bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Motor Innervation of the Trapezius Muscle: Intraoperative Motor Conduction Study during Neck Dissection
Authors: Kim Jin Hwan , Choi Kyu Young , Lee Kyu Ho , Lee Dong Jin , Park Bum Jung , Rho Young-Soo
Published: February 2014

Objectives: To evaluate the motor input from the spinal accessory nerve (SAN) and the branches of the cervical plexus in an intraoperative motor nerve conduction study measuring motor action potentials by direct stimulation of the exposed nerve during neck dissection. Methods: The entire length of the SAN and the contributions from the upper cervical plexus were preserved. Compound muscle action potentials were measured for each part of the trapezius muscle on stimulation of the SAN, C2, C3, and C4 nerves. Results: With stimulation of the spinal nerve, evoked responses were obtained from all 24 patients in the descending, transverse, and ascending trapezius muscle. C2 contributions were noted in 2 out of 24 patients; however, no patient revealed responses in all three parts of the muscle. C3 contributions were seen in 11 out of 24 patients, supplying all three parts of the muscle in 8 patients, and C4 contributions were noted in 20 out of 24 patients, supplying all three parts of the muscle in 16 of them. Conclusions: The SAN provided the most consistent motor input to the trapezius muscle. The C2, C3, and C4 nerves also provided motor input to the trapezius muscle; however, they were either inconsistently present or, when present, irregularly innervated the three parts of the trapezius muscle.
Hypomagnesemia in Hemodialysis Patients: Role of Proton Pump Inhibitors
Authors: Alhosaini Mohamad , Walter James S. , Singh Sanjay , Dieter Robert S. , Hsieh Annming , Leehey David J.
Published: February 2014

Background: Recent observations have associated hypomagnesemia with increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis patients. Methods: We did a 3-month chart review of 62 chronic hemodialysis patients at a single US hospital. All were dialyzed using a dialysate [Mg] of 0.75-1.0 mEq/l. Patients were divided into two groups: hypomagnesemic (mean predialysis plasma [Mg] <1.5 mEq/l) and non-hypomagnesemic (mean predialysis plasma [Mg] ≥1.5 mEq/l). Results: All patients were male; mean age was 64.3 ± 8.7 years and the majority (73%) diabetic. 24 patients (39%) had hypomagnesemia and 38 (61%) were not hypomagnesemic. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, diabetes status, blood pressure, duration of dialysis, plasma calcium, phosphorus, albumin, intact parathyroid hormone (PTH), dialysis adequacy (Kt/V), or dietary protein intake (as estimated by normalized protein catabolic rate, nPCR). However, use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) was significantly associated with hypomagnesemia (plasma [Mg] 1.48 ± 0.16 mEq/l in the PPI group vs. 1.65 ± 0.26 mEq/l in the non-PPI group, p = 0.007). Adjustment for age, diabetes status, duration of dialysis, plasma albumin, Kt/V, nPCR, and diuretic use did not affect the association between PPI use and hypomagnesemia. Conclusions: Use of PPIs in patients dialyzed using a dialysate [Mg] of 0.75-1.0 mEq/l is associated with hypomagnesemia. We suggest monitoring plasma [Mg] in patients taking PPIs, with discontinuation of the medication if possible and/or adjustment of dialysate [Mg] to normalize plasma [Mg].
Postprocedural Aortic Regurgitation in Balloon-Expandable and Self-Expandable Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Procedures
Authors: Van Belle Eric , Juthier Françis , Susen Sophie , Vincentelli André , Iung Bernard , Dallongeville Jean , Eltchaninoff Hélène , Laskar Marc , Leprince Pascal , Lievre Michel , Banfi Carlo , Auffray Jean-Luc , Delhaye Cedric , Donzeau-Gouge Patrick , Chevreul Karine , Fajadet Jean , Leguerrier Alain , Prat Alain , Gilard Martine , Teiger Emmanuel
Published: February 2014

Background—

Significant postprocedural aortic regurgitation (AR) is observed in 10% to 20% of cases after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The prognostic value and the predictors of such a complication in balloon-expandable (BE) and self-expandable (SE) TAVR remain unclear.

Methods and Results—

TAVR was performed in 3195 consecutive patients at 34 hospitals. Postprocedural transthoracic echocardiography was performed in 2769 (92%) patients of the eligible population, and these patients constituted the study group. Median follow-up was 306 days (Q1–Q3=178–490). BE and SE devices were implanted in 67.6% (n=1872) and 32.4% (n=897). Delivery was femoral (75.3%) or nonfemoral (24.7%). A postprocedural AR≥grade 2 was observed in 15.8% and was more frequent in SE (21.5%) than in BE-TAVR (13.0%,
P
=0.0001). Extensive multivariable analysis confirmed that the use of a SE device was one of the most powerful independent predictors of postprocedural AR≥grade 2. For BE-TAVR, 8 independent predictors of postprocedural AR≥grade 2 were identified including femoral delivery (
P
=0.04), larger aortic annulus (
P
=0.0004), and smaller prosthesis diameter (
P
=0.0001). For SE-TAVR, 2 independent predictors were identified including femoral delivery(
P
=0.0001). Aortic annulus and prosthesis diameter were not predictors of postprocedural AR for SE-TAVR. A postprocedural AR≥grade 2, but not a postprocedural AR=grade 1, was a strong independent predictor of 1-year mortality for BE (hazard ratio=2.50;
P
=0.0001) and SE-TAVR (hazard ratio=2.11;
P
=0.0001). Although postprocedural AR≥grade 2 was well tolerated in patients with AR≥grade 2 at baseline (1-year mortality=7%), it was associated with a very high mortality in other subgroups: renal failure (43%), AR<grade 2 at baseline (31%), low transaortic gradient (35%), or nonfemoral delivery (45%).

Conclusions—

Postprocedural AR≥grade 2 was observed in 15.8% of successful TAVR and was the strongest independent predictor of 1-year mortality. The use of the SE device was a powerful independent predictor of postprocedural AR≥grade 2.
Jewish Reception of Twelver Shīʿī kalām: A Copy of al-Sharīf al-Murtaḍā’s Kitāb al-Dhakhīra in the Abraham Firkovitch Collection, St. Petersburg
Authors: Schmidtke Sabine
Published: February 2014

‭Among the numerous kalām works by the Imāmī al-Sharīf al-Murtaḍā (d. 436/1044), his Kitāb al-Mulakhkhaṣ and his Kitāb al-Dhakhīra are his most comprehensive writings in this discipline. The relation between the two works and their respective transmission is discussed. The Kitāb al-Dhakhīra is also incompletely preserved in the transcription of the Karaite scholar ʿĀlī b. Sulaymān al-Maqdisī, completed in Fusṭāṭ in Rajab 472/December 1079-January 1080 (National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg, Ms. RNL Arab. 111). The codex is described in detail, and its implications for our knowledge of the transmission of the work are analyzed.‬
Christian Borrowings from Islamic Theology in the Classical Period: The Witness of al-Juwaynī and Abū l-Qāsim al-Anṣārī
Authors: Thomas David
Published: February 2014

‭This article explores examples of Arab Christian theologians making use of Muslim theological concepts in the early Islamic period. It shows that while Christians appear to have possessed more than passing knowledge of the terminology and methodology employed by contemporary Muslim scholars, they made little use of this, except as a means to explain their teachings and to retaliate against arguments from their Muslim counterparts. It begins by discussing the extent to which the 9th century East Syrian theologian ʿAmmār al-Baṣrī adopted elements from Muslim teachings about the divine attributes, looks at evidence of borrowing in ʿAmmār’s Muslim contemporary Abū ʿĪsā al-Warrāq, and goes on to examine traces of counter-arguments from Christians in a refutation of the Trinity by the 10th century Ashʿarite scholar al-Bāqillānī. In none of these instances is there much sign of extensive absorption by Christians of Muslim concepts. The article then explores in detail traces of possible borrowings by Christians in arguments by the 11th century master al-Juwaynī and his pupil Abū l-Qāsim al-Anṣārī. In neither case does it find evidence of extensive borrowing by Christians, but rather indications that although they lived in an increasingly Islamic society, where their language and thought was imbued more and more with Islamic vocabulary and conventions, Christians continued to maintain their doctrines in forms they had inherited from pre-Islamic times. The record of Muslim theological works up to the 12th century indicates that Christians were not known by Muslims for demonstrating much interest in Muslim theology or for trying to express their doctrines in idioms established by Muslim theologians.‬
The 13th Century Copto-Arabic Reception of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī: Al-Rashīd Abū l-Khayr Ibn al-Ṭayyib’s Risālat al-Bayān al-aẓhar fī l-radd ʿalā man yaqūlu bi-l-qaḍāʾ wa-l-qadar
Authors: Schwarb Gregor
Published: February 2014

‭This article (re-)introduces Risālat al-Bayān al-aẓhar, a short and by all appearances unfinished treatise by the Coptic scholar al-Rashīd Abū l-Khayr Ibn al-Ṭayyib (d. after 1270), to exemplify the pivotal role played by the works of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī during the ‘Renaissance’ of Copto-Arabic literature in the 13th and 14th centuries. Rāzī’s œuvre left its mark on both content and form of systematic religious thought in Eastern Christianity. Whilst the Risāla is available in a partial edition since 1938, it has never been studied so far. As we shall see, Ibn al-Ṭayyib’s critique of Rāzī’s deterministic concept of human agency as outlined in the Muḥaṣṣal came in an attempt to counteract what he perceived as a detrimental effect of the mounting popularity which Rāzī’s works enjoyed among contemporaneous Christian readers. The critique is based on a rich patchwork of sources that is characteristic of 13th century Copto-Arabic encyclopaedism.‬
Mirroring the Islamic Tradition of the Names of God in Christianity: Ramon Llull’s Cent Noms de Déu as a Christian Qurʾān
Authors: Bellver José
Published: February 2014

‭The aim of this paper is to call attention to Ramon Llull’s Cent noms de Déu, or The One Hundred Names of God, and its unique place in the history of medieval Christian-Muslim polemics. Llull (1232–1315) was a writer, logician, philosopher, theologian and mystic born in Mallorca shortly after it was conquered by Christians from the Muslims. Initially living the life of a troubadour, he experienced a religious conversion and committed himself, in turn, to convert the “infidels”. With his Cent noms de Déu, a versified book written under the influence of the Islamic tradition of the asmāʾ Allāh al-ḥusnā, Llull aimed to refute Muslim claims regarding the inimitability of the Qurʾān (iʿjāz al-Qurʾān) which is believed to prove the divine origin of Islam’s sacred book. In addition, Llull sought to introduce an Islamic ethos into Christianity by suggesting a similar use in Christian daily worship to that of the Qurʾān in Muslim life, making his Cent noms de Déu a unique book in medieval Christian-Muslim polemics. I also provide a new dating and reevaluation of Llull’s intentions in writing this book.‬
Molecular and morphological assessment of Varanus pilbarensis (Squamata: Varanidae), with a description of a new species from the southern Pilbara, Western Australia
Authors: MARYAN BRAD , OLIVER PAUL M. , FITCH ALISON J. , O’CONNELL MORGAN
Published: February 2014

Varanus pilbarensis Storr, 1980 is a specialised saxicolous varanid endemic to the Pilbara region of Western Australia. We present genetic and morphological evidence confirming the existence of a divergent southern lineage, here described as V. hamersleyensis sp. nov.. The new species differs noticeably in having a darker colouration and a reduced pattern of small whitish ocelli on the dorsal surface of the limbs only with a largely unbanded tail. By contrast, V. pilbarensis which is redescribed and restricted to the northern lineage, is paler and more boldly patterned with large greyish ocelli on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the body and a strongly banded tail. The two species have discrete distributions centred on the Chichester and Hamersley Ranges to the north and south of the Fortescue River Basin. This pattern of intraregional genetic structuring is similar to that found in a number of other saxicolous lizard lineages from the Pilbara.
Cryptic species diversity in marsupial frogs (Anura: Hemiphractidae: Gastrotheca) in the Andes of northern Peru
Authors: DUELLMAN WILLIAM E. , BARLEY ANTHONY J. , VENEGAS PABLO J.
Published: February 2014

Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed the existence of two undescribed species of the hemiphractid genus Gastrotheca in the Andes in northern Peru. Both species are similar morphologically to Gastrotheca dysprosita and G. monticola, but they differ from these species and from one another in subtleties of coloration and minor variances in size and proportions. Gastrotheca aguaruna sp. nov. (6˚10'50"S, 77˚37'01"W, 2480 m) is from humid forested areas in the northern part of the Cordillera Central, whereas G. aratia sp. nov. (6˚14'00"S, 78˚51'24"W, 2560 m ) is known from the northern part of the Cordillera Occidental.
A new species of the genus Ishikawatrechus (Coleoptera, Trechinae) from Japan
Authors: SUGAYA KAZUKI , YAMASAKO JUNSUKE
Published: February 2014

A new species, Ishikawatrechus bidilatatus sp. nov., is described from the northwestern part of the Ishizuchi Range, Shikoku, Japan. The structure of the everted internal sac of the aedeagus in a fully inflated condition is observed and the taxonomic significance is discussed by comparing with a related species, I. ishiharai Uéno, 1994.
A new species of the genus Anthaxia Eschscholtz, 1829 from Spain (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Buprestinae: Anthaxiini)
Authors: BÍLÝ SVATOPLUK , VERDUGO ANTONIO
Published: February 2014

Anthaxia (Anthaxia) madridensis, sp. nov. from central Spain is described, illustrated and compared with the most similar species. The bionomy and the history of the discovery of the new species is briefly discussed.
How not to play with dolls: Contessa Lara’s ‘Una bambola’ and Luigi Pirandello’s ‘Servitù’
Authors: Mazzoni Cristina
Published: February 2014

Although dolls are more common in children’s literature, they occasionally appear also in literature written for adults. As in the 16th-century fairy tale by Straparola, ‘La poavola,’ so also in late 19th- and early 20th-century Italian literature the ambiguous figure of the doll represents both the loving world of childhood and a dangerous catalyst for personal change. In Contessa Lara’s ‘La bambola’ (1887), the doll of the title belongs to a young woman – herself treated by her husband as a doll – who collapses into madness when she believes her doll to be the child she desires and does not have. In Luigi Pirandello’s ‘Servitù’ (1914), the young protagonist is unable to escape her condition of servant even when she pretend-plays with the gift of a doll. In both short stories, the tragic conclusion occurs when the men in these protagonists’ lives – husband and father, respectively – physically destroy the dolls. Their violence may be partly explained by the complicated relationship adults, and especially male adults, have with dolls.
Influence of polyethylene disperse domain on cell morphology of polystyrene-based blend foams
Authors: Kohlhoff Dominik , Ohshima Masahiro
Published: February 2014

To gain insight into the foamability of polystyrene-based polymer blends containing different types of polyethylene close to the experimental boundary conditions of temperature, batch pressure quench foaming experiments were conducted using CO2 as a physical foaming agent. The blends were prepared by melt-mixing in a twin screw extruder and then physically foamed by depressurizing CO2 from 10 MPa in an autoclave at various foaming temperatures in the range of 90–140℃. At low temperatures, where viscosity of polyethylene (PE) was lower than that of PS, microcellular foams with bubble sizes of approx. 100 µm in diameter were obtained, and the dispersed PE enhanced bubble nucleation. It was also found that the expandability of bubbles was correlated with complex viscosity PE. At the highest foaming temperature, where the viscosity of PE became lower than that of the matrix, the dispersed PE worked as a cell opening agent.
Vicarious traumatisation: risk and resilience among crisis support volunteers in a community organisation
Authors: Howlett Samantha L , Collins Anthony
Published: February 2014

This study aims to understand the risks of vicarious trauma and possibilities of resilience among volunteers at an organisation that supports survivors of intimate-partner violence. The analysis identifies the dynamics of the organisation and the risk of vicarious traumatisation that the volunteers faced. The participants explored the personal self-care techniques they found effective and the organisational support available. The findings indicate that there was some degree of recognition of the risk by individual support workers, and also some attempts by the organisation to offer support, but these were undermined by a prevailing stigma among volunteers associated with admitting and showing vulnerability and inadequacy. Such denialism has a negative impact on both volunteers and organisational support structures, and also indirectly affects the clients seeking support. This analysis supports the importance of dealing with vicarious traumatisation in the training of volunteers and makes recommendations for the ongoing functioning of organisations, in order to facilitate effective recognition, non-stigmatised acceptance, and management of vicarious traumatisation among crisis support workers.
ERAS—Enhanced Recovery After Surgery
Authors: Ljungqvist Olle
Published: February 2014

ERAS is the acronym for enhanced recovery after surgery, a term often used to describe perioperative care programs that have been shown to improve outcomes after major surgery. This article gives a brief history of the development from fast‐track surgery to ERAS. Today, the full meaning of ERAS goes beyond just a protocol for perioperative care with the initiation of a novel multiprofessional, multidisciplinary medical society: the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Society for Perioperative Care (www.erassociety.org). The ERAS Society is involved in the development of evidence‐based guidelines. These guidelines form the basis for an implementation program of the ERAS principles to practice. While ERAS was initially developed for colonic resections, these principles are being used in a range of operations, and there is also a continuous update of care protocols as the fields develop. A key mechanism behind the effectiveness of ERAS is the dampening of the stress responses to the surgical insult combined with the use of treatments that support return of functions that delay recovery in traditional care. The article also gives some insights to why the protocols work and reports the effects of ERAS protocols.
Culturally Responsive Teaching Efficacy Beliefs of In-Service Special Education Teachers
Authors: Chu Szu-Yin , Garcia Shernaz
Published: February 2014

Although teaching efficacy has been noted as an attribute of successful teachers of students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds, special educators have not been represented in this research, nor have the influence of personal and professional factors on teacher efficacy been examined for this population. This descriptive, correlational survey research was conducted to investigate the influence of selected personal and professional variables on special educators’ culturally responsive teaching efficacy for serving exceptional CLD students. Participants ( n = 344) from three urban school districts in the Southwest responded to an online survey. Statistically significant differences were found in respondents’ perceptions of self-efficacy as well as outcome expectancy by the perceived effectiveness of their teacher preparation in addressing diversity. Teachers’ language characteristics, instructional setting, certification in bilingual education/English as a second language, and perceived quality of professional preparation also emerged as significant predictors. Implications for future research are discussed.
Interrogating the Algorithm: Debt, Derivatives and the Social Reconstruction of Stock Market Trading
Authors: Snider Laureen
Published: February 2014

This article examines the rise of algorithmic trading and the invention of new financial instruments, their implications and effects. It politicizes and denaturalizes the technological ‘innovations’ that have created networks of control over groups that states and corporations have designated as threatening, then examines how such ‘innovations’ have transformed stock market trading from a geographically-fixed, paper-based institution to a high-speed electronic casino. Finally, it discusses how and why financial actors have amassed the social, economic and political power that allows them to engage in practices that cause immense social harm while remaining virtually untouched by state regulatory agencies, civil and criminal law.
Dynamic analysis of finger seal using equivalent model based on distributed mass method
Authors: Chen Guo-Ding , Lu Fei , Yu Qiang-Peng , Su Hua
Published: February 2014

Dynamic analysis of finger seal can be performed by finite element method or equivalent model based on lumped mass method now available, which is difficult in meeting both the acceptable calculation time and accuracy simultaneously. For this reason, interactions between finger elements are considered and the equivalent dynamic model based on distributed mass method is proposed in this article. Seal dynamic performances are obtained by using this model to calculate the equivalent parameters, air leakage flow, and the contact behavior between finger seal and the rotor. The work to be presented here concerns the mapping of dynamic behavior of the finger seal with a stack of three finger elements, including the dynamic displacement responses of finger elements, the leakage clearances, and the contact pressures between the finger elements and the rotor, as well as the leakage flow rate and the wear rate. The results calculated by the equivalent model presented in this study are evaluated by comparison with the published experimental data and results from the model based on lumped mass method, which shows that the equivalent model based on distributed mass method is far superior to that based on lumped mass method because the calculations are in good agreement with the experimental results.
Numerical simulation of welding-induced residual stress in fusion welding process using adaptive volumetric heat source
Authors: Singh S , Yadaiah N , Bag S , Pal S
Published: February 2014

The mechanical properties of a weldment structure are influenced by the level of residual stress generated during fusion welding process. The experimental determination of residual stress is cumbersome and not free from measurement errors. A sophisticated numerical model is relatively easy approach to predict residual stress due to the advancement of high performance computational technology. However, the integration of all process physics to make a sophisticated numerical model is ever demanding. The present work is motivated in that direction and involves a finite element based numerical model for simulation of welding-induced residual stresses. A thermal model using adaptive volumetric heat source has been used to estimate temperature distribution. Subsequently, the thermal history is used to perform stress analysis for butt welded plates using three different fusion welding processes. The material behaviour is assumed as elasto-plastic in nature. The calculated results and their trend have been validated with experimental results available in open literature.
Wheel damage on the Swedish iron ore line investigated via multibody simulation
Authors: Hossein Nia Saeed , Jönsson Per-Anders , Stichel Sebastian
Published: February 2014

The Swedish iron ore company LKAB uses freight wagons with three-piece bogies to transport iron ore from its mines in Kiruna and Malmberget to the ports at Luleå and Narvik. A simulation model of the freight wagon is built using the multibody simulation code GENSYS. The objective is to investigate possible sources of rolling contact fatigue (RCF) of the wheels given the high level of observed damage. A parameter study is performed on the effects of vertical track stiffness and viscous damping that occur as a result of seasonal variations of the track condition. Another parameter study is carried out on the influence of the wheel/rail friction coefficient as in winter time the climate is very dry along most parts of the Malmbanan line. The impact of track gauge, track quality and cant deficiency on RCF is also studied. Comparing the calculated and observed RCF locations on wheels, attempts are made to find a relation between wear number and RCF damage. To detect the surface-initiated fatigue a so-called shakedown map is used. It is shown that RCF occurs on the tread of the inner wheels while negotiating curves with below an approximately 450 m radius. It is also shown that cant deficiency can be helpful for the vehicles to negotiate curves and to reduce the risk of RCF, however, on the other hand it may increase the track forces and in severe cases result in flange climbing. Lateral track irregularities and a large track gauge result in small contact areas and can lead to a higher risk of RCF. In cold dry climate conditions, as the water content in air drops significantly, the wheel/rail friction coefficient increases and when the material in the wheel begins to behave in a brittle manner, the risk of RCF is significantly increased, especially when the wear rate is not high enough to remove the initiated cracks.
Advocacy for urban resilience: UNISDR’s Making Cities Resilient Campaign
Authors: Johnson Cassidy , Blackburn Sophie
Published: February 2014

This paper reviews what local governments in more than 50 cities are doing with regard to disaster risk reduction. It draws on the reports of their participation in the global Making Cities Resilient Campaign and its 10 “essential” components, and on interviews with city mayors or managers. These show how resilience to disasters is being conceived and addressed by local governments, especially with regard to changes in their institutional framework and engagement with communities and other stakeholders, also in mobilizing finance, undertaking multi-hazard risk assessments, upgrading informal settlements, adjusting urban planning and implementing building codes. The paper summarizes what city mayors or managers view as key milestones for building resilience, and further discusses their evaluation of the usefulness of the campaign to them. It also discusses how a local government-focused perspective on disaster risk reduction informs our understanding of resilience. This includes how development can contribute much to disaster risk reduction as well as a more tangible and operational understanding of resilience (resistance + coping capacity + recovery + adaptive capacity) that local governments can understand and act on.
Interrogating urban poverty lines – the case of Zambia
Authors: Chibuye Miniva
Published: February 2014

This paper reviews and assesses how urban poverty in Zambia is defined and measured by the government, using data from the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR). It shows the often dramatic differences in the scale and nature of urban poverty, depending on what poverty measurements are chosen and applied. Applying the government poverty line, which takes no account of differences in costs between rural and urban areas, shows the incidence of urban poverty falling from 49 per cent in 1991 to 27.5 per cent in 2010; but a food basket based on what urban households eat is twice the cost of the food basket used in the official poverty line. In addition, as the paper describes, what urban poor households pay for food is often particularly high as they cannot buy in bulk. The official poverty line’s allowance for housing costs is based on what low-income groups spend on housing, not on the costs of the cheapest reasonable quality accommodation. The JCTR estimate for the cost of essential non-food needs is twice that in the official poverty line, and the JCTR review of house prices shows that the cost of “adequate” housing in cities is far higher than the allowance for housing in poverty lines. The paper also discusses other reasons why official poverty lines understate urban poverty, including neglecting the costs low-income groups face for transport, health care and keeping their children in school.
Institutionalizing climate change adaptation at municipal and state level in Chetumal and Quintana Roo, Mexico
Authors: Hardoy Jorgelina , Hernández Iván , Pacheco Juan Alfredo , Sierra Guadalupe
Published: February 2014

This paper is a report on one of three related case studies in Latin America and shows the progress in the city of Chetumal, and the larger state of which it is the capital (Quintana Roo), in disaster response, especially with regard to cyclones. It also shows the progress in land use and ecological planning through the development of certain tools, which have changed the approach from one of prohibiting action to suggesting alternatives. Rather than stopping development, the focus has been on taking full account of its impacts and trying to make development compatible with environmental protection. There has also been progress in ecosystem conservation and water management, coordinated between different levels of government and different stakeholders. While much of this has taken place within the formal framework set by government, participatory processes have increased civil society awareness and commitment to environmental issues, and its capacity to participate and take a position, especially during the planning stages.
Presenting quality data to vulnerable groups: charts, summaries or behavioral economic nudges?
Authors: Elbel Brian , Gillespie Colleen , Raven Maria C
Published: February 2014

Objectives

Despite the increased focus on health care consumers’ active choice, not enough is known about how to best facilitate the choice process. We sought to assess methods of improving this process for vulnerable consumers in the United States by testing alternatives that emphasize insights from behavioral economics, or ‘nudges’.

Methods

We performed a hypothetical choice experiment where subjects were randomized to one of five experimental conditions and asked to choose a health center (location where they would receive all their care). The conditions presented the same information about health centers in different ways, including graphically as a chart, via written summary and using behavioral economics, ‘nudging’ consumers toward particular choices. We hypothesized that these ‘nudges’ might help simplify the choice process. Our primary outcomes focused on the health center chosen and whether consumers were willing to accept ‘nudges’.

Results

We found that consumer choice was influenced by the method of presentation and the majority of consumers accepted the health center they were ‘nudged’ towards.

Conclusions

Consumers were accepting of choices grounded in insights from behavioral economics and further consideration should be given to their role in patient choice.
The management of accidental wire brush bristle ingestions: A combat military perspective
Authors: Tran Daniel D , Cable Benjamin B , Ruhl Douglas S , Jaqua Nathan T
Published: February 2014

There has been an increasing recent trend in accidental ingestion of wire barbeque grill brush bristles. Because of the unique nature of the foreign object, both the diagnosis and management of this injury are new realms in everyday trauma without clearly established protocols. We present the case of an accidental wire bristle ingestion resulting in oesophageal perforation; with insight from recent military trauma data, we managed this patient conservatively without surgical exploration. In the subset of asymptomatic patients with negative imaging, this divergence from operative management is safe with close observation and follow-up.
Designing hues of transparency and democracy after WikiLeaks: Vigilance to vigilantes and back again
Authors: Heemsbergen Luke J
Published: February 2014

This article offers an interpretive critique of the political affordances created through iterations of the WikiLeaks project. The research shows that delineated phases of the WikiLeaks transparency project often correlate with specific paradigms of digital democracy that were previously enunciated in this journal by Lincoln Dahlberg. The research builds upon and extends Dahlberg’s democratic paradigms by comparing new objects against the typology and offering a theoretical explanation towards how political affordances are formed in digital democracy. Specifically, the article relates theories of affordance to an informing/deforming design process to explain how political positions are created in new media apparatus. The article traces iterations of WikiLeaks from 2006 to 2011, as well as derivative projects of radical transparency that existed in 2012 and 2013.
Softening behaviour modelling of aluminium alloy 6082 using a non-linear cohesive zone law
Authors: Kim Kyungmok
Published: February 2014

A non-linear cohesive zone model is developed for predicting stress–strain behaviour of unnotched aluminium alloys. A uniform cohesive layer is added into the middle of a dogbone-type specimen. Mechanical properties of aluminium alloy 6082 are used as those of a cohesive layer; Voce equation is used for describing the softening behaviour of heat treated and non-heat treated plates. Damage state of a cohesive zone due to tensile loading is evaluated with the damage variable expressed as a function of strain. Predicted engineering stress–strain curves are directly compared with experimental ones. Results show that a proposed model provides the prediction of stress–strain behaviour of aluminium alloys.
Undertaking action research in prison: Developing the Older prisoner Health and Social Care Assessment and Plan
Authors: Walsh Elizabeth , Forsyth Katrina , Senior Jane , O’Hara Kate , Shaw Jenny
Published: February 2014

Older prisoners are the fastest growing group in prisons. They have complex health and social care needs and the coordination of their care is suboptimal. An action learning group including health care staff, prison staff and older prisoners was established at one prison in England. The group developed the Older prisoner Health and Social Care Assessment and Plan (OHSCAP) which is a health and social care assessment and care planning process for the better identification and management of older prisoners’ needs. This paper describes and critically analyses the process of action learning in prison to develop and pilot the OHSCAP. Data were collected through reflective notes from the action learning group facilitator, reflective diary writing from group members, emails, research project steering group meeting notes and interviews with action learning group members. The constant comparison method of data analysis was used. We found that action learning is a valuable approach for developing practice in the challenging prison environment. There are important considerations when using action learning in the prison setting. These include maintaining the groups’ focus; clarifying roles and procedures; providing practical and theoretical space and considering the groups’ composition.
Adaptation to Early-Stage Nonfluent/Agrammatic Variant Primary Progressive Aphasia
Authors: Douglas Joanne T.
Published: February 2014

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a young-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by declining language ability. The nonfluent/agrammatic variant of PPA (PPA-G) has the core features of agrammatism in language production and effortful, halting speech. As with other frontotemporal spectrum disorders, there is currently no cure for PPA, nor is it possible to slow the course of progression. The primary goal of treatment is therefore palliative in nature. However, there is a paucity of published information about strategies to make meaningful improvements to the quality of life of people with PPA, particularly in the early stages of the disease where any benefit could most be appreciated by the affected person. This report describes a range of strategies and adaptations designed to improve the quality of life of a person with early-stage PPA-G, based on my experience under the care of a multidisciplinary medical team.
Women’s accounts of help-seeking in early rheumatoid arthritis from symptom onset to diagnosis
Authors: Townsend Anne , Backman Catherine L , Adam Paul , Li Linda C
Published: February 2014

Background

As interest in gender and health grows, the notion that women are more likely than men to consult doctors is increasingly undermined as more complex understandings of help seeking and gender emerge. While men’s reluctance to seek help is associated with practices of masculinities, there has been less consideration of women’s help-seeking practices. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease that predominantly affects women and requires prompt treatment but considerable patient-based delays persist along the care pathway. This paper examines women’s accounts of help seeking in early RA from symptom onset to diagnosis.

Methods

We conducted in-depth interviews with 37 women with RA <12 months in Canada. Analysis was based on a constant comparison, thematic approach informed by narrative analysis.

Results

The women’s accounts featured masculine practices associated with men’s help-seeking. The women presented such behaviours as relational, e.g. rooted in family socialisation and a determination to maintain roles and ‘normal’ life.

Discussion

Our findings raise questions about how far notions of gender operate to differentiate men and women’s help seeking and may indicate more similarities than differences. Recognising this has implications for policy and practice initiatives for both men and women.
How we treat sickle hepatopathy and liver transplantation in adults
Authors: Gardner Kate , Suddle Abid , Kane Pauline , O’Grady John , Heaton Nigel , Bomford Adrian , Thein Swee Lay
Published: February 2014

Sickle cell disease (SCD) has evolved into a debilitating disorder with emerging end-organ damage. One of the organs affected is the liver, causing “sickle hepatopathy,” an umbrella term for a variety of acute and chronic pathologies. Prevalence of liver dysfunction in SCD is unknown, with estimates of 10%. Dominant etiologies include gallstones, hepatic sequestration, viral hepatitis, and sickle cell intrahepatic cholestasis (SCIC). In addition, causes of liver disease outside SCD must be identified and managed. SCIC is an uncommon, severe subtype, with outcome of its acute form having vastly improved with exchange blood transfusion (EBT). In its chronic form, there is limited evidence for EBT programs as a therapeutic option. Liver transplantation may have a role in a subset of patients with minimal SCD-related other organ damage. In the transplantation setting, EBT is important to maintain a low hemoglobin S fraction peri- and posttransplantation. Liver dysfunction in SCD is likely to escalate as life span increases and patients incur incremental transfusional iron overload. Future work must concentrate on not only investigating the underlying pathogenesis, but also identifying in whom and when to intervene with the 2 treatment modalities available: EBT and liver transplantation.
Oscillatory behavior of solutions of third-order delay and advanced dynamic equations
Authors: Adıvar Murat , Akın Elvan , Higgins Raegan
Published: February 2014

In this paper, we consider oscillation criteria for certain third-order delay and advanced dynamic equations on unbounded time scales. A time scale "Equation missing" is a nonempty closed subset of the real numbers. Examples will be given to illustrate some of the results.

MSC:34N05, 39A10, 39A21.
Association between serum uric acid levels and cardiovascular disease in middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals
Authors: Qin Li , Yang Zhen , Gu Hongxia , Lu Shuai , Shi Qun , Xing Yin , Li Xiaoyong , Li Rui , Ning Guang , Su Qing
Published: February 2014

Background

A link between uric acid (UA) levels and cardiovascular diseases has been previously reported. However, its importance as a risk factor is still controversial. This study sought to determine whether elevated serum uric acid levels are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals.

Methods

We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study in Shanghai, with a total of 8510 participants aged ≥40 years. The CVD included diagnosed coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. MetS was defined according to the updated National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria for Asian Americans.

Results

Uric acid levels were positively associated with BMI, waist circumference, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, glycohemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose, postprandial 2-hour plasma glucose (all P < 0.05), and negatively associated with HDL-cholesterol (P < 0.001). The prevalence of CVD significantly increased with increasing quartiles of UA in those without MetS group (p trend < 0.001), but not necessarily increased in those with MetS. After adjustment for metabolic syndrome and other cardiovascular risk factors, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that odds ratios (OR) for CHD, stroke, and CVD in those in the fourth quartiles were 2.34 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.73 to 3.45), 2.18 (95% CI 1.86 to 3.28), and 2.16 (95% CI 1.80 to 3.29), respectively, compared with those in the first quartile of UA.

Conclusions

Elevated serum uric acid level was associated with CVD, independent of conventional cardiovascular disease risk factors and metabolic syndrome.
Antimicrobial resistance of bacterial enteropathogens isolated from stools in Madagascar
Authors: Randrianirina Frederique , Ratsima Elisoa Hariniana , Ramparany Lova , Randremanana Rindra , Rakotonirina Hanitra Clara , Andriamanantena Tahiry , Rakotomanana Fanjasoa , Rajatonirina Soatiana , Richard Vincent , Talarmin Antoine
Published: February 2014

Background

Diarrheal diseases are a major public health problem in developing countries, and are one of the main causes of hospital admissions in Madagascar. The Pasteur Institute of Madagascar undertook a study to determine the prevalence and the pathogenicity of bacterial, viral and protozoal enteropathogens in diarrheal and non-diarrheal stools of children aged less than 5 years in Madagascar. We present here the results of the analysis of antimicrobial susceptibility of the bacteria isolated during this study.

Methods

The study was conducted in the community setting in 14 districts of Madagascar from October 2008 to May 2009. Conventional methods and PCR were used to identify the bacteria; antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using an agar diffusion method for enterobacteriaceae and MICs were measured by an agar dilution method for Campylobacter sp. In addition to the strains isolated during this study, Salmonella sp and Shigella sp isolated at the Pasteur Institute of Madagascar from 2005 to 2009 were included in the analysis to increase the power of the study.

Results

Twenty-nine strains of Salmonella sp, 35 strains of Shigella sp, 195 strains of diarrheagenic E. coli, 203 strains of C. jejuni and 71 strains of C. coli isolated in the community setting were tested for antibiotic resistance. Fifty-five strains of Salmonella sp and 129 strains of Shigella sp isolated from patients referred to the Pasteur Institute of Madagascar were also included in the study. Many E. coli and Shigella isolates (around 80%) but fewer Salmonella isolates were resistant to ampicillin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. A small proportion of strains of each species were resistant to ciprofloxacin and only 3% of E. coli strains presented a resistance to third generation cephalosporins due to the production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases. The resistance of Campylobacter sp to ampicillin was the most prevalent, whereas less than 5% of isolates were resistant to each of the other antibiotics.

Conclusion

The highest prevalence of antimicrobial resistance was to ampicillin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Antibiotic treatment is not recommended for children with diarrhea in Madagascar and the emphasis should be placed on oral rehydration.
Propionibacterium acnesprosthetic valve endocarditis with abscess formation: a case report
Authors: Kurz Mario , Kaufmann Beat A , Baddour Larry M , Widmer Andreas F
Published: February 2014

Background

Endocarditis due to Propionibacterium acnes is a rare disease. Scant data on treatment of these infections is available and is based on case reports only. If the disease is complicated by abscess formation, surgical intervention combined with an antibiotic therapy might improve clinical outcome. In some cases, cardiac surgeons are reluctant to perform surgery, since they consider the intervention as high risk. Therefore, a conservative therapy is required, with little, if any evidence to choose the optimal antibiotic. We report the first case of a successfully treated patient with P. acnes prosthetic valve endocarditis without surgery.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 29-year-old patient with a prosthetic valve endocarditis and composite graft infection with abscess formation of the left ventricular outflow tract due to P. acnes. Since cardiac surgery was considered as high risk, the patient was treated intravenously with ceftriaxone 2 g qd and rifampin 600 mg bid for 7 weeks and was switched to an oral therapy with levofloxacin 500 mg bid and rifampin 600 mg bid for an additional 6 months. Two sets of blood cultures collected six weeks after completion of treatment remained negative. The patient is considered to be cured based on absence of clinical signs and symptoms, normal laboratory parameters, negative radiology scans and negative blood cultures, determined at site visits over two years after completion of treatment.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first successfully managed patient with P. acnes prosthetic valve endocarditis with abscess formation of the left ventricular outflow tract who was treated with antibiotics alone without a surgical intervention. A six month treatment with a rifampin and levofloxacin combination was chosen, based on the excellent activity against stationary-phase and adherent bacteria.