bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water Sensation During Passive Propulsion for Expert and Nonexpert Swimmers
Authors: Kusanagi Kenta , Sato Daisuke , Hashimoto Yasuhiro , Yamada Norimasa
Published: April 2017

This study determined whether expert swimmers, compared with nonexperts, have superior movement perception and physical sensations of propulsion in water. Expert (national level competitors, n = 10) and nonexpert (able to swim 50 m in > 3 styles, n = 10) swimmers estimated distance traveled in water with their eyes closed. Both groups indicated their subjective physical sensations in the water. For each of two trials, two-dimensional coordinates were obtained from video recordings using the two-dimensional direct linear transformation method for calculating changes in speed. The mean absolute error of the difference between the actual and estimated distance traveled in the water was significantly lower for expert swimmers (0.90 ± 0.71 meters) compared with nonexpert swimmers (3.85 ± 0.84 m). Expert swimmers described the sensation of propulsion in water in cutaneous terms as the “sense of flow” and sensation of “skin resistance.” Therefore, expert swimmers appear to have a superior sense of distance during their movement in the water compared with that of nonexpert swimmers. In addition, expert swimmers may have a better perception of movement in water. We propose that expert swimmers integrate sensations and proprioceptive senses, enabling them to better perceive and estimate distance moved through water.
Mental Health Peer Navigators: Working With Criminal Justice–Involved Populations
Authors: Portillo Shannon , Goldberg Victoria , Taxman Faye S.
Published: April 2017

Although peer navigators have gained traction within health care, they are still a relatively new feature of criminal justice–involved organizations. Based on data gathered from interviews, nonparticipant observations, and focus groups from a nonprofit that employs peer navigators to assist clients returning from prison with diagnosed mental illnesses, we argue that peer navigators play multiple roles that extend beyond the client level by influencing the organization and its interaction with the community. Importantly, we discuss these implications for the organization and suggest structure and socialization issues for the integration of criminal justice–involved peer navigators.
Modelling urban expansion in the transitional Greater Mekong Region
Authors: Li Han , Wei Yehua Dennis , Korinek Kim
Published: April 2017

Urban expansion in emerging urban areas has drawn plenty of attention. The Greater Mekong Region (GMR) has experienced dramatic urbanisation and urban land expansion in recent decades. Based on built-up area data from the World Bank compiled over the 2000–2010 period, this paper integrates geographical, socioeconomic and physical factors to explore the underlying patterns and dynamics of urban land expansion in the GMR. An explicit and critical emphasis is placed on institutional conditions. The growth of built-up areas in the GMR has concentrated heavily in the capital cities and coastal areas. Additionally, the transitional countries have shown more dramatic expansion. The results of multi-level models suggest that urban developments in the GMR are not only sensitive to local contexts, such as distance to coastlines, accessibility factors and population growth rates, but are also closely associated with country-level factors, such as country political systems, and patterns of economic growth and foreign investment. We also find that the demographic measures of urbanisation have more influence in Thailand, while measures of economic growth have more marked impacts in the transitional countries.
Pushed off the map: Toponymy and the politics of place in New York City
Authors: Madden David J
Published: April 2017

This article examines conflicts over neighbourhood renaming and the politics of place. Toponymy, or the practice of place naming, is central to the constitution of place, and neighbourhood renaming is a pervasive urban strategy. But despite its prevalence, the role of neighbourhood toponymic conflict in processes of urban restructuring has not been given sustained engagement from urban scholars. This article uses archival and ethnographic data from an area in Brooklyn, New York to argue that contemporary neighbourhood renaming facilitates uneven local development. Real estate developers and residents of expensive private housing use toponymy to legitimise their privileged positions, while public housing residents experience the same toponymic change as a form of symbolic displacement. Conflicts surrounding neighbourhood renaming should therefore be seen as elements of struggles over resources, property, identity, and belonging in urban space.
Institutional Legacies and “Sticky Layers”: What Happens in Cases of Transformative Policy Change?
Authors: Carey Gemma , Kay Adrian , Nevile Ann
Published: April 2017

Policy layering has received significant scholarly attention in recent years as a means to explain and understand the outcomes of policy implementation efforts, particularly within the context of incremental change. However, little is known about how processes of policy layering and institutional legacies play out in (relatively rare) system-wide and transformative policy reforms. This article presents a critical case study of one such reform—the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). In examining the implementation experiences of the NDIS, we resist the bifurcation of the study of policy dynamics into a stability versus big bang dualism by revealing that many influential and constraining factors in a layering process are common across both incremental and transformative reforms. Moreover, we find that layering is not merely an unfortunate by-product of previous institutional structures but a tool that is actively sought and used by policy makers to tackle implementation challenges that, once set in motion, can move beyond the ability of policy makers to control.
Modified Adomian decomposition method for solving fractional optimal control problems
Authors: Alizadeh Ali , Effati Sohrab
Published: April 2017

In this study, we use the modified Adomian decomposition method to solve a class of fractional optimal control problems. The performance index of a fractional optimal control problem is considered as a function of both the state and the control variables, and the dynamical system is expressed in terms of a Caputo type fractional derivative. Some properties of fractional derivatives and integrals are used to obtain Euler–Lagrange equations for a linear tracking fractional control problem and then, the modified Adomian decomposition method is used to solve the resulting fractional differential equations. This technique rapidly provides convergent successive approximations of the exact solution to a linear tracking fractional optimal control problem. We compare the proposed technique with some numerical methods to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the modified Adomian decomposition method by examining several illustrative test problems.
Direct stability-switching delays determination procedure with differential averaging
Authors: Pekař Libor , Prokop Roman
Published: April 2017

In this paper, a direct computational method for the searching and determination of stability switching delays is introduced. The primary procedure is applicable to retarded linear time-invariant time-delay systems and it is based on the iterative (successive) estimation of the dominant pole of the infinite system spectrum by means of the Taylor’s series expansion in every node of the selected grid of discrete delay values. Whenever a crossing of the stability border is detected, the switching pole loci and the corresponding set of switching delays are further enhanced. To perform it, a linear Regula Falsi interpolation has been used in the original version. Here, two versions of the use of root tendency property are applied and compared. Root tendency expresses the change in the pole position with respect to the infinitesimal change in delays; that is, the complex valued gradient. Once a finite set of stability switching delays’ values is determined, these delays can be joined so that infinitely many switching delays are obtained. In this paper, the linear and the quadratic interpolations are compared in addition. The whole procedure is simply implementable by using standard software tools and it does not require special ones; neither a deep mathematical knowledge is required, which is favorable for the practice. A numerical example performed in MATLAB/Simulink environment demonstrates the accuracy of the algorithm and its substrategies compared with a well-established method for the delay-dependent stability analysis. Some beneficial and worthwhile ideas of how to cope with neutral delay systems are given and supported by an example as well.
Reduction of BOLD interference in pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling: towards quantitative fMRI
Authors: Warnock Geoffrey , Özbay Pinar S , Kuhn Felix P , Nanz Daniel , Buck Alfred , Boss Andreas , Rossi Cristina
Published: April 2017

Fluctuations in blood-oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal and perfusion affect the quantification of changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF), coupled to neuronal activity, in arterial spin labeling (ASL). Subtraction methods for control and labeled MR images (i.e. pair-wise, surround subtraction, and subtraction of sinc-interpolated images), postulated to mitigate this interference in pseudo-continuous ASL (pCASL), were evaluated by comparison with quantitative 15O-water PET. At rest, a good agreement in the CBF values was found between PET and MRI for each of the subtraction methods. Stimulation of the visual system resulted in a regional CBF increase in the occipital lobe, which was detectable in both modalities. Bland–Altman analysis showed a systematic underestimation of the CBF values during activation in MRI. Evaluation of the relative CBF change induced by neuronal stimulation showed good inter-modality agreement for the three subtraction methods. Perfusion data obtained with each subtraction method followed the stimulation paradigm without significant differences in the correlation patterns or in the time lag between stimulation and perfusion response. Comparison to the gold standard confirmed the detectability of a neuronal stimulation pattern by pCASL. The results indicate that the combined use of background suppression and short TE reduces the BOLD-weighting in the pCASL signal.
Richard Westra’s Theory of Financialization and the Renewal of the Uno–Sekine Approach to the Dialectic of Capital
Authors: Versieren Jelle
Published: April 2017

Uno and Sekine considered the early postwar stage as a qualitative divergence from the structural characteristics of capitalism resulting in a gradual ex-capitalist transition. For Westra, the disintegration happens when self-commodified money capital in the money and capital markets disintermediates itself from the value augmentation processes in the production sphere. Westra develops a theory of financialization of globalization distinctive from the post-Keynesian notion of finance-led growth regime or the classical Marxist notion of finance capital.
YouTube and Rhinoplasty: An Analysis of the Videos Available Online
Authors: Gupta Amar , Nissan Michael , Rayess Hani , Zuliani Giancarlo F. , Carron Michael
Published: April 2017

The objective of this study was to examine YouTube videos related to rhinoplasty created by both physicians and nonphysicians in order to determine the content of the videos, the selected topics of discussion, and other important parameters. A cross-sectional analysis was performed. YouTube videos that resulted when the search term “rhinoplasty” was entered were identified during the first 15 days of October 2014. The search was carried out daily during this time, and the first 20 unchanged videos were included in this analysis. Authorship, length of video, objective, total views, and type of video were recorded. Ten videos (50%) were physician based, 8 were patient based (40%), and 2 (10%) were television programs. Ten videos (50%) were longer than 10 minutes and 8 (40%) had greater than 100 000 views. The majority of videos (85%) aimed to provide didactic information on the rhinoplasty operation or intended to provide a perspective on the operation from an actual patient. Mann-Whitney U tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare physician-based Web sites against those with other authorship with threshold of significance < .05 with no significant difference found between the groups. Videos submitted by practicing physicians were inherently different than those submitted by patients. While videos submitted by physicians concentrated primarily on the actual operation, videos submitted by patients were focused mainly on what they experienced during their procedure. The lack of safeguards on the quality or accuracy of videos posted on the popular Web site YouTube may lead to a possibility for misinformation to the consumer. It would likely be prudent for specialty bodies and organizations to submit high-quality videos to provide the best and most up-to-date information possible.
The Institutionalization of Corporate Social Responsibility Communication: An Intra-Industry Comparison of MNCs’ and SMEs’ CSR Reports
Authors: O’Connor Amy , Parcha Joshua M. , Tulibaski Katherine L. G.
Published: April 2017

This study compared the corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication of multinational corporations (MNCs) and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the petroleum industry operating in a defined geographic region. We analyzed the CSR reports of 33 petroleum refining companies (13 MNCs, 20 SMEs) to identify which CSR practices and people are institutionalized within the petroleum refining industrial field’s CSR communication and the differences of CSR communication between MNCs and SMEs. We found that CSR associated with environmental, health and safety, and philanthropy practices that benefit employees and communities were institutionalized across the field. However, MNCs and SMEs differed on the primacy given to particular practices and people. In addition, a small set of unique CSR practices and people were identified within each sector. We describe the implications of this research for CSR communication, institutional theory, and business sector research.
A variational approach to nonlinear electro-magneto-elasticity: Convexity conditions and existence theorems
Authors: Šilhavý Miroslav
Published: April 2017

Electro- or magneto-sensitive elastomers are smart materials whose mechanical properties change instantly by the application of an electric or magnetic field. This paper analyses the convexity conditions (quasiconvexity, polyconvexity, ellipticity) of the free energy of such materials. These conditions are treated within the framework of the general A-quasiconvexity theory for the constraints

[Formula: see text]

where F is the deformation gradient, d is the electric displacement and b is the magnetic induction. If the energy depends separately only on F, or on d, or on b, the A-quasiconvexity reduces, respectively, to Morrey’s quasiconvexity, polyconvexity and ellipticity conditions or to convexity in d or in b. In the present case, the simultaneous occurrence of F, d and b leads to the cross-phenomena: mechanic–electric, mechanic–magnetic and electro–magnetic.

The main results of the paper are as follows.

In dimension 3 there are 32 linearly independent scalar A-affine functions (and 15 in dimension 2) corresponding to the constraints (*). Therefore, an energy function ψ ( F, d, b) is A-polyconvex if and only if it is of the form [Formula: see text] where Φ is a convex function (of 31 scalar variables). Apart from the expected terms F, cof F, det F, d and b, we have the cross-effect terms Fd, Fb (and in dimension 2 also d × b). An existence theorem is proved for a state of minimum energy for a system consisting of an A-polyconvex electro-magneto-elastic solid plus the vacuum electromagnetic field outside the body.
‘Like, pissing yourself is not a particularly attractive quality, let’s be honest’: Learning to contain through youth, adulthood, disability and sexuality
Authors: Liddiard Kirsty , Slater Tig
Published: April 2017

In this article, the authors (re)conceptualize containment in the context of youth, gender, disability, crip sex/uality and pleasure. The article begins by exploring eugenic histories of containment and traces the ways in which the anomalous embodiment of disabled people remains vigorously policed within current neo-eugenic discourse. Drawing upon data from two corresponding research studies, the authors bring the lived experiences of disabled young people to the fore. They explore their stories of performing, enacting and realizing containment: containing the posited unruliness of the leaky impaired body; containment as a form of (gendered) labour; and containment as a marker of normalization and sexualization, and thus a necessary component for ableist adulthood. Thus, they theorize crip embodiment as permeable, porous and problematic in the context of the impossibly bound compulsory (sexually) able adult body. The authors suggest that the implicit learning of containment is therefore required of disabled young people, particularly women, to counter infantilizing and desexualizing discourse, cross the ‘border zone of youth’ and achieve normative neoliberal adulthood. Crucially, however, the article examines the meaning of what the authors argue are important moments of messiness: the precarious localities of leakage that disrupt containment and thus the ‘reality’ of the ‘able’, ‘adult’ body. The article concludes by considering the ways in which these bodily ways of being contour both material experiences of pleasure and the right(s) to obtain it.
Disability, discourse and desire: Analyzing online talk by people with disabilities
Authors: Hall Matthew
Published: April 2017

Fran Vicary, who has had cerebral palsy from birth, recently claimed in the UK newspaper, The Guardian, that most people with a disability seek to express themselves sexually. Arguing from personal experience, she said the expression of sexual desire is a much contested space for those with disabilities because their sexualities and bodies are controlled by broader public discourses that delegitimize and stigmatize their sexual agency and the possibility of pleasure. It is not surprising then that positive and empowering discourses of disability and sexuality are either invisible or missing. Drawing on discourse analysis, the author examines electronic talk by people with disabilities in a disability specific online community website. His analysis shows their rejection of mainstream discourses positioning them as asexual and the deployment of mainstream discourses, which draw on gender, sexuality and intimacy, as well as the circulation of disability-specific sexual pleasure discourses with sex workers and caregivers. The use of social media in expressing marginalized sexual identities is also discussed.
‘I love my body’: Depictions of sex and romance in disability music culture
Authors: Skinner Anthea
Published: April 2017

The international disability music scene is a thriving musical subculture consisting of performers self-identifying as disabled who use their performances to explore experiences of living with disability. As a genre predominantly written by, about and for people with disabilities, it provides a space for discourse about life with disability which is largely unmediated by governmental policy, political correctness or able-bodied facilitators. As such, it is a medium through which people with disability are free to express opinions about sex and romance rarely seen in mainstream media. This article examines the ways in which the topics of sexuality and romance are explored within disability music culture. It will focus on four case study songs, I Love My Body (1988) by Johnny Crescendo, Vagina Ain’t Handicapped (2011) by Laura Martinez, Def Deaf Girls (2012) by Sean Forbes and No Goodbyes (2012) by Rory Burnside and Rohan Brooks from Rudely Interrupted. These four songs will be used to explore the themes of body image, cultural expectations of the disabled body, the benefits of dating fellow members of the disability community and relationships. This article also draws on the author’s own experience as a person with disability and a musician in a band that regularly performs on the disability music scene.
The Goddess on Wheels: Maria R. Palacios
Authors: DeMirjyn Maricela
Published: April 2017

This article discusses the performance work by disability activist, Maria R. Palacios who is a Latina feminist writer, poet and spoken word performer. Using narrative inquiry as a method of investigation, performances by Palacios are analyzed within the context of sexuality and disability studies. Specific performances are reviewed under the framework of the nonprofit organization Sins Invalid: An Unshamed Claim to Beauty in the Face of Invisibility, and include the following pieces by Palacios: Maria Full of Sin (2008), Testimony (2009), Hunger (2009), My Sexy Disability (2010) and Vagina Manifesto (2009). As a performance project, Sins Invalid notes in its mission statement that its ‘performance work explores the themes of sexuality, embodiment and the disabled body’, and the performances are designed to inspire visions of beauty and sexuality that disrupt heteronormative, as well as ableist, paradigms. A portion of this work will be centered on the Sins Invalid website focusing on entries in the form of blog postings dedicated to the performances by Palacios. Additionally, her autobiographic and culturally focused spoken word pieces and poems, such as Making Love to Woman in a Wheelchair (2007), will be thematically analyzed regarding her embodied subjectivity as a sexualized and self-identified disabled Latina. In conclusion, an examination of how performance, in conjunction with narrative research, provides a critical lens regarding visibility and the embodiment of dis/abled women of color for future studies is shared.
Physical and mechanical properties of bamboo fibre/polyester composites subjected to moisture and hygrothermal conditions
Authors: Azwa ZN , Yousif BF
Published: April 2017

The widespread use of natural fibre reinforced composites is hindered by a few issues, some related to the durability of the natural fibre itself especially when exposed to certain environmental conditions. In this study, the moisture impact on the physical and mechanical behaviours of bamboo fibre/polyester composites was investigated. Composites fabricated using bamboo fibres and polyester resin were immersed in water at room temperature (25 ℃) for 60 days and at 80 ℃ for 2 days. The percentage of thickness swelling and surface expansion was recorded throughout the duration of the study, until apparent physical degradation was observed on the samples. At both temperatures, untreated and treated composites had similar swelling behaviour, with 8% NaOH-treated composite showing highest swelling rate. The surface area expansion for all composites was observed to be much lower than in the thickness direction and was relatively negligible. Since the percentage of final swelling was about the same for all composites, it was also found that the composites achieved similar maximum tensile strength for both conditions, with approximately 2% increment at room temperature and 13.6% reduction at 80 ℃.
Addressing the General Education Curriculum in General Education Settings with Students with Severe Disabilities
Authors: Ballard Sarah L. , Dymond Stacy K.
Published: April 2017

This systematic literature review examined research on stakeholders’ beliefs about addressing the general education curriculum in general education classrooms with students with severe disabilities (SD). The investigation was limited to studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 1997 and 2015. Ten articles were identified and then analyzed using an inductive coding approach and thematic analysis. Secondary data analysis revealed four major themes centered on (a) method of access, (b) type of curriculum, (c) barriers/concerns, and (d) benefits. Overall, stakeholders were found to perceive social inclusion as more important than involvement and progress in the general education curriculum for students with SD. Stakeholders also perceived numerous challenges around facilitating access to the general education curriculum in general education classrooms.
Gestational Diabetes Management Using Smart Mobile Telemedicine
Authors: Rigla Mercedes , Martínez-Sarriegui Iñaki , García-Sáez Gema , Pons Belén , Hernando Maria Elena
Published: April 2017

Gestational diabetes (GDM) burden has been increasing progressively over the past years. Knowing that intrauterine exposure to maternal diabetes confers high risk for macrosomia as well as for future type 2 diabetes and obesity of the offspring, health care organizations try to provide effective control in spite of the limited resources. Artificial-intelligence-augmented telemedicine has been proposed as a helpful tool to facilitate an efficient widespread medical assistance to GDM. The aim of the study we present was to test the feasibility and acceptance of a mobile decision-support system for GDM, developed in the seventh framework program MobiGuide Project, which includes computer-interpretable clinical practice guidelines, access to data from the electronic health record as well as from glucose, blood pressure, and activity sensors. The results of this pilot study with 20 patients showed that the system is feasible. Compliance of patients with blood glucose monitoring was higher than that observed in a historical group of 247 patients, similar in clinical characteristics, who had been followed up for the 3 years prior to the pilot study. A questionnaire on the use of the telemedicine system showed a high degree of acceptance.
Exploring the Length and Complexity of Couples Travel Decision Making
Authors: Smith Wayne W. , Pitts Robert E. , Litvin Steve W. , Agrawal Deepti
Published: April 2017

A quasi-experiment is used to examine the dynamics of the shared decision-making process by observing couples in real time as they make decisions about an overnight stay at a luxury resort. Observations and video recordings of the decision processes of 24 couples were coded and analyzed. The time to final decision, number, and type of tactics used were found to vary with couples’ length of experience with one another. Observation indicated that couples with greater travel experience together relied on “predealing” based on their experience together to avoid conflict, while less-experienced couples’ decisions were more likely to yield winners and losers. These findings and those related to the use of persuasive tactics by members of the couple dyads provide the basis for specific recommendations for marketing travel products.
Hidden Devices in the School Setting: What the Nurse Needs to Know About Shunts
Authors: Obst Barbara , Roesler Megan
Published: April 2017

The role of school nurse today not only includes making a thorough assessment of the child but also the knowledge and skill to understand hidden medical devices. As of 2011, there were approximately 14.6 million children in the United States living with special health care needs. Many of these children could have hidden medical devices. The Specialized Health Needs Interagency Collaboration (SHNIC) program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute received requests for in-person training regarding ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts.
Local Neocolonialism and Terrorism in Africa
Authors: Ejiogu Kingsley U. , Mosley Thomas S.
Published: April 2017

This study examines the critical nature and the difficulties associated with understanding the fundamental ideology of the postcolonial wave of new terrorism on the African continent. This is facilitated through a contemporary interpretation of elite dominant economic and political structures and their role in the transformation and activation of latent ideologies of socioeconomic liberation. The consequences of the interaction of these dominance structures in the society are examined as a colonial legacy, which predicts and domiciles a state of international dependency and a culture of corruption within postcolonial African states. The remedy for this practice is discussed as a function of good governance and is based on the expansion of communication, socioeconomic opportunities, and social mobility.
Cardiovascular Risk Factors of Long-Term Care Workers
Authors: Doran Kelly , Resnick Barbara
Published: April 2017

Little is known about long-term care workers’ cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Thus, the authors used baseline objective and subjective data from 98 long-term care staff participating in a worksite health promotion study to provide a comprehensive CVD assessment. The median age of the sample was 32 years ( SD = 13.38). Nine (12.2%) participants smoked and 27 (37.0%) participants reported exposure to secondhand smoke. The average nightly hours of sleep was 6.5 ( SD = 1.18), with 24 (32%) participants reporting sleeping at least fairly bad. Sixty-eight participants (73.1%) were overweight or obese. The median aerobic activity was 0 ( SD = 18.56). Participants ate on average 27 ( SD = 17.34) servings of high fatty and/or salty foods per week. Although blood pressure and cholesterol levels were within normal limits, this population demonstrated poor behavioral CVD risk factors. Given this finding and the young age of the sample, these workers may be ideal candidates for health promotion efforts before health risk factors are present.
Pharmaceutical Use and Spending Trend in Medicare Beneficiaries With Dementia, From 2006 to 2012
Authors: Hernandez Inmaculada , Zhang Yuting
Published: April 2017

Objectives: The aim of the study was to examine the trend in incidence and prevalence of dementia, use and spending of antidementia and antipsychotic drugs among dementia patients. Methods: Using 2006-2012 Medicare claims data, we identified individuals with diagnosis of dementia and collected their pharmacy claims in 2006-2012. We built regression models to test the trend in number of prescriptions and spending on antidementia, antipsychotic, and other drugs. Results: The prevalence of dementia did not change during our study period. Spending on antidementia and antipsychotic drugs creased to increase in 2011, following the patent expiration of Aricept, Zyprexa, and Seroquel; and total pharmaceutical spending did not change in 2006-2012. Use of antidementia drugs increased during our study period; however, the off-label use of antipsychotic drugs did not decrease. Discussion: Pharmaceutical spending associated with dementia may not be as concerning for Medicare as previously thought; nevertheless, policies that discourage the nonevidence-based off-label use of drugs are warranted.
The Studying Multiple Outcomes After Aural Rehabilitative Treatment Study: Study Design and Baseline Results
Authors: Li Lingsheng , Blake Caitlin , Sung Yoon , Shpritz Barnett , Chen David , Genther Dane J. , Betz Joshua , Lin Frank R.
Published: April 2017

Hearing loss may affect critical domains of health and functioning in older adults. This article describes the rationale and design of the Studying Multiple Outcomes After Aural Rehabilitative Treatment (SMART) study, which was developed to determine to what extent current hearing rehabilitative therapies could mitigate the effects of hearing loss on health outcomes. One hundred and forty-five patients ≥50 years receiving hearing aids (HA) or cochlear implants (CI) were recruited from the Johns Hopkins Department of Otolaryngology-HNS. A standardized outcome battery was administered to assess cognitive, social, mental, and physical functioning. Of the 145 participants aged 50 to 94.9 years who completed baseline evaluations, CI participants had significantly greater loneliness, social isolation, and poorer hearing and communicative function compared with HA participants. This study showed that standardized measures of health-related outcomes commonly used in gerontology appear sensitive to hearing impairment and are feasible to implement in clinical studies of hearing loss.
Contending narratives on the sustainability of nuclear energy in Turkey
Authors: İşeri Emre , Günay Defne , Almaz Alper
Published: April 2017

Sustainable development recently topped the universal agenda again when the United Nations adopted its Sustainable Development Goals on 25 September 2015. Yet, since the 1990s, the concept has prompted different actors to reformulate their relations with the environment in line with different narratives on the concept. This inherent contradiction becomes all the more salient during sustainable development debates on nuclear, which has often been dominated by the expert-oriented politics prioritizing carbon-free economic growth by “post-politicizing” the issue at stake. In this light, the main objective of this paper is to contribute to nuclear related literature stressing on broader conceptions of sustainability by going beyond those techno-economic discussions. Hinging on the multi-faceted nature of Turkey’s nuclear energy debate, this paper argues that multitude of state and non-state discourse coalitions (i.e. nuclear advocacy, nuclear opposition and ambivalent) has constructed sustainability of nuclear differently through their narratives. To substantiate its argument, through a narrative analysis, this paper examines competing narratives over nuclear energy’s economic, environmental and societal impacts in Turkey. The findings have challenged pro-nuclear techno-economic discourse coalition’s attempt to “post-politicize” Turkish nuclear debate by revealing complex and multi-faceted nature of the debate.
Effectiveness of Sub-Tenon’s Bupivacaine Liposome Injectable Suspension for Postoperative Pain Control After Radioactive Plaque Placement for Ciliary Body and Choroidal Melanomas
Authors: Neely David C. , Mason Lauren , Crosson Jason N. , Bray Kevin J. , McGwin Gerald G. , Mason John O.
Published: April 2017

Purpose:

To examine the difference in pain control and systemic pain medication usage with sub-Tenon’s bupivacaine versus bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension (BLIS) following radioactive plaque placement for choroidal and ciliary body melanomas.

Methods:

Retrospective chart review reporting postoperative nurse and physician pain scores, postoperative systemic pain medication usage, and telephone pain survey conducted at a single university institution from January 2016 to October 2016.

Results:

There were 9 (9 eyes) patients studied who underwent sub-Tenon’s bupivacaine injection and 9 (9 eyes) patients who underwent sub-Tenon’s BLIS. There were no statistically significant differences on postoperative days 1 to 3 between nurse pain scores, physician pain scores, vision, and average intraocular pressure. The difference in postoperative days 1 and 2 hydrocodone/acetaminophen usage was statistically significant (average pills per day on postoperative day 1 for bupivacaine only 0.22 versus 2.33 for BLIS, P value .0032; and postoperative day 2 for bupivacaine only 0.00 versus 1.00 for BLIS, P value .0289). There were no other statistically significant differences in postoperative systemic pain medication usage. There were no statistically significant differences in telephone pain survey.

Conclusion:

There was no clinically meaningful difference in postoperative nurse and physician pain scores, postoperative systemic pain medication usage, and telephone pain survey between sub-Tenon’s bupivacaine versus BLIS following radioactive plaque placement for choroidal and ciliary body melanomas.
Sonographic Assessment of a Spigelian Hernia
Authors: Dowdy Danielle J. , Fisher Kelsy L.
Published: April 2017

Spigelian hernias are a rare type of lateral ventral hernia that arises through a defect in the spigelian fascia within the anterior abdominal wall. This type of hernia can be either congenital or acquired. Herniation occurs due to weakness or a defect in the transversus aponeurotic layer between the rectus abdominis muscle medially and the semi-lunar line laterally. Due to difficulty in accurately diagnosing spigelian hernias and the risk of strangulation of herniated contents, surgical repair is often recommended. A spigelian hernia case is presented in which sonography was used in the assessment and diagnosis of the abnormality. The case report highlights important diagnostic features for differentiating a spigelian hernia from other forms of abdominal wall hernia so that proper diagnosis and surgical repair can be accomplished.
Norilskite, (Pd,Ag)7Pb4, a new mineral from Noril'sk-Talnakh deposit, Russia
Authors: Vymazalová A. , Laufek F. , Sluzhenikin S. F. , Stanley C. J.
Published: April 2017

Norilskite, (Pd,Ag)7Pb4 is a new platinum-group mineral discovered in the Mayak mine of the Talnakh deposit, Russia. It forms anhedral grains in aggregates (up to ∼400 μm) with polarite, zvyagintsevite, Pd-rich tetra-auricupride, Pd-Pt bearing auricupride,Ag-Au alloys, (Pb,As,Sb) bearing atokite, mayakite, Bi-Pb-rich kotulskite and sperrylite in pentlandite, cubanite and talnakhite. Norilskite is brittle, has a metallic lustre and a grey streak. Values of VHN20 fall between 296 and 342 kg mm–2, with a mean valueof 310 kg mm–2, corresponding to a Mohs hardness of ∼4. In plane-polarized light, norilskite is orange-brownish pink, has moderate to strong bireflectance, orange-pink to greyish-pink pleochroism, and strong anisotropy; it exhibits no internal reflections. Reflectancevalues of norilskite in air (Ro, Re' in %) are: 51.1, 48.8 at 470 nm, 56.8, 52.2 at 546 nm, 59.9, 53.5 at 589 nm and 64.7, 55.5 at 650 nm. Sixteen electronmicroprobe analyses of natural norilskite gave an average composition: Pd 44.33, Ag 2.68, Bi 0.33 and Pb 52.34, total99.68 wt.%, corresponding to the empirical formula (Pd6.56Ag0.39)∑6.95(Pb3.97Bi0.03)∑4.00 based on 4 Pb + Bi atoms; the average of eight analyses on synthetic norilskite is: Pd 42.95, Ag 3.87 and Pb 53.51, total 100.33wt.%, corresponding to (Pd6.25Ag0.56)∑6.81Pb4.00. The mineral is trigonal, space group P3121, with a = 8.9656(4), c = 17.2801(8) Å, V = 1202.92(9) Å3 and Z = 6. The crystalstructure was solved and refined from the powder X-ray diffraction data of synthetic (Pd,Ag)7Pb4. Norilskite crystallizes in the Ni13Ga3Ge6 structure type, related to nickeline. The strongest lines in the powder X-ray diffraction patternof synthetic norilskite [d in Å (I) (hkl)] are: 3.2201(29)(023,203), 2.3130(91)(026,206), 2.2414(100)(220), 1.6098(28)(046,406), 1.3076(38)(246,462), 1.2942(18)(600), 1.2115(37)(22.12,12.13), 0.9626(44) (06.12,60.12). The mineral is named for the locality, the Noril'sk district in Russia.
Cord Blood Adipocyte Fatty Acid–Binding Protein Levels Correlate With Gestational Age and Birth Weight in Neonates
Authors: Joung Kyoung Eun , Cataltepe Sule Umit , Michael Zoe , Christou Helen , Mantzoros Christos S.
Published: April 2017

Context:

Infants born small for gestational age (SGA) have increased risk for obesity and metabolic syndrome, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Adipocyte fatty acid–binding protein (AFABP) is an adipokine that has been implicated in modulation of insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism. Higher plasma AFABP levels are associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular morbidity in adults. Alterations in AFABP levels during fetal growth have not been characterized.

Objective:

To examine AFABP levels in neonatal cord blood in relation to gestational age and birth weight.

Design:

A cross-sectional study of 361 neonates born at a tertiary academic center.

Outcome Measures:

Plasma AFABP levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. For comparison, venous samples from 26 adults were analyzed.

Results:

AFABP levels were higher in neonates compared with adults (P < 0.01). Preterm infants had higher AFABP levels [48.2 (31.2 to 73.3) ng/mL] compared with full-term infants [35.8 (25.1 to 51.5)] ng/mL, P < 0.01). There was a negative correlation between AFABP and gestational age (r = 0.28, P = 0.02). Among full-term infants, AFABP levels in SGA infants were lower [28.6 (24.2 to 37.3) ng/mL], compared with appropriate for gestational age [36.1 (25.5 to 50.4) ng/mL] and large for gestational age infants [45.0 (24.6 to 62.4) ng/mL, P < 0.05].

Conclusions:

These associations may reflect the higher metabolic activity during fetal development. AFABP may also be involved in fetal growth and the association between SGA status and obesity and metabolic syndrome in later life.
Early Prenatal Phthalate Exposure, Sex Steroid Hormones, and Birth Outcomes
Authors: Sathyanarayana Sheela , Butts Samantha , Wang Christina , Barrett Emily , Nguyen Ruby , Schwartz Stephen M. , Haaland Wren , Swan Shanna H. ,   the TIDES Team
Published: April 2017

Context:

Adequate sex steroid hormone concentrations are essential for normal fetal genital development in early pregnancy. Our previous study demonstrated an inverse relationship between third-trimester di-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate exposure and total testosterone (TT) concentrations. Here, we examine early-pregnancy phthalates, sex steroid hormone concentrations, and newborn reproductive outcomes.

Design:

We examined associations between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations in early pregnancy and serum free testosterone (FT), TT, estrone (E1), and estradiol (E2) in 591 woman/infant dyads in The Infant Development and Environment Study; we also examined relationships between hormones and newborn genital outcomes using multiple regression models with covariate adjustment.

Results:

E1 and E2 concentrations were 15% to 30% higher in relation to 1-unit increases in log monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP), mono-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate, and mono-2-ethyl-5-oxy-hexyl phthalate concentrations, and E2 was 15% higher in relation to increased log monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP). FT concentrations were 12% lower in relation to 1-unit increases in log mono(carboxynonyl) phthalate (MCNP) and mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl phthalate concentrations. Higher maternal FT was associated with a 25% lower prevalence of having a male genital abnormality at birth.

Conclusions:

The positive relationships between MiBP, MBzP, and DEHP metabolites and E1/E2 are unique and suggest a positive estrogenic effect in early pregnancy. The inverse relationship between MCNP and DEHP metabolites and serum FT supports previous work examining phthalate/testosterone relationships later in pregnancy. Higher FT in relation to a 25% lower prevalence of male genital abnormalities confirms the importance of testosterone in early fetal development.
Rapid Onset of Diabetic Ketoacidosis After SGLT2 Inhibition in a Patient With Unrecognized Acromegaly
Authors: Quarella Marino , Walser Daniel , Brändle Michael , Fournier Jean-Yves , Bilz Stefan
Published: April 2017

Context:

Diabetic ketoacidosis has been described as a rare complication of acromegaly and may be observed in 1% of affected patients. The well-described direct lipolytic effect of growth hormone results in increased availability of free fatty acids (FFAs) for hepatic ketogenesis and is an important pathogenic event. More recently, ketoacidosis has been identified as an important complication of sodium-glucose-transport-protein 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i). Increased pancreatic glucagon secretion, impaired renal ketone body clearance, and an increase in FFA concentrations secondary to decreased insulin concentrations are likely precipitating factors.

Case Description:

We report a case of rapid-onset severe ketoacidosis within 2 days after adding empagliflozin to metformin, sitagliptin, and gliclazide in a presumably type 2 diabetic patient with unrecognized acromegaly and chronic hyperglycemia. Transsphenoidal resection of the growth-hormone secreting macroadenoma restored normal growth-hormone and insulinlike growth factor 1 concentrations and the diabetes was well controlled thereafter.

Conclusion:

We hypothesize that SGLT2i, through their intrinsic effects on ketone body metabolism, may possibly precipitate ketoacidosis in patients with active acromegaly and diabetes mellitus.
Moving Forces
Authors: Angerer Marie-Luise
Published: April 2017

Throughout a large part of the twentieth century, the body was interpreted as a field of signs, the meaning of which pointed to an unconscious dimension. At the height of the popularity of structuralism, Jacques Lacan deemed the unconscious to be “structured like a language.” Starting in the early 1990s, however, a deep shift occurred in the way the body was interpreted. A new movement cast tremendous doubt on the hegemony of language and instead advocated a performative, pictorial, and affective approach — the so-called material turn — which encompassed all of these. In the words of Karen Barad, this turn inquired as to why meaning, history, and truth are assigned to language only, whereas the movements of materiality are given less prominence: “How did language come to be more trustworthy than matter? Why are language and culture granted their own agency and historicity while matter is figured as passive and immutable?” With this shift toward the material, bodies began to be seen in a different light and their materiality understood as something that follows its own laws and movements, which cannot be understood exclusively in terms of social-cultural codes. Instead, these laws and movements call into question the very dichotomies of nature/culture and body/spirit.
PTK7 localization and protein stability is affected by canonical Wnt ligands
Authors: Berger Hanna , Breuer Marlen , Peradziryi Hanna , Podleschny Martina , Jacob Ralf , Borchers Annette
Published: April 2017

Protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) is an evolutionarily conserved transmembrane receptor with important roles in embryonic development and disease. Originally identified as a gene upregulated in colon cancer, it was later shown to regulate planar cell polarity (PCP) and directional cell movement. PTK7 is a Wnt co-receptor; however, its role in Wnt signaling remains controversial. Here, we find evidence that places PTK7 at the intersection of canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathways. In presence of canonical Wnt ligands PTK7 is subject to caveolin-mediated endocytosis, while it is unaffected by non-canonical Wnt ligands. PTK7 endocytosis is dependent on the presence of the PTK7 co-receptor Fz7 (also known as Fzd7) and results in lysosomal degradation of PTK7. As we previously observed that PTK7 activates non-canonical PCP Wnt signaling but inhibits canonical Wnt signaling, our data suggest a mutual inhibition of canonical and PTK7 Wnt signaling. PTK7 likely suppresses canonical Wnt signaling by binding canonical Wnt ligands thereby preventing their interaction with Wnt receptors that would otherwise support canonical Wnt signaling. Conversely, if canonical Wnt proteins interact with the PTK7 receptor, they induce its internalization and degradation.