bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship and communication in music therapy: A response to North (2014)
Authors: Watson Tessa
Published: November 2014

In this response to North’s article and in the interdisciplinary spirit of the conference, three areas are considered: engaging people with severe intellectual disabilities in music therapy, with particular focus on the concepts of containment and attachment; the importance of supporting and developing staff through music therapy work; and the richness of transdisciplinary or joint working. The issues raised highlight the responsibility that music therapists have in sharing the particular ways in which we use the communicative aspects of music with parents, carers, colleagues, and other professional groups and academic communities, and they are a reminder of the communicative power of music.
The Effect of an Electronic Checklist on Critical Care Provider Workload, Errors, and Performance
Authors: Thongprayoon Charat , Harrison Andrew M. , O’Horo John C. , Berrios Ronaldo A. Sevilla , Pickering Brian W. , Herasevich Vitaly
Published: November 2014

Purpose:

The strategy used to improve effective checklist use in intensive care unit (ICU) setting is essential for checklist success. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that an electronic checklist could reduce ICU provider workload, errors, and time to checklist completion, as compared to a paper checklist.

Methods:

This was a simulation-based study conducted at an academic tertiary hospital. All participants completed checklists for 6 ICU patients: 3 using an electronic checklist and 3 using an identical paper checklist. In both scenarios, participants had full access to the existing electronic medical record system. The outcomes measured were workload (defined using the National Aeronautics and Space Association task load index [NASA-TLX]), the number of checklist errors, and time to checklist completion. Two independent clinician reviewers, blinded to participant results, served as the reference standard for checklist error calculation.

Results:

Twenty-one ICU providers participated in this study. This resulted in the generation of 63 simulated electronic checklists and 63 simulated paper checklists. The median NASA-TLX score was 39 for the electronic checklist and 50 for the paper checklist ( P = .005). The median number of checklist errors for the electronic checklist was 5, while the median number of checklist errors for the paper checklist was 8 ( P = .003). The time to checklist completion was not significantly different between the 2 checklist formats ( P = .76).

Conclusion:

The electronic checklist significantly reduced provider workload and errors without any measurable difference in the amount of time required for checklist completion. This demonstrates that electronic checklists are feasible and desirable in the ICU setting.
A Qualitative Study of Intimate Partner Violence Among Women in Nigeria
Authors: Balogun Mary O. , John-Akinola Yetunde O.
Published: November 2014

Negative health outcomes caused by intimate partner violence (IPV) have been recognized as a public health problem with extensive effects on the society. Cultural and traditional beliefs that reinforce IPV in Nigeria need to be understood to guide public health approaches aimed at preventing IPV. The purpose of this study was to determine women’s attitudes and societal norms that support IPV, causes and consequences of IPV, and coping strategies, and to document suggested measures to prevent it. Six focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among 56 women aged 15 to 49 years purposively selected from rural and urban communities in Akinyele Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo State, Nigeria. The FGDs were conducted in Yoruba language, translated to English, and analyzed using thematic approach. Findings were grouped into six major themes: triggers, societal norms, attitude, consequences, coping strategies, and preventive measures. Women reported experience of physical, psychological, and sexual violence and controlling behavior. Major causes of IPV reported by the women were having more money than partner, and building a house or having a business without partner’s knowledge. Most participants reported that social norms dictate that a woman should have full regard for in-laws, and submit to and agree with all that the partner says and does. Most of the discussants in both the urban and rural areas reported that violence in any form is not justifiable or acceptable. Participants mentioned various ways through which IPV negatively impacted on women’s health such as depression, hypertension, and damage to the reproductive system. They were however willing to endure suffering because of their children. Women who experienced IPV reported to close relatives but did not seek legal redress because these were unavailable. Ending IPV requires long-term commitment and strategies involving contributions from the government, community, and the family.
Protective Informal Social Control of Child Maltreatment and Child Abuse Injury in Seoul
Authors: Emery Clifton R. , Eremina Tatiana , Yang Hye Lin , Yoo Changgeun , Yoo Jieun , Jang Ja Kyung
Published: November 2014

Previous findings on the relationship between neighborhood informal social control and child abuse have been mixed. We implemented a scale created by Emery, Trung, and Wu to study protective informal social control of child maltreatment (ISC_CM) by neighbors in a three-stage random cluster sample of 541 families in Seoul, South Korea. Random-effects regression models found that protective ISC_CM significantly moderated the relationship between very severe abuse and child injuries. Very severe abuse was associated with fewer injuries when levels of protective ISC_CM were higher. Implications are discussed.
Correlates of Polyvictimization Among African American Youth
Authors: Elsaesser Caitlin M. , Voisin Dexter R.
Published: November 2014

African American adolescents are exposed to high rates of community violence, and recent evidence indicates that these youth may also be at high risk of polyvictimization. Guided by an ecological approach, this study explored individual, familial, and extra-familial correlates of single and multiple forms of violence exposures (i.e., witnessing verbal parental aggression, witnessing or being a victim of community violence exposures) among a sample of 563 urban African American adolescents. Findings indicated that boys reported higher levels of polyvictimization than girls. In addition, the correlates of violence exposures varied by typology and gender. These findings support the development and use of gender-oriented approaches for identifying youth at risk of various types of violence exposures.
The Impact of Specific and Complex Trauma on the Mental Health of Homeless Youth
Authors: Wong Carolyn F. , Clark Leslie F. , Marlotte Lauren
Published: November 2014

This study investigates the relative impact of trauma experiences that occurred prior to and since becoming homeless on depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and self-injurious behaviors among a sample of homeless youth ( N = 389). Youth (aged 13 to 25) who had been homeless or precariously housed in the past year completed a survey about housing history, experiences of violence and victimization, mental health, and service utilization. In addition to examining the impact associated with specific trauma types, we also considered the effect of “early-on” poly-victimization (i.e., cumulative number of reported traumas prior to homelessness) and the influence of a compound sexual trauma variable created to represent earlier complex trauma. This created-variable has values ranging from no reported trauma, single trauma, multiple non-sexual traumas, and multiple traumas that co-occurred with sexual abuse. Multivariate analyses revealed that specific traumatic experiences prior to homelessness, including sexual abuse, emotional abuse/neglect, and adverse home environment, predicted greater mental health symptoms. Poly-victimization did not add to the prediction of mental health symptoms after the inclusion of specific traumas. Results with early compound sexual trauma revealed significant differences between lower-order trauma exposures and multiple-trauma exposures. Specifically, experience of multiple traumas that co-occurred with sexual trauma was significantly more detrimental in predicting PTSD symptoms than multiple traumas of non-sexual nature. Findings support the utility of an alternate/novel conceptualization of complex trauma, and support the need to carefully evaluate complex traumatic experiences that occurred prior to homelessness, which can impact the design and implementation of mental health care and services for homeless youth.
Performance Funding in Illinois Higher Education
Authors: Blankenberger Bob , Phillips Alan
Published: November 2014

The completion agenda is the dominant theme in higher education policy in the United States today, and one of the primary strategies advocated in the agenda is performance funding in budgeting for public institutions. Illinois is one example of a state that has attempted to implement performance funding as a means of directing the behavior of public institutions toward meeting state goals. This study explores lessons and limitations found in performance funding implementation in Illinois through the lens of Rubin’s model of the determinants of budgeting including the roles of environment, budget processes, and the strategies of individuals involved.
‘An atmosphere of cure’: Frederick Mott, shell shock and the Maudsley
Authors: Jones Edgar
Published: November 2014

Although recognized as a medical scientist, the work of Frederick Mott as a physician, educator and clinical policymaker has been overshadowed. As a late entrant to the asylum system, Mott questioned established practices of treating mentally-ill patients and campaigned for reform. During World War I, entrusted with the management of the Maudsley neurological section, he sought to raise clinical standards and experimented with a range of therapies designed to treat the most severe or intractable forms of shell shock. While Mott believed that psychiatric disorder was underwritten by inherited characteristics, he did not dismiss the impact of the environment. The diversity of his interests has led to an understatement of his contribution as a physician, not only to the design and founding of the Maudsley Hospital but also to the therapeutic regime practised there during the interwar period.
The distinction between ‘Passion’ and ‘Emotion’. Vincenzo Chiarugi: a case study
Authors: Charland Louis C
Published: November 2014

The distinction between ‘passion’ and ‘emotion’ has been largely overlooked in the history of psychiatry and the psychopathology of affectivity. A version of the distinction that has gone completely unnoticed is the one proposed by Florentine physician Vincenzo Chiarugi (1759–1820). The purpose of the present discussion is to introduce this Italian version of the distinction and to inquire into its origins.
Some reflections on madness and culture in the post-war world
Authors: Scull Andrew
Published: November 2014

This article examines the treatment of madness as a theme in drama, opera and films, concentrating its attention for the most part on the period between World War II and the 1980s. These were the years in which psychoanalysis dominated psychiatry in the USA, and so Freud’s influence in the broader culture forms the central though not the sole focus of the analysis.
Langues et histoire de la psychiatrie
Authors: Garrabé Jean
Published: November 2014

Les historiens datent la naissance de la psychiatrie de l’époque où les médecins renoncent à utiliser le latin comme langue scientifique internationale. A partir de la fin du XVIIIe siècle ils publient désormais leurs travaux sur la pathologie mentale dans une langue européenne moderne comme l’anglais, le français, l’allemand, l’italien ou l’espagnol. Certains de textes publiés dans une de celles-ci d’entre sont traduits plus ou moins rapidement dans une ou plusieurs autres. Mais des textes importants ne le sont pas ou très tardivement; les nouveaux concepts psychopathologiques introduits restent méconnus des médecins qui ne connaissent pas la langue originale. Ils sont oubliés et les termes qui les désignent sont remplacés dans les classifications récentes des troubles mentaux par de nouvelles dénominations sans référence à une conception théorique du trouble initialement décrit. L’histoire de la psychiatrie doit étudier l’évolution dans le temps de ces termes traditionnels depuis leur premier emploi par un auteur dans une de ces langues modernes jusqu’à leur éventuel abandon actuel pour comprendre si celui-ci est justifié.
The efficacy of antioxidant therapy against oxidative stress and androgen rise in ethylene glycol induced nephrolithiasis in Wistar rats
Authors: Naghii MR , Jafari M , Mofid M , Eskandari E , Hedayati M , Khalagie K
Published: November 2014

Administration of natural antioxidants has been used to protect against nephrolithiasis. Urolithiasis was induced by ethylene glycol (EG) in Wistar rats. For 4 weeks, group 1 (control) was fed with a standard commercial diet. Group 2 received the same diet with 0.75% of EG. Group 3 received EG plus the diet and water added with antioxidant nutrients and lime juice as the dietary source of citrate (EG + AX). Group 4 same as group 3 with no EG in water. For 8 weeks, group 5 was fed the standard diet with EG in water for the first 28 days, followed by no EG. Group 6 received the diet with EG for the first 28 days, followed by discontinuation of EG and addition of antioxidant nutrients. Group 7 were provided the diet with antioxidant nutrients for 8 weeks. Group 8 received the diet with antioxidant nutrients for 4 weeks, followed by antioxidant nutrients with EG for the next 4 weeks. Blood samples were collected and kidneys were removed. The size and the mean number of crystal deposits in EG-treated groups was significantly higher than the EG-treated groups, added with antioxidant nutrients and lime juice. After 4 weeks, the mean concentration of malondialdehyde in group 2 was higher than the group 3, and significantly lower in group 4; and in groups 7 after 8 weeks, as well. After 8 weeks, supplementation developed less mean number of deposits in group 6 as compared to group 5; and in group 8, the crystal deposits was substantially less than either group 2 or group 5 (EG-treated rats). Elevated concentration of androgens (as promoters of the formation of renal calculi) as a result of EG consumption decreased following antioxidant supplementations. Results showed a beneficial effect of antioxidant and provided superior renal protection on treating and preventing stone deposition in the rat kidney.
Lupus enteritis: clinical characteristics and predictive factors for recurrence
Authors: Koo B S , Hong S , Kim Y J , Kim Y-G , Lee C-K , Yoo B
Published: November 2014

Objectives

To compare the clinical characteristics of lupus enteritis (LE) and non-enteric lupus (non-LE) patients and identify predictors of LE recurrence.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 62 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in a tertiary hospital who experienced enteric symptoms and underwent abdominal computed tomography scanning between January 1997 and December 2013. We compared the clinical characteristics between LE and non-LE patients and between recurrent LE and non-recurrent LE cases.

Results

Out of 62 SLE patients with enteric symptoms, 46 cases (74%) were compatible with LE based on computed tomography findings. The C4 level was decreased in the LE group compared with the non-LE group (9.0 ± 5.6 vs. 12.3 ± 6.2, p = 0.032). Recurrence of LE was observed in 14 patients (28%). Initial involvement at the colon (79% vs. 41%, p = 0.026) and bladder with/without the ureter was more common in the recurrent group (57% vs. 25%, p = 0.048). By multivariate analysis, the hazard ratios of variables associated with recurrence were 4.689 for colon involvement (95% confidence interval: 1.245–17.659, p = 0.0220] and 5.468 for cystitis with/without ureteritis (95% confidence interval: 1.629–18.360, p = 0.006).

Conclusion

Colon and urinary tract involvement in LE patients may be associated with the recurrence of LE.
Lupus anticoagulant-hypoprothrombinemia syndrome: report of two cases and review of the literature
Authors: Mulliez S M N , De Keyser F , Verbist C , Vantilborgh A , Wijns W , Beukinga I , Devreese K M J
Published: November 2014

Lupus anticoagulant-hypoprothrombinemia syndrome (LA-HPS) is a rare acquired disorder caused by prothrombin antibodies. The disease is most common in the pediatric age group (<16 years), and more prevalent in women. There are well-established clinical diseases associated with LA-HPS, most notably systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and viral infections. The clinical manifestation of LA-HPS varies greatly in severity and it may cause severe life-threatening bleeding diathesis. LA-HPS is to be suspected when a patient presents with bleeding and a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin and prothrombin time, in combination with a lupus anticoagulant. The diagnosis is confirmed in the laboratory by identification of reduced prothrombin levels. There are no standardized recommendations for treatment of the hemorrhage associated with the syndrome; corticosteroids are used as first-line treatment. This review summarizes what is currently known about the pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of LA-HPS, and presents two case reports.
Predictors of the response to treatment in acute lupus hemophagocytic syndrome
Authors: Takahashi H , Tsuboi H , Kurata I , Takahashi H , Inoue S , Ebe H , Yokosawa M , Hagiwara S , Hirota T , Asashima H , Kaneko S , Kawaguchi H , Kurashima Y , Miki H , Umeda N , Kondo Y , Ogishima H , Suzuki T , Matsumoto I , Sumida T
Published: November 2014

Objective

The objective of this paper is to identify predictors for the response to treatment of acute lupus hemophagocytic syndrome (ALHS).

Methods

We reviewed seven cases with ALHS admitted to our hospital and published ALHS cases identified in the 2001–2014 Medline database, and then conducted univariate and multivariate analyses to identify predictors for the response to treatment.

Results

Review of our cases showed a significant and negative correlation between serum ferritin and anti-DNA antibody ( p = 0.0025). All three patients treated with cyclosporine A (CsA) were considered responders despite high serum ferritin and corticosteroid resistance. We also reviewed 93 patients with ALHS identified in 46 articles. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified C-reactive protein (CRP) (OR 0.83, p = 0.042) and hemoglobin (OR 1.53, p = 0.026) measured at diagnosis of ALHS as significant predictors of the response to corticosteroid monotherapy. Moreover, among 32 patients treated with CsA, serum ferritin was significantly higher in CsA responders (12163 ± 16864 µg/l, n = 22) than in non-responders (3456 ± 6267/µg/l, p = 0.020, n = 10). Leukocyte count was significantly lower in the CsA responders (1940.0 ± 972.3/µl) than in the non-responders (3253 ± 2198/µl, p = 0.034).

Conclusion

Low CRP and high hemoglobin can predict a positive response to corticosteroid monotherapy while high serum ferritin and low leukocyte count can predict a positive response to CsA in patients with ALHS and therefore, when corticosteroid monotherapy is not effective in such cases, CsA could be the first choice of an additional immunosuppressive agent.
The life and work of the Dumfries surgeon James Hill (1703–1776): his contributions to the management of cancer and of head injury
Authors: Macintyre Iain
Published: November 2014

James Hill was apprenticed to the formidable Edinburgh surgeon, physician and philosopher George Young from whom he learned the value of careful observation and scepticism in medicine. As a surgeon in Dumfries he was able to take advantage of newly established medical journals to publish case reports. His book Cases in Surgery summarised three aspects of his life’s work as a surgeon. In it he provides a classical description of the features and transmission of sibbens (endemic syphilis) and suggests from careful clinical observation that sibbens and venereal syphilis were the same disease. His success with treatment of cancer led him to advocate curative rather than palliative excision, a view that ran counter to accepted contemporary practice. Hill’s ability to diagnose cerebral compression caused by bleeding following head injury enabled him to treat this successfully by directed trephine and drainage. His results on the treatment of head injury were the best to be published in their day and an important addition to the increasing understanding of the basis of the management of head injury.
Visualizing Computational Social Science
Authors: Foucault Welles Brooke , Meirelles Isabel
Published: November 2014

Parallel advances in communication and visualization technologies have enabled the study and visualization of human behavior at a scale and level of detail never before possible. Nowhere are these advances more evident than within the emerging field of computational social science. Using Adamic and Glance’s image of the political blogosphere as an example and social representations theory as a guiding framework, we explore how computational social science visualizations may aid and complicate public understanding of this new science. We conclude with a discussion of best practices for the production and reuse of computational social science images for public consumption.
Significant clinical worsening after natalizumab withdrawal: Predictive factors
Authors: Vidal-Jordana A , Tintoré M , Tur C , Pérez-Miralles F , Auger C , Río J , Nos C , Arrambide G , Comabella M , Galán I , Castilló J , Sastre-Garriga J , Rovira A , Montalban X
Published: November 2014

We aimed to single out multiple sclerosis (MS) cases with poor outcome after natalizumab withdrawal and to identify predictive variables. We ascertained 47 withdrawals, and compared their pre- and post-natalizumab periods. We objectively defined significant clinical worsening after natalizumab withdrawal as a 2-step increase in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). We performed regression models. As a group, post-natalizumab annualized relapse rate (ARR) was lower in the post-natalizumab period, and there were no differences in the mean number of gadolinium (Gd)-enhancing lesions between pre- and post-natalizumab magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Corticosteroid treatment did not change the outcomes. Eight patients (19%) presented significant clinical worsening after natalizumab withdrawal, which was predicted by a higher baseline EDSS and a 1-step EDSS increase while on natalizumab.
Increased anti-KIR4.1 antibodies in multiple sclerosis: Could it be a marker of disease relapse?
Authors: Brill Livnat , Goldberg Lotem , Karni Arnon , Petrou Panayiota , Abramsky Oded , Ovadia Haim , Ben-Hur Tamir , Karussis Dimitrios , Vaknin-Dembinsky Adi
Published: November 2014

Background:

Screening of putative autoimmune targets in multiple sclerosis (MS) revealed a proportion of patients carrying antibodies (Abs) against KIR4.1, a potassium channel that shares functional properties with AQP4. Both are localized at the perivascular astrocytic processes.

Aims:

To measure anti-KIR4.1 Abs in the serum of MS and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) patients, and to identify the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients harboring anti-KIR4.1 Abs.

Methods:

We measured anti-KIR4.1 Abs in serum, using the peptide KIR4.1 (83–120) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results:

Serum levels of anti-KIR4.1 Abs were significantly higher in MS and NMO patients than in healthy controls (HCs); with Abs detected in 21 of 80, 10 of 45, and 2 of 32 individuals, respectively (MS versus HC, p < 0.05). The level of anti-KIR4.1 Abs was significantly higher during MS relapse, versus remission ( p = 0.04). The clinical characteristics of our study patients did not vary based on KIR4.1 positivity.

Conclusions:

Anti-KIR4.1 Abs were found in similar proportions of patients with MS and NMO, at a significantly higher level than observed in HCs; consequently, the presence of Abs does not discriminate between these demyelinating diseases. However, anti-KIR4.1 Ab levels differed in MS patients during relapse and remission; as such, they may represent a marker of disease exacerbation.
A phase IIa randomised clinical study of GNbAC1, a humanised monoclonal antibody against the envelope protein of multiple sclerosis-associated endogenous retrovirus in multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Derfuss Tobias , Curtin François , Guebelin Claudia , Bridel Claire , Rasenack Maria , Matthey Alain , Du Pasquier Renaud , Schluep Myriam , Desmeules Jules , Lang Alois B , Perron Hervé , Faucard Raphael , Porchet Hervé , Hartung Hans-Peter , Kappos Ludwig , Lalive Patrice H
Published: November 2014

Background:

GNbAC1 is an immunoglobulin (IgG4) humanised monoclonal antibody against multiple sclerosis-associated retrovirus (MSRV)-Env, a protein of endogenous retroviral origin, expressed in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions, which is pro-inflammatory and inhibits oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation.

Objective:

This is a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled dose-escalation study followed by a six-month open-label phase to test GNbAC1 in MS patients. The primary objective was to assess GNbAC1 safety in MS patients, and the other objectives were pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic assessments.

Methods:

Ten MS patients were randomised into two cohorts to receive a single intravenous infusion of GNbAC1/placebo at doses of 2 or 6 mg/kg. Then all patients received five infusions of GNbAC1 at 2 or 6 mg/kg at four-week intervals in an open-label setting. Safety, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, cytokines and MSRV RNA expression were studied.

Results:

All patients completed the study. GNbAC1 was well tolerated in all patients. GNbAC1 pharmacokinetics is dose-linear with mean elimination half-life of 27–37 d. Anti-GNbAC1 antibodies were not detected. Cytokine analysis did not indicate an adverse effect. MSRV-transcripts showed a decline after the start of treatment. Nine patients had stable brain lesions at MRI.

Conclusion:

The safety, pharmacokinetic profile, and pharmacodynamic responses to GNbAC1 are favourable in MS patients over a six-month treatment period.
Human interferon regulatory factor 5 homologous epitopes of Epstein-Barr virus and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis induce a specific humoral and cellular immune response in multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Cossu Davide , Mameli Giuseppe , Galleri Grazia , Cocco Eleonora , Masala Speranza , Frau Jessica , Marrosu Maria Giovanna , Manetti Roberto , Sechi Leonardo Antonio
Published: November 2014

Background:

A large number of reports indicate the association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective:

To gain a better understanding of the role of these two pathogens, we investigated the host response induced by selected antigenic peptides.

Methods:

We examined both humoral and cell-mediated responses against peptides deriving from EBV tegument protein BOLF1, the MAP_4027 and the human interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5424–434) homolog in several MS patients and healthy controls (HCs).

Results:

Antibodies against these peptides were highly prevalent in MS patients compared to HCs. Concerning MS patients, BOLF1305–320, MAP_402718–32 and IRF5424–434 peptides were able to induce mainly Th1-related cytokines secretion, whereas Th2-related cytokines were down-regulated. Flow cytometry analyses performed on a subset of MS patients highlighted that these peptides were capable of inducing the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines: IFN-γ and TNF-α by CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, and IL-6 and TNF-α by CD14+ monocyte cells.

Conclusion:

Our data demonstrated that both EBV and MAP epitopes elicit a consistent humoral response in MS patients compared to HCs, and that the aforementioned peptides are able to induce a T-cell-mediated response that is MS correlated.
High inbreeding in the Faroe Islands does not appear to constitute a risk factor for multiple sclerosis
Authors: Binzer S , Imrell K , Binzer M , Kyvik K. O , Hillert J , Stenager E
Published: November 2014

Background:

Large population-based genome-wide association studies have identified several multiple sclerosis (MS) genetic risk variants, but the existing missing heritability warrants different strategies. Isolated populations offer an alternative way of searching for rare genetic variants and evaluating the possible role of consanguinity in the development of MS. Studies of consanguinity and MS risk have yielded conflicting results.

Objectives:

In this study we investigated the role of consanguinity on MS risk in the relatively isolated Faroe Islands, which have a presumed high level of inbreeding.

Methods:

A total of 29 cases and 28 matched controls were genotyped and assessed for inbreeding coefficients, number of runs of homozygosity (ROH) at different lengths and observed number of homozygotes as measures of relatedness. Parametric and non-parametric statistical models were applied.

Results:

Both cases and controls exhibited considerable relatedness demonstrated by very high inbreeding coefficients, large number of observed homozygotes and many long ROH. However, apart from the number of ROH ≥ 2.5 mega base pairs, no significant differences between the two groups were observed.

Conclusions:

Overall, no significant difference between cases and controls were found, indicating that consanguinity in itself does not appear to be an important risk factor for MS in the population of the Faroe Islands.
Occupational health physicians have better work conditions for handling sickness certification compared with general practitioners: Results from a nationwide survey in Sweden
Authors: Ljungquist Therese , Alexanderson Kristina , Kjeldgård Linnea , Arrelöv Britt , Nilsson Gunnar H
Published: November 2014

Aims: To study whether occupational health physicians (OPs) have a better work situation regarding handling of sickness certification compared with other physicians, in particular general practitioners (GPs), and to analyze associations between OPs’ experiences of assessing and providing a long-term prognosis of patients’ work capacity and some potentially interrelated factors. Methods: Answers to a nationwide survey from physicians who had sickness certification consultations at least once monthly were analyzed. Differences among OPs ( n=481), GPs ( n=4257) and physicians working in other clinical settings ( n=9452) were estimated by chi square tests. Associations between OPs’ experiences as above and potentially interrelated factors were estimated using logistic regression analyses. Results: Among OPs, a lower proportion experienced clinical work situations related to sickness certifications as ‘very problematic’, compared with the other physicians, and especially so compared with GPs. A higher proportion of OPs also had organizational support for handling sickness certifications. For OPs, experience of sickness certification consultations as problematic once a month or less often, not experiencing sickness certification tasks as a work environment problem, and having a well-established workplace policy regarding sickness certification matters were significantly positively associated with finding assessing and providing a long-term prognosis of work capacity as ‘not at all/somewhat problematic’. Conclusions: OPs’ work situation regarding sickness certifications was favorable compared with that of other physicians, and especially compared with that of GPs. Our results underline the importance of organizational support for ensuring physicians’ experience of having professional competence in handling assessments of patients’ work capacity.
Conditions, components and outcomes of Integrative Validation Therapy in a long-term care facility for people with dementia. A qualitative evaluation study
Authors: Erdmann Anke , Schnepp Wilfried
Published: November 2014

In this study, the practical application of Integrative Validation Therapy (IVA) in a nursing home for people with dementia was investigated and evaluated from the perspectives of professionals and relatives by using Fourth Generation Evaluation. IVA, a complex intervention frequently applied in Germany’s long-term care settings, is a modification of Feil’s Validation Therapy and contains a specific attitude and several components of action. The findings demonstrate that professionals as well as relatives of nursing home residents gave the intervention a positive rating. From the perspective of the participating professionals, the application of IVA results in less agitated residents which also has an influence on the consumption of benzodiazepine and neuroleptics. The authors conclude that IVA is a beneficial nursing intervention helping to facilitate the illness-related transition process of people with dementia. IVA is able to support them to cope with emotional distress during transition (e.g. irritability, anxiety, depression, changes in self-esteem). Another conclusion is that IVA supports person-centred care because, with IVA, professionals react to typical needs people with dementia have: comfort, inclusion, attachment and identity ( Kitwood, 2012 ).
How the Individual Alpha Peak Frequency Helps Unravel the Neurophysiologic Underpinnings of Behavioral Functioning in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Vollebregt Madelon A. , van Dongen-Boomsma Martine , Slaats-Willemse Dorine , Buitelaar Jan K. , Oostenveld Robert
Published: November 2014

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with an elevated resting-state theta/beta power ratio and elevated theta power. However, the potential confounding effect of a low individual alpha peak frequency (IAPF) on the theta-power estimate has often been disregarded when studying the relationship between ADHD and the theta/beta power ratio or theta power alone. The aim of the present study was to assess whether the theta/beta power ratio and relative theta power are correlated with behavioral functioning in children with ADHD, as expected from previous studies. Subsequently, the influence of IAPF and the amount of supposed overlap between the individually determined alpha-band and the fixed theta-band were studied. For 38 children (aged 8-15 years), electroencephalographic (EEG) and investigator-scored ADHD Rating Scale IV data were available. Additional neurocognitive data were available for 32 children. As expected, the theta/beta power ratio and theta were positively related to the ADHD core symptoms. This relationship strengthened when controlling for IAPF, although correlations did not significantly differ from one another. Eight of 38 children (21%) showed a supposed overlap between their individually determined alpha band and the theta band. Neurocognitive performance did not show any relationship with the theta/beta power ratio or theta. The results of this study confirm that the theta/beta power ratio and theta power are indeed correlated with behavioral symptoms in children with ADHD and underscore the relevance of taking the IAPF into account.
Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for Single-Trial Electroencephalogram Analysis
Authors: Hsu Wei-Yen , Hu Ya-Ping
Published: November 2014

In this study, we propose an analysis system combined with feature selection to further improve the classification accuracy of single-trial electroencephalogram (EEG) data. Acquiring event-related brain potential data from the sensorimotor cortices, the system comprises artifact and background noise removal, feature extraction, feature selection, and feature classification. First, the artifacts and background noise are removed automatically by means of independent component analysis and surface Laplacian filter, respectively. Several potential features, such as band power, autoregressive model, and coherence and phase-locking value, are then extracted for subsequent classification. Next, artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is used to select features from the aforementioned feature combination. Finally, selected subfeatures are classified by support vector machine. Comparing with and without artifact removal and feature selection, using a genetic algorithm on single-trial EEG data for 6 subjects, the results indicate that the proposed system is promising and suitable for brain–computer interface applications.
Confessions of a recovering ‘administrative criminologist’: Jock Young, quantitative research and policy research
Authors: Hough Mike
Published: November 2014

This article examines two phases of Jock Young’s work: first, in the 1980s when he was using quantitative criminological techniques in support of his Left Realist agenda; and second, in 2011 when he was offering an exuberant critique of quantitative methods. I consider these two separate and contrasting phases of his work from the viewpoint of someone whom Jock would have seen as an ‘administrative criminologist’ in the 1980s and more recently as a ‘datasaur’. I offer some counterarguments in support of quantitative methods, on the one hand, and in harnessing these methods to policy research, on the other. My criticisms of his impact are not intended to detract from the overall value of his work, which was immense.
Cultural realism?
Authors: Matthews Roger
Published: November 2014

Cultural criminology has provided a much needed energy and diversity within academic criminology. However, it has been criticised for its notion of ‘culture’, its tendency to romanticise deviance and for its lack of engagement with policy development. Realist criminology, on the other hand, has expressed a commitment to taking crime and victimisation seriously and to being policy relevant. The question that this paper addresses is whether these two strands of criminology can be combined to produce an approach that is both critical and useful. This was a question that Jock Young raised in his later writings.
Informational Text and the Common Core
Authors: Braker-Walters Barbara A.
Published: November 2014

The informational text recommendations found in the Common Core State Standards for English and Language Arts (CCSS-ELA) will have a significant impact on teacher practice and student learning in the classroom. Teachers will be required to integrate substantial amounts of informational text instruction into reading curriculum. This article describes the findings of a quantitative content analysis study of the text genres contained in the three commercially published fourth-grade basal reading texts. Hand coding was used to analyze the types and extent of text contained in each publisher’s text and then compare with the recommendation of the CCSS-ELA. Findings indicated that the percentage of informational text found in the three selected fourth-grade basal readers does not meet the informational text standard set by the CCSS-ELA. These results are significant due to the recent adoption by most states of the CCSS, which are based on the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). As most elementary classrooms rely on basal texts for reading and language arts instruction, it is important for principals, curriculum leaders, and teachers to be aware of the volume and type of informational texts that appear in basal texts at each grade level. School districts and teachers may need to purchase supplementary materials to address the standard set for informational text set by the CCSS-ELA.
Achieving Consensus Through Professionalized Head Nods
Authors: Oshima Sae
Published: November 2014

While the interactional functions of head nodding in everyday Japanese conversation have been frequently studied, a discourse on head nodding as a professional communicative practice has yet to be explored. With the method of multimodal conversation analysis, the current study examines the role of nodding in a particular professional-client setting, namely, hair salon interactions. My interest specifically lies in the frequent occurrence of synchronized head nods during the “service-assessment sequence,” where both service provider and customer inspect and determine whether the completed work is adequate. I pursue mechanisms of synchronized head nods by revealing exactly how participants collaborate in producing a nod, and how their verbal actions may at times be designed accordingly. In doing so, the study provides insight into what consensus may look like at service encounters in Japan, and discusses how such nodding practices may contribute to a satisfactory closure of a business negotiation.
A Discourse Analytical Perspective on the Professionalization of the Performance Appraisal Interview
Authors: Van De Mieroop Dorien , Vrolix Eveline
Published: November 2014

Over the years, performance appraisal interviews have become increasingly professionalized. This is clearly noticeable in the different rating scales and questionnaires that are distributed among supervisors and employees as a support during the preparatory and interviewing phase of the performance appraisal process, as is also in line with current advice given to practitioners. Using discourse analysis as a methodology to study sequential features and discourse strategies in three performance appraisal interviews, this article zooms in on the effect of such a questionnaire (based on the organization’s competencies) on the interview itself. The analyses reveal a nuanced picture, demonstrating on the one hand advantages of these questionnaires such as the use of a well-defined agenda that gives the interview structure. On the other hand, disadvantages such as the inefficient use of expensive institutional time due to lengthy terminological explanations are exposed as well.
The Blurring Boundaries Between Synchronicity and Asynchronicity
Authors: Darics Erika
Published: November 2014

Instant messaging is one of the most popular communication technologies in virtual teams, enabling interactions to intertwine whole working days, thus creating the sense of copresence for team members who are geographically dispersed. Through close linguistic analyses of naturally occurring data from a virtual team, this article discusses the implications of two novel communicative situations enabled by instant messaging: presence information and the persistence of transcript. The preliminary findings of this study indicate that these new communicative situations require the flouting or rethinking of previously existing interactional norms and that communicative practices employed by the team members are not yet conventionalized/normalized, the expectations and interpretations of interactional rituals and timing vary highly, even within the same virtual team.
Corporate Social Responsibility Communication Through Corporate Websites
Authors: Tang Lu , Gallagher Christine C. , Bie Bijie
Published: November 2014

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a discourse constructed through the constant dialogue and negotiation between corporations and their different stakeholders. This article examines how leading corporations in the United States and China discuss the rationales, themes, and practices of CSR on their corporate websites through a quantitative content analysis. The results, based on data collected in 2008, indicate that leading U.S. companies demonstrate a higher level of comprehensiveness and standardization in their CSR communication, while Chinese companies in different industries take distinctive approaches to CSR. However, the differences between the CSR discourses of leading Chinese and U.S. companies have greatly diminished since 2008. Updated data collected in 2012 show that the Chinese companies have adopted an all-inclusive and homogeneous approach in CSR communication, which is very similar to the approach taken by their U.S. counterparts. Such convergence is attributed to the process of institutionalization, especially to the forces of coercive and mimetic isomorphism.
The Hype and Reality of Social Media Use for Work Collaboration and Team Communication
Authors: Cardon Peter W. , Marshall Bryan
Published: November 2014

This article describes the growing adoption of enterprise social networking platforms by organizations in an attempt to foster better team communication and collaboration. To examine current views of these social networking tools, survey results from 227 business professionals are presented that address three areas: frequency of use of social networking for team communication compared to other communication channels, perceived effectiveness of social networking tools for team communication compared to other communication channels, and attitudes toward social networking for team communication. Generally, the results show that traditional communication channels are used more frequently and considered more effective for team communication. However, the results also indicate that Gen X and Gen Y business professionals are quite likely to consider that social networking tools will be the primary tools for team communication in the future. The article concludes with recommendations for how business communication scholars can advance, define, and set apart the field by focusing on business communication via enterprise social networking platforms.
Good Times, Bad Times
Authors: Poole Robert
Published: November 2014

This corpus-based keyword analysis investigates the letters to the shareholders from two commercial banks, Bank of America and Citigroup, over a 3-year period from 2008, 2009, and 2010. The letters were compiled to facilitate a diachronic analysis, an assessment of language change over a specific period, of profit/loss reporting from two prominent financial institutions over a time period in which the recession commenced, peaked, and concluded. To conduct the analysis on the node texts, two sets of reference corpora were compiled. One reference corpus set consists of the letters to shareholders from eight consistently high-performing corporations not within the commercial banking industry for each of the 3 years; the other reference corpus set consists of the letters from the 10 banking institutions that also appeared in the Fortune 500 listings for the 3-year period. The corpus-based analysis revealed that in years of low performance companies create messages that assert a vision and forward a strategy for ensuring future success while also establishing distance between management and past failures. In contrast, when companies perform well, the keyword lists display a clear tendency of the company/author to accept praise and attribute success to actions of management.