bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Factors That Influence and Protect Against Power Imbalance in Covert Bullying Among Preadolescent Children at School
Authors: Nelson Helen J. , Burns Sharyn K. , Kendall Garth E. , Schonert-Reichl Kimberly A.
Published: December 2017

In this article, the perceptions of preadolescent children (ages 9–11) regarding factors that influence and protect against power imbalance associated with covert aggression and bullying are explored. In aggression research, the term covert has been typically used to describe relational, indirect, and social acts of aggression that are hidden. These behaviors contrast with overt physical and verbal aggression. Children have previously conveyed their belief that covert aggression is harmful because adults do not see it even though children, themselves, are aware. We used focus groups to explore children’s understanding of covert aggression and to identify children’s experience and perception of adult support in relation to bullying. Thematic analysis supported the definition of covert aggression as that which is intentionally hidden from adults. Friendship, social exclusion, and secret from teacher were identified as factors that influence power imbalance, while support from friends and adult support protected against power imbalance.
Character Strengths in Counselors: Relations With Meaningful Work and Burnout
Authors: Allan Blake A. , Owens Rhea L. , Douglass Richard P.
Published: December 2017

The primary goal of this study was to examine the relations from counselors’ character strengths to burnout via the potential mediating effect of meaningful work. We also compared mean levels of counselors’ character strengths to population means and conducted regression analyses to examine which character strengths uniquely predicted meaningful work and burnout. Counselors in our sample reported significantly higher levels on 13 of the 24 character strengths compared to a normed sample, with strengths like love of learning, perspective, and social intelligence being particularly elevated. Additionally, regression analyses revealed that prudence and hope predicted both meaningful work and burnout; love, perspective, and zest predicted meaningful work; and forgiveness, honesty, and self-regulation predicted burnout. These character strengths were included in the final structural equation model. Partially supporting hypotheses, prudence, perspective, and zest were related to meaningful work, which were, in turn, negatively related to burnout.
Dysfunctional Career Decision-Making Beliefs: A Multidimensional Model and Measure
Authors: Hechtlinger Shahar , Levin Nimrod , Gati Itamar
Published: December 2017

Dysfunctional beliefs are among the most prevalent, severe difficulties many individuals face in the process of making career decisions. The goal of the present study was to develop and test a new multidimensional measure of Dysfunctional Career Decision-Making Beliefs ( DCB). The DCB questionnaire elicits individuals’ beliefs in five aspects of career decision-making: the role of chance or fate, the criticality of the decision, the role of significant others, the role of professional help, and perceived gender barriers. Study 1 used exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis to test the psychometric properties and the five-factor structure of the DCB with a sample of 937 young adults deliberating about their future career. Study 2 used confirmatory factor analysis to validate the structure of the DCB with another sample of 1,251 young adults and analyzed the associations between individuals’ DCB Scale scores and career decision status to test its concurrent validity. The results supported the proposed multidimensional model of dysfunctional beliefs. Implications for future research and career counseling are discussed.
Syndesmotic Injury Assessment With Lateral Imaging During Stress Testing in a Cadaveric Model
Authors: LaMothe Jeremy M. , Baxter Josh R. , Karnovsky Sydney C. , Murphy Conor I. , Gilbert Susannah , Drakos Mark C.
Published: December 2017

Background:

External rotation, lateral, and sagittal stress tests are commonly used to diagnose syndesmotic injuries, but their efficacy remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to characterize applied stresses with fibular motion throughout the syndesmotic injury spectrum. We hypothesized that sagittal fibular motion would have greater fidelity in detecting changes in syndesmotic status compared to mortise imaging.

Methods:

Syndesmotic instability was characterized using motion analysis during external rotation, lateral, and sagittal stress tests on cadaveric specimens (n = 9). A progressive syndesmotic injury was created by sectioning the tibiofibular and deltoid ligaments. Applied loads and fibular motion were synchronously measured using a force transducer and motion capture, respectively, while mortise and lateral radiographs were acquired to quantify clinical measurements. Fibular motion in response to these 3 stress tests was compared between the intact, complete lateral syndesmotic injury and lateral injury plus a completely sectioned deltoid condition.

Results:

Stress tests performed under lateral imaging detected syndesmotic injuries with greater sensitivity than the clinical-standard mortise view. Lateral imaging was twice as sensitive to applied loads as mortise view imaging. Specifically, half as much linear force generated 2 mm of detectable syndesmotic motion. In addition, fibular motion increased linearly in response to sagittal stresses (Pearson’s r [ρ] = 0.91 ± 0.1) but not lateral stresses (ρ = 0.29 ± 0.66).

Conclusion:

Stress tests using lateral imaging detected syndesmotic injuries with greater sensitivity than a typical mortise view. In addition to greater diagnostic sensitivity, reduced loads were required to detect injuries.

Clinical Relevance:

Syndesmotic injuries may be better diagnosed using stress tests that are assessed using lateral imaging than standard mortise view imaging.
Validation of a Patient-Completed Caprini Risk Assessment Tool for Spanish, Arabic, and Polish Speakers
Authors: Paz Rios Luis H. , Fuentes Harry E. , Oramas Diana M. , Andrade Xavier A. , Al-Ogaili Ahmed , Iskander Mina , Iskander Fady , Iskandar Amir Nagui Abdalla , Kowacz Wictoria , Iwanski Adam , Acob Christine , Diaz Quintero Luis , Salazar-Adum Juan Pablo , Tafur Alfonso , Caprini Joseph A.
Published: December 2017

Targeted prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) using the Caprini risk score (CRS) is effective reducing postoperative VTE. Despite its availability as preventive strategy, risk scoring remains underutilized. Critics to the CRS contend the time it takes to complete, and its limitation to English language. Aim is to create and validate patient-completed CRS tools for Spanish, Arabic, and Polish speakers. We translated the first patient-completed CRS to Spanish, Arabic, and Polish. We conducted a pilot study followed by the validation study. Using PASS version 11, we determined that a sample size of 37 achieved a power of 80%, to detect a difference of 0.1 between the null hypothesis correlation of 0.5 and the alternative hypothesis correlation of 0.7 using a 2-sided hypothesis test, significance level of .05. We tabulated and categorized scores using SPSS version 23 to estimate κ, linear correlation, and Bland Altman test. κ value >0.8 was defined as “almost perfect agreement.” From 129 recruited patients, 50 (39%) spoke Spanish, 40 (31%) spoke Arabic, and 39 (30%) spoke Polish; average age 51 (16.69) years, 58 (45%) were men, with less than college education (67%). Mean (standard deviation) CRS was 5 (3.90), the majority (63%) above moderate VTE risk. We report excellent agreement comparing physician and patient results (κ = 0.93) and high correlation 0.97 ( P < .01) for the overall score. Bland Altman did not show trend for extreme values. We created and validated the first Spanish, Arabic, and Polish versions of the patient-completed CRS, with excellent correlation and agreement when compared to CRS-trained physician-completed form. Based on these results, the physician needs to calculate the body mass index. Completing the form was not time-consuming.
Development and Initial Validation of the Caregiver Perceptions About Communication With Clinical Team Members (CAPACITY) Measure
Authors: Van Houtven Courtney Harold , Miller Katherine E. M. , O’Brien Emily C. , Wolff Jennifer L. , Lindquist Jennifer , Kabat Margaret , Campbell-Kotler Margaret , Henius Jennifer , Voils Corrine I.
Published: December 2017

Despite the important role that family caregivers play managing the care of persons with complex health needs, little is known about how caregivers perceive themselves to be recognized and valued by health care professionals. Our objective was to develop and validate a novel measure, the CAregiver Perceptions About Commun Ication with Clinical Team members (CAPACITY) instrument. Questions focus on perceived quality of communication with the health care team and the extent to which caregivers believe that the health care team considers their capacity and preferences in decision making. A confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor solution addressing communication and capacity. Internal consistency reliability was .90 for the communication domain and .93 for the capacity domain. Correlations between these two subscales and individual difference measures provided evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The CAPACITY instrument may be a useful performance measure that quantifies the extent to which caregivers’ experience person- and family-centered health care.
Exploring a Timeless Academic Life
Authors: Yoo Joanne
Published: December 2017

This article is constructed as a prolonged pause, triggered by the restless and sleepless anxiety caused by a frantic academic life. The author reflects on how her accelerated existence as a tenured academic is driven by a need to achieve, and questions whether this path will lead to fulfillment. This reflection embodies two views of time. “Academic-time” is presented as an instrumental, measured, performance-oriented approach that cultivates a sense of anxiety over limited time. The alternative, Slow time, is regarded as a richer, boundless, and limitless view of time that enables individuals to experience greater agency and purpose.
Common Ground and the Social Control of Space Insights from the Rent-Control Debate
Authors: Kempers Margot
Published: December 2017

Rent control has long been the focus of sharp disagreements, and the case of Cambridge, Massachusetts illustrates the contours of the multifaceted debate. This struggle over the social control of space—characterized by strongly individualized and adversarial relations exaggerated by the structural apparatus of the Cambridge system—has resulted in a tense standoff between supporters and critics. Insights from the paradigm of alternate dispute resolution, from recent cooperative efforts between environmental protection and economic development advocates, and from newly formed coalitions between abortion opponents and supporters of abortion rights suggest that moderation, negotiation, and compromise offer a way out of the current impasse.
The interaction problem of two Zener–Stroh cracks with a nearby inhomogeneity
Authors: Fan M , Xiao ZM , Zhang YM
Published: December 2017

In this paper, the interaction among two Zener–Stroh cracks (with plastic zone correction) and a nearby circular inclusion are investigated. To evaluate the plastic zone sizes at crack tips in the current physical problem is a great challenge. As the first attempt to explore the multiple defects’ interaction effect on the yielding behavior of a crack, we focused on the analysis of one target crack, while the other crack and the circular inhomogeneity are treated as influence factors. With the help of coordinate transformation and superposition procedure, the formulated singular integral equations can be solved numerically. The influence of material properties, crack–crack positions and other parameters, such as crack length and Burgers vector of the Zener–Stroh crack, on the target crack tip stress intensity factor, plastic zone size and crack tip opening displacement are examined. It is found that the effects of the aforesaid parameters on the cracks are all inter-related and dependent on each other. This observation reveals the complexity of fracture analysis and the necessity to have a deep research on interacting defects in composite materials.
Blueberry by-product used as an ingredient in the development of functional cookies
Authors: Perez Claudia , Tagliani Camila , Arcia Patricia , Cozzano Sonia , Curutchet Ana
Published: December 2017

A by-product of blueberry juice industries was used as an ingredient to develop fiber-enriched cookies. The blueberry pomace, once ground and dried, was used as an ingredient in cookie formulation. A control cookie was elaborated as reference. Cookies were analyzed for composition and functional properties. The fiber content obtained in the fiber-enriched cookie allows it to be labeled as “high fiber” in the European Union and as a “source of fiber” in MERCOSUR. The fiber-enriched cookie presented highly increased values on the antioxidant capacity and the polyphenol content when compared against the control cookie. Sensory evaluation was performed. Acceptability of the fiber-enriched cookie reached a value of 5.3 in a nine-point hedonic scale. Further strategies should be necessary in order to achieve an acceptable product. Cookies were subjected to an in vitro digestive process. Results show that the cookies’ phytochemicals are bioaccessible and potentially bioavailable. Therefore, eating this type of food would represent an increase in the amount of antioxidants ingested and redound to a health benefit. In addition to improving both nutritional and functional properties of cookies, the present development represents an innovative strategy for a more sustainable growth of fruit juice industries.
Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing the Uruguayan Dietary Guidelines in Everyday Life: A Citizen Perspective
Authors: Machín Leandro , Aschemann-Witzel Jessica , Patiño Angelina , Moratorio Ximena , Bandeira Elisa , Curutchet María Rosa , Martínez Joseline , Bove Isabel , Molina Verónika , Giménez Ana , Ares Gastón
Published: December 2017

An in-depth understanding of the citizen’s perception and behavior is needed for the development of targeted public policies and interventions that can successfully encourage people to shift their dietary patterns and contribute to the prevention of non-communicable diseases. The present work aimed to identify barriers and facilitators for the adoption of the new Uruguayan dietary guidelines from a citizen perspective. Twelve semistructured focus groups were conducted with a total of 91 people (81% female, age 18-64 years) from 3 Uruguayan cities. Findings identified several multifaceted barriers, including lack of value given to food, meals and cooking, taste preferences for unhealthy foods, the unsupportive social context in terms of household preferences, customs and social norms, and lack of control of the situation through insufficient food capabilities, time scarcity, and an adverse food market environment. The potential facilitators discussed in the focus groups were mainly related to policies and regulations to discourage consumption of unhealthful products and the provision of more education and information. In addition, respondents acknowledged the need for own actions in terms of seeking greater cooking skills and enjoyment, incorporating changes in their daily routines and promoting a more supportive social environment. Results suggest that supportive actions are needed to support citizen’s adoption of the new Uruguayan dietary guidelines.
Discovery and Longitudinal Evaluation of Candidate Biomarkers for Ischaemic Stroke by Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics
Authors: Dagonnier Marie , Cooke Ira Robin , Faou Pierre , Sidon Tara Kate , Dewey Helen Margaret , Donnan Geoffrey Alan , Howells David William
Published: December 2017

Application of acute therapies such as thrombolysis for ischaemic stroke (IS) is constrained because of diagnostic uncertainty and the dynamic nature of stroke biology. To investigate changes in blood proteins after stroke and as a result of thrombolysis treatment we performed label-free quantitative proteomics on serum samples using high-resolution mass spectrometry and long high-performance liquid chromatography gradient (5 hours) combined with a 50-cm column to optimise the peptide separation. We identified (false discovery rate [FDR]: 1%) and quantified a total of 574 protein groups from a total of 92 samples from 30 patients. Ten patients were treated by thrombolysis as part of a randomised placebo-controlled trial and up to 5 samples were collected from each individual at different time points after stroke. We identified 26 proteins differently expressed by treatment group (FDR: 5%) and significant changes of expression over time for 23 proteins (FDR: 10%). Molecules such as fibrinogen and C-reactive protein showed expression profiles with a high-potential clinical utility in the acute stroke setting. Protein expression profiles vary acutely in the blood after stroke and have the potential to allow the construction of a stroke clock and to have an impact on IS treatment decision making.
Meeting the world’s demand for safe assets? Macroeconomic policy and the international status of the euro after the crisis
Authors: Vermeiren Mattias
Published: December 2017

In this article, I engage with the chartalist literature to explore the political foundations of international currencies. Drawing on this literature as well as on recent scholarship on the shortage of safe assets in the world economy, I challenge a prevailing premise of the International Political Economy literature that international currency status needs to be based on conservative macroeconomic policy institutions and practices, which is deemed necessary to maintain foreign confidence in the stability of the real value of the international currency. I contend that international currency status in the post-crisis world economy hinges on the willingness and capacity of the currency provider to adopt accommodating monetary and fiscal policies. First, the central bank needs to offer a backstop to the market for sovereign debt securities by acting as a lender of last resort to the government, whereas fiscal policy expansion is necessary to sufficiently expand the stock of the only securities that can assume the function of genuinely safe assets: sovereign debt. Second, expansionary monetary and fiscal policies enable the international currency issuer to supply safe assets to the rest of the world by running deficits on its trade balance. This article analyses how the European Central Bank’s monetary policy decisions in the wake of the crisis ran against these two prerequisites, constraining the Eurozone to become a large net provider of safe assets in the world economy. By linking these decisions to the creditor and export interests of the Northern Eurozone countries, it disputes the European Central Bank’s ‘neutral stance’ regarding the internationalization of the euro.
Enactments of a new materialist ethnography: methodological framework and research processes
Authors: Schadler Cornelia
Published: December 2017

Materialist process ontologies, often subsumed under the term new materialism, such as the Deleuzian materialism of Rosi Braidotti, the agential realism of Karen Barad or the posthumanism of Donna Haraway, are becoming increasingly recognized in qualitative research. In this article I argue and illustrate that these theories allow for a reconfiguration of analytical research tools without using the representationalist epistemological framework these tools are often embedded in. Karen Barad’s concept of ‘exteriority within’ is of particular help for this task. I illustrate the research practices of two research projects, which included multiple methods of data collections (interviews, observations, re-enactments), a process of analysis I call referencing and a writing technique I call rebuilding worlds.
On differences and deficits: A critique of the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of the word gap
Authors: Kuchirko Yana
Published: December 2017

The word gap, or the language gap, can be traced back to Hart and Risley’s 1995 seminal work on language practices in high- and low-income families, and it is one of the most widely cited explanations for why children from low-income, minority contexts underperform academically in contrast to their white, middle-income counterparts. Despite its widespread influence on research, education and policy, the word gap has been at the centre of vociferous debates in academic circles over whether the word gap is a deficit in language input for infants that should be attended to or a difference in language practices that should be embraced. In this article, I draw on multiple disciplines to highlight the strengths and shortcomings of word gap findings, and I provide future directions for educators, policymakers and researchers seeking to better understand the language experiences of children growing up in low-income contexts from a cultural and contextual perspective.
Use of antipsychotics and benzodiazepines for dementia: Time for action? What will be required before global de-prescribing?
Authors: Ralph Stephen J , Espinet Anthony J
Published: December 2017

Comparing how nations including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and others have made attempts aimed at improving the care and treatment of dementia patients can provide useful insights into methods that prove successful. The UK-based 2009 Banerjee Report provided international leadership in addressing treatment and practices for dementia patients with an aim to reduce prescribing of antipsychotic drugs. A historical account of the different government policies and developments with the similar aims of de-prescribing are examined. Using Australia as one example, different national strategies are discussed in the context of those that have been tried and failed. In addition, policies that have successfully reduced the controversial current practices of overprescribing antipsychotics or related psychotropic drugs for dementia patients are presented. The evidence overwhelmingly indicates such treatments only exacerbate the disease or precipitate death – giving justification to the recent call for use of chemical restraints such as antipsychotics to be included under ‘Elder Abuse’ when considering law reform necessary to regulate compliance .
Unbecoming place: urban imaginaries in transition in Detroit
Authors: Fraser Emma
Published: December 2017

The population of Detroit has been steadily declining since the 1950s, but the imaginaries that shape the city are in constant transformation, changing with each successive government or regeneration initiative. Since 2010, downtown Detroit has been targeted by blight removal projects, real-estate speculation and redevelopment plans. These growth-oriented imaginaries shape the ways in which place is perceived and encountered – materially and conceptually – often responding to ruin and decay with erasures and evictions that play out through cultural geographies of precarity, simultaneously disappearing and reproducing conditions of inequality. The changes in the city are reflected in my own experiences of Detroit in 2009 and 2015, using walking and driving methods to support grounded and emplaced encounters with the ‘unbecoming’ ruins in the city. The city of 2009 is being replaced – in imagination, and in reality – by a new way of thinking about Detroit, which asks us to imagine differently, to positively re-envision the future possibilities for growth and change. This article interrogates the different imaginaries of regeneration in the city and considers, through urban ruins, places that are absent from the new way of thinking Detroit. Through Berlant’s ‘precarity’ and Massey’s ‘emplacement’, this discussion reveals a complex process of unbecoming that is typified in the unstable material, cultural and historical geographies that structure the experience of place in Detroit.
Perceived control and health-related quality of life in heart transplant recipients
Authors: Doering Lynn V , Chen Belinda , Deng Mario , Mancini Donna , Kobashigawa Jon , Hickey Kathleen
Published: December 2017

Background:

Perceived control has been associated with improved mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in cardiac populations. However, this concept has not been well-studied in heart transplant groups.

Aims:

We examine the relationship of perceived control to symptoms of anxiety and depression and HRQOL after transplant. We also examine the extent to which anxiety and depressive symptoms mediate the relationship between perceived control and HRQOL.

Methods:

Our cross-sectional analysis included 113 adult heart transplant patients from the NEW HEART study. High versus low perceived control groups were determined by median split for chi-square and t-test analyses. Hierarchical multiple linear regression models were used to examine the influence of perceived control on symptoms of depression and anxiety and HRQOL. Mediation analyses included Baron and Kenny’s four-step regression approach and Preacher and Hayes’ bootstrapping technique to test the indirect effect of perceived control on HRQOL.

Results:

Heart transplant patients who reported lower perceived control were more likely to be female ( p=0.003), and had significantly more depressive symptoms ( p<0.001) and anxiety ( p<0.001), and lower HRQOL ( p<0.001) than those with higher perceived control. Perceived control was a significant predictor in regression models of depressive and anxiety symptoms and HRQOL. In mediation analyses, depressive and anxiety symptoms mediated the effect of perceived control on HRQOL.

Conclusion:

Perceived control is associated with improved depressive and anxiety symptoms and HRQOL after transplant. The relationship between perceived control and HRQOL is mediated by depressive and anxiety symptoms. Future interventions should target perceived control to improve overall HRQOL.
Theoretical reflections on narrative in action research
Authors: Toledano Nuria , Anderson Alistair R
Published: December 2017

Narrative is an important tool for developing and writing up action research experiences. Its power lies in the fact that narrative construction and narrative recounting are fundamental human communication practices. Narratives are also knowledge producing devices, since they make sense of personal experiences and share that sense-giving with others. However, the twinned duality of narrative knowing (sense-making) and narrative telling (communicating that sense) has often caused narrative as a methodological approach to be disregarded or misunderstood. Our objective is to reflect on how we can best use the narrative method in action research by paying due attention to these issues. In doing so, we consider ontologies, epistemologies and key characteristics. We argue that what has been seen as a weakness in the narrative method, its deep subjectivity, can actually be employed as an analytical strength in action research. We show how examining explanations of context, inherent in narrative processes, can provide rich insights into the meanings of phenomena.
Media representations of complementary and alternative medicine in the Italian press: A criminological perspective
Authors: Lavorgna Anita , Di Ronco Anna
Published: December 2017

Complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs), here broadly intended as all those healthcare approaches developed outside standard science-based medicine, are increasingly the object of highly polarized public debates. Some CAMs can cause great social harm, with serious repercussions both on the health of people and on their confidence in the medical profession and the scientific method. This notwithstanding, criminologists have so far overlooked this issue. Based on the awareness that people’s perceptions of CAMs often depend on what they learn about them through the media, this exploratory study presents a longitudinal systematic analysis of media representations of CAMs in the Italian press. The results indicate that media have conveyed confused and ambivalent messages on the topic of CAMs, partly because of the lack of preparation of journalists on this subject and partly because of the insubstantial presence of the voices of experts and medical organizations in the press discourse. In addition, the study identifies avenues for further criminological research on this topic.
Cornerstone of the Commons: Building equity through new-public spaces for the education and care of the very young
Authors: Teasley Cathryn
Published: December 2017

Whereas universal public access to early childhood education and care has long occupied a prominent place in feminist demands to end patriarchy, not only has such access gone largely unmet in most countries, save some noteworthy exceptions, but privatized childcare and early education has only gained momentum through neoliberalism, a process that has been steadily privileging the few, not the many. It has hit southern European countries such as Spain hard, especially after additional crisis-related restrictions were imposed on public spending in education and other sectors in 2012. Who, then, does the neoliberal agenda for early education actually serve? Pedagogically speaking, such discriminatory provision can hardly benefit the great majority of children it is supposed to serve, if we take the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as a guide. On the contrary, its purpose is more likely to select and mold youth in inequitable ways that benefit school investors, proprietors or other economic players, more than the children themselves. And, as numerous scholars assert, corporative elite interests behind the commodification of social provision exert increasing control over the decisions made not only in education but in all areas of political economy and social organization.

So how might we begin to counter this “business as usual” of our times? An important starting point involves developing robust and creative collective support for attending to and educating the youngest members of society. Their right to equitable education and accessible, optimal, public care is envisioned and explored here from a critical intersectional perspective as one of the essential building blocks of the Commons. Some inspiring initiatives in this regard will be identified around the globe, their key ideological and organizational tenets laid out, and their implications for forging transformative projects elsewhere discussed.
Drug-Coated Balloon vs Standard Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty for the Treatment of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Superficial Femoral and Proximal Popliteal Arteries: One-Year Results of the MDT-2113 SFA Japan Randomized Trial
Authors: Iida Osamu , Soga Yoshimitsu , Urasawa Kazushi , Saito Shigeru , Jaff Michael R. , Wang Hong , Ookubo Hiroko , Yokoi Hiroyoshi
Published: December 2017

Purpose: To assess the safety and effectiveness of the MDT-2113 (IN.PACT Admiral) drug-coated balloon (DCB) for the treatment of de novo and native artery restenotic lesions in the superficial femoral and proximal popliteal arteries vs percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with an uncoated balloon in a Japanese cohort. Methods: MDT-2113 SFA Japan ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01947478) is an independently adjudicated, prospective, randomized, single-blinded trial that randomized (2:1) 100 patients (mean age 73.6±7.0 years; 76 men) from 11 Japanese centers to treatment with DCB (n=68) or PTA (n=32). Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups, including mean lesion length (9.15±5.85 and 8.89±6.01 cm for the DCB and PTA groups, respectively). The primary effectiveness outcome was primary patency at 12 months, defined as freedom from clinically-driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR) and freedom from restenosis as determined by duplex ultrasonography. The safety endpoint was a composite of 30-day device- and procedure-related death and target limb major amputation and clinically-driven target vessel revascularization within 12 months. Results: Patients treated with DCBs exhibited superior 12-month primary patency (89%) compared to patients treated with PTA (48%, p<0.001). The 12-month CD-TLR rate was 3% for DCB vs 19% for PTA (p=0.012). There were no device- or procedure-related deaths, major amputations, or thromboses in either group. Quality-of-life measures showed sustained improvement from baseline to 12 months in both groups. Conclusion: Results from the MDT-2113 SFA Japan trial showed superior treatment effect for DCB vs PTA, with excellent patency and low CD-TLR rates. These results are consistent with other IN.PACT SFA DCB trials and demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of this DCB for the treatment of femoropopliteal lesions in this Japanese cohort.
John Philip Sousa as Music Educator and Fundraiser during World War I
Authors: Sullivan Jill M.
Published: December 2017

This study documents the music teaching and learning that took place in the U.S. Navy band program at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station (GLNTS) near Chicago during World War I, led by Lieutenant John Philip Sousa. The following six research questions helped guide this investigation: How did Sousa organize the Navy band program? What were the details of teaching the enlisted bandsmen? What other music experiences were provided? How did the bandsmen’s work benefit the Navy and the US government? Which of the military band experiences likely influenced teaching and learning of instrumental music education after the war? What were the benefits for Sousa to volunteer near the end of his career? Findings revealed that more than three thousand bandsmen were taught by Sousa and Navy bandmasters. Bandsmen served in several ways: intact bands were sent to Navy ships to boost sailors’ morale; bands served the training regiments; bands toured the nation selling bonds; the GLNTS band program impacted the supply of band teachers after the war; and Sousa’s and the militaries’ educational and training strategies survive in today’s classrooms. The study concludes with a critique of the US government’s and Sousa’s role in commodifying the bandsmen.
Designing for Development
Authors: Linovski Orly
Published: December 2017

There has been the criticism that urban design is increasingly being used as an entrepreneurial strategy for cities, transformed into a tool for attracting investment. This article examines the evolution of urban design plans in Los Angeles to understand the relationship between urban design practices and growth. Rather than a clear break in orientation, both early and later design strategies are explicit in promoting urban design as a tool to encourage development. While the broad “purposes” of urban design are similar over the period examined, the type of catalyst that would create growth has fewer public benefits in later years.
Does Valproic Acid/Na Valproate Suppress Auditory Startle Reflex in Patients With Epilepsy?
Authors: Kızıltan Meral E. , Leba Leyla Köse , Gündüz Ayşegül , Pazarcı Nevin , Özkara Çiğdem , Yeni Naz
Published: December 2017

Background and Objective. Auditory startle response (ASR) was normal in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy whereas it was suppressed in progressive myoclonic epilepsy. However, both groups were using valproic acid/Na valproate (VPA) in different doses. Therefore, we aimed to analyze whether VPA has an impact on ASR in a cohort of epilepsy. For this purpose, we included patients with epilepsy and analyzed ASR in patients who were using VPA. Patients and Method. We included 51 consecutive patients who had epilepsy and were using VPA between January 2014 and January 2016. Two control groups of 37 epilepsy patients using other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and of 25 healthy subjects were also constituted. All participants underwent investigations of ASR and startle response to somatosensory inputs (SSS) under similar conditions. Results. An analysis of patients using VPA, not using VPA and healthy subjects revealed significantly longer latency and lower probability of orbicularis oculi (O.oc) and sternocleidomastoid responses after auditory stimulation, decreased total ASR probability and longer latency of O.oc response after somatosensory stimulation in patient groups compared with healthy subjects. Multivariate analysis showed type of AED had a role in the generation of abnormalities. VPA, carbamazepine, and multiple AED use caused suppression of ASR. Total ASR probability was decreased or O.oc latency got longer with longer duration of VPA use whereas serum VPA level at the time of investigation did not correlate with total ASR probability. Discussion. Both ASR and SSS are suppressed by the effect of VPA, especially in patients using for a long period and in patients using other AEDs with VPA. Given the fact that VPA leads to long-standing synaptic changes of dopaminergic transmission, abnormalities of this network may be the more likely cause.
The Experiences of Black and Colombian Female Offenders With the Police in Ecuador: Understanding Minorities’ Intersecting Identities
Authors: Pérez Andrea Romo
Published: December 2017

Female offenders’ experiences with the police in Ecuador have been very diverse but also have been largely overlooked. This article attempts to provide a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between minority female offenders and the police, by examining how the intersected identities of Black and Colombian female offenders shaped their experiences during the arrest process and while in police custody. It also looks at the police’s views and perceptions of the aforementioned groups of women. The study is based on 51 oral testimonies from female inmates and 50 in-depth interviews with police officers.
Cytotoxic Profiling of Plant Secondary Metabolites on P53 Variant Human Colon Carcinoma Cell Lines
Authors: Dusan Vukmirovic , Dave Rollo , Colin Seymour , Carmel Mothersill
Published: December 2017

Chemoprevention strategies employ the use of compounds to inhibit the initiation, promotion, and progression phases of carcinogenesis. The successful chemopreventative candidate must therefore (1) selectively inhibit growth of transformed cells and (2) be administered on a frequent basis to confer maximal protection. Phytochemicals are a subclass of bioactive plant secondary metabolites that exhibit antioxidative, anticarcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties contributing to proper cell function. To assess the effectiveness of these compounds warrants an understanding of their cytotoxic mode of action. In this study, p53 variant human colon carcinoma cell lines were chronically exposed to varying concentrations of the phytochemicals—curcumin, andrographolide, and d-limonene—to determine the role of p53-induced cytotoxicity, with p53-mutant and p53-deficient cell lines representing precancerous lesions. Cytotoxicity was assessed using clonogenic assays and macroscopic colony counts were used to quantify cell survival. The results demonstrate that each phytochemical exhibits selective cytotoxicity toward nonfunctional p53 cell lines, suggesting a p53-mediated role in inhibition of cell clonogenicity and potential chemopreventative properties. Although each compound displays this described effect, only the d-limonene demonstrates considerable chemoprotection, suggesting it might have practical implications in vivo.
Visual Methodologies in Qualitative Research
Authors: Glaw Xanthe , Inder Kerry , Kable Ashley , Hazelton Michael
Published: December 2017

Introduction:

Visual methodologies are a collection of methods used to understand and interpret images. These methods have been used for a long time in anthropology and sociology; however, they are a relatively new way to research for the majority of disciplines, especially health research. Two effective visual methodologies that could be used in health research are autophotography and photo elicitation.

Autophotography:

Autophotography is asking participants to take photographs of their environment and then using the photographs as actual data. Autophotography captures the world through the participant’s eyes with subsequent knowledge production.

Photo Elicitation:

Photo elicitation is using photographs or other visual mediums in an interview to generate verbal discussion to create data and knowledge. Different layers of meaning can be discovered as this method evokes deep emotions, memories, and ideas. Photo elicitation interviews contribute to trustworthiness and rigor of the findings through member checking.

Mental Health Research:

This article aims to describe the use of autophotography and photo elicitation to compare people with clinically diagnosed depression and people without depression and their ideas about sources of meaning in life and beliefs about the meaning of life. The analytical approach incorporates eight steps. Firstly, data analysis began during the interviews, then came organizing the data, coding the data, structured analysis, detailed analysis, interpretative analysis, creating themes, and the write-up. The steps taken to ensure trustworthiness were Shenton’s credibility, transferability, confirmability, and dependability. This method is a new, innovative, and viable method for mental health researchers.
Increased Il-8 Levels in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Mennini T. , Giordano L. , Mengozzi M. , Ghezzi P. , Tonelli R. , Mantegazza R. , Silani V. , Corbo M. , Lunetta C. , Beghi E.
Published: December 2017

Inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases. The chemokine IL-8 is thought to have a pathophysiological role in neurodegenerative diseases. IL-8 has recently been shown to induce death of primary cultured motor neurons in vitro. We determined IL-8 levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 38 patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) compared to patients with other non-inflammatory neurological diseases (cerebrovascular disease, degenerative dementia, Parkinson's disease, compressive radiculo-myelopathy). Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients were used as positive controls. The levels of IL-8 in the CSF of ALS patients were significantly higher than those of patients with other, non-inflammatory neurological conditions and similar to those of MS patients. The only variable influencing IL-8 in ALS patients was sex, with higher levels in men than in women. The presence of the inflammatory cytokine IL-8 in the CSF of patients with ALS at the time of diagnosis strengthens the hypothesis of a role for this chemokine in neurodegenerative disorders.
Inflammatory Compounds: Neuropeptide Substance Pand Cytokines
Authors: Castellani M.L. , Felaco P. , Pandolfp F. , Salini V. , De Amicis D. , Vecchiet J. , Tetè S. , Ciampoli C. , Conti F. , Cerulli G. , Caraffa A. , Antinolfi P. , Cuccurullo C. , Perrella A. , Theoharides T.C. , De Lutiis M.A. , Kempuraj D. , Shaik Y.B.
Published: December 2017

Inflammatory diseases represent one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world and they affect the functions of several tissues. The pathophysiology of these diseases involves release of many pro-inflammatory mediators such as cytokines/chemokines, histamine, C3a, C5a (complement components), bradykinin, leukotrienes (LTC4, LTD4, LTE4), PAF, and substance P, in addition to anti-inflammatory molecules. Recently, it has been demonstrated that neuroimmune interactions are important in the initiation and progress of inflammatory processes. Substance P is an 11-amino acid neuropeptide that is released from nerve endings in many tissues. It acts via membrane-bound NK1 receptors (NK1R). Inflammatory and neuropeptides such as substance P stimulate the release of chemokines, in particular IL-8, a potent neutrophil chemoattractant. Expression of IL-8 is regulated mainly by the transcription factors NF-kappaB, activating protein-1. Substance P plays an important role in immunological and inflammatory states, and it is a mediator of tissue injury, asthma, arthritis, allergy and autoimmune diseases. In this article, our studies revisited the interrelationship between these two powerful inflammatory compounds: substance P and cytokines. These observations suggest that these inflammatory molecules may represent a potential therapeutic target to treat several inflammatory states.
Inflammation in Respiratory Allergy Treated by Sublingual Immunotherapy
Authors: Frati F. , Scurati S. , Puccinelli P. , Morviducci C. , Di Cara G. , Boccardo R. , Piergentili E. , Milioni M. , Bernardini R. , Sambugaro R. , Castellano F. , Varricchio A. , Manfredi G. , Cordero L. , Russello M. , Guercio E. , Mauro M. , Incorvaia C.
Published: December 2017

The most common allergic diseases, such as rhinitis, asthma and atopic dermatitis, are sustained by allergic inflammation, the treatment of which requires anti-inflammatory activity. Among the available treatments, allergen immunotherapy (IT) has a documented impact on allergic inflammation which persists after its discontinuation and modifies the natural course of allergy. The anti-inflammatory effects of IT, and particularly of sublingual IT (SLIT), are based on the ability to modify the phenotype of T cells which, in allergic subjects, are characterized by a prevalence of the Th2 type, with production of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-17, and IL-32 cytokines. IT-induced changes result in a Th1-type response (immune deviation) related to an increased IFN-gamma and IL-2 production or in a Th2 reduced activity, through a mechanism of anergy or tolerance. It is now known that T cell tolerance is characterized by the generation of allergen-specific Treg cells, which produce cytokines such as IL-10 and TGF-beta with immunosuppressant and/or immunoregulatory activity. Recent studies suggest that the anti-inflammatory mechanism of SLIT is similar to classical, subcutaneous IT, with a prominent role in SLIT for mucosal dendritic cells. The tolerance pattern induced by Treg accounts for the suppressed or reduced activity of inflammatory cells and for the isotypic switch of antibody synthesis from IgE to IgG, and especially to IgG4. Data obtained from biopsies clearly indicate that the pathophysiology of the oral mucosa plays a pivotal role in inducing tolerance to the sublingually administered allergen.
Intravascular ultrasound guided directional atherectomy versus directional atherectomy guided by angiography for the treatment of femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis
Authors: Krishnan Prakash , Tarricone Arthur , K-Raman Purushothaman , Majeed Farhan , Kapur Vishal , Gujja Karthik , Wiley Jose , Vasquez Miguel , Lascano Rheoneil A. , Quiles Katherine G. , Distin Tashanne , Fontenelle Ran , Atallah-Lajam Farah , Kini Annapoorna , Sharma Samin
Published: December 2017

Background:

The aim of this study was to compare 1-year outcomes for patients with femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis using directional atherectomy guided by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) versus directional atherectomy guided by angiography.

Methods and results:

This was a retrospective analysis for patients with femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis treated with IVUS-guided directional atherectomy versus directional atherectomy guided by angiography from a single center between March 2012 and February 2016. Clinically driven target lesion revascularization was the primary endpoint and was evaluated through medical chart review as well as phone call follow up.

Conclusions:

Directional atherectomy guided by IVUS reduces clinically driven target lesion revascularization for patients with femoropopliteal in-stent restenosis.