Here, we show that Interleukin-10 (IL-10), a pleiotropic immune modulating cytokine, can also play a role in regulating HSC self-renewal. First, a quantitative decrease of primitive hematopoietic cell populations, but not more matured cells, was observed in the bone marrows of IL-10 disrupted mice as determined by long-term in vitro cultures or in vivo competitive repopulation assays. In contrast, normal HSCs from 5-fluorouracil treated marrows cultured on the IL-10 secreting stroma displayed an enhanced repopulating activity compared with cells grown on control stroma, with ninefold higher numbers of donor-derived HSCs in the reconstituted recipient marrows. Moreover, limiting dilution transplantation assay demonstrated that exogenous addition of IL-10 in the stroma-free cultures of purified Lin-Sca-1+c-kit+ cells caused three- to fourfold higher frequencies of HSCs in the 5-day short-term culture without indirect inhibitory effect of IL-10 on tumor necrosis factor-α or interferon-γ secretion. Interestingly, primitive hematopoietic cells, including Lin-Sca-1+c-kit+ or side population cells, expressed the surface receptor for IL-10, and microenvironmental production of IL-10 was sharply increased in the osteoblasts lining the trabecular regions of the radiation-stressed marrow but not in the steadystate marrows. These results show that IL-10 may be a ligand that can stimulate self-renewal of HSCs to promote their regeneration in addition to being a ligand for immune regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated nanogap electrodes with separations of several nanometers were fabricated by a simple and highly reproducible method of surface-catalyzed chemical deposition. By this method, multifingered nanogap electrodes of a few nanometers in separation were fabricated with a good yield (over 90%). The fabrication was achieved by immersing the initial gap electrodes obtained by conventional e-beam lithography into a stock solution containing Au ions and a mild reducing agent. After the surface-catalyzed chemical deposition, a rather wide initial gap distance of 18–52 nm was decreased to a few nanometers, showing a much narrower distribution (centered at 3.3 nm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines children who presented with arthritis after defervescence on intravenous immunoglobulin treatment. Brief information on Kawasaki disease (KD); Effectiveness of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in KD; Information on arthritis after infection with Streptococcus.

We report on the controlled formation of sub-100-nm-thin electron channels in SrTiO3 by doping with oxygen vacancies induced by Ar+ ion irradiation. The conducting channels exhibit a consistently high electron mobility (∼15,000 cm2 V−1 s−1), which enables a clear observation of magnetic quantum oscillations, and a gate-tunable linear magnetoresistance. Near the onset of electrical conduction, a metal–insulator transition is induced by mobility suppression. With the high electron mobility and the ease of controlled channel formation, this ion irradiation doping method may provide an excellent basis for developing oxide electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]