bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aggressive treatment in paediatric or young patients with drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DiHS)/drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is associated with future development of type III polyglandular autoimmune syndrome
Authors: Morita Chiyo , Yanase Tetsuji , Shiohara Tetsuo , Aoyama Yumi
Published: October 2018

We experienced a 6-year-old case of drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DiHS)/drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) with subsequent development autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), type 1 diabetes with antithyroglobulin, thyroid peroxidase, insulinoma-associated antigen and anti-insulin antibodies at 4 months, alopecia at 7 months, vitiligo, uveitis due to Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease at 8 months after clinical resolution of the DiHS/DRESS. He was diagnosed as type III polyglandular autoimmune syndrome (PASIII) after DiHS/DRESS. Prompted by this case, we sought to determine which triggering factors were responsible for later development of PASIII in previously published cases with autoimmune sequelae. In the literature review, five patients with DIHS/DRESS were found to develop autoimmune sequelae consistent with PASIII. All cases with PASIII were much younger than those without them. Four out of the five patients were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin or pulsed prednisolone in the acute stage, although effective in short-term outcomes.
Generalised anxiety disorder and hospital admissions: findings from a large, population cohort study
Authors: Remes Olivia , Wainwright Nicholas , Surtees Paul , Lafortune Louise , Khaw Kay-Tee , Brayne Carol
Published: October 2018

Objective

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most common anxiety disorder in the general population and has been associated with high economic and human burden. However, it has been neglected in the health services literature. The objective of this study is to assess whether GAD leads to hospital admissions using data from the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer-Norfolk. Other aims include determining whether early-onset or late-onset forms of the disorder, episode chronicity and frequency, and comorbidity with major depressive disorder (MDD) contribute to hospital admissions.

Design

Large, population study.

Setting

UK population-based cohort.

Participants

30 445 British participants were recruited through general practice registers in England. Of these, 20 919 completed a structured psychosocial questionnaire used to identify presence of GAD. Anxiety was assessed in 1996–2000, and health service use was captured between 1999/2000 and 2009 through record linkage with large, administrative health databases. 17 939 participants had complete data on covariates.

Main outcome measure

Past-year GAD defined according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition.

Results

In this study, there were 2.2% (393/17 939) of respondents with GAD. Anxiety was not independently associated with hospital admissions (incidence rate ratio (IRR)=1.04, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.20) over 9 years. However, those whose anxiety was comorbid with depression showed a statistically significantly increased risk for hospital admissions (IRR=1.23, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.49).

Conclusion

People with GAD and MDD comorbidity were at an increased risk for hospital admissions. Clinicians should consider that meeting criteria for a pure or individual disorder at one point in time, such as past-year GAD, does not necessarily predict deleterious health outcomes; rather different forms of the disorder, such as comorbid cases, might be of greater importance.
Psychometric properties of gross motor assessment tools for children: a systematic review
Authors: Griffiths Alison , Toovey Rachel , Morgan Prue E , Spittle Alicia J
Published: October 2018

Objective

Gross motor assessment tools have a critical role in identifying, diagnosing and evaluating motor difficulties in childhood. The objective of this review was to systematically evaluate the psychometric properties and clinical utility of gross motor assessment tools for children aged 2–12 years.

Method

A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and AMED was performed between May and July 2017. Methodological quality was assessed with the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments checklist and an outcome measures rating form was used to evaluate reliability, validity and clinical utility of assessment tools.

Results

Seven assessment tools from 37 studies/manuals met the inclusion criteria: Bayley Scale of Infant and Toddler Development-III (Bayley-III), Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2 (BOT-2), Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2), McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND), Neurological Sensory Motor Developmental Assessment (NSMDA), Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2) and Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2). Methodological quality varied from poor to excellent. Validity and internal consistency varied from fair to excellent (α=0.5–0.99). The Bayley-III, NSMDA and MABC-2 have evidence of predictive validity. Test–retest reliability is excellent in the BOT-2 (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)=0.80–0.99), PDMS-2 (ICC=0.97), MABC-2 (ICC=0.83–0.96) and TGMD-2 (ICC=0.81–0.92). TGMD-2 has the highest inter-rater (ICC=0.88–0.93) and intrarater reliability (ICC=0.92–0.99).

Conclusions

The majority of gross motor assessments for children have good-excellent validity. Test–retest reliability is highest in the BOT-2, MABC-2, PDMS-2 and TGMD-2. The Bayley-III has the best predictive validity at 2 years of age for later motor outcome. None of the assessment tools demonstrate good evaluative validity. Further research on evaluative gross motor assessment tools are urgently needed.
Assessing C reactive protein/albumin ratio as a new biomarker for polycystic ovary syndrome: a case–control study of women from Bahraini medical clinics
Authors: Kalyan Shirin , Goshtesabi Azita , Sarray Sameh , Joannou Angela , Almawi Wassim Y
Published: October 2018

Objective

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder affecting approximately one in seven women who experience androgen excess, menstrual cycle irregularities, frequent anovulation and a tendency for central obesity and insulin resistance. Chronic subclinical inflammation is now recognised as being common in the context of PCOS, which led to the postulation that PCOS may fundamentally be an inflammatory process. This study aimed to: (1) evaluate serum C reactive protein (CRP)/albumin ratio as a potential predictive biomarker for PCOS; (2) compare the relationship between CRP/albumin and PCOS to variables classically associated with the syndrome.

Design

Case–control study.

Setting

Adult obstetrics/gynaecology, endocrinology and outpatient clinics; university hospital in Bahrain.

Participants

200 premenopausal women with a diagnosis of PCOS, and 119 ethnically matched eumenorrheic premenopausal women.

Main outcome measures

CRP/albumin ratio, anthropometric measures, insulin resistance, androgen excess.

Results

Independent of body mass index (BMI), receiver operating characteristic curve for CRP/albumin ratio as a selective biomarker for PCOS was 0.865 (95% CI 0.824 to 0.905), which was more sensitive than CRP alone. Binary regression analysis showed that CRP/albumin ratio outperformed classical correlates, Free Androgen Index and insulin resistance, in predicting PCOS for every BMI category.

Conclusion

CRP/albumin ratio, a marker for inflammation related to metabolic dysfunction, was found to have a stronger association with PCOS than either androgen excess or insulin resistance. Inflammation is known to be influenced by adiposity, but relative to controls, women with PCOS have higher levels of CRP/albumin irrespective of BMI. These findings support the view that inflammation plays a central role in the pathophysiology of PCOS.
Real-world effectiveness evaluation of budesonide/formoterol Spiromax for the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the UK
Authors: Voorham Jaco , Roche Nicolas , Benhaddi Hicham , van der Tol Marianka , Carter Victoria , van Boven Job F.M. , Bjermer Leif , Miravitlles Marc , Price David B
Published: October 2018

Objectives

Budesonide/formoterol (BF) Spiromax®is an inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β2-agonist fixed-dose combination (FDC) inhaler, designed to minimise common inhaler errors and provide reliable and consistent dose delivery in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We evaluated non-inferiority of BF Spiromax after changing from another FDC inhaler, compared with continuing the original inhaler.

Methods

Patients with asthma and/or COPD who switched to BF Spiromax were matched (1:3) with non-switchers. Data were obtained from the Optimum Patient Care Research Database and Clinical Practice Research Datalink in the UK. The primary end point was the proportion of patients achieving disease control (using the risk domain control (RDC) algorithm); secondary end points were: exacerbation rate, short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) use and treatment stability (achieved RDC; no maintenance treatment change). Non-inferiority was defined as having 95% CI lower bound above −10%, using conditional logistic regression and adjusted for relevant confounders.

Results

Comparing 385 matched patients (asthma 253; COPD 132) who switched to BF Spiromax with 1091 (asthma 743; COPD 348) non-switchers, non-inferiority of BF Spiromax in RDC was demonstrated (adjusted difference: +6.6%; 95% CI –0.3 to 13.5). Among patients with asthma, switchers to BF Spiromax versus BF Turbuhaler®reported fewer exacerbations (adjusted rate ratio (RR) 0.76;95% CI 0.60 to 0.99; p=0.044); were less likely to use high daily doses of SABA (adjusted OR 0.71;95% CI 0.52 to 0.98; p=0.034); used fewer SABA inhalers (adjusted RR 0.92;95% CI 0.86 to 0.99; p=0.019); and were more likely to achieve treatment stability (adjusted OR 1.44;95% CI 1.02 to 2.04; p=0.037). No significant differences in these end points were seen among patients with COPD.

Conclusions

Among UK patients with asthma and COPD, real-world use of BF Spiromax was non-inferior to BF Turbuhaler in terms of disease control. Among patients with asthma, switching to BF Spiromax was associated with reduced exacerbations, reduced SABA use and improved treatment stability versus continuing on BF Turbuhaler.
Using the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) outside acute hospital settings: a qualitative study of staff experiences in the West of England
Authors: Brangan Emer , Banks Jonathan , Brant Heather , Pullyblank Anne , Le Roux Hein , Redwood Sabi
Published: October 2018

Objectives

Early warning scores were developed to improve recognition of clinical deterioration in acute hospital settings. In England, the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) is increasingly being recommended at a national level for use outside such settings. In 2015, the West of England Academic Health Science Network supported the roll-out of NEWS across a range of non-acute-hospital healthcare sectors. Research on the use of NEWS outside acute hospitals is limited. The objective of this study was to explore staff experiences of using NEWS in these new settings.

Design

Thematic analysis of qualitative semi-structured interviews with purposefully sampled healthcare staff.

Setting

West of England healthcare settings where NEWS was being used outside acute hospitals—primary care, ambulance, referral management, community and mental health services.

Participants

Twenty-five healthcare staff interviewed from primary care (9), ambulance (3), referral management/acute interface (5), community (4) and mental health services (3), and service commissioning (1).

Results

Participants reported that NEWS could support clinical decision-making around escalation of care, and provide a clear means of communicating clinical acuity between clinicians and across different healthcare organisations. Challenges with implementing NEWS varied—in primary care, clinicians had to select patients for NEWS and adopt different methods of clinical assessment, whereas for paramedics it fitted well with usual clinical practice and was used for all patients. In community services and mental health, modifications were ‘needed’ to make the tool relevant to some patient populations.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that while NEWS can work for staff outside acute hospital settings, the potential for routine clinical practice to accommodate NEWS in such settings varied. A tailored approach to implementation in different settings, incorporating guidance supported by further research on the use of NEWS with specific patient groups in community settings, may be beneficial, and enhance staff confidence in the tool.
Age, health and other factors associated with return to work for those engaging with a welfare-to-work initiative: a cohort study of administrative data from the UK’s Work Programme
Authors: Brown Judith , Katikireddi Srinivasa Vittal , Leyland Alastair H , McQuaid Ronald W , Frank John , Macdonald Ewan B
Published: October 2018

Objectives

To investigate the role of individual factors (including age, health and personal circumstances) and external factors associated with clients having a job start while engaging with the Work Programme and variations by benefit type.

Setting

The UK Government’s main return to work initiative (The Work Programme) in Scotland.

Design

Piecewise Poisson regression to calculate incident rate ratios using administrative data from 2013 to 2016 to identify factors associated with job start.

Participants

4322 Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) clients not in work due to poor health and 8996 Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) clients, aged 18–64 years, referred to the Work Programme between April 2013 and July 2014.

Main outcome measures

Starting a job and the time to first job start after entering the Work Programme.

Results

JSA clients (62%) were more likely to return to work (RTW) than ESA clients (20%). There is a strong negative relationship between age and the predicted probability of having a job start during the 2-year engagement with the programme for both JSA and ESA clients. JSA clients were most likely to RTW in the first 3 months, while for ESA clients the predicted probability of having a first job start was fairly constant over the 2 years. Health, including the number of health conditions, length of unemployment, client perception of job start and other individual factors were associated with job starts for both groups.

Conclusions

Age plays an important role in influencing RTW; however, important potentially modifiable factors include the length of unemployment, the management of multimorbidity and the individual’s perception of the likelihood of job start. Future welfare-to-work programmes may be improved by providing age-specific interventions which focus on health and biopsychosocial factors to enable more people to realise the potential health benefits of RTW.
Premature dissolution of the Agile patency device: implications for capsule endoscopy
Authors: Wray Nicholas , Healy Ailish , Thurston Vicky , Hale Melissa Fay , Sidhu Reena , Blakeborough Tony , McAlindon Mark
Published: October 2018

Background

The main risk of capsule endoscopy is retention of the capsule behind a stricture. Passage of an intact Agile patency device (Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland) through the small bowel is widely used to ensure luminal patency, although capsule retention has occurred in patients who have had a reassuring patency study. The device is designed to remain intact for at least 30 hours postingestion, such that loss of signal from the radiofrequency identification tag contained within, or absence of the device on radiological imaging, implies unimpeded intestinal transit.

Aim

To identify the rate of premature dissolution (<30 hours postingestion) of the Agile patency device.

Methods

Outcomes of all consecutive patients having an Agile patency device were analysed.

Results

Premature dissolution of the patency device occurred in 5 of 307 patients, an incidence of 1.3%. This was recognised by the detection of a persistent radiofrequency signal after radiological imaging had failed to identify the patency device, prompting a careful search for the radiofrequency tag on the CT scout film. The tag was difficult to detect because of an oblique lie making it appear smaller than its 13×3 mm size and confusion with intra-abdominal or other metallic fragments.

Conclusions

In the absence of radiological evidence of an intact Agile patency device, premature dissolution should be suspected in patients registering a persistent radiofrequency signal and confirmed by identifying the radiofrequency identification tag. Failure to do so might result in false reassurance that capsule endoscopy could be performed without risk of retention.
Aortic dilatation and outcome in women with Turner syndrome
Authors: Duijnhouwer Anthonie L , Bons Lidia R , Timmers Henri J L M , van Kimmenade Roland R L , Snoeren Miranda , Timmermans Janneke , van den Hoven Allard T , Kempers Marlies , van Dijk Arie P J , Fleischer Kathrin , Roos-Hesselink Jolien W
Published: October 2018

Background

Women with Turner syndrome (TS) are at increased risk of aortic dissection, which is related to ascending aortic diameter. However, the relation between aortic diameter and outcome is not well determined. This study evaluates the prevalence of aortic dilatation, the growth rate of the aorta and the risk of aortic complications in adults with TS.

Methods

Single centre, retrospective study of all women with TS followed with a strict protocol in an outpatient TS clinic. Aortic diameters were analysed using advanced imaging. The primary outcome was a combined endpoint of aortic-related mortality, aortic dissection and preventive aortic surgery. The secondary endpoint was aortic growth and prevalence of aortic dilatation, defined as an aortic size index >20 mm/m2at baseline.

Results

At least one cardiac MR/CT was available in 268 women with TS, having median age of 28.7 (IQR: 21.3–39.7) years. Aortic dilatation was present in 22%. Linear regression identified independent factors associated with larger aortic diameters: age (coefficient=0.23; p<0.001), hypertension (coefficient=2.7; p<0.001), bicuspid aortic valve (coefficient=3.3; p<0.001), 45XO karyotype (coefficient=1.7; p=0.002), weight (coefficient=0.075; p<0.001) and growth hormone treatment (coefficient=1.4; p=0.044). During follow-up (6.8±3.2 years), five women (2%) reached the primary endpoint (two dissections, three aortic surgery). Women withmore than one scan (n=171; 1015 patient-years follow-up), the median aortic growth was 0.20 (IQR: 0.00–0.44) mm/year. In multivariate analysis, aortic growth was not associated with baseline aortic diameter or other variables.

Conclusions

Aortic dilatation is common and known associations were confirmed in large adult TS cohort However, aortic dissection, related mortality and preventive aortic surgery are rare. Growth hormone treatment in childhood was associated with aortic dimensions.
Coronary anatomy in Turner syndrome versus patients with isolated bicuspid aortic valves
Authors: Koenraadt Wilke M C , Siebelink Hans-Marc J , Bartelings Margot M , Schalij Martin J , van der Vlugt Maureen J , van den Bosch Annemien E , Budde Ricardo P J , Roos-Hesselink Jolien W , Duijnhouwer Anthonie L , van den Hoven Allard T , DeRuiter Marco C , Jongbloed Monique R M
Published: October 2018

Objective

Variations in coronary anatomy, like absent left main stem and left dominant coronary system, have been described in patients with Turner syndrome (TS) and in patients with bicuspid aortic valves (BAV). It is unknown whether coronary variations in TS are related to BAV and to specific BAV subtypes.

Aim

To compare coronary anatomy in patients with TS with/without BAV versus isolated BAV and to study BAV morphology subtypes in these groups.

Methods

Coronary anatomy and BAV morphology were studied in 86 patients with TS (20 TS-BAV, 66 TS-tricuspid aortic valve) and 86 patients with isolated BAV (37±13 years vs 42±15 years, respectively) by CT.

Results

There was no significant difference in coronary dominance between patients with TS with and without BAV (25% vs 21%, p=0.933). BAVs with fusion of right and left coronary leaflets (RL BAV) without raphe showed a high prevalence of left coronary dominance in both TS-BAV and isolated BAV (both 38%). Absent left main stem was more often seen in TS-BAV as compared with isolated BAV (10% vs 0%). All patients with TS-BAV with absent left main stem had RL BAV without raphe.

Conclusion

The equal distribution of left dominance in RL BAV without raphe in TS-BAV and isolated BAV suggests that presence of left dominance is a feature of BAVs without raphe, independent of TS. Both TS and RL BAV without raphe seem independently associated with absent left main stems. Awareness of the higher incidence of particularly absent left main stems is important to avoid complications during hypothermic perfusion.
Clinical features of patients with male breast cancer in Shanxi province of China from 2007 to 2016
Authors: Wang Weigang , Xu Xiaoqin , Tian Baoguo , Wang Yan , Du Lili , Sun Ting , Shi Yanchun , Zhao Xianwen , Jia Yali , Xi Yanfeng , Jing Jiexian
Published: October 2018

This study aims to understand the clinical features, treatment, and prognosis of patients with male breast cancer (MBC) in Shanxi province of China from 2007 to 2016. Data for 77 patients with MBC were collected for analysis. Immunohistochemistry, pathological results, and other data such as demographic characteristics (age, marital status, smoking history, drinking history, and family history of cancer) as well as clinical data were investigated by retrieving information from the patients’ medical records. A total of 12,404 patients were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2007 and 2016, and 77 were patients with MBC among them. The median diagnosis age of patients with MBC was 62 years (range, 24–84 years). The most common complaint was a painless lump in the breast, accounting for 68.8% of the patients, and the main pathological type in MBC was infiltrating ductal carcinoma (66.2%). In terms of hormone receptors, 80.5% (62/77) of patients with MBC were estrogen receptor positive, 75.3% (58/77) of patients were progesterone receptor positive, and only 6.5% (5/77) of patients were HER2 overexpressing. The multivariant Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that M stage is an independent prognostic factor (p=0.018, HR=18.791, 95% CI 1.663 to 212.6). The epidemiological and clinical features of Chinese MBC are similar to that of other countries. As the Chinese public have limited knowledge of MBC, it is necessary to increase awareness among them about it. Further research with a large sample size is required for better understanding of the risks associated with MBC.
Statins: A New Approach to Combat Temozolomide Chemoresistance in Glioblastoma
Authors: Shojaei Shahla , Alizadeh Javad , Thliveris James , Koleini Navid , Kardami Elissavet , Hatch Grant M , Xu Fred , Hombach-Klonisch Sabine , Klonisch Thomas , Ghavami Saeid
Published: October 2018

Patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) have an average life expectancy of approximately 15 months. Recently, statins have emerged as a potential adjuvant cancer therapy due to their ability to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in many types of cancer. The exact mechanisms that mediate the inhibitory actions of statins in cancer cells are largely unknown. The purpose of this proceeding paper is to discuss some of the known anticancer effects of statins, while focusing on GBM therapy that includes adjunct therapy of statins with chemotherapeutic agents.
Risk factors for hyperperfusion-induced intracranial hemorrhage after carotid artery stenting in patients with symptomatic severe carotid stenosis evaluation
Authors: Zhang Lei , Dai Dongwei , Li Zifu , Duan Guoli , Zhang Yong-wei , Yang Pengfei , Huang Qinghai , Xu Yi , Hong Bo , Liu Jianmin
Published: October 2018

Background

Analyzing risk factors for hyperperfusion-induced intracranial hemorrhage (HICH) after carotid artery stenting (CAS) in patients with symptomatic severe carotid stenosis.

Methods

This study retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 210 patients, who had symptomatic severe carotid stenosis (70–99%) and received CAS treatment between June 2009 and June 2015, and evaluated the relationship of HICH with patients’ clinical baseline data, imaging features, and treatment strategies.

Results

Seven patients (3.3%) developed HICH after CAS. The incidence of HICH among patients with near total occlusion was significantly higher than among those without (10.1% vs 0%, P<0.001). Out of the seven, five had no development of either anterior or posterior circulations, and two had no development of anterior circulation and poor development of posterior circulation. Results showed that patients with poor compensation of Willis’ Circle were more likely to develop HICH compared with other patients (P<0.001). All patients received preoperative CT perfusion. TTP index was defined as the TTP ratio between the affected and contralateral side. The results showed that the TTP index was significantly different between the HICH group and non-HICH group (1.15±0.10 vs 1.30±0.15, P<0.001). An analysis of the ROC curve indicated that patients with TTP index >1.22 were more likely to develop HICH compared with other patients (sensitivity 100%, specificity 75.9%).

Conclusions

Patients with severe unilateral carotid stenosis, the presence of near total occlusion, poor compensation of Willis’ Circle, and preoperative TTP index>1.22, have a higher risk of developing HICH after CAS.
Centrifugal and numerical modeling of stiffened deep mixed column-supported embankment with slab over soft clay
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Ye Guanbao , Cai Yongsheng , Zhang Zhao
Published: October 2018

A stiffened deep mixed (SDM) column can significantly increase the bearing capacity, reduce settlement, and enhance the slope stability of soft clays as compared with a conventional deep mixed (DM) column. This technique involves inserting plain concrete, reinforced concrete or a steel pile into the center of the DM column after the DM column is constructed. In this paper, a series of centrifugal modeling tests were conducted to investigate the performance of an SDM column-supported embankment over soft clay. A model embankment supported only by DM columns was constructed for comparison. Two ideal numerical models of column-reinforced soil under equal stress and equal strain conditions were established to explore the role the column played in accelerating soil consolidation. A parametric study was conducted to investigate the influence factors of the length of the core pile, column spacing, thickness of the underlying soil, modulus and thickness of the cushion, and modulus of the slab on the load transfer of the system, and some recommendations were proposed for its application. The load-transfer mechanism of an SDM column-supported embankment system with a slab was established based on the development of the volumetric strains and the principal stresses in the numerical models.
Colloidal aspects of incompatibility reactions of bentonite with saline leachates as indicated from a modified fluid loss test
Authors: Fehervari A. , Gates W.P. , Liu Y. , Bouazza A. , Marchuk A. , Marchuk S. , Turney T.W. , Patti A.F.
Published: October 2018

The fluid loss test has been used by geotechnical engineers for rapid evaluation of the hydraulic barrier properties of bentonites. In this study, a modified fluid loss test, along with viscometric and electrophoretic mobility measurements, was used to assess the colloidal interactions of three powdered sodium bentonites with saline leachates, namely 0–2 N solutions of NaCl and CaCl2. The results indicate that the fluid loss test provides robust and reliable information on the water retention of bentonite; moreover, it gives information on the aggregate structure, size, and settling of bentonite flocs and on the high-salt stabilization phenomena (packing and densification of clay aggregates) in saline leachates. Quantifying the water retention characteristics, along with the colloidal (i.e., flocculation) behaviour, using the fluid loss test, provides detailed understanding of barrier properties of bentonites important for various applications (e.g., barrier systems, dewatering).
Dispositivos de visibilidade & máquinas de programar. Imagens biomédicas na arte contemporânea: Juana Gómez e Laura Ferguson
Authors: Ribeiro Regilene Sarzi
Published: October 2018

O artigo trata das imagens biomédicas na arte contemporânea a partir da obra da artista chilena Juana Gómez e da norte-americana Laura Ferguson. O estudo transdisciplinar visa investigar em que medida as apropriações de imagens biomédicas estão vinculadas aos dispositivos de visibilidade do corpo. A fundamentação teórica relacionou o conceito de dispositivo de Michel Foucault com a programação de Vilém Flusser para discutir o papel do artista no deslocamento das imagens da medicina para as artes visuais. Os resultados apontam para um corpo vigiado e polifônico, fruto da investigação científica, recomposto por diferentes visualidades, em constante devir.
Entre ideal e real: estética e política no último quadro de Jacques Louis David – uma leitura benjaminiana
Authors: Machado Francisco De Ambrosis Pinheiro
Published: October 2018

O presente artigo propõe uma leitura interpretativa do quadro Marte desarmado por Vênus e pelas Graças, de Jacques Louis David. Esta obra rompe de modo peculiar com os cânones da estética neo-classicista. Por isso, teve e ainda tem uma recepção complexa e contraditória. Este artigo buscará mostrar que o quadro manifesta de modo consequente a posição de David tanto em relação ao debate estético da época, quanto à situação política na Europa no período da Restauração. O método que orienta a presente leitura inspira-se na concepção figurativa da história de Walter Benjamin.
Anotações e dilemas de um curador no Brasil
Authors: Scovino Felipe
Published: October 2018

O artigo propõe a possibilidade de se pensar conjuntamente o campo para a atuação do curador no Brasil, especialmente as suas dificuldades, e duas questões que perpassam tanto esse agente quanto o próprio meio de arte nos dias de hoje. São elas: a política de aquisição de obras, especialmente a doação, e a relação especulativa entre centros culturais e instituições financeiras e os seus respectivos projetos para o que chamam de “formação de público”. Há um interesse em refletir sobre as relações promíscuas entre museus e galerias comerciais e entre curadoria e empresas de telefonia e bancos que gerenciam espaços institucionais, gerando uma deturpação entre os conceitos de “público” e “cliente”.
O beijo de Judas de Cinthia Marcelle – algumas considerações sobre a montagem de 'The family in disorder: truth or dare', exposição da artista no Modern Art Oxford
Authors: Mourão Patrícia
Published: October 2018

Em março de 2018, Cinthia Marcelle abriu, no Modern Art Oxford, sua primeira exposição individual fora do Brasil desde sua participação e premiação na Bienal de Veneza, em 2017. Para a montagem da exposição, o museu, a pedido da artista, convocou um grupo de seis montadores que, também sendo artistas, deveriam, depois de montar o trabalho sob a supervisão da artista, ocupá-lo, interferindo na sua forma. O presente artigo é um testemunho dessa montagem e uma análise da exposição e seu processo como uma retrospectiva da artista e um desafio a seu próprio sistema.
Flourishing in Student Veterans With and Without Service-Connected Disability: Psychometric Validation of the Flourishing Scale and Exploration of Its Relationships With Personality and Disability
Authors: Umucu Emre , Grenawalt Teresa Ann , Reyes Antonio , Tansey Timothy , Brooks Jessica , Lee Beatrice , Gleason Carey , Chan Fong
Published: October 2018

Veterans are an increasing population in postsecondary education. Many student veterans have disabilities affecting their well-being and success in college. This study aims to add to current knowledge on well-being by exploring the relationship between flourishing, personality traits, and service-connected disability among student veterans. First, we set out to psychometrically validate the Flourishing Scale (FS) for student veterans. Second, we evaluated the association of the Big-Five personality traits and flourishing. Finally, we evaluated the differences in flourishing among student veterans with and without service-connected disabilities. Two hundred five student veterans were recruited for the current study. A random split-half approach was adopted to perform an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Subsequent to conducting the EFA and CFA, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to investigate the relationships between flourishing and Big-Five personality traits. Finally, an independent-samples t test was conducted to compare the flourishing scores of student veterans with and without a service-connected disability. Findings indicated FS is a reliable and valid scale that could be used to measure flourishing in student veterans. Detailed findings and their implications for rehabilitation counseling are provided.
Economic Sanctions and North Korea
Authors: Carbaugh Bob , Ghosh Koushik
Published: October 2018

The United States has enacted economic sanctions against North Korea since the early 1950s when North Korea attacked South Korea. Can North Korea be pressured into giving up its nuclear weapons? This article discusses the role of economic sanctions as a tool of international diplomacy with North Korea. Using concepts and tools taught in undergraduate economics classes, the article discusses the operation of sanctions and then it applies this analysis to the case of North Korea. The article examines the success that sanctions have achieved in bringing Kim Jong Un to the bargaining table and the difficulties that sanctions encounter in promoting a lasting resolution of the conflict between North Korea and the United States. The article is written for a broad audience of economics students.

JEL Classifications: F0, F1
Shall I Stay or Shall I Go? The Choice to Remain in the Nursing Home Among Residents With High Potential for Discharge
Authors: Abrahamson Kathleen , Hass Zachary , Arling Greg
Published: October 2018

Minnesota’s Return to Community Initiative (RTCI) assists private-pay nursing home (NH) residents to return to the community. Using data from a 1-year admission cohort of RTCI-targeted NH residents, we examined why residents who at admission expressed a desire for discharge, were paying privately, and had relatively low-care needs chose to remain in the NH. Characteristics of those who remained were compared with those who discharged using logistic regression, and barriers to discharge were summarized. Residents who were older, more cognitively impaired (OR = 1.8), unmarried (OR = 1.4), had behavior problems (OR = 1.6), or diagnosed with dementia (OR = 2.0) were more likely to remain than discharge to the community. Between admission and their 90-day assessment, residents remaining in the facility had a small decline in cognitive status, yet their continence improved and they became more independent in activities of daily living (ADLs). Seventy-four percent reported a perception of health-related barriers to discharge.
Remaining close to home: Small daily newspapers provide (mostly) hyperlocal election news during 2016 elections
Authors: Smith Christina C. , Schiffman James R.
Published: October 2018

This study examines front-page stories published in selected small community newspapers in the days leading up to election day 2016. The researchers found that in the face of one of the most monumental U.S. presidential elections in recent memory, newspapers emphasized local election news. Remaining true to their hyperlocal focus suggests that community newspapers remain a vital source for citizen engagement in the local democratic process.
Transparency and Industry Stigmatization in Strategic CSR Communication
Authors: Lee Tae Ho , Comello Maria Leonora (Nori) G.
Published: October 2018

Researchers have become increasingly interested in the strategic value of transparency in corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication in recent years. However, transparency research in CSR communication is still scarce. In particular, little research has examined whether the effects of transparency may depend on contextual factors, such as whether an organization is associated with a stigmatized industry. Grounded on legitimacy theory, this experiment examined the effect of CSR messages on supportive communication intent, purchase intent, and skepticism. Results reveal a main effect of transparency on purchase intent and a main effect of stigmatization on skepticism. Most importantly, there was an interaction, such that a higher level of transparency reduced skepticism when a more stigmatized industry was involved. The results contribute to further contextualizing transparency and CSR research.
The Impact of Revenue Diversification on Nonprofit Financial Health: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Hung ChiaKo , Hager Mark A.
Published: October 2018

This study reviews the influence of revenue stream diversification on financial health. It is a meta-analysis of previous studies that have studied the relationship. This literature variously demonstrates that nonprofit financial health is improved, not influenced or harmed by diversifying reliance on different revenue streams. Our analysis of 40 original studies reporting 296 statistical effects demonstrates a small, positive, yet statistically significant association between revenue diversification and nonprofit financial health. In addition, we show that granularity of measurement of revenue diversification influences effect size, that this effect has shifted over time, and that studies on U.S. nonprofits demonstrate weaker (or more negative) effects. However, few other prominent suspects, including diversity of financial health measure or methodology choices, explain variations in effects across the literature on revenue diversification. Overall, the study supports the contention that both analysts and practitioners should make strategic considerations that have generally escaped scholarship on revenue diversification or shift attention to revenue optimization considerations that have been raised by portfolio theory.
It Is All About Control: Understanding Reluctance to Register for Organ Donation
Authors: Katz Hagai , Blekher Maria , Bosch David A.
Published: October 2018

This article tests the theory that anxiety about death causes feelings of lack of control, which, with other factors, results in reluctance to donate organs, despite endorsement of the act. Using a survey of U.S. and U.K. registered organ donors and unregistered adults ( N = 777), we tested the impact of trust in medical professionals, perceived importance of information on the transplant processes, anxiety regarding loss of control at one’s end-of-life, and a prosocial view of organ donation on willingness to register as donor. Structural analyses show that control mediated the associations of trust and information with willingness, while prosocial did not predict willingness. The findings explain the gap between stated attitudes and actual behavior, and suggest that framing donor card registration and organ donation as a way to gain control over the loss of agency in death and dying may encourage organ donation.
Slow Reading: Reflections on Jasmine Ulmer’s “Writing Slow Ontology”
Authors: Salvo James
Published: October 2018

To cite a text is to read it. A citation asserts that I’ve read what I cited. But more importantly, the way we cite indicates the quality of our reading. To have the right to use a text, we must fully engage with it. When our disposition seeks error, we miss the truth of the text. It’s within this spirit that I engage with Jasmine Ulmer’s “Writing Slow Ontology.” At bottom, slow writing deserves slow reading.
Their Boot in Our Face No Longer? Administrative Sectionalism and Resistance to Federal Authority in the U.S. South
Authors: Napolio Nicholas G. , Peterson Jordan Carr
Published: October 2018

What explains state agency resistance to actions taken by their federal counterparts? And do sectional tensions make state bureaucratic nonacquiescence particularly likely in the U.S. South? We theorize that state resistance to federal administrative policy is more likely among Southern state bureaus due to administrative sectionalism. We argue that state agencies can and do resist federal administrative orders independent of other political constraints. This study is among the first to consider the policy consequences of sectionalism in state bureaucracies. We test our claims by employing a mixed methods approach that analyzes each instance of litigation and intervention by state bureaucrats in opposition to actions and orders by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from 2010 to 2017. We find that, all else equal, state agency resistance to federal utility policy is about 3.75 times as likely among Southern utility regulators. This research has important normative implications for administrative politics as it suggests agencies with putatively apolitical policy jurisdiction have political preferences driven by sectional tension.
The Effect of Nationality, Gender, and GPA on the Use of Reading Strategies Among EFL University Students
Authors: Bećirović Senad , Brdarević-Čeljo Amna , Dubravac Vildana
Published: October 2018

Despite its importance being acknowledged in a plethora of studies, developing reading strategies appears absent from many classrooms, which justifies a considerable research interest in this topic. The present study aims to investigate how gender, nationality, and grade point average affect the frequency of the usage of different types of reading strategies among Bosnian university students. The research sample comprised 228 students studying at three universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The analysis revealed moderate to high awareness of reading strategies, the problem-solving strategies being most frequently used. A three-way ANOVA showed a significant main effect of gender as well as a significant interaction effect of Nationality × Grade Point Average on The Survey of Reading Strategies questionnaire. Moreover, a three-way MANOVA revealed that gender had a significant main effect on the combined variables, namely global, support, and problem-solving reading strategies. Similarly, the interaction effect of Nationality × Grade Point Average was significant on the three combined variables, while the interaction effects of Grade Point Average × Gender and Grade Point Average × Nationality proved significant only on the Problem-Solving subscale. The current study is expected to contribute to understanding the reading strategy use in a foreign language context, and to inspire educators to recognize the importance of their use in the classroom.
Dynamic Learning: Designing a Hidden Pedagogy to Enhance Critical Thinking Skills Development
Authors: Rivers Christine , Kinchin Ian
Published: October 2018

Practitioners consider critical thinking skills to be vital for survival in business. Business schools should use such insight wisely by strategically embedding critical thinking skills in the curriculum at module and program levels. Practitioners even go further and say it is the one aspect that cannot be automated and probably the most valuable in functioning as an oppositional power to the “shallows of the internet.” However, we have to keep in mind that developing critical thinking skills is a learning process in itself, one that is cyclical, multilinear, and omnidirectional, and it needs to be integrated as a pedagogy, not just a learning outcome, so it can become an academic habit of mind. The article demonstrates how critical thinking can be enhanced by embedding it as a pedagogy at module level.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Injectable hydrogel
encapsulating Cu2MnS2 nanoplates for
photothermal therapy against breast cancer
Authors: Fu Ji-jun , Chen Ming-yue , Li Jie-xia , Zhou Jun-hua , Xie Sheng-nan , Yuan Ping , Tang Bo , Liu Cheng-cheng
Published: October 2018

Background

In order to explore the possibility of treating breast cancer by
local photo-therapy, a photothermal agents loaded in situ hydrogel was
established. In detail, The
Cu2MnS2 nanoplates were
prepared by one-pot synthesis and, the thermosensitive Pluronic F127 was used as
the hydrogel matrix. The Cu2MnS2
nanoplates and the hydrogel were characterized by morphous, particle size, serum
stability, photothermal performance upon repeated 808 nm laser irradiation as
well as the rheology features. The therapeutic effects of the
Cu2MnS2 nanoplates and the
hydrogel were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively in 4T1 mouse breast
cancer cells. The retention, photothermal efficacy, therapeutic effects and
systemic toxicity of the hydrogel were assessed in tumor bearing mouse
model.

Results

The Cu2MnS2 nanoplates
with a diameter of about 35 nm exhibited satisfying serum stability, photo-heat
conversion ability and repeated laser exposure stability. The hydrogel
encapsulation did not negatively influence the above features of the
photothermal agent. The nanoplates loaded in situ hydrogel shows a phase
transition at body temperature and, as a result, a long retention in
vivo.

Conclusions

The photothermal agent embedded hydrogel played a promising
photothermal therapeutic effects in tumor bearing mouse model with low systemic
toxicity after peritumoral administration.
Características do ambiente físico e organizacional para a prática de atividade física nas escolas de Curitiba, Brasil
Authors: Silva Alexandre Augusto de Paula da , Lopes Adalberto Aparecido dos Santos , Prado Crisley Vanessa , Hino Adriano Akira Ferreira , Reis Rodrigo Siqueira
Published: October 2018

O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever as características das estruturas para a prática de atividade física (AF) entre escolas públicas e privadas de Curitiba, Brasil. Estudo transversal com 114 escolas (72,8% públicas). Os respectivos professores de Educação Física (EF) (n = 114) das escolas informaram as características organizacionais. O ambiente escolar foi avaliado por meio de observação sistemática com uma ferramenta de auditoria para identificar o tipo, qualidade (não funcional, ruim, média e excelente) e quantidade de estruturas para AF. Os professores de EF reportaram a disponibilidade das estruturas por meio de um instrumento padronizado. Para análise, utilizou-se da distribuição de frequências, os testes de Qui-quadrado e U de Mann Whitney mantendo um nível de significância de 5%. Nas escolas públicas, houve maior proporção das áreas para jogos com qualidade “média” (54,6%), esportes “ruim” (29,1%), quadras individuais “ruim” (38,7%) e poliesportivas “não funcionais” (37,6%), enquanto em escolas privadas eram de qualidade “excelente” as áreas para jogos (68,9%), esportes (57,3%), quadras individuais (50,0%) e poliesportivas (47,0%) com diferença signi cante em todas as áreas entre as escolas (p < 0,001). Escolas públicas possuem aproximadamente um equipamento para AF a cada 100 alunos, enquanto a escolas privadas possuem o dobro (p < 0,001). A disponibilidade das estruturas foi, em geral, semelhante entre os tipos de escola, exceto no acesso a “playgrounds” e o espaço para prática de “tênis de mesa” no período do recreio foi maior em escolas privadas (p < 0,05). As escolas privadas apresentaram maior qualidade e quantidade de estruturas relacionadas à AF quando comparadas as escolas públicas.