bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceived Risk of Severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease and Immunoprophylaxis Use Among US Pediatric Specialists
Authors: Friedman Deborah M. , Domachowske Joseph B. , Wong Pierre C. , Parimi Prabhu S. , Garcia Daniel F. , Marcus Michael G. , La Via William V. , Syed Iqra A. , Szabo Shelagh M. , McLaurin Kimmie K. , Kumar Veena R.
Published: September 2015

This study was conducted to assess the perception of US pediatric specialists of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease risk and determine their clinical practices regarding immunoprophylaxis for high-risk children. Separate surveys were sent to neonatologists, pediatricians, pediatric pulmonologists, and pediatric cardiologists. Data were collected using structured questions requiring quantitative responses. Most neonatologists and pediatricians (>82.7%) reported a high clinical need for RSV immunoprophylaxis in preterm infants <32 weeks’ gestational age. Pediatric pulmonologists and pediatric cardiologists suggested that health conditions indicative of chronic lung disease of prematurity and hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease, respectively, confer eligibility for RSV immunoprophylaxis. Agreement with the changes in the 2014 American Academy of Pediatrics guidance for RSV immunoprophylaxis was mixed among respondents from the 4 specialties. Survey findings may provide a basis to improve education about risk for severe RSV disease and evaluate changes in physician use of RSV immunoprophylaxis based on the 2014 guidance.
Nowhere to Go and Nothing to Do but Sit? Youth Screen Time and the Association With Access to Neighborhood Destinations
Authors: Christian Hayley , Zubrick Stephen R. , Knuiman Matthew , Nathan Andrea , Foster Sarah , Villanueva Karen , Giles-Corti Billie
Published: September 2015

With not much to do in their neighborhood, youth may spend more time in the home engaged in screen-based activities. Screen time data from 2,790 youth in the Western Australian Health and Wellbeing Survey were linked to objectively measured count of types of neighborhood “services,” “convenience goods,” “public open space,” and “youth-related” destinations. On average, youth accrued 801 mean min/week screen time and had access to seven different types of neighborhood destinations. A larger number of different types of neighborhood “youth-related,” “service,” and “total” destinations were associated with less screen time (all p ≤ .05). A significant gender interaction was observed. Girls with access to ≥12 youth-related destinations had 109 fewer mean min/week screen time, compared with girls with 0 to 3 youth-related destinations. Providing alternatives to screen use by ensuring access to a variety of neighborhood places for structured and unstructured activities may be an important strategy for decreasing youth screen time.
Cross-Level Effects Between Neurophysiology and Communication During Team Training
Authors: Gorman Jamie C. , Martin Melanie J. , Dunbar Terri A. , Stevens Ronald H. , Galloway Trysha L. , Amazeen Polemnia G. , Likens Aaron D.
Published: September 2015

Objective:

We investigated cross-level effects, which are concurrent changes across neural and cognitive-behavioral levels of analysis as teams interact, between neurophysiology and team communication variables under variations in team training.

Background:

When people work together as a team, they develop neural, cognitive, and behavioral patterns that they would not develop individually. It is currently unknown whether these patterns are associated with each other in the form of cross-level effects.

Method:

Team-level neurophysiology and latent semantic analysis communication data were collected from submarine teams in a training simulation. We analyzed whether (a) both neural and communication variables change together in response to changes in training segments (briefing, scenario, or debriefing), (b) neural and communication variables mutually discriminate teams of different experience levels, and (c) peak cross-correlations between neural and communication variables identify how the levels are linked.

Results:

Changes in training segment led to changes in both neural and communication variables, neural and communication variables mutually discriminated between teams of different experience levels, and peak cross-correlations indicated that changes in communication precede changes in neural patterns in more experienced teams.

Conclusion:

Cross-level effects suggest that teamwork is not reducible to a fundamental level of analysis and that training effects are spread out across neural and cognitive-behavioral levels of analysis. Cross-level effects are important to consider for theories of team performance and practical aspects of team training.

Application:

Cross-level effects suggest that measurements could be taken at one level (e.g., neural) to assess team experience (or skill) on another level (e.g., cognitive-behavioral).
Isolation and Characterization of Human Adult Epithelial Stem Cells from the Periodontal Ligament
Authors: Athanassiou-Papaefthymiou M. , Papagerakis P. , Papagerakis S.
Published: September 2015

We report a novel method for the isolation of adult human epithelial stem cells (hEpiSCs) from the epithelial component of the periodontal ligament—the human epithelial cell rests of Malassez (hERM). hEpiSC-rich integrin-α6+ve hERM cells derived by fluorometry can be clonally expanded, can grow organoids, and express the markers of pluripotency (OCT4, NANOG, SOX2), polycomb protein RING1B, and the hEpiSC supermarker LGR5. They maintain the growth profile of their originating hERM in vitro. Subcutaneous cotransplantation with mesenchymal stem cells from the dental pulp on poly-l-lactic acid scaffolds in nude mice gave rise to perfect heterotopic ossicles in vivo with ultrastructure of dentin, enamel, cementum, and bone. These remarkable fully mineralized ossicles underscore the importance of epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk in tissue regeneration using human progenitor stem cells, which may have already committed to lineage despite maintaining hallmarks of pluripotency. In addition, we report the clonal expansion and isolation of human LGR5+ve cells from the hERM in xeno-free culture conditions. The genetic profile of LGR5+ve cells includes both markers of pluripotency and genes important for secretory epithelial and dental epithelial cell differentiation, giving us a first insight into periodontal ligament–derived hEpiSCs.
Making Invisible Intersectionality Visible Through Theater of the Oppressed in Teacher Education
Authors: Powers Beth , Duffy Peter B.
Published: September 2015

The arts generally and theater specifically offer effective strategies to help educators recognize and make visible the multiple student and teacher identities within classrooms. Without student and teacher agency in schools, there cannot be equitable and liberatory learning environments. Noted Brazilian theater artist and activist Augusto Boal’s Theater of the Oppressed (TO) offers promising opportunities to embody Crenshaw’s notion of intersectional identities and Purdie-Vaughns and Eibach’s concept of Invisible Intersectionality. This article shares research conducted in a teacher education course on culturally relevant pedagogy where students engaged in TO activities to explore the multiplicity of their and their future students’ identities. The authors suggest that embodied and artistic approaches in preservice teacher education create so-called small openings where students may recognize their and their future students’ identities and move toward including varied identities in their future classroom communities.
Neuroscience, moral development, criminal capacity, and the Child Justice Act: justice or injustice?
Authors: Kramers-Olen Anne L
Published: September 2015

The Child Justice Act of 2008 has set the minimum age for criminal capacity at 10 years with a rebuttable presumption of criminal incapacity between the ages of 10 and 14 years. The legislation requires that expert evidence be led (by clinical psychologists or psychiatrists) in order to assist the court to determine whether accused children and adolescents between 10 and 14 years of age can be held criminally responsible. The Child Justice Act requires an examination of the cognitive, moral, emotional, psychological, and social development of the accused child/adolescent. This article critically examines the neuroscience literature on brain development, decision-making and moral development in children and adolescents as it relates to legal prescripts inherent in the Child Justice Act, in particular with regard to accused children and adolescents’ understanding of the wrongfulness of an act, and their ability to act in accordance with that understanding.
Gender moderates the relationship between attachment insecurities and emotion dysregulation
Authors: Velotti Patrizia , D’Aguanno Mario , de Campora Gaia , Di Francescantonio Sara , Garofalo Carlo , Giromini Luciano , Petrocchi Chiara , Terrasi Michela , Zavattini Giulio Cesare
Published: September 2015

The relation between attachment styles and emotion regulation is well documented, and emotion dysregulation is considered characteristic of individuals with insecure attachment styles. Although gender differences in emotion regulation have often been reported, it is not clear whether the association between attachment styles and aspects of emotion dysregulation may vary across gender. A sample of 229 newlywed couples completed the Experiences in Close Relationship–Revised scale and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. First, we confirmed previous evidence on the association between attachment insecurities and emotion dysregulation. Indeed, attachment anxiety and avoidance were both related to emotional nonacceptance and lack of emotional clarity. Moreover, attachment anxiety was associated with difficulties in impulse control and limited access to effective emotion regulation strategies, whereas attachment avoidance was uniquely related to lack of emotional awareness. Finally, gender was found to moderate the association that both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance had with difficulties in pursuing desired goals when experiencing negative emotions. Specifically, among women (but not men), attachment anxiety was associated with greater difficulties in engaging in goal-directed behavior when distressed. Conversely, the association between attachment avoidance and difficulties in pursuing desired goals when distressed was positive for men and negative for women.
Trainee difficulties with therapeutic engagement: a qualitative study of in-session critical incidents
Authors: Cartwright Duncan , Gardner Mark
Published: September 2015

Trainee therapists or psychologists starting to practice psychotherapy are met with a number of inherent difficulties in engaging their clients in the treatment process. Using interpersonal process recall and interpretive phenomenological analysis, 18 counselling/clinical psychology trainees were interviewed about core difficulties they faced in engaging their clients in a therapeutic process. Interviews look place after 10 weeks of training and trainees were asked to self-select a single video-taped session for the interview. The analysis uncovered seven main themes: (1) difficulties with ‘personal material’; (2) difficulties with certainty, control, and idealized intentions; (3) frustrations with the client’s presentation; (4) difficulty in becoming the focus of attention; (5) reactions triggered by perceived exclusion; (6) anxieties about difference; and (7) interpersonal strategies to manage intense emotions. Findings are understood to be organized around the trainee’s struggle for self-definition and agency at the expense of empathic relating.
Slipping Through the Cracks
Authors: Ricks Elijah P. , Eno Louden Jennifer
Published: September 2015

Among U.S. offenders, both ethnic minorities and persons with mental illness are overrepresented. In communities, ethnic minorities are less likely than European Americans to receive mental health treatment, despite having similar need. Many barriers to treatment (e.g., financial and transportation) are removed in prisons; therefore, we sought to understand whether and how ethnicity relates to identification of mental illness (a proxy for treatment receipt) among prisoners. Due to the growth of the Latino population, we focused on Latino offenders. We examined records from two states with high proportions of Latino offenders to determine whether the likelihood of being identified with a mental illness differed by ethnicity. Offenders who had a mental disorder were disproportionately likely to be European American or African American and less likely to be Latino. We offer suggestions for future research on ethnic disparities in correctional mental health to promote best practices with vulnerable offenders.
Employment Gaps Between Military Spouses and Matched Civilians
Authors: Meadows Sarah O. , Griffin Beth Ann , Karney Benjamin R. , Pollak Julia
Published: September 2015

Drawing upon data from the Deployment Life Study, this article examines whether female military spouses (SPs) are disadvantaged relative to matched civilian peers in terms of hours worked and earnings, paying particular attention to gaps among the highest educated women. Female SPs do earn less than comparable civilian peers in terms of raw dollars and percentage earnings. Moreover, military wives who are part of the labor force work as many hours as their civilian counterparts, but still earn significantly less for that work. Contrary to predictions, the most educated SPs are not disproportionately affected compared to spouses with less education. These results suggest that SPs at all education levels could benefit from employment assistance; in particular, women already participating in the labor force may benefit from support in finding higher paying jobs.
Undergraduate Summer Research Programs and Graduate School Outcomes
Authors: Sibulkin Amy E. , Butler J. S.
Published: September 2015

We tracked a sample of primarily Black psychology baccalaureates’ advanced degree enrollments and completions and estimated the association of those outcomes with summer research experience by merging three data sets: (a) summer research program participants, (b) a comparison group of alumni, mostly without summer research, and (c) degree completions from the national Student Tracker (ST) database. Rates of degree completion reported by ST were higher for summer research applicants than for those not applying, but among applicants, rates were similar for those accepted and rejected. Controlling for grade point average (GPA) in a surveyed subsample, participation in summer research was not significantly associated with enrollment in or completion of master’s degrees. Students with higher GPAs were more likely to enroll and complete, and Black students were more likely to enroll.
Sensor-less active uncertainty attenuation control for DC–DC buck power converters with the presence of involved parameter variations
Authors: Zhang Chuanlin , Yang Ning
Published: September 2015

This paper explores the semi-global active uncertainty attenuation control problem for the DC–DC buck power converters. Taking consideration that the involved components may be subject to uncertainties and unknown time variation, a robust control result has been developed by utilizing a sensor-less control method via an output feedback domination technique and a generalized extended state observer. Explicit stability analysis shows the theoretical justification of the proposed design procedure. Numerical simulation results are presented to show that with different application requirements, the proposed control algorithm could perform with strong robustness against internal parameter uncertainties and has a nice disturbance rejection ability against internal/external disturbances. Moreover, the proposed control scheme consists of a set of linear equations with more flexibility of the gain selections but without losing its high-precision voltage-tracking performance, hence it will provide the engineers with convenient and easy implementations.
A comparison of sliding mode and FRF-based observers for cylinder pressure estimation of spark ignition engine
Authors: Ali Syed Abbas , Saraswati Samir
Published: September 2015

A sliding mode observer (SMO) is proposed for the estimation of cylinder pressure using crankshaft speed fluctuations. SMO parameters are updated using the difference between measured and observed crankshaft speed. The governing equations of cylinder pressure and crankshaft speed are described by a one-zone combustion model and crankshaft model dynamics, respectively. The observer is found to be unstable at top dead centre (TDC) due to zero combustion torque at this point. To prevent instability, observer gains are switched off near TDC and observer performance depends only on the modelling accuracies of the combustion model. This model is further improved by modelling flame development angle [Formula: see text] and rapid burning angle [Formula: see text] as a function of spark advance, equivalence ratio, mean speed and manifold pressure. Experimental investigations are carried out to test and validate the model on a spark ignition engine coupled with a dynamometer. The results of the SMO are compared with cylinder pressure profile estimated using a frequency response function (FRF). It is seen that the averaged relative error, using SMO, is reduced for all the test conditions in comparison with cylinder pressure estimation using FRF. This reduction in averaged relative error is more significant at the low-load, high-speed conditions where cycle-by-cycle variations are quite high.
Semi-global output regulation for discrete-time singular linear systems with input saturation via composite nonlinear feedback control
Authors: Lin Xiaoyan , Lin Dongyun , Lan Weiyao
Published: September 2015

The semi-global output regulation problem of multi-variable discrete-time singular linear systems with input saturation is investigated in this paper. A composite nonlinear feedback control law is constructed by using a low gain feedback technique for semi-global stabilisation of discrete-time singular linear systems with input saturation. The sufficient solvability conditions of the semi-global output regulation problem by composite nonlinear feedback control are established. When the composite nonlinear feedback control law is reduced to a linear control law, the solvability conditions are an exact discrete-time counterpart of the semi-global output regulation problem of continuous-time singular linear systems. With the extra control freedom of the nonlinear part in the composite nonlinear feedback control law, the transient performance of the closed-loop system can be improved by carefully choosing the linear feedback gain and the nonlinear feedback gain. The design procedure of the composite nonlinear feedback control law and the improvement of the transient performance are illustrated by a numerical example.
Three-Element Item Selection Procedures for Multiple Forms Assembly
Authors: Chen Pei-Hua
Published: September 2015

In educational measurement, building multiple alternate test forms is usually highly desirable in practice. Test assembly problems are classified as NP-hard (Non-deterministic Polynomial-time hard) problems, and their computation time increases exponentially as the problem size grows. The purpose of this study was to construct parallel forms item-by-item based on a seed test, using two proposed item selection heuristic methods (random item sequence assigned to maximum distance form with content balance [R-MD-B] and random item sequence assigned to random form with content balancing [R-R-B]) incorporating a flexible content balancing method. The results were compared with two modified versions of the Armstrong, Jones, and Wu heuristics (random item sequence assigned to maximum distance form with Armstrong’s replacement [R-MD-R] and random item sequence assigned to random form with Armstrong’s replacement [R-R-R]) and two models incorporating mixed integer programming (MIP) methods. The results showed that the R-MD-B and R-R-B methods yielded results comparable with the two MIP methods with less computation time in terms of the item information functions, test characteristic curves, and content coverage. The results also showed that R-MD-B and R-R-B can be extended to handle test assembly constraints in practical settings.
A Review of Intravascular Ultrasound-based Multimodal Intravascular Imaging
Authors: Ma Teng , Zhou Bill , Hsiai Tzung K. , Shung K. Kirk
Published: September 2015

Catheter-based intravascular imaging modalities are being developed to visualize pathologies in coronary arteries, such as high-risk vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques known as thin-cap fibroatheroma, to guide therapeutic strategy at preventing heart attacks. Mounting evidences have shown three distinctive histopathological features—the presence of a thin fibrous cap, a lipid-rich necrotic core, and numerous infiltrating macrophages—are key markers of increased vulnerability in atherosclerotic plaques. To visualize these changes, the majority of catheter-based imaging modalities used intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) as the technical foundation and integrated emerging intravascular imaging techniques to enhance the characterization of vulnerable plaques. However, no current imaging technology is the unequivocal “gold standard” for the diagnosis of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques. Each intravascular imaging technology possesses its own unique features that yield valuable information although encumbered by inherent limitations not seen in other modalities. In this context, the aim of this review is to discuss current scientific innovations, technical challenges, and prospective strategies in the development of IVUS-based multi-modality intravascular imaging systems aimed at assessing atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability.
Executive function as a mediator between SES and academic achievement throughout childhood
Authors: Lawson Gwendolyn M. , Farah Martha J.
Published: September 2015

Childhood socioeconomic status (SES), as measured by parental education and family income, is highly predictive of academic achievement, but little is known about how specific cognitive systems shape SES disparities in achievement outcomes. This study investigated the extent to which executive function (EF) mediated associations between parental education and family income and changes in reading and math achievement in a sample of 336 children between the ages of 6 and 15 years from the NIH MRI Study of Normal Brain Development. Verbal memory was simultaneously modeled as a comparison candidate mediator. SES predicted significant changes in reading and math achievement over a two-year time period. Furthermore, executive function, but not verbal memory, was found to partially mediate the relationship between SES variables and change in math achievement. Collectively, these results suggest that executive function may be an important link between childhood SES and academic achievement
Applying the semantic web to represent an individual’s academic and professional background
Authors: Teixeira Fabio , Araujo Gabriela D. , Baptista Roberto , Araujo Luciano V. , Pisa Ivan T.
Published: September 2015

The Lattes Platform is a web-based system that brings together the academic, professional and scientific histories of students, teachers, researchers and other professionals linked to scientific and technological careers. The data are entered by users themselves and are the subject of much research and forecasting in relation to how educational resources are directed in Brazil. In this paper, we report our experience in applying the Linked Data principles to this system. We have also demonstrated the potential of federated queries using data from DBPedia.
Completion Lymph Node Dissection Based on Risk of Nonsentinel Metastasis in Cutaneous Melanoma of the Head and Neck
Authors: Fritsch Valerie A. , Cunningham Joan E. , Lentsch Eric J.
Published: September 2015

Objective

Theoretically, completion lymph node dissection (CNLD) should have the lowest benefit in the absence of nonsentinel lymph node (NSLN) metastases. For this reason, substantial research efforts have attempted to define specific criteria that are associated with a low‐enough risk of NSLN positivity so that CLND can be deferred. Our objectives were (1) to identify features associated with low risk of NSLN positivity in sentinel lymph node–positive cutaneous melanoma of the head and neck (CMHN) and (2) to analyze the effect of CLND on 5‐year disease‐specific survival (DSS) among subgroups stratified by risk of NSLN metastasis.

Study Design

Retrospective analysis of population‐based data.

Setting

SEER database.

Subjects and Methods

Patients with sentinel lymph node–positive CMHN were categorized according to lymph node treatment following sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB): 210 underwent CLND and 140 deferred. Clinicopathologic characteristics and survival were compared between SLNB+CLND and SLNB‐only groups. Survival analyses were stratified by age and characteristics associated with NSLN positivity.

Results

Minimal tumor thickness and nonulceration were associated with lowest risk of positive NSLN (P <. 025). In the subgroup with the lowest risk of metastasis, patients aged <60 years who underwent CLND+SLNB had markedly better DSS than those receiving SLNB only (>90% vs <25%; P <. 0025). Paradoxically, in subgroups with a higher risk of NSLN metastasis, DSS was similar whether CLND was performed or not (P >. 25).

Conclusions

Selecting patients for CLND according to risk of NSLN metastasis may be a suboptimal strategy for improving DSS. We believe that CLND should not be withheld on the basis of “low risk” features in CMHN.
The matter of media in outer space: Technologies of cosmobiopolitics
Authors: Damjanov Katarina
Published: September 2015

Media technologies are steadily populating outer space – satellites and their debris clutter earth’s orbital regions, robotic rovers are surveying Mars, exploratory probes are appraising moons, planets and asteroids in our solar system and further still. Drawing together a range of these earth-born human-made devices, this paper reframes them as an object of critical inquiry into the human ‘mediatic’ condition. These technologies occupy outer space as extraterrestrial footprints of global capitalism, and they provide the vital infrastructure for its ‘high-tech’ pursuit of power, knowledge and wealth. Yet, their presence in space exerts its own material and social effects, unsettling strategic attempts to control the productive ambits of life, thus complicating what is at stake in the purview of biopolitical governance. Extending Michel Foucault’s concept of biopolitics into outer space, this paper explores the ways in which human relations with space-based media apparatus reinforce new approaches to the governance of life and the living, shaping the horizon of the ‘cosmobiopolitical’ on and beyond the globe.
Three-dimensional visibility analysis and visual quality computation for urban open spaces aided by Google SketchUp and WebGIS
Authors: Lin Tianpeng , Lin Hui , Hu Mingyuan
Published: September 2015

In this article, the authors has explored the feasibility of three-dimensional visibility analysis and visual quality computation via the aid of Google SketchUp and WebGIS, which may be beneficial for measurable evaluation of the environment in urban open spaces, and referential for urban planning and design to build an environment with better visual comfort. Considered for long-term significance, three-dimensional visibility analysis and visual quality computation are potential in enabling the quantitative analysis between urban open spaces and visual perception, providing appropriate standard for the evaluation of environment, and making the future planning and design rational and reasonable. Due to the easy access for entry-level programmer and the public, Google SketchUp and WebGIS were adopted as proper and efficient tools for three-dimensional visibility analysis in this research, which considerably decreased the programming development difficulty. Both SketchUp and WebGIS are thought to be well accepted by the public, as SketchUp has been popularized in three-dimensional modelling and WebGIS has been familiar as the form of websites for a long period, which may enable the dissemination of visibility analysis to the public. From a pilot study of progresses based on the past scholars’ researches, the authors developed an improved method for three-dimensional visibility analysis, by mathematically deriving the visual factors from the spatial relationship analysis of buildings, terrain and other geographical features. A few quantitative factors such as the distance, solid angle and visual field (a distribution of occupied solid angle in all directions) valued in spherical coordinate system were adopted as the basic units for visibility levels. Starting from the space prototype, the research has also focused on several aspects possibly associated with the visual effects in open spaces, including the openness, enclosure and ground coverage for edge; the distribution and dispersion for skyline and the visibility of individual building for landmark. For further comparison, the variances of those figures were also noticed during space scales changing for the prototype, in order to find possible connection or changing trend before and after. Moreover, experiments of three-dimensional visibility analysis have been designed and taken for real scenes to discover the similarities or differences between prototype and reality, and Piazza del Campo (Siena, Italy), Piazza San Marco (Venice, Italy) and Olomouc centre area (Olomouc, Czech) have been selected as the first group of candidates. Those would be the possible references for making quantitative assessments in real scenes via collection of visual factors, enabling the comparison of similarities and differences among various urban open spaces.
A Bayesian Network Analysis of Ethical Behavior
Authors: Ekici Ahmet , Ekici Sule Onsel
Published: September 2015

Using one of the major domains of macromarketing – ethics – this paper aims to introduce the Bayesian network (BN) method and demonstrate its added value for macro-level decision makers. Bayesian networks are particularly important for macromarketers because they allow researchers to analyze a domain from a system perspective. The BN approach is considered one of the most powerful tools for observing system changes. The method can also deal with multiple variables at once, which can lead to efficient scenario analyses, critical for understanding how a system functions. As such, BNs offer a powerful tool for macromarketers who deal with systems, interactions, and higher levels of aggregation. We believe that the adoption of this methodology by macromarketing researchers is likely to contribute to the discipline by advancing the understanding of how certain systemic/network relationships and various domains of macromarketing work.
Hepatopulmonary shunting after surgical, interventional and systemic therapy in patients with liver malignancies scheduled for radioembolization
Authors: Erxleben Christoph , Scheurig-Münkler Christian , Geisel Dominik , Hamm Bernd , Gebauer Bernhard , Powerski Maciej Janusz
Published: September 2015

Background

Hepatopulmonary shunts (HPS) lead to radiation exposure of the lungs in patients undergoing radioembolization (RE) of malignant liver tumors.

Purpose

To retrospectively analyze how HPS is affected by prior systemic or local therapy of the liver.

Material and Methods

The percentage HPS was calculated from SPECT/CT scans obtained after technetium-99 m macroaggregated albumin administration into hepatic arteries in 316 patients evaluated for RE.

Results

Patients with partial liver resection ( n = 80) did not differ in HPS from the remaining patient population ( n = 236) (HPS (median [range]) = 10.2 [2.1–48.3]resection% vs. 8.9 [2.3–32.9]no resection%; P = 0.527). In patients undergoing sequential RE, HPS was significantly higher in the liver lobe treated second ( n = 10; HPS = 6.4 [2.1–10.2]firstlobe/session% vs. 12.0 [2.0–24.6]second lobe/session%; P = 0.019). (Chemo-)embolization ( n = 19; HPS = 11.0 [2.8–48.3]%) or transcutaneous ablation ( n = 63; HPS = 8.8 [3.0–32.9]%) had no effect on HPS compared to patients without prior interventions (no (chemo-)embolization: n = 297; HPS = 9.3 [2.1–47.3]%; P = 0.489; no ablation: n = 253; HPS = 9.5 [2.1–48.3]%; P = 0.382). Pretreatment with sorafenib (HPS = 9.5 [2.3–35.9]yes% vs. 10.2 [2.8–42.0]no%; P = 0.777) orbevacizumab (HPS = 10.7 [2.1–30.6]yes% vs. 9.0 [3.9–23.3]no%; P = 0.870) had no effect on HPS.

Conclusion

Sequential RE results in an increase in the HPS in the contralateral liver lobe at the time of the second RE session. Other investigated therapy do not affect HPS.
Facial expressions during an extremely intense emotional situation: Toreros’ lip funnel
Authors: García-Higuera José-Antonio , Crivelli Carlos , Fernández-Dols José-Miguel
Published: September 2015

Since Darwin, emotions have been defined as adaptive reactions that increase the probability of survival. In this framework, a situation in which individuals fight for their life with an imposing, aggressive animal should be an ideal elicitor of emotions and their corresponding facial expressions. We tested the correspondence between the facial expressions of 22 bullfighters (toreros) and their reported emotions at different stages of the fight. Toreros reported intense experiences of happiness or fear, but there were no observable instances of the facial expressions predicted for these emotions (e.g. smiles). Instead toreros displayed frowning, nostril dilatation, parted lips, and, protruding funneled lips in particular. In a second study we found that 149 judges could not recognize toreros’ facial movements as expressions of emotion. Absence of a universal signal value strongly suggests that toreros’ expressions are not an undescribed expression of basic emotions. The observed non-correspondence between intense reported emotions and their predicted expressions casts doubt on one of the most popular assumptions in contemporary psychology and provides new evidence for an alternative theoretical view. In this view, facial expressions are not signals of emotion, but actions that are roughly coextensive with other processes and structures in the framework of an emotional episode.
The two sides of disgust: A lexical and thematic content analysis of narratives of personally experienced physical and moral disgust
Authors: Abitan Audrey , Krauth-Gruber Silvia
Published: September 2015

The present study examined narratives about situations in which individuals experience physical and/or moral disgust, and the similarities and differences between them. A thematic content analysis of participants’ narratives of personal physically or morally disgusting experiences as well as a lexical analysis using the computer program ALCESTE revealed that physical disgust emerges in an instantaneous reflex-like way during situations in which the individual is directly exposed to physical disgust elicitors. Physically disgusting events are described from an actor’s perspective and induce predominantly ‘pure’ disgust in the absence of other negative emotions. Furthermore, physical disgust, which strongly involves sensory modalities such as vision, odor, touch and taste, leads to more bodily reactions (e.g. nausea, tremor) and impels avoidance behavior. Morally disgusting events relate primarily to the observation of others as the victims of violence, betrayal and injustice (observer perspective), and involve judgments and reflections about the event, suggesting more in-depth cognitive elaboration. Morally disgusting events were found also to induce other negative emotions, such as anger and sadness. Our results suggest that these two types of disgust are sufficiently distinct to anticipate that they might differentially affect individuals’ social and moral judgments.
Views and Expectations of Community-Dwelling Thai Elderly in Reporting Falls to Their Primary Care Physicians
Authors: Boongird Chitima , Ross Ratchneewan
Published: September 2015

Fall among older adults is a concern in Thailand. The challenge for primary care physicians is to deliver effective interventions potentially adhered to by older people. This research employed a mixed-methods design to understand factors leading to fall reporting by community-dwelling Thai elders and their expectations regarding fall prevention education. Participants ( N = 305) who had fallen in the last year completed a questionnaire in the quantitative phase, and 50 of these were interviewed in-depth in the qualitative phase. Results revealed that only 39% reported their fall. Participants with comorbidities were 1.6 times more likely to report falling than those without (odds ratio = 1.61, confidence interval = [1.01, 2.58]). Post-fall pain (84%) was the strongest reason for reporting. Some participants believed that falling is an inevitable life event. It is crucial to encourage older adults to report falling, to provide targeted education, and to focus on improving the overall health status of older adults.
Designing effective partnerships for waste-to-resource initiatives: Lessons learned from developing countries
Authors: Storey Donovan , Santucci Lorenzo , Fraser Rowan , Aleluia Joao , Chomchuen Laksiri
Published: September 2015

Cities in developing countries across Asia-Pacific are struggling to effectively manage municipal solid waste (MSW). This is especially the case in secondary cities and small towns, which often face a lack of resources and know-how. Because the waste stream in these cities is usually high in organic content (50–80%) and recyclable materials (10–20%), waste-to-resource initiatives are viable options for sustainable MSW management. Waste-to-resource initiatives that are low-cost, low-tech, decentralised and community-based offer municipalities useful solutions for managing their MSW. However, the sustainability of such solutions depends on a number of key factors, such as the separation of waste at source, the effective engagement of communities and steady and predictable sources of revenue. Using quantitative data and qualitative information derived from field experience, this paper concludes that effective partnerships between a diverse range of stakeholders must be designed and fostered in order to achieve sustainability. The paper provides an analysis of stakeholder roles for the establishment of effective partnerships in four case study cities of Matale and Ratnapura (Sri Lanka) and Kon Tum and Quy Nhon (Viet Nam), where waste-to-resource facilities have been established, and explores the resources of stakeholders and how these can be mobilised to support waste-to-resource initiatives for revenue generation and long-term sustainability.
Up in arms! Explaining why ethnic minority organizations form militias in transitioning and post-communist Eurasian countries
Authors: Asal Victor , Early Bryan R. , Schulzke Marcus
Published: September 2015

The decision by ethnic minority organizations (EMOs) to form militias is heavily influenced by the specific policies that governments adopt towards them. We theorize that, when a government makes an EMO illegal or subjects it to repression, those actions substantially increase the EMO s incentives to invest in creating an institutionalized capacity for violence. We test our theory via a quantitative analysis of militia formation using a sample population of 261 EMOs within transitioning and post-communist Eurasian countries from 1989 to 2006. Our results indicate that EMOs are far more likely to form militias if they have been repressed and/or made illegal by their governments.
Use of salicylic acid polymers and bone morphogenetic protein-2 to promote bone regeneration in rabbit parietal bone defects
Authors: Mitchell Ashley , Kim Brian , Snyder Sabrina , Subramanian Sangeeta , Uhrich Kathryn , O’Connor J Patrick
Published: September 2015

The ability of bone defects to heal spontaneously is inversely related to the size of the defect, such that defects larger than a critical size will not heal without additional therapeutic intervention. Typically, large bone defects are filled with autologous bone harvested from another skeletal site, an osteoconductive bone graft material, treated with an osteoinductive factor such as bone morphogenetic protein-2, or by a combination of these approaches. Despite these interventions, unsatisfactory success and complication rates show that alternative treatment methods are needed. Here, we test whether salicylic acid polymers can be used as guided bone regeneration barriers in conjunction with bone morphogenetic protein-2 to treat 1-cm-diameter defects in rabbit parietal bones. Porous, 1-cm round polycaprolactone scaffolds were infused with calcium sulfate–containing bone morphogenetic protein-2 and then capped on one side with salicylic acid polymers. The polymers slowed resorption of calcium sulfate that was used as a carrier for bone morphogenetic protein-2, indicating that bone morphogenetic protein-2 release into the parietal bone defect was extended by the use of the salicylic acid polymer. Microcomputerized tomography and histomorphometric analysis of the parietal bones 8 weeks after implantation showed that the salicylic acid polymer did not impair bone formation in the defect. These observations indicate that salicylic polymers paired with bone morphogenetic protein-2 can be optimized for use in guided bone regeneration to help repair large bone defects.
Inflammation-Induced Changes in Circulating T-Cell Subsets and Cytokine Production During Human Endotoxemia
Authors: Ronit Andreas , Plovsing Ronni R. , Gaardbo Julie C. , Berg Ronan M. G. , Hartling Hans J. , Ullum Henrik , Andersen Åse B. , Madsen Hans O. , Møller Kirsten , Nielsen Susanne D.
Published: September 2015

Observational clinical studies suggest the initial phase of sepsis may involve impaired cellular immunity. In the present study, we investigated temporal changes in T-cell subsets and T-cell cytokine production during human endotoxemia. Endotoxin ( Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide 4 ng/kg) was administered intravenously in 15 healthy volunteers. Peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected at baseline and after 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 hours for flow cytometry. CD4+CD25+CD127lowFoxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), CD4+CD161+ cells, and activated Human leukocyte antigen, HLA-DR+CD38+ T cells were determined. Ex vivo whole-blood cytokine production and Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 expression on Tregs were measured. Absolute number of CD3+CD4+ ( P = .026), CD3+CD8+ ( P = .046), Tregs ( P = .023), and CD4+CD161+ cells ( P = .042) decreased after endotoxin administration. The frequency of anti-inflammatory Tregs increased ( P = .033), whereas the frequency of proinflammatory CD4+CD161+ cells decreased ( P = .034). Endotoxemia was associated with impaired whole-blood production of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-10, IL-6, IL-17, IL-2, and interferon-γ in response to phytohaemagglutinin but did not affect TLR4 expression on Tregs. No changes in the absolute count or frequency of BALF T cells were observed. Systemic inflammation is associated with lymphopenia, a relative increase in the frequency of anti-inflammatory Tregs, and a functional impairment of T-cell cytokine production.
Plastic Bags, Pollution, and Identity
Authors: Braun Yvonne A. , Traore Assitan Sylla
Published: September 2015

Research and policy interest in questions of environmental waste is growing, especially plastic bag pollution. Where trash disposal and recycling are not highly regulated, the proliferation of plastic bags has created dramatic social and environmental consequences. In this article, we draw on 30 interviews with women who sell goods in markets in Mali as an entry point into investigating this issue through the interrelated dimensions of identity, gender, globalization, and the environment. We find the choices of women become suspect and blamed for this environmental issue despite their having few socio-political options, while global and local political and economic elites have largely been responsible for implementing a series of policies and programs that have heightened the local effects of globalization while diminishing the services available to deal with the environmental and cultural dimensions of these changes. The issue of plastic bag pollution demonstrates the environmental consequences of development strategies that have emphasized economic growth with seemingly little concern or value for local cultures and environments, let alone the experiences and lives of poor women.
Cortical Amyloid β Deposition and Current Depressive Symptoms in Alzheimer Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Chung Jun Ku , Plitman Eric , Nakajima Shinichiro , Chakravarty M. Mallar , Caravaggio Fernando , Gerretsen Philip , Iwata Yusuke , Graff-Guerrero Ariel
Published: September 2015

Depressive symptoms are frequently seen in patients with dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Evidence suggests that there may be a link between current depressive symptoms and Alzheimer disease (AD)-associated pathological changes, such as an increase in cortical amyloid-β (Aβ). However, limited in vivo studies have explored the relationship between current depressive symptoms and cortical Aβ in patients with MCI and AD. Our study, using a large sample of 455 patients with MCI and 153 patients with AD from the Alzheimer’s disease Neuroimaging Initiatives, investigated whether current depressive symptoms are related to cortical Aβ deposition. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale and Neuropsychiatric Inventory-depression/dysphoria. Cortical Aβ was quantified using positron emission tomography with the Aβ probe 18F-florbetapir (AV-45). 18F-florbetapir standardized uptake value ratio (AV-45 SUVR) from the frontal, cingulate, parietal, and temporal regions was estimated. A global AV-45 SUVR, defined as the average of frontal, cingulate, precuneus, and parietal cortex, was also used. We observed that current depressive symptoms were not related to cortical Aβ, after controlling for potential confounds, including history of major depression. We also observed that there was no difference in cortical Aβ between matched participants with high and low depressive symptoms, as well as no difference between matched participants with the presence and absence of depressive symptoms. The association between depression and cortical Aβ deposition does not exist, but the relationship is highly influenced by stressful events in the past, such as previous depressive episodes, and complex interactions of different pathways underlying both depression and dementia.
Campus-Based Financial Aid Programs: Trends and Alternative Allocation Strategies
Authors: Kelchen Robert
Published: September 2015

Two federal campus-based financial aid programs, the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) and the Federal Work-Study Program (FWS), combine to provide nearly US$2 billion in funding to students with financial need. However, the allocation formulas have changed little since 1965, resulting in community colleges and newer institutions getting much smaller awards than long-standing private colleges with high costs of attendance. I document the trends in campus-level allocations over the past two decades and explore several different methods to reallocate funds based on current financial need while limiting the influence of high-tuition colleges.