bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of aluminum chloride on some trace elements and erythrocyte osmotic fragility in rats
Authors: Oztürk Bahar , Ozdemir Semra
Published: April 2013

Aluminum (Al) is a nonessential, toxic element to which humans are constantly exposed as a result of an increase in industrialization and improving technology practices. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of different durations and doses of Al exposure on serum and tissue element levels and erythrocyte osmotic fragility in rats. A total of 40 male Wistar Albino rats were divided into five groups: control, group I (3 weeks, 8 mg/kg), group II (6 weeks, 8 mg/kg), group III (3 weeks, 16 mg/kg), and group IV (6 weeks, 16 mg/kg). Al chloride (AlCl3) was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) five times a week. At the end of the experimental period, levels of Al, iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in serum, liver, and kidney tissues were measured using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Osmotic fragility was determined using a spectrophotometer. The results of the experiment indicate that Al induced a statistically significant increase in Al and Fe concentrations in liver and serum as well as in Cu in the kidney. The Fe concentration in serum and kidney tissues was significantly lower in all the groups. As a result of our study, it may be concluded that tissue Al accumulation may lead to an increase in osmotic fragility of erythrocytes and abnormal trace element levels.
Studying the effect of antioxidants on cytogenetic manifestations of solvent exposure in the paint industry
Authors: El Safty Aamal , Metwally Fateheya Mohamed , Mohammed Samir Aisha , ElShahawy Amir , Raouf Ehab Abdel
Published: April 2013

Objective:

To investigate the antioxidant role in reversing cytogenetic changes caused by solvent exposure in paint industry.

Subjects and Methods:

A prospective controlled clinical trial was performed on 39 workers exposed to solvents and 39 workers not exposed to solvents by supplying a mixture of antioxidant vitamins (A, C, E and selenium) and the after effects of such regimen were analyzed. Environmental monitoring was carried out for air concentrations of different solvents at workplace. Exposed group was cytogenetically tested before and after giving the mixture of antioxidant vitamins for 1 month duration.

Results:

Frequency of chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and the mean of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were statistically significantly higher among exposed workers than among controls. After the supplementation of antioxidants, there was a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of CAs, and 88% abnormal levels of SCEs were back to normal levels.

Conclusion:

Antioxidant supplementation decreases the frequency of CAs and SCEs among exposed workers.
Pirimicarb-based formulation-induced genotoxicity and cytotoxicity in the freshwater fish Cnesterodon decemmaculatus (Jenyns, 1842) (Pisces, Poeciliidae)
Authors: Vera-Candioti Josefina , Soloneski Sonia , Larramendy Marcelo L
Published: April 2013

We analyzed the aspects of lethality, genotoxicity, and cytotoxicity in the ten spotted live-bearer exposed under laboratory conditions to the pirimicarb-based formulation Patton Flow® (50% active ingredient (a.i.)). Acute effects were evaluated using different end points for lethality, genotoxicity, and cytotoxicity. Median lethal concentration (LC50) estimation was employed as a bioassay for lethality, whereas micronucleus (MN) induction and alterations in erythrocyte/erythroblast frequency were used as end points for genotoxicity and cytotoxicity, respectively. Results demonstrated an LC5096h value of 88 mg/L. Patton Flow® increased the MN frequency in fish erythrocytes after 48 h of exposure at a concentration of 66 mg/L, whereas a concentration range of 22–66 mg/L was able to exert the same genotoxic effect at 96 h of treatment. Furthermore, cytotoxicity was also observed by alterations in erythrocyte/erythroblast frequencies within the concentration range of 22–66 mg/L, regardless of the exposure time. Our current observations provide evidence that Patton Flow® (50% a.i.) should be considered a clear lethal, cytotoxic, and genotoxic agent on Cnesterodon decemmaculatus. Thus, repeated applications of this carbamic insecticide can enter the aquatic environment and exert deleterious effects on aquatic organisms other than the evaluated species C. decemmaculatus.
Effect of paraoxonase 1 192 Q/R polymorphism on paraoxonase and acetylcholinesterase enzyme activities in a Turkish population exposed to organophosphate
Authors: Sunay Seda Zengin , Kayaaltı Zeliha , Bayrak Tülin , Söylemezoğlu Tülin
Published: April 2013

Organophosphate (OP) compounds are the most commonly used pesticide groups and they are commercially used in the market for local and industrial purposes. Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) enzyme plays an important role in biotransformation of OP compounds, which shows toxic effects via inhibiting the acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The aim of this study was to determine the effects of PON1 gene polymorphism and its effects on PON and AChE enzyme activities in individuals who were exposed to organophosphorus insecticides due to occupational reasons, and to profile the probability of susceptibility to organophosphorus compounds. For this purpose, 54 individuals who were exposed to OPs and 54 healthy unrelated controls were studied. First, PON1 and AChE enzyme activities were measured. Second, PON1 192 Q/R polymorphism was determined by standard polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. When the PON1 192 Q/R polymorphism was compared with PON1 enzyme activities, statistically significant association was found in both OP-exposed and control groups ( p < 0.05). PON1 192 R(+) (QR + RR genotypes) genotype carriers had higher PON1 activities than 192 R(−) (QQ) genotype carriers. On the other hand, results were statistically analyzed in terms of AChE enzyme activities and there were statistically significant differences only in the OP-exposed group ( p < 0.05). The mean AChE concentration in the OP-exposed group was determined as 33.79 ± 6.84 U/g haemoglobin (Hb) for PON1 192 R(+) carriers and 30.37 ± 7.62 U/g Hb for PON1 192 R(+) carriers. As a conclusion, PON1 and AChE activities were increasing according to the genotypes found in individuals having been exposed to OPs at a chronic level; 192 R(+) > 192 R(−), respectively.
Metoprolol and diltiazem ameliorate ziprasidone-induced prolonged corrected QT interval in rats
Authors: Erbas Oytun , Yilmaz Mustafa
Published: April 2013

Ziprasidone, an atypical antipsychotic agent, has been shown to increase the corrected QT (QTc) interval in some patients. The aim of this study was to reveal the effects of metoprolol and diltiazem on ziprasidone drug-induced prolonged QTc interval. A total of 24 rats were equally divided into the following four groups: the first group was used as the control and received 1 mL/kg saline; 3 mg/kg ziprasidone and saline were administered to the second group; 3 mg/kg ziprasidone and 1 mg/kg metoprolol were administered to the third group and 3 mg/kg ziprasidone and 2 mg/kg diltiazem were administered to the fourth group. Two hours following application of the drugs, the QTc was calculated by performing electrocardiography in derivation (D)I. The duration of QTc interval was compared among the four groups. The mean QTc intervals were significantly increased in the third and fourth groups compared with the second group ( p < 0.0005 and p < 0.0001, respectively). The study demonstrated the effectiveness of metoprolol and diltiazem in the prevention of ziprasidone-induced elongation in the QTc interval. Both metoprolol and diltiazem may be considered in the prophylactic therapy of high-risk patients who are using ziprasidone.
1,1-Diphenyl,2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging, bactericidal, fungicidal and leishmanicidal properties of Teucrium stocksianum
Authors: Shah Syed Majid , Ayaz Mohammad , Khan Arif-ullah , Ullah Farhat , Farhan  , Shah Azhar-ul-Haq Ali , Iqbal Hamid , Hussain Sajid
Published: April 2013

In the present study, we evaluated the pharmacological and toxicological effects of Teucrium stocksianum. The crude extract of T. stocksianum (Ts.Cr) and its subsequent organic fractions: n-hexane (Ts.Hex), chloroform (Ts.CHCl3) and ethyl acetate (Ts.EtAc) exhibited 1,1-diphenyl,2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity with different potencies. Ts.EtAc was found to be most potent. Ts.Cr, Ts.Hex, Ts.CHCl3 and Ts.EtAc showed significant bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexneri and Bacillus subtilis at their extent. Ts.Cr, Ts.Hex, Ts.CHCl3 and Ts.EtAc displayed fungicidal action against Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium solani at various minimum inhibitory concentrations. Ts.Cr and Ts.EtAc exhibited marked inhibition of Leishmania tropica growth, observed after 48 and 96 hrs of treatment. These data indicate that the T. stocksianum methanolic extract and its resultant fractions possess antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and antileishmanial activities. Thus, the present research unearths the scientific base for T. stocksianum medicinal application as antioxidant and antimicrobial agents.
Macro Creatine Kinase Type 1
Authors: Bodensteiner John B.
Published: April 2013

Macro creatine kinase type 1 is a complex formed by the creatine kinase isoenzyme BB and monoclonal IgG and occurs in about 1% of patients studied. First identified as a cause of spurious elevation of the total serum creatine kinase in patients suspected of myocardial infarction, the test has been largely replaced by the measurement of troponin levels. We present a child with delayed milestones and persistently elevated total serum creatine kinase measurements (∼1000-4000 IU) normal electromyogram and brisk myotatic reflexes. Creatine kinase isoenzymes and brain imaging showed the presence of macro creatine kinase type 1 and extensive signal abnormality of the cerebral white matter. Macro creatine kinase type 1 has been associated with several conditions though it has not been described in association with leukoencephalopathy or in patients this young. Macro creatine kinase type 1 can be a cause of elevated total creatine kinase in patients without primary muscle disease. The significance of the relationship of the macro creatine kinase to the leukoencephalopathy in this patient is unknown.
Lissencephaly With Brainstem and Cerebellar Hypoplasia and Congenital Cataracts
Authors: Abumansour Iman S. , Wrogemann Jens , Chudley Albert E. , Chodirker Bernard N. , Salman Michael S.
Published: April 2013

Classical lissencephaly may be associated with cerebellar hypoplasia and when significant cerebellar abnormalities occur, defects in proteins encoded by TUBA1A, RELN, and very-low-density lipoprotein receptor ( VLDLR) genes have been reported. We present a neonate with a severe neurologic phenotype associated with hypotonia, oropharyngeal incoordination that required a gastric tube for feeding, intractable epilepsy, and congenital cataracts. Her brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed classical lissencephaly, ventriculomegaly, absent corpus callosum, globular and vertical hippocampi, and severe cerebellar and brainstem hypoplasia. She died at 6 weeks of age. No specific molecular diagnosis was made. This likely represents a previously undescribed genetic lissencephaly syndrome.
Prediction of slip in cable-drum systems using structured neural networks
Authors: Kilic Ergin , Dolen Melik
Published: April 2013

This study focuses on the slip prediction in a cable-drum system using artificial neural networks for the prospect of developing linear motion sensing scheme for such mechanisms. Both feed-forward and recurrent-type artificial neural network architectures are considered to capture the slip dynamics of cable-drum mechanisms. In the article, the network development is presented in a progressive (step-by-step) fashion for the purpose of not only making the design process transparent to the readers but also highlighting the corresponding challenges associated with the design phase (i.e. selection of architecture, network size, training process parameters, etc.). Prediction performances of the devised networks are evaluated rigorously via an experimental study. Finally, a structured neural network, which embodies the network with the best prediction performance, is further developed to overcome the drift observed at low velocity. The study illustrates that the resulting structured neural network could predict the slip in the mechanism within an error band of 100 µm when an absolute reference is utilized.
Overview of issues and research related to special trackwork for shared high-speed-rail passenger and heavy-axle-load freight operations
Authors: Rapp Christopher T , Kernes Ryan G , Saat Mohd Rapik
Published: April 2013

Special trackwork, including turnouts and crossing diamonds and their components, plays a vital role in railway infrastructure by providing route flexibility to trains as they travel across a network. As the interest in shared rail corridors involving heavy-axle-load freight traffic and high-speed-rail passenger traffic grows, special trackwork represents a significant challenge due to diverging loading characteristics and design priorities. This paper presents an overview of the issues related with special trackwork for shared rail corridors, as well as an in-depth analysis of the relevant research to date. The relevance of different shared operation types and research needs are also presented. This study can be used to assist in the planning of new passenger services on freight rail lines, or vice versa, in the USA, and may also be relevant to shared rail corridor development in other countries.
An integrated robotic system for automatic detection and characterisation of rolling contact fatigue cracks in rails using an alternating current field measurement sensor
Authors: Rowshandel Hamed , Nicholson Gemma L , Davis Claire L , Roberts Clive
Published: April 2013

This paper considers the development of an integrated robotic system which may be used to automatically locate and then systematically scan rolling contact fatigue cracks on rails to provide more detailed information on the cracks’ sub-surface size. The system consists of a mechanised trolley, a robot, a commercially available AMIGO alternating current field measurement (ACFM) system and a laser distance sensor. The dynamic results, when the trolley moves at a controlled speed to detect defects, and the static results, when the defect location has been determined and the robot arm is used to characterise (size) the defect, are both considered. During field trials it was found that in the detection test most of the artificial cracks were detected automatically by employing a novel combined threshold and signature match (CTSM) method. The results of the characterisation test also suggest that the system can automatically take reliable constant lift-off ACFM measurements over the cracks at close to optimum range for characterisation where the relative angle offset between the ACFM sensor and the crack is bounded to be within 5°.
Manufacturing lot affects polyethylene tibial insert volume, thickness, and surface geometry
Authors: Teeter Matthew G , Milner Jaques S , MacDonald Steven J , Naudie Douglas DR
Published: April 2013

To perform wear measurements on retrieved joint replacement implants, a reference geometry of the implant’s original state is required. Since implants are rarely individually scanned before implantation, a different, new implant of the same kind and size is frequently used. However, due to manufacturing variability, errors may be introduced into these measurements, as the dimensions between the retrieved and reference components may not be exactly the same. The hypothesis of this study was that new polyethylene tibial inserts from different manufacturing lots would demonstrate greater variability than those from the same lot. In total, 12 new tibial inserts of the same model and size were obtained, 5 from the same lot and the remainder from different lots. The geometry of each tibial insert was obtained using microcomputed tomography. Measurements of tibial insert volume, thickness, and three-dimensional surface deviations were obtained and compared between tibial inserts from the same and different manufacturing lots. Greater variability was found for the tibial inserts from different manufacturing lots for all types of measurements, including a fourfold difference in volume variability (p < 0.001) and a maximum of 0.21 mm difference in thickness (p < 0.001). Investigators should be aware of this potential confounding error and take steps to minimize it, such as by averaging together the geometries of multiple new components from different manufacturing lots for use as the reference geometry.
Education Enhances the Acuity of the Nonverbal Approximate Number System
Authors: Piazza Manuela , Pica Pierre , Izard Véronique , Spelke Elizabeth S. , Dehaene Stanislas
Published: April 2013

All humans share a universal, evolutionarily ancient approximate number system (ANS) that estimates and combines the numbers of objects in sets with ratio-limited precision. Interindividual variability in the acuity of the ANS correlates with mathematical achievement, but the causes of this correlation have never been established. We acquired psychophysical measures of ANS acuity in child and adult members of an indigene group in the Amazon, the Mundurucú, who have a very restricted numerical lexicon and highly variable access to mathematics education. By comparing Mundurucú subjects with and without access to schooling, we found that education significantly enhances the acuity with which sets of concrete objects are estimated. These results indicate that culture and education have an important effect on basic number perception. We hypothesize that symbolic and nonsymbolic numerical thinking mutually enhance one another over the course of mathematics instruction.
Are measurement theories falsifiable, and should we care?
Authors: Trafimow David
Published: April 2013

Some measurement theories, of which classical test theory (CTT) is a prominent example, depend on definitions rather than on real assumptions that are susceptible to empirical confirmation or disconfirmation. Thus, there is a falsifiability issue that can be, and has been, used as a criticism. I suggest that this issue be replaced with that of surprising implications. As an example, although I agree that CTT is not falsifiable, it does suggest surprising implications. Consequently, CTT is a worthy theory despite not being falsifiable. I argue, more generally, that surprising implications are more important for evaluating theories than is their falsifiability.
Afterthoughts on precognition: No cogent evidence for anomalous influences of consequent events on preceding cognition
Authors: Fiedler Klaus , Krueger Joachim I.
Published: April 2013

In a recently published major article in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Daryl Bem (2011) made a strong claim for the existence of a parapsychological phenomenon called retroactive causation. Across nine experiments, aspects of stimuli were shown to correlate with participants’ responses provided before the stimuli were generated by the computer’s random generator. Early critical debates of these provocative findings have been focused on issues of statistical significance testing. Going beyond these issues, we argue that Bem’s research has three crucial shortcomings: (a) a lack of a theoretical explanation, (b) the possibility of selective filtering of empirical results, and (c) the confusion of the explanans and the explanandum. We propose that all three methodological principles should be rigorously applied during the journal review process and the communication of empirical findings in general.
Pregnant Men: Repronormativity, Critical Trans Theory and the Re(conceive)ing of Sex and Pregnancy in Law
Authors: Karaian Lara
Published: April 2013

This article argues that a critical re(conceive)ing of sex and pregnancy is required in law. Drawing on the dual meaning of conceive – ‘to become pregnant’ and ‘to imagine, or form a mental representation of’, the goal of this article is to better ensure that pregnant men and trans individuals are not denied their reproductive rights, the legal recognition of their gender identities, and the protections of pregnancy discrimination law. Here, I survey molecular biologists’ and critical trans theorists’ scientific and discursive challenges to the understanding of sex as biologically determined; I map the extent to which biological and repronormative discourses – those which materialize and maternalize female identity – underpin legal determinations of trans subjects’ sex and their ability to access state issued documentation; finally, I suggest that feminists’ efforts to construct pregnancy discrimination as sex discrimination may unwittingly factor into discriminatory practice against pregnant men by reifying pregnancy as necessarily female and thus pregnant men as ‘really’ women. Drawing on Darren Rosenblum’s call to unsex parenting, I conclude by briefly considering the opportunities presented by unsexing pregnancy in law.
The Distinction Between the Freedom of Religion and the Right to Manifest Religion
Authors: Gürsel Esra Demir
Published: April 2013

In this article, I explore what kind of individual is presupposed and promoted as the subject of the right to freedom of religion in Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. I question the distinction made between freedom of religion and the right to manifest religion in the context of the so-called headscarf cases. I argue that making such a distinction is only possible if it is based on a particular understanding of an individual who, on the one hand, is capable of perceiving religion as something that can be protected as a lifestyle or as a background that can be entered or exited and who is required to submit to certain putatively secular rules, on the other. In order to do this, I outline the application of the distinction by the European Court of Human Rights and discuss whether it is an appropriate tool to approach the religious subjectivities of women wearing the headscarf for religious reasons. I then try to unearth the relationship between the doctrine of secularism and the conception of religion that is embedded in Article 9.
What Part of “Illegal” Don’t You Understand? The Social Consequences of Criminalizing Unauthorized Mexican Migrants in the United States
Authors: Martinez Daniel , Slack Jeremy
Published: April 2013

In this article, we examine the social repercussions of criminally prosecuting individuals that cross into the United States without official documentation. The “criminalization of immigration law” (Coleman, 2007), federal- and state-level anti-immigrant initiatives, and an incarceration-oriented approach to dealing with unauthorized migration have redefined what it means to be undocumented in the United States, a definition with more sociological implications than ever before. Using strain theory (Agnew, 1992; Merton, 1938) and Cloward and Ohlin’s (1960) concept of illegitimate means structures, we discuss the social ramifications for migrants who are exposed to a potentially unfamiliar criminal element while incarcerated for unauthorized entry. First-hand accounts of migrants’ experiences were gathered from face-to-face semi-structured interviews of 210 randomly selected individuals at a migrant shelter in northern Mexico.
Sport and alcohol – who’s missing? New directions for a sociology of sport-related drinking
Authors: Palmer Catherine
Published: April 2013

This paper presents a series of emerging research avenues and agendas for under-represented aspects of sport-related drinking. Extending the findings of a previous paper, which mapped the dominant themes in sociological treatments of drinking and sport to date, this paper argues for the importance of widening the empirical and theoretical base so as to better understand and explain the diversity and complexity of drinkers and drinking in sport. Drinking by female fans and sportswomen, non-drinkers in drinking environments, the role and place of religion, ethnicity, gender and social class in practices of inclusion and exclusion in sport-related drinking practices and the plurality of masculinities, among others, are all presenting new kinds of relationships to sport and alcohol that have not been subject to sustained critical sociological scrutiny from within sport. The research questions and the problematics these raise for studies of social and cultural aspects of sport (and drinking) highlights the need to reassess and reinvigorate the theoretical frameworks and dominant orthodoxies that drive social research into the sport–alcohol nexus.
Rationales, rhetoric and realities: FIFA’s World Cup in South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014
Authors: Schausteck de Almeida Bárbara , Bolsmann Chris , Marchi Júnior Wanderley , de Souza Juliano
Published: April 2013

The 2010 FIFA World Cup was heralded by mainstream media outlets, the local organisers, the South African government and FIFA as an unequivocal success. The month-long spectacle saw South Africa take centre stage and host the world’s largest single sporting event. This occurred against a backdrop of rationales and promises made that the event would leave lasting legacies for all, in particular marginalised South Africans. The reality is quite different. In this article we consider the South African World Cup in the build up to Brazil 2014. We argue that the rationales and rhetoric are similar in both countries and suggest the reality for Brazil 2014 will be the same as South Africa 2010 in that the mega-event will be primarily funded by significant public investment, while the primary beneficiaries will be private capital and FIFA.
Psychiatrists and GPs: diagnostic decision making, personality profiles and attitudes toward depression and anxiety
Authors: Lampe Lisa , Fritz Kristina , Boyce Philip , Starcevic Vladan , Brakoulias Vlasios , Walter Garry , Shadbolt Narelle , Harris Anthony , Malhi Gin
Published: April 2013

Objectives:

The objective of this article is to explore diagnostic decision making around psychological symptoms presenting to general practitioners (GPs) and psychiatrists, identify attitudinal and personality factors of possible relevance in these decisions, and compare GPs and psychiatrists to help identify potential educational targets.

Methods:

GPs and psychiatrists attended separate peer-facilitated workshops in which two case presentations were discussed. Decision making was explored by structured questions embedded in the workshop, with responses recorded by electronic keypad technology. Participants completed demographic questionnaires and measures of personality and attitudes to depression.

Results:

GPs and psychiatrists accorded emphasis to different elements of the history, and assigned different diagnoses based on the same set of symptoms. Both groups relied on non-pharmacological management for milder psychological symptoms; GPs were less likely to make a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Traits of Extraversion and Agreeableness were associated with greater ease in treating depression.

Conclusions:

Differences in diagnostic decision making likely reflect the different contexts of specialist and generalist practice. Educational targets may include information about key symptoms to assist in diagnostic precision, but further information is needed to determine the best match between diagnostic processes, context and outcome. An awareness of the role of personality factors may help when designing education and support programs.
Escaping the behavioural ‘spin’ of evidence-based psychiatry: Merleau-Ponty’s ontology of truth
Authors: Morstyn Ron
Published: April 2013

Objective:

To explore the limitations of the concept of ‘truth’ in the ontology of evidence-based psychiatry and to provide expanded ontological foundations for psychiatric practice based instead on the ontology of the French existential-phenomenologist, Maurice Merleau-Ponty.

Conclusions:

Evidence-based medicine is founded on a ‘scientific’ ontology of ‘causality’, which equates ‘truth’ with effecting statistically-significant changes in objective measures of disease by a specified treatment. Because of the absence of biological markers of disease in psychiatry, evidence-based psychiatry equates ‘truth’ with effecting changes in observable psychometric measures of behaviour. This is the same ontology underlying marketing ‘spin’ and all attempts to effect pre-determined behavioural change. In contrast, Merleau-Ponty’s ontology rejects causality and mind/body duality, and views ‘truth’ as the expression of our deepest embodied feeling and perception of the world, which establishes all our thinking, and on which all our thinking relies, including ‘scientific’ thinking. Merleau-Ponty’s ontology is therefore a preferable foundation for psychiatric practice, because it allows psychiatrists to consider the ‘truth’ of clinically important, but non-measurable, aspects of psychiatry while not excluding ‘scientific’ thinking, but recognising its limitations and potential for misuse.
Health Promotion in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors
Authors: Murphy Meagan H.
Published: April 2013

With rising cure rates of childhood cancer, nurse practitioners have an increased chance of encountering a large survivor cohort in practice. A variety of late effects programs exist; however, funding is limited for these programs and is not accessible for all patients. Primary providers may increasingly act as a medical home for childhood cancer survivors (CCS). Understanding the inherent risks of cytotoxic treatment and the progressive consequences of late effects is vital to limit morbidity and mortality. Adolescent and young adult survivors (AYA) are particularly apt to make health behavior decisions that create risks for comorbidities. Developmentally appropriate experimentation with drug, alcohol, or tobacco use and increased ultraviolet ray exposure intensifies the risk for secondary malignancies and novel diseases. The paucity of evidence-based surveillance guidelines and survivor-specific health promotion programs cumulatively widen the gap in noncompliance and misinformation. This article overviews the risk profile of CCS. It explores health practices, as well as emerging health promotion techniques, within the AYA survivor population and the role nurse practitioners have in enhancing health maintenance.
Completion of Advance Directives Among Low-Income Older Adults
Authors: Ko Eunjeong , Lee Jaehoon
Published: April 2013

This study examined the prevalence of completion of advance directives (ADs) and the effects of race/ethnicity on AD completion using a cross-sectional design. Low-income older adults (n = 256) who were residents of supportive housing facilities or members of a senior center were interviewed in person. About 20% of the participants had completed ADs. Knowledge and attitudes toward ADs, income, and previous experience in an intensive care unit significantly predicted the completion of ADs after controlling for other factors. Those with higher levels of knowledge, positive attitudes, or those with higher incomes were more likely to complete ADs than their counterparts. Findings suggest that as a proxy for multiple socioeconomic, social and cultural factors, race, and ethnicity need to be considered in planning end-of-life care.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Utilization in Texas Hospices
Authors: Olotu Busuyi S. , Brown Carolyn M. , Lawson Kenneth A. , Barner Jamie C.
Published: April 2013

The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence, importance, and challenges of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) utilization in Texas hospices. Mail surveys were sent to 369 hospices in Texas, and 110 useful surveys were returned. Results showed that a majority (n = 62, 56.4%) of hospices offer CAM to their clients, with the most popularly offered CAMs being massage, music, and relaxation therapies. Despite the availability of CAM services in most hospices, and that the utilization of CAM has the potential to improve overall quality of life of patients, our results showed that a sizeable proportion of patients in these hospices are not utilizing the provided CAMs. Funding and personnel constraints were substantial obstacles to offering CAM.
Barriers to Primary Care
Authors: D’Avolio Deborah A. , Strumpf Neville E. , Feldman James , Mitchell Patricia , Rebholz Casey M.
Published: April 2013

This purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand access to primary care among older adults who present to an inner city emergency department (ED) for nonurgent care. Questionnaires ( N = 62) included demographic, illness characteristics, and health care utilization. Qualitative interviews ( N = 20) were conducted. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative methodology. More than half of the participants were female (60%), African American (57%) and pain was the presenting symptoms among 48% of the participants. Nearly all participants reported barriers to primary care; difficulty with phone systems and staff, and lack of available appointments resulting in an ED visit. Older adults face barriers accessing primary care and as a result, can turn to the ED for their primary care needs. Interventions to improve access for vulnerable older adults might have benefits not only for patient outcomes but also for health policy issues related to cost effective care and overcrowded EDs.
A Plantar Closing Wedge Osteotomy of the Medial Cuneiform for Residual Forefoot Supination in Flatfoot Reconstruction
Authors: Ling Jeffrey S. , Ross Keir A. , Hannon Charlie P. , Egan Chris , Smyth Niall A. , Hogan MaCalus V. , Kennedy John G.
Published: April 2013

Background:

Residual forefoot supination is commonly encountered during a flatfoot reconstruction, and a new technique for its treatment is described. Contrary to the standard Cotton osteotomy, a plantar closing wedge osteotomy of the medial cuneiform (PCWOMC) was performed, which has a number of advantages.

Methods:

We followed 10 feet in 9 patients who had a PCWOMC performed as the last step of a standard flatfoot reconstruction for the correction of residual forefoot supination. These patients were evaluated pre- and postoperatively by standardized radiographic parameters, Short Form-12 (SF-12), and Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS).

Results:

Patients were followed for an average of 25.8 months with final radiographic analysis performed at an average of 9.9 months. A significant difference ( P < .001) between pre- and postoperative parameters was demonstrated for both lateral talus–first metatarsal angle and medial-cuneiform-to-ground distance. Likewise, there was a statistically significant improvement in the SF-12 score and 4 out of 5 components of the FAOS. One patient developed internal hardware–related symptoms, which were relieved following implant removal. All osteotomies healed uneventfully.

Conclusion:

A PCWOMC can be considered an alternative to the Cotton osteotomy for the treatment of forefoot supination deformity in adult flatfoot reconstruction. The main advantage of this technique over the Cotton osteotomy was simplicity, as an additional dorsal incision and bone graft were not required.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Surgical Correction of the Ball and Socket Ankle Joint in the Adult Associated With a Talonavicular Tarsal Coalition
Authors: Ellington J. Kent , Myerson Mark S.
Published: April 2013

Background:

Ball and socket ankle (BASA) deformity is a rare condition. Little is known about outcomes and treatments in the adult population.

Methods:

Retrospective comparative review was performed of 13 patients treated for BASA with a minimum follow-up of 2.5 years. Evaluation included clinical and radiographic review, outcome scores, a questionnaire, and a subjective satisfaction survey.

Results:

Nine patients with correctable valgus deformity not associated with arthritis of the ankle joint underwent a supramalleolar osteotomy (SMO). Four patients underwent arthrodesis—2 a tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) arthrodesis and 2 a pantalar arthrodesis. AOFAS scores improved from 30.1 to 77.6 (range, 16-82) ( P < .05) in the SMO group. AOFAS scores improved from 24 to 60.5 (range, 16-66) ( P < .05) in the arthrodesis group. Arthritis grade in the SMO patients was unchanged in 4 patients at final follow-up and worsened in 5 patients by only 1 grade. Nine patients reported good results (all 4 arthrodesis patients, 5 SMO patients) and 4 reported fair results (all SMO patients).

Conclusions:

BASA deformity and dysfunction can be improved with corrective surgery.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, prospective comparative study.
Characteristics of Male Adolescent-Onset Hallux Valgus
Authors: Young Ki Won , Kim Jin Su , Cho Ju Won , Lee Keun Woo , Park Young Uk , Lee Kyung Tai
Published: April 2013

Background:

Several studies show that hallux valgus has a female preponderance and that approximately 50% of patients have an adolescent onset of deformity. However, little is known about male adolescent-onset hallux valgus. We evaluated the radiologic characteristics and the result of deformity correction in male adolescent-onset hallux valgus (MAHV).

Methods:

We evaluated 31 feet with MAHV that received corrective osteotomies (16 scarf, 11 distal chevron, 4 proximal chevron, and 21 Akin). The patients’ mean age was 22 years. Using standard weight-bearing radiographs, we measured hallux valgus angle (HVA), intermetatarsal angle (IMA), distal metatarsal articular angle (DMAA), proximal phalangeal angle (PPA), metatarsus adductus angle (MAA), and congruency, preoperatively and at an average of 21 months after surgery. We assessed the clinical outcome at follow-up with regard to patient satisfaction using the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Hallux Metatarsophalangeal-Interphalangeal score.

Results:

The mean HVA, IMA, DMAA, and PPA decreased from 28.8, 12.0, 11.9, and 6.5 degrees to 10.9, 4.2, 9.7, and 6.3 degrees, respectively ( P < .05). Preoperative congruency was 68% (21 of 31 feet). All feet had metatarsus adductus, and the mean MAA was 26.7 degrees. The mean AOFAS score increased from 64.3 to 92.7. Excellent and good satisfaction rate was 94% (29 of 31 feet). We had 2 complications: 1 patient with acute deep infection and 1 patient with complex regional pain syndrome type II accompanying neuralgia of the hallux.

Conclusions:

Most of the patients with MAHV had congruent first metatarsophalangeal joints consistent with increased MAA and DMAA. They also had high PPA and relatively lower IMA. Metatarsal osteotomy with lateral translation and phalangeal corrective osteotomy for MAHV was a reliable technique with successful outcomes and low complication rates.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Systemic Vascular Hemodynamic Changes due to 17-β-Estradiol Intranasal Administration
Authors: Ciccone Marco Matteo , Scicchitano Pietro , Gesualdo Michele , Fornarelli Fara , Pinto Vincenzo , Farinola Giuseppe , Lagioia Rocco , Sassara Marco , Zito Annapaola , Federici Antonio , Cicinelli Ettore
Published: April 2013

Purpose:

According to the literature, estradiol has a direct vasodilator action by means of endothelium-derived relaxing factor synthesis. The present study aims to evaluate the acute hemodynamic effects of intranasal 17-β-estradiol on cerebral and lower limb arterial circulation in postmenopausal women.

Methods:

Sixteen healthy women in natural menopause (mean age: 54 ± 3 years) were investigated for at least 6 months, each receiving 300 µg of intranasal 17-β-estradiol. We evaluated the heart rate, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, and velocity–time integral (VTI) at the level of internal carotid and posterior tibial arteries, before and after 30, 60, and 180 minutes of drug administration.

Results:

After intranasal 17-β-estradiol administration, the internal carotid artery VTI showed statistically significant ( P < .05) variations at all the time intervals after administration of the drug (30, 60, and 180 minutes) when compared with “time zero” (T0, ie, the speed recorded at baseline before drug administration). No significant variation was found at the posterior tibial artery. The systolic/diastolic blood pressure and heart rate did not significantly differ before and after drug administration.

Conclusions:

The administration of a single intranasal dose of 17-β-estradiol in healthy postmenopausal women increased cerebral perfusions, whereas the effect on peripheral circulation was much more limited.
Dynamic modeling of multi-flexible-link planar manipulators using curvature–based finite element method
Authors: Farid Mehrdad , Cleghorn William L
Published: April 2013

In conventional displacement-based finite element formulation, the nodal transverse deflections and slopes of a beam element are used to approximate its transverse deflection distribution. In this paper, a curvature-based finite element formulation is presented for dynamic modeling of planar multi-link flexible manipulators. This formulation approximates the curvature distribution of the Euler-Bernoulli beam element by using its nodal curvatures. Therefore, in the curvature-based finite element formulation, fewer numbers of total elastic degrees of freedom for the system are needed. In addition, while the displacement-based finite element formulation yields discontinuous bending stresses at the inter-element nodes, this modeling provides continuous bending stress at those nodes. The proposed modeling will be verified and the dynamic behavior of the flexible planar manipulators will be studied.
Vibration control of base system using distributed dynamic vibration absorbers
Authors: Chen Rong , Wu Tianxing
Published: April 2013

A theoretical model of a base system consisting of two isolators and a beam is established. To improve the isolation performance of the base system, distributed dynamic vibration absorbers (DDVA) are attached to the beam to reduce at each single frequency in the frequency range of interest. A transfer matrix method which uses mobility or impedance is adopted to calculate the force transfer rate of the base system. Detailed expressions of the mobility formulae are given for isolators, for DDVA and for the Euler beam on which only a flexural wave propagates. The dynamic transfer matrixes of each substructure are obtained and the force transmitted to the foundation is calculated. The effects of DDVA and the isolators’ parameters on the force transfer rate of the base system are discussed in detail. Experiment results of the base system and the combined base system are presented to validate the theoretical results.
Multistakeholder Perspectives on Composite Measures of Ambulatory Care Quality
Authors: Martsolf Grant R. , Scanlon Dennis P. , Christianson Jon B.
Published: April 2013

The development of composite measures of ambulatory care quality is an area of growing practice and policy interest. Using 29 semistructured interviews, this study describes the opinions of stakeholders related to the use and development of composite measures in a multistakeholder setting. Research experts working in multistakeholder settings need to understand the perspective of various stakeholders, many of whom have varying levels of research expertise, in order to develop useful and acceptable composite measures. Findings from this study suggest that to achieve maximal stakeholder buy-in, research experts should focus on clinical area-specific composites that are designed and constructed in a simple and transparent manner. However, composite measures are not a panacea for improving the utility of public reporting. Performance measure and report card creators should continue to investigate other ways to improve the user-friendliness of their reports and to address other barriers that prevent more extensive use of reports.
Annexation and Ethnicity in the American Midwest
Authors: Wilson Bev , Edwards Mary M.
Published: April 2013

Prior research has established race as a factor in annexation decisions in the American South; however, there is very little research that examines the influence of ethnicity on annexation patterns. We consider a sample of incorporated places and their adjacent unincorporated blocks in 10 midwestern states to understand the relationship of ethnicity to annexation and possible differences in the drivers of annexation in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan contexts. The determinants of annexation in the Midwest differ in nonmetropolitan areas with existing population pressure and factors associated with capturing future growth as key drivers. Ethnicity appears to play a limited role in understanding annexation in the Midwest, but only within the nonmetropolitan context.
What If We Were Texas Sharpshooters? Predictor Reporting Bias in Regression Analysis
Authors: Biemann Torsten
Published: April 2013

The author analyzes reporting biases in regression analyses. The consequences of researchers’ strategy to select significant predictors and omit nonsignificant predictors from regression analyses are examined, focusing on how this strategy—labeled the Texas sharpshooter (TS) approach—creates a predictor reporting bias (PRB) in primary studies and research syntheses. PRB was demonstrated in simulation studies when correlation coefficients from several primary regression studies with an underlying TS approach were aggregated in meta-analyses. Several important findings are noted. First, meta-analytical effect sizes of true effects can be overestimated because smaller, nonsignificant findings are omitted from regression models. Second, suppression effects of correlated predictor variables create biased effect size estimations for variables that are not related to the outcome. Finally, existing small effects are concealed, and between-study heterogeneity can be overestimated. Results show that PRB is contingent on sample size. While PRB is substantial in studies with small sample sizes ( N < 100), it is negligible when large sample sizes ( N > 500) are analyzed. Preconditions and remedies for reporting biases in regression analyses are discussed.
Identification of stiffness and damping coefficients of hydrostatic bearing with angled injection
Authors: Jolly Pascal , Hassini Mohamed A , Arghir Mihai , Bonneau Olivier
Published: April 2013

This study deals with the experimental results obtained for a hydrostatic/hydrodynamic bearing used in aerospace turbopumps. This supporting element, if fitted with angled injection directed against shaft rotation, can provide a stabilizing effect to the rotor by reducing the circumferential flow. In order to characterize this effect and to improve its numerical simulation, an experimental housing has been designed to test the three directions of injection (radial, 25° and 50°). Measurements were obtained for the centered bearing operating at 2 kr/min, 4 kr/min and 6 kr/min with supply pressures of 2.5 MPa, 3.5 MPa and 4.5 MPa. The test rig uses hot water (<50 ℃) as a working fluid. For given operating conditions, a set of dynamic excitations imposed to the rotor provides complex impedances that are used for identifying dynamic coefficients. According to many pressure plugs distributed along the housing, the pattern of the pressure field in the recess and the thin fluid film near the recess is reconstructed. The bearing flow rate is also measured. Static and dynamic experimental results are compared with theoretical results obtained bycombining a pressure pattern model with a bulk-flow analysis. A good agreement between the two methods is observed. The measured cross-coupled stiffness is lower than the predicted one, indicating that the benefits of angled injection are better than what was predicted.