bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are We Overlooking Stroke Chameleons? A Retrospective Study on the Delayed Recognition of Stroke Patients
Authors: Chompoopong Pitcha , Rostambeigi Nassir , Kassar Darine , Maud Alberto , Qureshi Ihtesham A. , Cruz-Flores Salvador , Rodriguez Gustavo J.
Published: May 2017

Background and Purpose: New effective recanalization therapies are currently available for acute ischemic stroke; yet a vast majority of stroke patients are left untreated. The lack of early recognition may be because often times, stroke patients present with atypical manifestations that resemble other conditions (which are referred to as “stroke chameleons”). We set to study the proportion of patients with delayed stroke recognition in a single center. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected data over a 9-year period. All adult patients discharged with the diagnosis of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) were identified and traced for their diagnosis on admission. Those cases with a diagnosis other than ischemic stroke or TIA on admission were identified as possible stroke chameleons and categorized into different groups according to the occurrence of neurological or non-neurological manifestations at presentation. Results: Of 2,303 cases with discharge diagnosis of ischemic stroke or TIA, 919 (39.9%) were found to be possible stroke chameleons. More than half of these patients (58.4%) presented with neurological manifestations including disorders of the somatic sensation (33%), alteration of consciousness (30%), and disorders of speech/language (11%). The remaining possible stroke chameleons had manifestations pertaining to other organ systems such as cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal, systemic infection, trauma, and thromboembolic events elsewhere. Conclusions: In our cohort, a surprisingly large percentage of possible stroke chameleons was observed. It is important to confirm our findings, study the impact on clinical outcome, and develop strategies for early stroke patient recognition.
Beneficial Effect of Maintaining Hepatic Reserve during Chemotherapy on the Outcomes of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Terashima Takeshi , Yamashita Tatsuya , Arai Kuniaki , Kawaguchi Kazunori , Kitamura Kazuya , Yamashita Taro , Sakai Yoshio , Mizukoshi Eishiro , Honda Masao , Kaneko Shuichi
Published: May 2017

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) usually develops in chronically damaged liver. We investigated hepatic reserves during chemotherapy of patients with advanced HCC and compensated liver function to evaluate the effect on patients' outcomes of maintaining hepatic reserve after chemotherapy. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 190 patients with Child-Pugh A with advanced HCC who were treated with sorafenib or hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC). We investigated the Child-Pugh score and albumin-bilirubin grade for hepatic reserve, and evaluated the effect of the change in Child-Pugh scores on patients' outcomes. Subjects were treated with sorafenib (n = 59) or HAIC (n = 131). Of patients with Child-Pugh data, 66.7% maintained or improved their Child-Pugh score after 4 weeks. Treatment with HAIC was the only factor that significantly contributed to maintaining Child-Pugh scores after 4 weeks. The overall survival of patients with a higher Child-Pugh score after 4 weeks was shorter than that of patients whose Child-Pugh classification was unchanged. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that an increased Child-Pugh score after 4 weeks was one of the independent unfavorable prognostic factors. The change of hepatic reserve as a function of albumin-bilirubin grade did not significantly correlate with patients' outcomes. Maintaining the Child-Pugh score during chemotherapy benefits the outcomes of patients with advanced HCC, even those with sufficient hepatic reserve.
The Kidney in Bardet-Biedl Syndrome: Possible Pathogenesis of Urine Concentrating Defect
Authors: Zacchia Miriam , Di Iorio Valentina , Trepiccione Francesco , Caterino Marianna , Capasso Giovambattista
Published: May 2017

Background: The ciliopathies are a growing number of disorders caused by mutations in genes involved in the function of the primary cilium. Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) belongs to this group of disorders. In this setting, kidney dysfunction is highly variable, and urine concentrating defect, a common feature of multiple ciliopathies, has been described as the most frequent defect. Here we review the mechanism of urine concentration and describe the possible mechanism underling this defect in ciliopathies and especially BBS, based on the current body of literature. Summary: Active Na+ absorption along the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle (TAL) is critical for generating the corticomedullary osmotic gradient, and the countercurrent anatomical arrangement of the 2 branches of the loop of Henle enhances this gradient. The vasa recta, paralleling the loop of Henle, operate into the countercurrent mechanism, minimizing washout of solutes from the interstitium. Final water reabsorption is mediated by the aquaporin 2 (AQP2) water channels along the distal nephron, and it is under hormonal control. Several studies demonstrated that hyposthenuria in BBS patients relies on kidney resistance to desmopressin, suggesting a renal origin. We recently showed that the majority of hyposthenuric BBS patients have also a defect regarding maximal urine dilution. Independent studies showed that BBS10 deficiency caused AQP2 mistrafficking in vitro; accordingly, we demonstrated impaired urinary AQP2 excretion in BBS patients with combined concentrating and diluting defect. Whether receptor signaling pathways or downstream events cause AQP2 deregulation is still unclear. In addition, reduced urinary uromodulin excretion in BBS patients opens the possibility that TAL dysfunction may also play a pathogenic role. Key Message: Impaired water handling in BBS is associated with AQP2 mistrafficking. The potential role of additional factors, such as the dissipation of the medullary osmotic gradient due to TAL dysfunction and/or structural anomalies, remains to be elucidated.
HIV-Associated Cerebellar Dysfunction and Improvement with Aminopyridine Therapy: A Case Report
Authors: Hoyer Carolin , Alonso Angelika , Schlotter-Weigel Beate , Platten Michael , Fatar Marc
Published: May 2017

Apart from infectious causes and cerebellar dysfunction associated with acquired immune deficiency syndrome dementia or HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder, cerebellar dysfunction in HIV-positive individuals has been ascribed to granule cell neuronopathy as well as primary cerebellar atrophy without identifiable etiology. We report the case of a patient with progressive cerebellar dysfunction as the primary manifestation of HIV infection. No symptom improvement was seen under combination antiretroviral therapy, which had been established upon diagnosis, but the patient improved rapidly under 4-aminopyridine treatment, which was recommended 1 year later. Our report, adding to the rather small number of reports of HIV-associated cerebellar atrophy and dysfunction as a primary manifestation of HIV infection, draws attention to HIV as a possible differential etiology of a cerebellar syndrome. Further, rapid improvement of symptom severity under 4-aminopyridine treatment warrants further investigation with longer-term follow-up into the effectiveness of this compound in gait disorder associated with HIV infection.
Die Birke: Botanik, medizinische Nutzung und kulturelle Bedeutung
Authors: Wick Barbara M.
Published: May 2017

Die Birke ist ein alter Pionierbaum (ca. 100 Millionen Jahre), der viel Licht benötigt, aber auch Licht spendet, die Allergiker irritiert, das Herz erfreut, beweglich erhält, Zauber abwehrt und Holz sowie Lebens- und Heilmittel zur Verfügung stellt. Dabei soll der Baum als Objekt (Botanik und allgemeine Verwendung) sowie dessen Rolle in der Medizin (Volksmedizin, Naturheilkunde, Biomedizin, Forschung) und in der Kultur (Mythologie und Rituale, Volksüberlieferung und Magie, Märchen und Legenden, Kunst, Symbolik) beleuchtet werden. Als besonderer Aspekt dieser ethnobotanischen Arbeit wird im Kapitel «Die Birke in der Symbolik» auf die medizinische Wirkung/Verwendung im Kontext der Symbolik eingegangen.
Stercoral Ulcer-Associated Perforation and Chemotherapy
Authors: Mouchli Mohamad A. , Meehan Anne M.
Published: May 2017

Stercoral ulcer perforation is a life-threatening surgical condition which is thought to result from necrosis of the bowel wall due to an ischemic pressure by stool. This condition usually afflicts patients with chronic constipation. CT scan can identify most of the cases and emergent surgery is usually indicated.
Cutaneous Corynebacterium Infection Presenting with Disseminated Skin Nodules and Ulceration
Authors: Kolios Antonios G.A. , Cozzio Antonio , Zinkernagel Annelies S. , French Lars E. , Kündig Thomas M.
Published: May 2017

In the context of the European migrant crisis, more and more cases of cutaneous diphtheria are seen. A typical presentation includes painful cutaneous ulcerations with grayish-whitish pseudomembranes. Here we present 2 male Eritrean patients suffering from cutaneous nontoxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae (patient 1) and Corynebacterium striatum (patient 2) infection.
Aging and the Inevitable Limit to Human Life Span
Authors: Vijg Jan , Le Bourg Eric
Published: May 2017

There is a long-lasting debate about a natural limit to human life span, and it has been argued that the maximum reported age at death, which has not increased for ca 25 years, fluctuates around 115 years, even if some persons live beyond this age. We argue that the close connection of species-specific longevity with life history strategies explains why human life span is limited and cannot reach the considerably longer life spans of several other species.
Familial Analysis of Epistatic and Sex-Dependent Association of Genes of the Renin–Angiotensin–Aldosterone System and Blood Pressure
Authors: Scurrah Katrina J. , Lamantia Angela , Ellis Justine A. , Harrap Stephen B.
Published: May 2017

Background—

Renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system genes have been inconsistently associated with blood pressure, possibly because of unrecognized influences of sex-dependent genetic effects or gene–gene interactions (epistasis).

Methods and Results—

We tested association of systolic blood pressure with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at renin (
REN
), angiotensinogen (
AGT
), angiotensin-converting enzyme (
ACE
), angiotensin II type 1 receptor (
AGTR1
), and aldosterone synthase (
CYP11B2
), including sex–SNP or SNP–SNP interactions. Eighty-eight tagSNPs were tested in 2872 white individuals in 809 pedigrees from the Victorian Family Heart Study using variance components models. Three SNPs (rs8075924 and rs4277404 at
ACE
and rs12721297 at
AGTR1
) were individually associated with lower systolic blood pressure with significant (
P
<0.00076) effect sizes ≈1.7 to 2.5 mm Hg. Sex-specific associations were seen for 3 SNPs in men (rs2468523 and rs2478544 at
AGT
and rs11658531 at
ACE
) and 1 SNP in women (rs12451328 at
ACE
). SNP–SNP interaction was suggested (
P
<0.005) for 14 SNP pairs, none of which had shown individual association with systolic blood pressure. Four SNP pairs were at the same gene (2 for
REN
, 1 for
AGT
, and 1 for
AGTR1
). The SNP rs3097 at
CYP11B2
was represented in 5 separate pairs.

Conclusions—

SNPs at key renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system genes associate with systolic blood pressure individually in both sexes, individually in one sex only and only when combined with another SNP. Analyses that incorporate sex-dependent and epistatic effects could reconcile past inconsistencies and account for some of the missing heritability of blood pressure and are generally relevant to SNP association studies for any phenotype.
Impact of Ezetimibe on the Rate of Cardiovascular-Related Hospitalizations and Associated Costs Among Patients With a Recent Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Pokharel Yashashwi , Chinnakondepalli Khaja , Vilain Katherine , Wang Kaijun , Mark Daniel B. , Davies Glenn , Blazing Michael A. , Giugliano Robert P. , Braunwald Eugene , Cannon Christopher P. , Cohen David J. , Magnuson Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2017

Background—

Ezetimibe, when added to simvastatin therapy, reduces cardiovascular events after recent acute coronary syndrome. However, the impact of ezetimibe on cardiovascular-related hospitalizations and associated costs is unknown.

Methods and Results—

We used patient-level data from the IMPROVE-IT (Improved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial) to examine the impact of simvastatin–ezetimibe versus simvastatin–placebo on cardiovascular-related hospitalizations and related costs (excluding drug costs) over 7 years follow-up. Medicare Severity–Diagnosis Related Groups were assigned to all cardiovascular hospitalizations. Hospital costs were estimated using Medicare reimbursement rates for 2013. Associated physician costs were estimated as a percentage of hospital costs. The impact of treatment assignment on hospitalization rates and costs was estimated using Poisson and linear regression, respectively. There was a significantly lower cardiovascular hospitalization rate with ezetimibe compared with placebo (risk ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.90–0.99;
P
=0.031), mainly attributable to fewer hospitalizations for percutaneous coronary intervention, angina, and stroke. Consequently, cardiovascular-related hospitalization costs over 7 years were $453 per patient lower with ezetimibe (95% confidence interval, −$38 to −$869;
P
=0.030). Although all prespecified subgroups had lower cost with ezetimibe therapy, patients with diabetes mellitus, patients aged ≥75 years, and patients at higher predicted risk for recurrent ischemic events had even greater cost offsets.

Conclusions—

Addition of ezetimibe to statin therapy in patients with a recent acute coronary syndrome leads to reductions in cardiovascular-related hospitalizations and associated costs, with the greatest cost offsets in high-risk patients. These cost reductions may completely offset the cost of the drug once ezetimibe becomes generic, and may lead to cost savings from the perspective of the healthcare system, if treatment with ezetimibe is targeted to high-risk patients.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique Identifier: NCT00202878
First-in-Man Demonstration of Direct Endothelin-Mediated Natriuresis and Diuresis
Authors: Hunter Robert W. , Moorhouse Rebecca , Farrah Tariq E. , MacIntyre Iain M. , Asai Takae , Gallacher Peter J. , Kerr Debbie , Melville Vanessa , Czopek Alicja , Morrison Emma E. , Ivy Jess R. , Dear James W. , Bailey Matthew A. , Goddard Jane , Webb David J. , Dhaun Neeraj
Published: May 2017

Endothelin (ET) receptor antagonists are potentially novel therapeutic agents in chronic kidney disease and resistant hypertension, but their use is complicated by sodium and water retention. In animal studies, this side effect arises from ET
B
receptor blockade in the renal tubule. Previous attempts to determine whether this mechanism operates in humans have been confounded by the hemodynamic consequences of ET receptor stimulation/blockade. We aimed to determine the effects of ET signaling on salt transport in the human nephron by administering subpressor doses of the ET-1 precursor, big ET-1. We conducted a 2-phase randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in 10 healthy volunteers. After sodium restriction, subjects received either intravenous placebo or big ET-1, in escalating dose (≤300 pmol/min). This increased plasma concentration and urinary excretion of ET-1. Big ET-1 reduced heart rate (≈8 beats/min) but did not otherwise affect systemic hemodynamics or glomerular filtration rate. Big ET-1 increased the fractional excretion of sodium (from 0.5 to 1.0%). It also increased free water clearance and tended to increase the abundance of the sodium–potassium–chloride cotransporter (NKCC2) in urinary extracellular vesicles. Our protocol induced modest increases in circulating and urinary ET-1. Sodium and water excretion increased in the absence of significant hemodynamic perturbation, supporting a direct action of ET-1 on the renal tubule. Our data also suggest that sodium reabsorption is stimulated by ET-1 in the thick ascending limb and suppressed in the distal renal tubule. Fluid retention associated with ET receptor antagonist therapy may be circumvented by coprescribing potassium-sparing diuretics.
The New Sacred Farm
Authors: Van Wieren Gretel
Published: May 2017

The food and faith movement in the U.S. is a loose amalgamation of religious communities and organizations, clergy members and lay volunteers, activists and agricultural practitioners who are working, in varied and diverse ways, to address the social, ecological, political, and ethical challenges posed by current food systems. Oftentimes these groups work hand-in-hand with secular food and food justice organizations in organizing community supported agriculture projects, farm to school programs, educational efforts around health, nutrition, cooking, and gardening, and public policy advocacy efforts. What distinguish religious approaches to this work are the ritual practices and narrative tropes that oftentimes orient them. This paper explores some of these motifs by examining the work of three religious, community-based farming projects. It concludes that these religious farms and others like them should be considered sacred spaces for how they ritualize and symbolically interpret agricultural and food practices.
Constructing the Environment as a Faith Issue
Authors: Lundberg Anders Per
Published: May 2017

This paper seeks to understand how the environment is constructed as a faith issue by environmental coordinators and activists in the Lutheran Church of Sweden. The main results are: 1. On the whole, respondents do not feel environmentalism emanates out of their religious engagement, but that it is something they brought with them. 2. Respondents emphasize instrumentality. A wealthy Church is considered to be an important resource for the sake of creating a sustainable society. Conversely, respondents emphasize environmentalism as a way of proving the relevance of the Church to an estranged society. 3. Theologically, respondents struggle to negotiate between maintaining a communitarian, anti-individualistic eco-theology, while staying within the boundaries of classic Christianity, not crossing over to pantheism. Eco-theology is felt to be stretching the boundaries, developing biblical motifs beyond what they are traditionally thought to mean. The data is analyzed using Peter Beyer’s concepts of religious function and religious performance.
Islamophobia Reconsidered: Approaching Emotions, Affects, and Historical Layers of Orientalism in the Study of Religion
Authors: Trein Lorenz
Published: May 2017

1The article challenges the unexplained subject matter of emotions and affects in the study of Islamophobia. As a first step, I will pinpoint how scholars in the field of political and social sciences construe affective dimensions of Islamophobia as irrational in opposition to rational behavior and interest in politics and thereby virtually exclude emotions and affects as suitable subjects from scholarly discourse. In contrast, I will suggest analyzing Islamophobic discourse in line with approaches defining affects and emotions both as historically and linguistically mediated. Therefore, particular attention is given to a historiographical approach to emotions with regard to a theory of practice and to the so-called ‘affective turn’ in the field of religion. Furthermore, I am arguing that a distinct historiographical stance towards Islamophobia and emotions in the study of religion allows us to readdress historical (e.g., colonial, Orientalist, and postcolonial) layers structuring debates on Islam until today.
Between the Mind Twist and the Brain Spot
Authors: Abraham Tara H.
Published: May 2017

This paper explores the material and visual practices that defined studies of psychopathology in early twentieth-century American medicine, through a close look at the work of neuropathologist Elmer E. Southard (1876–1920). As a discipline sitting at the intersection between laboratory and clinical practice, neuropathology has received little attention from historians of the brain sciences. Unlike the neurologist, who was interested in treating patients and saving lives, the neuropathologist often encountered patients following death, and studied the brain for signs of pathology during autopsy. Trained in a German tradition of laboratory pathology, Southard has been cast as a somaticist with respect to psychopathology. By examining Southard’s medical and philosophical writings, I present a more nuanced analysis of the role of brain pathology in Southard’s vision of disease etiology, his views on the foundations of psychiatry, as well as a more vivid picture of the sorts of material practices that defined the work of the neuropathologist.
Plastic Maps: The New Brain Cartographies of the 21th-Century Neurosciences
Authors: Morabito Carmela
Published: May 2017

Ever since the phrenological heads of the early 19th century, maps have translated into images our ideas, theories and models of the brain, making this organ at one and the same time scientific object and representation. Brain maps have always served as gateways for navigating and visualizing neuroscientific knowledge, and over time many different maps have been produced – firstly as tools to “read” and analyse the cerebral territory, then as instruments to produce new models of the brain. Over the last 150 years brain cartography has evolved from a way of identifying brain regions and localizing them for clinical use to an anatomical framework onto which information about local properties and functions can be integrated to provide a view of the brain’s structural and functional architecture. In this paper a historical and epistemological consideration of the topic is offered as a contribution to the understanding of contemporary brain mapping, based on the assumption that the brain continuously rewires itself in relation to individual experience.
Typification of names in the genus Bouchea (Duranteae, Verbenaceae)
Authors: MORONI PABLO , O’LEARY NATALY
Published: May 2017

Based on the ongoing taxonomic studies of the genus Bouchea and with the aim of contributing to stabilize its nomenclatural framework, ten names actually belonging to Bouchea were identified to need typification or proper typification remarks. As a result the names B. agrestis, B. ehrenbergii, B. linifolia, B. rusbyi and B. spathulata are lectotypified, a neotype is selected for the name Stachytarpheta pseudochascanum (≡ B. pseudochacanum) and the name Verbena fluminensis (≡ B. fluminensis) is epitypified. Updates and supporting information for three names already typified by Harold Moldenke in the year 1940 are provided: Valerianoides boliviana (≡ B. boliviana), B. dissecta and B. pseudogervao f. pilosa.
Diatomella colonialis, a new diatom species (Bacillariophyta) from the sub-Antarctic Region
Authors: VAN DE VIJVER BART , LE COHU RENÉ
Published: May 2017

During a survey of the freshwater diatom flora of the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean, an unknown Diatomella taxon was observed forming long colonies using linking spines. Detailed morphological analysis based on light and scanning electron microscopical observations and comparison with all known Diatomella taxa worldwide justified the description of this unknown taxon as a new species: Diatomella colonialis sp. nov. The new taxon is characterized by the presence of marginal linking spines, the reduction of its raphe structure leaving only two short raphe slits near the apices, a very large axial area occupying almost the entire valve face and very short alveolate striae composed of paired areolae. The presence of these alveolate striae and the girdle structure with its typical scalariform valvocopula place this taxon in the genus Diatomella.         The new species is described and compared with other Diatomella taxa. Notes on its distribution and ecology are added.
Danxiaorchis yangii sp. nov. (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae), the second species of Danxiaorchis
Authors: YANG BOYUN , XIAO SHIHE , JIANG YAWEN , LUO HUOLIN , XIONG DONGJIN , ZHAI JUNWEN , LI BO
Published: May 2017

Danxiaorchis yangii (Calypsoinae, Epidendreae, Epidendroideae), a holomycotrophic new species from Jinggangshan National Nature Reserve, western Jiangxi, eastern of China, is here illustrated and described based on both morphological and phylogenetic evidences. The new species can be easily distinguished from D. singchiana by its much smaller flowers and larger Y-shaped callus adaxially bearing a additional obovoid appendage, and by its four pollinia narrowly elliptic in shape and equal in size.
Description of six new species of the genus Ripeacma (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) from China, with a checklist of the world species
Authors: LI SURAN , WANG SHUXIA
Published: May 2017

Six new species of the genus Ripeacma Moriuti, Saito & Lewvanich, 1985 are described: R. rostratiformis sp. nov. from Hainan, R. angustizonalis sp. nov. from Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan, R. fusoidea sp. nov. from Yunnan, R. lunata sp. nov. from Guizhou, R. ventilatiformis sp. nov. from Hong Kong and Hainan, and R. sentosa sp. nov. from Guangxi; three species are newly recorded for China: R. yaiensis Moriuti, Saito & Lewvanich, 1985, R. nangae Moriuti, Saito & Lewvanich, 1985 and R. tirawati Moriuti, Saito & Lewvanich, 1985. Images of adults and genitalia of the new species are provided. A checklist of the Ripeacma species is given on a worldwide basis.
Cardiovascular Effects of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Aslan Gamze , Afsar Baris , Siriopol Dimitrie , Kanbay Asiye , Sal Oguzhan , Benli Caghan , Okcuoglu John , Covic Adrian , Kanbay Mehmet
Published: May 2017

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the first-line treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Obstructive sleep apnea is a predictor of cardiovascular (CV) events. In this meta-analysis, we evaluated the effect of CPAP on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), CV events, CV mortality, and all-cause mortality in patients with OSA. Nine articles (n = 9610 patients) were analyzed. Four different meta-analyses were performed: evaluation of LVEF, assessment of all-cause mortality, CV mortality, and CV events. Continuous positive airway pressure treatment was associated with a significant increase in LVEF (mean difference: 2.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.8%-3.4%). There was a nonsignificant reduction in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.73-1.15) but a significant reduction of 66% in the risk of CV mortality associated with the CPAP treatment (HR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.17-0.68, P = .002). There was a nonsignificant reduction in the risk of CV events in the CPAP-treated patients (HR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.60-1.18, P = .31). Our meta-analyses showed that CPAP treatment improves LVEF and could have a beneficial effect on CV mortality.
Bouncing Back: Building Resilience Through Social and Environmental Practices in the Context of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis
Authors: DesJardine Mark , Bansal Pratima , Yang Yang
Published: May 2017

Even though organizational researchers have acknowledged the role of social and environmental business practices in contributing to organizational resilience, this work remains scarce, possibly because of the difficulties in measuring organizational resilience. In this paper, we aim to partly remedy this issue by measuring two ways in which organizational resilience manifests through organizational outcomes in a generalized environmental disturbance—namely, severity of loss, which captures the stability dimension of resilience, and time to recovery, which captures the flexibility dimension. By isolating these two variables, we can then theorize the types of social and environmental practices that contribute to resilience. Specifically, we argue that strategic social and environmental practices contribute more to organizational resilience than do tactical social and environmental practices. We test our theory by analyzing the responses of 963 U.S.-based firms to the global financial crisis and find evidence that support our hypotheses.
Forgiveness, Attachment to God, and Mental Health Outcomes in Older U.S. Adults: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Kent Blake Victor , Bradshaw Matt , Uecker Jeremy E.
Published: May 2017

We analyze a sample of older U.S. adults with religious backgrounds in order to examine the relationships among two types of divine forgiveness and three indicators of psychological well-being (PWB) as well as the moderating role of attachment to God. Results suggest that (a) feeling forgiven by God and transactional forgiveness from God are not associated with changes in PWB over time, (b) secure attachment to God at baseline is associated with increased optimism and self-esteem, (c) feeling forgiven by God and transactional forgiveness from God are more strongly associated with increased PWB among the securely attached, and (d) among the avoidantly attached, PWB is associated with consistency in one’s beliefs, that is, a decreased emphasis on forgiveness from God. Findings underscore the importance of subjective beliefs about God in the lives of many older adults in the United States.
Human Kinematics of Cochlear Implant Surgery: An Investigation of Insertion Micro‐Motions and Speed Limitations
Authors: Kesler Kyle , Dillon Neal P. , Fichera Loris , Labadie Robert F.
Published: May 2017

Objectives

Document human motions associated with cochlear implant electrode insertion at different speeds and determine the lower limit of continuous insertion speed by a human.

Study Design

Observational.

Setting

Academic medical center.

Subjects and Methods

Cochlear implant forceps were coupled to a frame containing reflective fiducials, which enabled optical tracking of the forceps’ tip position in real time. Otolaryngologists (n = 14) performed mock electrode insertions at different speeds based on recommendations from the literature: “fast” (96 mm/min), “stable” (as slow as possible without stopping), and “slow” (15 mm/min). For each insertion, the following metrics were calculated from the tracked position data: percentage of time at prescribed speed, percentage of time the surgeon stopped moving forward, and number of direction reversals (ie, going from forward to backward motion).

Results

Fast insertion trials resulted in better adherence to the prescribed speed (45.4% of the overall time), no motion interruptions, and no reversals, as compared with slow insertions (18.6% of time at prescribed speed, 15.7% stopped time, and an average of 18.6 reversals per trial). These differences were statistically significant for all metrics (P <. 01). The metrics for the fast and stable insertions were comparable; however, stable insertions were performed 44% slower on average. The mean stable insertion speed was 52 ± 19.3 mm/min.

Conclusion

Results indicate that continuous insertion of a cochlear implant electrode at 15 mm/min is not feasible for human operators. The lower limit of continuous forward insertion is 52 mm/min on average. Guidelines on manual insertion kinematics should consider this practical limit of human motion.
Using Weight-of-Experts Messaging to Communicate Accurately About Contested Science
Authors: Dunwoody Sharon , Kohl Patrice A.
Published: May 2017

Research indicates that balanced news coverage of opposing scientific claims can result in heightened uncertainty among audiences about what is true. In this study, we test the ability of a weight-of-experts statement to enhance individuals’ ability to distinguish between more versus less valid claims. An experiment found that the weight-of-experts narrative led participants to greater certainty about what scientists judged to be true, which made participants more likely to “buy in” to that judgment themselves.
Measures of psychosocial factors that may influence help-seeking behaviour in cancer: A systematic review of psychometric properties
Authors: Kummer Sonja , Walter Fiona M , Chilcot Joseph , Scott Suzanne
Published: May 2017

Advanced stage cancer is frequently attributed to delays in presentation to a healthcare professional. To reduce undue delay, it is imperative to understand the reasons underlying help-seeking behaviour and to measure those using valid and reliable tools. This systematic review aimed to identify how studies have measured psychosocial factors affecting time to presentation for (potential) cancer symptoms. A total of 35 studies were included. Most studies failed to use valid and reliable tools, and predominantly provided inconclusive results regarding psychosocial factors and time to presentation when no or minimal psychometric evidence was present. Consequently, measure selection and future measure development should be guided by psychometric principles.
Defining public-sector entrepreneurship
Authors: Dhliwayo Shepherd
Published: May 2017

Public-sector entrepreneurship (PSE) is a relatively new area of enquiry. Though it is now universally agreed that the public sector can be entrepreneurial just like its private sector counterpart, it is not clear what makes up the PSE construct. The study proposes three dimensions of what makes up PSE. The three are, economic facilitation and regulation, the civil–political service agent and commercial market participation. The dimensions are based on the different roles the state plays in trying to optimally provide public value to its citizens. This study offers a conceptual definition that could more broadly represent PSE. As with any new concept, this conceptual framework still has to be tested for efficacy and be validated through future research.
A qualitative meta-summary using Sandelowski and Barroso’s method for integrating qualitative research to explore barriers and facilitators to self-care in heart failure patients
Authors: Herber Oliver Rudolf , Bücker Bettina , Metzendorf Maria-Inti , Barroso Julie
Published: May 2017

Background:

Individual qualitative studies provide varied reasons for why heart failure patients do not engage in self-care, yet articles that aggregated primary studies on the subject have methodological weaknesses that justified the execution of a qualitative meta-summary.

Aim:

The aim of this study is to integrate the findings of qualitative studies pertaining to barriers and facilitators to self-care using meta-summary techniques.

Methods:

Qualitative meta-summary techniques by Sandelowski and Barroso were used to combine the findings of qualitative studies. Meta-summary techniques include: (1) extraction of relevant statements of findings from each report; (2) reduction of these statements into abstracted findings and (3) calculation of effect sizes. Databases were searched systematically for qualitative studies published between January 2010 and July 2015. Out of 2264 papers identified, 31 reports based on the accounts of 814 patients were included in the meta-summary.

Results:

A total of 37 statements of findings provided a comprehensive inventory of findings across all reports. Out of these statements of findings, 21 were classified as barriers, 13 as facilitators and three were classed as both barriers and facilitators. The main themes relating to barriers and facilitators to self-care were: beliefs, benefits of self-care, comorbidities, financial constraints, symptom recognition, ethnic background, inconsistent self-care, insufficient information, positive and negative emotions, organizational context, past experiences, physical environment, self-initiative, self-care adverse effects, social context and personal preferences.

Conclusion:

Based on the meta-findings identified in this study, future intervention development could address these barriers and facilitators in order to further enhance self-care abilities in heart failure patients.
Accidental ethnography: A method for practitioner-based education research
Authors: Levitan Joseph , Carr-Chellman Davin , Carr-Chellman Alison
Published: May 2017

This article presents and discusses Accidental Ethnography (AccE), a methodology for practitioners to examine past experiences and contribute their findings to scholarly discourse. Accidental ethnography is the systematic analysis of prior fieldwork. It utilizes extant data “accidentally” gathered (i.e. the data were not collected as part of a predesigned study) to provide insight into a phenomenon, culture, or way of life. The accidental ethnography method—a nascent method in research literature—was developed to provide a means of in-depth exploration of past practitioner learning experiences beyond personal reflection. This article organizes, advances, and systematizes an accidental ethnography method for practitioner–researchers. We propose here a method that encompasses broader intentionality on the part of the researcher and a potentially unorthodox chronology of steps in the ethnographic research process. For practitioners in education, where much is learned through action and reflection, accidental ethnography offers a methodological approach for rigorous reflective research by front-line practitioners who have traditionally had difficulty finding time to make rigorous contributions to the discipline. This article introduces the methodological approach, elaborates the accidental ethnography research process, situates the method within action research methodology, and provides an example of an accidental ethnography project.
Navigating Uncharted Waters: First-Generation Native Hawaiian College Students in STEM
Authors: Allaire Franklin S.
Published: May 2017

This qualitative study explored the experiences of 10 Native Hawaiian members of Hawai‘i’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) community to understand how they navigate their cultural and professional identities. This article explores one of the major themes—being first-generation college students—and the narrators’ inspirations, influences, and challenges as first-generation college students in STEM-related degree programs. Within this context, the participants explore the impact of support networks, going beyond the educational level of their parents, as well as feelings of inferiority, tokenism, and marginalization as one of the few Native Hawaiian students in STEM degree programs. These findings are substantial in that they offer understanding related to a distinct racial/ethnic minority that is underrepresented in higher education and the sciences.
Parental Feeding Style and Pediatric Obesity in Latino Families
Authors: Maliszewski Genevieve , Gillette Meredith Dreyer , Brown Chris , Cowden John D.
Published: May 2017

Introduction:

Pediatric obesity has become an epidemic in the United States. Previous research has shown that parenting factors related to feeding style affect child weight and that Latino families are especially at risk for pediatric obesity. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the relationship between parental feeding style and child body mass index (BMI) in Latino families.

Method:

Latino parents of children between the ages of 2 and 8 ( N = 124) completed a survey on parental feeding styles, acculturation, and demographics. The outcome variable was child BMI.

Results:

Among respondents, 89% were mothers, 72% were overweight or obese, and 40% reported an indulgent feeding style. Children had a mean age of 59 months ( SD = 23.8) and a mean BMI z score of 0.77 ( SD = 1.14). A demanding parental feeding style was associated with lower child BMI z score, r = −.179, p < .05, and higher acculturation level, r = .213, p < .05.

Conclusions:

Findings from the current study can be used to inform health care practitioners of the need to use culturally sensitive interventions that consider parents’ feeding behaviors. Future research is warranted in the area of ethnic variations of parenting and how these affect feeding and obesity in this highly vulnerable population.
Data, democracy and school accountability: Controversy over school evaluation in the case of DeVasco High School
Authors: West John
Published: May 2017

Debate over the closure of DeVasco High School shows that data-driven accountability was a methodological and administrative processes that produced both transparency and opacity. Data, when applied to a system of accountability, produced new capabilities and powers, and as such were political. It created second-hand representations of important objects of analysis. Using these representations administrators spoke on behalf of the school, the student and the classroom, without having to rely on the first-person accounts of students, teachers or principals. They empowered one group—central city administrators—over another—teachers and principals. After analyzing the form these policies took, this article concludes that it is necessary to rethink the processes that create visibility and invisibility. Public data obscured the voices, experiences and collective traumas of students and faculty within the school. A narrow focus on activities within the schools rendered invisible the structural decisions made by the Department of Education in New York City—to favor small schools over large, comprehensive ones. In order to create understanding, and a sense of common purpose, those who are spoken for in simplified data must also be given the opportunity to debate the representations of their performance and quality.
Design and performance analysis of a 3-

R

RR spherical parallel manipulator for hip exoskeleton applications
Authors: Sadeqi Soheil , Bourgeois Shaun P , Park Edward J , Arzanpour Siamak
Published: May 2017

This paper presents the design and performance analysis and experimental study of a 3-RRR spherical parallel manipulator in the context of hip exoskeleton applications. First, the mechanism’s inverse kinematics analysis and Jacobian matrix development are revisited. Manipulability, dexterity, and rotational sensitivity indices are then evaluated for two different methods of attachment to the human body. The superior attachment method in terms of these performance measures is indicated, and an experimental study based on the selected method is conducted; the experiment involves testing the capability of a 3-RRR manipulator’s end-effector in tracking the motions experienced by a human hip joint during normal gait cycles. Finally, the results of the experimental study indicate that the manipulator represents a feasible hip exoskeleton solution providing total kinematic compliance with the human hip joint’s 3-degree-of-freedom motion capabilities.
Exploring lifestyle changes in women with ischemic heart disease
Authors: Wagner Malene , Nielsen Karina , Errboe Peter , Haahr Anita
Published: May 2017

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a major cause of death for women worldwide, and thus it is important to focus on lifestyle changes to reduce the impact of the disease on women’s everyday lives. Nine women were interviewed using an explorative approach to describe women’s lifestyle changes after being diagnosed with IHD. Three major themes emerged; ‘Heart disease: A life-changing event’, ‘Social life – both inhibiting and promoting lifestyle changes’ and ‘Maintaining changes: An ongoing challenge and a conscious choice’. Ischemic heart disease caused anxiety, and the women strived to find meaning in life after diagnosis. Family had a great impact on the lifestyle changes made and the social aspect of exercise was highlighted as important. Time since onset of disease affected the effort to make lifestyle changes, showing that changes were easier to make immediately after onset but difficult to maintain over time.
Aphrodisiac Activity of the Aqueous Crude Extract of Purple Corn (Zea mays) in Male Rats
Authors: Carro-Juárez Miguel , Rodríguez-Santiago Magdalena G. , Franco Miguel Angel , Hueletl-Soto María Eugenia
Published: May 2017

In the present study, the aphrodisiac properties of the purple corn ( Zea mays) in male rats were analyzed. The aqueous crude extract of purple corn (at 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg) was administered to ( a) copulating male rats and ( b) anesthetized and spinal cord transected male rats. Behavioral parameters of copulatory behavior and parameters of the genital motor pattern of ejaculation previous to its inhibition, under the influence of the purple corn extract, are described. Administration of the aqueous crude extract of purple corn significantly facilitates the arousal and execution of male rat sexual behavior without significant influences on the ambulatory behavior. In addition, purple corn extract elicit a significant increase in the number of discharges of the ejaculatory motor patterns and in the total number of genital motor patterns evoked in spinal rats. The present findings show that the aqueous crude extract of purple corn possesses aphrodisiac activity.
An Analysis of Self-Concept in Students With Compensatory Education Needs for Developing a Mindfulness-Based Psychoeducational Program
Authors: Palomino María del Carmen Pegalajar
Published: May 2017

Education should encourage cognitive and emotional development in students with special educational needs, embracing how each student sees themselves. As such, mindfulness is a learning experience that entails significant emotional well-being, learning, and physical and mental health benefits for those who engage in this practice. The study analyzed perceptions of self-concept in students with compensatory education needs at primary school level ( n = 26); this descriptive–correlational study was conducted by means of the “Multidimensional Self-Concept scale.” The respondents reported positive levels of self-concept in peer relations, physical appearance and physical ability, and academic self-concept in mathematics. Furthermore, correlations between the different factors of the scale were observed, thus favoring the subsequent design and implementation of a mindfulness intervention.
Complication Rates in Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF) Surgery With Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2: Medicare Population
Authors: Alobaidaan Raed , Cohen Jeremiah R. , Lord Elizabeth L. , Buser Zorica , Yoon S. Tim , Youssef Jim A. , Park Jong-Beom , Brodke Darrel S. , Wang Jeffrey C. , Meisel Hans-Joerg
Published: May 2017

Study Design:

Retrospective cohort study among Medicare beneficiaries who underwent posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery.

Objective:

To identify the complication rates associated with the use of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) in PLIF. Human BMP2 is commonly used in the “off-label” manner for various types of spine fusion procedures, including PLIF. However, recent studies have reported potential complications associated with the recombinant human BMP2 (rhBMP2) use in the posterior approach.

Methods:

Medicare records within the PearlDiver database were queried for patients undergoing PLIF procedure with and without rhBMP2 between 2005 and 2010. We evaluated complications within 1 year postoperatively. Chi-square was used to compare the complication rates between the 2 groups.

Results:

A total of 8609 patients underwent PLIF procedure with or without rhBMP2. Individual complication rates in the rhBMP2 group ranged from 0.45% to 7.68% compared with 0.65% to 10.99 in the non-rhBMP2 group. Complication rates for cardiac, pulmonary, lumbosacral neuritis, infection, wound, and urinary tract (include acute kidney failure and post-operative complications) were significantly lower in the rhBMP2 group ( P < .05). There was no difference in the rates of central nervous system complications or radiculitis between the 2 groups.

Conclusion:

Our data showed that the patients who received rhBMP2 had lower complication rates compared to the non-rhBMP2 group. However, use of rhBMP2 was associated with a higher rate of pseudarthrosis. We did not observe any difference in radiculitis and central nervous system complications between the groups.