bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Classification Accuracy of Early Numeracy Curriculum-Based Measures Using Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve Analysis
Authors: Laracy Seth D. , Hojnoski Robin L. , Dever Bridget V.
Published: February 2016

Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used to investigate the ability of early numeracy curriculum-based measures (EN-CBM) administered in preschool to predict performance below the 25th and 40th percentiles on a quantity discrimination measure in kindergarten. Areas under the curve derived from a sample of 279 students ranged from .65 to .82. Optimal cut scores were associated with sensitivity ranging from .44 to .79, specificity ranging from .49 to .91, and classification accuracy ranging from .60 to .79. Among a validation sample of 140 students, sensitivity ranged from .36 to .83, specificity ranged from .46 to .89, and classification accuracy ranged from .57 to .79. Results indicate that EN-CBM administered in preschool predicts math performance in kindergarten and can be a valuable component of an evidence-based decision-making process.
Technical Adequacy of the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener in an Elementary Sample
Authors: Kilgus Stephen P. , Sims Wesley A. , von der Embse Nathaniel P. , Taylor Crystal N.
Published: February 2016

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric defensibility of the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS): a quick and easy universal screener for behavioral and emotional risk. Elementary school teachers completed the SAEBRS with 346 students in Grades 3 to 5. Teachers also completed two criterion measures, including the Student Risk Screening Scale (SRSS) and the Student Internalizing Behavior Screener (SIBS). Additional extant behavioral and academic data sources were collected including office discipline referrals, suspensions, curriculum-based measurement scores, and statewide achievement test scores. Reliability analyses were indicative of the internal consistency of all four SAEBRS scales, whereas correlational analyses and Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon tests supported the criterion-related and construct validity. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses suggested each SAEBRS scale was associated with acceptable or optimal diagnostic accuracy. However, cut scores selected as most appropriate within each SAEBRS scale were found to differ from those identified in previous studies, potentially suggesting the influence of criterion outcome under consideration on SAEBRS diagnostic accuracy. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed, with emphasis on the need for continued examination of the extent of variability in SAEBRS cut score performance.
Rupture Risk and Etiology of Visceral Artery Aneurysms and Pseudoaneurysms
Authors: Regus Susanne , Lang Werner
Published: February 2016

Background:

The aim of this study was to analyze differences in rupture risk and etiology of visceral artery aneurysms (VAAs) and visceral artery pseudoaneurysms (VAPAs) in a single-center experience.

Materials and Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed all patients with a VAA or VAPA after treatment by open surgical or endovascular repair (ER) in our institution. Patient history, treatment details, and outcome were recorded and analyzed.

Results:

From January 1996 to April 2014, 29 (12 women) patients with 33 aneurysms (26 VAAs and 7 VAPAs) were treated in elective and urgent settings by open repair or ER. Etiology was quite different, most common was atherosclerosis (61.5%) in VAA and chronic pancreatitis (85.7%) in VAPA. Rupture rate was 19.2% in VAA and 42.9% in VAPA, whereas mean size of ruptured VAA was 4.4 cm and of ruptured VAPA was 2 cm. Open repair (suture, ligation, and aneurysmectomy with or without arterial reconstruction) and ER (coil embolization in the packing technique) were performed in half of all cases. After follow-up (72-month VAA and 82-month VAPA), aneurysm-free survival was reported to be 95% in VAA and 100% in VAPA.

Conclusion:

Chronic pancreatitis seems to be a prominent risk factor for the development of VAPA in this single-center experience. Modern endovascular techniques with promising short- and long-term results could broaden indications to treat asymptomatic VAA and VAPA.
Safety and Feasibility of Renal Sympathetic Denervation in Patients With Insufficient Renal Artery Length
Authors: Pua Uei , Tang Alex Ah Lak , Ooi Yau Wei , Ho Hee Hwa , Ong Paul Jau Leong
Published: February 2016

Insufficient renal artery length for renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) is defined as having a main renal artery shorter than 20 mm in length. Such an anatomy is considered a contraindication for most of the currently available endovascular RDN devices. The concern stems from the need to distribute the ablation points to effect circumferential ablation causing sympathetic denervation, without the risk of injuring the renal artery. We postulate that if the requisite ablation points could be distributed between large caliber renal branches and the short main renal artery, RDN is likely feasible and safe. We demonstrate this with 2 cases using 2 different RDN devices and detail the technical feasibility.
The Changing Colors of Maple Hills
Authors: Scanlan Martin
Published: February 2016

This case describes Maple Hills Elementary, a K-8 school in a rural farming community of the Midwest. As a community, Maple Hills has historically experienced a narrow range of diversity across race, ethnicity, language, and religion. Residents have predominantly been White, with German and English heritage, speak English as a mother tongue, and identify as Protestant Christian. In the last decade, Maple Hills has experienced an influx of immigrants from several nations leading to a confluence of issues in Maple Hills Elementary involving culture, language, and special education. In this case, one immigrant mother begins asking hard questions that force the teachers and principals to begin to question their assumptions and practices regarding how student support services are delivered.
Correlates of Somatic Symptoms Among African American Males Transitioning From a Public System of Care
Authors: Scott Lionel D. , McCoy Henrika
Published: February 2016

Exploration of somatic symptoms and their correlates among adolescent and young adult African American males are limited in the empirical literature. In the current study, correlates of somatic symptoms among African American males ( n = 74) transitioning from a public system of care, namely, foster care, was explored. Potential correlates assessed included indicators of child maltreatment, approach and avoidance coping strategies, as well as the following emotional and behavioral problems: oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, major depressive disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Results indicated that meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder was related to increased somatic symptoms. In addition, greater use of seeking social support as a coping strategy was related to fewer somatic symptoms. The findings provide a good foundation for further exploration of individual, situational, and contextual factors that may influence the physiological and psychological stress responses of vulnerable populations of young African American males.
Vitamin C in the Prevention and Treatment of the Common Cold
Authors: Bucher Amanda , White Nicole
Published: February 2016

During the winter months, absenteeism or decreased productivity at work or school can often be attributed to symptoms of the common cold. Many people seek over-the-counter (OTC) products for their symptoms, and some of the commonly purchased products are those with high-dose supplements of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The common cold causes enormous morbidity worldwide, and it is important to know the effects of vitamin C for both preventive and therapeutic purposes to correctly recommend the proper OTC product for these symptoms. The purpose of this article is to review the current data on the relationship between vitamin C and immune function, specifically, the utility of vitamin C supplementation in the prevention and treatment of the common cold.
A Rare Case of Glomus Tumor of the Great Toe
Authors: Mohindra Mukul , Sambandam Balaji , Gautam V. K. , Maini Lalit
Published: February 2016

Glomus tumor, originally known as an angioneuromyoma, is a benign neoplasm arising from specialized structures called glomus bodies, involved in thermoregulation. Although it has been reported at a number of sites in the body, this rare tumor is most commonly seen in the subungual areas of the digits of the hand. Only a handful of lesions have been reported in the toes. Because most foot conditions are treated by podiatrists and dermatologists, orthopaedic surgeons are generally unaccustomed to making early diagnoses. The purpose of this case report is to alert the attending surgeon regarding the possibility of glomus tumor as a cause of chronic toe pain. Also it has been observed that the behavior of this tumor varies with the site of occurrence—whether digital or extradigital. So we have extensively reviewed all similar reports in the literature to analyze the behavior of this tumor at this unusual location, apart from comparing it with the more common finger variety, to ensure it possibly is not a misclassification like the chemodectomas that were earlier thought to be glomus tumors.

Levels of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV: Case Study
‘Simplicity’ radiofrequency neurotomy of sacroiliac joint: a real life 1-year follow-up UK data
Authors: Anjana Reddy Vinay S , Sharma Chhaya , Chang Kuang-Yi , Mehta Vivek
Published: February 2016

Background:

Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain is considered to be the third most common cause of low back pain with the prevalence of 13–25% in all low back pain patients. Its diagnosis and treatment remain a challenge with the poor evidence base for interventional procedures. Patients with SIJ pain experience a low quality of life, worse than some of the chronic health conditions. Simplicity radiofrequency (RF) neurotomy is a novel technique which tackles some of the problems faced by conventional RF neurotomy and may offer better results in managing pain arising from SIJ.

Aim:

The purpose of this retrospective review of practice was to look into the effectiveness of Simplicity RF neurotomy in terms of pain relief, quality of health improvement in patients suffering from SIJ pain and complications associated with the procedure.

Methodology:

Retrospective review of the patients undergoing Simplicity RF neurotomy at a tertiary hospital (April 2012 to June 2013). Pain scores and responses to SF (Short Form) 12 questionnaire before and at 12 months after treatment were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Results:

Out of 26 patients, 16 were considered for analysis. There was statistically significant reduction in both mean pain score (Numerical Rating Scale, NRS from 8.8 pre-intervention to 4.3 post-intervention) and median pain score (NRS from 9 pre-intervention to 5 post-intervention) with a p-value of <0.001 at 12 months. Reduction in the inter-quartile range of pain score was observed from 8–10 to 2.25–6 (p-value of <0.001). Global health as per SF12 scores showed statistically significant improvement, except in some of the psychological subcategories. The procedure-related pain was the only complication noted.

Conclusion:

From our data, we can conclude that Simplicity RF neurotomy of lateral branches of S1-S3 along with conventional RF denervation of L5 dorsal ramus may improve pain scores and many components of global health in carefully selected patients.
The perceived impact of suicide-related internet use: A survey of young Australians who have gone online for suicide-related reasons
Authors: Mok Katherine , Jorm Anthony F , Pirkis Jane
Published: February 2016

The aim of the present study was to examine the perceived impact of suicide-related Internet use, particularly of websites with potentially harmful attitudes towards suicide (encouraging suicide or discouraging help-seeking) or potentially helpful attitudes towards suicide (discouraging suicide or encouraging help-seeking), the online availability of suicide methods and online suicide communities The present study used a cross-sectional, anonymous online survey. Participants were 102 Australian citizens and permanent residents recruited from various, non-mental health-related websites, aged 18–24 years, who had gone online for suicide-related reasons within the past 12 months. Overall, there was a significant decrease in participants’ retrospective ratings of their suicidal thoughts and behaviours from before they first went online for suicide-related reasons to the time of the survey. However, characteristics of websites did not significantly predict users’ suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Participants reported both positive and negative online experiences, even for similar forms of suicide-related Internet use (e.g. reading information on suicide methods). The findings suggest that suicide-related Internet use is complex and its impact cannot necessarily be strictly attributed to specific types of websites or online content. The Internet may pose a risk to some vulnerable individuals but may also provide helpful, valuable support to others. Mental health professionals should therefore be aware of these potential risks and direct more efforts towards online suicide prevention.
Negative prognostic impact of MRI spinal lesions in the early stages of relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis
Authors: D’Amico E , Patti F , Leone C , Lo Fermo S , Zappia M
Published: February 2016

Background

The presence of spinal cord (SC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions can be expected to affect the mobility of people with relapsing–remitting MS (pwRRMS), but reports are ambiguous.

Objective

The objective of this paper is to determine whether the presence of SC MRI lesions in early diagnosed pwRRMS could be considered a predictor of long-term disability.

Methods

pwRRMS with an SC MRI performed within two years from the onset of symptoms and followed up for at least seven years were included. Patients were grouped into: (a) pwRRMs with at least one SC T2 MRI lesion, and (b) pwRRMs without SC T2 MRI lesions. The primary end point was to evaluate the effects of independent factors on reaching an Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) of 4.0.

Results

A total of 239 pwRRMS matched the required criteria: 116 in the group with SC lesions and 123 in the group without SC lesions. At baseline, there were no statistical differences between the two groups. The presence of SC lesions (Exp(b) 4.4, CI 2.1–9.0, p < 0.001) and higher basal EDSS (Exp(b) 3.3, CI 2.3–4.8, p < 0.001) proved to be the best predictors of reaching EDSS 4.0.

Conclusion

The presence of T2 SC MRI lesions detected early from MS onset of RRMS predicts a worse prognosis.
Tempted to Text
Authors: Brown Genavee , Manago Adriana M. , Trimble Joseph E.
Published: February 2016

We examined whether emerging adults would engage in mobile phone use (MPU) when given the opportunity to socialize face-to-face with a close friend in a laboratory setting. Sixty-three U.S. college student friendship dyads rated their friendship quality in an online survey before coming into the laboratory together. When they arrived for their appointment, they were asked to wait together in a room for 5 min. A hidden camera recorded each dyad. Friends then separately rated the quality of the interaction. We coded time spent using mobile phone in seconds. A hierarchical regression conducted at the level of the dyad controlling for friendship quality and gender showed that more MPU was associated with lower quality interactions. We discuss findings in terms of the potential for MPU to interfere with the development of friendship intimacy.
Perinatal air pollution exposure and development of asthma from birth to age 10 years
Authors: Sbihi Hind , Tamburic Lillian , Koehoorn Mieke , Brauer Michael
Published: February 2016

Within-city variation in air pollution has been associated with childhood asthma development, but findings have been inconsistent. We examined whether perinatal air pollution exposure affected asthma onset during “pre-school and “school age” periods in a population-based birth cohort.

65 254 children born between 1999 and 2002 in the greater Vancouver metropolitan region were followed until age 10 years using linked administrative health databases. Asthma cases were sex- and age-matched to five randomly chosen controls. Associations between exposure to air pollutants estimated with different methods (interpolation (inverse-distance weighted (IDW)), land use regression, proximity) and incident asthma during the pre-school (0–5 years) and school age (6–10 years) periods were estimated with conditional logistic regression.

6948 and 1711 cases were identified during the pre-school and school age periods, respectively. Following adjustment for birthweight, gestational period, household income, parity, breastfeeding at discharge, maternal age and education, asthma risk during the pre-school years was increased by traffic pollution (adjusted odds ratio using IDW method per interquartile increase (95% CI): nitric oxide 1.06 (1.01–1.11), nitrogen dioxide 1.09 (1.04–1.13) and carbon monoxide 1.05 (1.01–1.1)). Enhanced impacts were observed amongst low-term-birthweight cases. Associations were independent of surrounding residential greenness.

Within-city air pollution variation was associated with new asthma onset during the pre-school years.
No Evidence That RFamide-Related Peptide 3 Directly Modulates LH Secretion in the Ewe
Authors: Decourt C. , Anger K. , Robert V. , Lomet D. , Bartzen-Sprauer J. , Caraty A. , Dufourny L. , Anderson G. , Beltramo M.
Published: February 2016

The neuropeptide RFamide-related peptide 3 (RFRP-3) has been implicated in the control of gonadotropin secretion in both birds and mammals. However, in mammals, depending on species, sex and photoperiod, inhibitory, excitatory, or no effect of RFRP-3 on the plasma concentration of LH has been reported. In the ewe, treatment with RFRP-3 either reduced LH concentration or had no effect, and treatment with an RFRP-3 receptor antagonist (ie, RF9) resulted in increased concentration of plasma LH. To clarify these conflicting results in the present study, a set of experiments was performed in ewes. Multiple iv injections of RFRP-3 (6 × 50 μg) in ovariectomized ewes had no effect on plasma LH pulsatility. In intact ewes a bolus injection (500 μg) or an injection (250, 500, or 1000 μg) followed by a 4-hour perfusion (250, 500, or 1000 μg · h−1) of RFRP-3 had no effect on the LH pulse induced by kisspeptin (6.5 μg). In ovariectomized, estrogen-replaced ewes, the LH surge induced by estradiol benzoate was not modified by a 24-hour perfusion of RFRP-3 (500 μg h−1). Finally, although treatment with RF9 induced a robust release of LH, treatment with a more selective RFRP-3 receptor antagonist, GJ14, resulted in no evident increase of LH. In contrast to the inhibitory effect previously suggested, our data are more consistent with the concept that RFRP-3 has no direct effect on LH secretion in ewes and that RF9 effect on LH release is likely not RFRP-3 receptor mediated. Hence, RFRP-3 probably has a minor role on the control of LH secretion in the ewe.
Sodium Intake and Osteoporosis. Findings From the Women's Health Initiative
Authors: Carbone Laura , Johnson Karen C. , Huang Ying , Pettinger Mary , Thomas Fridjtof , Cauley Jane , Crandall Carolyn , Tinker Lesley , LeBoff Meryl Susan , Wactawski-Wende Jean , Bethel Monique , Li Wenjun , Prentice Ross
Published: February 2016

Background:

The relationship of sodium intake to changes in bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women has not been established, and no study to date has examined its relationship with fracture risk.

Methods:

This was a prospective observational cohort study including 69 735 postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative during an average of 11.4 years of followup to examine whether sodium intake is associated with changes in BMD at the lumbar spine, total hip, femoral neck, and total body and with incident fractures and whether this relationship is modified by potassium and/or calcium intake.

Results:

In adjusted models, there was no association of calibrated sodium intake with changes in BMD at the hip or lumbar spine from baseline to 3 or 6 years (P ≥ .06). Higher sodium intakes were associated with greater increases in total body BMD from baseline to 3 years (P = .00) with a trend from baseline to 6 years (P = .08) and with reduced hip fractures (hazard ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.67–0.97). In sensitivity analyses that included body mass index as an additional covariate in the models, there was no association of sodium intake with changes in BMD at any skeletal site (P ≥ .32) or with incident fractures (P > .28). There was no association of sodium intake with incident fractures after adjusting for potassium intake (P ≥ .30). Calcium intake did not modify the association between sodium intake and incident fractures (P ≥ .20). Levels of sodium intake above or below currently recommended guidelines for cardiovascular disease (≤ 2300 mg/d) were not associated with changes in BMD at any skeletal site from baseline to 3 (P ≥ .66) or 6 years (P ≥ .74) or with incident fractures (P ≥ .70).

Conclusion:

Current population-based recommendations for sodium intake are unlikely to significantly affect osteoporosis.
Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis (ROCM) with internal carotid artery stenosis in a diabetic patient with caries tooth and oroantral fistula
Authors: Manjunath Kataveeranahally Shekar , Shivaswamy Santosh , Kulkarni Jayashree Dattatraya , Kenkare Venkatachalaiah Raghavendra
Published: February 2016

Mucormycosis is a rare, potentially fatal and opportunistic infection caused by fungi belonging to the order Mucorales. Rhinocerebral, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, cutaneous and disseminated are the different forms of mucormycosis. Rhinocerebral mucormycosis is the most common type and presents as a highly destructive infection in immunocompromised hosts, especially in patients with poorly controlled diabetes. The infection originates in the nasal mucosa owing to fungal inoculation and then spreads to the paranasal sinuses, orbits, orbital apex, cavernous sinuses and brain. Our patient was a 36-year-old female with poorly controlled diabetes who presented with orbital symptoms and signs, with very subtle involvement of the sinuses. She had stenosis of the entire left internal carotid artery, with multiple small infarcts in the left frontal and parietal lobes. She incidentally had tooth caries tooth with a periapical cyst and an oroantral fistula. Ours was a histopathologically proven case of rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis.
Approximations for Chat Service Systems Using Many-Server Diffusion Limits
Authors: Cui Leon , Tezcan Tolga
Published: February 2016

We study a queueing model of customer service chat systems. A unique feature of these queueing systems is that a single agent can serve multiple customers simultaneously. We prove the convergence of the queueing process to different diffusion processes in a many-server heavy-traffic regime in three different cases. Using this result, we are able to offer approximations for the steady-state performance measures such as the number of customers in the system, the abandonment probability, and the sojourn time of a customer. Our numerical experiments show that proposed approximations are accurate in various cases.
The Limits of Reflected Glory: The Beneficial and Harmful Effects of Product Name Similarity in the U.S. Network TV Program Industry, 1944–2003
Authors: Khessina Olga M. , Reis Samira
Published: February 2016

The market fate of a product ultimately determines the success or failure of a firm. A name is a central feature of any product, yet how names affect product market longevity is not well understood. In this paper we develop a theory in which a new product’s name affects the product’s categorization by audiences and, as a result, impacts its survival chances on the market. We predict that the similarity of the new product’s name to names of other products in the industry affects its survival probability, but the direction and magnitude of this effect depends on the popularity and status of products, to names of which the new product’s name is similar. We test our predictions on the population of all TV programs that were introduced during prime time plus early evening and late night on networks in the United States from the beginning of the industry in 1944 through 2003. An event history analysis of this population supports our predictions and thus suggests the importance of names in product market viability.
Better Governance for Biodiversity Conservation is Possible in Romania?
Authors: Florentina Gheorghe Iuliana , Maria Cocioaba Suzana , Adrian Lorent , Simona Mihailescu
Published: February 2016

Romania is one of the countries with a long tradition in biodiversity conservation. Regulations on nature protection included in Romanian law were first signaled in the 15th century. Although in the inter-bellum and communist periods the regulations were relatively fewer and the inflexible legislative framework had no focus on conservation, biodiversity and natural capital conservation happened by itself. After 1989, although there have been numerous legislative amendments and an opening concerning the signing of international conventions, the transposition of European biodiversity conservation legislation and support of large amounts of money; the efficiency of conservation is increasingly weaker. The Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), signed by Romania in 1992 was ratified by European Union in 1993. Since 2007 Romania, as an EU state member, must comply with commitments to the Convention in both positions. Natura 2000 network of protected areas is the key legal instrument in applying the sustainability principles to biodiversity. In order to ensure that the existing biodiversity is maintained, Romania has developed three National Strategies and an action Plan for Biodiversity Conservation. In all three, Romanian experts settled: the priority objectives, the priority areas for nature and biodiversity conservation, the ways of reforming the legal and institutional framework; the cost estimate to achieve the major objectives. The estimated budget necessary to implement the action plan is about 1,508,175,000 € out of which a small portion was spent, with very low efficiency.
Achieving Sustainability in Transportation Infrastructure Projects (Roads): A Nigeria Case Study
Authors: Oraegbune M.O. , Ugwu O.O. , Nwoji C.U. , Ezeokpube G.C.
Published: February 2016

This paper reports a research that investigated various challenging issues militate against successful delivery of sustainable transportation infrastructure projects in Nigeria focusing on roads. The case study method was used. In the research and several sources were used for data collection. These sources for primary data include case study based semi-structured, while secondary data sources projects, contract documents, industry publications and government reports. The research findings were used to formulate matrix of 13 vital challenging issues, and the development of a framework/roadmap and models for sustainable road infrastructure projects. The paper discusses the findings and makes some recommendations for transportation infrastructure projects sustainability.
#Indebted: Disciplining the Moral Valence of Mortgage Debt Online
Authors: Stout Noelle
Published: February 2016

The 2008 mortgage crash and the online publics that have emerged in its aftermath have reshaped American interpretations of indebtedness. Combining research among homeowners facing foreclosure in California’s Sacramento Valley with an analysis of the national online forums they frequent, I show how participants rethink the moral scaffolding of debt relations within what I describe as online publics of indebtedness. Anonymous online publics foster experiences of disembodied autonomy that encourage debt refusal and discipline the middle-class ethics of debt abandonment, as participants distinguish between mortgagors who deserve not to pay their debts and those they deem irresponsible for defaulting on their loans. In contrast, participation in semipublic social networks and online forms of publicity emphasizes new affective orientations toward debt obligations. My analysis contributes to an anthropological scholarship on moral economies by exploring the role of distinct forms of new media in shaping everyday experiences of indebtedness in late-capitalist financial markets.
Rule by Good People: Health Governance and the Violence of Moral Authority in Thailand
Authors: Funahashi Daena Aki
Published: February 2016

This article rethinks the presumed translatability of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) health promotion models and explores the unintended consequences of their global export. Specifically, I focus on the Thai military government’s adoption (2006–2008) of the Health in All Policies (HiAP) initiative, which redefined health outcomes as the standard universal measure against which the success of national public policy ought to be evaluated. Through my fieldwork at state-owned Thai health organizations, I track how a dharmic concept of wisdom (panya), one that links the capacity to make healthy choices with differential levels of enlightenment, undergirds the Thai adoption of HiAP, with political implications that are unrepresentable in nondharmic political worlds. I analyze the ramifications of framing a political intervention within the apolitical bioscientific register of medical necessity, and explore the effect that global health movements have on the status of political legitimacy and national political conflicts.
Circulating Ignorance: Complexity and Agnogenesis in the Obesity “Epidemic”
Authors: Sanabria Emilia
Published: February 2016

This article examines what is said to be un/known about obesity and the ways in which attributions of knowledge or ignorance circulate in the field of public health nutrition. Risks caused by individual behaviors have been an overstated concern in public health. Obesity, like many of today’s complex problems, is determined by myriad nested interactions spanning the political economies of market regulation, modes of agricultural production, the biochemistry of appetite regulation, and changing family structures. Yet public intervention—and the science produced to validate it—remains wedded to a mode of intervening that has limited purchase on the complexity with which it contends. This article draws on scholarship on the social construction of ignorance to argue that the field of evidence in obesity science is fashioned in a way that deflects attention (and responsibility) away from questions of food production and marketing and continues to frame the problem as one of individual responsibility. Rather than discrediting the veracity of evidence produced out of industry-research partnerships that increasingly dominate public health research, this article examines how the field of evidence has been structured by these relations. It argues that the demonstration of causal relations between political and socioeconomic determinants of malnutrition and measurable health indexes is largely impossible, not simply because of the absence of good evidence but because the existing parameters of good science cannot straightforwardly reveal such relations. This, in turn, is due to the configuration of the knowable in terms of whether knowledge can be made operational.
An adjustment of vancomycin dosing regimen for a young patient with augmented renal clearance: A case report / Úprava dávkového režimu vankomycínu pre mladého pacienta so zvýšeným renálnym klírensom: Kazuistika
Authors: Goboova Maria , Kuzelova Magdalena , Kissova Viera , Bodakova Dasa , Martisova Elena
Published: February 2016

Augmented renal clearance (ARC) is a recently reported condition in pathophysiology of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit. ARC refers to the enhanced renal elimination of circulating solutes. These patients are either young or previously healthy people who have undergone surgery or multiple trauma.

This case report describes an adjustment of dosing regime of vancomycin to a young patient, who demonstrated ARC with severe polytrauma, overcome crush syndrome and sepsis. This 16-year old male patient was crushed by a tractor, which caused severe tissue damaged in the right lower limb. He gradually developed a serious crush syndrome. When kidneys resumed their function, creatinine clearance reached the value that indicated ARC (339.81 mL/min/1.73 m2). Vancomycin was included in the patient’s treatment regime by administering conventional dose of 1 g per 12 hours. The residual measured levels were very low. The dose of vancomycin had to be adjusted to double and then to triple the conventional dose. Without the therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and subsequent interpretation of the results by the clinical pharmacists, such high doses would not have been considered for administration.

ARC responds strongly to sub-therapeutic serum vancomycin levels. Our case report confirms the significance of TDM and the consecutive interpretation of the results in critically ill patients.
Spirulina maxima and its effect on antioxidant activity in fructose induced oxidative stress with histopathological observations
Authors: Jarouliya Urmila , Zacharia Anish , Keservani Raj K. , Prasad Godavarthi B.K.S
Published: February 2016

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterised by hyperglycemia and oxidative stress. The aim of the present study is to explore the antioxidant effect of Spirulina maxima in rat model along with the histopathological observations. Diabetes was induced by feeding 10% fructose solution orally to Wistar rats (n = 6) for 30 days, analysed for plasma blood glucose and the markers of the oxidative stress [catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)]. These biochemical studies were associated with histopathological examination of liver and kidney sections. The microalga Spirulina maxima being rich in proteins and other essential nutrients is widely used as a food supplement. S. maxima at a dose of 5 and 10% per kg and the metformin (500 mg/kg) as reference drug were given orally for 30 days to the diabetic rats. Diabetic rats showed significant (p < 0.001) elevations in plasma blood glucose, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and significant reduction in catalase, superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione activity. Oral administration of 5 and 10% aqueous extract of S. maxima for 30 days restored not only of blood glucose levels but also markers of oxidative stress. Histopathological observations of tissues manifested that the S. maxima administration had the protective and therapeutic effects against fructose-induced abnormalities in diabetic rats. It is concluded that S. maxima is effective in reinstating the antioxidant activity in addition to its antidiabetic effect in type 2 diabetic rats.
Phenylcarbamic acid derivatives with integrated n-phenylpiperazine moiety in the structure – kinetics of alkaline hydrolysis study / Deriváty kyseliny fenylkarbámovej s integrovanou n-fenylpiperazínovou zložkou v štruktúre – štúdium kinetiky alkalickej hydrolýzy
Authors: M. Stankovičová , V. Miháliková , Ľ. Mezovský , A. Lašáková , V. Medlenová , I. Malík
Published: February 2016

In present work, we have studied kinetics of alkaline hydrolysis of 14 compounds, which are phenylcarbamic acid derivatives with integrated N-phenylpiperazine moiety in the structure. The compounds possessed moderate antiarrhythmic and antimycobacterial activity. Their hydrolysis was carried out in an aqueous medium ethanol sodium hydroxide solution. The course of the hydrolysis was observed spectrophotometrically in visible as well as in ultraviolet regions. The pseudo-first order rate constants were calculated at several temperatures. The values of the activation energy EA were determined by the Arrhenius equation. The rate of hydrolysis of the compounds under the study increase with the increase in temperature and it has been differentiated according to the substitution of N-phenylpiperazine as well as to the alkoxy substitution on phenyl ring.
Is the Oxidative Stress Really a Disease?
Authors: Fogarasi Erzsébet , Croitoru Mircea Dumitru , Fülöp Ibolya , Muntean Daniela-Lucia
Published: February 2016

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals or other reactive species and the antioxidant activity of the organism. Oxidative stress can induce several illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer and Parkinson. The biomarkers of oxidative stress are used to test oxidative injury of biomolecules. The indicators of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, 4-hydroxy- 2-nonenal, 2-propenal, isoprostanes), of protein oxidation (carbonylated proteins, tyrosine derivatives), of oxidative damage of DNA, and other biomarkers (glutathione level, metallothioneins, myeloperoxidase activity) are the most used oxidative stress markers. Diseases caused by oxidative stress can be prevented with antioxidants. In human body are several enzymes with antioxidant capacity (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase) and spin traps. Antioxidants are synthetized in the organism (glutathione) or arrive in the body by nutrition (ascorbic acid, vitamin E, carotenoids, flavonoids, resveratrol, xanthones). Different therapeutic strategies to reduce oxidative stress with the use of synthetic molecules such as nitrone-based antioxidants (phenyl-α-tert-butyl-nitrone (PBN), 2,4-disulphophenyl- N-tert-butylnitrone (NXY-059), stilbazulenyl nitrone (STAZN), which scavenge a wide variety of free radical species, increase endogenous antioxidant levels and inhibits free radical generation are also tested in animal models.
Imaging Findings of Bisphosphonates-Associated Osteonecrosis of Jaw: Literature Review and Report of 3 Cases
Authors: Lazar Adela Cristina , Hedesiu Mihaela , Ilea Aranka , Baciut Grigore , Pacurar Mariana , Campian Radu-Septimiu
Published: February 2016

Purpose: The present study aims radiological aspects of the occurrence of osteonecrosis of the jaw age groups both in receiving i.v bisphosphonates tratment Imaging assessment of bisphosphonates therapy-induced osteonecrosis of the jaw it is important to differentiate neoplastic invasion, osteomyelitis, osteoradionecrosis induced by radiation or bone related pathology of general diseases.

Material and method: We conducted a retrospective clinical study including 22 patients (8 men and 14 women) with various stages of osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Results: Radiological examinations using CBCT are required in all therapeutic approach of osteonecrosis of jaw cases providing accurate informations of position, dimension and the link with anatomical structures.Our study showed that the prevalence of osteonecrosis of mandibular growth is higher in women than in men and the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw in appearance is depending on age factor witch occurs more often between age 52-59 and 73-80 years old.

Conclusion: The multitude of complications due to treatment with bisphosphonates bind to an early and specialized therapeutic approach. Radiological examinations is a first choice in the detection and early diagnosis of osteonecrosis of the jaw, patients requiring a permanent supervision by the physician and dentist.
Radial Nerve Injury after Brachial Nerve Block - Case Series
Authors: Szederjesi Janos , Lazar Alexandra , Rad Paul , Almasy Emoke
Published: February 2016

Adding epinephrine to local anesthetics is recommended to extend the duration of peripheral nerve blocks. We describe in this article two cases of radial nerve injury possible due to coadministration of epinephrine during brachial plexus block.
Diffusion Weighted Imaging in Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Prostate Cancer Diagnosis: Current Efficiency as a Standalone Sequence for an Unenhanced MRI Experience - a Pilot Study
Authors: Nechifor-Boilă I.A. , Borda Angela , Loghin Andrada , Nechifor-Boilă Adela , Chibelean C.
Published: February 2016

Objective: Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) is the main sequence in the multiparametric prostate MRI protocol together with T2 and dynamic contrast-enhanced T1, leading to detection rates up to 60% in prostate cancer diagnosis. However, the use of intravenous contrast can have severe side-effects, making the use of unenhanced MRI sequences essential. The aim of our study was to assess the feasibility and efficiency of DWI as a standalone MRI technique for prostate cancer diagnosis. Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study at our department (09.2014-05.2015) and formed a study lot consisting in five prostate cancer patients that were scheduled for radical prostatectomy. Multiparametric MRI was performed (with DWI and T2 sequences) and the images were interpreted according to the PI-RADS system. The final histopathological result after prostatectomy served as gold standard. Results: A series of 9 lesions were detected and analyzed on DWI. At qualitative interpretation, DWI had a sensitivity of 85.7% and a specificity of 50%. The corresponding positive and negative likelihood ratios were 1.71 and 0.286, respectively (p=0.417). ADC analysis revealed a mean value of 1.2*10-3mm2/s for the benign lesions while the corresponding value was 0.8*10-3 for the malignant ones, regardless of tumor size and Gleason scoring. Conclusion: DWI is a feasible technique in the current clinical environment, with a good sensitivity and a medium specificity. Furthermore, an association to the anatomical T2 sequence could enhance the diagnostic efficiency of DWI and should be assessed in larger studies.
The Study of Factors Associated with Severity of In-Stent Restenosis in Patients Treated with PCI for Acute Coronary Syndromes
Authors: Blendea Ciprian , Chitu Monica , Orzan Marius , Bajka Balázs , Craciun Adriana , Benedek Imre
Published: February 2016

Introduction: The management of in stent restenosis represents a topic of great actuality and interest, especially since the interventional treatment with stent implantation became largely accepted as the metod of choice in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Identification of certain risk factors that could predict the development of an in stent restenosis and its severity could be extremely useful for the clinical management of these patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a total of 60 stent restenoses encountered in 57 patients admitted and treated in the Cardiology Clinic of Tirgu Mures. The interval of occurrence of restenosis ranged between 2 months and 37 months postintervention. We monitored the demographic characteristics (age, gender, colesterol, presence of renal insufficiency) and we realized a descriptive qualitative analysis of the angiographic procedural aspects. The in stent restenosis occurred most frequently on left anterior descending artery (63%), followed by the circumflex artery (22.15%) and right coronary artery (14.8%), regardless of the degree of stenosis prior to revascularization. Results: Statistical analysis using Chi square test revealed no statistically significant differences in terms of the correlation between the incidence of restenosis and gender (p=0.14), treatment with ACE inhibitors (p=0.16), implanted stent diameter (p=0.22) or the type of procedure (ram crossing over a secondary branch being considered as a procedure involved in the genesis of severe restenosis) (p=0.2). We used the t-student test for comparative analysis of the correlation between the continuous variables related to initial native lesion diameter and the degree of restenosis, without finding any a statistically significant correlation between them (p=0.226). However, a statistically significant correlation was found between cholesterol levels and the degree of stenosis (p=0.039). Descriptive analysis of restenosis lesions did not find any statistically significant correlation with the type or degree of stenosis in the native vessel, but showed statistically significant differences when evaluating the geometric assumption of restenosis by intraluminal diameter or intraluminal area (p=0.0018), suggesting that assessment of the degree of restenosis should be performed only by planimetric area. Conclusions: We can conclude that in stent restenosis represents a plurifactorial phenomenon, that is not conditioned by the severity of the native lesion or by the administration of ACE inhibitors or Spironolactone, however it depends directly on the control of cholesterol values afther the coronary revascularization.
Slowly changing function connected growth properties of wronskians generated by entire and meromorphic functions
Authors: Datta Sanjib Kumar , Biswas Tanmay , Kar Ananya
Published: February 2016

In the paper we establish some new results depending on the comparative growth properties of composite entire or meromorphic functions using generalised pL*-type with rate pand generalised pL*-weak type with rate p and wronskians generated by one of the factors.
Focal representation of k-slant Helices in Em+1
Authors: Öztürk Günay , Bulca Betül , Bayram Bengü , Arslan Kadri
Published: February 2016

The focal representation of a generic regular curve γ in Em+1 consists of the centers of the osculating hyperplanes. A k-slant helix γ in Em+1 is a (generic) regular curve whose unit normal vector Vk makes a constant angle with a fixed direction

in Em+1. In the present paper we proved that if γ is a k-slant helix in Em+1, then the focal representation Cγ of γ in Em+1 is an (m− k + 2)-slant helix in Em+1.
Bounds on third Hankel determinant for close-to-convex functions
Authors: Prajapat J. K. , Bansal Deepak , Singh Alok , Mishra Ambuj K.
Published: February 2016

In this paper, we have obtained upper bound on third Hankel determinant for the functions belonging to the class of close-to-convex functions.
Consistency rates and asymptotic normality of the high risk conditional for functional data
Authors: Rabhi Abbes , Keddani Latifa , Hammou Yassine
Published: February 2016

The maximum of the conditional hazard function is a parameter of great importance in seismicity studies, because it constitutes the maximum risk of occurrence of an earthquake in a given interval of time. Using the kernel nonparametric estimates of the first derivative of the conditional hazard function, we establish uniform convergence properties and asymptotic normality of an estimate of the maximum in the context of independence data.
Some generalization of integral inequalities for twice differentiable mappings involving fractional integrals
Authors: Sarikaya Mehmet Zeki , Budak Huseyin
Published: February 2016

In this paper, a general integral identity involving Riemann- Liouville fractional integrals is derived. By use this identity, we establish new some generalized inequalities of the Hermite-Hadamard’s type for functions whose absolute values of derivatives are convex.
Automatische Analyse und Erkennung graphischer Inhalte von SVG-basierten Engineering-Dokumenten
Authors: Hoang Xuan Luu , Arroyo Esteban , Fay Alexander
Published: February 2016

Graphische Engineering-Dokumente beinhalten substanzielle Informationen für diverse Planungs- sowie Betriebsaktivitäten in der
verfahrenstechnischen Industrie. Auch wenn diese Dokumente seit vielen Jahren mit dem Computer erstellt werden, werden sie in vielen
Fällen jedoch als Papierausdruck oder in primitiven digitalen Formaten gespeichert, wodurch eine rechnergestützte und effiziente
Auswertung dieser Dokumente erschwert wird. Um dieses Problem zu bewältigen, präsentiert dieser Beitrag eine neue Methodik für die
automatische Analyse und computer-interpretierbare Beschreibung von Engineering-Dokumenten, welche als Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
vorliegen.