bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Esophageal Mucosal Integrity in Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Authors: Matsumura Tomoaki , Arai Makoto , Ishigami Hideaki , Fujie Mai , Ishikawa Kentaro , Akizue Naoki , Taida Takashi , Ohta Yuki , Hamanaka Shinsaku , Okimoto Kenichiro , Saito Keiko , Maruoka Daisuke , Nakagawa Tomoo , Kato Naoya
Published: February 2018

Background: Impaired esophageal mucosal integrity plays a role in causing symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Recently, the assessment of esophageal baseline impedance (BI) using the multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH (MII-pH) test was suggested as a surrogate technique for the study of esophageal mucosal integrity and was reported to be useful in distinguishing GERD from non-GERD. However, measuring BI requires a 24-h testing period, is complicated, and causes considerable patient discomfort. Summary: Recently, endoscopy-guided catheters that can measure mucosal impedance (MI) and mucosal admittance (MA), which is the inverse of impedance, were developed, and their usefulness in measuring MI and MA for the diagnosis of GERD has been reported. In these studies, esophageal MI values were significantly lower in patients with GERD than in those without GERD. In contrast, esophageal MA was significantly higher in patients with GERD than in those without. Furthermore, we reported that MA is inversely correlated with BI and correlated with acid exposure time. Key Messages: Endoscopy-guided real-time measurement of MI and MA may allow the estimation of mucosal integrity and may be a useful diagnostic tool for patients with GERD in a manner similar to 24-h MII-pH monitoring.
Current Status of Endoscopic Resection for Superficial Nonampullary Duodenal Epithelial Tumors
Authors: Yamasaki Yasushi , Uedo Noriya , Takeuchi Yoji , Ishihara Ryu , Okada Hiroyuki , Iishi Hiroyasu
Published: February 2018

Background: Endoscopic resection (ER) is becoming the first choice of treatment for treating superficial nonampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (SNADETs), but ER procedures for SNADETs remain challenging because of the difficulty experienced in maneuvering the endoscope toward the thin duodenal wall, which results in a high rate of adverse events. Although several ER methods were used to overcome these technical difficulties and complications, ER methods for SNADETs are not standardized. A new technique, underwater endoscopic mucosal resection (UEMR), was developed recently in a western country, and its usefulness was reported. Beginning in 2014, we were the first to use UEMR for SNADETs in Japan. Thus, in our experience, we would propose an indication of the various ER methods for SNADETs according to the lesion size. Summary: Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and UEMR were effective and safe for small lesions (≤20 mm), but for large lesions (>20 mm), piecemeal removal of lesion by EMR and UEMR had high incidence of recurrence and adverse events. Especially, piecemeal EMR could cause delayed perforation. Cold snare polypectomy was useful for small lesions (≤10 mm), but further study of its recurrence is warranted. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) achieved a high complete resection rate regardless of the lesion size, but its rate of adverse events, including morbid complications, was high. Thus, after ESD for large lesions, secure prevention method for adverse events, such as closure of the wound by laparoscopic-endoscopic cooperative surgery, should be required. Key Messages: ER methods for treating SNADETs were proposed based on the lesion size. For large lesions, prophylactic methods for adverse events should be implemented.
Safety of Cold Polypectomy for Colorectal Polyps in Patients on Antithrombotic Medication
Authors: Matsumoto Mio , Yoshii Shinji , Shigesawa Taku , Dazai Masayoshi , Onodera Manabu , Kato Mototsugu , Sakamoto Naoya
Published: February 2018

Background: The cold polypectomy (CP) technique has been increasingly used in recent years. However, there have been few studies about post-polypectomy bleeding (PPB) in patients who underwent CP and who were on antithrombotic drugs. The objective of this study was to determine the safety of CP in patients on antithrombotic medication. Methods: The subjects were patients who underwent CP in our hospital between April 2014 and March 2016. PPB rates were examined in relation to the use of antithrombotic medication. Results: CP was performed to remove 2,466 polyps in 1,003 patients. There were 549 polyps (22.3%) in186 patients in the antithrombotic group and 1,917 polyps (77.7%) in 817 patients in the non-antithrombotic group. PPB occurred in 0.55% (3/549) of patients in the antithrombotic group and in 0.10% (2/1,917) of patients in the non-antithrombotic group, showing no significant difference (p = 0.07). Patients in the antithrombotic group in whom PPB occurred included 1 aspirin user with 1 polyp and 1 aspirin plus clopidogrel user with 2 polyps. No PPB occurred in patients on other antithrombotic agents or receiving heparin bridging. There was no significant difference between PPB rates in patients with small polyps (6–9 mm) in the antithrombotic and non-antithrombotic groups, but there was a significant difference between PPB rates in the 2 groups for patients with diminutive group (1–5 mm). Conclusion: CP is a safe procedure even in patients on antithrombotic medication.
Optimized Management of Ulcerative Proctitis: When and How to Use Mesalazine Suppository
Authors: Kato Shingo , Ishibashi Akira , Kani Kazuhito , Yakabi Koji
Published: February 2018

Background: Ulcerative proctitis, one of the disease types of ulcerative colitis, is considered one of the initial manifestations of ulcerative colitis. Prevention of aggravation of ulcerative proctitis is important for improving the prognosis of ulcerative colitis. Here we reviewed the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of ulcerative proctitis. Summary: The number of patients with ulcerative proctitis is increasing. Disease extension occurs in many patients with ulcerative proctitis. Differential diagnosis from other chronic proctitis is important and should be performed based on the clinical history and endoscopical and histological features. Mesalazine suppository has been the first-line therapy for patients with ulcerative proctitis because of its high effectiveness and safety. Topical treatment of ulcerative proctitis, particularly using mesalazine suppository has been underused in clinical practice. Key Messages: Mesalazine suppositories are more effective than dose intensification of oral mesalazine for relapsed patients with maintenance dose of oral mesalazine. However, low adherence to rectal mesalazine has hindered remission in patients with ulcerative proctitis.
Fungating Growth of Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Long-Standing Meningocele
Authors: Goyal Nishant , Chattopadhyay Debarati , Durgapal Prashant , Pasricha Rajesh , Kansal Yamini , Mahapatra Ashok Kumar
Published: February 2018

Squamous cell carcinoma is known to occur as a serious complication of chronic burns, scars, and ulcers, but very rarely has it been reported to occur in a long-neglected meningocele. The authors wish to present the case of a 21-year-old man who presented to us when a previously asymptomatic meningocele developed a squamous cell carcinoma on the meningocele sac. The squamous cell carcinoma was excised in toto, followed by excision of the redundant meningocele sac. The neural placode was closed and dural closure done with an artificial dural patch. Reconstruction of the defect thus created was performed by a lumbar perforator-based reverse latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap. The patient did not develop any postoperative neurological deficits and made an uneventful recovery in the postoperative period. He received adjuvant radiation therapy and is doing well at 4 months' follow-up.
Autologous Transplantation of the Internal Limiting Membrane for Refractory Macular Hole following Ruptured Retinal Arterial Macroaneurysm: A Case Report
Authors: Iwakawa Yumi , Imai Hisanori , Kaji Hiromi , Mori Yuki , Ono Chihiro , Otsuka Keiko , Miki Akiko , Oishi Mariko
Published: February 2018

Purpose: To report a case of macular hole (MH) secondary to a retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAMA) which was successfully treated with an autologous transplantation of internal limiting membrane (ILM). Case Report: An 87-year-old female presented with a sudden decrease in central vision in the right eye. A fundus examination revealed a RAMA in the superonasal macular region, a subretinal hemorrhage (SRH), involving the macula, and a sub-ILM hemorrhage. A pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) was performed. Intraoperatively, an MH filled with coagulum was detected. We tried to blow off and drain the SRH with a current of BSS and a gentle suction with a 27-gauge vitreous cutter from the MH, but some amount of SRH at the bottom of the MH remained. The ILM was peeled off for 2 disc diameters around the MH. The vitreous cavity was filled with air at the end of the operation. Two weeks after the surgery, the MH was not closed. One month following the initial PPV, a second PPV was performed to achieve closure of the MH. Results: An autologous transplantation of ILM was performed as second PPV. Six months after the final surgery, the MH was successfully closed and the best-corrected decimal visual acuity was 0.6. Conclusions: Autologous ILM transplantation can be an effective treatment option for MH closure following RAMA rupture.
The Effect of Mitochondrial Complex I-Linked Respiration by Isoflurane Is Independent of Mitochondrial Nitric Oxide Production
Authors: Xu Fuqi , Qiao Shigang , Li Hua , Deng Yanjun , Wang Chen , An Jianzhong
Published: February 2018

Background: Anesthetic preconditioning (APC) of the myocardium is mediated in part by reversible alteration of mitochondrial function. Nitric oxide (NO) inhibits mitochondrial respiration and may mediate APC-induced cardioprotection. In this study, the effects of isoflurane on different states of mitochondrial respiration during the oxidation of complex I-linked substrates and the role of NO were investigated. Methods: Mitochondria were isolated from Sprague-Dawley rat hearts. Respiration rates were measured polarographically at 28ºC with a computer-controlled Clark-type O2 electrode in the mitochondria (0.5 mg/mL) with complex I substrates glutamate/malate (5 mM). Isoflurane (0.25 mM) was administered before or after adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-initiated state 3 respiration. The NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor L-N5-(1-iminoethyl)-ornithine (L-NIO, 10 μM) and the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP, 1 μM) were added before or after the addition of ADP. Results: Isoflurane administered in state 2 increased state 2 respiration and decreased state 3 respiration. This attenuation of state 3 respiration by isoflurane was similar when it was given during state 3. L-NIO did not alter mitochondrial respiration or the effect of isoflurane. SNAP only, added in state 3, decreased state 3 respiration and enhanced the isoflurane-induced attenuation of state 3 respiration. Conclusion: Isoflurane has clearly distinguishable effects on different states of mitochondrial respiration during the oxidation of complex I substrates. The uncoupling effect during state 2 respiration and the attenuation of state 3 respiration may contribute to the mechanism of APC-induced cardioprotection. These effects of isoflurane do not depend on endogenous mitochondrial NO, as the NOS inhibitor L-NIO did not alter the effects of isoflurane on mitochondrial respiration.
A Case of Fundus Oculi Albinoticus Diagnosed as Angelman Syndrome by Genetic Testing
Authors: Fukiyama Yurie , Tonari Masahiro , Matsuo Junko , Oku Hidehiro , Sugasawa Jun , Shimakawa Shuichi , Ogihara Tohru , Okamoto Nobuhiko , Ikeda Tsunehiko
Published: February 2018

Purpose: To report a case of fundus oculi albinoticus diagnosed as Angelman syndrome (AS) via genetic testing. Case Report: This study reports on a 4-year-old boy. Since he had been having respiratory disturbance since birth, he underwent a complete physical examination to investigate the cause. The results indicated that he had various brain congenital abnormalities, such as a thin corpus callosum, as well as hydronephrosis, an atrial septal defect, and skin similar to patients with fundus oculi albinoticus. Examination revealed bilateral fundus oculi albinoticus, mild iridic hypopigmentation, optic atrophy, and poor visual tracking. Genetic testing revealed a deletion in the Prader-Willi syndrome/AS region on chromosome 15, and together with the results of methylation analysis, his condition was diagnosed as AS. Follow-up examinations revealed no change in the fundus oculi albinoticus and optic atrophy, nor did they indicate poor visual tracking. Conclusions: When fundus oculi albinoticus and optic atrophy are observed in patients with multiple malformations, AS should be considered as a differential diagnosis.
CSF-ctDNA SMSEQ Analysis to Tailor the Treatment of a Patient with Brain Metastases: A Case Report
Authors: Huang Wen-Tsung  , Lu Na-Mi , Hsu Wen-Yuan , Chang Shih-En , Atkins Alex , Mei Rui , Javey Manana
Published: February 2018

Brain metastases are the most common neurological complications of adult cancers, accounting for more than half of brain tumors. The incidence of brain metastases may be increasing due to improved detection of small lesions by advanced imaging technologies. Given the fast evolution of targeted and immunotherapy regimens, it is essential to serially assess brain malignancies during the disease course for disease monitoring and tailoring of the therapeutic management. For such serial and repetitive assessment, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) could be the biological fluid of choice to supplement cytology examination for the presence or absence of CNS malignancy, as well as provide extensive information on tumor mutational profile for personalization of treatment. The case described here emphasizes the importance of CSF-ctDNA analysis with the CellMax SMSEQ technology that led to treatment adjustment resulting in clinical remission of the patient.
Population-Based Cohort Study on Dementia Risk in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Kuo Chia-Lun , Lu Chin-Li , Chang Ya-Hui , Li Chung-Yi
Published: February 2018

Background: The risk of dementia increases by 15–28% in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). However, studies on dementia risk in type 1 DM have been neither comprehensive nor conclusive. Methods: We carried out a cohort study involving 1,077 patients registered to have type 1 DM from 1998 to 2009 and 32,310 matched non-DM controls who were selected from Taiwan National Health Insurance Claims. These participants were followed up from their first clinical appearance for type 1 DM treatment in 1998–2009 to the date of dementia diagnosis or the last day of 2011. The Cox proportional hazard model was employed to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of dementia incidence. Results: The incidence rates of dementia reached 42.8 and 13.1 per 104 person-years for the type 1 DM and control groups respectively. The adjusted HR of dementia in patients with type 1 DM was estimated at 3.01 (95% CI 2.18–4.14) after adjustment for demographics, comorbidity, urbanization, monthly income, and annual frequency of ambulatory care visits. No significant difference in sex-specific HR was observed. Conclusions: The relative risk of developing dementia (118–314%) in patients with type 1 DM was much higher than the ­previously reported relative risk (15–28%) associated with type 2 DM.
СТАН ЗДОРОВ’Я СТУДЕНТІВ, ПРОБЛЕМИ ТА ШЛЯХИ ЇХ ВИРІШЕННЯ
Authors: Chernyavska L. I. , Krynytska I. Ya. , Myaluk O. P.
Published: February 2018

У статті наведено статистичні дані про стан здоров’я студентської молоді, висвітлено проблему шкідливих звичок та здорового способу життя. Звернено увагу на шляхи вирішення даних проблем.
РОЛЬ ЛІКУВАЛЬНО-ПРОФІЛАКТИЧНИХ ЗАКЛАДІВ ВСІХ ФОРМ ВЛАСНОСТІ У ПРОФІЛАКТИЦІ НЕЕПІДЕМІЧНИХ ЗАХВОРЮВАНЬ В УКРАЇНІ
Authors: Hildina E. M. , Terenda N. O.
Published: February 2018

У статті проведено огляд стану профілактичної роботи в Україні та проаналізовано роль приватних медичних закладів у наданні санітарно-просвітницької інформації серед пацієнтів комерційних медичних установ.
ФОРМУВАННЯ СВІДОМОГО СТАВЛЕННЯ СТУДЕНТІВ-МЕДИКІВ ДО ЗДОРОВОГО СПОСОБУ ЖИТТЯ
Authors: Andreeva O. M.
Published: February 2018

У статті міститься визначення факторів впливу на мотивацію та формування свідомого ставлення до здорового способу життя у студентів медичних навчальних закладів.
ПОНЯТТЯ І ВИДИ ПОРУШЕННЯ ПОСТАВИ У ПІДЛІТКІВ
Authors: Tymoshenko N. V.
Published: February 2018

У статті проаналізовано літературні джерела з питань етіології та патогенезу порушень постави у підлітків. Правильне положення тіла в просторі дозволяє людині легко утримувати рівновагу і рівномірно розподіляти навантаження на верхні та нижні кінцівки, на м'язи спини. Як правило, сколіоз починає розвиватися у людини ще в ранньому дитинстві, коли вона починає ходити в школу, довгий час сидить за партою в неправильному положенні, сутулиться, а потім та ж історія повторюється і вдома за уроками.
Sobre corruptos, corrompidos e culpados: relatos de servidores públicos sobre práticas de corrupção
Authors: Sodré Rachel Juliene Menezes
Published: February 2018

Este artigo analisa possíveis articulações entre comportamentos desviantes no trabalho e a ocorrência de práticas de corrupção em organizações do setor público. A partir dos relatos de servidores públicos de um governo estadual, foram observadas as percepções e experiências desses servidores em relação a atos de corrupção. A literatura sobre comportamentos desviantes no trabalho sugere que as práticas de corrupção nas organizações variam de um grau de desvio de comportamento grave a aceitável. No caso analisado, as evidências indicam o uso de mecanismos de aceitação e perpetuação de práticas de corrupção, como um posicionamento oficial de negação de que tenha ocorrido corrupção e uso de processos informais para tratar denúncias, como investigação e atribuição de sanções a delatores e delatados.
Tuberculose e infecção latente em funcionários de diferentes tipos de unidades prisionais
Authors: Nogueira Péricles Alves , Abrahão Regina Maura Cabral de Melo , Galesi Vera Maria Neder , López Rossana Verónica Mendoza
Published: February 2018

OBJETIVO: Estimar a prevalência de tuberculose ativa e de infecção latente da tuberculose entre funcionários contatos e não contatos de detentos, e investigar fatores associados à infecção latente da tuberculose nesta população. MÉTODOS: Estudo observacional do tipo transversal, realizado no período de 2012 a 2015, em funcionários de diferentes unidades prisionais do município de Franco da Rocha, SP. Consistiu na aplicação de um questionário, aplicação e leitura da prova tuberculínica, baciloscopia e cultura dos escarros e exame radiológico. A associação entre as variáveis qualitativas foi calculada pelo teste qui-quadrado de Pearson e os fatores sociodemográficos e clínico-epidemiológicos relacionados à infecção latente da tuberculose foram avaliados pela regressão logística com o cálculo das odds ratios (OR) e seus respectivos intervalos com 95% de confiança (IC95%). RESULTADOS: Foram examinados 1.059 funcionários, sendo 657 (62,0%) de penitenciárias, 249 (23,5%) de unidades da Fundação CASA e 153 (14,5%) de hospitais de custódia e tratamento psiquiátrico. Foi aplicada e lida a prova tuberculínica em 945 (89,2%) profissionais. Desses, 797 (84,3%) eram contatos de detentos e 148 (15,7%) não eram. Entre funcionários das penitenciárias, os fatores associados com a infecção latente da tuberculose foram os seguintes: ter contato com detento (OR = 2,12; IC95% 1,21–3,71); ser do sexo masculino (OR = 1,97; IC95% 1,19–3,27); estar na faixa etária entre 30 e 39 anos (OR = 2,98; IC95% 1,34–6,63), 40 a 49 anos (OR = 4,32; IC95% 1,94–9,60) e 50 a 59 anos (OR = 3,98; IC95% 1,68–9,43); ser da cor ou raça não branca (OR = 1,89; IC95% 1,29–2,78); e ser fumante (OR = 1,64; IC95% 1,05–2,55). Não houve exame positivo na baciloscopia e na cultura. Dos 241 (22,8%) profissionais que realizaram o exame radiológico, 48 (19,9%) apresentaram alterações, dos quais 11 eram suspeitos de tuberculose. CONCLUSÕES: Os funcionários das penitenciárias que têm contato direto com os detentos têm 2,12 vezes mais chance de se infectar pelo Mycobacterium tuberculosis no âmbito de trabalho e, consequentemente, de adoecer por tuberculose, devendo ser alvos de ações de prevenção e controle da doença.
Translational Implications of Platelets as Vascular First Responders
Authors: Becker Richard C. , Sexton Travis , Smyth Susan S.
Published: February 2018

Platelets play a vital role in normal hemostasis to stem blood loss at sites of vascular injury by tethering and adhering to sites of injury, recruiting other platelets and blood cells to the developing clot, releasing vasoactive small molecules and proteins, and assembling and activating plasma coagulation proteins in a tightly regulated temporal and spatial manner. In synchrony with specific end products of coagulation, primarily cross-linked fibrin, a stable thrombus quickly forms. Far beyond physiological hemostasis and pathological thrombosis, emerging evidence supports platelets playing a pivotal role in vascular homeostasis, inflammation, cellular repair, regeneration, and wide range of autocrine and paracrine functions. In essence, platelets play both structural and functional roles as reporters, messengers, and active transporters surveying the vasculature for cues of environmental or developmental stimuli and participating as first responders.

1

In this review, we will provide a contemporary perspective of platelet physiology, including fundamental, translational, and clinical constructs that apply directly to human health and disease.
Somatic Mutations and Clonal Hematopoiesis
Authors: Fuster José J. , Walsh Kenneth
Published: February 2018

Increasing evidence shows that conventional cardiovascular risk factors are incompletely predictive of cardiovascular disease, particularly in elderly individuals, suggesting that there may still be unidentified causal risk factors. Although the accumulation of somatic DNA mutations is a hallmark of aging, its relevance in cardiovascular disease or other age-related conditions has been, with the exception of cancer, largely unexplored. Here, we review recent clinical and preclinical studies that have identified acquired mutations in hematopoietic stem cells and subsequent clonal hematopoiesis as a new cardiovascular risk factor and a potential major driver of atherosclerosis. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the connection between somatic mutation-driven clonal hematopoiesis and cardiovascular disease will be highly relevant in the context of personalized medicine, as it may provide key information for the design of diagnostic, preventive, or therapeutic strategies tailored to the effects of specific somatic mutations.
A Return to the Philosophy of Praxis
Authors: Lopez Daniel
Published: February 2018

I reviewThe Philosophy of Praxisby Andrew Feenberg, firstly, presenting a critical yet sympathetic summary of Feenberg’s argument, developed via Marx, Lukács and Marcuse. Despite sharing Adorno’s and Marcuse’s dismissal of proletarian revolution, he finds aspects of Marx and particularly Lukács compelling. Upon this synthesis he builds his own philosophy. Secondly, I argue that Feenberg’s treatment of Lukács’s 1920s work is unparalleled and may counter the systematic distortion to which it has been subject. He defends Lukács’s ontology with respect to nature and his politics, countering the charge of authoritarianism. Finally, I suggest that Feenberg tends to elide the analysis of the state and politics in Marx and Lukács, and that this distorts his understanding of the latter. I suggest a Hegelian interpretation of Lukács’s concept of mediation by way of parallel withThe Phenomenology of Spirit. I conclude by suggesting the implications of this disagreement.
Numerical Study of Physical Processes Controlling Summer Precipitation over the Western Ghats Region
Authors: Zhang Gang , Smith Ronald B.
Published: February 2018

Summer precipitation over the Western Ghats and its adjacent Arabian Sea is an important component of the Indian monsoon. To advance understanding of the physical processes controlling this regional precipitation, a series of high-resolution convection-permitting simulations were conducted using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. Convection simulated in the WRF Model agrees with TRMM and MODIS satellite estimates. Sensitivity simulations are conducted, by altering topography, latent heating, and sea surface temperature (SST), to quantify the effects of different physical forcing factors. It is helpful to put India’s west coast rainfall systems into three categories with different causes and characteristics. 1) Offshore rainfall is controlled by incoming convective available potential energy (CAPE), the entrainment of midtropospheric dry layer in the monsoon westerlies, and the latent heat flux and SST of the Arabian Sea. It is not triggered by the Western Ghats. When offshore convection is present, it reduces both CAPE and the downwind coastal rainfall. Strong (weak) offshore rainfall is associated with high (low) SSTs in the Arabian Sea, suggested by both observations and sensitivity simulations. 2) Coastal convective rainfall is forced by the coastline roughness, diurnal heating, and the Western Ghats topography. This localized convective rainfall ends abruptly beyond the Western Ghats, producing a rain shadow to the east of the mountains. This deep convection with mixed phase microphysics is the biggest overall rain producer. 3) Orographic stratiform warm rain and drizzle dominate the local precipitation on the crest of the Western Ghats.
Performance of the WRF Model for Surface Wind Prediction around Qatar
Authors: Sandeepan B. S. , Panchang V. G. , Nayak S. , Kumar K. Krishna , Kaihatu J. M.
Published: February 2018

The performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model is examined for the region around Qatar in the context of surface winds. The wind fields around this peninsula can be complicated owing to its small size, to a complex pattern of land and sea breezes influenced by the prevailing shamal winds, and to its dry and arid nature. Modeled winds are verified with data from 19 land stations and two offshore buoys. A comparison with these data shows that nonlocal planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes generally perform better than local schemes over land stations during the daytime, when convective conditions prevail; at nighttime, over land and over water, both schemes yield similar results. Among other parameters, modifications to standard USGS land-use descriptors were necessary to reduce model errors. The RMSE values are comparable to those reported elsewhere. Simulated winds, when used with a wave model, result in wave heights comparable to buoy measurements. Furthermore, WRF results, confirmed by data, show that at times sea breezes develop from both coasts, leading to convergence in the middle of the country; at other times, the large-scale wind impedes the formation of sea breezes on one or both coasts. Simulations also indicate greater land/sea-breeze activity in the summer than in the winter. Differences in the diurnal evolution of surface winds over land and water are found to be related to differences in the boundary layer stability. Overall, the results indicate that the WRF Model as configured here yields reliable simulations and can be used for various practical applications.
Trajectories and typologies of pre-sentence restorative justice rituals
Authors: Rossner Meredith , Bruce Jasmine
Published: February 2018

Enthusiasm for restorative justice has seen conferencing brought in to the mainstream of criminal justice systems around the world. This raises concerns over how integration into criminal justice will impact conference dynamics. In this article, we present new findings from a study of restorative justice conferences at the pre-sentencing stage for adult offenders. By documenting the interactional dynamics of conferences it reveals the emotional trajectories that conferences take, and the factors that shape immediate conference outcomes. Our results show both the positive aspects of what restorative justice is capable of achieving as well as the tensions that arise when it is integrated within conventional criminal justice. We offer a refined vision of what success can mean in restorative justice at the pre-sentence stage.
Utilisation of maternal and child health handbook in Mongolia: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Hikita Naoko , Haruna Megumi , Matsuzaki Masayo , Shiraishi Mie , Takehara Kenji , Dagvadorj Amarjargal , Sumya Narantuya , Bavuusuren Bayasgalantai , Baljinnyam Purevdorj , Ota Erika , Mori Rintaro
Published: February 2018

Objective:

This study investigated the use of a Maternal and Child Health (MCH) handbook, and related factors, in Mongolia.

Design:

Population-based cross-sectional study.

Setting:

Bulgan Province, Mongolia.

Method:

MCH handbook use was determined by examining whether participants had read it or recorded their health-related information into it. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to reveal factors related to MCH handbook utilisation.

Results:

Of the 716 participants, 631 (88.1%) read the MCH handbook and 428 (59.8%) recorded their health-related information in it. Mothers with middle or high educational attainment were more likely to have read it than were those with low educational attainment (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.41–4.50; AOR = 3.19, 95% CI = 1.29–7.93, respectively). Literate women and those who had been taught to use the handbook were more likely to read it (AOR = 3.19, 95% CI = 1.68–6.05; AOR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.31–4.46, respectively). Mothers with a middle or very high wealth index were more likely to have read it than were those with a very low index. Mothers with middle or high educational attainment were more likely to make records in it than were those with low attainment. Mothers who were taught to use the handbook were more likely to make records in it, while those who had children with chronic diseases were less likely to do so.

Conclusion:

Women’s literacy levels, educational attainment, economic status and effective explanation of its usage must be considered in order to enhance the handbook’s effectiveness.
Patience in Everyday Life: Three Field Studies in France, Germany, and Romania
Authors: Güss C. Dominik , Hauth Doris , Wiltsch Franziska , Carbon Claus-Christian , Schütz Astrid , Wanninger Katrin
Published: February 2018

Patience is a highly relevant virtue in daily life. Yet patience has not yet been studied systematically across cultures. The aim of this study is to investigate three competing hypotheses. Based on the pace-of-life hypothesis, individuals that reside in countries with slower paces of life will be most patient. Based on the self-regulation hypothesis, countries with a strong emphasis on self-regulation will be most patient. Based on the situation-specific-patience-behavior hypothesis, patience will vary among situations. We observed patience in a total of 835 persons within three situations in France, Germany, and Romania in the capitals as well as in a small city in each: (a) waiting at an ATM machine, (b) waiting in a supermarket line, and (c) tolerating a lengthy telephone survey introduction. City size, gender, and age did not affect the amount of time that elapsed before signs of impatience were manifested. People in Germany were the most patient in the ATM situation, which supports the self-regulation hypothesis. No significant country differences were found for the two other situations. There was no evidence for the pace-of-life hypothesis, though the results did support the notion that patience is situation-specific because impatient behaviors and the time that elapsed prior to their display, differed among situations. The kind of reactions exhibited in the waiting situations differed across cultures, indicating culture-specific ways to cope with impatience. Results have applications to various fields of psychology. Moreover, they can aid in improving tolerance and understanding when individuals are forced to wait in other countries.
Whose Moral Community? Religiosity, Secularity, and Self-rated Health across Communal Religious Contexts
Authors: Stroope Samuel , Baker Joseph O.
Published: February 2018

Scholars have long theorized that religious contexts provide health-promoting social integration and regulation. A growing body of literature has documented associations between individual religiosity and health as well as macro–micro linkages between religious contexts, religious participation, and individual health. Using unique data on individuals and county contexts in the United States, this study offers new insight by using multilevel analysis to examine meso–micro relationships between religion and health. We assess whether and how the relationship between individual religiosity and health depends on communal religious contexts. In highly religious contexts, religious individuals are less likely to have poor health, while nonreligious individuals are markedly more likely to have poor health. In less religious contexts, religious and nonreligious individuals report similar levels of health. Consequently, the health gap between religious and nonreligious individuals is largest in religiously devout contexts, primarily due to the negative effects on nonreligious individuals’ health in religious contexts.
A Grounded Theory of the Process of Spiritual Change Among Homicide Survivors
Authors: Johnson Shannon K. , Zitzmann Brooks
Published: February 2018

Grounded theory was used to generate a mid-range theory of the process of spiritual change in the lives of survivors of homicide victims. Theoretical sampling guided the selection of 30 participants from a larger study of spiritual change after homicide ( N = 112). Individual interviews were analyzed using a four-step sequence of line-by-line, focused, axial, and selective coding. Analysis generated a closed theory consisting of three fluids, consecutive but nonlinear stages. Each stage consisted of an overarching process and a state of being in the world: (a) Disintegrating: living in a state of shock; (b) Reckoning: living in a state of stagnation; (c) Recreating and reintegrating the self: living in a state of renewal. Movement through the stages was fueled by processes of spiritual connection that yielded changes that permeated the theory. Findings can be used to help practitioners address the processes that drive spiritual change in the lives of homicide survivors.
The Rapid Escalation of Fentanyl in Illicit Drug Evidence in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 2010-2016
Authors: Creppage Kathleen E. , Yohannan Joshua , Williams Karl , Buchanich Jeanine M. , Songer Thomas J. , Wisniewski Stephen R. , Fabio Anthony
Published: February 2018

Opioid overdose deaths in the United States quadrupled from 1999 (n = 8050 deaths) to 2015 (n = 33 091 deaths), and the number of deaths associated with synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, increased from 3105 deaths in 2013 to nearly 20 000 deaths in 2016. Given this rapid increase, timely surveillance for drugs in circulation is crucial. However, current surveillance systems used to track drug overdoses do not detect new drugs in circulation quickly. We studied the change in the presence of fentanyl in “stamp bag” drug evidence in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, from 2010 through 2016. Stamp bags are small wax packets with individual stamps that contain mixtures of drugs, most commonly heroin, that law enforcement officers seize and retain as legal evidence. The proportion of stamp bags determined to contain fentanyl or a fentanyl analog was 2.1% in 2014 and rose sharply to 17.1% in 2016. Monitoring the chemical makeup of drug evidence items could help public health authorities identify drug use trends in their jurisdictions.
Neo-liberalisation, universities and the values of bureaucracy
Authors: Nash Kate
Published: February 2018

Neo-liberalisation of universities is advancing through a bureaucratic revolution. ‘Marketising bureaucracy’ advances neo-liberalisation through audit and rankings in the name of ensuring value for money and consumer choice. However, bureaucracy in universities is not total, just as neo-liberalisation is a project which advances on an uneven terrain of values. This article argues that to exercise academic autonomy, to continue to value education, we must learn to distinguish between ‘marketising’ and ‘socialising’ bureaucracy. Socialising bureaucracy encodes the ethos of impartiality in practices that support academic judgement – both against marketisation and against abuses of collegiality.
Dismemberment Murder: In Search of the Object
Authors: Harris Jay E. , Pontius Anneliese A.
Published: February 2018

This paper expresses the thesis that acts of dismemberment attempt to disintegrate the most important object representation in order to reconstitute it in a subjectively more meaningful way. The older man cut his victim into seven pieces, each one representing a lost member of his own family. Then he merged with his own mother-child image. The younger man attempted to protect his wife from his image of her destruction by dismembering his victim. Dionysian, Toltec, Mayan and Aztec ritual dismemberments are collective repetitive reenactments of infantile ego states seeking access to the gifts of the gods through primary identification.
Commitment of the Mentally Ill in New York: Some Comments and Suggestions
Authors: Dawidoff Donald J.
Published: February 2018

This paper describes the law and procedure at hearings concerning the further retention of mentally ill inpatients who are confined at a city hospital, emphasizing the role of psychiatrists and attorneys. It is shown that the hearings are not truly adversary since neither an attorney representing the hospital nor a psychiatric witness for the patient are present. Patients are too ill to participate in their own defense and most hearings result in continued retention. The author suggests certain changes which might result in greater attention being paid to the civil and due process rights of mental patients.
Some reflections on the interface of law and psychiatry in child custody cases
Authors: Saxe David B.
Published: February 2018

In the trial of child custody cases, psychiatric testimony has assumed a more important role. The author reviews some psychiatric studies dealing with the effect of custody disposition and then focuses on certain legal proceedings where psychiatric testimony has assumed a paramount role in disposition. The author concludes that unless members of the bar, bench and therapeutic community work more closely together, the “best interests” test will become a meaningless exercise.
Report from Colorado: The New Commitment Law
Authors: Steingarten Jeffrey
Published: February 2018

A month after Colorado's new commitment statute was on the books, psychiatrists and social workers were puzzled by the new procedures and by a “gravely disabled” standard common to ten other jurisdictions. Patients, lacking the advice of counsel in the state hospital, were confused about their rights. The new law was drafted without sensitivity to the strict due process requirements imposed by federal courts in six or seven jurisdictions around the country. An example of the problems which can arise under the new law is shown by examining the case of the first patient at Colorado State Hospital to request a hearing. Indications are that mental health and legal officials are now moving with all deliberate speed to bring a greater measure of due process to the workings of the new law.
The Sign-out Letter: Civil Right and/or Therapeutic Issue
Authors: Mallard H. Clay , Feigelson Eugene B.
Published: February 2018

Sixteen consecutive hospitalized psychiatric patients who submitted “sign-out letters” were examined by an impartial psychiatrist in an attempt to discern the motivation/or the sign-out letter. In addition, the treating physicians and staff were also examined by the same impartial observer. We found that the use of the sign-out letter was determined more by unidentified and unresolved therapeutic issues than by primary concerns with civil rights. On the other hand, the sign-out letter can clearly be viewed as a statement of civil rights if the civil rights issue is understood to refer to patients’ right to refuse treatment if he or she feels the treatment is inadequate or injurious. A therapeutic approach to problems posed by the sign-out letters is suggested.
Discretion and the Law: A Psycholegal Overview
Authors: Schoenfeld C. G.
Published: February 2018

Numerous examples of the clearly excessive discretionary powers that now saturate the American legal system are discussed. The dangers that these discretionary powers pose are explored with the aid of psychoanalytic discoveries, particularly concerning man's moral faculty or superego. These psychoanalytic discoveries are also employed in an effort to determine how such discretionary powers might be limited or structured so that the United States remains, as much as possible, a government of laws and not of men.
Crisis in confidentiality, ethics and legality for a psychiatrist
Authors: Rappaport Richard G.
Published: February 2018

A patient in individual and group psychotherapy protests the exposure to the group of information told only to his psychiatrist in confidence. A formal complaint by the patient to an ethics committee, with threat of a malpractice suit, highlights the absence of a legal mental health code for guidance. Correspondence and committee hearings are the forum for a heated debate of the issues of confidentiality, patient rights, and responsibility of the therapist. The predicament of the therapist in the hands of a committee of peers unprepared for their role becomes a trauma itself.
Inadequate Means to a Noble End: The Right to Treatment Paradox
Authors: Brown Lester B. , Bremer Jeanne M.
Published: February 2018

The right to treatment movement has increased the possibilities for humane treatment of persons experiencing severe problems in living. This increased access to treatment, however, raises questions about the state of our knowledge of psychotherapy. It is questionable whether the helping professions can provide effective help to those persons confined because they are in need of mental treatment. The right to treatment movement is examined in light of what is and is not known about treatment effectiveness. Issues are raised about the discrepancies between legislative/judicial progress and the ability of the helping professions to meet the new challenge prompted by the right to treatment movement.
An Essay on the Civil Commitment Lawyer: Or how I Learned to Hate the Adversary System
Authors: Galie Lawrence P.
Published: February 2018

This article deals with the ethical and moral dilemma facing the attorney charged with the duty of obtaining the release of a respondent in a civil commitment proceeding; a respondent who may well need the treatment commitment would bring. The role of the attorney as adversary and how that role often conflicts with the best interest of his client is examined. It is shown how the question “Would you defend a man in a civil commitment proceeding whom you knew needed medical care?” is an infinitely more difficult one for attorneys than the question “Would you defend a man whom you knew to be guilty?”
The Regulation of Behavior Modification Programs in Prisons: Some Problems of Definition
Authors: Wardlaw Grant
Published: February 2018

This paper examines the confusion that has arisen over the failure to adequately define what is meant by behavior modification in critical analyses of this therapeutic intervention in prison settings. The technical term “behavior modification” is explicated and the consequences of ignoring distinctions among types of behavior modification are discussed. A plea is made for analysis and evaluation of the goals and procedures of all therapeutic interventions.
Insanity Revised: Once More over the Cuckoo's Nest
Authors: Pasewark Richard A. , Pasewark Mark D.
Published: February 2018

Currently, strong impetus is observed to alter or abolish the insanity plea. These endeavors are questioned on the following grounds: (1) the current lack of empirical data concerning the manner in which the plea operates presently; (2) the retrogressive nature of the alternative proposals made; (3) the constitutionality of the plea; and (4) as an overreaction to criticism generated by a few, well-publicized insanity cases.
What is Law? A Psychoanalytically Oriented Study
Authors: Schoenfeld C. G.
Published: February 2018

The notion that law is definable as the “command of a sovereign” is clearly unsound. Yet even so, it remains a popular view of the law. This paradox is examined here in the light of psychoanalytic theories and discoveries concerning man's primordial and individual history. An attempt is made to show that the fallacious belief that law is the “command of a sovereign” reflects the influence of this history.
Innovations in Forensics: Developing Criteria for Determination of Dangerous Behavior
Authors: Mullen James M. , Norman W. Barry
Published: February 2018

This paper addresses some of the dilemmas currently inherent in forensic psychiatric programs and suggests methods in which hospital clinicians can redefine their roles. Assessment procedures for forensic patients is discussed and recommendations are made that might improve clinical decisionmaking through the implementation of statistical procedures. In addition, the Texas project on developing statistical criteria for the determination of dangerousness of the mentally disordered offender is discussed.
Definitions of Mental Illness and the Insanity Defense
Authors: Abrams Natalie
Published: February 2018

Four versions of the insanity test are reviewed: the M'Naghten rules, the irresistible impulse test, the Durham rule, and the American Law Institute test. It is argued that the insanity tests, whatever their particular formulations, are inapplicable. Given present so-called definitions of mental illness based on behavioral patterns, the author suggests that it is impossible to show a causal connection between a “men al illness” and a criminal act. Therefore, claims of nonresponsibility cannot be based on the demonstration of contingent causal connections. It is also argued that the tests are irrelevant to the actual decisions that have to be made, either the disposition of the criminal or the detention of those found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Substituted Judgment: The Parens Patriae Justification for Involuntary Treatment of the Mentally Ill
Authors: Wesson Marianne
Published: February 2018

Civil commitment and forced treatment are often defended by the claim that a benevolent government can exercise “substituted judgment” to supersede the impaired decisionmaking processes of the mentally ill. This article argues that the claim is tenable, but only if its proponents provide satisfactory answers to two questions: First, how should we define the kind of incompetence that makes an individual a proper subject for substituted judgment? Second, is there a necessary relationship between such incompetence and mental illness?
Discovery in Mental Health Class Action Litigation
Authors: Schultz Stephen , Listrom Linda L. , Yoken Stephen B.
Published: February 2018

The authors discuss the problems created when plaintiffs' attorney(s) in mental health class actions seek discovery of the records or their contents of nonnamed class members. They show how such discovery can be more intrusive than the violation of rights being challenged in the lawsuit. They conclude that both as a matter of common law and constitutional law and under rules of procedure, discovery of the records of nonnamed plaintiffs must be limited to information that goes to the heart of the lawsuit and must never be allowed absent the obtaining of written consent from the nonnamed plaintiffs.