bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of flow rate and temperature on transmembrane blood pressure drop in an extracorporeal artificial lung
Authors: Park M , Costa ELV , Maciel AT , Barbosa EVS , Hirota AS , Schettino GdeP , Azevedo LCP
Published: March 2014

Introduction:

Transmembrane pressure drop reflects the resistance of an artificial lung system to blood transit. Decreased resistance (low transmembrane pressure drop) enhances blood flow through the oxygenator, thereby, enhancing gas exchange efficiency. This study is part of a previous one where we observed the behaviour and the modulation of blood pressure drop during the passage of blood through artificial lung membranes.

Methods:

Before and after the induction of multi-organ dysfunction, the animals were instrumented and analysed for venous-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, using a pre-defined sequence of blood flows.

Results:

Blood flow and revolutions per minute (RPM) of the centrifugal pump varied in a linear fashion. At a blood flow of 5.5 L/min, pre- and post-pump blood pressures reached -120 and 450 mmHg, respectively. Transmembrane pressures showed a significant spread, particularly at blood flows above 2 L/min; over the entire range of blood flow rates, there was a positive association of pressure drop with blood flow (0.005 mmHg/mL/minute of blood flow ) and a negative association of pressure drop with temperature (-4.828 mmHg/oCelsius). These associations were similar when blood flows of below and above 2000 mL/minute were examined.

Conclusions:

During its passage through the extracorporeal system, blood is exposed to pressure variations from -120 to 450 mmHg. At high blood flows (above 2 L/min), the drop in transmembrane pressure becomes unpredictable and highly variable. Over the entire range of blood flows investigated (0 – 5500 mL/min), the drop in transmembrane pressure was positively associated with blood flow and negatively associated with body temperature.
Absolutely stable model-based 2-port force controller for telerobotic applications
Authors: Hart J. Scot , Niemeyer Günter
Published: March 2014

Large industrial-like slave robots pose a challenging problem for telerobotic control designers focused on achieving good transparency. The human operator typically feels both the large friction forces and heavy inertial forces inherent to these robots. Force control can be used to attempt and hide these internal forces from the user, but force control is a challenging design problem, especially in situations like telerobotics where it is not clear what the environmental impedance will be at any given moment.

This paper introduces a model-based force controller designed to reject the friction in slave robots to improve the overall transparency of the telerobotic system. The primary objective of the force controller is to ensure the closed loop slave 2-port is absolutely stable such that the controller maintains the robustness of the overall telerobot. An analysis is provided that shows that, in order to achieve absolute stability, a local slave-side force controller cannot hide any of the robot’s inertial forces. It is from this result that model-based force control gets its name as it uses a model of the robot’s inertial properties to reject friction forces without attempting to reject inertial forces.
Psychological reactivity to laboratory stress is associated with hormonal responses in postmenopausal women
Authors: Fang Carolyn Y , Egleston Brian L , Manzur Angelica M , Townsend Raymond R , Stanczyk Frank Z , Spiegel David , Dorgan Joanne F
Published: March 2014

Objective

The present study examined associations between psychological reactivity and hormonal responses to a standardized laboratory stressor (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) in postmenopausal women.

Methods

Postmenopausal women aged 50–74 years undertook anxiety and mood assessments prior to and following the TSST. Blood samples were drawn at multiple timepoints for assessment of cortisol, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).

Results

Forty postmenopausal women completed the assessments. As expected, significant increases in anxiety and negative affect and decreases in positive affect were observed after the TSST; however, the magnitude of change in anxiety and mood varied considerably across individuals. Analyses indicated that greater increases in anxiety and negative affect after the TSST were associated with higher levels of cortisol, ACTH and DHEA after controlling for race, age, body mass index and smoking status. Changes in positive affect were not associated with cortisol, ACTH or DHEA.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that enhanced reactivity to stress is associated with higher hormone levels among postmenopausal women, which could have potential implications for health.
Altered activation in visual cortex: Unusual functional magnetic resonance imaging finding in early Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Zhao Yilei , Zheng Xuning , Wang Qidong , Xu Jingfeng , Xu Xiaojun , Zhang Minming
Published: March 2014

Objective

Movement dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is well documented but its cause remains unclear. This study examined whether motor symptoms are caused by sensory impairment, executive dysfunction or other factors.

Methods

We examined the integration of tactile and motor programmes using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in early stage PD patients compared with neurologically normal controls, to investigate neural mechanisms underlying movement dysfunction.

Results

Twenty-two control participants exhibited activation in an extensive network of cortical regions involved in tactile–motor integration. Decreased activation in somatosensory and motor regions during performance of passive tactile and movement tasks was found in 21 PD patients. The extrastriate visual cortex exhibited greater activation in controls during performance of the tasks. In contrast, greater activation in bilateral prefrontal regions was found in PD patients.

Conclusions

These results indicate that the extrastriate visual cortex is a multisensory region playing an important role in sensorimotor integration. The findings suggest that PD patients exhibit decreased activation in the extrastriate visual cortex, possibly related to dysfunctional integrative processing, and compensatory activity in the prefrontal cortex.
Absence of association between atherosclerotic cerebral infarction and TNFSF4/TNFRSF4 single nucleotide polymorphisms rs1234313, rs1234314 and rs17568 in a Chinese population
Authors: Huang Qing , Yang Qi-Dong , Tan Xing-Lin , Feng Jie , Tang Tao , Xia Jian , Zhang Le , Huang Li , Bai Yong-Ping , Liu Yun-Hai
Published: March 2014

Objective

To clarify the association between atherosclerotic cerebral infarction (ACI) and the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) rs1234313 and rs1234314 (in TNFSF4) and rs17568 (in TNFRSF4).

Methods

Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of patients with ACI and healthy control subjects. The presence of carotid plaque was determined. Rs1234313, rs1234314 and rs17568 were characterized via SNP genotyping assay and verified by DNA sequencing.

Results

Genotype distributions were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. There were no significant differences in the allele and genotype distributions of rs1234313, rs1234314 and rs17568 between patients with ACI ( n = 450) and healthy control subjects ( n = 378), or between patients with ACI and carotid plaque ( n = 342) and controls.

Conclusions

There were no significant associations between rs1234313, rs1234314 and rs17568 and ACI risk in a Han Chinese population.
A taxonomy of motives to cite
Authors: Erikson Martin G , Erlandson Peter
Published: March 2014

In this study, we explicate citing behavior in the writing of scientific papers by presenting a taxonomy of motives to cite. The suggested taxonomy consists of four main categories, which are purely descriptive: Argumentation, Social Alignment, Mercantile Alignment, and Data. These categories are divided into a suggested set of subcategories. We argue that the complexities of citing practice show how little can be assumed about actual citing behavior when studying a finished paper. The discussion supports the claim that it might be misleading to treat all citations as equal in quantitative citation analysis.
Ethnoprimatology: Critical interdisciplinarity and multispecies approaches in anthropology
Authors: Malone Nicholas , Wade Alison H , Fuentes Agustín , Riley Erin P , Remis Melissa , Robinson Carolyn Jost
Published: March 2014

The emerging practice of ethnoprimatology creates an important venue for diverse epistemologies in anthropology and primatology to interact in an intellectually robust and engaged manner. At the same time that multispecies ethnographies are becoming more common in social anthropology, a subset of primatologists are immersing themselves in approaches that merge ethnographic engagement with primate studies. In these endeavors the distinction between “human worlds” and “nature” is discarded and multispecies entanglements become central aspects of anthropogenic ecologies. By drawing from ecological, biological, ethnographic and historical approaches, ethnoprimatology creates a more robust and accurate methodology for anthropologists and primatologists interested in understanding complex systems of human–alloprimate interface in the Anthropocene. In this essay, we outline what ethnoprimatology is, how it plays out in real-world contexts, and why it is a potentially powerful tool to move past historical rifts in anthropological practice and integrate perspectives in a successful and engaged manner. Finally, we address the practical and ethical considerations of human–alloprimate engagements in both conservation and scientific contexts.
Gender Roles and Mental Health in Women With and at Risk for HIV
Authors: Brody Leslie R. , Stokes Lynissa R. , Dale Sannisha K. , Kelso Gwendolyn A. , Cruise Ruth C. , Weber Kathleen M. , Burke-Miller Jane K. , Cohen Mardge H.
Published: March 2014

Predominantly low-income and African American women from the same community, HIV-infected ( n = 100; HIV+) and uninfected ( n = 42; HIV−), were assessed on reported gender roles in sexual and other close relationships—including levels of self-silencing, unmitigated communion, and sexual relationship power—at a single recent study visit during 2008–2012. Recent gender roles were investigated in relation to depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life assessed both at a single visit during 2008–2012 and averaged over semiannual visits (for depressive symptoms) and annual visits (for quality of life) occurring between 1994 and 2012. Compared to HIV− women, HIV+ women reported significantly higher levels of several aspects of self-silencing, unmitigated communion, and multi-year averaged depressive symptoms as well as lower levels of sexual relationship power and recent and multi-year averaged quality of life. For both HIV+ and HIV− women, higher self-silencing and unmitigated communion significantly related to recent or multi-year averaged higher depressive symptoms and lower quality of life. Intervention strategies designed to increase self-care and self-advocacy in the context of relationships could potentially minimize depressive symptoms and enhance quality of life in women with and at risk for HIV.
Global modernity: Levels of analysis and conceptual strategies
Authors: Domingues José Maurício
Published: March 2014

This article tackles some methodological issues in sociological theory, in particular as a way to resume the discussion of modernity with a systematic intent. Descriptions and descriptive concepts are distinguished from middle-range analytical categories, which are distinguished from general analytical categories. History and evolution are also included methodologically in the analysis. Trend-concepts, which imply the development of some features of modernity in the long run, have not been adequately dealt with by sociology recently, so their status therefore remains undefined. It is these that offer the focus of this article. This is discussed initially in general terms, and the theme is then deepened through an analysis of secularization processes, drawing on the concept of collective subjectivity in order to take the discussion beyond individual action and structural-functional features. Analytical concepts receive pride of place in the methodological strategies suggested in the article.
Contemporary Turkey: An Islamic-capitalist variety of modernity?
Authors: Kaya Ibrahim
Published: March 2014

This article offers a new conceptualization of the multiple modernities debate by analyzing the relationship of Islamic conservatism to modernity. I argue that in post-1980 Turkey ‘modernity’ was re-interpreted, giving ever more emphasis to capitalism and to the Islamic societal self-understanding at the expense of commitment to autonomy, to critique and self-questioning, to gender equality, and so on. I pose the question whether this is still an interpretation of modernity or does it deviate so much from the basic definition of modernity that it should be considered something else. First, I consider the limits to the openness of modernity to interpretation in an attempt to understand whether a ‘cultural theory of modernity’ suffices as explicandum. Initially I consider the essentially changing relationship both within and between Turkish society and the state, and relate these changes to the discussions concerning the relations between modernity and multiplicity. I then demonstrate that recent occurrences in Turkey illustrate the corruption of modernity, in contrast to the assumptions that view contemporary Turkey as an Islamic-capitalist variety of modernity.
Will the Department of Labor Find the Missing Fiduciary Link? Part 2
Authors: Phillips Emir J.
Published: March 2014

The DOL has a unique opportunity to advance the view that the sole interest rule is unsound, particularly in the investment advisory context, and this Article proposes how it should be modernized. This article analyzes a subcomponent of the “Prudent Person Rule” under ERISA Sec. 404(a)(1) (B), which is that of the duty to monitor, in this case, the investment advisor by the trustee. This Article proposes that the present Prudent Person Rule should be updated since the exclusive-benefit rule wrongfully precludes employers from also being considered beneficiaries by the Courts under ERISA. As a result of this preclusion, courts have been forced to indulge in pretense, such as the notion that benefits to employers are merely “incidental,” in order to reconcile ERISA with the economic realities of determining who should be a beneficiary and to what extent. Recognition of these requested changes will not automatically transform ERISA fiduciary law from a difficult task to an elementary one. Often, the issues will remain complex, but by using a more correct legal/financial prism by which to perceive reality, the answers may very well become strikingly more self-evident.
Trifecta Approach to Breastfeeding
Authors: Bunik Maya , Dunn Dena M. , Watkins Lorry , Talmi Ayelet
Published: March 2014

The breastfeeding experience for the mother and infant is often complicated by a constellation of challenges that are difficult for lactation consultants alone to treat. To address this issue, a breastfeeding consultation clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado developed a multidisciplinary team: a pediatrician specializing in breastfeeding medicine, a lactation consultant, and a clinical psychologist specializing in infant mental health and child development. This Trifecta Breastfeeding Approach meets families’ needs by addressing the infant’s medical care, functional breastfeeding challenges, and the developing mother–infant relationship, and by screening for concurrent pregnancy-related mood disorders. The Approach also recognizes family dynamics and the transition to parenthood within the breastfeeding consultation. Issues of lost expectations, grief, infertility, high-risk infants, and fussiness often need to be addressed. Case examples here illustrate the benefits of this multidisciplinary, integrated health model. This type of integrated care will likely have an increased presence in health care systems as reimbursement for psychologists’ fees and innovative models of care continue to emerge.
Surface roughness model in experiment of grinding engineering glass-ceramics
Authors: Ma Lian-jie , Gong Ya-dong , Chen Xiao-hui , Duan Tian-yu , Yang Xin-yuan
Published: March 2014

The grinding experiment of mica glass-ceramics was conducted on the GM-D300-type surface grinder. The article investigated the influence of surface roughness on grinding wheel velocity, table feed speed, and grinding depth. The results indicated that surface roughness decreased with the increasing grinding wheel velocity and grinding depth in overall trend, and decreased with increasing table feed speed. Moreover, a modified surface roughness model, which introduced the maximum undeformed chip thickness, was developed based on Snoeys’ empirical formula. The modified model was in good agreement with the experimental data in most cases. The disparity between experimental data and predicted results of surface roughness was attributed to the organization of pores randomly distributed within the mica glass-ceramics.
Evaluation of stress softening of the rubber suspension used on rail vehicles
Authors: Luo Robert Keqi , Mortel Willan J , Wu Xiaoping , Peng Li M
Published: March 2014

In the rail industry, the important design parameters of rubber suspension systems are currently solely based on the loading part of the loading/unloading history, e.g. the load–deflection characteristics and fatigue requirement. Different energy levels and stress values are created for an identical load value during loading and unloading cycles in rubber-like materials. Hence, the performance of a rubber suspension can be substantially different during loading and unloading, which can lead to unexpected effects. An engineering approach is proposed to account for this so-called Mullins effect. Existing elastomeric models, widely used in rail vehicle design, can be modified to account for the unloading using this methodology. A typical rubber-to-metal bonded component, which is used in rail suspension systems, is selected for a verification study. It is shown that the predictions from the new approach are consistent with the results of the whole load/deflection history obtained in a laboratory experiment. In addition, if the unloading characteristics are not considered, results obtained from stress calculations can have a 20% margin of error. The proposed approach should be further verified using other types of rubber suspension systems.
Improving two axes gimbal seeker performance using cascade control approach
Authors: Abdo Maher Mahmoud , Vali Ahmad Reza , Toloei Ali Reza , Arvan Mohammad Reza
Published: March 2014

One of the most important components constituting a homing guided missile is the seeker which basically consists of a detector with a servo-tracking loop. The performance of gimbal seeker is evaluated according to the line of sight (LOS) stability. The purpose of this paper is to present, investigate, and analyze the performance of two axes gimbal seeker which must strictly isolate the LOS from the torque disturbances and missile vibrations. The equations of gimbals motion are derived using Lagrange equation considering the missile angular motion and gimbals mass unbalance. The stabilization loop is constructed by identifying its components, then the traditional and cascade loops are defined. The overall control system is built considering the cross coupling unit and simulated in MATLAB for the traditional and cascade control loops. A comparison study is carried out to investigate the gimbal seeker performance under different operational conditions such as missile rates and accelerations. The simulation results prove the efficiency of the proposed cascade control loop which offers better response more than traditional one, and improves further the transient and the steady-state response of two axes gimbal seeker system.
Infant feeding counselling of HIV-infected women in two areas in Kenya in 2008
Authors: Israel-Ballard Kiersten , Waithaka Margaret , Greiner Ted
Published: March 2014

While WHO no longer recommends individual infant feeding counselling to HIV-positive women, it may still be practised in some settings and for specific cases. In any case, lessons can be learned by examining how well front line health workers are able to take on counselling tasks. This qualitative study was designed to assess how counsellors deal with challenges they face in two Kenyan provinces. It consisted of brief post-counselling exit interviews with 80 mothers, observations of 21 counselling sessions and 11 key informant interviews. Much infant feeding counselling was of reasonable quality, better than often reported elsewhere. However, nutrition and infant feeding were given low priority, counsellors' training was inadequate, individual postnatal counselling as well as growth monitoring and promotion were rarely done and complementary feeding was inadequately covered. Acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe (AFASS) assessments were not of satisfactory quality. Breast milk expression was mentioned only to a minority and the possibility of heat treatment during the transition to cessation was not mentioned. Counsellors were often biased in discussing risks of breastfeeding and replacement feeding. Implementing the new WHO guidance will reduce the need for AFASS assessments, greatly simplifying both the government's and counsellors’ tasks.
Activism and Legitimation in Israel’s Jurisprudence of Occupation
Authors: Sultany Nimer
Published: March 2014

Colonial law need not exclude the colonized in order to subordinate them, and ‘activist’ courts can advance the effect of subordination no less than ‘passive’ courts. As a case study, this article examines the jurisprudential legacy of the Israeli Supreme Court in the context of the prolonged Israeli occupation of Palestine. Applying insights from legal realist, law and society, and critical legal studies scholarship, the article questions the utility of using the activist and passive labels. It illustrates how the Israeli activist court, through multiple legal and discursive moves, has advanced and legitimated the colonization of Palestine; that the court is aware of its role; and that arguments that focus on the court’s informal role do not mitigate this legitimating effect. Unlike other scholars, the article shows that the Israeli court’s role—by extending the power of judicial review to the military’s actions in the occupied areas—is neither novel nor unique or benevolent, as the British colonization of India and the US colonization of Puerto Rico show.
India, Pakistan and Dialogue under the Shadow of Terror
Authors: Batabyal Anindya
Published: March 2014

In the wake of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US and the subsequent war on terror, the Afghanistan–Pakistan region has emerged as a safe sanctuary for various terror groups like Al-Qaeda, Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba. This article focuses upon the close linkages between the legacy of the anti-Soviet jihad inside Afghanistan in the 1980s and the insurgency that later began in the Indian-administered part of Jammu and Kashmir, which from its inception has been aided and abetted by the Pakistan army and its Inter-Service Intelligence Directorate (ISI). Despite international pressure, the infrastructure of terrorism directed against India from Pakistan-controlled territory remains intact due to inaction of the Pakistan government for political and strategic reasons. So long as the symbiotic relationship between sections of the Pakistan government (particularly the army and the ISI) and the various anti-India terrorist groups remains intact, there will be no meaningful progress in any kind of bilateral dialogue between the estranged neighbours.
Brothers, Not Friends
Authors: Manoharan N.
Published: March 2014

Mahatma Gandhi referred to Sri Lanka as India’s ‘daughter state’. True to this metaphoric observation, relations between the two countries have been by-and-large cordial, but occasionally not devoid of irritants. India is Sri Lanka’s closest, most important and powerful neighbour. Relations between the two neighbours stretch to more than two millennia in wide-ranging areas—political, economic, socio-cultural and military. Common colonial experience under Britain led both countries to have similar world views, yet certain strategic imperatives and national interests dictated differing policies, at times conflicting with each other. India has always stood by Sri Lanka and time-and-again reiterated its unambiguous support to safeguarding the latter’s unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty. Despite witnessing various ups and downs, the bilateral ties between the two countries have never been bad to a level of confrontation. They have in fact matured over a period of time and, in the present context, serve as a model of good neighbourly interaction.
Good Governance at the Grass-roots
Authors: Panday Pranab Kumar , Rabbani Md. Golam
Published: March 2014

Considering the importance of good governance, the article explores the governance situation of the lowest local government tier (Union Parishad) in Bangladesh. Through the application of four good governance indicators—leadership, people’s participation, transparency and accountability and equity—the expectation is that the findings would add a new dimension to the existing knowledge of local governance. Based on empirical data collected from the field, the study findings suggest that the governance situation at the local level is not conducive for the establishment of good governance and strong local democracy in the country. Despite incorporation of different provisions ( ward shava, open budget, citizen charter and right to information) in the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act of 2009, the government has failed to ensure participation, accountability, good governance and transparency. Against this backdrop, the governance of local government bodies has been characterised by reluctance of local government leaders in ensuring development, lack of people’s participation, transparency and accountability and unequal distribution of services.
The Future of Nursing
Authors: Shaffer Franklin A. , Davis Catherine R. , To Dutka Julia , Richardson Donna R.
Published: March 2014

The 2010 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, challenges the nursing profession to take a key role in redesigning the health care system. Intended to shape the future of nursing in the United States, the IOM report has implications for nursing worldwide. While individual states and nursing organizations are developing initiatives to implement the IOM recommendations in the United States, there must be a concomitant effort to examine the ripple effect on global health and the nursing community. This article addresses four IOM recommendations that are directly relevant to internationally educated nurses who practice across borders: nurse residency programs, lifelong learning, leading change to advance health, and interprofessional health care workforce data. The article discusses the IOM recommendations through a global perspective and offers policy implications for legislators, health care organizations and nurse educators, regulators and administrators.
Mortality Trends for Pediatric Life-Threatening Conditions
Authors: Chavoshi Negar , Miller Tanice , Siden Harold
Published: March 2014

Internal data from the sole pediatric hospice in British Columbia were utilized to investigate mortality trends among children dying from life-threatening conditions. Characteristics of the sample (hospice) were compared to that of the population (province) for individuals aged 0 to 18 years from 2002 to 2011. The provincial death rate was 2.30 per 10 000. The sample did not significantly vary with respect to sex and geographic distribution when compared to the population. Infants contributed to a significantly larger proportion of pediatric deaths in the population. Children referred to the hospice were more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and diseases of the nervous system. Only 15% of all pediatric deaths due to disease in the province were cared for by the hospice, calling for the strengthening of interdisciplinary palliative care programs.
Alignment of Instruction, Expectations, and Accountability Testing for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Witmer Sara E. , Ferreri Summer J.
Published: March 2014

Current large-scale assessment and accountability policies in the United States emphasize the need for all students to be appropriately included. However, there are many challenges to effective inclusion. Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit unique social communication and behavior challenges that can hinder their effective inclusion in instruction and testing. However, no studies have systematically examined how this unique group of students is currently included in accountability programs. A statewide representative sample of 191 teachers selected a student with ASD and reported on (a) the extent to which the student received instruction according to the general curriculum, (b) the teacher’s academic expectations for the student, and (c) the method by which the student participated in accountability testing. Results indicated that many students were reported to rarely receive instruction according to the general curriculum, and many were reported to participate in an alternate assessment.
The Adolescent Mentalization-based Integrative Treatment (AMBIT) approach to outcome evaluation and manualization: adopting a learning organization approach
Authors: Fuggle Peter , Bevington Dickon , Cracknell Liz , Hanley James , Hare Suzanne , Lincoln John , Richardson Garry , Stevens Nina , Tovey Heather , Zlotowitz Sally
Published: March 2014

AMBIT (Adolescent Mentalization-Based Integrative Treatment) is a developing team approach to working with hard-to-reach adolescents. The approach applies the principle of mentalization to relationships with clients, team relationships and working across agencies. It places a high priority on the need for locally developed evidence-based practice, and proposes that outcome evaluation needs to be explicitly linked with processes of team learning using a learning organization framework. A number of innovative methods of team learning are incorporated into the AMBIT approach, particularly a system of web-based wiki-formatted AMBIT manuals individualized for each participating team. The paper describes early development work of the model and illustrates ways of establishing explicit links between outcome evaluation, team learning and manualization by describing these methods as applied to two AMBIT-trained teams; one team working with young people on the edge of care (AMASS — the Adolescent Multi-Agency Support Service) and another working with substance use (CASUS – Child and Adolescent Substance Use Service in Cambridgeshire). Measurement of the primary outcomes for each team (which were generally very positive) facilitated team learning and adaptations of methods of practice that were consolidated through manualization.
Levels of resilience: Associations among individual, community, and national resilience
Authors: Kimhi Shaul
Published: March 2014

This article focuses on limited knowledge regarding the associations among three levels of resilience and the importance of these associations: individual, community, and national. The few studies that have examined these associations indicated the following: (a) There are significant positive low correlations among individual, community, and national resilience. (b) Some demographic variables significantly predict all three of them. (c) There is limited knowledge whether and to what degree there are mutual influences among these levels of resilience. (d) All three levels of resilience predict individual well-being and successful coping with potential traumatic events.
The worker as politician: How online information and electoral heuristics shape personnel selection and careers
Authors: Berkelaar Brenda L , Scacco Joshua M , Birdsell Jeffrey L
Published: March 2014

Employers’ use of increasingly visible online information extends when, where, and in what role contexts personnel selection—and correspondingly career management—occurs. Data from 59 employers suggest the use of a new lens to evaluate workers: the worker as politician. By appropriating strategies from electoral contexts to “vote” on job candidates, employers are (unintentionally) reimagining personnel selection. Participants report seeking appropriately endorsed workers with electable personalities, who demonstrate commercially “sanitized” public images and reflect the “right” kind of private life and mainstream values. Results contribute to research on how new technologies and information visibility affect personnel selection, career management, and reputation management.
In search of recognition: Gender and staff–detainee relations in a British immigration removal centre
Authors: Bosworth Mary , Slade Gavin
Published: March 2014

In this article we draw on research conducted in a British immigration removal centre (IRC) to explore the affective nature of detention. We consider staff and detainee testimonies of their everyday interactions within the IRC as bids for recognition of social status in an institution characterized by uncertainty and diversity. In their accounts, men and women draw on gendered identities to make sense of others and themselves. Responses to status subordination in the IRC played out across a range of emotional responses, mediated and framed by gender. While these responses emerged in everyday interactions, the frustrations of life in an IRC, we argue, speak to much wider struggles over the status of immigrants in the UK, the confused and contested purpose of IRCs and the widening of detention as a strategy of migration control; in short, to matters of living under conditions of mass mobility.
Erythropoietin: Powerful protection of ischemic and post-ischemic brain
Authors: Nguyen Anh Q , Cherry Brandon H , Scott Gary F , Ryou Myoung-Gwi , Mallet Robert T
Published: March 2014

Ischemic brain injury inflicted by stroke and cardiac arrest ranks among the leading causes of death and long-term disability in the United States. The brain consumes large amounts of metabolic substrates and oxygen to sustain its energy requirements. Consequently, the brain is exquisitely sensitive to interruptions in its blood supply, and suffers irreversible damage after 10–15 min of severe ischemia. Effective treatments to protect the brain from stroke and cardiac arrest have proven elusive, due to the complexities of the injury cascades ignited by ischemia and reperfusion. Although recombinant tissue plasminogen activator and therapeutic hypothermia have proven efficacious for stroke and cardiac arrest, respectively, these treatments are constrained by narrow therapeutic windows, potentially detrimental side-effects and the limited availability of hypothermia equipment. Mounting evidence demonstrates the cytokine hormone erythropoietin (EPO) to be a powerful neuroprotective agent and a potential adjuvant to established therapies. Classically, EPO originating primarily in the kidneys promotes erythrocyte production by suppressing apoptosis of proerythroid progenitors in bone marrow. However, the brain is capable of producing EPO, and EPO’s membrane receptors and signaling components also are expressed in neurons and astrocytes. EPO activates signaling cascades that increase the brain’s resistance to ischemia-reperfusion stress by stabilizing mitochondrial membranes, limiting formation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates, and suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine production and neutrophil infiltration. Collectively, these mechanisms preserve functional brain tissue and, thus, improve neurocognitive recovery from brain ischemia. This article reviews the mechanisms mediating EPO-induced brain protection, critiques the clinical utility of exogenous EPO to preserve brain threatened by ischemic stroke and cardiac arrest, and discusses the prospects for induction of EPO production within the brain by the intermediary metabolite, pyruvate.
Promoting health of people with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Wahlström Lina , Bergström Helena , Marttila Anneli
Published: March 2014

Deinstitutionalisation has influenced the life situation for people with intellectual disabilities, whilst the experiences of health promotion in group homes now are limited. This study aimed to explore aspects important to consider when promoting health amongst persons with intellectual disabilities in group homes, from the perspective of professionals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven professionals and were analysed with thematic analysis. The overarching theme ‘sense of security’ was identified as a prerequisite for health promotion, together with the sub-themes ‘resources in the organisation’, for example, respectful treatment of the residents, and `resources of the residents', for example, meaningfulness and social connectedness. Findings were discussed from the perspective of health assets which is defined as the factors contributing to maintain and sustain health. The importance of strengthening external assets, that is, resources in the society and the organisation, to promote internal assets, that is, residents’ individual resources, and ultimately their health, is emphasised.
Tracheobronchial amyloidosis managed with multimodality therapies
Authors: Sommer Philip , Kumar Gagan , Lipchik Randolph J. , Patel Jayshil J.
Published: March 2014

Amyloidosis is a systemic disease involving abnormal extracellular deposition of amyloid and autologous fibrillar protein material in β-pleated sheets. Accumulation of this abnormal protein leads to organ dysfunction, although respiratory tract involvement is rare. We present two cases of tracheobronchial amyloidosis successfully treated with surgery and radiation.
Enhancing adherence to inhaled therapies in cystic fibrosis
Authors: Lomas Paula
Published: March 2014

Nonadherence to inhaled therapies is a major problem in the treatment of cystic fibrosis that can influence lung function and health outcomes. Potential contributors to nonadherence have been identified, including demographic and psychosocial factors, time and convenience of inhaled therapy, and treatment beliefs. Additional research is clearly needed to clarify the contributors and to determine which interventions and technological advances will enhance adherence to inhaled therapies in patients with cystic fibrosis. Nurses and allied health professionals are ideally positioned to assist patients and families with adherence to inhaled therapies through monitoring, communication, and education about the available therapies and their proper use. This review briefly summarizes the available evidence about contributors to nonadherence, potential interventions, novel delivery devices for inhaled therapies, and opportunities for additional research.
Interaction of c-Myb with p300 is required for the induction of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by human AML oncogenes
Authors: Pattabiraman Diwakar R. , McGirr Crystal , Shakhbazov Konstantin , Barbier Valerie , Krishnan Keerthana , Mukhopadhyay Pamela , Hawthorne Paula , Trezise Ann , Ding Jianmin , Grimmond Sean M. , Papathanasiou Peter , Alexander Warren S. , Perkins Andrew C. , Levesque Jean-Pierre , Winkler Ingrid G. , Gonda Thomas J.
Published: March 2014

Key Points

A mutation preventing interaction between c-Myb and p300 prevents transformation and leukemia induction by MLL-AF9 and AML1-ETO9a oncogenes. Identifying agents that block the c-Myb-p300 interaction may be a valuable approach to developing a therapy for acute myeloid leukemia.
Preclinical targeting of human acute myeloid leukemia and myeloablation using chimeric antigen receptor–modified T cells
Authors: Gill Saar , Tasian Sarah K. , Ruella Marco , Shestova Olga , Li Yong , Porter David L. , Carroll Martin , Danet-Desnoyers Gwenn , Scholler John , Grupp Stephan A. , June Carl H. , Kalos Michael
Published: March 2014

Key Points

Targeting of CD123 via CAR-engineered T cells results in rejection of human AML and myeloablation in mouse models.
Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in Ukraine: antibacterial resistance and virulence factor encoding genes
Authors: Netsvyetayeva Irina , Fraczek Mariusz , Piskorska Katarzyna , Golas Marlena , Sikora Magdalena , Mlynarczyk Andrzej , Swoboda-Kopec Ewa , Marusza Wojciech , Palmieri Beniamino , Iannitti Tommaso
Published: March 2014

Background

The number of studies regarding the incidence of multidrug resistant strains and distribution of genes encoding virulence factors, which have colonized the post-Soviet states, is considerably limited. The aim of the study was (1) to assess the Staphylococcus (S.) aureus nasal carriage rate, including Methicillin Resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains in adult Ukrainian population, (2) to determine antibiotic resistant pattern and (3) the occurrence of Panton Valentine Leukocidine (PVL)-, Fibronectin-Binding Protein A (FnBPA)- and Exfoliative Toxin (ET)-encoding genes.

Methods

Nasal samples for S. aureus culture were obtained from 245 adults. The susceptibility pattern for several classes of antibiotics was determined by disk diffusion method according to the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) guidelines. The virulence factor encoding genes, mecA, lukS-lukF, eta, etb, etd, fnbA, were detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

Results

The S. aureus nasal carriage rate was 40%. The prevalence of nasal MRSA carriage in adults was 3.7%. LukS-lukF genes were detected in over 58% of the strains. ET-encoding genes were detected in over 39% of the strains and the most prevalent was etd. The fnbA gene was detected in over 59% of the strains. All MRSA isolates tested were positive for the mecA gene. LukS-lukF genes and the etd gene were commonly co-present in MRSA, while lukS-lukF genes and the fnbA gene were commonly co-present in Methicillin Sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) isolates. No significant difference was detected between the occurrence of lukS-lukF genes (P > 0.05) and the etd gene (P > 0.05) when comparing MRSA and MSSA. The occurrence of the fnbA gene was significantly more frequent in MSSA strains (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

In Ukraine, S. aureus is a common cause of infection. The prevalence of S. aureus nasal carriage in our cohort of patients from Ukraine was 40.4%. We found that 9.1% of the strains were classified as MRSA and all MRSA isolates tested positive for the mecA gene. We also observed a high prevalence of PVL- and ET- encoding genes among S. aureus nasal carriage strains. A systematic surveillance system can help prevent transmission and spread of drug resistant toxin producing S. aureus strains.
Tumor-stroma metabolic relationship based on lactate shuttle can sustain prostate cancer progression
Authors: Sanità Patrizia , Capulli Mattia , Teti Anna , Galatioto Giuseppe Paradiso , Vicentini Carlo , Chiarugi Paola , Bologna Mauro , Angelucci Adriano
Published: March 2014

Background

Cancer cell adopts peculiar metabolic strategies aimed to sustain the continuous proliferation in an environment characterized by relevant fluctuations in oxygen and nutrient levels. Monocarboxylate transporters MCT1 and MCT4 can drive such adaptation permitting the transport across plasma membrane of different monocarboxylic acids involved in energy metabolism.

Methods

Role of MCTs in tumor-stroma metabolic relationship was investigated in vitro and in vivo using transformed prostate epithelial cells, carcinoma cell lines and normal fibroblasts. Moreover prostate tissues from carcinoma and benign hypertrophy cases were analyzed for individuating clinical-pathological implications of MCT1 and MCT4 expression.

Results

Transformed prostate epithelial (TPE) and prostate cancer (PCa) cells express both MCT1 and MCT4 and demonstrated variable dependence on aerobic glycolysis for maintaining their proliferative rate. In glucose-restriction the presence of L-lactate determined, after 24 h of treatment, in PCa cells the up-regulation of MCT1 and of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COX1), and reduced the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase respect to untreated cells. The blockade of MCT1 function, performed by si RNA silencing, determined an appreciable antiproliferative effect when L-lactate was utilized as energetic fuel. Accordingly L-lactate released by high glycolytic human diploid fibroblasts WI-38 sustained survival and growth of TPE and PCa cells in low glucose culture medium. In parallel, the treatment with conditioned medium from PCa cells was sufficient to induce glycolytic metabolism in WI-38 cells, with upregulation of HIF-1a and MCT4. Co-injection of PCa cells with high glycolytic WI-38 fibroblasts determined an impressive increase in tumor growth rate in a xenograft model that was abrogated by MCT1 silencing in PCa cells. The possible interplay based on L-lactate shuttle between tumor and stroma was confirmed also in human PCa tissue where we observed a positive correlation between stromal MCT4 and tumor MCT1 expression.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrated that PCa progression may benefit of MCT1 expression in tumor cells and of MCT4 in tumor-associated stromal cells. Therefore, MCTs may result promising therapeutic targets in different phases of neoplastic transformation according to a strategy aimed to contrast the energy metabolic adaptation of PCa cells to stressful environments.
Robot-assisted arm training in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a pilot study
Authors: Picelli Alessandro , Tamburin Stefano , Passuello Michele , Waldner Andreas , Smania Nicola
Published: March 2014

Background

Despite the growing diffusion of robotic devices in neurorehabilitation, no previous study investigated the effects of robotic training on arm impairment due to Parkinson’s disease. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate whether robot-assisted arm training might improve upper limb function in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Findings

Ten patients with Parkinson’s disease (Hoehn and Yahr stage 2.5-3) received ten, 45-minute, treatment sessions, five days a week, for two consecutive weeks. Robot-assisted arm training was performed with the Bi-Manu-Track (Reha-Stim, Berlin, Germany) that provides a computer-controlled, repetitive, bilateral, mirror-like practice of forearm pronation/supination and wrist extension/flexion. Patients were trained according to the following modalities: passive-passive (both arms moved by the machine) and active-active (both arms actively moving against resistance). The dominant upper limb was evaluated before and immediately after treatment as well as at two weeks of follow-up. Outcomes were the nine-hole peg test, the Fugl-Meyer assessment (upper limb section) and the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale. After treatment, a significant improvement was found in the nine-hole peg test (P = 0.007) as well as in the upper limb section of the Fugl-Meyer assessment (P = 0.012). Findings were confirmed at the 2-week follow-up evaluation only for the nine-hole peg test (P = 0.007). No significant improvement was found in the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale at both post-treatment and follow-up evaluations.

Conclusions

Our findings support the hypothesis that robot-assisted arm training might be a promising tool in order to improve upper limb function in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Problems and prospects of current studies on the microecology of tongue coating
Authors: Ye Juan , Cai Xueting , Cao Peng
Published: March 2014

Tongue diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) assesses the health by investigation of tongue coating. The science and technology of tongue coating analysis have become a significant issue for modernization of TCM. The relationship between microecology of tongue coating and TCM was relevant to the syndrome differentiation in TCM, such as the cold/hot syndrome may exhibit different specific microbiota patterns in the tongue coating. This article provides a review on the microbiota research of tongue coating.