bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crude extract of Rheum palmatum L inhibits migration and invasion of LS1034 human colon cancer cells acts through the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase‐2/‐9 by MAPK signaling
Authors: Ma Yi‐Shih , Hsiao Yu‐Ping , Lin Ju‐Hwa , Hsu Shu‐Chun , Chueh Fu‐Shin , Weng Shu‐Wen , Lai Kuang‐Chi , Lin Jaung‐Geng , Chung Jing‐Gung
Published: February 2014

Crude extract of Rheum palmatum L. (CERP) has been used to treat different diseases in the Chinese population for decades. In this study, we investigated the anti‐metastasis effects of CERP on LS1034 human colorectal cancer cells in vitro and examined potential mechanisms of its effects. CERP significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion of LS1034 cells. We also found that CERP inhibited protein levels of matrix metalloproteinases‐2 (MMP‐2) and matrix metalloproteinases‐9 (MMP‐9), and cytosolic NF‐kB p65, RHO A, ROCK 1. Furthermore, we found CERP inhibited protein levels of GRB2, SOS1, MKK7, FAK, Rho A, ROCK 1, VEGF, PKC, AKT, phosphor‐AKT (Thr308), Cyclin D, iNOS, COX2, NF‐kB p65, p‐ERK1/2, p‐JNK1/2, p‐p38, p‐c‐jun, MMP‐2, MMP‐9, MMP‐1, MMP‐7, MMP‐10, UPA and increased the protein level of Ras in LS1034 cells. In conclusion, our results suggest that CERP may be used as a novel anti‐metastasis agent for the treatment of human colon cancer cells. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 30: 852–863, 2015.
Re: Customized growth curves for identification of large‐for‐gestational age neonates in pre‐eclamptic women. J. Espinoza, W. Lee, S. R. Martin and M. A. Belfort. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2014; 43: 165–169
Authors: Rasmussen S.
Published: February 2014

Linked Comment: Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2014; 43: 165–169
Optimization of the Telluride Tl10–x–ySnxBiyTe6 for the Ther­moelectric Energy Conversion
Authors: Kuropatwa Bryan A. , Guo Quansheng , Assoud Abdeljalil , Kleinke Holger
Published: February 2014

We present the thermoelectric properties of the quaternary telluride series Tl10–x–ySnxBiyTe6 including Seebeck coefficient (S), electrical conductivity (σ), and thermal conductivity (κ). Three different Tl concentrations, namely 9, 8.67, and 8.33 Tl per formula unit, were selected followed by variations of the Sn:Bi ratio to tune the properties at each Tl concentration. Additionally, crystal structure data and electronic structure calculations were used to model the data and support the findings. The Tl9(Sn, Bi)Te6 system was found to have the highest power factor (S2σ) displaying a value of 8.1 μW·cm–1·K–2 at 587 K, realized with Tl9Sn0.2Bi0.8Te6. Tl8.67Sn0.50Bi0.83Te6 however, displays values closer to 4 μW·cm–1·K–2 at comparable temperatures. Ultimately, the thermoelectric Figure‐of‐merit was determined to reach a competitive 0.6 at 575 K and 525 K for Tl8.33Sn1.12Bi0.55Te6 and Tl8.67Sn0.50Bi0.83Te6, respectively, thereby outperforming the ternary variants Tl10–xSnxTe6.
Two 1D Coordination Polymers Constructed from Copper(II) Carboxylates and 4,4′‐Dipyridyl Sulfide/4,4′‐Dipyridyl Disulfide
Authors: Tang Long , Gao Loujun , Fu Feng , Cao Jia , Chao Dandan
Published: February 2014

By using pyridyl sulfide ligands, two CuII complexes, [{Cu2[CH3(CH)2COO]4(4‐dps)}2·1.5H2O] (1) and [Cu2[CH3(CH)2COO]4(4‐dpds)] (2) (4‐dps = 4,4′‐dipyridyl sulfide, 4‐dpds = 4,4′‐dipyridyl disulfide), were synthesized and structurally characterized. Complex 1 shows a 1D zigzag chain, further, the adjacent chains are interconnected through O–H···O hydrogen bonds to form 1D nanotubes. Complex 2 consists of alternate linking of a Cu2[CH3(CH)2COO]4 unit and a 4‐dpds ligand to construct same zigzag chains. According to the crystal structures, the full geometry optimizations of complexes 1 and 2 were carried out by using hybrid DFT methods at B3LYP/6‐31G(d) level. Meantime, the DFT‐BS approach was applied to study the magnetic coupling behavior for the two complexes, and the result reveals that the calculated exchange coupling constants J were in good agreement with the experimental θ data. Both 1 and 2 showed antiferromagnetic behavior.
Distributed predictive control of communicating and constrained systems
Authors: Groß D. , Stursberg O.
Published: February 2014

This paper is concerned with distributed model predictive control (DMPC) for distributed linear time invariant systems with decoupled dynamics but coupling via a common cost function and common convex state constraints. In the proposed scheme, local model predictive controllers exchange state measurements and predicted input sequences with bounded uncertainty via possibly delayed communication. A robust model predictive control (RMPC) problem is solved locally under consideration of uncertain information received from other subsystems. The local RMPCs separately optimize over nominal inputs as well as feedback policies for the delayed information and can be implemented as a tractable quadratic program. Under appropriate assumptions, the proposed scheme satisfies the coupling constraints and renders the system practically stable. Simulation results for the control of a platoon of autonomous vehicles relative to a lead vehicle illustrate the effectiveness of the approach.
Optimal design of Neuro‐Mechanical Oscillators with stability constraints
Authors: Thore C.‐J.
Published: February 2014

This paper concerns optimal design of so‐called Neuro‐Mechanical Oscillators (NMOs). An NMO is a new type of bio‐inspired mechatronic system which consists of an actuated truss with a recurrent neural network (RNN) superimposed onto it. By choosing the entries of the weight matrix of the RNN, an NMO can be designed, using numerical optimization, to generate pre‐specified time‐varying motions when subject to certain time‐varying input signals. However, to rule out possible dependence of the motion on the initial state of the system as well as convergence into limit cycles, some form of constraints must be imposed on the system's design parameters. To derive such constraints, we investigate under what conditions the influence of the initial state eventually vanishes and the motion becomes completely determined by the input signal. Three sufficient criteria are presented for RNNs, but the possibility of large mechanical deformations most likely rule out global system level results. For sufficiently small deformations, however, local results are obtained, and a numerical example provided in the paper indicates that these can be useful for designing practical systems.
Scattered Psammomatous Calcifications around Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Lee Yong Sang , Hong Soon Won , Chang Hang‐Seok , Park Cheong Soo
Published: February 2014

Background

Although psammomatous calcification is a characteristic pathologic feature of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the clinical meaning of histologically determined scattered psammomatous calcifications around PTC is unknown.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of scattered psammomatous calcifications around PTC.

Materials and methods

Between January 2009 and July 2009, a total of 546 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for PTC were enrolled. They were classified into two groups: patients with scattered psammomatous calcifications and patients without psammomatous calcifications. The clinical findings, preoperative diagnostic findings, and histopathologic features were compared between the two groups.

Results

Scattered psammomatous calcifications around PTC were found in 209 patients (38 %), and mostly in younger patients (p = 0.007), those with infiltrative tumor margin (p = 0.022), those with capsule invasion (p = 0.013), and those with lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001). No statistical significance was found in gender, tumor size, multiplicity, and coexisting lymphocytic thyroiditis.

Conclusions

Although further studies with large‐scale, long‐term follow‐up will be necessary to validate the relationship between scattered psammomatous calcifications and prognosis, scattered psammomatous calcification around PTC may have correlations with the aggressiveness of the PTC.
Networks, Space, and Residents’ Perception of Cohesion
Authors: Boessen Adam , Hipp John R. , Smith Emily J. , Butts Carter T. , Nagle Nicholas N. , Almquist Zack
Published: February 2014

Community scholars increasingly focus on the linkage between residents’ sense of cohesion with the neighborhood and their own social networks in the neighborhood. A challenge is that whereas some research only focuses on residents’ social ties with fellow neighbors, such an approach misses out on the larger constellation of individuals’ relationships and the spatial distribution of those relationships. Using data from the Twin Communities Network Study, the current project is one of the first studies to examine the actual spatial distribution of respondents’ networks for a variety of relationships and the consequences of these for neighborhood and city cohesion. We also examine how a perceived structural measure of cohesion—triangle degree—impacts their perceptions of neighborhood and city cohesion. Our findings suggest that perceptions of cohesion within the neighborhood and the city depend on the number of neighborhood safety contacts as well as on the types of people with which they discuss important matters. On the other hand, kin and social friendship ties do not impact cohesion. A key finding is that residents who report more spatially dispersed networks for certain types of ties report lower levels of neighborhood and city cohesion. Residents with higher triangle degree within their neighborhood safety networks perceived more neighborhood cohesion.
Regional Governance-Stile in Europa. Eine vergleichende Analyse von Steuerungsstilen ausgewählter LEADER-Netzwerke in Extremadura (Spanien), Warmińsko-Mazurskie (Polen) und Western Isles (Schottland)
Authors: Mose Ingo , Jacuniak-Suda Marta , Fiedler Georg
Published: February 2014

This paper aims at an elaboration of regional governance styles on a wide European scale. Thereby it should help to dissociate from the almost infinite number of diverse contextual interpretations of governance and develop a further perspective towards a deeper analysis and comparison of regional governance phenomena. The results of this paper are based on a comparative case study analysis carried out within the framework of a research project, funded by the German Research Foundation in the years 2008–2011. The research was conducted in selected peripheral rural areas in the EU, namely Extremadura (Spain), Warmińsko-Mazurskie (Poland) and Western Isles (Scotland). The overall objective was to examine the emergence, action orientations, functioning, actor constellations and legitimacy of selected LEADER actor networks.
EPA Guidance on Building Trust in Mental Health Services
Authors: Gaebel W. , Muijen M. , Baumann A.E. , Bhugra D. , Wasserman D. , van der Gaag R.J. , Heun R. , Zielasek J.
Published: February 2014

Purpose

To advance mental health care use by developing recommendations to increase trust from the general public and patients, those who have been in contact with services, those who have never been in contact and those who care for their families in the mental health care system.

Methods

We performed a systematic literature search and the retrieved documents were evaluated by two independent reviewers. Evidence tables were generated and recommendations were developed in an expert and stakeholder consensus process.

Results

We developed five recommendations which may increase trust in mental health care services and advance mental health care service utilization.

Discussion

Trust is a mutual, complex, multidimensional and dynamic interrelationship of a multitude of factors. Its components may vary between individuals and over time. They may include, among others, age, place of residence, ethnicity, culture, experiences as a service user, and type of disorder. For mental health care services, issues of knowledge about mental health services, confidentiality, continuity of treatment, dignity, safety and avoidance of stigma and coercion are central elements to increase trust.

Conclusion

Evidence-based recommendations to increase mutual trust of service users and psychiatrists have been developed and may help to increase mental health care service utilization.
Revealing obstacles to the consumer imagination
Authors: Spears Nancy , Yazdanparast Atefeh
Published: February 2014

The research proposes that the consumer imagination combines information about a current sensory stimulus (product) with triggered episodic memories to use as inputs in making product evaluations. Two studies reveal that the consumer imagination can be suppressed when preferred haptic sensory information is missing and when a situation is unambiguous, reducing the need for relying on episodic memory. The research findings support the general notion that the consumer imagination enhances purchase intentions compared to considering product attributes because the imagination enables consumers to integrate the information in a more efficient way. In both studies, perceived ownership mediates the effect. Contributions to theory and practical implications are provided.
Permanent pacemaker implantation in a patient with situs solitus, dextrocardia, and corrected transposition of the great arteries using a novel angiographic technique
Authors: Shenthar Jayaprakash , Rai Maneesh K.
Published: February 2014

Complex congenital heart diseases involving abnormalities of the atrial situs and cardiac malpositions like dextrocardia can pose a considerable challenge to transvenous permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI). Literature describing transvenous PPI techniques in patients with complex cardiac anomalies is scarce. In this report, we describe a novel angiography‐guided technique for the implantation of a dual chamber transvenous pacemaker in a patient with complete heart block with situs solitus, dextrocardia, and congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries.
DISTORTION RISK MEASURES, AMBIGUITY AVERSION AND OPTIMAL EFFORT
Authors: Robert Christian Y. , Therond Pierre-E.
Published: February 2014

We consider the class of concave distortion risk measures to study how choice is influenced by the decision-maker's attitude to risk and provide comparative statics results. We also assume ambiguity about the probability distribution of the risk and consider a framework à la Klibanoff, Marinacci and Mukerji (2005; A smooth model of decision making under ambiguity.Econometrica,73, 1849–1892) to study the value of information that resolves ambiguity. We show that this value increases with greater ambiguity, with greater ambiguity aversion, and in some cases with greater risk aversion. Finally, we examine whether a more risk-averse and a more ambiguity-averse individual will invest in more effort to shift his initial risk distribution to a better target distribution.
Determination of the Bashkirian–Moscovian boundary in the Volga region via conodont speciesDeclinognathodus donetzianusNemirovskaya
Authors: SUNGATULLINA GUZEL
Published: February 2014

The selection of the global biomarker of the lower boundary of the Moscovian stages is one of the pressing issues of Carboniferous stratigraphy. Several solutions are suggested for this problem:Diplognathodus ellesmerensisBender,Streptognathodus expansus(Igo & Koike) andIdiognathoides postsulcatusNemirovskaya. The conodont speciesDeclinognathodus donetzianusNemirovskaya is one of the most prospective. It was detected in the rock sections of west Europe, the Donets Basin, the Moscow Syneclise, south Ural and the Appalachian Basin. The Volga region is also one of the places whereDeclinognathodus donetzianusNemirovskaya is often met and this article is dedicated to detailed analysis of this species.
Post-tonsillectomy morbidities: randomised, prospective controlled clinical trial of cold dissection versus thermal welding tonsillectomy
Authors: Aydin S , Taskin U , Altas B , Erdil M , Senturk T , Celebi S , Oktay M F
Published: February 2014

Background:

New surgical techniques and devices have been described that decrease post-tonsillectomy morbidities. This study aimed to compare the two most popular tonsillectomy techniques.

Method:

Forty children underwent tonsillectomies using both the thermal welding and cold dissection techniques. In each patient, one side was removed with thermal welding and the other was removed with cold dissection.

Results:

There was a significant decrease in intra-operative blood loss, and the mean operation time was significantly lower on the thermal welding side compared with the cold dissection side. On the cold dissection side, tissue healing (i.e. the rate of complete tissue healing) was better and less pain was reported compared with the thermal welding side. However, there were no significant differences between the two techniques in terms of throat pain scores on the 1st, 3rd or 14th day post-operatively, or tissue healing scores on any of the post-operative days assessed.

Conclusion:

Cold dissection resulted in better tissue healing and lower pain scores than thermal welding, but thermal welding was associated with less intra-operative blood loss and lower mean operation time than cold dissection.
Three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging findings in a patient with relapsing polychondritis
Authors: Kato M , Katayama N , Naganawa S , Nakashima T
Published: February 2014

Objective:

We report three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging findings in a patient with relapsing polychondritis.

Method:

Case report.

Result:

A 76-year-old woman initially presented with bilateral auricular swelling together with dyspnoea. Three months later, she experienced left hearing loss and recurrent vertigo. A biopsy of the auricle was performed and relapsing polychondritis was diagnosed. The patient underwent three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging 4 hours after intravenous injection of a standard dose of gadolinium. Gadolinium enhancement was visible throughout the vestibule and the endolymphatic space could not be visualised, suggesting breakdown of the blood–labyrinth barrier.

Conclusion:

This is the first radiological report to demonstrate breakdown of the blood–labyrinth barrier in a case of relapsing polychondritis with inner ear impairment.
The African Union as a norm entrepreneur on military coups d’état in Africa (1952–2012): an empirical assessment
Authors: Souaré Issaka K.
Published: February 2014

Between 1952 and 2012, there were a total of 88 successful military coups in Africa. Of those, 63 occurred prior to 1990, and 10 cases since the adoption, by the defunct Organization of African Unity (OAU), of the Lomé Declaration in July 2000, banning military coups and adopting sanctions against regimes born out of this. The article shows that the African Union (AU) has followed in the footsteps of the OAU in this regard. Assisted by some African regional organisations and international partners, the combined effect of this policy of the AU – assisted by other factors – has been a significant reduction in the occurrence of this phenomenon. While not constituting a funeral arrangement for military coups in the immediate future, these developments – if they were to continue – may indeed make this eventuality achievable in the long run. But the article also reveals some challenges the AU is facing in ensuring this.
Competing Muslim legacies along city/countryside dichotomies: another political history of Harar Town and its Oromo rural neighbours in Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Osmond Thomas
Published: February 2014

Between the Middle East and Eastern Africa, the city of Harar is often considered as the main historical centre of Islam in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. Until recently, the cultural hegemony of the Muslim elites inhabiting Harar was commonly opposed to the almost pagan behaviours of the Oromo – or ‘Galla’ – farmers and cattle herders living in the wide rural vicinity of the town. The 1995 Constitution provided the different ‘ethnolinguistic nationalities’ of the new Ethiopian federation with the same institutional recognition. However, the institutionalisation of the two Harari and Oromo ‘nationalities’ seems to foster the historical duality between the city-dwellers and their close neighbours. This article proposes another political history of Harar and its ambivalent Oromo partners through the local dynamics of the Muslim city/countryside models. It reveals the both competing and complementary orders that have probably bound together the populations of Harar and its rural hinterland for more than five hundred years.
Ultranationalism, democracy and the law: insights from Côte d'Ivoire
Authors: Piccolino Giulia
Published: February 2014

Although much has been written about the ideology of Laurent Gbagbo's Front Populaire Ivoirien in Côte d'Ivoire and its impact on the Ivorian politico-military crisis, little attention has been paid to the ubiquitous role of the law in the discourse and political strategy of the pro-Gbagbo elite. The Ivorian case may provide important insights about the connection between ultranationalist ideology and a legalist, formalist conception of democracy and national sovereignty. The article analyses the circumstances of the emergence of ‘legalist nationalism’ in Côte d'Ivoire by looking at key episodes of the Ivorian transition between 2002 and 2012. The article discusses the relevance of Pierre Englebert's concept of ‘legal command’ and the turbulences of democratic transitions in accounting for the prominence of legalism in Ivorian politics. It explores the implications of the Ivorian case for understanding the connection between law and politics in Africa.
Protection of the white-nest swiftlet Aerodramus fuciphagus in the Andaman Islands, India: an assessment
Authors: Manchi S. , Sankaran R.
Published: February 2014

International trade of swiftlet nests has affected wild populations of edible-nest swiftlets throughout their range. The white-nest swiftlet Aerodramus fuciphagus of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands lost 80% of its population in the 1990s. Conservation efforts for the species were initiated in 2000, with the active involvement of former nest collectors. To measure the efficacy of protection measures we collected data on the swiftlet, using the nest count method. We monitored annual breeding populations in 28 protected caves on Chalis-ek and one on Interview Island during 2000–2008, and in 168 unprotected caves on Baratang and Interview Islands during February–April 2008. The swiftlet population in protected caves increased by 39%, whereas it declined by 74% in unprotected caves. Nearly 61% of the 152 caves on Baratang Island were abandoned by the swiftlet during 1997–2008. This study highlights the importance of extending protection to the unprotected caves on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The Great Wake-Up Call? Social Citizenship and Minimum Income Provisions in Europe in Times of Crisis
Authors: MARCHAL SARAH , MARX IVE , VAN MECHELEN NATASCHA
Published: February 2014

When the 2008 crisis hit, social safety nets in Europe were not in the best of shape. This article examines what, if anything, governments did to adjust minimum income protection after two decades of relative neglect. In view of the hardship brought on by the crisis, this question is of importance in itself. In addition, there is a long-standing interest in the role crises play in re-shaping policies, possibly in a radical way. Building on purpose-collected data for twenty-four European countries, this article shows that many countries introduced supportive measures during the first years of the crisis, particularly in the form of additional benefit increases and more generous child benefits. Behavioural requirements imposed on minimum income recipients were not relaxed but in some countries activation efforts were intensified. Although the evidence shows that the crisis did trigger a response, there is little evidence for a structural change of course towards more adequate safety nets.
Shifting the Goalposts: A Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Study of the Health of Long-Term Incapacity Benefit Recipients during a Period of Substantial Change to the UK Social Security System
Authors: GARTHWAITE KAYLEIGH , BAMBRA CLARE , WARREN JONATHAN , KASIM ADETAYO , GREIG GRAEME
Published: February 2014

The UK social security safety net for those who are out of work due to ill health or disability has experienced significant change, most notably the abolition of Incapacity Benefit (IB) and the introduction of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). These changes have been underpinned by the assumption that many recipients are not sufficiently sick or disabled to ‘deserve’ welfare benefits – claims that have been made in the absence of empirical data on the health of recipients. Employing a unique longitudinal and mixed-methods approach, this paper explores the health of a cohort of 229 long-term IB recipients in the North East of England over an eighteen-month period, during a time of significant changes to the UK welfare state. In-depth interviews with twenty-five of the survey cohort are also presented to illustrate the lived experiences of recipients. Contributing to debates surrounding the conceptualisation of work-readiness for sick and disabled people, findings indicate IB recipients had significantly worse health than the general population, with little change in their health state over the eighteen-month study period. Qualitative data reinforced the constancy of ill health for IB recipients. Finally, the paper discusses the implications for social policy, noting how the changing nature of administrative definitions and redefinitions of illness and capacity to work can impact upon the lives of sick and disabled people.
Political Parties and Social Policy Responses to Global Economic Crises: Constrained Partisanship in Mature Welfare States
Authors: STARKE PETER , KAASCH ALEXANDRA , VAN HOOREN FRANCA
Published: February 2014

Based on empirical findings from a comparative study on welfare state responses to the four major economic shocks (the 1970s oil shocks, the early 1990s recession, the 2008 financial crisis) in four OECD countries, this article demonstrates that, in contrast to conventional wisdom, policy responses to global economic crises vary significantly across countries. What explains the cross-national and within-case variation in responses to crises? We discuss several potential causes of this pattern and argue that political parties and the party composition of governments can play a key role in shaping crisis responses, albeit in ways that go beyond traditional partisan theory. We show that the partisan conflict and the impact of parties are conditioned by existing welfare state configurations. In less generous welfare states, the party composition of governments plays a decisive role in shaping the direction of social policy change. By contrast, in more generous welfare states, i.e., those with highly developed automatic stabilisers, the overall direction of policy change is regularly not subject to debate. Political conflict in these welfare states rather concerns the extent to which expansion or retrenchment is necessary. Therefore, a clear-cut partisan impact can often not be shown.
COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF TELEHEALTH INTERVENTIONS FOR CHRONIC HEART FAILURE PATIENTS: A LITERATURE REVIEW
Authors: Grustam Andrija S. , Severens Johan L. , van Nijnatten Jan , Koymans Ron , Vrijhoef Hubertus J. M.
Published: February 2014

Objectives:Evidence exists that telehealth interventions (e.g., telemonitoring, telediagnostics, telephone care) in disease management for chronic heart failure patients can improve medical outcomes, and we aim to give an overview of the cost-effectiveness of these interventions.

Methods:Based on the literature search on “heart failure” in combination with “cost” and “telehealth” we selected 301 titles and abstracts. Titles and abstracts were screened for a set of inclusion criteria: telehealth intervention, heart failure as the main disease, economic analysis present and a primary study performed. In the end, thirty-two studies were included for full reading, data extraction, and critical appraisal of the economic evaluation.

Results:Most studies did not present a comprehensive economic evaluation, consisting of the comparison of both costs and effects between telehealth intervention and a comparator. Data on telehealth investment costs were lacking in many studies. The few studies that assessed costs and consequences comprehensively showed that telehealth interventions are cost saving with slight improvement in effectiveness, or comparably effective with similar cost to usual care. However, the methodological quality of the studies was in general considered to be low.

Conclusions:The cost-effectiveness of telehealth in chronic heart failure is hardly ascertained in peer reviewed literature, the quality of evidence is poor and there was a difficulty in capturing all of the consequences/effects of telehealth intervention. We believe that without full economic analyses the cost-effectiveness of telehealth interventions in chronic heart failure remains unknown.
INCIDENTAL EXPOSURE AND L3 LEARNING OF MORPHOSYNTAX
Authors: Grey Sarah , Williams John N. , Rebuschat Patrick
Published: February 2014

Evidence of learning following incidental exposure has been found for aspects of nonnative syntax in adults (Rebuschat & Williams, 2006, 2012; Williams & Kuribara, 2008). However, little research has tested delayed effects of learning under an incidental condition or moved beyond word order. This study investigated learning of third language (L3) morphosyntax (word order and case marking) under an incidental exposure condition. Participants were second language Spanish learners exposed auditorily to a semiartificial language, Japlish, during a semantic plausibility judgment task. Performance following exposure to L3 Japlish was assessed with acceptability judgment and picture-matching tasks that were administered immediately after exposure and 2 weeks later. Results on immediate tests showed a significant learning effect on acceptability judgment but none for picture matching. At delayed testing, results showed maintenance of the learning effect on acceptability judgment and significantly improved performance on picture matching. Results additionally showed that many of the learners arrived at the correct Japlish word-order rule; fewer did so for case marking. Follow-up analyses indicated that this rule knowledge, as measured by debriefing information, was important for performance on both assessment tasks, particularly at delayed testing. The results suggest that learning of L3 structures can take place following incidental exposure, that such learning is durable and undergoes improvement, and that development of reportable rule knowledge may also play an important role.
An outbreak of Microsporum canis in two elementary schools in a rural area around the capital city of Slovenia, 2012
Authors: ŠUBELJ M. , MARINKO J. SVETIČIČ , UČAKAR V.
Published: February 2014

An outbreak of Microsporum canis infection affected 12 persons in two elementary schools over a period of 48 days in 2012 in Slovenia. Epidemiological, microbiological, and animal investigations were conducted. We defined cases as pupils or employees with skin lesions and confirmed or probable M. canis infection, attending one of the implicated elementary schools. Two clusters of six primary and six secondary cases were included in an unmatched case-control study. Contact with an adopted stray kitten at a birthday party was identified as the most probable source of infection. Secondary cases were more likely to have participated in gymnastic classes with a primary case than controls and were also more likely to have touched an infected child. Prompt communication and implementation of adequate control measures after the primary cases occurred would have prevented the secondary cases in another school.
The Asymmetrical Contributions of Pleasure and Pain to Animal Welfare
Authors: SHRIVER ADAM J.
Published: February 2014

Recent results from the neurosciences demonstrate that pleasure and pain are not two symmetrical poles of a single scale of experience but in fact two different types of experiences altogether, with dramatically different contributions to well-being. These differences between pleasure and pain and the general finding that “the bad is stronger than the good” have important implications for our treatment of nonhuman animals. In particular, whereas animal experimentation that causes suffering might be justified if it leads to the prevention of more suffering, it can never by justified merely by leading to increased levels of happiness.
Neuroethics, Painience, and Neurocentric Criteria for the Moral Treatment of Animals
Authors: LOVELESS SHERRY E. , GIORDANO JAMES
Published: February 2014

Neuroscience affords knowledge that can be leveraged in the ontological valuation of individuals, groups, and species. Sociocultural sentiments, norms, and mores may impede embracing such knowledge to revise moral attitudes, ethics, and policies. We argue that the practices of neuroethics will be valuable in that they ground ethico-legal discourse in (1) naturalistic philosophy; (2) the current epistemological capital of neuroscience; (3) the issues, problems, and solutions arising in and from neuroscientific research and its applications; and 4) the use of neurocentric criteria—such as painience—to define and resolve ethical decisions regarding attitudes toward and treatment of nonhuman animals.
BACK TO BUNDLES: DEFLATING PROPERTY RIGHTS, AGAIN
Authors: Glackin Shane Nicholas
Published: February 2014

Following Wesley Hohfeld's pioneering analyses, which demonstrated that the “folk” concept of ownership conflated a variety of distinct legal relations, a deflationary “bundle theory” regarding those relations as essentially unconnected held sway for much of the subsequent century. In recent decades, this theory has been thoughttoodiffuse; it seems counterintuitive to insist, for instance, that rights of possession and alienation over a property are associated only contingently. Accordingly, scholars such as James Penner and James Harris have advanced theories that revive the concept of ownership, identifying some instances of property as “paradigmatic,” and regarding others as conceptually subsidiary. I propose a new interpretation of the bundle theory, based on David Lewis's idea of “Humean supervenience” among physical particles. I critically examine the major antibundle positions, arguing that their criticisms result from confusion about the claims of the bundle theory, which remains the best account of property rights available.
The Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Scale for Children and Young People (CBTS-CYP): Development and Psychometric Properties
Authors: Stallard Paul , Myles Pam , Branson Amanda
Published: February 2014

Background: There is increased interest in developing training in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) with children and young people. However, the assessment of clinical competence has relied upon the use of measures such as the Cognitive Therapy Scale-Revised (CTS-R: Blackburn et al., 2001) which has been validated to assess competence with adults. The appropriateness of this measure to assess competence when working with children and young people has been questioned. Aim: This paper describes the development and initial evaluation of the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Scale for Children and Young People (CBTS-CYP) developed specifically to assess competence in CBT with children and young people. Method: A cross section of child CBT practitioners (n = 61) were consulted to establish face validity. Internal reliability, convergent validity and discriminative ability were assessed in two studies. In the first, 12 assessors independently rated a single video using both the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Scale for Children and Young People (CBTS-CYP) and Cognitive Therapy Scale-Revised (CTS-Revised: Blackburn et al., 2001). In the second, 48 different recordings of CBT undertaken with children and young people were rated on both the CBTS-CYP and CTS-R. Results: Face validity and internal reliability of the CBTS-CYP were high, and convergent validity with the CTS-R was good. The CBTS-CYP compared well with the CTS-R in discriminative ability. Conclusion: The CBTS-CYP provides an appropriate way of assessing competence in using CBT with children and young people. Further work is required to assess robustness with younger children and the impact of group training in reducing inter-rater variations.
Getting your wires crossed: Evidence for fast processing of L1 idioms in an L2
Authors: CARROL GARETH , CONKLIN KATHY
Published: February 2014

Monolingual speakers show priming for idiomatic sequences (e.g. a pain in the neck) relative to matched controls (e.g. a pain in the foot); single word translation equivalents show cross-language activation (e.g. dog–chien) for bilinguals. If the lexicon is heteromorphic (Wray, 2002), larger units may show cross-language priming in the same way as single words. We used the initial words of English idioms (e.g. to spill the. . . beans) and transliterated Chinese idioms (e.g. draw a snake and add. . . feet) as primes for the final words in a lexical decision task with high proficiency Chinese–English bilinguals and English monolinguals. Bilinguals responded to targets significantly faster when they completed a Chinese idiom (e.g. feet) than when they were presented with a matched control word (e.g. hair). The results are discussed in terms of conceptual activation and lexical translation processes, and are also incorporated into a dual route model of formulaic and novel language processing.
Quantitative exponential modelling of copycat suicides: association with mass media effect in South Korea
Authors: Suh S. , Chang Y. , Kim N.
Published: February 2014

Background.

There is ample evidence media reporting of celebrity suicides increases copycat suicides. This study had three aims: (a) to quantitatively examine copycat suicides with exponential modelling that predicts the copycat suicide effect of South Korean celebrity suicides; (b) to investigate the association between media effect and subsequent suicides following celebrity deaths; and (c) to investigate the extent in which media influences the increase and rate of decline of copycat suicides following a celebrity suicide.

Methods.

All suicides during 1991–2010 in South Korea were included in this study utilising a nationwide database. Fifteen celebrities were selected based on the frequency of media reports following 1 week after their suicide. The media effect was obtained through the Korean Integrated Newspaper Database System. Exponential curve fits and correlation analyses investigated the quantitative effect of copycat suicides.

Results.

After controlling for baseline number of average suicides, there was a marked increase in the number of suicides following each celebrity suicides, which followed an exponential model. There was a significant correlation between the total number of copycat suicides and number of media following the celebrity suicide (r = 0.74, p < 0.01). There were weak-to-moderate correlations between the amplitude of increase in suicides (r = 0.45, p = 0.09) and rate of decline (r = 0.38, p = 0.16) with the total number of media coverage.

Conclusions.

Copycat suicides following celebrity suicides follow exponential modelling. Additionally, there is a strong media effect between the number of media reports following the days after celebrity suicides and subsequent copycat suicides. This may also be associated with the amplitude and rate of decline of copycat suicides. This suggests that improving media reporting and implementing preventative interventions for vulnerable populations may be important.
The Prevention Imperative: International Health and Environmental Governance Responses to Emerging Zoonotic Diseases
Authors: Farnese Patricia L.
Published: February 2014

Despite widespread recognition of the threat posed by emerging zoonotic diseases (EZDs) to human and animal health and the economy, the root causes of EZDs are largely ignored by the international community. In particular, the links between wildlife health, human-induced land-use change, and EZDs have not been adequately addressed. Generally, states are not required to evaluate the health impacts of land-use decisions within their territories. Similarly, global efforts to protect wild spaces are rarely identified as a health imperative. Where initiatives have been undertaken, they remain focused largely on detecting and controlling only those wildlife diseases that are known or suspected to be a threat to human and animal health or the economy. A critique of the existing international responses leaves no doubt that a preventative approach must be adopted to address human vulnerability to EZDs.
Effects of Combined Lipoic Acid and Pyridoxine on Albuminuria, Advanced Glycation End-Products, and Blood Pressure in Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Noori Nazanin , Tabibi Hadi , Hosseinpanah Farhad , Hedayati Mehdi , Nafar Mohsen
Published: February 2014

This study was designed to investigate the effects of combined administration of lipoic acid and pyridoxine on albuminuria, oxidative stress, blood pressure, serum advanced glycation end-products, nitric oxide (NO), and endothelin-1 in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Thirty-four patients were randomly assigned to either a supplement group or a placebo group. The patients in the supplement group received 800 mg lipoic acid and 80 mg pyridoxine daily for 12 weeks, whereas the placebo group received corresponding placebos. Urinary albumin, serum malondialdehyde (MDA), and systolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the supplement group compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05). Serum NO increased in the supplement group compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05). Serum pentosidine and carboxymethyl lysine decreased significantly in the supplement group at the end of week 12 compared to baseline (p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in mean changes of serum endothelin-1, glucose, and diastolic blood pressure. The present study indicates that combined administration of lipoic acid and pyridoxine improves albuminuria in patients with diabetic nephropathy by reducing oxidative stress, advanced glycation end-products, and systolic blood pressure. The reduction in microalbuminuria may be of benefit in retarding the progression of diabetic nephropathy.
Protective Effects of Vitamin E on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Eum Seenae , Choi Hye-Duck , Chang Min-Jung , Choi Ho-Chun , Ko Young-Jin , Ahn Jeong-Soo , Shin Wan-Gyoon , Lee Ju-Yeun
Published: February 2014

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of vitamin E for preventing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Methods: A comprehensive search from 1973 through July 2011 identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported the preventive effects of vitamin E on CIPN. The relative risk (RR) of CIPN with vitamin E supplementation, compared with placebo, was assessed with the Bayesian random effect model and expressed as RR with a 95 % credible-interval (CrI). Bayesian outcome probabilities were calculated as the probability (P) of RR < 1. Results: Five RCTs, involving 319 patients, were identified. Upon pooling these RCTs, vitamin E supplementation (300 - 600 mg/day) had a significant effect on CIPN prevention (RR 0.43; 95 % CrI 0.10 - 1.00, P = 97.5 %). Subgroup analysis by chemotherapeutic agent type was only available for cisplatin and showed that vitamin E supplementation significantly reduced the incidence of CIPN (RR 0.26; 95 % CrI 0.06 - 0.89, P = 98.1 %). Furthermore, there were no adverse effects caused by vitamin E supplementation in any of the RCTs. Conclusion: Available data included in this meta-analysis show that vitamin E supplementation might significantly prevent CIPN. Currently, however, the data are insufficient to confidently conclude the true value. Large-scale, rigorously designed RCTs are needed to confirm the role of vitamin E supplementation in CIPN prevention.
Quantification of Vitamin A in Fortified Rapeseed, Groundnut and Soya Oils Using a Simple Portable Device: Comparison to High Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Renaud Cécile , Berger Jacques , Laillou Arnaud , Avallone Sylvie
Published: February 2014

Vitamin A deficiency is still one of the major public health problems in least developed countries. Fortification of vegetable oils is a strategy implemented worldwide to prevent this deficiency. For a fortification program to be effective, regular monitoring is necessary to control food quality in the producing units. The reference methods for vitamin A quantification are expensive and time-consuming. A rapid method should be useful for regular assessment of vitamin A in the oil industry. A portable device was compared to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for three plant oils (rapeseed, groundnut, and soya). The device presented a good linearity from 3 to 30 mg retinol equivalents per kg (mg RE.kg- 1). Its limits of detection and quantification were 3 mg RE.kg- 1 for groundnut and rapeseed oils and 4 mg RE.kg- 1 for soya oil. The intra-assay precision ranged from 1.48 % to 3.98 %, considered satisfactory. Accuracy estimated by the root mean squares error ranged from 3.99 to 5.49 and revealed a lower precision than HPLC (0.4 to 2.25). Although it offers less precision than HPLC, the device estimates quickly the vitamin A content of the tested oils from 3 or 4 to 15 mg RE.kg- 1.
Ratios of effector to central memory antigen‐specific CD4+ T cells vary with antigen exposure in HIV+ patients
Authors: Phetsouphanh Chansavath , Xu Yin , Bailey Michelle , Pett Sarah , Zaunders John , Seddiki Nabila , Kelleher Anthony D
Published: February 2014

The OX40/CD25 assay is a novel technique that assesses antigen‐specific CD4+ T‐cell responses. To unequivocally demonstrate that responding cells are memory cells that become activated after secondary stimulation, naïve CD45RA+ and memory CD45RO+ populations were stimulated with cytomegalovirus (CMV) lysate and the combined expression of CD25 and OX40 measured. As expected, the naïve population showed very little response, whereas there was a higher response from the memory counterpart. To further elucidate CD4+ memory T‐cell subsets involved in recall responses, CD4+ T cells were separated into central memory (Tcm) and effector memory (Tem) subsets and stimulated with antigen‐pulsed antigen‐presenting cells (APCs). CMV responses in healthy donors showed a Tem‐dominant response with a Tem/Tcm ratio of 1.2, whereas the tetanus toxoid responses were dominated by a Tcm response with a Tem/Tcm ratio of 0.35. To determine memory response in the chronic of HIV infection, patient samples were used. A similar pattern to healthy donors was observed in seven chronic HIV+ patients at week 4 after anti‐retroviral therapy who responded to CMV with a larger response coming from Tem. The pattern was similar after 48 weeks of therapy but the responses were lower in magnitude. In chronic HIV+ patients who respond to Gag peptides, following institution of therapy there was an inversion of the ratio of the responding memory subsets compared with week 4, with a greater response from Tcm at week 48. This result was concordant with reduction in antigen load. As immune activation decreased there was also a decrease in the percentage of responding effector memory cells and maintenance of long‐term central memory.