bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accountability and opposition to globalization in international assemblies
Authors: de Wilde Pieter , Junk Wiebke Marie , Palmtag Tabea
Published: October 2015

Advocates of a global democratic parliament have expressed hopes that this would not only legitimize global governance in procedural terms, but also bring about more cosmopolitan policies. They point to the European Parliament as an example of a successful real existing democratic parliament beyond the state with cosmopolitan intent. We analyse plenary debates in the United Nations General Assembly and the European Parliament about the issues of climate change, human rights, migration, trade and European integration between 2004 and 2011 to study the nature of opposition to cosmopolitanism within these two assemblies. We find more vocal and better-organized opposition to cosmopolitanism in the European Parliament than in the United Nations General Assembly. We demonstrate the plausibility that direct and more proportional mechanisms of delegation and accountability in the case of the European Parliament account for this observed difference. Should further research confirm these initial findings, advocates of a global democratic parliament may find that an empowered democratic World Parliament would support less cosmopolitan policies than the current United Nations General Assembly.
The challenge of creating a ‘Welsh NHS’
Authors: Riley Christopher
Published: October 2015

Health policy in the UK has been greatly affected by devolution, with growing divergence in policy and practice across the four UK countries. Since 1999, Wales has created distinctive policies and structures and made some progress in improving health and services, despite obstacles. These include financial and demographic challenges faced elsewhere and others rooted in local attitudes and expectations and in the nature of the Welsh constitutional settlement.
Factors affecting well-being in adults recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Coty Mary-Beth , Salt Elizabeth G , Myers John A , Abusalem Said K
Published: October 2015

This article examines role stress, key psychosocial variables, and well-being in adults recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Patients recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis must often learn to balance disease and role-related responsibilities. This was cross-sectional, descriptive study ( N = 80). Data were analyzed using correlation coefficients and linear regression models. Participants were predominantly female (78%), married, and employed. Mean age and disease duration were 54.2 years and 24.2 months, respectively. The findings suggest that well-being is influenced by feelings of being self-efficacious and having balance in their roles and less to do with social support received from others.
Exploring gender and identity issues among female adolescent and young adults who connect in an anonymous platform
Authors: Pounders Kathrynn , Stowers Kirsten , Wilcox Gary , Love Brad , Mackert Michael
Published: October 2015

There has been an increased usage of online cancer support groups as a resource for health-related information and social support. This work analyzes message blog posts from an anonymous online support community to better understand issues related to gender and identity among female adolescent and young adults. This work sheds further light into the nuances of gender and identity issues including motherhood and reproductive issues, physical appearance, and romantic relationships. Specifically, findings reveal that female adolescent and young adults experience issues pertaining to infertility, feeling like a bad mom, hair loss, scarring, dating, and intimacy. These findings of this work offer further guidance about how healthcare providers and caregivers can attempt to meet the needs of female adolescent and young adults.
Hazy worlds: Atmospheric ontologies in Denmark
Authors: Bille Mikkel
Published: October 2015

This article explores the use of light in Denmark as part of shaping atmospheres. It discusses how the words informants use to express a particular atmosphere may have multiple connotations and in essence be defined more by their vagueness than by their clarity. The article argues that, rather than focusing on clear ontological statements, taking informants' lack of clarity at face value offers new ways for the ethnographer to gain insights into material aspects of social life through the concept of atmospheres. Atmospheres denote a sensuous ‘something’ that takes place in-between things and people. They may be ontologically difficult to grasp or to contain, yet they play an important role in ordering spaces and social life. With a focus on the ‘ecstasy’ of things – in this case a light source – as a sensuous encounter of presence, the article argues that both the contemporary focus on the ontology of things within anthropology as well as a post-ANT perspective on performativity, though analytically useful, overlook methodologically how the vagueness of atmospheres foregrounds the contemporaneity and entanglement of matters, minds and cultural preferences of sensing places.
Stereotactic Radiotherapy in the Retreatment of Recurrent Cervical Cancers, Assessment of Toxicity, and Treatment Response
Authors: Pontoriero Antonio , Iatì Giuseppe , Aiello Dario , Pergolizzi Stefano
Published: October 2015

Aim:

To evaluate the role of stereotactic body radiation therapy in the retreatment of locally recurrent cervical cancers. Brachytherapy is the main choice to treat gynecologic cancers.

Methods:

Patients with recurrent cervical cancer, previously submitted to radiotherapy, were treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy using a CyberKnife system (Accuray Incorporated, Sunnyvale, California) with a fiducial tracking system.

Results:

From August 2011 to October 2014, 5 patients have been treated. Median age was 81 years (range, 70-84 years). Two patients were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma endometrioid and 3 with squamous cell carcinoma. Toxicity was scored according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria. After a median follow-up of 12 months (range, 8-34 months), no severe (>grade 3) acute/late genitourinary or low gastrointestinal toxicity was observed.

Conclusion:

Our preliminary results of stereotactic body radiation therapy “simulating” high dose rate for recurrent cervical cancers confirm a minimal toxicity and an optimal outcome. The stereotactic body radiation therapy is an alternative to high dose rate brachytherapy for gynecologic tumors.
Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy to Aid Parathyroid Identification and Preservation in Central Compartment Neck Surgery
Authors: Antakia Ramez , Brown Brian H. , Highfield Peter E. , Stephenson Tim J. , Brown Nicola J. , Balasubramanian Sabapathy P.
Published: October 2015

Background. Accurate identification of parathyroid glands during thyroid surgery is crucial to avoid postthyroidectomy hypocalcemia. Electrical impedance spectroscopy has the potential to differentiate between tissues of different morphology. The aim of this study was to determine the electrical impedance patterns of the thyroid, parathyroid, and other soft tissue structures in the rabbit neck. Methods. The central compartments were exposed in 9 freshly culled New Zealand White rabbits. In situ and ex vivo electrical impedance was measured from thyroid lobes, external parathyroid glands, adipose tissue, and strap muscle using the APX100 device. Specimens of all identified glands were sent for histopathology examination. Results. Histology confirmed correct identification of all excised thyroid and parathyroid glands. The impedance was higher for thyroid tissue at lower frequencies and for parathyroid tissue at higher frequencies. Ex vivo electrical impedance spectra were significantly higher compared with the in situ spectra across all frequencies for thyroid and parathyroid tissues ( P < .001). The ratio of low to high frequency in situ impedance of thyroid, parathyroid, and muscle was significantly different ( P < .001), allowing for differentiation between these tissues. Conclusion. The electrical impedance spectra of rabbit thyroid and parathyroid glands are distinct and different from each other and from skeletal muscle. If these results are replicated in human tissue, they have the potential to improve patient outcomes by achieving early identification and preservation of parathyroid glands.
Three-Dimensional Modeling May Improve Surgical Education and Clinical Practice
Authors: Jones Daniel B. , Sung Robert , Weinberg Crispin , Korelitz Theodore , Andrews Robert
Published: October 2015

Background. Three-dimensional (3D) printing has been used in the manufacturing industry for rapid prototyping and product testing. The aim of our study was to assess the feasibility of creating anatomical 3D models from a digital image using 3D printers. Furthermore, we sought face validity of models and explored potential opportunities for using 3D printing to enhance surgical education and clinical practice. Methods. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance images were reviewed, converted to computer models, and printed by stereolithography to create near exact replicas of human organs. Medical students and surgeons provided feedback via survey at the 2014 Surgical Education Week conference. Results. There were 51 respondents, and 95.8% wanted these models for their patients. Cost was a concern, but 82.6% found value in these models at a price less than $500. All respondents thought the models would be useful for integration into the medical school curriculum. Conclusion. Three-dimensional printing is a potentially disruptive technology to improve both surgical education and clinical practice. As the technology matures and cost decreases, we envision 3D models being increasingly used in surgery.
The Value of Mixed Methods Research
Authors: McKim Courtney A.
Published: October 2015

The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to examine the perceived value of mixed methods research for graduate students. The quantitative phase was an experiment examining the effect of a passage’s methodology on students’ perceived value. Results indicated students scored the mixed methods passage as more valuable than those who scored the quantitative or qualitative passage. The qualitative phase involved focus groups to better understand students’ perceptions of the perceived value of mixed methods. Findings suggested graduate students view mixed methods passages as having rigorous methods, a newer history, and providing a deeper meaning of the phenomenon. This study adds to the literature base by revealing what value graduate students assign to quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research.
Appealing children: UK audiences’ responses to the use of children in humanitarian communications
Authors: Seu Irene Bruna
Published: October 2015

Empathy, vulnerability and identification play an important role in the wish to protect children who are perceived to be helpless, blameless and therefore the ideal victim. This article offers an empirically based discussion of responses to humanitarian communications depicting children. Although most participants recognized that a communication involving a child has immediate impact, overall they displayed a reflexive and critical awareness of their own propensity to automatically empathize in response, with many expressing irritation for being manipulated. The study suggests that focusing exclusively on a de-contextualized and dyadic ‘audience-victim’ relationship offers only partial insight into audiences’ responses and reactions. Instead, it is argued that the usefulness of the use of children in humanitarian communication can be properly gauged only in the context of media saturation, audiences being sophisticated and media-savvy about appeals and communications, and a general attitude of distrust and dissatisfaction with the marketization of NGOs.
Autism, the Social Thinking Curriculum, and moral courage
Authors: Richman Kenneth A
Published: October 2015

Michelle Garcia Winner’s Social Thinking Curriculum is widely used by schools across the USA and has garnered attention internationally. The curriculum addresses social language and behavior deficits among those on the autism spectrum. Although many embrace this curriculum without reservation, the emphasis on social conformity, including avoiding behaviors that make others uncomfortable, merits scrutiny. Individuals who have difficulty understanding social cues and conventions can derive tremendous benefit from learning to fit in, for example, or learning what is likely to make others uncomfortable and why. However, too much emphasis on pleasing others can reinforce undesirable tendencies. For example, autism is already linked to avoidant personality disorder. An emphasis on avoiding making others uncomfortable may also inhibit the development of principled ethical thinking and action. Reframing social thinking to treat it not (or not only) as an end in itself, but as a way to achieve a variety of social and personal goals would go a long way toward addressing the weaknesses of the Social Thinking Curriculum.
Risk of new-onset diabetes associated with statin use
Authors: Beckett Robert D , Schepers Sarah M , Gordon Sarah K
Published: October 2015

Objective:

To identify and assess studies investigating the association between statins and new-onset diabetes and determine the clinical significance of this risk.

Data sources:

A MEDLINE (1977–April 2015), Google Scholar (1997–April 2015), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1977–April 2015) search was performed using the search terms hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors, hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors/adverse effects, statins, adverse effects, diabetes mellitus, diabetes mellitus/etiology, and drug-induced. Citations of identified articles and clinical practice guidelines were also reviewed.

Study selection and data extraction:

Articles describing results from original investigations or meta-analyses specifically designed to assess the association between statins and new-onset diabetes and published in English were included.

Data synthesis:

A total of 13 cohort studies and seven meta-analyses were included. In all, 11 were retrospective cohort studies and reported some degree of increased risk of new-onset diabetes associated with statins. The two prospective cohort studies differed. One identified increased risk of new-onset diabetes, but the other did not. Increased risk was not identified when any statin was compared to placebo alone, individual statins were compared, or in the single meta-analysis that included observational studies. Overall, the meta-analyses suggest that statin therapy is associated with an increased risk of new-onset diabetes when compared to placebo or active control, and when intensive therapy is compared to moderate therapy.

Conclusion:

Statins have been associated with a small, but statistically significant risk of new-onset diabetes. Patients with risk factors for developing diabetes mellitus may be at higher risk. This risk is likely outweighed by the benefits of reducing cardiovascular risk.
Associations between emotional instability, coping, and health outcomes among patients with non-cardiac chest pain
Authors: Undheim Marie , Bru Edvin , Murberg Terje A
Published: October 2015

The main aim of this study was to examine the relationship of emotional instability with illness worry and perceived limitations due to chest pain, and investigate to what degree any associations are mediated by the following chest pain–related coping styles: acceptance, seeking emotional support, seeking instrumental support, and avoidance. Self-reported measures from 94 participants with non-cardiac chest pain were collected. The results showed a relationship between emotional instability, illness worry, and perceived limitations due to chest pain. Moreover, this relationship was mediated by the coping styles avoidance and acceptance.
Introduction: From Culture Digitally
Authors: Gillespie Tarleton , Postigo Hector
Published: October 2015

This essay introduces the special issue of Social Media + Society curated by the editors of Culture Digitally and drawn from the community of Culture Digitally contributors.
Imagined Affordance: Reconstructing a Keyword for Communication Theory
Authors: Nagy Peter , Neff Gina
Published: October 2015

In this essay, we reconstruct a keyword for communication—affordance. Affordance, adopted from ecological psychology, is now widely used in technology studies, yet the term lacks a clear definition. This is especially problematic for scholars grappling with how to theorize the relationship between technology and sociality for complex socio-technical systems such as machine-learning algorithms, pervasive computing, the Internet of Things, and other such “smart” innovations. Within technology studies, emerging theories of materiality, affect, and mediation all necessitate a richer and more nuanced definition for affordance than the field currently uses. To solve this, we develop the concept of imagined affordance. Imagined affordances emerge between users’ perceptions, attitudes, and expectations; between the materiality and functionality of technologies; and between the intentions and perceptions of designers. We use imagined affordance to evoke the importance of imagination in affordances—expectations for technology that are not fully realized in conscious, rational knowledge. We also use imagined affordance to distinguish our process-oriented, socio-technical definition of affordance from the “imagined” consensus of the field around a flimsier use of the term. We also use it in order to better capture the importance of mediation, materiality, and affect. We suggest that imagined affordance helps to theorize the duality of materiality and communication technology: namely, that people shape their media environments, perceive them, and have agency within them because of imagined affordances.
Digital Inequality and Second-Order Disasters: Social Media in the Typhoon Haiyan Recovery
Authors: Madianou Mirca
Published: October 2015

This article investigates the intersection of digital and social inequality in the context of disaster recovery. In doing so, the article responds to the optimism present in recent claims about “humanitarian technology” which refers to the empowering uses and applications of interactive technologies by disaster-affected people. Drawing on a long-term ethnography with affected communities recovering from Typhoon Haiyan that hit the Philippines in 2013 triggering a massive humanitarian response, the article offers a grounded assessment of the role of social media in disaster recovery. In particular, the article focuses on whether any positive consequences associated with digital media use are equally spread among better off and socially marginalized participants. The analysis reveals sharp digital inequalities which map onto existing social inequalities. While some of our already better-off participants have access to a rich media landscape which they are able to navigate often reaping significant benefits, low-income participants are trapped in a delayed recovery with diminished social media opportunities. The fact that some participants are using social media to recover at a rapid pace while others are languishing behind represents a deepening of social inequalities. In this sense, digital inequality can amplify social inequalities leading to a potential “second-order disaster.” This refers to humanly perpetuated disasters that can even surpass the effects of the natural disaster.
“Use Your Skills to Solve This Challenge!”: The Platform Affordances and Politics of Digital Microvolunteering
Authors: Ilten Carla
Published: October 2015

How does the rise of managed online platforms for civic engagement change the relationships between activists and organizations? While much has been written about Twitter- and Facebook-enabled mobilization, the emergence of platforms that organize “microaction” in contained ways is a phenomenon understudied by social movement and media scholars. This study draws on both literatures to analyze the hybrid case of Sparked, a microvolunteering platform created by web designers, not activists, that efficiently organizes volunteering through a microaction design. The case exhibits characteristics that social movement scholars understand as resource mobilization through leveraging of affordances by activists, but it also features the structural characteristics of platforms that media scholars identify as both enabling and constraining. To conceptualize the “digitally enabled activism” that takes place within the confines of a managed platform, this study investigates its microaction affordances and their implications. My analysis finds that high leveraging of online affordances can coincide with a shifted logic of engagement in the case of microaction platforms: Sparked’s microaction system affords high performance, but targets only a specialized niche of volunteering. I describe this model as “specialized supersizing” that addresses nonprofits’ needs for increasing organizational overhead services in the context of a professionalizing third sector. Sparked’s microvolunteering design has helped define a platform-centric constitution for microaction that is geared toward rationalization, professionalization, and productivity. Its platform “politics” promote depoliticization, where tactics, not causes, determine exchanges. This emergence of a market for mobilization tactics may have important implications for nonprofits, volunteers, and social movements.
Comparison of Short-Term Outcomes of Geriatric Distal Femur and Femoral Neck Fractures
Authors: Konda Sanjit R. , Pean Christian A. , Goch Abraham M. , Fields Adam C. , Egol Kenneth A.
Published: October 2015

Purpose:

To compare and contrast postoperative complications in the geriatric population following open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for (DF) fractures relative to femoral neck (FN) fractures.

Methods:

Patients aged 65 years and older in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database who underwent ORIF for FN fractures or DF fractures from 2005 to 2012 were identified. Differences in rates of any adverse events (AAEs), serious adverse events (SAEs), infectious complications, and mortality between groups were explored using univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results:

The DF cohort had a higher proportion of females (81.95% vs 71.35%, P < .001), were younger (79.41 ± 7.93 vs 82.11 ± 7.26 years old, P < .001), and had a lower age adjusted modified Charlson comorbidity index score (4.22 ± 1.32 vs 4.49 ± 1.35, P = .02). Cases with DF and FN did not differ in AAE (20.05% vs 20.20%, P = .94), SAE (12.03% vs 13.19%, P = .51), infectious complication (4.26% vs 4.22%, P = .97), hospital length of stay (7.32 ± 6.73 days vs 7.02 ± 10.67 days, P = .59), or mortality rates (4.51% vs 5.99%, P = .23). Multivariate analyses revealed that fracture type did not impact AAE ( P = .28), SAE ( P = .58), infectious complications ( P = .83), or mortality ( P = .85) rates.

Conclusion:

Postoperative morbidity and mortality of geriatric patients who sustain DF and FN fractures treated operatively were comparable. This information can be used when risk stratifying and prognosticating for elderly patients undergoing these procedures.
Walking With Meaning
Authors: McDuff Jennifer , Phinney Alison
Published: October 2015

Physical activity is beneficial for people with dementia, but little research explores subjective experiences of physical activity in this population. Interpretive description guided the analysis of 26 interviews conducted with 12 people with dementia. Three themes described the subjective meaning of everyday physical activity: Participants were attracted to activity because it improved physical well-being, provided social connections, gave opportunity to be in nature, and provided structure and focus; participants experienced impediments to activity because of physical discomfort, environmental factors, lack of enthusiasm, and memory loss; and participants made adjustments by choosing walking over other activities and by being active with others. Results show that physical activity remains important for people with dementia, although they encounter barriers. They may prefer walking with others as a form of activity. Findings could influence how nurses conceptualize wandering and suggest that walking programs could be well received by people with dementia.
The Impacts of Video Games on Cognition (and How the Government Can Guide the Industry)
Authors: Green C. Shawn , Seitz Aaron R.
Published: October 2015

Video game play has become a pervasive part of American culture. The dramatic increase in the popularity of video games has resulted in significant interest in the effects that video gaming may have on the brain and behavior. The scientific research to date indicates that some, but not all, commercial video games do indeed have the potential to cause large-scale changes in a wide variety of aspects of human behavior, including the focus of this review—cognitive abilities. More recent years have seen the rise of a separate form of video games, the so-called “brain games,” or games designed with the explicit goal of enhancing cognitive abilities. Although research on such brain games is still in its infancy, and the results have definitely not been uniformly positive, there is nonetheless reason for continued optimism that custom games can be developed that make a lasting and positive impact on human cognitive skills. Here, we discuss the current state of the scientific literature surrounding video games and human cognition with an emphasis on points critically related to public policy.
Video Captions Benefit Everyone
Authors: Gernsbacher Morton Ann
Published: October 2015

Video captions, also known as same-language subtitles, benefit everyone who watches videos (children, adolescents, college students, and adults). More than 100 empirical studies document that captioning a video improves comprehension of, attention to, and memory for the video. Captions are particularly beneficial for persons watching videos in their non-native language, for children and adults learning to read, and for persons who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. However, despite U.S. laws, which require captioning in most workplace and educational contexts, many video audiences and video creators are naïve about the legal mandate to caption, much less the empirical benefit of captions.
Eyewitness Identification and the Accuracy of the Criminal Justice System
Authors: Clark Steven E. , Benjamin Aaron S. , Wixted John T. , Mickes Laura , Gronlund Scott D.
Published: October 2015

This article addresses the problem of eyewitness identification errors that can lead to false convictions of the innocent and false acquittals of the guilty. At the heart of our analysis based on signal detection theory is the separation of diagnostic accuracy—the ability to discriminate between those who are guilty versus those who are innocent—from the consideration of the relative costs associated with different kinds of errors. Application of this theory suggests that current recommendations for reforms have conflated diagnostic accuracy with the evaluation of costs in such a way as to reduce the accuracy of identification evidence and the accuracy of adjudicative outcomes. Our framework points to a revision in recommended procedures and a framework for policy analysis.
Kaleidoscope
Authors: Tracy Derek K. , Joyce Dan W. , Shergill Sukhwinder S.
Published: October 2015

Life expectancy in England is related to income (and in London,
it can be mapped by a resident's nearest tube station1). The
arrival of a new government offers the opportunity to review the impact of
earlier policies designed to reduce health inequality. A new report from the
King's Fund2 has updated Michael Marmot's 2010 publication,
Fair Society, Healthy Lives, and using a wider range of
determinants of lifestyle and health, has found that income-related
inequalities in life expectancy have improved since that report. Department
of Health policies in the 2000s appear to have contributed to this, although
reductions in child and pensioner poverty and improvements in employment and
social housing have also impacted positively. Nevertheless, unemployment,
housing deprivation, and binge drinking remain key factors in lowering life
expectancy. The King's Fund report argues that a more nuanced and integrated
policy response for the NHS and other public services will be required by
the new government to continue to reduce inequality, but recognises that
implementation in an era of austerity poses challenges, particularly for the
most vulnerable.
Early intervention in psychosis: Still the ‘best
buy’?
Authors: Castle David J. , Singh Swaran P.
Published: October 2015

High-quality services for people with psychosis are essential. However, in
this debate David Castle questions whether separate early intervention
services are the best option and argues instead for an integrated approach.
Swaran Singh responds, robustly defending the value of early intervention
services.
Psychiatric morbidity and socio-occupational dysfunction in residents of a drug rehabilitation centre: challenges of substance misuse management in a Bruneian context
Authors: Ho Hilda , Adanan Anddy Maz , Omar Radiah
Published: October 2015

Aims and method

In 2011, a psychiatric clinic was started in Pusat Al-Islah, a drug rehabilitation centre. Our aim was to record self-reported socio-occupational dysfunction and patterns of drug misuse and to evaluate the usefulness of a psychiatric screening tool. A two-phased approach using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was used to examine the rates of psychiatric diagnoses.

Results

Methamphetamine was the most commonly misused substance in 94.5% of residents. High levels of socio-occupational dysfunction were reported. In total, 5.5% met criteria for major depressive disorder, 4.8% for lifetime psychotic disorder and 11.5% for suicidal ideation. In addition, 13.3% reported previous untreated mental health problems.

Clinical implications

A screening tool such as the SRQ can be used to identify those needing further psychiatric assessment. Interventions to address amphetamine misuse and associated socio-occupational dysfunction are required. Societal views and legislation influence the management of substance misuse problems in Brunei.
Stocks, Commodities and Business Cycle Fluctuations – Seeking the Diversification Benefits
Authors: Kurach Radosław
Published: October 2015

In this study we empirically verify the diversification potential of different commodity sectors for equity portfolios. We also try to find the explanation of varying cross-sectoral diversification benefits by verifying the relationship between macroeconomic variables and commodity indices. We employ correlation analysis for our purposes. The obtained results indicate that Precious Metal and Livestock are valuable equity portfolio diversifiers, while Industrial Metals volatility has much in common with the fluctuations of broad stock market.
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis
Authors: Clement N. D. , Vats A. , Duckworth A. D. , Gaston M. S. , Murray A. W.
Published: October 2015

Controversy remains whether the contralateral hip should be fixed in patients presenting with unilateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). This retrospective study compares the outcomes and cost of those patients who had prophylactic fixation with those who did not.

Between January 2000 and December 2010 a total of 50 patients underwent unilateral fixation and 36 had prophylactic fixation of the contralateral hip. There were 54 males and 32 females with a mean age of 12.3 years (9 to 16). The rate of a subsequent slip without prophylactic fixation was 46%. The risk of complications was greater, the generic health measures (Short Form-12 physical (p < 0.001) and mental (p = 0.004) summary scores) were worse. Radiographic cam lesions in patients presenting with unilateral SCFE were only seen in patients who did not have prophylactic fixation. Furthermore, prophylactic fixation of the contralateral hip was found to be a cost-effective procedure, with a cost per quality adjusted life year gained of £1431 at the time of last follow-up.

Prophylactic fixation of the contralateral hip is a cost-effective operation that limits the morbidity from the complications of a further slip, and the diminished functional outcome associated with unilateral fixation.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1428–34.
Quantification of material loss from the neck piece taper junctions of a bimodular primary hip prosthesis. A retrieval study from 27 failed Rejuvenate bimodular hip arthroplasties
Authors: Buente D. , Huber G. , Bishop N. , Morlock M.
Published: October 2015

The early failure and revision of bimodular primary total hip arthroplasty prostheses requires the identification of the risk factors for material loss and wear at the taper junctions through taper wear analysis. Deviations in taper geometries between revised and pristine modular neck tapers were determined using high resolution tactile measurements. A new algorithm was developed and validated to allow the quantitative analysis of material loss, complementing the standard visual inspection currently used.

The algorithm was applied to a sample of 27 retrievals (in situ from 2.9 to 38.1 months) of the withdrawn Rejuvenate modular prosthesis. The mean wear volumes on the flat distal neck piece taper was 3.35 mm3 (0.55 to 7.57), mainly occurring in a characteristic pattern in areas with high mechanical loading. Wear volume tended to increase with time to revision (r² = 0.423, p = 0.001). Implant and patient specific data (offset, stem size, patient’s mass, age and body mass index) did not correlate with the amount of material loss observed (p >  0.078). Bilaterally revised implants showed higher amounts of combined total material loss and similar wear patterns on both sides. The consistent wear pattern found in this study has not been reported previously, suggesting that the device design and materials are associated with the failure of this prosthesis.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1350–7.
Ray amputation for the treatment of foot macrodactyly in children
Authors: Kim J. , Park J. W. , Hong S. W. , Jeong J. Y. , Gong H. S. , Baek G. H.
Published: October 2015

Macrodactyly of the foot is a rare but disabling condition. We present the results of surgery on 18 feet of 16 patients, who underwent ray amputation and were followed-up for more than two years at a mean of 80 months (25 to 198).

We radiologically measured the intermetatarsal width and forefoot area pre-operatively and at six weeks and two years after surgery. We also evaluated the clinical results using the Oxford Ankle Foot Questionnaire for children (OxAFQ-C) and the Questionnaire for Foot Macrodactyly.

The intermetatarsal width and forefoot area ratios were significantly decreased after surgery. The mean OxAFQ-C score was 42 (16 to 57) pre-operatively, improving to 47 (5 to 60) at two years post-operatively (p = 0.021). The mean questionnaire for Foot Macrodactyly score two years after surgery was 8 (6 to 10).

Ray amputation gave a measurable reduction in foot size with excellent functional results. For patients with metatarsal involvement, a motionless toe, or involvement of multiple digits, ray amputation is a clinically effective option which is acceptable to patients.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1364–9.
Comparison of contemporary periacetabular osteotomy for hip dysplasia with total hip arthroplasty for hip osteoarthritis
Authors: Gray B. L. , Stambough J. B. , Baca G. R. , Schoenecker P. L. , Clohisy J. C.
Published: October 2015

We report patient-reported outcomes and complications associated with contemporary periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) surgery in treating symptomatic acetabular dysplasia and compare these outcomes with total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients with similar demographic details. Two consecutive cohorts included patients between aged 18 to 40 years who had undergone either PAO (100 hips; 24 male, 76 female) or THA (55 hips; 18 male, 37 female). At a mean follow-up of 5.9 years (2 to 13), there was significant improvement in the modified Harris hip pain (p < 0.001, PAO and p < 0.001, THA), function (p < 0.001, PAO and p = 0.001, THA), and total scores (p < 0.001, PAO and p < 0.001, THA) within each cohort. There were no significant differences in the clinical outcome scores between the groups. Complication rates were low and similar in each cohort (p = 0.68). Similar to THA, contemporary PAO surgery is a clinically effective procedure that improves function and activity levels, provides pain relief and is associated with an acceptable complication rate.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1322–7.
Pain after total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Lavand'homme P. , Thienpont E.
Published: October 2015

The patient with a painful arthritic knee awaiting total knee arthroplasty (TKA) requires a multidisciplinary approach. Optimal control of acute post-operative pain and the prevention of chronic persistent pain remains a challenge. The aim of this paper is to evaluate whether stratification of patients can help identify those who are at particular risk for severe acute or chronic pain.

Intense acute post-operative pain, which is itself a risk factor for chronic pain, is more common in younger, obese female patients and those suffering from central pain sensitisation. Pre-operative pain, in the knee or elsewhere in the body, predisposes to central sensitisation. Pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee may also trigger neuropathic pain and may be associated with chronic medication like opioids, leading to a state of nociceptive sensitisation called ‘opioid-induced hyperalgesia’. Finally, genetic and personality related risk factors may also put patients at a higher risk for the development of chronic pain.

Those identified as at risk for chronic pain would benefit from specific peri-operative management including reduction in opioid intake pre-operatively, the peri-operative use of antihyperalgesic drugs such as ketamine and gabapentinoids, and a close post-operative follow-up in a dedicated chronic pain clinic.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B(10 Suppl A):45–8.
Are general surgeons able to accurately self-assess their level of technical skills?
Authors: Rizan C , Ansell J , Tilston TW , Warren N , Torkington J
Published: October 2015

Introduction

Self-assessment is a way of improving technical capabilities without the need for trainer feedback. It can identify areas for improvement and promote professional medical development. The aim of this review was to identify whether selfassessment is an accurate form of technical skills appraisal in general surgery.

Methods

The PubMed, MEDLINE®, Embase™ and Cochrane databases were searched for studies assessing the reliability of self-assessment of technical skills in general surgery. For each study, we recorded the skills assessed and the evaluation methods used. Common endpoints between studies were compared to provide recommendations based on the levels of evidence.

Results

Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria from 22,292 initial papers. There was no level 1 evidence published. All papers compared the correlation between self-appraisal versus an expert score but differed in the technical skills assessment and the evaluation tools used. The accuracy of self-assessment improved with increasing experience (level 2 recommendation), age (level 3 recommendation) and the use of video playback (level 3 recommendation). Accuracy was reduced by stressful learning environments (level 2 recommendation), lack of familiarity with assessment tools (level 3 recommendation) and in advanced surgical procedures (level 3 recommendation).

Conclusions

Evidence exists to support the reliability of self-assessment of technical skills in general surgery. Several variables have been shown to affect the accuracy of self-assessment of technical skills. Future work should focus on evaluating the reliability of self-assessment during live operating procedures.
A question of ethics
Authors: Simmons Gerald
Published: October 2015

A niche isn’t always the safest place in difficult times…
Mid-Infrared Features of Kaolinite-Dickite
Authors: Cuadros Javier , Vega Raquel , Toscano Alejandro
Published: October 2015

Transformation of kaolinite to dickite is a common diagenetic reaction. The present report is part of a wider study to investigate the pathways of this polytype change. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to attempt quantification of the relative proportions of kaolinite and dickite, validated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) results, in order to link mineral and structural features during the mineralogical changes. A group of kaolinite and dickite samples was investigated: 13 samples from the Frøy and Rind oil fields (North Sea), three kaolinite specimens with different crystal order and particle size (KGa-2, kaolinite API 17, Keokuk kaolinite), and two dickite-rich samples (Natural History Museum collection). Six FTIR spectral features were analyzed: (1) intensity ratio of the minima at 3675 and 3635 cm−1; (2) position of the band at ~1115 cm−1; (3) difference between the frequency of the bands at ~1030 and ~1000 cm−1; (4) intensity ratio of the bands generating shoulders at ~922 and ~900 cm−1; (5) position of the band at ~370 cm−1; and (6) intensity of the band at ~268 cm−1. Correlation of the features above with polytype relative proportions derived from XRD showed non-linear behavior, with maximum curvature at the dickite end, which precludes kaolinite-dickite quantification. Increasing kaolin particle size is known to cause decreased intensity of the FTIR spectra. A model was developed to test whether this effect is consistent with the non-linear progression of the IR features. The relative intensity of kaolinite and dickite IR features were calculated in a series of kaolinite-to-dickite transformations, where the size of particles increases with dickite proportion, and where dickite-dominated particles reach a larger size than kaolinite-dominated particles. The results indicated that the differential particle size increase is possibly the cause of the lack of linearity between IR- and XRD-measured dickite proportions.
Geology and Conditions of Formation of the Zeolite-Bearing Deposits Southeast of Ankara (Central Turkey)
Authors: Karakaya Muazzez Çelık , Karakaya Necatı , Yavuz Fuat
Published: October 2015

The pyroclastic sediments studied here contained varied amounts of zeolite and were formed in the saline alkaline Tuzgölü Basin following the alteration of dacitic volcanic materials during the Early to Late Miocene. The present study focused on the geological-geochemical properties of the zeolites and describes their formation. Mineralogical and chemical compositions were determined by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results indicated that the zeolitic tuffs consisted mainly of heulandite/clinoptilolite (Hul/Cpt), chabazite, erionite, and analcime associated with smectite. Smectite, calcite, and dolomite are abundant in the clay and carbonate layers which alternate with the zeolitic tuffs. K-feldspar, gypsum, and hexahydrite (MgSO4·6H2O) were also found in some altered tuffs and clay-marl layers as accessory minerals. The zeolite and other authigenic minerals showed weak stratigraphic zonation. Some vitric tuff layers contained no zeolite minerals and others were found to consist of almost pure Hul/Cpt and chabazite layers with economic potential. The rare earth elements (REE), large ion lithophile elements (LILE), and high-field strength elements (HFSE) in the Hul/Cpt-rich tuffs and vitric tuffs were enriched or depleted relative to the precursor rock, while many major elements were slightly or significantly depleted in all zeolitic tuffs. The amounts of REE in the chabazite- and erionite-rich tuffs were generally smaller than those in the precursor rock. The middle and heavy REE (MREE and HREE, respectively) were abundant in the Hul/Cpt-rich tuffs, tuffs, and smectitic bentonites. Chondrite-normalized REE values of the sample groups are characterized by sub-parallel patterns with enrichment in LREE relative to HREE. The mineral assemblages and geological setting indicated that zeolite diagenesis occurred in a saline-alkaline basin. The δ18O and δD compositions of the Hul/Cpt, chabazite, and smectite indicated that the minerals formed at low to moderate temperatures and that some of the zeolitization occurred due to diagenetic alteration under closed-system conditions that varied according to the nature of the basin and with the composition and physical properties of the volcanic materials.
A Novel N-Tetrasaccharide in Patients with Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation, Including Asparagine-Linked Glycosylation Protein 1, Phosphomannomutase 2, and Mannose Phosphate Isomerase Deficiencies
Authors: Zhang Wenyue , James Philip M , Ng Bobby G , Li Xueli , Xia Baoyun , Rong Jiang , Asif Ghazia , Raymond Kimiyo , Jones Melanie A , Hegde Madhuri , Ju Tongzhong , Cummings Richard D , Clarkson Katie , Wood Tim , Boerkoel Cornelius F , Freeze Hudson H , He Miao
Published: October 2015

BACKGROUND

Primary deficiencies in mannosylation of N-glycans are seen in a majority of patients with congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG). We report the discovery of a series of novel N-glycans in sera, plasma, and cultured skin fibroblasts from patients with CDG having deficient mannosylation.

METHOD

We used LC-MS/MS and MALDI-TOF-MS analysis to identify and quantify a novel N-linked tetrasaccharide linked to the protein core, an N-tetrasaccharide (Neu5Acα2,6Galβ1,4-GlcNAcβ1,4GlcNAc) in plasma, serum glycoproteins, and a fibroblast lysate from patients with CDG caused by ALG1 [ALG1 (asparagine-linked glycosylation protein 1), chitobiosyldiphosphodolichol β-mannosyltransferase], PMM2 (phosphomannomutase 2), and MPI (mannose phosphate isomerase).

RESULTS

Glycoproteins in sera, plasma, or cell lysate from ALG1-CDG, PMM2-CDG, and MPI-CDG patients had substantially more N-tetrasaccharide than unaffected controls. We observed a >80% decline in relative concentrations of the N-tetrasaccharide in MPI-CDG plasma after mannose therapy in 1 patient and in ALG1-CDG fibroblasts in vitro supplemented with mannose.

CONCLUSIONS

This novel N-tetrasaccharide could serve as a diagnostic marker of ALG1-, PMM2-, or MPI-CDG for screening of these 3 common CDG subtypes that comprise >70% of CDG type I patients. Its quantification by LC-MS/MS may be useful for monitoring therapeutic efficacy of mannose. The discovery of these small N-glycans also indicates the presence of an alternative pathway in N-glycosylation not recognized previously, but its biological significance remains to be studied.
Jump Lisbon! Notes from an ethnography of urban flows
Authors: Ferro Lígia
Published: October 2015

Parkour is a relatively new practice in Portugal. It became popular in Lisbon because it has some public places, including Telheiras and the Parque das Nações, that are appreciated by parkour protagonists. Telheiras has a very special architecture that is ideal for parkour jumping, while the Parque das Nações is a renewed part of the city with good areas and is well served by public transport promoting the meetings between traceurs from across the city and the country. Focusing on the results of an ethnography that has these two points as its main research fields, we will discuss how an examination of these practices requires the construction of an ethnography of urban flows within a multi-scale analysis. This article is based on the results of doctoral research. Intensive fieldwork was carried out with participant observation and the use of ethnographic methodology in an attempt to understand the traceurs’ map of Lisbon.