bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flush and Bone
Authors: Olson Philip R.
Published: April 2014

This article examines the political controversy in the United States surrounding a new process for the disposition of human remains, alkaline hydrolysis (AH). AH technologies use a heated (sometimes pressurized) solution of water and strong alkali to dissolve tissues, yielding an effluent that can be disposed through municipal sewer systems, and brittle bone matter that can be dried, crushed, and returned to the decedent’s family. Though AH is legal in eight US states, opposition to the technology remains strong. Opponents express concerns about public health and safety and about the dignity of our mortal remains. Proponents focus on AH’s environmental benefits over cremation and earth burial, aligning the technology with the “green burial” movement. Drawing from historical sources, Science, Technology, and Society literature, interviews with funeral professionals, industry literature, and various media sources, this article examines four prominent conceptions of the dead human body as they are deployed (and inflected) by various funeral stakeholders seeking to exercise authority over the dead human body, to influence the trajectory of AH technology in the United States, and to chart a course for US deathcare culture in the twenty-first century.
Intraoperative Fluoroscopic Imaging to Treat Cam Deformities
Authors: Ross James R. , Bedi Asheesh , Stone Rebecca M. , Sibilsky Enselman Elizabeth , Leunig Michael , Kelly Bryan T. , Larson Christopher M.
Published: April 2014

Background:

In the diagnosis and surgical treatment of cam-type femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), 3-dimensional (3D) imaging is the gold standard for detecting femoral head-neck junction malformations preoperatively. Intraoperative fluoroscopy is used by many surgeons to evaluate and verify adequate correction of the deformity.

Purpose:

(1) To compare radial reformatted computed tomography (CT) scans with 6 defined intraoperative fluoroscopic views before surgical correction to determine whether fluoroscopy could adequately depict cam deformity, and (2) to define the influence of femoral version on the clock-face location of the maximum cam deformity on these views.

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A consecutive series of 50 hips (48 patients) that underwent arthroscopic treatment for symptomatic FAI by a single surgeon were analyzed. Each patient underwent a CT scan and 6 consistent intraoperative fluoroscopy views: 3 views in hip extension and 3 views in hip flexion of 50°. The alpha angles of each of the fluoroscopic images were compared with the radial reformatted CT using a 3D software program. Femoral version was also defined on CT studies. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student t test, with P < .05 defined as significant.

Results:

Fifty-two percent of patients were male, average age 28 years (range, 15-56 years). The maximum mean alpha angle on fluoroscopy was 65° (range, 37°-93°) and was located on the anteroposterior (AP) 30° external rotation (ER) fluoroscopy view. In comparison, the mean CT-derived maximum alpha angle was 67° and was located at 1:15 ( P = .57). The mean clock-face positions of each of the fluoroscopy views (standardized to the right hip) were AP 30° internal rotation, 11:45; AP 0° (neutral) rotation, 12:30; AP 30° ER, 1:00; flexion/0° (neutral) rotation, 1:45; flexion/40° ER, 2:15; and flexion/60° ER, 2:45. Increased femoral anteversion (>20°) was associated with a significant change in the location of the maximum alpha angle (1:45 vs 1:15; P = .002).

Conclusion:

The described 6 fluoroscopic views are very helpful in localization and visualization of the typical cam deformity from 11:45 to 2:45 and can be used to reliably confirm a complete intraoperative resection of cam-type deformity in most patients. These views correlate with preoperative 3D imaging and may be of even greater importance in the absence of preoperative 3D imaging.
Case Report
Authors: Magid-Bernstein Jessica , Mahajan Kedar , Lincoln John , Ming Xue , Rohowsky-Kochan Christine
Published: April 2014

Autism spectrum disorders are neurodevelopmental disorders that are thought to be caused by a gene-by-environment interaction and in which various immune alterations are reported. We investigate CD4+ T-cell cytokine profiles and subpopulations in 19-year-old monozygotic twins with autism and different comorbidities. CD4+ T cells from the twin with epilepsy produce more interferon-gamma, less interleukin-17, and have an increased interferon-γ/interleukin-4 ratio. CD4+ T cells from the twin with multiple sclerosis exhibit a cytokine profile similar to an age and gender-matched control and a higher percentage of T regulatory (Treg) cells. The twins’ mother’s T cells produce very high levels of both interleukin-17 and interferon-γ. Cytokine and CD4+ T-cell abnormalities in the twins could contribute to or be a result of the manifestation of their divergent comorbidities. A proinflammatory, autoimmune-polarized cytokine profile is observed in this unique family with autism.
Presence with Scenario-Based High Fidelity Human Patient Simulation
Authors: Dunnington Renee M.
Published: April 2014

The aim of this grounded theory study was to explain the nature of presence among nursing students participating in scenario-based high fidelity human patient simulation. Data were derived from observations and interviews with 145 participants. Among participants, presence was found to be a multidimensional, dynamic interaction characterized by a centricity between the simulation and the natural environment. Presence, the core concept from the explanatory model that emerged from this study, is delineated in this article. Presence centricity in simulation may impact the learning experience and outcomes. These study results may support development of the educational science related to clinical simulation.
A Humanbecoming Qualitative Descriptive Study on Quality of Life with Older Adults
Authors: Ma Lina
Published: April 2014

Quality of life is a universal living experience and is significant for older adults living in long-term residential care facilities. The purposes of this research study were to: explicate the experience of quality of life for older adults, contribute to the understanding of quality of life for older adults and to nursing’s extant body of knowledge by enhancing humanbecoming. Humanbecoming was selected as the theoretical perspective for the qualitative descriptive exploratory method study with 10 volunteers living in the same long-term residential care facility in Singapore. Findings showed that: quality of life is fortifying tranquillity amid potential turbulence with the gratifying engagements of diverse affiliations, as envisioning possibilities arise with discordant constraints. The findings of this study have made a significant contribution to the phenomenon – quality of life both in terms of older adults living in nursing homes and from a Singaporean context.
Honoring Silence and Valuing Community
Authors: Condon Barbara Backer , Hegge Margaret
Published: April 2014

Leadership is a very personal concept. The methods implemented by leaders often reflect philosophical beliefs and theoretical underpinnings. This column, while recognizing that leadership styles are indeed personal, proffers living leadership in nursing education through two key leadership attitudes. These attitudes are honoring silence and valuing community. Honoring silence is discussed as recognizing the multiple dimensions of silence, and valuing community is presented in light of the humanbecoming community models change concepts: moving-initiating, anchoring-shifting, and pondering-shaping.
Stewardship and Leadership in Nursing
Authors: Milton Constance L.
Published: April 2014

The concept or metaphor of stewardship is important to the future of the discipline of nursing. Nurse leaders and scholars of the discipline are entrusted to preserve and hold in trust the value priorities of the discipline as well as the value priorities of others who are living health. The author here offers a discussion of possible meanings and ethical implications for enhancing the discipline’s potential obligations of leadership and stewardship as a basic human science discipline.
A Unitary Transformative Perspective on Transformational Leadership
Authors: Pilkington F. Beryl
Published: April 2014

This is an introduction to Turkel’s contemporary transformational leadership article.
A Case for Nursing Theory in Practice
Authors: Karnick Paula M.
Published: April 2014

The discipline of nursing is on a slippery slope with regard to the ever increasing lack of nursing theory in its work. The misguided attempt to eliminate the use of nursing theory as the underpinning of practice is degrading nursing as a viable profession, ultimately affecting patient care. A clarion call to the discipline regarding the need for theory in research and practice is required. Nursing will soon become just another set of tasks rather than the profession needed by patients and their families.
Theoretical Thinking on Suffering
Authors: Bunkers Sandra Schmidt
Published: April 2014

This is an introduction to the column on the Concept Inventing of Sufferance
White psychologists only
Authors: Long Wahbie
Published: April 2014

This article explores the rise and fall of an Afrikaner psychological association: the Psychological Institute of the Republic of South Africa (PIRSA). It presents rhetorical, discursive and social analyses of presidential addresses delivered at PIRSA congresses between 1962 and 1977, identifying the emergence of a discourse of volksdiens (ethnic-national service) during the 1960s that called for the ethnic-national relevance of the discipline. With the Afrikaner nation vulnerable to the triple threat of communism, capitalism and egalitarianism, PIRSA insisted that psychological research be dedicated towards addressing these and other dangers. In the 1970s, however, such appeals became less prominent as discussions of South African issues slipped off the agenda. Curiously, at a time when the apartheid state was in decline, PIRSA’s psychologists were concerned with everything but the survival of Afrikanerdom. The unraveling of PIRSA’s quest for ethnic-national relevance mirrored the disintegration of the state’s apartheid rationality, which resulted from a concatenation of political, economic and cultural upheavals.
Theodicy and Commerce
Authors: Arbo Matthew B.
Published: April 2014

Recent theological treatments of political economy have tended to ignore the early-modern origins from which the capital market system arose. An effort is made here to trace a specific conceptual development from the theodicies of G. W. Leibniz and Bishop William King to the economic theory of David Hume and Adam Smith, a development that implies certain theological transmutations. Both the theodicist and economist claim, for different reasons, that nature itself is capable of redeeming evils. Two theoretical shifts contributed to this development: rational optimism and conjectural historiography. Scrutinizing the mechanistic backdrop for this historical narrative discloses acute theological compromises.
On the Demonisation and Fetishisation of Choice in Christian Sexual Ethics
Authors: Brittain Christopher Craig
Published: April 2014

This article analyses treatments of the freedom of choice in theological reflections on sexuality. It explores common contradictions that often emerge in such accounts, including: the reaffirmation of disavowed simplicity, the affirmation of biological determinism at the expense of interpersonal values, and a distrust of choice, which effectively amounts to a choice not to choose. The article shows that while conservative Christian sexual ethicists often demonise individual freedom of choice, liberal theology often fetishises such freedom. These tensions are contrasted with Rowan Williams’s concept of the ‘body’s grace’, and Kathleen Roberts Skerrett’s notion of ‘incarnating the other’. The discussion shows that the contributions of each of these theologians require greater analysis of the contemporary social and cultural forces shaping contemporary sexual practices. The article explores this entwinement between sexuality and the ideal of freedom in contemporary culture by engaging with Jonathan Franzen’s novel Freedom.
Loyalty, Conscience and Tense Communion: Jonathan Edwards Meets Martha Nussbaum
Authors: Hordern Joshua
Published: April 2014

This article responds to Jeffrey Stout’s argument in favour of immanent criticism of religious convictions in public reasoning by examining the affective dimension of religious loyalty and conscience. To this end, a conversation between Jonathan Edwards and Martha Nussbaum is undertaken to explore the basis on which the shared evaluations of religious citizens, especially Christians, should inform public discourse. Whereas the affections of Edwards’s sense of the heart are shown to be epistemologically over-realised and in unsustainable tension with the political implications of his contested social ontology, Nussbaum’s cognitivist theory of emotions improves on Edwards’s by providing a basis for social criticism of religious convictions, but is then found incompatible with her own commitment to a Rawlsian overlapping consensus. Moreover, the political appeal of the Protestant-Stoic conscience she advocates is cast into doubt by considering how Protestant and perhaps Islamic concepts of conscience structure eschatological loyalties that foster not Rawls’s overlapping consensus or even Nigel Biggar’s ‘tense consensus’ but rather the ‘tense communion’ appropriate to twenty-first-century democracies.
A study of the micro-machining process on quartz crystals using an abrasive slurry jet
Authors: Qi Huan , Fan Jingming , Wang Jun
Published: April 2014

An investigation of the micro-channelling process on a quartz crystal using an abrasive slurry jet is presented. An experimental study is conducted first to understand the material removal process, surface quality as well as the effect of process parameters on the channelling performance, namely the material removal rate, channel depth, top channel width and channel wall inclination angle. It is found that a good micro-channel top edge appearance and bottom surface finish can be produced on quartz crystal by employing smaller particles with a relatively small jet impact angle, but at the sacrifice of material removal rate. Predictive models for material removal rate and micro-channel depth are then developed using a combination of the dimensional analysis method and the particle impact erosion theories, where the squeeze film effect on the impact erosion is considered. The models are verified experimentally and it is found that the model predictions are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data.
Optimization of the gear ratios in automatic transmission systems using an artificial neural network and a genetic algorithm
Authors: Shamekhi Amir H. , Bidgoly Abbas , Noureiny Ebrahim N.
Published: April 2014

One of the most important tasks in designing an automatic transmission system is to find the gear ratios and the corresponding number of gear teeth. In this paper, an artificial neural network and a genetic algorithm are used for this optimization with regard to an epicyclic gear train. First, MATLAB and an artificial neural network are employed to model the system, and the results depict the accuracy of the artificial neural network calculations. Then, using the same software and with the aid of a genetic algorithm, the optimized speed ratios and gear ratios are obtained. It can be seen that a series of gear ratios is produced. Another genetic algorithm was used to calculate the optimized gear ratio and the corresponding number of gear teeth. A Simpson gear train is used to demonstrate the methodology. The proposed model is very accurate and efficient, such that the resulting numbers of optimized gears have an error of less than ±0.3%. This method is much easier and has a lower computation cost than solving the related equations.
Motorcycle-to-car impact: influence of the mass of the rider in the calculation of the relative impact velocity
Authors: Cialdai Carlo , Vangi Dario , Virga Antonio
Published: April 2014

In this paper an analysis method for a collision between a motorcycle and a car is presented, with the limitation that the frontal part of the motorcycle is involved, with wheelbase shortening. The velocities of the vehicles before the collision are usually the most important information for analysis of an accident and its causes, and therefore the methods to succeed in estimating these velocities are of great importance. The work focuses on finding an empirical formulation for the relative velocity between the motorcycle and the other vehicle, starting from the kinetic energy loss due to the collision and allowing for the mass of the motorcycle’s rider at the moment of collision. The equation was found by numerically simulating seven different impact configurations between a car and a motorcycle, with various impact velocities and masses in predefined ranges. Experimental crash tests conducted between a car and a motorcycle and the use of a high-speed video camera allowed the motion of the two-wheeler and its driver to be studied during the impact. A series of tests on crashes between a motorcycle with a rider and a vehicle was carried out, which also allowed validation of the formulation found.
The urethral smear as a tool in diagnosing adenovirus-induced urethritis
Authors: Tønsberg E , Hartgill U
Published: April 2014

Adenovirus is a recognised cause of non-gonococcal urethritis, and is not uncommonly associated with extragenital signs and symptoms. This case report describes a patient with symptoms of conjunctivitis, meatitis and urethritis. The urethral smear revealed almost exclusively monocytes microscopically, raising the suspicion of a viral aetiology. Results confirmed the presence of adenovirus in both the eyes and urethra. Despite waning reliance on the urethral smear in sexual health clinics, it can still be an important diagnostic tool in assessing the aetiology of non-specific urethritis. Finding an obvious monocytic cell response in the urethral smear can indicate a viral cause and allow the clinician to optimise management, counsel appropriately, and potentially reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.
A case of severe thrombocytopaenia associated with acute HIV-1 infection
Authors: Aoki Ami , Moro Hiroshi , Watanabe Takayuki , Asakawa Katsuaki , Miura Satoru , Moriyama Masato , Tanabe Yoshinari , Kagamu Hiroshi , Narita Ichiei
Published: April 2014

A 23-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with severe thrombocytopaenia. He had unprotected sexual contact 6 weeks earlier. He was diagnosed with acute HIV infection by means of HIV RNA viral load testing and HIV-associated thrombocytopaenia. Although his thrombocytopaenia improved immediately with short-term dexamethasone therapy, this effect was not sustained after cessation of therapy. Antiretroviral therapy including raltegravir was initiated, and the patient recovered from severe thrombocytopaenia within several days. The findings from this case suggest that acute HIV infection should be suspected with unexplained thrombocytopaenia, and that antiretroviral therapy is the treatment of choice for severe HIV-associated thrombocytopaenia, even when in the early period following acquisition of the virus.
Self as an emic object: A re-reading of William James on self
Authors: Zhao Shanyang
Published: April 2014

Building on an emic conception of the self that William James articulated in his seminal chapter on the “Consciousness of Self” (1890/1950), this article defines the self as an object that the individual takes to be him- or herself. This object, which is subjectively identified by the individual, has an empirical dimension that constrains the subjective identification of the individual. As an emic object, the self is neither synonymous with the individual nor the equivalent of the individual’s self-concept; rather, it is the unity of the empirical existence of the individual and the individual’s perception of that existence. The self is an individual’s own person viewed from the standpoint of that individual, which may differ from what others perceive from their distinct standpoints. The implications of this new formulation for research and self-understanding are also discussed.
Oracles
Authors: Leeson Peter T
Published: April 2014

This article uses rational choice theory to analyze oracles: media for divining answers to questions about the unknown. I develop a simple theory of oracles with rational agents. My theory explains oracles as institutional solutions to “low-grade” interpersonal conflicts—petty grievances and frustrations resulting from perceptions or feelings of personal offense—that government is unable to resolve. Oracles secure correlated equilibrium in situations where, without them, individuals would be stuck in a suboptimal world of simple mixed-strategy equilibrium. By randomizing strategies about how to behave in situations of low-grade conflict and coordinating individuals’ choices across that randomization, oracles resolve low-grade conflict efficiently. To investigate my theory I consider a society of persons who rely exclusively on oracles to decide how to behave in situations of low-grade conflict: the Azande of Africa. Using the equivalent of a “Magic 8 Ball” to resolve such conflict improves Zande welfare.
Why didn’t slaves revolt more often during the Middle Passage?
Authors: Marcum Andrew , Skarbek David
Published: April 2014

Given the substantial suffering of enslavement, why didn’t more slaves revolt during the Middle Passage of the Atlantic slave trade? We argue that the collective action problem was an important impediment to revolt. Revolts nearly always resulted in slave casualties, and crews tortured and killed conspirators. Overthrowing the crew benefited all of the slaves, so each slave had an incentive to free ride on others’ efforts to secure freedom. Using a rational choice framework, we argue that slaves could more effectively overcome the collective action problem when there were fewer slaves aboard, when there were fewer male slaves, and when the slaves were more homogenous. Data on slave voyages from 1750 to 1775 and archival and historical documents support these claims.
Independence and interdependence: Lessons from the hive
Authors: List Christian , Vermeule Adrian
Published: April 2014

There is a substantial class of collective decision problems whose successful solution requires interdependence among decision makers at the agenda-setting stage and independence at the stage of choice. We define this class of problems and describe and apply a search-and-decision mechanism theoretically modeled in the context of honeybees and identified in earlier empirical work in biology. The honeybees’ mechanism has useful implications for mechanism design in human institutions, including courts, legislatures, executive appointments, research and development in firms, and basic research in the sciences. Our paper offers a fresh perspective on the idea of “biomimicry” in institutional design and raises the possibility of comparative institutional analysis across species.
Functional Streams and Cortical Integration in the Human Brain
Authors: Sepulcre Jorge
Published: April 2014

The processing of brain information relies on the organization of neuronal networks and circuits that in the end must provide the substrate for human cognition. However, the presence of highly complex and multirelay neuronal interactions has limited our ability to disentangle the assemblies of brain systems. The present review article focuses on the latest developments to understand the architecture of functional streams of the human brain at the large-scale level. Particularly, this article presents a comprehensive framework and recent findings about how the highly modular sensory cortex, such as the visual, somatosensory, auditory, as well as motor cortex areas, connects to more parallel-organized cortical hubs in the brain’s functional connectome.
The Safety and Efficacy of 12 Versus 24 Hours of Tirofiban Infusion in Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Topcu Selim , Karal Huseyin , Kaya Ahmet , Bakirci Eftal Murat , Tanboga Ibrahim Halil , Kurt Mustafa , Aksakal Enbiya , Acikel Mahmut , Sevimli Serdar
Published: April 2014

Aim:

We aimed to investigate the 6-month efficacy and safety of postprocedural 12-hour tirofiban administration versus 24-hour tirofiban administration in patients with ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods:

This retrospective study enrolled 349 patients with STEMI who underwent primary PCI. Following the administration of bolus tirofiban after primary PCI, those receiving a 12-hour tirofiban infusion as the maintenance dose were classified as group 1 (n = 123) while those receiving a 24-hour infusion were classified as group 2 (n = 226). In-hospital and 6-month major adverse cardiac events were recorded.

Results:

There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups regarding in-hospital efficacy (in-hospital death: 4.4% vs 5.7%, P = .600 and stent thrombosis 1.8% vs 1.6%, P = .921) and in-hospital safety (2.6% vs 1.6% for major bleeding and 5.3% vs 4.1% for minor bleeding, P = .562). During the 6-month follow-up period, the incidence of the recurrent revascularization (16.1% vs 15.5%, odds ratio [OR] = 1.05 [0.47-3.67]), the repeated nonfatal acute coronary syndrome and/or stent thrombosis (27% vs 24.4%, P = .598, OR = 1.02 [0.42-2.48]), and the cardiovascular deaths (6.6% vs 6.5%, P = .943, OR = 1.03 [0.43-2.43]) were comparable between group 1 and group 2.

Conclusion:

Our study revealed that 12-hour tirofiban administration versus 24-hour tirofiban administration in STEMI who underwent primary PCI was similar with respect to in-hospital efficacy and safety and major adverse cardiac events during 6-month follow-up.
My Father’s Ghost
Authors: Poulos Christopher N.
Published: April 2014

This autoethnography is about my personal search for my father, who was an early presence in my life, but who gradually became a palpable absence. In many ways, I have been searching for my father all my life, and somehow hoping to rekindle a relationship that I have experienced mostly as something I lost early. As my search progressed across a span of more than fifty years, I found my father in the one place I least expected. In this article, I begin to write my father in a new light, one that offers insights into his legacy for me, and for my sons. In the end, I hope to write our lives in a way that captures just a bit of the spirit of my spirited father.
Sexual Offenders’ Perceptions of the Client–Therapist Relationship
Authors: Blasko Brandy L. , Jeglic Elizabeth L.
Published: April 2014

The therapeutic alliance has been shown to be integral to treatment outcomes even in forensic settings. There is still a relative dearth of research examining factors related to the formation of the therapeutic alliance in sex offender treatment specifically. Using a sample of 202 incarcerated male sexual offenders participating in sex offender treatment, this study examined whether perceptions of the client–therapist relationship from the perspective of male sexual offenders varied by risk for sexual and general recidivism. Overall, we found a significant negative relationship between risk for sexual recidivism and bond formation. However, when therapist subscale scores on the Working Alliance Inventory were considered by therapist gender, higher risk sexual offenders perceived poorer bonds with their female therapists, relative to their male therapists. Findings are discussed as they pertain to therapeutic relationships and responsivity issues in sex offender treatment.
Effect of grain size on the optimal architecture of electrodeposited metal/polymer microtrusses
Authors: Lausic AT , Steeves CA , Hibbard GD
Published: April 2014

Nanocrystalline microtruss materials are novel cellular hybrids of metal and polymer produced by electrodepositing thin coatings of nanocrystalline metal over rapid prototyped polymer preforms. This study develops an optimisation method for the architectural design of electrodeposited metal/polymer composite microtrusses used as cores in sandwich beams. For an optimally designed structure employing conventional polycrystalline nickel, a direct substitution of nanocrystalline nickel will improve structural performance; however, it is likely that the structure will also become significantly sub-optimal. Achieving optimal design with nanocrystalline nickel entails large geometric changes from the conventional polycrystalline case. The same applies if the polymer preform is removed after electrodeposition. The strong connection between optimal architecture and grain size was therefore examined for the limiting cases of polymer-filled and hollow microtrusses. It was found that grain size reduction was more important than polymer preform removal such that grain size effects dominate over the majority of microtruss design space.
The Healthy Newborn Hydration Model
Authors: Mulder Pamela J. , Gardner Sue E.
Published: April 2014

The normal small volume of breast milk produced in the first 2 days following birth may raise concerns about adequate hydration in breast-fed newborns. These concerns are further magnified when breast-fed infants lose ≥7% of their birth weight within 2 days postnatally. Weight loss following birth is presumably mostly water loss that could result in hypohydration and subsequent hypernatremic dehydration. However, excess fluid loss immediately following birth is a normal and necessary process. Furthermore, newborns exposed to excess fluid intake during labor may need to lose ≥7% of birth weight in the first 2 days following birth in order to achieve euhydration. Normal newborn fluid loss following birth confounds the use of weight loss as the sole measure of newborn hydration. We thus propose the healthy newborn hydration model that highlights the normalcy of newborn weight loss immediately following birth and the healthy newborn’s compensatory mechanisms for preserving adequate hydration. We also recommend the use of serum sodium to measure intravascular osmolarity in addition to monitoring weight loss to obtain a more comprehensive newborn hydration assessment. Research is necessary in healthy newborns to identify relationships among fluids received in utero, newborn weight loss, and hydration, as evaluated with laboratory measures, in the first 2 days following birth. This information will guide clinicians in correctly identifying newborns with inadequate hydration who are in need of supplementary fluids versus newborns with adequate hydration for whom exclusive breast-feeding can be supported and encouraged.
Neapolitan songs: A communicative siren from the water of the Gulf to the water of time
Authors: Stazio Marialuisa
Published: April 2014

Neapolitan songs are known worldwide, but most of them became popular when the radio and record industries did not yet exist. The article hypothesises that this ‘unusual’ phenomenon can be connected to the many intersected actions of spreading and ‘drilling’ undertaken by ‘passionate’ listeners of Neapolitan songs and amateurs, who were engaged in ‘permanent creative activity, communication, community building, and content-production’. As is evident, this article refers to some studies about recent trends in media communication to explore better the Neapolitan communication system, between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In this way, it wishes to overcome the juxtaposition between ‘new’ and ‘old’ – the ‘dualistic form’ of many ‘short term investigations’ – and proposes to test social science models in different socio-historical contexts, by putting them into ‘the water of time’, to see if they float, if they can ‘keep afloat’ or if they ‘sink’.
Non-media-centric media studies: A cross-generational conversation
Authors: Krajina Zlatan , Moores Shaun , Morley David
Published: April 2014

On the face of it, the notion of non-media-centric media studies appears to be a contradiction in terms. Surely those who are working in media studies will put media at the centre of their investigations and explanations of social life? In the following conversation, three advocates of a non-media-centric approach discuss their ways into the field of media studies at different points in its development, and together they explore their overlapping empirical research interests as well as their theoretical, methodological and pedagogical concerns. Topics that feature in this exchange include the linked mobilities of information, people and commodities, the articulation of material and virtual geographies, and the meaningfulness of everyday, embodied practices. Out of the dialogue emerges a renewed call for media studies that acknowledge the particularities of media, but which are about more than simply studying media and which seek to recover the field’s early spirit of interdisciplinary adventure.
The influence of air-conditioning managerial scheme in hybrid-ventilated classrooms on students’ thermal perception
Authors: Chen Chen-Peng , Hwang Ruey-Lung , Liu Weiwei , Shih Wen-Mei , Chang Shih-Yin
Published: April 2014

Hybrid ventilation employing both natural ventilation and air-conditioning (AC) is used in Taiwanese schools as a mechanism to maintain indoor environmental quality. A field survey was conducted in two high schools in central Taiwan, one adopting a centralized management for control of AC use and the other employing a user-controlled approach, to investigate the influence of AC management scheme on thermal perception as well as the behaviours of AC usage. As shown in the results, the AC usage was significantly affected by the managerial scheme selected for AC control. When the AC was in use, the mean operative temperature ( top) in the classroom regulated under central management was 2.9℃ less than the value observed in user management. The cumulative hours of AC operation in central management was three folds of the level recorded in user management. Linear regression of thermal sensation vote against top indicated a greater thermal sensitivity in the user management group to the shift of top. These findings provide insights on the attributes of adaptive thermal comfort, which may facilitate design in hybrid ventilation that balances between energy-saving and thermal comfort, particularly in areas of similar weather to that of Taiwan.
Resuscitative Thoracotomy: An Update
Authors: Rabinovici R. , Bugaev N.
Published: April 2014

Background:

Resuscitative thoracotomy is a heroic procedure that may offer the only survival hope for trauma patients in extremis. However, this operation has been the subject of much debate and its use, feasibility, outcomes, and cost are being continuously re-evaluated.

Methods:

This is a review of the most current (after 2000) literature on resuscitative thoracotomy, based on computer database searches for studies on resuscitative thoracotomy, emergency department thoracotomy, and emergency thoracotomy. Studies were selected for inclusion in this review based on their relevance and contribution to our understanding of resuscitative thoracotomy.

Results:

A total of 37 studies were included, and the following resuscitative thoracotomy–related topics were critically discussed: indications, biochemical profile, long-term outcome, organ donation, pre-hospital use, military use, international aspects, intra-aortic balloon occlusion, suspended animation, and cost and occupational exposure.

Conclusions:

This review demonstrates that the indications for resuscitative thoracotomy become clearer and that new information is available regarding its use in the pre-hospital urban environment and military settings. Furthermore, it points to new strategies to supplement resuscitative thoracotomy including intra-aortic balloon occlusion and suspended animation. Finally, it sheds light on the long-term outcomes, organ donation, and cost and occupational exposure following resuscitative thoracotomy.
Completeness and correctness of cholecystectomy data in a national register—gallriks
Authors: Rystedt J. , Montgomery A. , Persson G.
Published: April 2014

Background and Aims:

To validate the Swedish Register for Gallstone Surgery and Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (GallRiks) concerning completeness and correctness of entered data for cholecystectomies and evaluating the effect of repeated audits. It is crucial for any register to obtain a high accuracy in order to be a credible and reliable source for quality evaluation, research, and development.

Materials and Methods:

Completeness was determined by cross-matching the register with the Swedish National Patient Register. Completeness and overall correctness were assessed by comparing registered data to medical records. Correctness for rare occasions, such as bile duct injuries, was evaluated by comparing with claims sent to the Swedish Patient Insurance.

Results:

Of 64,538 cholecystectomies, 82.9% of the operations were registered in GallRiks and the coverage increased over time. By random sample, 94,919 sets of data were available for comparison at the first and second audit and the entries were found to be correct in 97.2% and 98.2% cases, respectively. A 100% correctness for bile duct injuries ( n = 40) was seen when the index-operation was registered in GallRiks.

Conclusion:

GallRiks demonstrates high completeness, high correctness of entered data, and no indications of failure to report serious adverse events. Repeated audits increased the quality of registered data. GallRiks may be used for clinical evaluation on local and national level and the database enables scientific studies to be performed.
A Decade of Advances in Military Trauma Care
Authors: Glassberg E. , Nadler R. , Erlich T. , Klien Y. , Kreiss Y. , Kluger Y.
Published: April 2014

Background:

While combat casualty care shares many key concepts with civilian trauma systems, its unique features mandate certain practices that are distinct from the civilian ones.

Methods:

This is a review of the most current literature on combat casualty care, based on computer database searches for studies on combat casualty care and military medicine. Studies were selected for inclusion in this review based on their relevance and contribution.

Results:

Over the last decade, meticulous, international data collection and research efforts have led to significant improvements in military trauma care. Combat medicine has focused on the causes of preventable deaths and targeted on bleeding control and resuscitation strategies, as well as improved evacuation. En route care and forward surgical interventions have resulted in unprecedented low fatality rates and the saving of more lives.

Conclusion:

This overview of the developments in combat casualty care in recent years emphasizes medical practices that are characteristic of combat medicine, yet with the potential to save lives in other scenarios, as well.
Post–Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreaticography complications in liver transplanted patients, a single-center experience
Authors: Ambrus R. B. , Svendsen L. B. , Hillingsø J. G. , Hansen M. L. , Achiam M. P.
Published: April 2014

Background:

Complications in the biliary tract occur in 5%−30% after liver transplantation and the main part of the complications is successfully managed with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP). The incidence and risk factors for post-ERCP complications in liver transplantation patients are not well described. Our objective was to define the frequency of post-ERCP complications in liver transplantation patients at the Abdominal Center, Rigshospitalet, the only Liver Transplantation Center in Denmark.

Methods:

Retrospective study of all ERCPs performed in liver transplantation patients during a 9-year period.

Results:

A total of 292 ERCPs were included. Overall post-ERCP complications occurred in 24 procedures (8.2%): pancreatitis in 8 (2.7%), bleeding in 5 (1.7%), and cholangitis in 13 (4.5%) procedures. Simultaneous pancreatitis and cholangitis, and simultaneous bleeding and cholangitis occurred after two procedures, respectively. Multivariate analysis concerning overall complications identified biliary sphincterotomy ( p = 0.006) and time since liver transplantation within 90 days postoperatively ( p = 0.044) as risk factors for post-ERCP complications. Specifically concerning post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP), it was found that pre-ERCP cholangitis was another independent risk factor for PEP ( p = 0.026). Stent in the biliary tract prior to ERCP seemed to be protective ( p = 0.041).

Conclusions:

Complications were of surprisingly mild degree. The rates of post-ERCP complications in our study were in line with previous studies with liver transplantation patients. Cholangitis prior to ERCP may be another risk factor for post-ERCP pancreatitis.
MicroRNA-155 inhibits angiotensin II-induced vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation
Authors: Yang Li-xia , Liu Gao , Zhu Guo-fu , Liu Hong , Guo Rui-wei , Qi Feng , Zou Ji-hong
Published: April 2014

Background:

MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) is a multifunctional signal microRNA that participates in a variety of cardiovascular diseases and is involved in physiological and pathological processes in different cell types.

Objective:

The objective of this article is to examine the effect of miR-155 on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced primary mice vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation.

Methods:

Primary cultured VSMCs from the aorta of C57/BL6 mice were incubated with Ang II and miR-155. Cells were counted using CCK-8 and EdU, and flow cytometric analysis of cell cycle progression was performed. Angiotensin II 1 type receptor (AT1R) gene and protein expression were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting.

Results:

1) Ang II increased the viability of VSMCs in a dose- and time-dependent manner. 2) miR-155 opposed the Ang II-induced increase in VSMC viability. 3) miR-155 inhibited Ang II-induced proliferation of VSMCs. 4) miR-155 increased the number of VSMCs in the G1 phase compared to G2 and M cell cycle phases. 5) miR-155 decreased ATR1 gene and protein expression.

Conclusion:

miR-155 downregulation of Ang II-induced VSMC viability identifies it as an important regulator of cell proliferation.
Treatment with aliskiren ameliorates tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity in rats
Authors: Al-Harbi Naif O , Imam Faisal , Al-Harbi Mohammed M , Iqbal Muzaffar , Nadeem Ahmed , Al-Shahrah Othman A , Korashy Hesham M , Al-Hosaini Khalid A , Ahmed Mukhtar , Bahashwar Saleh
Published: April 2014

Introduction:

Tacrolimus is frequently used as immunosuppressive agent in organ transplantation but its clinical use is limited due to its marked nephrotoxicity.

Materials and methods:

Male Wistar albino rats weighing 150–200 g (10–12 weeks old) were used. Animals were divided into four groups. Group 1 served as control group and received normal saline, group 2 served as toxic group and received 2 mg/kg tacrolimus i.p., group 3 served as treatment group and received 2 mg/kg tacrolimus i.p. followed by 2 mg/kg aliskiren orally and group 4 served as drug per se group and received 2 mg/kg aliskiren orally. Tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity was assessed biochemically and histopathologically.

Results:

Treatment with aliskiren decreased the tacrolimus-induced changes in biochemical markers of nephrotoxicity such as blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. Aliskiren also attenuated the effects of tacrolimus on oxidative stress parameters such as malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione and catalase. Histopathological and ultrastructural studies showed that aliskiren attenuated tacrolimus-induced renal damage.

Conclusion:

These results suggest that aliskiren has protective effects against tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity; implying that renin inhibitor may counteract nephrotic syndrome associated with immunosuppressant use.
Parental perceptions of the role of media and technology in their young children’s lives
Authors: Vittrup Brigitte , Snider Sharla , Rose Katherine K , Rippy Jacqueline
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this study was to survey parental media attitudes and perceptions of their children’s knowledge and engagement with various media technologies, as well as to explore the children’s actual knowledge and experience with these tools. A total of 101 US parents of young children (ages 2–7 years) and 39 children (ages 3–6 years) participated. Results revealed heavy media consumption both among parents and children, and a large number of children, including the youngest, had private access. Less than half of the parents could accurately identify their children’s technological proficiency, and despite heavy usage, many children misidentified various media tools. Overall, parents showed positive attitudes toward media, to the extent that they believed media exposure to be vital to children’s development, and many disagreed with recommendations from expert sources regarding age-appropriate screen time. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Our World Through Our Eyes
Authors: Bayer Angela M. , Alburqueque Mónica ,   Our World Through Our Eyes Participants, Alburqueque Mónica , Antonio Ronald , Canales Karen , Condor Akemy , Condor Kevin , Huapaya Erika , Mejia Fiorela , Poma Yeraldin , Puma Alfredo , Ramirez Genesis , Saravia Luis Agustin , Sifuentes Miguel , Villavicencio Marcos
Published: April 2014

Peru’s approach to its 5.7 million 10- to 19-year-olds has shifted toward positive youth development. Following that trend, our objective was to facilitate Peruvian adolescents’ use of photovoice to better understand the factors affecting their health, well-being, and sexuality and to work with adolescents to present policy and programmatic recommendations. Photovoice sessions were carried out with low-income 12- to 16-year-olds ( n = 13) from Lima. Sessions included basic photography and ethics, photo taking, and descriptions and discussions using the SHOWeD (What do you See here? What is really Happening? How does this relate to Our lives? Why does this problem or strength exist? What can we Do about it?) method. Participants grouped their photos into a “photo story.” Each section of the story consisted of a message and 4 to 10 photos. Each photo had a caption that answered the SHOWeD questions. Messages were (a) “health and well-being in danger of extinction,” (b) “with some signs of hope,” (c) “innocence in spite of everything,” (d) “what we as adolescents have,” and (e) “but we lack opportunities to live a better life and a responsible sexuality.” Participants presented the photo story to program planners, policy makers, and community members. Results underscore the value of including adolescents in program and policy planning and affirm that photovoice can achieve such inclusion. Photovoice provides a concrete method for adolescents to speak their mind through image and word.