bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of In‐Office Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Neck Masses
Authors: Moshtaghi Omid , Haidar Yarah M. , Mahmoodi Amin , Tjoa Tjoson , Armstrong William B.
Published: March 2017

To evaluate the efficacy of otolaryngologist‐performed in‐office ultrasound (US) in the clinical assessment of lateral neck masses, we performed a retrospective review of patients with lateral neck masses who had both a surgeon‐performed US and US‐guided fine‐needle aspiration (USGFNA) at our tertiary academic center from 2012 to 2015. Fifty‐nine patients were included. USGFNA results included 32 (54%) malignant lesions, 23 (39%) benign lesions, and 4 (6%) nondiagnostic lesions. USGFNA demonstrated 85% accuracy. In 22 (37%) patients, in‐office US revealed additional findings that were not identified on physical examination (eg, nonpalpable lymph nodes or elucidated anatomical structures), which either assisted in surgical planning or altered treatment. In‐office US and USGFNA on initial evaluation by the otolaryngologist augment physical examination and have potential value as the primary imaging and diagnostic modality in the workup of lateral neck masses.
Association between Nasal Obstruction and Risk of Depression in Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Phillips Katie M. , Hoehle Lloyd P. , Bergmark Regan W. , Campbell Adam P. , Caradonna David S. , Gray Stacey T. , Sedaghat Ahmad R.
Published: March 2017

Objective

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is associated with an increased risk for depression. Since nasal obstruction is a symptom of CRS that is treatable, we sought to characterize its impact on the risk for depression in CRS.

Study Design

Prospective cross‐sectional cohort of 94 patients with CRS.

Setting

Academic tertiary care rhinology clinic.

Subjects and Methods

Patients with CRS without vasculitis, cystic fibrosis, sarcoidosis, immunodeficiency, or sinonasal malignancy. Risk for depression was assessed with the 2‐item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ‐2) while nasal obstruction was assessed with the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) instrument. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to seek association between NOSE and PHQ‐2 scores. Analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves defined a NOSE threshold for detecting participants with PHQ‐2 greater than 1.

Results

Of the 94 participants, the mean NOSE score was 47.3, and 29.8% of patients had a PHQ‐2 score greater than 1. We found an elevated NOSE score was associated with having a PHQ‐2 score greater than 1 (adjusted odds ratio, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01‐1.05; P =. 001). Alternatively, a 23‐point increase in NOSE score was associated with a 1.5‐fold increase in PHQ‐2 score (adjusted relative risk, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01‐1.03; P <. 001). ROC analysis identified an optimal NOSE threshold of 42.5 for detecting participants with PHQ‐2 greater than 1, with 82.1% sensitivity and 50.0% specificity.

Conclusions

The impact of nasal obstruction is associated with an increased risk for depression in patients with CRS. Assessing for severe nasal obstruction may help to identify those patients with CRS with the highest risk for depression.
Accuracy of Ultrasonography and Computed Tomography in the Evaluation of Patients Undergoing Sialendoscopy for Sialolithiasis
Authors: Thomas W. Walsh , Douglas Jennifer E. , Rassekh Christopher H.
Published: March 2017

Objective

To determine the accuracy of the 2 most utilized imaging modalities in obstructive sialadenitis secondary to sialolithiasis—computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography (US)—using sialendoscopic findings as a comparison standard. To review the impact of CT and US on the management of sialolithiasis managed with sialendoscopy alone and through combined approaches.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Quaternary academic referral center.

Subjects and Methods

All cases of patients undergoing sialendoscopy by a single surgeon for suspected parotid and submandibular gland pathology between the October 2013 and April 2016 were reviewed.

Results

Sixty‐eight patients were in this cohort, of whom 44 underwent US, CT, and sialendoscopy; 20 underwent CT and sialendoscopy only; and 4 underwent US and sialendoscopy only. The sensitivity and specificity were 65% and 80% for US and 98% and 88% for CT, respectively. These 68 patients had 84 total stones addressed, with 79 being removed and 5 remaining in situ. The methods of stone removal were sialendoscopy alone (34 stones), open transoral approaches (36 stones), and an external approach: transcervical for submandibular and transfacial for parotid (11 stones).

Conclusion

US had a lower sensitivity (65%) than what has been reported in the literature (70%‐94%), and the majority of missed stones were anterior Wharton’s duct stones. These sialoliths were likely missed due to an incomplete examination. US and CT were complementary in this study, and the findings suggest that both modalities can be utilized to optimize the outcome of sialendoscopy and combined approaches.
Antipsychotic treatment of schizotypy and schizotypal personality disorder: a systematic review
Authors: Jakobsen Klaus Damgaard , Skyum Eva , Hashemi Nasseh , Schjerning Ole , Fink-Jensen Anders , Nielsen Jimmi
Published: March 2017

Schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) is characterised by thought disorders, experiences of illusions, obsessive ruminations, bizarre or eccentric behaviour, cognitive problems and deficits in social functioning – symptoms that SPD shares with schizophrenia. Efforts have been undertaken to investigate the relationship between these conditions regarding genetics, pathophysiology, and phenomenology. However, treatment of SPD with antipsychotics has received less scientific attention. Embase and PubMed databases were searched using all known generic names of antipsychotics as search terms in combination with the following diagnostic terms: latent schizophrenia, schizotypal disorder, latent type schizophrenia, or SPD. Studies were categorised according to evidence level on the basis of their methodology from A, being the best, to E, being the worst. Five hundred and nine studies were retrieved and scrutinised. Sixteen studies, from the period 1972 to 2012, on antipsychotic treatment of SPD were extracted. Four studies were categorised as evidence level A, two as level B, six as level C and three as level D, with one study level E. Only four randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, on subjects with well-defined diagnoses, exists. Only amisulpride, risperidone and thiothixene have been studied according to evidence level A. This result warrants further high quality studies of the effects of antipsychotic treatment of SPD.
Energy-based numerical modeling of the strain rate effect on fracture toughness of SA508 Gr. 1a
Authors: Nam Hyun-Suk , Kim Yun-Jae , Kim Jin-Weon , Kim Jong-Sung
Published: March 2017

This article presents an energy-based method to simulate ductile tearing under dynamic loading conditions. The strain rate–dependent material properties are characterized by the Johnson–Cook-type model. The damage model is defined based on the multi-axial fracture strain energy concept. The proposed damage model is applied to simulate the fracture toughness test of SA508 Gr. 1a under four different test speeds. Simulated results show a good overall agreement with the experimental results.
Therapeutic Mechanisms of Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Rat Tendon Injury Model
Authors: Lee Sang Yoon , Kwon Bomi , Lee Kyoungbun , Son Young Hoon , Chung Sun G.
Published: March 2017

Background:

Although survival of transplanted stem cells in vivo and differentiation of stem cells into tenocytes in vitro have been reported, there have been no in vivo studies demonstrating that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could secrete their own proteins as differentiated tenogenic cells.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

Using a xenogeneic MSC transplantation model, we aimed to investigate whether MSCs could differentiate into the tenogenic lineage and secrete their own proteins. The hypothesis was that human MSCs would differentiate into the human tenogenic lineage and the cells would be able to secrete human-specific proteins in a rat tendon injury model.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

The Achilles tendons of 57 Sprague Dawley rats received full-thickness rectangular defects. After the modeling, the defective tendons were randomly assigned to 3 groups: (1) cell group, implantation with human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs) and fibrin glue (106 cells in 60 μL); (2) fibrin group, implantation with fibrin glue and same volume of cell media; and (3) sham group, identical surgical procedure without any treatment. Gross observation and biomechanical, histopathological, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analyses were performed at 2 and 4 weeks after modeling.

Results:

hASCs implanted into the defective rat tendons were viable for 4 weeks as detected by immunofluorescence staining. Tendons treated with hASCs showed better gross morphological and biomechanical recovery than those in the fibrin and sham groups. Furthermore, the expression of both human-specific collagen type I and tenascin-C was significantly higher in the cell group than in the other 2 groups.

Conclusion:

Transplantation of hASCs enhanced rat tendon healing biomechanically. hASCs implanted into the rat tendon defect model survived for at least 4 weeks and secreted human-specific collagen type I and tenascin-C. These findings suggest that transplanted MSCs may be able to differentiate into the tenogenic lineage and contribute their own proteins to tendon healing.

Clinical Relevance:

In tendon injury, MSCs can enhance tendon healing by secreting their own protein and have potential as a therapeutic option in human tendinopathy.
Body Composition Analysis by Using Bioelectrical Impedance in a Young Healthy Chinese Population: Methodological Considerations
Authors: Chen Wei , Jiang Hua , Yang Jiong-xian , Yang Hao , Liu Jing-min , Zhen Xiu-yuan , Feng Lian-jun , Yu Jian-chun
Published: March 2017

Objective:

To develop a new bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) model for analyzing body composition by using isotope dilution, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) as the reference methods in young healthy Chinese populations.

Methods:

Thirty healthy participants were enrolled. Their body composition was analyzed using BIA and 3 reference methods. We established a model that uniformed data from 3 references methods (isotope, MRI, and DEXA) into 1 formula. This model was further validated with 209 participants.

Results:

The following BIA body composition adjustment model was developed: [Formula: see text], where X represents the impedance index; when K = 1, 2, and 3, Y represents total body water, fat mass, and bone mass, respectively. The prediction accuracy of this formula was 93.3%. By incorporating the data matrix, the protein mass was calculated using BIA: [Formula: see text]. In the verification part of this study, the lean body mass measured using DEXA and BIA was 43.02 ± 8.34 kg and 45.85 ± 8.81 kg, respectively. Analysis indicated that the model fit was extremely favorable ( R2 = .9997, P < .001).

Conclusions:

The accuracy of BIA measurement on body composition and protein mass is significantly improved by our work.
Rewriting a Discursive Practice: Atheist Adaptation of Coming Out Discourse
Authors: Cloud Doug
Published: March 2017

Coming out is a powerful way for individuals to disclose, constitute, and perform membership in stigmatized identity categories. The practice has now spread far beyond its LGBTQ origins. In this essay, I examine how atheists and other secularists have taken up and adapted coming out discourse to meet their situational and rhetorical needs. Through an analysis of 50 narratives about coming out atheist, I show that atheist writers use coming out discourse to claim both high and low agency over their identities. They both follow and resist a low-agency approach that has sometimes characterized LGBTQ uses of coming out discourse. Furthermore, I argue that the attribution of high personal agency in coming out discourse and other discourses of identity can introduce themes of deliberation, choice, and uncertainty, leading to a richer public discussion of identity category membership.
Establishing an Open Probability-Based Mixed-Mode Panel of the General Population in Germany
Authors: Bosnjak Michael , Dannwolf Tanja , Enderle Tobias , Schaurer Ines , Struminskaya Bella , Tanner Angela , Weyandt Kai W.
Published: March 2017

Various open probability-based panel infrastructures have been established in recent years, allowing researchers to collect high-quality survey data. In this report, we describe the processes and deliverables of setting up the GESIS Panel, the first probability-based mixed-mode panel infrastructure in Germany open for data collection to the academic research community. The reference population for the GESIS Panel is the German-speaking population aged between 18 and 70 years permanently residing in Germany. In 2013, approximately 5,000 panelists had been recruited from a random sample drawn from municipal population registers. We describe the outcomes of the sampling strategy and the multistep recruitment process, involving computer-aided personal interviews conducted at respondents’ homes. Next, we describe the outcomes of the two self-administered survey modes (online and paper-and-pencil) of the GESIS Panel used for the initial profile survey and all subsequent bimonthly data collection waves. Across all stages of setting up the GESIS Panel, we report sample composition discrepancies for key demographic variables between the GESIS Panel and established benchmark surveys. Overall, the findings highlight the usefulness of pursuing a mixed-mode strategy when building a probability-based panel infrastructure in Germany.
Managing Nonoperable Intracranial Bleeding Associated With Apixaban: A Series of 2 Cases
Authors: Faust Andrew C. , Tran Dang M. , Lo Catherine , Lai Sophia , Sheperd Lyndsay , Liu Mary , Denetclaw Tina
Published: March 2017

Objective:

To report 2 cases of nonoperable intracranial bleeding associated with apixaban managed by 3-factor prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC3).

Case Summaries:

Case 1 presented with a 1.3-cm left parieto-occipital hemorrhage and a thin subdural hematoma (SDH) on the left tentorium of the brain about 6 hours after his last dose of apixaban. Case 2 presented with a 4-mm left parafalcine SDH with time of most recent apixaban dose unknown. The patients received 24.9 to 25.5 U/kg of PCC3 with none to 1 U fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and demonstrated minimal or no progression in lesions measured by repeat computed tomography (CT) after treatment. One patient was discharged to a skilled nursing facility after 8 days; the other patient was discharged to home after 18 days.

Discussion:

Apixaban has no specific antidote. Current bleeding management strategies are based on expert opinion. The risks and benefits for differing strategies are unclear, and little clinical experience for managing apixaban-associated intracranial bleeding has been reported to date. These cases describe the clinical use of PCC3 to manage parieto-occipital and subdural hemorrhage associated with apixaban in events not requiring surgical intervention.

Conclusion:

In these 2 cases, 25 U/kg PCC3, with none to one unit FFP, ceased apixaban-associated intracranial bleeding without apparent thrombogenic complications.
Worker unrest and institutional change: Perceptions of local trade union leaders in China
Authors: Wang Kan , Elfstrom Manfred
Published: March 2017

Worker protests in China are increasing in frequency, and workers are making more ambitious demands. However, it is unclear whether this activism is, on the whole, drawing a reformist or conservative response from officials. Using a 2014 survey of city-level leaders from China’s official trade union federation, we find that an acknowledgement of the seriousness of today’s labour disputes and of how the country’s industrial relations are changing is positively correlated with respondents’ optimism regarding the likelihood of changes to China’s political system. To determine exactly what this means ideologically, we further compare reform optimists and pessimists with regard to their support for a range of more specific policies, finding that those who believe systemic changes are close at hand have different views from their peers regarding the importance of engagement with global civil society and a tripartite (government, union, employer) approach to managing workplaces. This provides tentative support for the idea that reform optimists are reform supporters and that interest in change among Chinese officials, at least at the level studied here, is growing alongside workplace conflict.
Association of design and computational fluid dynamics simulation intent in flow control product optimization
Authors: Li Lei , Lange Carlos F , Ma Yongsheng
Published: March 2017

Computational fluid dynamics has been extensively used for fluid flow simulation and thus guiding the flow control device design. However, computational fluid dynamics simulation requires explicit geometry input and complicated solver setup, which is a barrier in case of the cyclic computer-aided design/computational fluid dynamics integrated design process. Tedious human interventions are inevitable to make up the gap. To fix this issue, this work proposed a theoretical framework where the computational fluid dynamics solver setup can be intelligently assisted by the simulation intent capture. Two feature concepts, the fluid physics feature and the dynamic physics feature, have been defined to support the simulation intent capture. A prototype has been developed for the computer-aided design/computational fluid dynamics integrated design implementation without the need of human intervention, where the design intent and computational fluid dynamics simulation intent are associated seamlessly. An outflow control device used in the steam-assisted gravity drainage process is studied using this prototype, and the target performance of the device is effectively optimized.
Modeling of dry dual-clutch axial dynamics
Authors: Hoić Matija , Kranjčević Nenad , Herold Zvonko , Deur Joško , Ivanović Vladimir
Published: March 2017

A dynamic model of an automotive dry dual clutch is proposed and experimentally validated for a wide range of operating conditions, including those related to the thermal expansion effects and the wear effects. The bond graph method is used to derive the model and to analyze its simplification. The main model maps, which relate to the stress–strain curves of key clutch assembly components, are identified by using a custom-made manual press rig. The clutch coefficient of friction is described as a function of the temperature, the slip speed, and the normal force, which is determined from the tribometer characterization data. A lumped-parameter third-order thermal dynamics model is proposed and experimentally identified, in order to predict accurately the pressure plate and the flywheel friction interface temperatures. The overall clutch model, including an electromechanical actuator submodel, is validated against experimental data collected on a custom-made clutch test rig.
Clinical trials with nested subgroups: Analysis, sample size determination and internal pilot studies
Authors: Placzek Marius , Friede Tim
Published: March 2017

The importance of subgroup analyses has been increasing due to a growing interest in personalized medicine and targeted therapies. Considering designs with multiple nested subgroups and a continuous endpoint, we develop methods for the analysis and sample size determination. First, we consider the joint distribution of standardized test statistics that correspond to each (sub)population. We derive multivariate exact distributions where possible, providing approximations otherwise. Based on these results, we present sample size calculation procedures. Uncertainties about nuisance parameters which are needed for sample size calculations make the study prone to misspecifications. We discuss how a sample size review can be performed in order to make the study more robust. To this end, we implement an internal pilot study design where the variances and prevalences of the subgroups are reestimated in a blinded fashion and the sample size is recalculated accordingly. Simulations show that the procedures presented here do not inflate the type I error significantly and maintain the prespecified power as long as the sample size of the smallest subgroup is not too small. We pay special attention to the case of small sample sizes and attain a lower boundary for the size of the internal pilot study.
Development of the Community College Internationalization Index
Authors: Copeland Jacqueline Marie , McCrink Carmen L. , Starratt Gerene K.
Published: March 2017

To address the shortage of skilled workers in the 21st century, shifting demographics, competition for education funding, and the need to better serve underrepresented student populations, colleges and universities in the United States seek to increase internationalization efforts. While a number of instruments exist for measuring internationalization at the university level, few instruments are designed for measuring campus-level institutionalization, particularly at public community colleges. Moreover, current community college instruments are based on outdated literature or make use of qualitative tools that are not necessarily applicable in all settings. This study utilized an exploratory sequential mixed-method design to construct a quantitative instrument to measure institutional-level internationalization in public community college settings. Qualitative data were used to develop a theory of community college internationalization, from which the Community College Internationalization Index was developed. The CCII will be valuable for tracking public community colleges’ progress in internationalization efforts.
Studying Terrorism Empirically: What We Know About What We Don’t Know
Authors: Safer-Lichtenstein Aaron , LaFree Gary , Loughran Thomas
Published: March 2017

Although the empirical and analytical study of terrorism has grown dramatically in the past decade and a half to incorporate more sophisticated statistical and econometric methods, data validity is still an open, first-order question. Specifically, methods for treating missing data often rely on strong, untestable, and often implicit assumptions about the nature of the missing values. We draw on Manski’s idea of no-assumption bounds to demonstrate the vulnerability of empirical results to different tactics for treating missing cases. Using a recently available open-source database on political extremists who radicalized in the United States, we show how point estimates of basic conditional probabilities can vary dramatically depending on the amount of missing data in certain variables and the methods used to address this issue. We conclude by advocating for researchers to be transparent when building analytical models about the assumptions they are making about the nature of the data and their implications for the analysis and its interpretation.
Performance of Khorana Risk Score for Prediction of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Wang Y. , Attar B. M. , Fuentes H. E. , Yu J. , Zhang Huiyuan , Tafur A. J.
Published: March 2017

Cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among patients with malignancy. The Khorana risk score (KRS) is currently the best validated risk assessment model to stratify risks of VTE development in ambulatory patients with cancer. In the current study, we assessed the performance of KRS in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We retrospectively analyzed patients with diagnosis of HCC (screened by International Classification of Diseases [ ICD-9] and ICD-10 code, confirmed with radiographic examination and/or histopathology) at a large public hospital over 15 years (January 2000 through July 2015). Cases with VTE were identified through radiographic examination and blindly adjudicated. Khorana risk score was calculated for each patient, and its association with VTE development and mortality was assessed. Among 270 patients with HCC, 16 (5.9%) cases of VTE were identified, including 7 (43.8%) pulmonary embolism, 4 (25%) peripheral deep vein thrombosis, and 6 (37.5%) intra-abdominal thrombosis. One hundred eighty-four (68.1%) patients had a KRS of 0 and 86 (31.9%) patients had a KRS >0. Most of the thrombotic (n = 9, 56%) events occurred in the low-risk group. In univariate analysis, only prechemotherapy leukocyte count equal to or greater than 11 000/μL was statistically significant in the prediction of VTE incidence. After adjusting for confounding factors in multivariate analysis, KRS >0 was not predictive of VTE (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.81-4.15, P = .15) or mortality (HR = 1.61, 95% CI = 0.92-2.81, P = .09). Khorana risk score did not predict VTE development or mortality in patients with HCC. Design of HCC-specific risk assessment model for VTE development is necessary.
Finite deformations and incremental axisymmetric motions of a magnetoelastic tube
Authors: Saxena Prashant
Published: March 2017

A thick-walled circular cylindrical tube made of an incompressible magnetoelastic material is subjected to a finite static deformation in the presence of an internal pressure, an axial stretch and an azimuthal or an axial magnetic field. The dependence of the static magnetoelastic deformation on the intensity of the applied magnetic field is analysed for two different magnetoelastic energy density functions. Then, superimposed on this static configuration, incremental axisymmetric motions of the tube and their dependence on the applied magnetic field and deformation parameters are studied. In particular, we show that magnetoelastic coupled waves exist only for particle motions in the azimuthal direction. For particle motion in radial and axial directions, only purely mechanical waves are able to propagate when a magnetic field is absent. The wave speeds as well as the stability of the tube can be controlled by changing the internal pressure, axial stretch and applied magnetic field that demonstrates the applicability of magneto-elastomers as wave guides and vibration absorbers.
Philosophical Foundations of Neuroscience in Organizational Research: Functional and Nonfunctional Approaches
Authors: Bagozzi Richard P. , Lee Nick
Published: March 2017

Neuroscience offers a unique opportunity to elucidate the role of mental phenomena, including consciousness. However the place of such phenomena in explanations of human behavior is controversial. For example, consciousness has been construed in varied and conflicting forms, making it difficult to represent it in meaningful ways without committing researchers to one species of consciousness or another, with vastly different implications for hypothesis development, methods of study, and interpretation of findings. We explore the conceptual foundations of different explications of consciousness and consider alternative ways for studying its role in research. In the end, although no approach is flawless or dominates all others in every way, we are convinced that any viable approach must take into account, if not privilege, the self in the sense of representing the subjective, first-person process of self as observer and knower of one’s own actions and history, and the feelings and meanings attached to these. The most promising frameworks in this regard are likely to be some variant of nonreductive monism, or perhaps a kind of naturalistic dualism that remains yet to be developed coherently.
Quality of Caregiving in Mothers With Illicit Substance Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Hatzis Denise , Dawe Sharon , Harnett Paul , Barlow Jane
Published: March 2017

Background:

The quality of caregiving in mothers with substance abuse problems appears to be compromised. However, divergent findings, methodological variability, and sample characteristics point to the need for research synthesis.

Methods:

A comprehensive systematic search was undertaken. Studies were eligible if they (1) compared substance-misusing mothers with non–substance-misusing mothers, (2) involved children from birth to 3 years, and (3) maternal sensitivity and child responsiveness were measured using observational methodology.

Results:

A global meta-analysis for maternal sensitivity (n = 24 studies) and child responsiveness (n = 16 studies) on 3433 mother-infant dyads yielded significant population effect sizes and significant heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses found reduced heterogeneity when the meta-analysis was conducted on studies where groups were matched on key demographic characteristics; although the effect size was small, it was still significant for maternal sensitivity but not child responsiveness.

Conclusions:

Compromised quality of caregiving is found in high-risk, substance-misusing mothers, emphasising the importance of early intervention that draws from attachment-based interventions.
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome–Associated Kaposi Sarcoma in a Child Presenting as a Solitary Plantar Hyperkeratotic Plaque
Authors: Grenier Pierre-Olivier , Auger Isabelle
Published: March 2017

Background and Objective:

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)–associated Kaposi sarcoma (KS) among the pediatric population is a rare entity in North America and Europe, and its cutaneous manifestations are not well defined in the literature. The investigators report the case of a boy with an AIDS-associated KS presenting as an infiltrated hyperkeratotic plaque of the plantar arch.

Methods and Results:

An 11-year-old African boy with congenital human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) had a skin biopsy of the plantar lesion that was consistent with a KS. The patient also presented intestinal and pulmonary symptoms; combined chemotherapy regimen and highly active antiretroviral therapy were given in the presence of systemic involvement.

Conclusion:

AIDS-associated KS poses a particular challenge to clinical diagnosis, since it can manifest with a variety of lesions. Dermatologists should have a low threshold for performing a skin biopsy in patients with HIV.
Cairo: Restoration? And the Limits of Street Politics
Authors: Abaza Mona
Published: March 2017

In this piece, I argue that the city of Cairo has witnessed unprecedented urban transformations for the past 4 years, owing to urban wars and confrontations during the two regimes that followed Mubarak’s ouster. Street politics, although mesmerizing, have been highly exhausting. With the reemergence of the army in civil life, after the ousting of President Morsi, street activism is becoming hazardous and highly costly in terms of human life. Whether Egypt is witnessing the persistence of a counter-revolutionary moment, firmly marching toward the uncompromising neoliberal city, exemplified in Dubai as a model and planned prior to 2011, will be difficult to answer, precisely because Cairo is not Dubai. Experts on Arab revolutions have spoken of the emergence of new “subjectivities” that have opened novel mental, visual, and physical interactions in the city, perhaps encouraging optimism in the long term.
Policing advance fee fraud (AFF)
Authors: Webster Julianne , Drew Jacqueline M
Published: March 2017

Advance fee fraud (AFF) involves an offender using deceit to obtain a financial gain from the victim. The victim believes that by forwarding a sum of money, there will be a future ‘pay-off’. The most commonly witnessed forms of AFF perpetrated via the Internet include classic ‘Nigerian’ or ‘419’ scams, investment fraud and romance fraud. Because of the largely transnational nature of AFF offending, where the victim and offender typically reside in different parts of the world, police are adapting their traditional and reactive approaches to more innovative strategies to combat this crime more effectively. This article utilises a qualitative, semi-structured interview design to explore the experiences of police detectives involved in the implementation of an early intervention model with victims of AFF. The study highlights the challenges involved in developing effective police strategies to proactively reduce the duration and severity of this type of financial victimisation.
Media fragmentation in the context of bounded social networks: How far can it go?
Authors: Riles Julius Matthew , Pilny Andrew , Tewksbury David
Published: March 2017

As researchers took note of the emerging ubiquity of new media, they predicted how digital technologies would facilitate an increasingly fragmented audience. New media (i.e. technologies with online capabilities) were observed to possess previously unmatched levels of content options and audience control over consumption. Many researchers have since observed that the current audience landscape has not reached previously anticipated degrees of fragmentation, leading to questions about potentially mitigating factors. In this study, we utilize emerging network analytical procedures to examine the role of interpersonal relationships in both exacerbating and mitigating audience fragmentation. We find support for the notion that social ties can mitigate fragmentation with regard to particular types of media use, notably, those most narrowly defined. Implications of this cross-disciplinary study are discussed.
The normativity of democracy
Authors: Frega Roberto
Published: March 2017

The aim of this paper is to advance our understanding of the normative grammar of the concept of democracy by distinguishing two levels at which a political concept may play a normative function, and proceeds by analysing the concept of democracy at these two levels. It distinguishes in particular between normativity as ‘norm-compliance’ and normativity as ‘paradigmatic’ and contends that the concept of democracy has a normative content that extends over both levels. A model of democracy consistent with this approach is then outlined based on a sociological account of democratic patterns of interaction. The structure of the paper is as follows. In sections one and two, I distinguish two meanings of normativity and introduce the concept of ‘paradigm normativity'. In section three, I provide examples of rival ‘paradigm normative' concepts. In section four, I provide an account of democracy as a ‘paradigm normative' concept and in sections five and six, I present its two most important theoretical features.
Effects of functional focus on bounded momentum: Examining firm- and industry-level alliances
Authors: Park Namgyoo K. , Martin Xavier , Lee Jinju , Mezias John M.
Published: March 2017

Building on strategic momentum and alliance studies, we theoretically explain and test the non-monotonicity of the alliance momentum of same- or cross-functional-type alliances. We theorize about critical drivers that generate bounded momentum and further argue whether function-specific momentum occurs sequentially or simultaneously. We examine cross-border alliances of 32 international airlines from 1945 to 1994 and find that the inverted U-shaped pattern of alliance momentum holds for same-type but not for cross-type alliances at both the firm and industry levels. These findings imply that alliance momentum with a specific functional focus evolves sequentially rather than simultaneously.
Value creation from big data: Looking inside the black box
Authors: Zeng Jing , Glaister Keith W.
Published: March 2017

The advent of big data is fundamentally changing the business landscape. We open the ‘black box’ of the firm to explore how firms transform big data in order to create value and why firms differ in their abilities to create value from big data. Grounded in detailed evidence from China, the world’s largest digital market, where many firms actively engage in value creation activities from big data, we identify several novel features. We find that it is not the data itself, or individual data scientists, that generate value creation opportunities. Rather, value creation occurs through the process of data management, where managers are able to democratize, contextualize, experiment and execute data insights in a timely manner. We add richness to current theory by developing a conceptual framework of value creation from big data. We also identify avenues for future research and implications for practicing managers.
Eunice Boardman’s Generative Theory of Musical Learning and the Holt Music Textbooks
Authors: Munroe Angela
Published: March 2017

Many general music teachers use a variety of methods in their classrooms. The Generative Theory of Musical Learning can serve as a basis for a variety of general music methodologies. Developed by Eunice Boardman, the Generative Theory of Musical Learning influenced general music textbooks from 1966 to 1988, and it continues to influence music educators even today. The purpose of this study was to examine how the theory influenced the six editions of the Holt Music textbook series and to determine how its ideas have continued to be disseminated since the final edition of the Holt series. Data were collected through examination of a variety of primary and secondary sources, including the Holt Music series textbooks, published and unpublished writings from Eunice Boardman, and interviews with coauthors of the series. The study traces the development of the ideas behind the Generative Theory, its influence on the Holt Music series from 1966 to 1988, and the dissemination of the ideas following the conclusion of the series.
Incorporating Spanish Language Instruction Into Health Sciences Programs in a Hispanic-Serving Institution
Authors: Summers Connie , Mueller Vannesa , Pechak Celia , Sias Jeri J.
Published: March 2017

Patient-provider language discordance is a growing problem in health care among Spanish-speaking patients. To produce graduates capable of linguistically competent care, three university programs are incorporating Spanish language instruction into their curricula (pharmacy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology). We review these three models of Spanish language training and summarize the lessons learned to date. Differences in the training models reflect fundamental differences regarding the use of spoken language in the disciplines.
A cross-layer approach to message authentication based on sparse representation for wireless body area networks
Authors: Wang Ning , Li Weiwei , Jiang Ting
Published: March 2017

Due to personal privacy, information security is a particularly important issue in wireless body area networks. Although current communication protocol has considered the security, there is still a risk that lapses in physical layer security may be a potential threat in wireless body area networks. In order to achieve the comprehensive security protection, in this article, we propose a cross-layer authentication approach, where the higher layer and physical layer are simultaneously considered. More specifically, different from current literatures, we exploit the sparse representation of the original signal as the basis of physical layer authentication, and a representative selection algorithm is presented to achieve the signal detection. Moreover, based on IEEE Standard 802.15.6, we give a feasible unite authentication scheme, in which physical layer strategy and higher layer strategy are combined to enhance the security of authentication. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed physical layer strategy, we conducted experiments and numerical simulations. Furthermore, the computational complexity of the proposed algorithm and the efficiency of the cross-layer approach are analyzed, respectively. Results showed that the proposed approach can significantly enhance the authentication and the complexity is acceptable (polynomial complexity).
A consensus-based distributed method of clock synchronization for sensor networks
Authors: Qiao Yong , Yang Wenlun , Fu Minyue
Published: March 2017

In this study, an innovative distributed method for achieving external clock synchronization is presented. Based on discrete-time clock models, it can realize synchronization of clocks while enabling their time to change at the same pace simultaneously. Stronger robustness against noisy measurements and clock rate drifts is gained by combining both controller and estimator design methods into the protocol. Additionally, a specifically designed communication scheme is proposed to make our protocols independent on global physical time. To render our protocols more practical, the control variable for clock synchronization is ensured bounded and a stopping criterion for implementation of the protocols is established. Finally, performance of the method is illustrated by certain numerical simulations.
Optimal three-dimensional biped walking pattern generation based on geodesics
Authors: Zhang Liandong , Zhou Changjiu
Published: March 2017

The innovative three-dimensional humanoid biped gait planning method using geodesics is introduced in this article. In order to control three-dimensional walking, the three-dimensional linear inverted pendulum model is studied in our energy-optimal gait planning based on geodesics. The kinetic energy of the three-dimensional linear inverted pendulum model is calculated at first. Based on this kinetic energy model, the Riemannian metric is defined and the Riemannian surface is further determined by this Riemannian metric. The geodesic is the shortest line between two points on the Riemannian surface. This geodesic is the optimal kinetic energy gait for the center of gravity because the kinetic energy along the geodesic is invariant according to the geometric property of geodesics and the walking is energy-saving. Finally, a simulation experiment using a 12-degree-of-freedom biped robot model is implemented. The gait sequences of the simulated RoboErectus humanoid robot are obtained in the ROS (Robot Operating System) Gazebo environment. The proposed geodesics approach is compared with the traditional sinusoidal interpolation method by analyzing the torque feedback of each joint of both legs, and our geodesics optimization gait planning method for three-dimensional linear inverted pendulum model walking control is verified by the assessment results.
Evaluating the safety and efficacy of regional citrate compared to systemic heparin as anticoagulation for continuous renal replacement therapy in critically ill patients: A service evaluation following a change in practice
Authors: Borg Roberta , Ugboma Debra , Walker Dawn-Marie , Partridge Richard
Published: March 2017

Following the implementation of citrate anticoagulation for continuous renal replacement therapy, we evaluate its first year of use and compare it to the previously used heparin, to assess whether our patients benefit from the recently reported advantages of citrate. We retrospectively analysed 2 years of data to compare the safety and efficacy of citrate versus heparin. The results have shown that 43 patients received continuous renal replacement therapy with heparin, 37 patients with citrate. We found no significant difference in metabolic control of pH, urea and creatinine after 72 h. Filters anticoagulated with citrate had significantly longer median lifespan (33 h vs 17 h; p = 0.001), shorter downtime (0 h vs 5 h; p = 0.015) and less filter sets per patient day (0.37 vs 0.67; p = 0.002). Filters anticoagulated with heparin were commonly interrupted due to clotting (50% vs 16.4%), whereas filters anticoagulated with citrate were often stopped electively (53.4% vs 24.6%). Patients on heparin filters had significantly higher APPTs, some at potentially dangerous levels (>180 s), whilst patients on citrate filters had significantly higher levels of bicarbonate. Therefore, we conclude that citrate is superior in terms of safety and efficacy, with longer filter lifespan. It has become our first line anticoagulant for continuous renal replacement therapy.
The Framework Decision of 18 December 2008 on the European Evidence Warrant for the Purpose of Obtaining Objects, Documents and Data for Use in Proceedings in Criminal Matters – A Critical Assessment
Authors: De Hert Paul , Weis Karen , Cloosen Nathalie
Published: March 2017

On 18 December 2008, the 27 EU Member States formally adopted the Framework Decision on the European evidence warrant for the purpose of obtaining objects, documents and data for use in proceedings in criminal matters. This ended a five year long discussion between on this rather delicate subject. This text will, after a short introduction, discuss some key elements of the Framework Decision. Firstly, the relation between the Framework Decision on the European Evidence Warrant and the existing MLA instruments will be assessed. Secondly, a short introduction will be given on the content of the Framework Decision itself. Special attention will be given to topics that gave rise to a lively discussion in the Council during the legislative process. As a third, the safeguards – as they exist in the Framework Decision – will be the subject of critical assessment. Are these safeguards satisfactory and will they prove effective enough to protect the fundamental rights of persons who are confronted with a European Evidence Warrant?
The European Arrest Warrant and Fundamental Rights: An Opportunity for Clarity
Authors: Christou Theodora A. , Weis Karen
Published: March 2017

Article 1(3) of the Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant (FD EAW) states that it “shall not have the effect of modifying the obligation to respect fundamental rights and fundamental legal principles as enshrined in Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union”. A large number of states have implemented this provision, together with Recitals 12 & 13, introducing a mandatory ground for refusal to surrender based on a possible breach of human rights. The creation of this new ground, not foreseen in the FD EAW itself, has been criticized by the Commission and the Council. The legal power of Article 1(3) FD EAW has not yet been clarified by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). It has been provided the opportunity by the a preliminary reference from the Belgian Constitutional Court which has asked the CJEU 4 preliminary questions, including one on human rights as a sole ground for refusal to surrender.
The Post-Lisbon Principle of Transnational Ne Bis in Idem: On the Relationship between Article 50 Charter of Fundamental Rights and Article 54 Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement
Authors: Burchard Christoph , Brodowski Dominik
Published: March 2017

The ne bis in idem provision in Article 50 CFR – which gained the status of primary law when the Lisbon Treaty entered into force – differs in some important details from the long known Article 54 CISA. For example, only the latter contains an explicit “enforcement clause” – that only executed sentences prohibit a second proceeding. We discuss a recent case decided by the District Court Aachen where this difference was relevant, and consider Article 54 CISA to be a (secondary) operational embodiment of the (primary) Article 50 CFR. Despite the “angst clause” in Article 51(1) CFR, the judicial rights specified in the CFR are at least applicable whenever national courts interpret Union laws. At this point in time, the official Explanations to the CFR guide the interpretation of the CFR, albeit not precluding future dynamic extensions of the scope of protection offered by the CFR.
EU Fair Trial Rights – Progress at Last
Authors: Spencer J.R.
Published: March 2017

This article discusses current moves to secure the better protection of suspects and defendants in criminal cases by means of EU legislation.