bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facing the challenges of new melanoma-targeted therapies: Treatment of severe fevers associated with dabrafenib/trametinib combination therapy
Authors: Lindsay Julian N , Barras Michael
Published: March 2014

With the emergence of new oral therapies for metastatic melanoma to the market, as well as ongoing pre-marketing trials and special access schemes, it is important to keep up to date with the side effect profiles of these medications. A common side effect associated with the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib is severe fever symptoms such as pyrexia and rigors/chills; however, treatment options are limited. We report a patient who was debilitated by severe pyrexia and rigors caused by dabrafenib used in combination with trametinib to treat metastatic melanoma, who was treated with low-dose steroids. To our knowledge, the use of prednisolone for the treatment and prevention of further dabrafenib-associated pyrexia is not published; however, it is a low risk and low cost option that was very effective in this case.
Diurnal Fatigue Patterns, Sleep Timing, and Mental Health Outcomes Among Healthy Postpartum Women
Authors: McBean Amanda L. , Montgomery-Downs Hawley E.
Published: March 2014

Postpartum women have frequently interrupted sleep, report high levels of fatigue, and may experience circadian rhythm disruptions. They are also susceptible to mood impairments, anxiety, and stress. The current study explored associations between maternal postpartum daily fatigue patterns, which should vary according to circadian influences and mental health. Seventy-one primiparous, healthy mothers completed multiple daily self-reports of fatigue during postpartum Weeks 2 and 12 and were categorized at each week as having either a rhythmic or random fatigue pattern during the daytime. Wrist actigraphy data were used to calculate sleep midpoints. Surveys assessed chronotype, mood, anxiety, and stress. At postpartum Week 2, there were no differences in mental health measures between fatigue groups. At postpartum Week 12, higher overall fatigue levels were associated with increased anxiety, stress, and mood disruption. However, overall fatigue levels did not differ between fatigue groups. Women with a rhythmic fatigue pattern reported significantly less stress and more vigor than women with a random fatigue pattern. An earlier sleep midpoint was associated with a rhythmic fatigue pattern during postpartum Week 12. These data suggest that, despite similar average daily fatigue levels, having a rhythmic daily pattern of fatigue may be advantageous for mental health outcomes among postpartum women.
Wear behaviour and mechanism of different metals sliding against stainless steel counterface
Authors: Alotaibi JG , Yousif BF , Yusaf TF
Published: March 2014

Understanding the wear mechanism significantly contributes to the knowledge of tribology of common metals and assists in predicting, overcoming and preventing the failure of designed components. In the current study, wear and frictional performances of brass, aluminium and mild steel metals are investigated at different operating parameters, i.e. sliding durations (0–10 km) and applied loads (0–50 N) against stainless steel counterface under dry contact conditions. The experiments were performed using block on ring machine. To categorise the wear mechanism and the damage features on the worn surfaces and the collected debris, scanning electron microscopy was used. Thermal imager was used to understand the heat distribution in the contacted bodies and the interface regions. The results revealed that the operating parameters influence the wear and frictional behaviour of all the metals. Brass metal exhibited better wear and frictional behaviour compared to others. Three different wear mechanisms were observed, i.e. two-body abrasion (brass), three-body abrasion (aluminium) and adhesive (mild steel).
Relationship of SOC with sociodemographic variables, mental disorders and mortality
Authors: Mattisson Cecilia , Horstmann Vibeke , Bogren Mats
Published: March 2014

Background: SOC is associated with wellbeing and health. The Lundby Study is a cohort study of an unselected population ( n=3563) in whom mental health and personality traits have been assessed since 1947, with follow ups in 1957, 1972, and 1997. Aim: To describe the relationship of Antonovsky’s 29-item sense of coherence scale (SOC) and its three subscales (comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness) to mental health and mortality in an unselected middle-aged and elderly community cohort, controlling for gender, age, marital status, and socioeconomic status. Another aim was to analyse the three-factor structure of the SOC. Methods: Of the 1797 surviving subjects in 1997, 1559 participated in a semistructured diagnostic interview, and 1164 subjects completed the SOC questionnaire. Psychiatrists performed diagnostic evaluations. Collateral information was obtained from case notes and registers. Dates of death from 1997–2011 were obtained from the cause of death register. Results: SOC scores showed no sex differences, but were positively correlated with age. SOC scores were higher in married relative to unmarried participants and in blue-collar workers and self-employed individuals relative to white-collar workers. Total SOC and subscale scores were negatively correlated with depressive, anxiety, organic, and psychotic disorders. Male gender was positively correlated with comprehensibility and female gender was positively correlated with manageability and meaningfulness. Higher comprehensibility scores were correlated with lower mortality. Conclusions: SOC scores increased with age, were higher for blue-collar workers, and were lower for individuals with psychiatric disorders. Higher comprehensibility scores were associated with lower mortality. However, there was only weak evidence for a three-factor structure.
Revisions of the news paradigm: Changes in stylistic features between 1950 and 2008 in the journalism of Norway’s largest newspaper
Authors: Høyer Svennik , Nossen Hedda A
Published: March 2014

Have the nature of printed news stories changed in competition with new media? Our content analysis of Norway’s largest morning newspaper Aftenposten in four time cuts between 1950 and 2008 revealed that the length of news stories had increased until 2008 when the newspaper had changed to the tabloid format with a mixture of both brief and lengthy articles. News stories tended to have broader time frames in more recent years. The frequency of simpler forms of news stories like reports of meetings and social events had diminished considerably. In the last 20 years, journalists have also become more visible in the text. We will look at these findings against a historical background.
Political performance, boundary spaces, and active spectatorship: Media production at the 2012 Democratic National Convention
Authors: Kreiss Daniel , Meadows Laura , Remensperger John
Published: March 2014

We present the results of a 5-day, observation and interview-based, multi-sited field study of the 2012 Democratic National Convention. We combine literatures on journalistic and political fields with scholarship on performance theory to provide a framework for understanding conventions as contemporary media events. Through analysis of field notes, photographic documentation, and interview data, we detail the layered production of performance in the journalistic and political fields, revealing how performances were directed both internally and across fields for strategic advantage, as well as for co-present spectators and the public at-large. We argue that conventions provide ‘boundary spaces’ where actors from different fields gather and perform distinct democratic roles, as well as mediated, integrative spaces for the polity. Media events provide occasions for networked practices of ‘active spectatorship’ that offer citizens a means of control over the publicity of elites.
A control strategy of low-pressure loop exhaust gas recirculation and NOx storage catalyst for diesel engines
Authors: Yamashita Akira , Ohki Hisashi , Nakatani Koichiro , Tomoda Terutoshi
Published: March 2014

Low-pressure loop exhaust gas recirculation systems are effective means of simultaneously reducing the NOx emissions and fuel consumption of diesel engines. Further lower emission levels can be achieved by adopting a system that combines low-pressure loop exhaust gas recirculation with a NOx storage and reduction catalyst. However, this combined system has to overcome the issue of combustion fluctuations resulting from changes in the air–fuel ratio due to exhaust gas recirculation from rich operating conditions. The aim of this research was to reduce combustion fluctuations by developing low-pressure loop exhaust gas recirculation control logic. In order to control the combustion fluctuations caused by low-pressure loop exhaust gas recirculation, it is necessary to estimate the recirculation time. First, recirculation delay was investigated, and a model was developed. A good correlation was found between actual measurements and the recirculation delay estimated by this model. Next, the control logic for low-pressure loop exhaust gas recirculation was studied. The recirculation gas under rich operating conditions was detected by an air–fuel ratio sensor to examine a method of controlling the exhaust gas recirculation valve in accordance with the timing for the rich gas to reach the exhaust gas recirculation valve actually. Thus, fluctuations in torque and combustion noise were improved.
Between shaming corporations and promoting alternatives: The politics of an “ethical shopping map”
Authors: Balsiger Philip
Published: March 2014

Ethical consumption can take different forms, some more contentious like boycotts or public campaigns, some aiming at the establishment or promotion of alternative consumption practices (buycotts). This study looks at how these tactics are articulated by analyzing the development of an “ethical shopping map,” an action situated in the latter category of “supportive” actions. In 2007, a Swiss nongovernmental organization published this map as part of its ongoing campaign fighting for the respect of social standards in the global garment industry. A project pursued by a regional group of volunteers of the organization, the map listed stores where ethical clothes can be purchased in a big Swiss city. This article consists of an ethnographic analysis of the process of elaboration of the map and discusses its inclusion into the tactical repertoire of the anti-sweatshop campaign. Based on participant observation and interviews with volunteers and campaign staff, it examines what drives the activists’ concern with alternative forms of consumption. It looks at the rationales and meanings the volunteers put behind the map and the different uses of the map that are suggested, and examines the ultimate “failure” of making it a lasting part of the campaign’s tactical action repertoire. Doing so, the article reveals the inherent tension of “ethical consumption,” between supportive action forms based on buycotts and denunciatory actions of public shaming of firms whose practices are criticized.
Information and care: A relational approach
Authors: Barnes Marian , Henwood Flis , Smith Naomi
Published: March 2014

This article explores how the provision of information about dementia impacts on carers and the caring relationships in which they are involved. Narrative interviews were undertaken with 25 carers who had undertaken the Alzheimer’s Society – run Carer Information and Support Programme in one of seven sites across London and the South East. Thematic analysis identified two major themes relating to the impact of information on carer and caring relationships (‘understanding and care’ and ‘emotional impact of information’), and another theme relating to the context within which the information was provided and shared (‘relational practices in information-giving and receiving’). Findings suggest that while information, particularly in the form of new knowledge about how dementia progresses, helps to improve understanding and increase confidence, competence and a sense of security and achievement in caring practices, it can also confound and complicate caring practices in ways that reflect and reinforce previously difficult relationships. Providing information in the context of carers’ support was important for most participants but others were less able to benefit from this, especially where they felt unrecognised or where the timing of information felt inappropriate to their needs. Our analysis complements and extends previous scholarship emphasising the relational nature of care by showing how information can both enhance and complicate care relationships, depending on both specific care contexts and on how carers experience the context of information provision.
Addressing health inequities through social inclusion: The role of community organizations
Authors: Belle-Isle Lynne , Benoit Cecilia , Pauly Bernadette (Bernie)
Published: March 2014

Health inequities between groups result from the unequal distribution of economic and social resources, including power and prestige. Social processes where unequal power relationships exist lead to the social exclusion of individuals or groups. Social inclusion strategies are well suited to contribute to addressing health inequities. Community organizations can enhance marginalized community members’ inclusion in decision-making structures that affect their lives. In this paper, we discuss the role of community organizations in contributing to action on health inequities through social inclusion. We consider the social determinants of health and of inequities. We provide an overview of the impact of social exclusion on health inequities and on community capacity to address them. We explore the theoretical basis of addressing health inequities through social inclusion, both in collective action and in research strategies. We link theory to practice with examples from our experiences and describe the challenges of involving members of vulnerable populations. We conclude by offering suggestions as to how community organizations can foster social inclusion and some directions for future research.
Effect of a Child Care Center-Based Obesity Prevention Program on Body Mass Index and Nutrition Practices Among Preschool-Aged Children
Authors: Natale Ruby A. , Lopez-Mitnik Gabriela , Uhlhorn Susan B. , Asfour Lila , Messiah Sarah E.
Published: March 2014

This study examined the effect of an early childhood obesity prevention program on changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) z-score and nutrition practices. Eight child care centers were randomly assigned to an intervention or attention control arm. Participants were a multiethnic sample of children aged 2 to 5 years old ( N = 307). Intervention centers received healthy menu changes and family-based education focused on increased physical activity and fresh produce intake, decreased intake of simple carbohydrate snacks, and decreased screen time. Control centers received an attention control program. Height, weight, and nutrition data were collected at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months. Analysis examined height, weight, and BMI z-score change by intervention condition (at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months). Pearson correlation analysis examined relationships among BMI z-scores and home activities and nutrition patterns in the intervention group. Child BMI z-score was significantly negatively correlated with the number of home activities completed at 6-month post intervention among intervention participants. Similarly, intervention children consumed less junk food, ate more fresh fruits and vegetables, drank less juice, and drank more 1% milk compared to children at control sites at 6 months post baseline. Ninety-seven percent of those children who were normal weight at baseline were still normal weight 12 months later. Findings support child care centers as a promising setting to implement childhood obesity prevention programs in this age group.
An Empirical Case Study of the Effects of Training and Technical Assistance on Community Coalition Functioning and Sustainability
Authors: Keene Woods Nikki , Watson-Thompson Jomella , Schober Daniel J. , Markt Becky , Fawcett Stephen
Published: March 2014

The case study analyzes the effects of training and technical assistance on the amount of community changes facilitated by members of a community coalition to prevent adolescent substance use. The study examines the sustainability of these changes in the community over time. The coalition implemented a Community Change Intervention that focused on building coalition capacity to support implementation of community changes—program, policy, and practice changes. Over the 2-year intervention period, there were 36 community changes facilitated by the coalition to reduce risk for adolescent substance use. Results showed that the coalition facilitated an average of at least 3 times as many community changes (i.e., program, policy and practice changes) per month following the intervention. Action planning was found to have accelerated the rate of community changes implemented by the coalition. After the intervention there was increased implementation of three key prioritized coalition processes: Documenting Progress/Using Feedback, Making Outcomes Matter, and Sustaining the Work. A 1-year probe following the study showed that the majority of the community changes were sustained. Factors associated with the sustainability of changes included the continued development of collaborative partnerships and securing multiyear funding.
Biopolitics and the Enemy: On Law, Rights and Proper Subjects
Authors: Hardes Jennifer Jane
Published: March 2014

This article examines the operation of “enmity” in right to die legal appeals. The article asks: (1) why does the law rely on articulations of enmity to rationalize its decisions and (2) what might this tell us about how biopolitics operates in the contemporary neoliberal moment? Drawing on the insight of Roberto Esposito the article makes three key points. First, it notes that biopolitics operating in the contemporary neoliberal moment is increasingly focused on closures around individual human subjects, or what Esposito calls mechanisms of “immunization.” Second, it notes that discourses of enmity are perpetuated through legal right to die appeals that shore up these immunity mechanisms, which can partly explain why right to die claims fail on appeal. Finally, it considers more affirmative ways forward in both theory and practice relating to legal right to die appeals.
The Meaning of Indeterminacy: Noise Music as Performance
Authors: Klett Joseph , Gerber Alison
Published: March 2014

In aesthetic terms, the category of ‘sound’ is often split in two: ‘noise’, which is chaotic, unfamiliar, and offensive; and ‘music’, which is harmonious, resonant, and divine. These opposing concepts are brought together in the phenomenon of Noise Music, but how do practitioners make sense of this apparent discordance? Analyses that treat recorded media as primary texts declare Noise Music to be a failure, as a genre without progress. These paint Noise as a polluted form in an antagonistic relationship with traditional music. But while critiques often point to indeterminate structure as indicative of the aesthetic project’s limitations, we claim that indeterminacy itself becomes central to meaningful expression when the social context of Noise is considered. Through observational and interview data, we consider the contexts, audiences, and producers of contemporary American Noise Music. Synthesizing the performance theories of Hennion and Alexander, we demonstrate how indeterminacy situated in structured interaction allows for meaning-making and sustains a musical form based in claims to inclusion, access, and creative freedom. We show how interaction, not discourse, characterizes the central performance that constructs the meaning of Noise.
Volar perforators of common digital arteries: an anatomical study
Authors: Gasiunas V. , Valbuena S. , Valenti P. , Le Viet D.
Published: March 2014

The palmar triangle is an area vascularized by perforator arteries arising from the common digital palmar arteries. The aim of this article was to perform an anatomical study of common digital palmar arteries perforators. Twelve injected specimens were included in this study. The purpose was to quantify the number of perforator arteries of each common digital palmar arteries in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th intermetacarpal space, measure distances between them, between the distal perforator and corresponding commissure, and the distance between the proximal perforator and the superficial palmar arch. Four to eight perforators were arising from common digital palmar arteries of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th intermetacarpal space. The average distance between perforator arteries was 6.5 mm, between superficial palmar arch and proximal perforator artery – 8.2 mm, between the distal perforator artery and corresponding commissure – 6.3 mm.
Free myocutaneous flap transfer to treat congenital Volkmann’s contracture of the forearm
Authors: Rubin G. , Palti R. , Gurevitz S. , Yaffe B.
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study is to report our experience with free functional muscle transfer procedures for the late sequelae of the rare condition of congenital Volkmann’s ischaemic contracture of the forearm. Four children, with an average age of 9.5 years (range 1.5–17), were treated and were followed for a mean of 6 years (range 1–14). Two patients had dorsal forearm contractures, and two had both flexor and extensor forearm contractures. We carried out free functional muscle transfers to replace the flexor or extensor muscles. The functional result was assessed according to the classification system of Hovius and Ultee. All patients had wrist contractures and skeletal involvement with limb length discrepancy that influenced the outcome. All five transferred muscles survived and improved the function of the hand in three of the four patients.

Level of evidence: 4
Dynamism in Dupuytren’s contractures
Authors: Rodrigues J. N. , Zhang W. , Scammell B. E. , Davis T. R. C.
Published: March 2014

Dynamism of Dupuytren’s contractures may occur if a contracture crosses over both the metacarpophalangeal (MCPJ) and proximal interphalangeal (PIPJ) joints of one finger. In this situation the extension deficit at one joint can be influenced by the position of the other. This may affect clinical measurements and introduce errors and bias into research using angular deformity as an endpoint. This study reports the dynamism encountered when measuring passive joint extension deficits in pre-operative contractures. Eighty-five digits with a contracture affecting the PIPJ or MCPJ and PIPJ on 72 hands from 70 patients were studied. Seventy-six digits showed dynamism at either the MCPJ or PIPJ (89%). Seventy-four showed dynamism at the PIPJ (87%). The mean dynamism observed was 6° at the MCPJ and 14° at the PIPJ. Previous Dupuytren’s surgery to the finger did not influence the amount of dynamism seen. Dynamism is common and may be a source of error or bias in trials of Dupuytren’s disease treatment.

Level of evidence: III
Time course of chemokine expression and leukocyte infiltration after acute skeletal muscle injury in mice
Authors: Nicholas Jennifer , Voss Joachim G , Tsuji Joyce , Fulkerson Nadia D , Soulakova Julia , Schneider Barbara St Pierre
Published: March 2014

Innate pro-inflammatory processes, such as chemokine signaling and leukocyte infiltration, predominate during the first 48 h after an acute skeletal muscle injury. However, the time course of chemokine expression and its relationship to leukocyte infiltration after acute muscle injury within this early post-injury time period has not been investigated. In this study, 46 anesthetized female C57BL/6NHsd mice underwent a closed crush injury of the gastrocnemius muscle and were euthanized 4, 8, 24 and 48 h post-injury. Microarray analysis found 14 chemokine genes to be up-regulated during this period, 12 of which are involved in macrophage or neutrophil chemotaxis, with up-regulation peaking at either 8 or 48 h. RT-PCR analysis on select chemokines confirmed the microarray activation pattern. Neutrophil infiltration patterns mirrored the time course of neutrophil-related chemokines with Gr-1-, 1A8- and 7/4-positive neutrophils infiltrating the muscle 4 h after injury, decreasing at 48 h. Conversely, gene expression and relative quantification levels of macrophage-related chemokines Ccl2 and Ccl7 peaked at 8 h, preceding the infiltration of CD68- and F4/80-positive macrophages, and protein expression of Ccl2 in the muscle. The up-regulation of other macrophage-related chemokines and their receptors peaked at 48 h post-injury.
Meta-Analysis of Menstrual Cycle Effects on Women’s Mate Preferences
Authors: Wood Wendy , Kressel Laura , Joshi Priyanka D. , Louie Brian
Published: March 2014

In evolutionary psychology predictions, women’s mate preferences shift between fertile and nonfertile times of the month to reflect ancestral fitness benefits. Our meta-analytic test involving 58 independent reports (13 unpublished, 45 published) was largely nonsupportive. Specifically, fertile women did not especially desire sex in short-term relationships with men purported to be of high genetic quality (i.e., high testosterone, masculinity, dominance, symmetry). The few significant preference shifts appeared to be research artifacts. The effects declined over time in published work, were limited to studies that used broader, less precise definitions of the fertile phase, and were found only in published research.
Return to Play After Liver and Spleen Trauma
Authors: Juyia Rushad F. , Kerr Hamish A.
Published: March 2014

Context:

Sport-related spleen and liver injuries pose a challenge for the physician. Although rare, these injuries can have serious and even life-threatening outcomes if not accurately diagnosed and managed in a timely fashion. Currently, there are no evidence-based guidelines on duration and intensity of restricted activity and return to play after spleen and liver injury. In addition, there is controversy on follow-up imaging after injury.

Evidence Acquisition:

PubMed was searched using the terms splenic or spleen and trauma and hepatic or liver and trauma from 1980 to 2013. The citations from sentinel papers were also reviewed.

Study Design:

Clinical review.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Results:

Ultrasound is ideal in the unstable athlete. Nonoperative management of blunt splenic and hepatic injuries is recommended for hemodynamically stable patients regardless of injury grade, patient age, or presence of associated injuries. Follow-up imaging is not routinely recommended unless clinically indicated. Athletes may engage in light activity for the first 3 months after injury and then gradual return to unrestricted activity as tolerated. High-level athletes may choose splenectomy or serial imaging for faster return to play.

Conclusion:

Intravenous contrast-enhanced computed tomography is the diagnostic imaging modality of choice in stable athletes with blunt abdominal trauma.

Strength-of-Recommendation Taxonomy:

C.
Don’t panic! The need for change and for curricular pluralism
Authors: O’Sullivan David
Published: March 2014

The proposal for a more quantitative geography curriculum from Johnston et al. (2014) is a welcome contribution to ongoing debates. However, their arguments rely in part on an overly pessimistic assessment of the current status of quantitative methods in the discipline – perhaps reflecting their UK focus. They also underplay the importance of geometry and the models of theoretical geography to any comprehensive treatment of quantitative methods in contemporary geography. These are themes that should be considered in any modern geography curriculum. The future of quantitative methods in geography seems secure and is likely to lead to different curricula in different geographical contexts.
Déjà vu all over again: Spatial science, quantitative revolutions and the culture of numbers
Authors: Cresswell Tim
Published: March 2014

Spatial science and its associated quantitative methods have played and continue to play an important role in geographic thought. They are also important parts of the geography curriculum and need to be taught to geography students as part of their undergraduate career. It is important to recognize, however, that the continuous valorization of quantitative methods in the (United Kingdom) postgraduate curriculum for human geographers forms part of a wider ‘culture of numbers’ that is currently intertwined with the production of big data. The big data phenomena appear to provide opportunities for a new quantitative revolution due to its focus on the individual level and simultaneous geocoding of everything. We need to be cautious about embracing this process due to the many ethical and political dilemmas that are implicated.
One step forward but two steps back to the proper appreciation of spatial science
Authors: Johnston Ron , Harris Richard , Jones Kelvyn , Manley David , Sabel Clive E , Wang Wenfei Winnie
Published: March 2014

Several commentaries on the original paper contributed valuably to one of its goals – promoting discussion about the contents of quantitative methods curricula for human geography undergraduate and postgraduate courses. But the only commentary relevant to the other goal, promoting fuller understanding of contemporary spatial science across the entire discipline, was disappointing, raising new critical issues – regarding, for example, the use of place and of data collected from individuals in spatial scientific studies. These are responded to in this reply.
Awakening the sufferers: Reflections on public relations, activism, and subalternity in postcolonial controversies between Taiwan and Japan
Authors: Sejrup Jens
Published: March 2014

This article is a qualitative analysis of mass-mediated projections of relationships between public relations practitioners in the shape of activist groups and organizations, and subaltern stakeholders for whom they act as public representatives. Drawing my empirical examples from Japan and Taiwan and analysing the public relations implications of two politically sensitive and controversial cases, I question the nature of representative relations as reflected in mainstream mass media coverage in these two societies. Doing so, I raise concerns about the critical scope of scholarly interest in activism and the representation of other voices in public relations studies and draw on theoretical insights from Spivak, Guha, and others in order to untangle some of the complexities inherent in the mobilization of subaltern groups, here victims of historical abuse and maltreatment. The existence of such complexities in public and legal activism, I argue, remains largely ignored in public relations studies, despite the emergence of a new critical or postmodern paradigm.
Framing an LGBT organization and a movement: A critical qualitative analysis of GLAAD’S media releases
Authors: Cabosky Joseph M.
Published: March 2014

Combining the mass communication theories of agenda building and framing with a critical analysis of power, this study examined how an LGBT organization, GLAAD, used media releases to build and frame its message into public discourse. By analyzing 213 of GLAAD’s media releases from 2011 through 2012, this study, applying queer theory, critically examined how the releases defined the organization and indicated levels of power within the LGBT rights movement and the greater society. Overall, GLAAD’s releases indicated an emphasis on issues of violence and vulnerability against LGBT individuals and the promotion of LGBT celebrities and allies at media events. This showed the organization and the media’s lack of attention in promoting or covering less sensational LGBT issues based in principles of equality or relating to non-famous LGBT individuals. While the releases demonstrated an overall lack of power for non-elite individuals within the movement, the inclusion of social media and online petitions created by LGBT activists indicated new forms of public relations models that moved away from two-way symmetrical or asymmetrical approaches and toward fluid and dynamic models, allowing individual LGBT stakeholders greater power within the LGBT rights movement.
Public relations and Aca-Media: Autoethnography, ethics and engagement in the pharmaceutical industry
Authors: de Andrade Marisa
Published: March 2014

This article presents an autoethnography, which emerged as I shifted from being a journalist to an academic researcher investigating the role of power and communication in pharmaceutical regulation. It presents a critical, personal and reflexive account of the opportunities and challenges faced while gathering and presenting data for a doctoral thesis in my dual role as a ‘hackademic’. It also traces my subjective experiences as I made sense of my hybrid professional identity, and explains how analytical autoethnography may be used as a research method to enable the researcher’s experiences to become the topic under investigation. The aim of this research is to explore the tensions that may arise when a journalist becomes an academic, and the relationship between the public relations (PR) practitioner and the journalist. My work flags up differences between codes of ethics for research, PR and journalism, and details the challenges I encountered navigating my way through these differences. The articles also contributes to the hybrid identity and careers literature by expounding some of the struggles that may be encountered during the transition from practitioner to academic.
Aneurysmal Dilatation Without Distal Obstruction
Authors: Qureshi Ahmad Usaid , Abbaker Abd-Elmoneim A. , Sivalingam Sivakumar , Latiff Haifa A.
Published: March 2014

Valved bovine jugular vein (Contegra) conduit is considered a suitable choice for pediatric population with congenital heart defect requiring right ventricle to main pulmonary artery connection. Intermediate follow-up studies have shown the propensity of developing distal conduit stenosis and valve thrombosis. We present a rare case of aneurysmal dilatation of the conduit leading to valve failure requiring conduit explantation.
Hybrid Perventricular Pulmonary Valve Perforation and Right Ventricular Outflow Stent Placement
Authors: Zampi Jeffrey D. , Armstrong Aimee K. , Hirsch-Romano Jennifer C.
Published: March 2014

Premature infants with very low birth weight with tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary atresia (TOF/PA) have been shown to have poor surgical outcomes. Palliating these patients by stenting the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) has been shown to be safe and effective. In patients with very low birth weight, a hybrid perventricular approach offers the ability to perform pulmonary valve perforation and RVOT stent placement while avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass and femoral vessel complications in the neonatal period. We present a hybrid perventricular treatment of a patient weighing 1.3 kg with TOF/PA.
Heart Failure Due to “Disappearing” Aortic Valve in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Authors: Loftus Patrick D. , Erickson Lance K. , Everitt Melanie D. , Kaza Aditya K.
Published: March 2014

We present the unusual case of a “disappearing” aortic valve in an infant with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (mitral and aortic stenosis) that underwent Norwood palliation at birth and subsequently a Glenn operation. Angiographic images at the time of operation showed no apparent insufficiency of the native aortic valve. Over the course of 14 months following operation, the patient developed significant cardiomegaly with a workup revealing severe native aortic valve insufficiency. Following orthotopic heart transplantation, examination of the explanted heart revealed a complete absence of native aortic valve leaflets.
The “Tube-In-Tube” Circuit
Authors: Zanella Fabio , Vida Vladimiro L. , Padalino Massimo A. , Stellin Giovanni
Published: March 2014

Purpose:

To conceive a method to deliver cold blood cardioplegia in neonates and young infants.

Description:

The “tube-in-tube” circuit consists of a 3-mm line (bloodline) which is inserted inside a 1/2 -in tube where cold water flows continuously (waterline). This circuit includes a filling volume of 18 mL of static prime and 15 mL for the collecting line (pump raceway). Several temperature samples were taken at different blood flows from 20 to 100 mL/min.

Evaluation:

Temperatures (in°C) at the needle tip were significantly lower when using the tube-in-tube cooling circuit if compared to standard cardioplegia circuit at flows up to 60 mL/min.

Conclusions:

The tube-in-tube circuit proved to be an effective strategy for low-flow cardioplegia delivery (<60 ml/min), which is particularly useful in neonates and young infants; the lower is the flow, the better is the cooling effect on the cardioplegia.
Survey of Nongovernmental Organizations Providing Pediatric Cardiovascular Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Authors: Nguyen Nguyenvu , Jacobs Jeffrey P. , Dearani Joseph A. , Weinstein Samuel , Novick William M. , Jacobs Marshall L. , Massey Jeremy , Pasquali Sara K. , Walters Henry L. , Drullinsky David , Stellin Giovanni , Tchervenkov Christo I.
Published: March 2014

Background:

Nearly 90% of the children with heart disease in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) cannot access cardiovascular (CV) services. Limitations include inadequate financial, human, and infrastructure resources. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have played crucial roles in providing clinical services and infrastructure supports to LMICs CV programs; however, these outreach efforts are dispersed, inadequate, and lack coordination.

Methods:

A survey was sent to members of the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Society and PediHeart.

Results:

A clearinghouse was created to provide information on NGO structures, geographic reach, and scope of services. The survey identified 80 NGOs supporting CV programs in 92 LMICs. The largest outreach efforts were in South and Central America (42%), followed by Africa (18%), Europe (17%), Asia (17%), and Asia-Western Pacific (6%). Most NGOs (51%) supported two to five outreach missions per year. The majority (87%) of NGOs provided education, diagnostics, and surgical or catheter-based interventions. Working jointly with LMIC partners, 59% of the NGOs performed operations in children and infants; 41% performed nonbypass neonatal operations. Approximately a quarter (26%) reported that partner sites do not perform interventions in between missions.

Conclusions:

Disparity and inadequacy in pediatric CV services remain an important problem for LMICs. A global consensus and coordinated efforts are needed to guide strategies on the development of regional centers of excellence, a global outcome database, and a CV program registry. Future efforts should be held accountable for impacts such as growth in the number of independent LMIC programs as well as reduction in mortality and patient waiting lists.
Midterm Outcome of Primary Arterial Switch Operation Beyond Six Weeks of Life in Children With Transposition of Great Arteries and Intact Ventricular Septum
Authors: Bisoi Akshay Kumar , Ahmed Tameem , Malankar Dhananjay P. , Chauhan Sandeep , Das Shambunath , Sharma Pranav , Saxena Anita , Boopathy Nagendra S.
Published: March 2014

Background:

We have previously reported our experience in primary arterial switch operation (ASO) in children more than six weeks with transposition of great arteries and intact ventricular septum (TGA/IVS). The upper age limit for performing an ASO in these children is not yet settled and reports regarding outcome of ASO in these children are few. In this prospective observational study, we report the midterm results of children with TGA-IVS older than six weeks undergoing primary ASO.

Methods:

A total of 109 children aged more than 6 weeks with median age of 60 days (range 42-3,000 days), with regressed left ventricle underwent primary ASO. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was used in 20% (22 of 109) of them; 90.8% (99 of 109) of children who survived were prospectively followed, with a mean follow-up of 28 months (range 18-84 months).

Results:

Two late deaths occurred, and survival in the remainder was estimated to be 98% at seven years. The incidence of aortic regurgitation (AR) was found to have a decreasing trend with freedom from AR approaching 100% by 34 months. The left ventricular shape and function returned to normal within one to three months following surgery. None of these children had any rhythm disturbances or evidence of myocardial ischemia.

Conclusions:

Primary ASO can be safely performed in children with regressed ventricle, irrespective of age with encouraging results. The midterm results of these children are comparable in terms of survival and freedom from complications associated with preserved ventricle.
Surgical Treatment of Common Arterial Trunk in Patients Beyond the First Year of Life
Authors: Arslan Ahmet Hulusi , Ugurlucan Murat , Yildiz Yahya , Ay Sibel , Bahceci Fatma , Besikci Resmiye , Cicek Sertac
Published: March 2014

Background:

Common arterial trunk ( persistent truncus arteriosus) is a rare cardiac defect requiring surgical repair early in life because of the fast development of pulmonary vascular obstructive disease. We present our institutional experience with patients having common arterial trunk who are diagnosed after one year of age.

Patients and Methods:

Between August 2010 and May 2013, a total of 1,436 patients were treated for congenital cardiac defects at our institution. Common arterial trunk was treated surgically in seven patients older than one year of age (three males, four females; age: 13 months to 5 years, mean: 2.8 ± 2.04 years). All patients underwent cardiac catheterization in order to determine operability.

Results:

All patients had the aortic dominant type of common arterial trunk. The pulmonary vascular resistance and Qp/Qs ratio before and after oxygen inhalation were mean 9.04 + 4.2 (range: 3.8 and 10.7) wood units and 4.67 ± 2.3 (range: 3 and 6.5) wood units and 3.3 + 1.8 (range: 1.42 and 5.3) and 4.98 + 2.2 (range: 4 and 6.2), respectively. All patients underwent elective primary repair. The ventricular septal defect was closed in all patients, five with a nonvalved patch and two with a unidirectional check-valved patch. Early postoperatively, patients were sedated, hyperventilated, and received nitric oxide for a minimum of 24 hours. There was no early or late mortality. The mean length of hospital stay was 9.3 ± 5.7 days, and mean duration of follow-up was 214 ± 59 days.

Conclusion:

Complete repair of common arterial trunk in patients older than one year of age is feasible in appropriately selected cases. Preoperative cardiac catheterization to assess reactivity of the pulmonary vascular bed is important as are appropriate strategies for postoperative management. Together, these elements make it possible to achieve primary repair with excellent outcomes despite late presentation.
Modified Primary Sutureless Repair Technique of Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection
Authors: Alsoufi Bahaaldin
Published: March 2014

Surgical correction of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection is associated with an important risk of postrepair pulmonary vein obstruction. Primary sutureless anastomosis at the time of initial surgical repair might mitigate that risk. A simplified primary sutureless technique is described in this report.
Heart Transplantation in Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Rungan Santuri , Finucane Kirsten , Gentles Tom , Gibbs Helen C. , Hu Rong , Ruygrok Peter N.
Published: March 2014

Purpose:

To describe the indications and outcomes for pediatric patients and patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) undergoing heart transplantation (HT) in New Zealand.

Methods:

A retrospective audit of 253 patients who underwent HT from 1987 to end 2012 was undertaken. Thirty-seven patients were subdivided into two groups, those aged <18 years—pediatric heart disease (PHD) and those with CHD. Six patients aged <18 years were included in both the analyses. Demographic and clinical information were collected and outcomes established.

Results:

Overall actuarial survival of 37 patients with PHD or CHD was 92% at one year, 85% at five years, and 52% at ten years. The PHD group comprised 22 (8.7%) patients, median age 14 years (range 6-17), 14 (64%) male, with cardiomyopathy in 13, CHD in 6, and rheumatic heart disease in 3. At follow-up, 11 patients had died. Actuarial survival was 91% at one year and 79% at five years. Of the four patients with a mechanical assist device to bridge, three were transplanted and alive at follow-up. The CHD group comprised 21 (8.3%) patients, median age 25 years (range 6-48) and 19 (90%) were male. At follow-up, three patients had died. Actuarial survival was 95% at one year, 94% at five years, and 85% at ten years. All five patients with pre-HT Fontan circulation were alive a median of eight years following HT.

Conclusion:

Heart transplantation for carefully selected pediatric patients and patients with CHD can be successfully performed with favorable outcomes in a geographically isolated unit.
Religious Affiliation and Hiring Discrimination in the American South
Authors: Wallace Michael , Wright Bradley R. E. , Hyde Allen
Published: March 2014

This article describes a field experiment in which we sent fictitious résumés to advertised job openings throughout the American South. We randomly altered the résumés to indicate affiliation in one of seven religious groups or a control group. We found that applicants who expressed a religious identity were 26 percent less likely to receive a response from employers. In general, Muslims, pagans, and atheists suffered the highest levels of discriminatory treatment from employers, a fictitious religious group and Catholics experienced moderate levels, evangelical Christians encountered little, and Jews received no discernible discrimination. We also found evidence suggesting the possibility that Jews received preferential treatment over other religious groups in employer responses. The results fit best with models of religious discrimination rooted in secularization theory and cultural distaste theory. We briefly discuss what our findings suggest for a more robust theory of prejudice and discrimination in society.
Social Desire Paths
Authors: Nichols Laura
Published: March 2014

Using insights from landscape architecture on how pedestrian-driven “desire paths” inform the design of public landscapes, I offer a new concept for sociologists to consider—social desire paths. The social desire path metaphor puts attention on instances when there are disconnects between formal structures and what individuals actually do in the course of action. Conscious or not, such paths, which commence at the individual level, often become collective and leave an imprint on social structures. When identified, the paths then become informative as applied social science. Recognizing social desire paths in concrete behaviors provides an orienting frame for sociological research to shape policy as well as program creation and improvement at the organizational level. Social desire path analysis also offers a distinct sociological approach to capturing interests. To illustrate the benefits of reorienting sociological research in this way, I offer two examples and conclude by discussing how a focus on social desire paths provides a means for academic and applied social science to illuminate viable alternatives to existing social structures.