bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maintenance Treatment by Erlotinib and Toxic Cardiomyopathy: A Case Report
Authors: Pinquié François , de Chabot Gonzagues , Urban Thierry , Hureaux José
Published: February 2016

Erlotinib maintenance treatment improves progression-free survival compared with observation after first-line chemotherapy in unselected advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Very few cardiac adverse effects have been observed in phase III studies on tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). We report the case of a 71-year-old woman with metastatic NSCLC treated with cisplatin/pemetrexed and then erlotinib maintenance therapy. After 26 months of TKI therapy, she developed dilated cardiomyopathy. Despite symptomatic treatment, left ventricular ejection fraction decreased to 25%. Ischemic heart disease was excluded by coronary angiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and no other cause was found. Erlotinib was stopped, and cardiac resynchronization therapy by pacemaker was initiated. This case report highlights the possible cardiotoxic effects of long-term erlotinib and suggests the need for close clinical and echocardiographic follow-up of patients receiving long-term TKI therapy.
Decade-Long Trends (2001–2011) in the Incidence and Hospital Death Rates Associated with the In-Hospital Development of Cardiogenic Shock after Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Goldberg Robert J. , Makam Raghavendra Charan P. , Yarzebski Jorge , McManus David D. , Lessard Darleen , Gore Joel M.
Published: February 2016

Background—

Limited information is available about relatively contemporary trends in the incidence and hospital case-fatality rates of cardiogenic shock in patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction. The purpose of this population-based study was to describe decade long trends (2001–2011) in the incidence and hospital case-fatality rates for patients who developed cardiogenic shock during hospitalization for an acute myocardial infarction.

Methods and Results—

The study population consisted of 5686 residents of central Massachusetts hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction at all 11 medical centers in the Worcester, MA, metropolitan area during 6 biennial periods between 2001 and 2011, who did not have cardiogenic shock at the time of hospital presentation. On average, 3.7% of these patients developed cardiogenic shock during their acute hospitalization with nonsignificant and inconsistent trends noted over time in both crude (3.7% in 2001/2003; 4.5% in 2005/2007; 2.7% in 2009/2011;
P
=0.19) and multivariable adjusted analyses. The overall in-hospital case-fatality rate for patients who developed cardiogenic shock was 41.4%. The crude and multivariable adjusted odds of dying after cardiogenic shock declined during the most recent study years (47.1% dying in 2001/2003, 42.0% dying in 2005/2007, and 28.6% dying in 2009/2011). Increases in the use of evidence-based cardiac medications, and interventional procedures paralleled the increasing hospital survival trends.

Conclusions—

We found suggestions of a decline in the death, but not incidence, rates of cardiogenic shock over time. These encouraging trends in hospital survival are likely because of advances in the early recognition and aggressive management of patients who develop cardiogenic shock.
Prognostic Value of Lymphocyte G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase-2 Protein Levels in Patients With Heart Failure
Authors: Rengo Giuseppe , Pagano Gennaro , Filardi Pasquale Perrone , Femminella Grazia Daniela , Parisi Valentina , Cannavo Alessandro , Liccardo Daniela , Komici Klara , Gambino Giuseppina , D’Amico Maria Loreta , de Lucia Claudio , Paolillo Stefania , Trimarco Bruno , Vitale Dino Franco , Ferrara Nicola , Koch Walter J. , Leosco Dario
Published: February 2016

Rationale:

Sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity is associated with poor prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF), yet routine assessment of sympathetic nervous system activation is not recommended for clinical practice. Myocardial G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 (GRK2) is upregulated in HF patients, causing dysfunctional β-adrenergic receptor signaling. Importantly, myocardial GRK2 levels correlate with levels found in peripheral lymphocytes of HF patients.

Objective:

The independent prognostic value of blood GRK2 measurements in HF patients has never been investigated; thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether lymphocyte GRK2 levels predict clinical outcome in HF patients.

Methods and Results:

We prospectively studied 257 HF patients with mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 31.4±8.5%. At the time of enrollment, plasma norepinephrine, serum NT-proBNP, and lymphocyte GRK2 levels, as well as clinical and instrumental variables were measured. The prognostic value of GRK2 to predict cardiovascular (CV) death and all-cause mortality was assessed using the Cox proportional hazard model including demographic, clinical, instrumental, and laboratory data. Over a mean follow-up period of 37.5±20.2 months (range, 3–60 months), there were 102 CV deaths. Age, left ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association class, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide, and lymphocyte GRK2 protein levels were independent predictors of CV mortality in HF patients. GRK2 levels showed an additional prognostic and clinical value over demographic and clinical variables. The independent prognostic value of lymphocyte GRK2 levels was also confirmed for all-cause mortality.

Conclusions:

Lymphocyte GRK2 protein levels can independently predict prognosis in patients with HF.
Vascular Cell Senescence Contributes to Blood–Brain Barrier Breakdown
Authors: Yamazaki Yu , Baker Darren J. , Tachibana Masaya , Liu Chia-Chen , van Deursen Jan M. , Brott Thomas G. , Bu Guojun , Kanekiyo Takahisa
Published: February 2016

Background and Purpose—

Age-related changes in the cerebrovasculature, including blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption, are emerging as potential risks for diverse neurological conditions. Because the accumulation of senescent cells in tissues is increasingly recognized as a critical step leading to age-related organ dysfunction, we evaluated whether senescent vascular cells are associated with compromised BBB integrity.

Methods—

Effects of vascular cell senescence on tight junction and barrier integrity were studied using an in vitro BBB model, composed of endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytes. In addition, tight junction coverage in microvessels and BBB integrity in BubR1 hypomorphic (BubR1
H/H
) mice, which display senescence cell-dependent phenotypes, were examined.

Results—

When an in vitro BBB model was constructed with senescent endothelial cells and pericytes, tight junction structure and barrier integrity (evaluated by transendothelial electric resistance and tracer efflux assay using sodium fluorescein and Evans blue-albumin were significantly impaired. Endothelial cells and pericytes from BubR1
H/H
mice had increased senescent-associated β-galactosidase activity and p16
INK4a
expression, demonstrating an exacerbation of senescence. The coverage by tight junction proteins in the cortical microvessels were reduced in BubR1
H/H
mice, consistent with a compromised BBB integrity from permeability assays. Importantly, the coverage of microvessels by end-feet of aquaporin 4–immunoreactive astrocytes was not altered in the cortex of the BubR1
H/H
mice.

Conclusions—

Our results indicate that accumulation of senescent vascular cells is associated with compromised BBB integrity, providing insights into the mechanism of BBB disruption related to biological aging.
Behavior Trees for Evolutionary Robotics
Authors: Scheper Kirk Y. W. , Tijmons Sjoerd , de Visser Cornelis C. , de Croon Guido C. H. E.
Published: February 2016

Evolutionary Robotics allows robots with limited sensors and processing to tackle complex tasks by means of sensory-motor coordination. In this article we show the first application of the Behavior Tree framework on a real robotic platform using the evolutionary robotics methodology. This framework is used to improve the intelligibility of the emergent robotic behavior over that of the traditional neural network formulation. As a result, the behavior is easier to comprehend and manually adapt when crossing the reality gap from simulation to reality. This functionality is shown by performing real-world flight tests with the 20-g DelFly Explorer flapping wing micro air vehicle equipped with a 4-g onboard stereo vision system. The experiments show that the DelFly can fully autonomously search for and fly through a window with only its onboard sensors and processing. The success rate of the optimized behavior in simulation is 88%, and the corresponding real-world performance is 54% after user adaptation. Although this leaves room for improvement, it is higher than the 46% success rate from a tuned user-defined controller.
For the Last Time: Temporal Sensitivity and Perceived Timing of the Final Stimulus in an Isochronous Sequence
Authors: Li Min Susan , Rhodes Darren , Di Luca Massimiliano
Published: February 2016

An isochronous sequence is a series of repeating events with the same inter-onset-interval. A common finding is that as the length of a sequence increases, so does temporal sensitivity to irregularities — that is, the detection of deviations from isochrony is better with a longer sequence. Several theoretical accounts exist in the literature as to how the brain processes sequences for the detection of irregularities, yet there remains to be a systematic comparison of the predictions that such accounts make. To compare the predictions of these accounts, we asked participants to report whether the last stimulus of a regularly-timed sequence appeared ‘earlier’ or ‘later’ than expected. Such task allowed us to separately analyse bias and performance. Sequences lengths (3, 4, 5 or 6 beeps) were either randomly interleaved or presented in separate blocks. We replicate previous findings showing that temporal sensitivity increases with longer sequence in the interleaved condition but not in the blocked condition (where performance is higher overall). Results also indicate that there is a consistent bias in reporting whether the last stimulus is isochronous (irrespectively of how many stimuli the sequence is composed of). Such result is consistent with a perceptual acceleration of stimuli embedded in isochronous sequences. From the comparison of the models’ predictions we determine that the improvement in sensitivity is best captured by an averaging of successive estimates, but with an element that limits performance improvement below statistical optimality. None of the models considered, however, provides an exhaustive explanation for the pattern of results found.
Religiosity, nationalism and fertility among Jews in Israel revisited
Authors: Bystrov Evgenia
Published: February 2016

This paper focuses on competing explanations of childbearing behaviour among Jews in Israel. Despite evidence of the second demographic transition in Israel, total fertility has not declined during the last three decades, unlike in most western high-income democracies. Two alternative explanations in the literature address this phenomenon. One is religiosity and the other is a nationalist sentiment at the aggregate level – both driving the high fertility rates. Using structural equation modelling, the current study tests the association of each of these two factors with fertility. Religiosity and nationalism were constructed as latent variables based on individual-level observed measures. Supporting previous studies at the aggregate level, the current analysis confirms that religiosity is the main determinant of fertility at the individual level, whereas nationalism has an effect on fertility only due to its high connection with religiosity. Parsimonious and comprehensive models of Jewish fertility in Israel and further research directions are suggested.
Attachment style and interpersonal trauma in refugees
Authors: Morina Naser , Schnyder Ulrich , Schick Matthis , Nickerson Angela , Bryant Richard A
Published: February 2016

Background:

Refugees can suffer many experiences that threaten their trust in others. Although models of refugee mental health have postulated that attachment securities may be damaged by refugee experiences, this has yet to be empirically tested. This study aimed to understand the relationship between the nature of traumatic experiences sustained by refugees and attachment styles.

Method:

In a cross-sectional study, treatment-seeking refugees ( N = 134) were assessed for traumatic exposure using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale. Attachment style was assessed using the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale.

Results:

Whereas gender and severity of interpersonal traumatic events predicted avoidant attachment style (accounting for 11% of the variance), neither these factors nor non-interpersonal trauma predicted anxious attachment.

Conclusions:

Exposure to interpersonal traumatic events, including torture, is associated with enduring avoidant attachment tendencies in refugees. This finding accords with attachment theories that prior adverse interpersonal experiences can undermine secure attachment systems, and may promote avoidance of attachment seeking. This finding may point to an important process maintaining poor psychological health in refugees affected by interpersonal trauma.
Love and human relationships: Readings from Jeremy Taylor
Authors: Jasper David ,   Response to David Jasper, Song Robert
Published: February 2016

This article, which focuses upon the Anglican Caroline Divines of the seventeenth century, and in particular the writings of Bishop Jeremy Taylor (1613–67), should not be misunderstood as anachronistic. It is not concerned with seventeenth-century English views on homosexuality. Rather it seeks to express the ethos of reason and broad humanistic toleration that characterizes their theological and religious perspectives and suggests that such an understanding of Christianity could well direct our current attitudes in the Church and, even more radically, suggest a profound Christian basis for a theology of sexuality which the churches have, too often, ignored or worse.
Housing search and housing choice in urban China
Authors: Tu Yong , Li Pei , Qiu Leiju
Published: February 2016

This paper reports an investigation of homebuyers and the influence of local social capital (LSC) on their housing decisions. We adopt a housing search model and predict the following two effects of LSC: a homebuyer with more social capital in a given location will have a higher propensity to relocate in that location and will be able to secure a housing transaction at a more favourable price in that location. Using data from the owner-occupied housing market in Tianjin, China, we find that LSC tends to inhibit homebuyers from moving far from their original neighbourhoods. LSC also helps homebuyers purchase their housing units at an average price that is 7% lower than the prices paid by those with less LSC when relocating within their original neighbourhoods and 3% lower if they relocate outside of their original neighbourhoods but within the same general location.
Modelling trust networks using resistive circuits for trust-aware recommender systems
Authors: Hosseinzadeh Aghdam Mehdi , Analoui Morteza , Kabiri Peyman
Published: February 2016

Recommender systems have been widely used for predicting unknown ratings. Collaborative filtering as a recommendation technique uses known ratings for predicting user preferences in the item selection. However, current collaborative filtering methods cannot distinguish malicious users from unknown users. Also, they have serious drawbacks in generating ratings for cold-start users. Trust networks among recommender systems have been proved beneficial to improve the quality and number of predictions. This paper proposes an improved trust-aware recommender system that uses resistive circuits for trust inference. This method uses trust information to produce personalized recommendations. The result of evaluating the proposed method on Epinions dataset shows that this method can significantly improve the accuracy of recommender systems while not reducing the coverage of recommender systems.
The Burden of History in the Family Business Organization
Authors: Hjorth Daniel , Dawson Alexandra
Published: February 2016

In this article we focus on the study of history through the use of narratives, within the context of the prevalent form of organization worldwide: the family business. Specifically we consider the dilemma of the impossible gift of succession using Nietzsche’s discussion of the burden of history and paralleling the story of a family business succession with that of Shakespeare’s King Lear. This way, we seek to make a contribution to organizational studies by answering recent calls to engage more with history in studies of business organizations. By implication, the study also initiates an integration of family business studies into organization studies.
Sexual Maturation in the Female Göttingen Minipig
Authors: Peter Birgit , De Rijk Eveline P. C. T. , Zeltner Adrian , Emmen Henricus H.
Published: February 2016

In the literature, experimental data on sexual maturation of female Göttingen minipigs are lacking. This may impede a reliable evaluation of reproductive functioning, particularly in the young (immature) sow used in toxicity studies. To find suitable method(s) to detect ovulation during in-life, a pilot study was performed with 3 adult sows (approximately 10–11 months), followed by a study with 14 immature females (approximately 3–4 months). From the tested parameters, progesterone analysis was the most reliable predictor. First progesterone peaks were observed in 13 sows at 3.7–4.2 or 5.5–6.5 months with a cycle length of 17–22 days. One sow did not show progesterone release until necropsy at 7 months of age. Histopathology of the reproductive organs confirmed sexual maturity for all sows, except the one without progesterone peak. In conclusion, the age range of sexual maturity of female Göttingen minipigs (3.7–6.5 months) is much wider than previously thought, and in-life progesterone analysis is a useful tool to determine sexual maturity of individual animals.
Cannabis use in people with severe mental illness: The association with physical and mental health – a cohort study. A Pharmacotherapy Monitoring and Outcome Survey study
Authors: Bruins Jojanneke , Pijnenborg Marieke GHM , Bartels-Velthuis Agna A , Visser Ellen , van den Heuvel Edwin R , Bruggeman Richard , Jörg Frederike
Published: February 2016

Objective:

In the general population cannabis use is associated with better cardiometabolic outcomes. Patients with severe mental illness frequently use cannabis, but also present increased cardiometabolic risk factors. We explore the association between cannabis use and cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with severe mental illness.

Method:

A total of 3169 patients with severe mental illness from a Dutch cohort were included in the study. The association of cannabis use with body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, glycated hemoglobin and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale was examined with separate univariate AN(C)OVA. Changes in metabolic risk factors and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale were examined after a follow-up interval of 9–24 months, for patients who continued, discontinued, started or were never using cannabis between the two assessments.

Results:

Cannabis users at baseline had lower body mass index, smaller waist circumference, lower diastolic blood pressure, and more severe psychotic symptoms than non-users. Patients who discontinued their cannabis use after the first assessment had a greater increase in body mass index, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure and triglyceride concentrations than other patients, and the severity of their psychotic symptoms had decreased more compared to continued users and non-users.

Conclusion:

Extra attention should be paid to the monitoring and treatment of metabolic parameters in patients who discontinue their cannabis use.
Magnetic resonance imaging for assessment of cerebrovascular reactivity in cerebral small vessel disease: A systematic review
Authors: Blair Gordon W , Doubal Fergus N , Thrippleton Michael J , Marshall Ian , Wardlaw Joanna M
Published: February 2016

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) pathophysiology is poorly understood. Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) impairment may play a role, but evidence to date is mainly indirect. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows investigation of CVR directly in the tissues affected by SVD. We systematically reviewed the use of MRI to measure CVR in subjects with SVD. Five studies (total n = 155 SVD subjects, 84 controls) provided relevant data. The studies included different types of patients. Each study used blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) MRI to assess CVR but a different vasoactive stimulus and method of calculating CVR. CVR decreased with increasing white matter hyperintensities in two studies ( n = 17, 11%) and in the presence of microbleeds in another. Three studies ( n = 138, 89%) found no association of CVR with white matter hyperintensities. No studies provided tissue-specific CVR values. CVR decreased with age in three studies, and with female gender and increasing diastolic blood pressure in one study. Safety and tolerability data were limited. Larger studies using CVR appear to be feasible and are needed, preferably with more standardized methods, to determine if specific clinical or radiological features of SVD are more or less associated with impaired CVR.
Practices and the Problem of World Society
Authors: Kessler Oliver
Published: February 2016

This contribution explores The Status of Law in World Society by looking at the practice turn in particular. Without challenging Kratochwil’s interest in practices per se, this contribution poses two questions: first, it acknowledges that the ‘practice turn’ itself is, like every intellectual movement, ambiguous with conflicting trends and developments. One of these ambiguities, however, concerns the position of the observer. Leaving this position undefined, the practice turn transports this ambiguity into constructivism with important repercussions on what constructivists assume to know and where the boundaries of their possible critique are. Second, this contribution asks whether there is a conflict between an interest in practices and the question of order. In particular, the latter incorporates the question of the ‘third’ that Kratochwil acknowledges, but does not develop in more detail.
Simulation of failure of air plasma sprayed thermal barrier coating due to interfacial and bulk cracks using surface-based cohesive interaction and extended finite element method
Authors: Kyaw ST , Jones IA , Hyde TH
Published: February 2016

This article describes a method of predicting the failure of a thermal barrier coating system due to interfacial cracks and cracks within bulk coatings. The interfacial crack is modelled by applying cohesive interfaces where the thermally grown oxide is bonded to the ceramic thermal barrier coating. Initiation and propagation of arbitrary cracks within coatings are modelled using the extended finite element method. Two sets of parametric studies were carried out, concentrating on the effect of thickness of the oxide layer and that of initial cracks within the ceramic coating on the growth of coating cracks and the subsequent failures. These studies have shown that a thicker oxide layer creates higher tensile residual stresses during cooling from high temperature, leading to longer coating cracks. Initial cracks parallel to the oxide interface accelerate coating spallation, and simulation of this process is presented in this article. By contrast, segmented cracks prevent growth of parallel cracks which can lead to spallation.
Environmental Sentencing in the United States Pacific Northwest 2007–2011
Authors: Kremer Joseph
Published: February 2016

A significant body of research suggests that environmental risks are more likely to be found in minority and low-income communities. Few studies have questioned whether communities of lower socioeconomic status may be less protected by regulatory agencies through the use of fines in instances of noncompliance. Using the Environmental Inequality Formation perspective (EIF) and data drawn from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) administrative enforcement cases within the U.S. Pacific Northwest from 2007 to 2011, this project finds that the factors primarily influencing fine severity include the type and severity of the offense. However, after controlling for other factors, fines are less severe against facilities surrounded by low-income households. This research confirms the need for scholars, policy makers, and activists to develop greater linkages between the EIF perspective and environmental sentencing by more clearly teasing out the roles that facilities, enforcement agencies, and especially communities play in these outcomes.
English Learners With Disabilities in High School
Authors: Trainor Audrey , Murray Angela , Kim Hye-Jung
Published: February 2016

Little is known about the characteristics, transition education, and postschool outcomes of English learners with disabilities (ELSWDs), despite that English learners are a rapidly growing group of U.S. students with consistently poor outcomes. This study examines a nationally representative sample of ELSWDs through a secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). Complex Samples statistical analyses were used to identify ELSWDs’ sociodemographic characteristics, education and transition program characteristics, and postschool outcomes. Results confirmed disproportionate identification by race/ethnicity for Latinos and White as ELSWDs. Findings also illustrated alignment between transition planning and courses taken, yet postschool employment was significantly lower for ELSWDs. Implications include the need for research methods that address ELSWDs disproportionality in high school and transition outcome variables unique to this population. Implications for practice include the development of teacher preparation programs that apprise secondary special educators of ELSWD characteristics and their transition-related preferences, strengths, and needs.
2016 European guideline on donovanosis
Authors: O’Farrell Nigel , Moi Harald
Published: February 2016

Donovanosis is a rare sexually transmitted infection now mainly seen in sporadic cases in Papua New Guinea, South Africa, India, Brazil and Australia. The causative organism is Calymmatobacterium granulomatis, though a proposal has been put forward that the organism be reclassified as Klebsiella granulomatis comb nov. The incubation period is approximately 50 days with genital papules developing into ulcers that increase in size. Four types of lesions are described – ulcerogranulomatous, hypertrophic, necrotic and sclerotic. The diagnosis is usually confirmed by microscopic identification of characteristic Donovan bodies on stained tissue smears. More recently, polymerase chain reaction methods have been developed. The recommended treatment is azithromycin 1 g weekly until complete healing is achieved.
A time to pray, a time to play?: Everyday life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between the temporalities of religion, tradition and consumerism
Authors: Aldossry Theeb , Varul Matthias Z
Published: February 2016

Based on empirical research on the emergence of consumerism in Saudi Arabia, this article examines the shifts in the understanding of time that emerge in the competing paradigms of traditional and Islamic time, globalised world time and the individualisation of time in consumer pursuits. While Islamic time still provides the dominant frame for social life in Saudi Arabia, there have been adaptions to global time. While these are relatively unproblematic and technical, both traditional Arab and postmodern consumer times are less compatible, and especially the latter is posing a challenge to both Islamic and traditional timings.
Viscomagnetoelectroelastic effective properties’ modeling for multi-phase and multi-coated magnetoelectroelastic composites
Authors: Bakkali Abderrahmane , Azrar Lahcen , Aljinaidi Abdulmalik Ali
Published: February 2016

In this article, the effective properties of new active–passive multifunctional viscomagnetoelectroelastic composite materials are modeled and numerically predicted. The correspondence principle, extended to linear viscomagnetoelectroelasticity, and the Carson transform are coupled to the Mori–Tanaka micromechanical mean field approach. Based on the viscomagnetoelectroelastic convolution integral equations and the interfacial operators, the concentration tensors are derived for multi-phase and multi-coated viscomagnetoelectroelastic composites. The effective properties are derived in the frequency domain and then inverted numerically to the time domain using the inverse transform. The effective properties are thus obtained in both frequency and time domains. The obtained hybrid multifunctional coefficients can be used for their active and passive properties. The resulting visco-magneto-electro-elastic effects can be enhanced by a proper choice of the shape and volume fraction of reinforcements as well as by coating thickness.
Second-order fast terminal sliding mode control design based on LMI for a class of non-linear uncertain systems and its application to chaotic systems
Authors: Mobayen Saleh , Baleanu Dumitru , Tchier Fairouz
Published: February 2016

In this paper, an linear matrix inequalities (LMI)-based second-order fast terminal sliding mode control technique is investigated for the tracking problem of a class of non-linear uncertain systems with matched and mismatched uncertainties. Using the offered approach, a robust chattering-free control scheme is presented to prove the presence of the switching around the sliding surface in the finite time. Based on the Lyapunov stability theorem, the LMI conditions are presented to make the state errors into predictable bounds and the parameters of the controller are obtained in the form of LMI. The control structure is independent of the order of the model. Then, the proposed method is fairly simple and there is no difficulty in the use of this scheme. Simulations on the well-known Genesio's chaotic system and Chua's circuit system are employed to emphasize the success of the suggested scheme. The simulation results on the Genesio's system demonstrate that the offered technique leads to the superior improvement on the control effort and tracking performance.
It’s Her Fault
Authors: Hayes Rebecca M. , Abbott Rebecca L. , Cook Savannah
Published: February 2016

The present study examined factors that are associated with an individual’s adherence to rape myths at two colleges located in the same town. Particularly, we examined sex, race, and participants’ drinking behavior in relation to rape myth acceptance. We found that males and heavy drinkers are more likely than females and non/low drinkers to adhere to rape myths. An interaction between males and drinking was also found indicating a moderated effect of gender on rape myth acceptance. In addition, the college with sexual assault programming did not experience a lowered acceptance of rape myths compared with the college with no programming.
Relationship between depressive symptoms, alcohol use, and antiretroviral therapy adherence among HIV-infected, clinic-attending patients in South Africa
Authors: Magidson Jessica F , Saal Wylene , Nel Adriaan , Remmert Jocelyn E , Kagee Ashraf
Published: February 2016

Despite the prevalence of depression and alcohol use among HIV-infected individuals, few studies have examined their association together in relation to nonadherence to antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined depressive symptoms, alcohol use, and other psychosocial factors (stigma, demographic characteristics) in relation to nonadherence to antiretroviral therapy among clinic-attending, HIV-infected individuals in South Africa ( n = 101). Nonadherence was assessed using event-level measurement (missed doses over the past weekend). Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that only alcohol use, over and above depressive symptoms and education level, was associated with antiretroviral therapy nonadherence(AOR = 1.15; 95%CI = 1.02–1.29; p < .05). Findings point to the independent association of alcohol use and nonadherence to antiretroviral therapy above and beyond depressive symptoms.
Sustainability objects as performative definitions of sustainability: The case of food-waste-based biogas and biofertilizers
Authors: Corvellec Hervé
Published: February 2016

This article introduces the notion of sustainability objects as a label for objects that come with a claim of promoting a more sustainable mode of living. The purpose is to show that organizations that develop such objects construct a performative definition of sustainability. A case study of the development of a facility for the pre-treatment of food-waste-based biogas and biofertilizers serves as an empirical example of the development of sustainability objects. The analysis demonstrates that this development and concomitant defining of sustainability have involved the contextualizing of biogas and biofertilizers, entangling them in nets of relationships and endowing them with an agency of their own. With sustainability objects embodying definitions of sustainability, their success or failure as objects derive from the success or failure of the performative definitions that they embody, and vice versa. Asking why sustainability objects gain or lose ground is therefore suggested as a way of understanding the character and evolution of sustainability transition.
Unblinded CGM Should Replace Blinded CGM in the Clinical Management of Diabetes
Authors: Ahn David , Pettus Jeremy , Edelman Steven
Published: February 2016

The original continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) were limited to 3-day, blinded observation periods where glucose data was hidden from patients and later retrospectively analyzed by a provider to help guide the management of diabetes. Unblinded CGM, released several years later, allows patients to view their glucose data in real-time amidst their daily routines, enabling them to better understand how variables such as activity, nutrition, and medications affect glucose levels. Research studies consistently demonstrate improved glycemic control and reduced hypoglycemia in children and adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes while using unblinded CGM.1-4 As such, we believe that all CGM usage in clinical practice should be in real-time, unblinded mode for short-term and long-term wear periods.
A Case of Giant Right Atrial Aneurysm in a Child
Authors: Pawar Ravindra S. , Tiwari Ashish , Suresh P. V. , Raj Vimal , Kaushik Pradeepkumar
Published: February 2016

Giant right atrial aneurysm is a rare entity in infants and children. It needs to be distinguished from an atrial diverticulum, which can have similar presentation. Generally, an incidental finding in children, it can present with varied symptoms. We report a case of a giant right atrial aneurysm in an asymptomatic child with a large clot in the dilated right atrium, who underwent successful resection of the atrial aneurysm.
Desmoid Tumor After a Minimally Invasive Atrial Septal Defect Closure in an Adolescent
Authors: Amaral Fernando , Jacob Maria Fernanda Balthazar , Manso Paulo Henrique , Camperoni Luis Eduardo R. , Vicente Walter V. A. , Schreiber Christian
Published: February 2016

The surgical closure of secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) is frequently performed. The minimally invasive approach, currently adopted by many centers as a way to preserve aesthetic appearance, particularly in female patients, seems to be safe. We describe the case of an adolescent who developed a desmoid tumor soon after a minimally invasive operation for surgical closure of a secundum ASD.
Upper Extremity Injuries in NASCAR Drivers and Pit Crew
Authors: Wertman Gary , Gaston R. Glenn , Heisel William
Published: February 2016

Background:

Understanding the position-specific musculoskeletal forces placed on the body of athletes facilitates treatment, prevention, and return-to-play decisions. While position-specific injuries are well documented in most major sports, little is known about the epidemiology of position-specific injuries in National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing (NASCAR) drivers and pit crew.

Purpose:

To investigate position-specific upper extremity injuries in NASCAR drivers and pit crew members.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiological study.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review was performed to assess position-specific injuries in NASCAR drivers and pit crew members. Included in the study were patients seen by a single institution between July 2003 and October 2014 with upper extremity injuries from race-related NASCAR events or practices. Charts were reviewed to identify the diagnosis, mechanism of injury, and position of each patient.

Results:

A total of 226 NASCAR team members were treated between July 2003 and October 2014. Of these, 118 injuries (52%) occurred during NASCAR racing events or practices. The majority of these injuries occurred in NASCAR changers (42%), followed by injuries in drivers (16%), carriers (14%), jack men (11%), fuel men (9%), and utility men (8%). The majority of the pit crew positions are at risk for epicondylitis, while drivers are most likely to experience neuropathies, such as hand-arm vibration syndrome. The changer sustains the most hand-related injuries (42%) on the pit crew team, while carriers commonly sustain injuries to their digits (29%).

Conclusion:

Orthopaedic injuries in NASCAR vary between positions. Injuries in NASCAR drivers and pit crew members are a consequence of the distinctive forces associated with each position throughout the course of the racing season. Understanding these forces and position-associated injuries is important for preventive measures and facilitates diagnosis and return-to-play decisions so that each team can function at its maximal efficiency.
Methods for measuring myeloperoxidase activity toward assessing inhibitor efficacy in living systems
Authors: Huang Jiansheng , Milton Amber , Arnold Robert D , Huang Hui , Smith Forrest , Panizzi Jennifer R , Panizzi Peter
Published: February 2016

Myeloperoxidase aids in clearance of microbes by generation of peroxidase-mediated oxidants that kill leukocyte-engulfed pathogens. In this review, we will examine 1) strategies for in vitro evaluation of myeloperoxidase function and its inhibition, 2) ways to monitor generation of certain oxidant species during inflammation, and 3) how these methods can be used to approximate the total polymorphonuclear neutrophil chemotaxis following insult. Several optical imaging probes are designed to target reactive oxygen and nitrogen species during polymorphonuclear neutrophil inflammatory burst following injury. Here, we review the following 1) the broad effect of myeloperoxidase on normal physiology, 2) the difference between myeloperoxidase and other peroxidases, 3) the current optical probes available for use as surrogates for direct measures of myeloperoxidase-derived oxidants, and 4) the range of preclinical options for imaging myeloperoxidase accumulation at sites of inflammation in mice. We also stress the advantages and drawbacks of each of these methods, the pharmacokinetic considerations that may limit probe use to strictly cell cultures for some reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, rather than in vivo utility as indicators of myeloperoxidase function. Taken together, our review should shed light on the fundamental rational behind these techniques for measuring myeloperoxidase activity and polymorphonuclear neutrophil response after injury toward developing safe myeloperoxidase inhibitors as potential therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
Burden of Geriatric Events Among Older Adults Undergoing Major Cancer Surgery
Authors: Tan Hung-Jui , Saliba Debra , Kwan Lorna , Moore Alison A. , Litwin Mark S.
Published: February 2016

Purpose

Most malignancies are diagnosed in older adults who are potentially susceptible to aging-related health conditions; however, the manifestation of geriatric syndromes during surgical cancer treatment is not well quantified. Accordingly, we sought to assess the prevalence and ramifications of geriatric events during major surgery for cancer.

Patients and Methods

Using Nationwide Inpatient Sample data from 2009 to 2011, we examined hospital admissions for major cancer surgery among elderly patients (ie, age ≥ 65 years) and a referent group age 55 to 64 years. From these observations, we identified geriatric events that included delirium, dehydration, falls and fractures, failure to thrive, and pressure ulcers. We then estimated the collective prevalence of these events according to age, comorbidity, and cancer site and further explored their relationship with other hospital-based outcomes.

Results

Within a weighted sample of 939,150 patients, we identified at least one event in 9.2% of patients. Geriatric events were most common among patients age ≥ 75 years, with a Charlson comorbidity score ≥ 2, and who were undergoing surgery for cancer of the bladder, ovary, colon and/or rectum, pancreas, or stomach (P < .001). Adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics, those patients who experienced a geriatric event had a greater likelihood of concurrent complications (odds ratio [OR], 3.73; 95% CI, 3.55 to 3.92), prolonged hospitalization (OR, 5.47; 95% CI, 5.16 to 5.80), incurring high cost (OR, 4.97; 95% CI, 4.58 to 5.39), inpatient mortality (OR, 3.22; 95% CI, 2.94 to 3.53), and a discharge disposition other than home (OR, 3.64; 95% CI, 3.46 to 3.84).

Conclusion

Many older patients who receive cancer-directed surgery experience a geriatric event, particularly those who undergo major abdominal surgery. These events are linked to operative morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, and more expensive health care. As our population ages, efforts focused on addressing conditions and complications that are more common in older adults will be essential to delivering high-quality cancer care.
Does migratory distance affect fuelling in a medium-distance passerine migrant?: results from direct and step-wise simulated magnetic displacements
Authors: Ilieva Mihaela , Bianco Giuseppe , Åkesson Susanne
Published: February 2016

In birds, fat accumulation before and during migration has been shown to be endogenously controlled and tuned by, among other factors, the Earth's magnetic field. However, our knowledge about the influence of the geomagnetic field on the fuelling in migrating birds is still limited to just a few nocturnally migrating passerine species. In order to study if variations of the magnetic field can also influence the fuelling of both day- and night-migrating passerines, we caught first-year dunnocks (Prunella modularis) and subjected them to three magnetic field conditions simulated by a system of magnetic coils: (1) local geomagnetic field of southern Sweden, (2) magnetic field corresponding to the centre of the expected wintering area, and (3) magnetic field met at the northern limit of the species' breeding distribution. We did not find a difference in mass increase between the birds kept in a local magnetic field and a field resembling their wintering area, irrespectively of the mode of magnetic displacement, i.e. direct or step-wise. However, the dunnocks magnetically displaced north showed a lower rate of fuelling in comparison to the control group, probably due to elevated activity. Compared with previous studies, our results suggest that the fuelling response to magnetic displacements during the migration period is specific to the eco-physiological situation. Future studies need to address if there is an effect of magnetic field manipulation on the level of migratory activity in dunnocks and how widespread the influence of local geomagnetic field parameters is on fuelling decisions in different bird species, which have different migratory strategies, distances and migration history.
Prickle1mutation causes planar cell polarity and directional cell migration defects associated with cardiac outflow tract anomalies and other structural birth defects
Authors: Gibbs Brian C. , Damerla Rama Rao , Vladar Eszter K. , Chatterjee Bishwanath , Wan Yong , Liu Xiaoqin , Cui Cheng , Gabriel George C. , Zahid Maliha , Yagi Hisato , Szabo-Rogers Heather L. , Suyama Kaye L. , Axelrod Jeffrey D. , Lo Cecilia W.
Published: February 2016

Planar cell polarity (PCP) is controlled by a conserved pathway that regulates directional cell behavior. Here, we show that mutant mice harboring a newly described mutation termed Beetlejuice (Bj) in Prickle1 (Pk1), a PCP component, exhibit developmental phenotypes involving cell polarity defects, including skeletal, cochlear and congenital cardiac anomalies. Bj mutants die neonatally with cardiac outflow tract (OFT) malalignment. This is associated with OFT shortening due to loss of polarized cell orientation and failure of second heart field cell intercalation mediating OFT lengthening. OFT myocardialization was disrupted with cardiomyocytes failing to align with the direction of cell invasion into the outflow cushions. The expression of genes mediating Wnt signaling was altered. Also noted were shortened but widened bile ducts and disruption in canonical Wnt signaling. Using an in vitro wound closure assay, we showed Bj mutant fibroblasts cannot establish polarized cell morphology or engage in directional cell migration, and their actin cytoskeleton failed to align with the direction of wound closure. Unexpectedly, Pk1 mutants exhibited primary and motile cilia defects. Given Bj mutant phenotypes are reminiscent of ciliopathies, these findings suggest Pk1 may also regulate ciliogenesis. Together these findings show Pk1 plays an essential role in regulating cell polarity and directional cell migration during development.