bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The relationship between neuropsychological performance and depression in patients with traumatic brain injury
Authors: Joosub Noorjehan , Cassimjee Nafisa , Cramer Annelies
Published: June 2016

Traumatic brain injury is a multi-faceted condition that affects individuals on physical, cognitive, and emotional levels. The study investigated the relationship between depression and neuropsychological performance in a group with traumatic brain injury. A retrospective review was conducted on 75 participants who completed neuropsychological assessments. Information on clinical characteristics, sociodemographic information, neuropsychological outcomes, and Beck Depression Inventory scores were included in the analysis. Results indicated that 36% of the participants reported experiencing severe symptoms of depression, 28% moderate symptoms of depression, and 36% mild/minimal symptoms of depression. Performance on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test indicated inverse relationships with depression scores suggesting that traumatic brain injury patients with lower depression scores perform better on verbal memory tasks. Similarly, findings for the written and oral versions of the Symbol Digit Modalities Test reflected inverse correlations with depression scores, indicating that lower depression scores are correlated with increased processing speed and capacity. A significant positive association between the time taken to complete the Trail Making Test Trail A and Trail B and depression scores was found, suggesting that higher depression scores in this sample were related to slower performance speed and lower executive performance. When specific clinical and sociodemographic variables were included as covariates in a partial correlational analysis, neuropsychological performance indicators and depression scores remained significant for Symbol Digit Modalities Test (oral and written), the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test Retrieval and Recognition trials, and Trail Making Test (Trail B). This study indicates that in a traumatic brain injury cohort, depression levels are significantly associated with specific neuropsychological performance measures. The findings of this study have implications for psychosocial treatment planning after a traumatic brain injury and contribute to our understandings of the inter-relationship between cognition and emotion.
Local Governments
Authors: Fowler Luke
Published: June 2016

The Clean Air Act (CAA) utilizes an intergovernment partnership, relying heavily on the states for implementation. However, local governments have emerged in recent years as key players in improving local air quality. With no official role under the CAA and research typically overlooking their efforts, they are serving as “hidden” partners in the implementation process. Nevertheless, they are playing a role in improving and maintaining air quality in some local communities. Analysis of air quality monitoring sites indicates these initiatives can be successful, if the local government has the capacity to effect change across the entire area.
Academic and Behavioral Design Parameters for Cluster Randomized Trials in Kindergarten
Authors: Hedberg E. C.
Published: June 2016

Background:

There is an increased focus on randomized trials for proximal behavioral outcomes in early childhood research. However, planning sample sizes for such designs requires extant information on the size of effect, variance decomposition, and effectiveness of covariates.

Objectives:

The purpose of this article is to employ a recent large representative sample of early childhood longitudinal study kindergartners to estimate design parameters for use in planning cluster randomized trials. A secondary objective is to compare the results of math and reading with the previous kindergartner cohort of 1999.

Research Design:

For each measure, fall–spring gains in effect size units are calculated. In addition, multilevel models are fit to estimate variance components that are used to calculate intraclass correlations (ICCs) and R2 statistics. The implications of the reported parameters are summarized in tables of required school sample sizes to detect small effects.

Measures:

The outcomes include information about student scores regarding learning behaviors, general behaviors, and academic abilities.

Results:

Aside from math and reading, there were small gains in these measures from fall to spring, leading to effect sizes between about .1 and .2. In addition, the nonacademic ICCs are smaller than the academic ICCs but are still nontrivial. Use of a pretest covariate is generally effective in reducing the required sample size in power analyses. The ICCs for math and reading are smaller for the current sample compared with the 1999 sample.
Muscle Tension Dysphagia
Authors: Kang Christina H. , Hentz Joseph G. , Lott David G.
Published: June 2016

Objective

To identify symptoms, common diagnostic findings, pattern of treatments and referrals offered, and their efficacy in a group of patients with idiopathic functional dysphagia in an otolaryngology setting with multiple providers.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Tertiary academic center.

Subjects and Methods

Following Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board approval, a retrospective chart review was conducted of patients with dysphagia who had a videofluoroscopic swallow study between January 1, 2013, and April 30, 2015. Each patient’s dysphagia symptomology, videofluoroscopic swallow study, flexible laryngoscopy, and medical chart were reviewed to identify the treatment paradigms that were utilized.

Results

Sixty‐seven adult patients met the inclusion criteria. Abnormal laryngeal muscle tension was present in 97% of patients. Eighty‐two percent of patients also demonstrated signs of laryngeal hyperresponsiveness. Nonspecific laryngeal inflammation was evident in 52% of patients. Twenty‐seven patients were referred to speech‐language pathology for evaluation. Thirteen patients completed a course of voice therapy directed toward unloading muscle tension. All 13 patients self‐reported resolution of dysphagia symptoms.

Conclusion

The study results suggest that laryngeal muscle tension may be a factor in the underlying etiology in patients with idiopathic functional dysphagia. We propose the diagnostic term muscle tension dysphagia to describe a subset of patients with functional dysphagia. Further prospective studies are needed to better evaluate potential gastroesophageal confounders in this group of patients and to identify an effective paradigm for treatment. In our limited series, speech‐language pathology intervention directed toward unloading muscle tension appears effective.
Successful Implementation of a Clinical Care Pathway for Management of Epistaxis at a Tertiary Care Center
Authors: Vosler Peter S. , Kass Jason I. , Wang Eric W. , Snyderman Carl H.
Published: June 2016

Objective

We compare the management of patients with severe epistaxis before and after the implementation a clinical care pathway (CCP) to standardize care, minimize hospital stay, and decrease cost.

Study Design

Single prospective analysis with historical control.

Setting

Tertiary academic hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Patients treated for epistaxis between October 2012 to December 2013 were compared with a prospective analysis of patients treated for severe epistaxis after implementation of a CCP from June 2014 to February 2015. Severe epistaxis was defined as nasal bleeding not able to be controlled with local pressure, topical vasoconstrictors, or simple anterior packing.

Results

Severe epistaxis was similar in the pre‐ and post‐CCP cohorts: 24.7% (n = 42) vs 18.9% (n = 22), respectively. Implementation of early sphenopalatine artery ligation resulted in decreased number of days packed (3.2 ± 1.6 to 1.4 ± 1.6; P =. 001), decreased hospital stay (5.2 ± 3.9 to 2.1 ± 1.3 days; P <. 001), an increased percentage of sphenopalatine artery ligations (31.0% vs 54.5%; P =. 035), admission to an appropriate hospital location with access to key resources (41.7% vs 83.3%; P =. 007), and decreased overall cost of hospitalization by 66% ($9435 saved). No patients received embolization after the CCP was implemented.

Conclusions

Implementation of a CCP decreased hospital stay and days of packing, facilitated definitive care in patients with severe epistaxis, improved patient safety, and decreased cost. The results of this study can serve as a model for the management of severe epistaxis and for future quality improvement measures.
The wrong side of the tracks: Starting school in a socially disadvantaged London borough
Authors: Alsford Elizabeth , Ralephata Andrew , Bolderson Sarah , Curtin Martina , Parish Esther , Klaber Victoria , Griffin Sue , Nash Lisa , Cullen Rachel , Musoke Brenda , Bhalla Sangheeta , Walker Lindsay , Duffer Luisa , O’Sullivan Sylvia , Knowland Victoria , Cozens Suzanne , McLaren Lindsey , Camilleri Bernard , Halil Suzan , Furze Rachael , Leung Wai , O’Gorman Ciara , Carver Verity , Young Dorothy , Pring Tim
Published: June 2016

Substantial evidence exists that social circumstances can affect children’s language development. As a result many children in socially deprived areas start school with delayed language, which may persist and adversely affect their attainment. We assessed the language of children in seven reception classes in a London (UK) borough and followed the progress of children with English as their first language (E1L) and with English as an additional language (EAL) during their first 2 years at school. Significant differences were found between schools. The effect of social factors on performance was reflected in a high correlation between the mean language score for each school and the percentage of children in the school receiving the pupil premium. Many of the children with EAL had very low scores reflecting their limited exposure to English prior to starting school. Most of these children attended schools where children with E1L also had low scores increasing the demands on the schools and their teachers. Children who had low initial scores made modest but significant progress during their reception year but failed to improve further during year 1 despite having non-verbal ability appropriate for their age. These results support previous findings that social deprivation can seriously delay language development, and that many children start school with weak communication skills. They add to previous findings by showing that the level of delay may differ substantially across schools in the same borough, by reporting data on children with EAL and by showing that children struggle to improve their abilities in the first 2 years of school.
Amylin alters human brain pericyte viability and NG2 expression
Authors: Schultz Nina , Byman Elin , Fex Malin , Wennström Malin
Published: June 2016

Amylin, a pancreatic β-cell-derived peptide hormone, forms inclusions in brain microvessels of patients with dementia who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. The cellular localization of these inclusions and the consequences thereof are not yet known. Using immunohistochemical staining of hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex from patients with Alzheimer’s disease and non-demented controls, we show that amylin cell inclusions are found in pericytes. The number of amylin cell inclusions did not differ between patients with Alzheimer’s disease and controls, but amylin-containing pericytes displayed nuclear changes associated with cell death and reduced expression of the pericyte marker neuron-glial antigen 2. The impact of amylin on pericyte viability was further demonstrated in in vitro studies, which showed that pericyte death increased in presence of fibril- and oligomer amylin. Furthermore, oligomer amylin increased caspase 3/7 activity, reduced lysate neuron-glial antigen 2 levels and impaired autophagy. Our findings contribute to increased understanding of how aggregated amylin affects brain vasculature and highlight amylin as a potential factor involved in microvascular pathology in dementia progression.
A Mixed Blessing
Authors: Rinallo Diego , Maclaran Pauline , Stevens Lorna
Published: June 2016

This research explores how marketplace dynamics affect religious authority in the context of Neopagan religion. Drawing on an interpretivist study of Wiccan practitioners in Italy, we reveal that engagement with the market may cause considerable, ongoing tensions, based on the inherent contradictions that are perceived to exist between spirituality and commercial gain. As a result, market success is a mixed blessing that can increase religious authority and influence, but is just as likely to decrease authority and credibility. Using an extended case study method, we propose a theoretical framework that depicts the links between our informants’ situated experiences and the macro-level factors affecting religious authority as it interacts with market-mediated dynamics at the global level. Overall, our study extends previous work in macromarketing that has looked at religious authority in the marketplace) and how the processes of globalization are affecting religion.
Waste management under a life cycle approach as a tool for a circular economy in the canned anchovy industry
Authors: Laso J , Margallo M , Celaya J , Fullana P , Bala A , Gazulla C , Irabien A , Aldaco R
Published: June 2016

The anchovy canning industry has high importance in the Cantabria Region (North Spain) from economic, social and touristic points of view. The Cantabrian canned anchovy is world-renowned owing to its handmade and traditional manufacture. The canning process generates huge amounts of several food wastes, whose suitable management can contribute to benefits for both the environment and the economy, closing the loop of the product life cycle. Life cycle assessment methodology was used in this work to assess the environmental performance of two waste management alternatives: Head and spine valorisation to produce fishmeal and fish oil; and anchovy meat valorisation to produce anchovy paste. Fuel oil production has been a hotspot of the valorisation of heads and spines, so several improvements should be applied. With respect to anchovy meat valorisation, the production of polypropylene and glass for packaging was the least environmentally friendly aspect of the process. Furthermore, the environmental characterisation of anchovy waste valorisation was compared with incineration and landfilling alternatives. In both cases, the valorisation management options were the best owing to the avoided burdens associated with the processes. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to the circular economy in the Cantabrian canned anchovy industry.
The Impact of Interactive Environment and Metacognitive Support on Academic Achievement and Transactional Distance in Online Learning
Authors: Yılmaz Ramazan , Keser Hafize
Published: June 2016

The aim of the present study is to reveal the impact of the interactive environment and metacognitive support (MS) in online learning on academic achievement and transactional distance (TD). The study is designed as 2 × 2 factorial design, and both qualitative and quantitative research techniques are used. The study was carried out on 127 students, and this research design was implemented in an online learning environment and evaluated based on an achievement test, TD scale, and semistructured interviews. The results of the study revealed that synschronous environments had a significant impact in reducing TD perception. In asynschronous environments, on the other hand, providing students with MS was efficient in reducing TD. In terms of academic success, compared with synschronous environments, MS provided in asynschronous environments caused to a significant difference in achievement test scores of the students. Explanations about findings and implications for instructional design are discussed in Conclusion section.
Do Initial Respondents Differ From Callback Respondents? Lessons From a Mobile CATI Survey
Authors: Vicente Paula , Marques Catarina
Published: June 2016

Mobile phones are increasingly being used to conduct mobile computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) surveys and some say it is just a question of time before they replace fixed phones. Although mobile phones allow their users to be called anywhere and at any time, a 100% response rate (RR) is unlikely to be achieved with a single call attempt. Callbacks are costly and delay fieldwork completion, but they are worth the effort when better overall RRs as well as those for specific subgroups of the population are obtained. Using data collected on a nationwide mobile CATI survey, this article investigates the differences between initial and callback respondents. Findings reveal that although the majority of interviews were achieved with a single call attempt, the initial sample differed from the callback sample in terms of the age and residence of respondents. Additionally, callback respondents were more likely to be interviewed outside home.
Supported Social Enterprise
Authors: Chan Andrea , Ryan Sherida , Quarter Jack
Published: June 2016

This article presents a study of supported social enterprise, a hybrid organization that not only either employs or trains members of marginalized social groups, often on disability pensions and social assistance, but also has social welfare characteristics. These organizations sell services and goods, like other forms of social enterprise, but rely heavily on external support from government programs, foundations, and a parenting nonprofit. The article presents an empirical study using a survey and interviews of participants in these organizations from Ontario, Canada, and notes that even though they earn minimally from work in these organizations, they view the experience positively. The final discussion centers on the concept of supported social enterprise and raises the question as to whether such organizations should be viewed primarily as a form of social enterprise or as a modified form of social welfare organization.
Ethics of Caring Conversation and Dialectic of Love and Justice
Authors: Singsuriya Pagorn
Published: June 2016

Through the framework of Ricoeur’s philosophy, Fredriksson and Eriksson develop an influential ethics of the caring conversation, which instructs nurses to have caritas, self-esteem, and autonomy on one hand and to engage respectfully and responsibly in caring conversations on the other. This article brings the ethics of the caring conversation into dialogue with Ricoeur’s philosophy again. While Fredriksson and Eriksson draw upon Ricoeur’s little ethics, this article relies on Ricoeur’s dialectic of love and justice. The dialogue throws light on other aspects of caritas, which is vital in Fredriksson and Eriksson’s ethics. It shows a need for nurses to strike a balance between love and justice and, also, to cultivate love.
Four Types of Well-being among Entrepreneurs and Their Relationships with Business Performance
Authors: Dijkhuizen Josette , Veldhoven Marc van , Schalk René
Published: June 2016

Four types of affective well-being were investigated in a sample of 135 Dutch entrepreneurs: work engagement, job satisfaction, exhaustion and workaholism. Compared to employees, entrepreneurs score extremely high on work engagement. Scores on job satisfaction, exhaustion and working compulsively (CW) are also higher. Scores on working excessively (EW) are lower. When investigating the overlap between the four types of well-being, results were found to vary with the approach chosen. When analysing correlations, overlap appears especially high between workaholism and exhaustion. When analysing cases identified as high scorers, overlap is especially evident between entrepreneurs high on both work engagement and job satisfaction. A final issue studied concerned the relation between well-being and performance. Entrepreneurs scoring high on EW reported the highest turnover, profits and number of employees. Satisfied entrepreneurs also reported relatively high profits and number of employees. Implications of these findings for trainers and researchers interested in well-being and performance in entrepreneurs are discussed.
Determinants of Customer-based Brand Equity: A Study of Public and Private Banks
Authors: Arora Sangeeta , Neha
Published: June 2016

The financial services sector has come a long way from arguing that banks are beyond branding to a phase where banks and other financial institutions are using branding strategically—like any other business. Banks have adopted various customer-centric strategies in order to develop a positive perception in the minds of customers. To develop and implement customer-centric strategies, banks need to provide a consistent brand experience to prevent customers from switching to rival banks. In order to understand the customer perception towards bank brand, there is a need to understand the concept of customer-based brand equity and its main determinants. The customer-based brand equity is a set of brand-related associations held by the consumers in their memory (Keller, 1993). The current article aims to identify the various determinants of customer-based brand equity in the banking industry and to verify whether these determinants vary across bank types. For this purpose, a structured questionnaire was developed and a sample of 120 respondents was taken from selected public sector banks and private sector banks of Jalandhar. Factor analysis produced six factors, that is, brand investments, brand performance, brand salience, brand verdict, brand feelings and brand unfamiliarity, which accounted for 73 per cent variance. The findings revealed that out of the six factors extracted from the study, brand verdict emerged as the most significant factor that led to the determination of customer-based brand equity. The results of independent sample t-test showed no significant differences in the perceptions of customers of public and private banks with respect to customer-based brand equity. Correlation analysis was also conducted on the study variables and the results indicated that there are strong, positive and significant relationships between brand performance and brand feelings, and between brand performance and brand verdict. The multiple regression results showed that only brand performance, brand salience and brand feelings have a significant influence on brand verdict, whereas brand investment had a significant negative impact on brand verdict.
Ownership, Board Compensation and Company Performance in Sub-Saharan African Countries
Authors: Munisi Gibson Hosea , Mersland Roy
Published: June 2016

In countries with weak institutions, board governance becomes more important. This study uses a unique dataset from listed sub-Saharan African companies to examine the relationship between ownership composition and board compensation. It further analyses the association between board compensation and company performance. The findings indicate that board ownership and chief executive officer ownership are positively associated, whereas state ownership and concentrated ownership are negatively associated with board compensation. There is no evidence of a significant association between chairperson ownership or foreign ownership and board compensation. Finally, there is a negative but not significant relationship between board compensation and company performance.

JEL Classification: G32, G34
Learned Unsustainability: Bandura’s Bobo Doll Revisited
Authors: Graham Peter , Arshad-Ayaz Adeela
Published: June 2016

Developmental social psychologist Albert Bandura’s 1961 Bobo doll experiments provide interesting insights for the field of education for sustainable development (ESD) today. This article discusses some of the implications Bandura’s model of learned aggression has for modelling learned unsustainability. These lessons are not limited to educational applications. The Bobo doll is, in some important respects, like a supply–demand model, for example. Comparing the Bobo doll with contemporary dominant knowledge systems and other Bobo doll-like artefacts produces interesting insights and lessons for educational and economics research design. New approaches for tackling contemporary unsustainability are suggested.
How power moves: A Foucauldian analysis of (in)effective coaching
Authors: Mills Joseph P , Denison Jim
Published: June 2016

Knowing how to coach effectively is one ever-present truth across all sports and yet our previous research based on the work of Michel Foucault has illustrated how the effectiveness of endurance running coaches’ everyday coaching practices is limited by their use of various disciplinary techniques. Missing from these analyses was any consideration of Foucault’s conceptualization of how modern power works through the disciplinary instruments or the confession to progress coaches’ practices. To address this gap in this paper, we present data from interviews and observations with 15 male high-performance endurance running coaches in the United Kingdom and the United States to examine how the exercise of disciplinary instruments along with the confession affects endurance running coaches’ understanding of how to coach. In our analysis we show how discipline’s instruments and the confession operate in ways that significantly restrict and limit endurance running coaches’ efforts to develop their athletes and progress their practices. In order to develop effective coaches it is therefore essential that coaches become aware of how power operates in and around their coaching environment.
The role of multinational enterprises in the aerospace industry clusters in Mexico: The case of Baja California
Authors: Gomis Redi , Carrillo Jorge
Published: June 2016

The aerospace industry in Mexico has been growing significantly in recent years. This study seeks to determine the productive and organizational capabilities of multinational aerospace enterprises that are developing in the Baja California region, in northern Mexico, especially for the particular way in which they are joining the Global Value Chain. Undoubtedly, this is related to the way in which the industrial regions of developing countries are integrated into the global value chain by multinational corporations. Data for the analysis come mainly from ProMexico, a Mexican federal agency. According to results, at the present time Baja California aerospace industry integrates to the industry global value chains in the low steps, similar to what happens in other sectors and other regions around the country. Baja California activity specialized in manufacturing producing of parts or components for other foreign companies, which in turn are the ones that actually develop the aircraft’s systems and subsystems.
Conceptualizing the key processes of Mindful Parenting and its application to youth mental health
Authors: Townshend Kishani
Published: June 2016

Objective:

Youth mental health disorders are rising across the world. Mindful Parenting could be a potential tool to promote youth mental health. The primary distinction between Mindful Parenting programs and other behavioral parenting programs is the focus on emotional literacy and compassion. However, this emerging field has gaps in its theory and evidence. In order to objectively evaluate the impact of Mindful Parenting, it is important to identify how it promotes change. This theoretical paper aims to articulate the key change processes of Mindful Parenting that promote positive outcomes.

Method:

A literature review was conducted to synthesize the change processes outlined by different authors in the field.

Results:

Key processes argued to promote Mindful Parenting were aligned with five main categories, namely attention, intention, attitude, attachment and emotion. More specifically the change processes were listening, emotional awareness, emotional regulation, attentional regulation, attunement, attention to variability, intentionality, reperceiving, compassion and non-judgmental acceptance.

Conclusions:

This preliminary analysis attempted to understand how Mindful Parenting fosters change and transformation. Whilst there are numerous change processes, the essence of Mindful Parenting appears to be the ability to be responsive to a child’s needs.
Why Latinas With Breast Cancer Select Specific Informal Caregivers to Participate With Them in Psychosocial Interventions
Authors: Badger Terry , Segrin Chris , Swiatkowski Paulina , McNelis Melissa , Weihs Karen , Lopez Ana Maria
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this study is to describe the reasons 88 Latinas with breast cancer selected specific supportive others to participate in an 8-week psychosocial intervention. Participants were asked one open-ended question during the baseline assessment for a larger clinical trial: “Could you tell me more about why you selected [insert name] to participate in the study with you?” A content analysis of the responses found three thematic categories: source of informational or emotional support, concern for the informal caregiver’s welfare, and special characteristics or qualities of the informal caregiver. These findings reflected both the cultural value of familism, the woman’s role as caregiver to the family ( marianismo), and the man’s role of provider ( machismo). Findings provide support for including the supportive person identified by the patient during a health crisis rather than the provider suggesting who that should be. Psychosocial services designed and implemented through such a cultural lens are more likely to be successful.
Creating Highlander Wherever You Are
Authors: Williams Susan , Mullett Cathy
Published: June 2016

Highlander Research and Education Center serves as a catalyst for grassroots organizing and movement building. This article focuses on an interview with education coordinator Susan Williams who has worked at Highlander for 26 years. We discuss how others can and do create powerful popular education experiences anywhere, whether they have a dedicated space or not. In this article, we address four concerns to create a Highlander-like setting. Key deliberations include the process before, during, and after workshops or meetings in that space; values and strategizing, establishing why a space is being provided and what collective outcomes are desired from meeting in that space; cultural aspects and importance; and the challenge of a physical place. Weaving these concerns together into an anticipated outcome can then take projects and ideas forward into participants’ communities of service.
An enhanced performance of a horizontal diamagnetic levitation mechanism–based vibration energy harvester for low frequency applications
Authors: Palagummi Sri Vikram , Yuan Fuh-Gwo
Published: June 2016

This article identifies and studies key parameters that characterize a horizontal diamagnetic levitation mechanism–based low frequency vibration energy harvester with the aim of enhancing performance metrics such as efficiency and volume figure of merit. The horizontal diamagnetic levitation mechanism comprises three permanent magnets and two diamagnetic plates. Two of the magnets, lifting magnets, are placed co-axially at a distance such that each attracts a centrally located magnet, floating magnet, to balance its weight. This floating magnet is flanked closely by two diamagnetic plates which stabilize the levitation in the axial direction. The influence of the geometry of the floating magnet, the lifting magnet, and the diamagnetic plate is parametrically studied to quantify their effects on the size, stability of the levitation mechanism, and the resonant frequency of the floating magnet. For vibration energy harvesting using the horizontal diamagnetic levitation mechanism, a coil geometry and eddy current damping are critically discussed. Based on the analysis, an efficient experimental system is setup which showed a softening frequency response with an average system efficiency of 25.8% and a volume figure of merit of 0.23% when excited at a root mean square acceleration of 0.0546 m/s2 and at a frequency of 1.9 Hz.
High-Grade Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Breast With Focal Squamous Differentiation
Authors: Mečiarová Iveta , Sojáková Michaela , Mego Michal , Mardiak Jozef , Pohlodek Kamil
Published: June 2016

Primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast is a rare tumor that comprises less than 1% of breast carcinomas, with most patients being in the sixth or seventh decade of their life. In this article, the authors present the case report of a 42-year-old woman with a rapidly growing tumor in her right breast. After clinical staging by physical examination, breast imaging, and thoracoabdominal computed tomography the patient underwent breast-conserving surgery. The histologic results showed a unique type of high-grade, predominantly large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma with focal abrupt squamous differentiation. The authors also discuss the clinical and morphological characteristics of the tumor as well as treatment options.
Mannitol for the prevention of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity: A retrospective comparison of hydration plus mannitol versus hydration alone in inpatient and outpatient regimens at a large academic medical center
Authors: Williams Robert P , Ferlas Brandon W , Morales Paul C , Kurtzweil Andy J
Published: June 2016

Background

Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity is a dose limiting adverse effect that occurs in nearly one-third of patients. Mannitol administration has been used as a means to negate this toxicity. Data regarding the efficacy of mannitol use in this context are conflicting and limited.

Objective

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of mannitol on renal function and describe the incidence of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

Methods

This study is a quasi-experimental retrospective analysis approved by the Institutional Review Board of inpatient and outpatient adults receiving cisplatin doses ≥40 mg/m2. The primary outcome was mean change in serum creatinine from baseline. Secondary outcomes included incidences of various grades of nephrotoxicity.

Results

A total of 313 patients (95 treated with mannitol and 218 without) were evaluated. The average increase in serum creatinine (mg/dL) was lower in patients who received mannitol versus those who did not (0.30 vs. 0.47; 95% confidence interval for difference, 0.03 to 0.31; P = 0.02). Grade 2 or higher nephrotoxicity occurred less frequently in patients who received mannitol versus those who did not (8% vs. 17%; P = 0.04). Non-gynecologic regimens and those who received doses ≥70 mg/m2 of cisplatin had lower rates of grade 2 or higher nephrotoxicity with mannitol (6% vs. 23%; P = 0.001, and 7% vs. 22%; P = 0.03, respectively).

Conclusion

The use of mannitol reduces the incidence and severity of nephrotoxicity in patients treated with cisplatin. The results of the study suggest mannitol may be most effective when used with non-gynecologic regimens and with cisplatin doses ≥70 mg/m2.
Conducting research with minimally verbal participants with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Tager-Flusberg Helen , Plesa Skwerer Daniela , Joseph Robert M , Brukilacchio Brianna , Decker Jessica , Eggleston Brady , Meyer Steven , Yoder Anne
Published: June 2016

A growing number of research groups are now including older minimally verbal individuals with autism spectrum disorder in their studies to encompass the full range of heterogeneity in the population. There are numerous barriers that prevent researchers from collecting high-quality data from these individuals, in part because of the challenging behaviors with which they present alongside their very limited means for communication. In this article, we summarize the practices that we have developed, based on applied behavioral analysis techniques, and have used in our ongoing research on behavioral, eye-tracking, and electrophysiological studies of minimally verbal children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Our goal is to provide the field with useful guidelines that will promote the inclusion of the entire spectrum of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in future research investigations.
Media Theology: New Communication Technologies as religious constructs, metaphors, and experiences
Authors: Blondheim Menahem , Rosenberg Hananel
Published: June 2016

Recent studies have seen religious observance as inherently related to available communication technologies. This study follows this thrust but complements the focus on religious praxis with a look at media theology—the ideological dimension of the religion and media nexus. It traces three distinct facets of media theology: the way religious sensibilities affect how we create, shape, apply, and establish a relationship with media technologies; how media technologies serve as tools for grasping aspects of theology; and finally, how media use can launch mental and existential religious experiences. The study’s orientation is historical, charting the development of the relationship between media technologies and the religious mind in the Abrahamic religions from the biblical media of fire and cloud through script and electric communications and all the way to the Internet.
Managing the virtual boundaries: Online social networks, disclosure, and privacy behaviors
Authors: Millham Mary Helen , Atkin David
Published: June 2016

Online social networks are designed to encourage disclosure while also having the ability to disrupt existing privacy boundaries. This study assesses those individuals who are the most active online: “Digital Natives.” The specific focus includes participants’ privacy beliefs; how valuable they believe their personal, private information to be; and what risks they perceive in terms of disclosing this information in a fairly anonymous online setting. A model incorporating these concepts was tested in the context of communication privacy management theory. Study findings suggest that attitudinal measures were stronger predictors of privacy behaviors than were social locators. In particular, support was found for a model positing that if an individual placed a higher premium on their personal, private information, they would then be less inclined to disclose such information while visiting online social networking sites.
Rhetorical relations revisited across distinct levels of discourse unit granularity
Authors: Zhang Hongxin , Liu Haitao
Published: June 2016

In accordance with the compositionality criterion and hierarchy principle of Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST), this study reframes each tree in the RST Discourse Treebank into three new dependency trees with ultimate nodes being clauses, sentences, and paragraphs, respectively, which also draw on an analogy between syntactic and discourse trees. Detailed percentages of various RST relations at the three granularity levels are examined, illuminating the discourse processes of organizing units of one granularity level into those of the next upper level and suggesting certain homogeneity and interaction across levels in the Treebank, particularly at the two upper levels. The study demonstrates the applicability of RST analysis between same-level terminal units. With unique analytical advantages, the newly constructed discourse dependency trees provide new research prospects.
The social construction of demoicracy in the European Union
Authors: Cheneval Francis , Nicolaidis Kalypso
Published: June 2016

The Eurozone crisis has brought the imperative of democratic autonomy within the EU to the forefront, a concern at the core of demoicratic theory. The article seeks to move the scholarship on demoicratic theory a step further by exploring what we call the social construction of demoicratic reality. While the EU’s legal-institutional infrastructure may imperfectly approximate a demoicratic structure, we need ask to what extent the ‘bare bones’ demoicratic character of a polity can actually be grounded in a full-flesh social construct that is or could be acted out in the democratic experience and the self-awareness of its peoples. Ultimately, such an enquiry should help us understand whether a polity like the EU is actually and potentially a stable or unstable political form. We develop a consistent theory of popular sovereignty drawing on John Searle and HLA Hart to conceive the constitutionalised people ( dêmos) as a social fact and the sovereignty of the people as a status ascribed to the people. We use this construction of demoicratic reality as a conceptual framework to understand the possibility of popular sovereignty being exercised concurrently by several rather than just one dêmos.
Corporate political activity, public policy uncertainty, and firm outcomes: A meta-analysis
Authors: Hadani Michael , Bonardi Jean-Philippe , Dahan Nicolas M
Published: June 2016

Although significant scholarship has been devoted to the study of corporate political activity, contradictory messages emerge regarding its impact on public policy outcomes and firm performance. Using meta-analytic methods on a US-only sample of 93 studies, working papers, and books, we try to disentangle two mechanisms that explain why corporate political activity is not always beneficial to firms: (1) the uncertainty about the public policy process itself, that is, can firms get the policies they want through corporate political activity? and (2) the uncertainty about the policies’ impact on the firm, that is, whether firms effectively anticipate the implications of policies for their performance. Our results support the idea that these types of uncertainty play an important role in explaining the intermediary dynamics of corporate political activity. We find that in the United States, corporate political activity only weakly impacts public policy and at best has a (direct) weak effect on corporate outcomes.
Agency problems and governance mechanisms in collaborative communities
Authors: Kolbjørnsrud Vegard
Published: June 2016

Collaborative communities—where participants collaboratively solve problems and integrate their contributions—are increasingly popular organizational forms in a wide variety of domains. As with any cooperative effort, communities involve differential interests and information asymmetries, creating potential agency problems. I undertake an exploratory multiple-case study of four communities within the domains of enterprise information technology, sustainable products and services, drug discovery, and digital marketing and communication. I find that agency relationships in the collaborative communities are characterized by three distinct multiple-agency structures: commons, team production, and brokering. These are governed by four main categories of mechanism: (1) mutual monitoring, enabling self-regulation and peer-based control; (2) membership restrictions, regulating admission to the community; (3) values and rules, guiding member action and collaboration; and (4) property rights and incentives, regulating rights to community resources and distribution of rewards. I also identify contingencies between governance mechanisms and agency problems.
Health Policy Development in Flemish Small-Sized Municipalities
Authors: De Cocker Katrien , Dubuy Veerle , De Bourdeaudhuij Ilse , Maes Lea , Seghers Jan , Lefevre Johan , De Martelaer Kristine , Buytaert Bruno , Cardon Greet
Published: June 2016

Background. A health promotion institute developed an intervention to support small-sized municipalities (<15,000 citizens; n = 167) in their development of a local health policy. Objectives. To (1) find out which municipalities showed interest to participate and (2) assess the intervention effects after 1 year. Method. The intervention consisted of (1) completing an online tool that generated feedback on the quality level of the health policy (9 scores) and (2) receiving advice (four contacts) from the local-regional support service for health promotion. In total 121 small-sized municipalities agreed to participate (intervention municipalities), and the nonparticipating municipalities (n = 46) were used as a comparison group. Chi-square tests were conducted to compare baseline quality scores between intervention and comparison municipalities and to assess the change (baseline to follow-up) within the intervention group. Results. At baseline, intervention municipalities had significant higher health policy quality scores compared to the comparison municipalities. Municipalities interested in the intervention mostly had already high policy scores. A significant positive shift in the quality levels was found after 1 year in the intervention municipalities. Conclusion. The intervention succeeded in improving the quality levels of the local health policy, though municipalities scoring low and possibly benefiting most from the intervention need to be extra-motivated to participate.
Featured Article: Alterations of lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase activity and apolipoprotein A-I functionality in human sickle blood
Authors: Soupene Eric , Borja Mark S , Borda Mauricio , Larkin Sandra K , Kuypers Frans A
Published: June 2016

In sickle cell disease (SCD) cholesterol metabolism appears dysfunctional as evidenced by abnormal plasma cholesterol content in a subpopulation of SCD patients. Specific activity of the high density lipoprotein (HDL)-bound lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) enzyme, which catalyzes esterification of cholesterol, and generates lysoPC (LPC) was significantly lower in sickle plasma compared to normal. Inhibitory amounts of LPC were present in sickle plasma, and the red blood cell (RBC) lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LPCAT), essential for the removal of LPC, displayed a broad range of activity. The functionality of sickle HDL appeared to be altered as evidenced by a decreased HDL–Apolipoprotein A-I exchange in sickle plasma as compared to control. Increased levels of oxidized proteins including ApoA-I were detected in sickle plasma. In vitro incubation of sickle plasma with washed erythrocytes affected the ApoA-I-exchange supporting the view that the RBC blood compartment can affect cholesterol metabolism in plasma. HDL functionality appeared to decrease during acute vaso-occlusive episodes in sickle patients and was associated with an increase of secretory PLA2, a marker for increased inflammation. Simvastatin treatment to improve the anti-inflammatory function of HDL did not ameliorate HDL–ApoA-I exchange in sickle patients. Thus, the cumulative effect of an inflammatory and highly oxidative environment in sickle blood contributes to a decrease in cholesterol esterification and HDL function, related to hypocholesterolemia in SCD.