bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Team goal-setting involves more than only goal-setting
Authors: Arraya Marco António , Pellissier René , Preto Isabel
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to research factors like task-orientation and collectivism and to examine the relationship between them and goal-setting as research construct. This research investigates the phenomena of team goal-setting in a selected sports organisation. Therefore 49 players from three Portuguese elite male handball team were selected for the study.

Design/methodology/approach

– Three well-known questionnaires were employed to determine the relationships between the above factors in a case setting. Task- and ego-orientation in Sport Questionnaire, the Jackson Psychological Collectivism Measure and the Goal-setting in Sport Questionnaire.

Findings

– The results reveal that the team and players are task-oriented, collectivist and possessing professional and personal goal habits. The correlations between questionnaire outcomes indicate that, when the team wants to set goals, it should consider the players’ orientation and the team’s collectivism. Thus team goal-setting is more than only goal-setting, because of the need for task-orientation and collectivism.

Research limitations/implications

– The research was conducted using three teams in a specific sports and thus cannot be generalised to the general sports environment. Yet, certainly the strength of the findings indicate that the results and conclusions may be used in a wider sports or business setting.

Practical implications

– This research paper should provide managers and coaches with insight into the complexity of team goal-setting. It also should provide insight into the chosen process related to human resources.

Originality/value

– The paper adds and demonstrates to the literature on team goal-setting the importance of task-orientation and collectivism as goal-setting mediators.
The relational capital of micro-enterprises run by women: the startup phase
Authors: Paoloni Paola , Dumay John
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how relational capital contributes to the startup phase of women-owned micro-enterprises. The motivation for the study stems from the fact that micro-enterprises are key drivers of economic growth and that woman entrepreneurs are key developers of these businesses.

Design/methodology/approach

– To gather data for our study, a qualitative research methodology was adopted using a case study approach based on examining current events of real life in depth (Yin, 2009). Nine cases of micro-enterprises run by women are analysed, focusing on the management of the start-up phase to investigate the nature and role of the relationships that are activated by the entrepreneurs.

Findings

– The paper develops the CAOS model of micro-entrepreneurship, examining the personal characteristics of the female entrepreneur (C); the environment in which the micro-enterprise operates (A); organizational and managerial aspects (O); and the motivations for starting a new business (S). Using this model, the authors’ are able to link these factors and classify different types of connections, it is possible to identify the kind of existing relations. From the analysis, it was found that a predominant use of networks characterized by informal and permanent relations, supporting the need to reconcile work and family and to involve relatives and friends in the network. This emphasizes the lack of strategy in the female-run micro-enterprises.

Originality/value

– Given that female entrepreneurship is regarded as central to the development and welfare of economies, the deepening of knowledge of how women entrepreneurs manage the start-up of her business can contribute to improving the effectiveness policies aimed at promoting the participation of female entrepreneurs in the economy.
Effective use of digital applications promotes professional self-efficacy
Authors: Hasgall Alon E , Shoham Snunith
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the relationship between the use of digital applications (DAs) in the daily life of organizational workers, and the workers’ professional self-efficacy.

Design/methodology/approach

– A hypothesis was tested that the digital literacy of organizational workers is positively correlated with their professional self-efficacy. To test the hypothesis, 300 Israeli organizational workers filled online questionnaires that assessed their daily pattern of DA usage (both during and after working hours) and their self-perceived professional efficacy. A linear regression analysis was performed to identify correlations between the frequency (one dimension) and effectiveness (three dimensions) of DA usage and the workers’ self-perceived professional efficacy (three dimensions).

Findings

– The three dimensions of the DA usage effectiveness (diversity of the DA used, diversity of the means and ease of access to the DA) were significantly and positively correlated with all three dimensions of professional self-efficacy (functional autonomy, work effectiveness and personal knowledge sharing). In contrast, the frequency of DA usage was not correlated with any of the three dimensions of professional self-efficacy.

Practical implications

– High digital literacy allows rapid and effective retrieval of specific networked content and an accessible means of multimedia communication. According to the ecological model of organizational knowledge management, knowledge develops through diverse interactions between workers and through their ability to retrieve and share knowledge. The findings of this study support this model and indicate that high digital literacy, manifested through easy access and diverse use of DA, increases professional self-efficacy and knowledge sharing and, thereby, the stability of the organization. Managers should thus encourage workers’ digital literacy by allowing convenient access to a wide range of DA, both during and after working hours, to increase the organizational ability to adapt to complex and rapidly changing environments.

Originality/value

– DA are innovative tools that were only recently developed. This is the first study to characterize the relationship between the use of DA in daily life and the vocational behavior of organizational workers.
Genome analyses suggest the presence of polyploidy and recent human‐driven expansions in eight global populations of the honeybee pathogen Nosema ceranae
Authors: Pelin Adrian , Selman Mohammed , Aris‐Brosou Stéphane , Farinelli Laurent , Corradi Nicolas
Published: April 2015

Nosema ceranae is a microsporidian pathogen whose infections have been associated with recent global declines in the populations of western honeybees (Apis mellifera). Despite the outstanding economic and ecological threat that N. ceranae may represent for honeybees worldwide, many aspects of its biology, including its mode of reproduction, propagation and ploidy, are either very unclear or unknown. In the present study, we set to gain knowledge in these biological aspects by re‐sequencing the genome of eight isolates (i.e. a population of spores isolated from one single beehive) of this species harvested from eight geographically distant beehives, and by investigating their level of polymorphism. Consistent with previous analyses performed using single gene sequences, our analyses uncovered the presence of very high genetic diversity within each isolate, but also very little hive‐specific polymorphism. Surprisingly, the nature, location and distribution of this genetic variation suggest that beehives around the globe are infected by a population of N. ceranae cells that may be polyploid (4n or more), and possibly clonal. Lastly, phylogenetic analyses based on genome‐wide single‐nucleotide polymorphism data extracted from these parasites and mitochondrial sequences from their hosts all failed to support the current geographical structure of our isolates.
Absolute Traffic: Infrastructural Aptitude in Urban Indonesia
Authors: Lee Doreen
Published: April 2015

This article draws attention to the emergent modes of urban sociality and circumscribed mobility that define the lives of traffic‐stricken residents in the megacity of Jakarta, Indonesia. I argue that Jakarta traffic has exceeded the scale and discourse of a technopolitical problem of failed infrastructure; rather, the systemic and rhizomic nature of traffic provides the temporal infrastructure that governs the flow of living and leisure, and the patterning of individual desires and struggles in urban Indonesia. I use the term ‘absolute traffic' to convey the limit horizon of gridlock as a set of exhausting physical and psychic states that urban residents survive daily. Despite such overwhelming challenges to mobility, particularly for the city's underprivileged populations, I argue for an agentive perspective of absolute traffic in which forms of play, negotiation and disruption form important moments for the public display of infrastructural aptitude. Strategies for surviving and engaging with absolute traffic emerge in ephemeral sites of finely attuned traffic subjectivity––in the sociality of strangers, the political demonstrations of activists, the growing citizen journalism for traffic reports on radio shows and social media sites, and finally, in the artistic sensibility of artists captivated by the vernacular forms of urban chaos.
Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction in End‐Stage Kidney Disease: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Authors: Ogawa Tetsuya , Koeda Misato , Nitta Kosaku
Published: April 2015

Diastolic dysfunction is frequently observed in end‐stage kidney disease (ESKD), and ESKD patients have many risk factors for heart failure (HF), including hypertension, diabetes, and coronary artery disease. Diastolic HF, also called HF with preserved ejection fraction, refers to a clinical syndrome in which patients have symptoms and signs of HF, normal or near normal left ventricular (LV) systolic function, and evidence of diastolic dysfunction manifested by abnormal LV filling and elevated filling pressure. Recent reports suggest that HF with preserved ejection fraction is more common in hemodialysis patients than HF with low ejection fraction. Diastolic HF in ESKD patients is a strong predictor of death. In this article, we review the information available in the literature on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and potential treatment strategies of diastolic dysfunction or diastolic HF based on evidence obtained in the general population that is potentially applicable to ESKD patients.
Pharmacokinetics of Carboplatin in a One‐Year‐Old Anuric Boy Undergoing Hemodialysis and a Review of the Literature
Authors: Kamei Koichi , Sako Mayumi , Ishikawa Tomoaki , Sato Mai , Ogura Masao , Uno Teruaki , Kiyotani Chikako , Mori Tetsuya , Tanaka Hideaki , Ito Shuichi , Nakamura Hidefumi
Published: April 2015

There have been few reports of carboplatin‐based chemotherapy for anuric infants. As we had a chance to treat a one‐year‐old anuric hepatoblastoma patient with carboplatin, we performed a pharmacokinetic analysis and examined the optimal treatment strategy. A one‐year‐old anuric boy under peritoneal dialysis was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma. Surgical resection was performed, and administration of carboplatin was scheduled postoperatively aiming at 5 mg·min/mL of the area under the curve from the time of dosing to the time of the last observation (AUC0‐t). We set the initial dose at 50 mg, higher than that calculated by the Calvert formula (34 mg); the time from the end of carboplatin infusion to the initiation of hemodialysis at 2 h; and the hemodialysis duration at 24 h. The actual AUC0‐t was 3.05 mg·min/mL because the elimination half‐lives before and during hemodialysis were shorter than expected. The AUC0‐t after the second dose (100 mg) and the third dose (80 mg) were 7.00 and 4.68 mg·min/mL, respectively. The Calvert formula is not suitable for hemodialysis patients because removal of platinum by hemodialysis is not taken into account. It appears that extrarenal clearance in anuric infants is different from that in adults. We obtained an optimal AUC0‐t using a dose of 80 mg (200 mg/m2), setting the time from the end of carboplatin infusion to the initiation of hemodialysis at 2 h, and performing 8‐h hemodialysis. Further accumulation of the pharmacokinetic data of carboplatin is necessary for anuric children.
Node‐based measures of connectivity in genetic networks
Authors: Koen Erin L. , Bowman Jeff , Wilson Paul J.
Published: April 2015

At‐site environmental conditions can have strong influences on genetic connectivity, and in particular on the immigration and settlement phases of dispersal. However, at‐site processes are rarely explored in landscape genetic analyses. Networks can facilitate the study of at‐site processes, where network nodes are used to model site‐level effects. We used simulated genetic networks to compare and contrast the performance of 7 node‐based (as opposed to edge‐based) genetic connectivity metrics. We simulated increasing node connectivity by varying migration in two ways: we increased the number of migrants moving between a focal node and a set number of recipient nodes, and we increased the number of recipient nodes receiving a set number of migrants. We found that two metrics in particular, the average edge weight and the average inverse edge weight, varied linearly with simulated connectivity. Conversely, node degree was not a good measure of connectivity. We demonstrated the use of average inverse edge weight to describe the influence of at‐site habitat characteristics on genetic connectivity of 653 American martens (Martes americana) in Ontario, Canada. We found that highly connected nodes had high habitat quality for marten (deep snow and high proportions of coniferous and mature forest) and were farther from the range edge. We recommend the use of node‐based genetic connectivity metrics, in particular, average edge weight or average inverse edge weight, to model the influences of at‐site habitat conditions on the immigration and settlement phases of dispersal.
Adolescent Intermittent Alcohol Exposure: Persistence of Structural and Functional Hippocampal Abnormalities into Adulthood
Authors: Risher Mary‐Louise , Fleming Rebekah L. , Risher W. Christopher , Miller K. M. , Klein Rebecca C. , Wills Tiffany , Acheson Shawn K. , Moore Scott D. , Wilson Wilkie A. , Eroglu Cagla , Swartzwelder H. S.
Published: April 2015

Background

Human adolescence is a crucial stage of neurological development during which ethanol (EtOH) consumption is often at its highest. Alcohol abuse during adolescence may render individuals at heightened risk for subsequent alcohol abuse disorders, cognitive dysfunction, or other neurological impairments by irreversibly altering long‐term brain function. To test this possibility, we modeled adolescent alcohol abuse (i.e., intermittent EtOH exposure during adolescence [AIE]) in rats to determine whether adolescent exposure to alcohol leads to long‐term structural and functional changes that are manifested in adult neuronal circuitry.

Methods

We specifically focused on hippocampal area CA1, a brain region associated with learning and memory. Using electrophysiological, immunohistochemical, and neuroanatomical approaches, we measured post‐AIE changes in synaptic plasticity, dendritic spine morphology, and synaptic structure in adulthood.

Results

We found that AIE‐pretreated adult rats manifest robust long‐term potentiation, induced at stimulus intensities lower than those required in controls, suggesting a state of enhanced synaptic plasticity. Moreover, AIE resulted in an increased number of dendritic spines with characteristics typical of immaturity. Immunohistochemistry‐based analysis of synaptic structures indicated a significant decrease in the number of co‐localized pre‐ and postsynaptic puncta. This decrease is driven by an overall decrease in 2 postsynaptic density proteins, PSD‐95 and SAP102.

Conclusions

Taken together, these findings reveal that repeated alcohol exposure during adolescence results in enduring structural and functional abnormalities in the hippocampus. These synaptic changes in the hippocampal circuits may help to explain learning‐related behavioral changes in adult animals preexposed to AIE.
The ‘disconnect’ between initial judgments of lamotrigine vs. its real‐world effectiveness in managing bipolar disorder. A tale with wider ramifications
Authors: Parker G. , McCraw S.
Published: April 2015

Objective

To detail the disconnect between the quantified efficacy of the mood stabilizer lamotrigine in its registration controlled trials and its later judged clinical effectiveness and consider some determinants of disconnects between some efficacy trial findings and ‘real‐world’ clinical effectiveness judgments.

Method

Published articles considering lamotrigine as a treatment for the bipolar I or II disorders were selected for review. While randomized controlled trials were weighted, we also consider open trials and effectiveness observations from clinician researchers and demonstrate that lamotrigine has been quite variably judged over time.

Results

We suggest that the early trials evaluating lamotrigine for acute bipolar disorder depression focused on a suboptimal clinical target, and in so doing, ensured less lamotrigine efficacy compared with trials of bipolar disorder preventative treatment. Moreover, a number of additional methodological limitations compromised analyses. We also detail variable reporting of actual study results. The initial sharp disconnect (between efficacy and effectiveness judgments) has narrowed as lamotrigine has been evaluated and progressively taken up as a maintenance mood stabilizer.

Conclusion

The lamotrigine disconnect story provides a number of salutary lessons that are salient to evaluating the effectiveness and ecological niche of any psychotropic medication. The lamotrigine story presented here argues strongly for the wisdom of encouraging an iterative process between efficacy studies and clinical observation.
A comparison of the efficacy of brief interventions to reduce hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption between European and non‐European countries: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Elzerbi Catherine , Donoghue Kim , Drummond Colin
Published: April 2015

Aims

The extent of variation attributable to regional differences for the efficacy of brief intervention (BI) to reduce hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption is unclear. The primary aim of this study was to determine overall efficacy of BI at 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up in primary health care (PHC) and emergency department (ED) studies. The secondary aim was to examine whether variance in study outcome can be explained by the geographical region in which trials have taken place (European versus non‐European).

Methods

A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before August 2014 was undertaken. Twenty RCTs conducted in PHC settings with a total of 8226 participants (European = 4564/non‐European = 3662) and eight RCTs conducted in ED settings with a total of 4799 participants (European = 2465/non‐European = 2334) were eligible. Primary outcome measure was reduction in grams of alcohol consumed per week for BI and control groups at 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up. An inverse variance model was applied to measure the effect of treatment in mean differences for BI and control groups at 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up. Variance between study outcomes was explored using subgroup analysis of European versus non‐European countries.

Results

For PHC trials at 6‐month follow‐up, statistically significant benefits of BI were indicated [mean difference (MD) = −21.98 g/week; 95% confidence interval (CI) = −37.40 to −6.57; P = 0.005]. At 12‐month follow‐up, statistically significant benefit of BI was evident (MD = −30.86 g/week; 95% CI = −46.49 to −15.23; P = 0.0001). For ED trials at 6‐month follow‐up, statistically significant benefits of BI were indicated (MD = −17.97 g/week; 95% CI = −29.69 to −6.24; P = 0.003). At 12‐month follow‐up, statistically significant benefit in favour of BI was evident (MD = −18.21 g/week; 95% CI = −26.71 to −9.70; P < 0.0001). No statistically significant differences were detected in subgroup analyses of outcomes for European versus non‐European studies.

Conclusions

Brief intervention (BI) to reduce alcohol consumption is associated with reducing grams of alcohol consumed per week among hazardous and harmful drinkers at 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up in primary health care and emergency department trials. The geographical region in which trials are undertaken does not appear to explain the variance in trial outcomes for reducing alcohol consumption.
Pain as a predictor of heavy drinking and any drinking lapses in the COMBINE study and the UK Alcohol Treatment Trial
Authors: Witkiewitz Katie , Vowles Kevin E. , McCallion Elizabeth , Frohe Tessa , Kirouac Megan , Maisto Stephen A.
Published: April 2015

Aims

To test the association between pain and heavy drinking lapses during and following treatment for alcohol use disorders (AUD).

Design

Secondary data analysis of data from two clinical trials for AUD.

Setting and participants

Participants included 1383 individuals from the Combined Pharmacotherapies and Behavioral Interventions (COMBINE) Study in the United States [69.0% male, 76.8% non‐Hispanic White average age = 44.4, standard deviation (SD) = 10.2] and 742 individuals from the UK Alcohol Treatment Trial (UKATT) in the United Kingdom [74.1% male, 95.6% White, average age = 41.6 (SD = 10.1)].

Measurements

Form‐90 (a structured assessment interview) was used to assess the primary outcome: time to first heavy drinking day. The Short Form Health Survey and Quality of Life measures were used to assess pain interference and pain intensity.

Findings

Pain was a significant predictor of heavy drinking lapses during treatment in UKATT [odds ratio (OR) = 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08, 1.32, P = 0.0003] and COMBINE (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.03, 1.21, P = 0.009), and was a significant predictor of heavy drinking lapses following treatment in COMBINE (OR = 1.163, 95% CI = 1.15, 1.17, P < 0.00001). After controlling for other relapse risk factors (e.g. dependence severity, self‐efficacy, temptation, psychiatric distress), pain remained a significant predictor of heavy drinking lapses during treatment in UKATT (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.34, P = 0.004) and following treatment in COMBINE (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.92, P = 0.01).

Conclusions

Among people treated for alcohol use disorder, being in physical pain appears to predict heavy drinking lapses during or after treatment.
Strength and sensation after epidural ropivacaine in men and women
Authors: Gan S. , Song L. , Chen W. , Feng Z. , Li Y. , Zhang J. , Zhu S.
Published: April 2015

We injected 15 ml epidural ropivacaine in 30 men and 30 women to determine the median dose required to impair a straight‐leg raise. We started at a concentration of 0.425%, increasing the concentration by 0.025% after an ineffective injection and decreasing the concentration by 0.025% after an effective injection. The median (95% CI) concentration of ropivacaine that prevented straight‐leg raise within 30 min of injection was 0.43% (0.41–0.45%) in men and 0.40% (0.39–0.41%) in women, p = 0.001. There were no differences in dermatome levels for loss of pinprick and cold sensation between men and women.
Systematic review with meta‐analysis: the prevalence of bile acid malabsorption in the irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhoea
Authors: Slattery S. A. , Niaz O. , Aziz Q. , Ford A. C. , Farmer A. D.
Published: April 2015

Background

Irritable bowel syndrome is a widespread disorder with a marked socioeconomic burden. Previous studies support the proposal that a subset of patients with features compatible with diarrhoea‐predominant IBS (IBS‐D) have bile acid malabsorption (BAM).

Aim

To perform a systematic review and meta‐analysis to assess the prevalence of BAM in patients meeting the accepted criteria for IBS‐D.

Methods

MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched up to March 2015. Studies recruiting adults with IBS‐D, defined by the Manning, Kruis, Rome I, II or III criteria and which used 23‐seleno‐25‐homotaurocholic acid (SeHCAT) testing for the assessment of BAM were included. BAM was defined as 7 day SeHCAT retention of <10%. We calculated the rate of BAM and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a random effects model. The methodological quality of included studies was evaluated using the Quality Assessment for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS‐2).

Results

The search strategy identified six relevant studies comprising 908 individuals. The rate of BAM ranged from 16.9% to 35.3%. The pooled rate was 28.1% (95% CI: 22.6–34%). There was significant heterogeneity in effect sizes (Q‐test χ2 = 17.9, P < 0.004; I2 = 72.1%). The type of diagnostic criteria used or study country did not significantly modify the effect.

Conclusions

These data provide evidence that in excess of one quarter of patients meeting accepted criteria for IBS‐D have bile acid malabsorption. This distinction has implications for the interpretation of previous studies, as well as contemporaneous clinical practice and future guideline development.
Ahmadinejad, Iran, and Foreign Policy Dysfunction in Tajikistan
Authors: Clark Brenton
Published: April 2015

Throughout the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tajikistan became, on the surface at least, an increasingly important political partner to Iran. Tajikistan according to Ahmadinejad was a “strategic partner” and in fact the two states' “common history and culture” made them inseparable. Ahmadinejad's emphasis on Tajikistan within Iran's broader foreign policy led to considerable discussion among regional observers and analysts who declared that the relationship between Iran and Tajikistan could potentially develop into a so‐called “Persian alliance,” which could reorder the regional political balance. However, lying just below the surface of relations between Iran and Tajikistan was a disjuncture between rhetoric and reality. This article argues that despite the public amity that existed between the two states, strong and substantive Iran‐Tajik relations were not achieved by the close of Ahmadinejad's presidency. This was due in part to a dysfunctional Iranian foreign policy approach, which often led to the mismanagement of this interstate relationship. This factor along with the unwillingness of Tajik elites to go from words to deeds and the broader impact of sanctions, international isolation, and regional rivalry, meant that Iran was largely unable to fulfill its prominent political and economic objectives in Tajikistan.
Nonparametric discrete survival function estimation with uncertain endpoints using an internal validation subsample
Authors: Zee Jarcy , Xie Sharon X.
Published: April 2015

When a true survival endpoint cannot be assessed for some subjects, an alternative endpoint that measures the true endpoint with error may be collected, which often occurs when obtaining the true endpoint is too invasive or costly. We develop an estimated likelihood function for the situation where we have both uncertain endpoints for all participants and true endpoints for only a subset of participants. We propose a nonparametric maximum estimated likelihood estimator of the discrete survival function of time to the true endpoint. We show that the proposed estimator is consistent and asymptotically normal. We demonstrate through extensive simulations that the proposed estimator has little bias compared to the naïve Kaplan–Meier survival function estimator, which uses only uncertain endpoints, and more efficient with moderate missingness compared to the complete‐case Kaplan–Meier survival function estimator, which uses only available true endpoints. Finally, we apply the proposed method to a data set for estimating the risk of detecting Alzheimer's disease from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.
Effect of polyphenolic phytochemicals on ectopic oxidative phosphorylation in rod outer segments of bovine retina
Authors: Calzia Daniela , Oneto Michele , Caicci Federico , Bianchini Paolo , Ravera Silvia , Bartolucci Martina , Diaspro Alberto , Degan Paolo , Manni Lucia , Traverso Carlo Enrico , Panfoli Isabella
Published: April 2015

Background and Purpose

The rod outer segments (OS) of the retina are specialized organelles where phototransduction takes place. The mitochondrial electron transport complexes I–IV, cytochrome c and FoF1‐ATP synthase are functionally expressed in the OS disks. Here, we have studied the effect of some polyphenolic compounds acting as inhibitors of mitochondrial ATPase/synthase activity on the OS ectopic FoF1‐ ATP synthase. The mechanism of apoptosis in the OS was also investigated studying the expression of cytochrome c, caspase 9 and 3 and Apaf‐1.

Experimental Approach

We prepared OS from fresh bovine retinae. Semi‐quantitative Western blotting, confocal and electron microscopy, and cytofluorimetry were used along with biochemical analyses such as oximetry, ATP synthesis and hydrolysis.

Key Results

Resveratrol and curcumin plus piperine inhibited ATP synthesis and oxygen consumption in the OS. Epigallocatechin gallate and quercetin inhibited ATP hydrolysis and oxygen consumption in the OS. Malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide were produced in respiring OS in the presence of substrates. Cytochrome c was located inside the disk membranes. Procaspase 9 and 3, as well as Apaf‐1 were expressed in the OS.

Conclusions and Implications

These polyphenolic phytochemicals modulated the FoF1‐ATP synthase activity of the the OS reducing production of reactive oxygen intermediates by the OS ectopic electron transport chain. Polyphenols decrease membrane peroxidation and cytochrome c release from disks, preventing the induction of caspase‐dependent apoptosis in the OS Such effects are relevant in the design of protection against functional impairment of the OS following oxidative stress from exposure to intense illumination.
Métier de sociologue, approche inductive et objet d'analyse. Brèves remarques à partir de Bourdieu
Authors: Hamel Jacques
Published: April 2015

This article seeks to reveal the role played by the inductive approach in sociology. Grounded Theory assumes its full importance in formulating sociological explanations. However, the theory does pose a problem, in that the “method” is not based on clearly defined operations, which remain implicit. This article attempts to show that the object of analysis—what is being analyzed—makes perceptible the operations implicitly conceived by the analyst, based on Grounded Theory. With qualitative analysis software, such as Atlas.ti, it is possible to shed light on these operations. The article is illustrated by the theory of Pierre Bourdieu and the epistemological considerations he developed as a result of his qualitative inquiry,La Misère du monde.

Cet article cherche à montrer le rôle que joue l'approche inductive en sociologie. LaGrounded Theoryrevêt son importance pour formuler l'explication sociologique. Celle‐ci pose toutefois problème. En effet, la «méthode» ne repose pas sur des opérations clairement définies et celles‐ci restent implicites. Dans cet article, on cherche à montrer que l'objet d'analyse—ce sur quoi porte l'analyse—rend perceptibles les opérations que l'analyste conçoit implicitement en s'appuyant sur laGrounded Theory. Les logiciels d'analyse qualitative, comme Atlas.ti, permettent d'autre part de les mettre en évidence. L'article est illustré par la théorie de Pierre Bourdieu et les considérations épistémologiques qu'a développées cet auteur à la suite de son enquête qualitative sur laMisère du monde.
Correlation between polymorphisms of BRAF gene and papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Jiang Rui , Zhao Chunming , Xu Hao , Zhao Miaoqing , Sun Xiaogang , Wang Xinyu , Song Wei
Published: April 2015

Background

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), which accounts for 80% of all thyroid cancers, has an increasing incidence over these years. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of BRAF were considered to be one of well‐established risk factors leading to development of PTC. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the common mutations of BRAF could elevate significantly the risk of PTC in a Chinese population.

Methods

Four SNPs (rs11762469, rs17623204, rs1267636 and rs3748093) of BRAF were selected through our filter by Haploview 4.2 software with HapMap databases. We used the polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) to genotype the four SNPs in blood samples of 618 subjects (206 patients with PTC and 412 healthy controls). The correlation between BRAF polymorphisms and PTC risk was assessed using student t‐test and chi‐square test.

Results

The results showed that mutation in rs3748093 was significantly associated with an increased risk of PTC in allele model (A allele vs. T allele, OR = 1·68, 95% CI = 1·16–2·43, P = 0·006), dominant model (TA + AA vs TT, OR = 1·64, 95% CI = 1·08–2·48, P = 0·019) and homozygote model (AA vs. TT, OR = 2·94, 95% CI = 1·00–8·61, P = 0·040). However, the other three SNPs (rs11762469, rs17623204 and rs1267636) were shown to have no association with the risk of PTC.

Conclusions

Our results indicated that polymorphism of rs3748093*A was significantly correlated with an increased risk of PTC in a Chinese population. Further investigation on the aetiological mechanism of PTC is needed to validate our results.
Immediate Implant Placement into Extraction Sockets with Labial Plate Dehiscence Defects: A Clinical Case Series
Authors: Sarnachiaro Guido O. , Chu Stephen J. , Sarnachiaro Evangelina , Gotta Sergio Luis , Tarnow Dennis P.
Published: April 2015

Purpose

To measure the buccal plate reconstruction of extraction sockets with labial plate dehiscence defects using a bone allograft in combination with an absorbable collagen membrane and a custom‐healing abutment at the time of tooth removal.

Materials and Methods

Ten patients underwent immediate implant placement and reconstruction of the buccal plate. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed preextraction, immediately after bone grafting and implant placement (day 0), and between 6 and 9 months following implant surgery. Measurements were taken at three levels: coronal (L1), middle (L2), and apical (L3) level.

Results

Implants placed into sockets with labial plate dehiscence defects demonstrated radiographic reformation of the labial plate dehiscence defect at 6 to 9 months posttreatment. The net gain in labial plate on cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) in L1 and L2 was 3.0 mm, where 0 mm existed at pretreatment. The minimum amount of labial plate thickness of 2.0 mm was achieved in all treated sites, evaluated radiographically at 6 to 9 months postoperatively, in a single procedure, without flap elevation and maintaining the gingival architecture and satisfactory esthetics.

Conclusion

Placing an absorbable membrane, bone graft, and custom‐healing abutment at the time of flapless anterior tooth extraction and immediate implant placement into a socket with a labial osseous dehiscence is a viable clinical technique to reconstitute the absence of the labial bone plate.
Recommendation to include a textile dye mix in the European baseline series
Authors: Isaksson Marléne , Ryberg Kristina , Goossens An , Bruze Magnus
Published: April 2015

Background

Disperse dyes are common sensitizers, but are not currently included in the European baseline series.

Objectives

To justify the inclusion of a textile dye mix in the European baseline patch test series.

Methods

A survey of the reported frequencies of contact allergy to textile dyes and textile dye mixes was performed by searching PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.gov.ludwig.lub.lu.se/pubmed, last accessed 14 December 2014). The results from a multicentre study performed within the European Environmental Contact Dermatitis Research Group (EECDRG) and published in 2014 formed the final basis for the recommendation.

Results

The EECDRG study performed in Europe and the United States showed that 2.1–6.9% of consecutively tested dermatitis patients reacted to a 6.6% wt/wt textile dye mix consisting of eight disperse dyes. The clinical relevance was ascertained in >30% of the positive cases. A high frequency of simultaneous sensitivity to Disperse Orange 3 (DO 3) and p‐phenylenediamine (PPD) was seen. Active sensitization to the mix was not noted.

Conclusions

It is recommended to include a 6.6% textile dye mix consisting of eight disperse dyes in the European baseline series, even though one component, DO 3, may be superfluous, owing to its frequent cross‐reactivity with PPD. Removal of DO 3 from the mix would need further study.
Chromium(VI) release from leather and metals can be detected with a diphenylcarbazide spot test
Authors: Bregnbak David , Johansen Jeanne D. , Jellesen Morten S. , Zachariae Claus , Thyssen Jacob P.
Published: April 2015

Background

Along with chromium, nickel and cobalt are the clinically most important metal allergens. However, unlike for nickel and cobalt, there is no validated colorimetric spot test that detects chromium. Such a test could help both clinicians and their patients with chromium dermatitis to identify culprit exposures.

Objectives

To evaluate the use of diphenylcarbazide (DPC) as a spot test reagent for the identification of chromium(VI) release.

Methods

A colorimetric chromium(VI) spot test based on DPC was prepared and used on different items from small market surveys.

Results

The DPC spot test was able to identify chromium(VI) release at 0.5 ppm without interference from other pure metals, alloys, or leather. A market survey using the test showed no chromium(VI) release from work tools (0/100). However, chromium(VI) release from metal screws (7/60), one earring (1/50), leather shoes (4/100) and leather gloves (6/11) was observed. We found no false‐positive test reactions. Confirmatory testing was performed with X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) and spectrophotometrically on extraction fluids.

Conclusions

The use of DPC as a colorimetric spot test reagent appears to be a good and valid test method for detecting the release of chromium(VI) ions from leather and metal articles. The spot test has the potential to become a valuable screening tool.
Nurse‐led clinics can manage faecal incontinence effectively: results from a tertiary referral centre
Authors: Duelund‐Jakobsen J. , Haas S. , Buntzen S. , Lundby L. , Bøje G. , Laurberg S.
Published: April 2015

Aim

In May 2010, a specialist nurse‐initiated assessment and treatment algorithm for faecal incontinence (FI) was introduced at the department of Anal Physiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of and patient satisfaction with the program.

Method

A medical file audit was preformed on patients evaluated and treated for FI and discharged after September 2010. Patients were invited to participate in a structured telephone interview. This study aimed to enrol 100 patients. Patients were asked if they were satisfied with their current level of continence status (yes/no), and a numerical satisfaction score and Wexner score were recorded. These results were compared to baseline and at time of discharge.

Results

One‐hundred patients completed the telephone interview; 73 of these patients were satisfied after a median of 420 (range: 114–586) days following discharge from the program. A median of one outpatient consultation followed by one telephone follow‐up was required before the patients were discharged. The Wexner score was significantly reduced by 3.9 (±4.4) (P < 0.001) points among the satisfied and non‐significantly reduced by 0.52 (± 3.3) (P = 0.42) points among the dissatisfied patients at follow‐up compared to baseline. The satisfied and dissatisfied patients at follow‐up did not differ in baseline characteristics including Wexner score.

Conclusions

FI can successively be evaluated and conservatively managed by specialist nurses, and these nurses achived high satisfaction rates among their patients. The concept of specialist nurse‐led clinics will reduce waiting lists, and descrease the number of patients needing to be evaluated by a surgeon.
A sarcoidosis‐like granuloma reaction in the lymph nodes of a patient with lung squamous cancer: from stasis to the invasive phase with FGFR1 gene amplification
Authors: Wei Hailong , Hou Jun , Pan Jue , Su Xiaoqiong , Li Liqiong , Wang Xiangdong , Chen Zhihong
Published: April 2015

Background

Granulomatous inflammation is considered an immune mechanism against infection or certain non‐neoplastic conditions. Sarcoidosis‐like granuloma reactions (SGRs) in primary tumors or in regional lymph nodes are occasionally observed; however, they are rare in lung cancer.

Case review

In this study, we reported on a case of squamous lung cancer with swollen mediastinal lymph nodes, similar to sarcoidosis. He was misdiagnosed as benign lymph node SGRs or tuberculosis for 2 years. Reexamination of the lymph node by immunohistochemistry confirmed the malignant disease. The lung cancer appeared to remain in the stasis phase for 2 years and then burst to stage IV with the amplification of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 gene.

Conclusions

Although tumor‐induced draining lymph node granulomatous reactions are rare, they did exist in some of the patients. In this case, differential diagnoses with malignant granulomas should be performed carefully to avoid the misdiagnosis of a benign disease. The biological significance of such a granulomatous response in inducing tumor remission or in shielding tumor cells from host lymphocytes remains obscure.
European screening for alpha1‐antitrypsin deficiency in subjects with lung disease
Authors: Greulich Timm , Averyanov Alexander , Borsa Ludmila , Rozborilová Eva , Vaicius Dalius , Major Tamás , Chopyak Valentyna , Tudorache Voicu , Konstantinova Tatyana , Camprubí Sandra
Published: April 2015

Background and Aims

Alpha1‐antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) predisposes individuals to early‐onset emphysema. Despite its prevalence, especially among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, AATD is still underdiagnosed. The aim of this study is to identify individuals with lung disease and severe AATD in central‐eastern Europe.

Methods

Subjects with respiratory symptoms that could be indicative of AATD provided blood samples as dried blood spot. The alpha1‐antitrypsin (AAT) concentration was determined by nephelometry and, if lower than 1.70 mg/dL in dried blood spot (equivalent to 1.04 g/L in serum), polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the PiS and PiZ alleles. Isoelectric focusing was used for confirmation of doubtful genotype results.

Results

From 13 countries, 11 648 subjects were included. Genotyping of 1404 samples with AAT levels <1.70 mg/dL revealed 71 (5.06%) PiS, 151 (10.8%) PiZ, 1 (0.071%) PiSS, 8 (0.57%) PiSZ and 32 (2.28%) PiZZ. Phenotyping of 1363 samples negative for the S and Z alleles or with PiS and PiZ genotype showed two (0.147%) PiZ(rare) and two (0.147%) Pi(null)(null). The countries with the highest rate of severe AATD were Croatia, Russia and Slovakia. By regions, the Baltic countries area showed the highest rate of both PiZ and severe AATD (2.45% and 1.20%, respectively) while the lowest rates were observed in the Balkan Peninsula (0.48% and 0.31%, respectively).

Conclusion

This study confirms the need for targeted testing of symptomatic patients and provides AATD genotype data from countries for which only some estimates of prevalence were available until now.
Concurrent central nervous system and endobronchial tuberculosis mimicking a metastatic lung cancer
Authors: Ciftci Fatma , Shimbori Naoto , Karnak Demet
Published: April 2015

Background and Aims

Early diagnosis and treatment of central nervous system tuberculosis are important because of high mortality and morbidity. Airways must be carefully evaluated in differential diagnosis.

Methods

We present a rare case of intracranial‐endobronchial tuberculosis mimicking lung cancer with brain metastasis.

Results

A vegetative mass lesion, confirmed as necrotic granulomatous inflammation, originating from the entrance of the right upper lobe entry, was coagulated and extracted by argon plasma coagulation and cryotherapy to prevent permanent upper lobe atelectasis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex was detected in bronchoscopic material. A four‐drug initial anti‐tuberculous treatment regimen was given in 2 months. The upper lobe atelectasis was resolved at the fourth month of therapy despite upper lobar bronchus patency. The patient was doing well and completed the two‐drug maintenance therapy of 7 months with complete resolution.

Conclusion

In such cases, tissue diagnosis should be achieved as early as possible and anti‐tuberculous treatment was commenced along with advanced interventional techniques.
Bronchial thermoplasty: a non‐pharmacological approach
Authors: Singh Saurabh Kumar , Tiwari Kamlesh Kumar
Published: April 2015

Introduction

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airway characterized by the episodic symptoms of breathlessness, wheezes and cough. Even with the use of maximum anti‐asthmatic pharmacological treatment sometimes it remains uncontrolled. For such patients, bronchial thermoplasty is the new mode of treatment.

Objective

To review published article on bronchial thermoplasty.

Methods

We identified 102 English articles on PubMed, and 56 were excluded by the abstract. The remaining articles were retrieved for full‐text detailed evaluation by authors, and 28 relevant articles were selected for final review.

Results

Bronchial thermoplasty is the radiofrequency ablation of the airway smooth muscle with the help of flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope. It reduces the smooth muscle mass of the bronchial wall and decreases its contractility.

Conclusion

Bronchial thermoplasty causes improvement in the quality of life, and causes reduction in the emergency room visit and exacerbation due to asthma. Long‐term safety has been established by various prospective studies.
Preliminary comparison of diffusion‐weighted MRI and PET/CT in predicting histological type and malignancy of lung cancer
Authors: Liu Li‐Peng , Zhang Xin‐Xin , Cui Long‐Biao , Li Jie , Yang Juan‐Li , Yang Hai‐Nan , Zhang Yan , Zhou Ying , Tang Xing , Qi Shun , Fang Yuan , Zhang Jian , Yin Hong
Published: April 2015

Introduction

Emerging evidence shows that diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW MRI) and fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F‐FDG PET/CT) might be useful in predicting histological type and malignancy of lung cancer, and even in specifically detecting the types of gene mutation.

Objective

We assessed whether DW MRI is equivalent to PET/CT in lung cancer diagnosis and evaluation.

Methods

The institutional review board approved this study, and written informed consent was obtained from all patients. DW MRI and FDG PET/CT were performed before therapy in 15 lung cancer patients diagnosed by pathological examination. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), ratio of ADC (rADC = ADC in tumor/ADC in spinal cord) and maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax) were assessed.

Results

ADC, rADC and SUVmax did not reveal significant differences among different types of lung cancer. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of ADC, rADC and SUVmax proved to be not significantly different in the detection of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Difference in the abilities of the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of ADC, rADC and SUVmax to detect adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma proved to be insignificant. Although Ki‐67 score did not show correlation with ADC, rADC and SUVmax, significant positive correlation was found between ADC and rADC, and ADC and SUVmax.

Conclusions

Both DW MRI and FDG PET/CT had similar limited diagnostic capability of predicting different histological types and malignancy of lung cancer. This study may help provide a novel insight into diagnostic and therapeutic strategies of lung cancer based on DW MRI.