bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early Aortic Transcatheter Heart Valve Thrombosis
Authors: Leetmaa Tina , Hansson Nicolaj C. , Leipsic Jonathon , Jensen Kaare , Poulsen Steen H. , Andersen Henning R. , Jensen Jesper M. , Webb John , Blanke Philipp , Tang Mariann , Nørgaard Bjarne L.
Published: April 2015

Background—

Early stent valve thrombosis after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a rare complication, which is diagnosed based on the appearance of clinical symptoms of heart failure and echocardiographic findings. After TAVI, transthoracic echocardiography is performed to assess transcatheter heart valve (THV) function. However, preliminary reports indicate the potential additive clinical value of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) for the diagnosis of THV thrombosis. We sought to determine the value of MDCT for the diagnosis of THV thrombosis and the frequency of this complication after balloon-expandable TAVI.

Methods and Results—

MDCT was performed in 140 patients within 1 to 3 months after TAVI with the Edwards Sapien XT THV to assess the presence of THV thrombosis and THV stent geometry. Post-TAVI MDCT identified THV thrombosis in 5 patients (4%). Of note, 4 of these patients were asymptomatic and had a normal transthoracic echocardiographic examination without signs of thrombus formation or flow obstruction. In patients with THV thrombosis, a left ventricular ejection fraction of <35% was present in 3 (60%), whereas 2 (40%) did not receive standard post-TAVI dual-antiplatelet therapy. Neither THV underexpansion nor THV noncircularity was detected in patients with THV thrombosis.

Conclusions—

Post-TAVI MDCT is a valuable tool for the diagnosis of THV thrombosis, and this complication seems to be more common than previously anticipated. Larger studies are required to identify specific risk factors of THV thrombosis.
Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation
Authors: Olsen Niels Thue , De Backer Ole , Thyregod Hans G.H. , Vejlstrup Niels , Bundgaard Henning , Søndergaard Lars , Ihlemann Nikolaj
Published: April 2015

Background—

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an advancing mode of treatment for inoperable or high-risk patients with aortic stenosis. Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) after TAVI is a serious complication, but only limited data exist on its incidence, outcome, and procedural risk factors.

Methods and Results—

Observational single-center study of 509 consecutive patients treated with a transcatheter implanted self-expandable aortic valve prosthesis (Medtronic CoreValve). We identified 18 patients diagnosed with TAVI-PVE during a median follow-up period of 1.4 years (interquartile range, 0.5–2.5 years; longest follow-up was 6.3 years). TAVI-PVE was most frequent in the first year after implantation (first-year incidence, 3.1% [confidence interval, 1.4%–4.8%]); the overall annualized rate was 2.1% per patient-year (confidence interval, 1.2%–3.3%). Seventeen patients (94%) were treated conservatively and 1 with surgery. Four patients (22%) died from endocarditis or complications to treatment, 2 of those (11%) during initial hospitalization for PVE. An increased risk of TAVI-PVE was seen in patients with low implanted valve position (hazard ratio, 2.8 [1.1–7.2]), moderate or worse postprocedural paravalvular regurgitation (hazard ratio, 4.0 [1.5–11]), implantation of >1 prosthesis (hazard ratio, 5.2 [1.5–18]), and any vascular complication (hazard ratio, 3.8 [1.5–9.8]).

Conclusions—

TAVI-PVE occurred at a slightly higher rate than reported for surgically implanted valves. Conservative treatment was associated with an acceptable outcome. Suboptimal valve deployment and vascular complications were associated with an increased risk of TAVI-PVE.
Percutaneous Tricuspid Valve Implantation
Authors: Eicken Andreas , Schubert Stephan , Hager Alfred , Hörer Jürgen , McElhinney Doff B. , Hess John , Ewert Peter , Berger Felix
Published: April 2015

Background—

Severe tricuspid valve (TV) dysfunction may lead to surgical TV replacement with a biological valve prosthesis in patients with congenital heart disease. To expand the lifetime of this valve and reduce the number of surgeries, percutaneous TV implantation (PTVI) may be an effective alternative to repeated surgery. We report on our 2-center experience with PTVI.

Methods and Results—

Between 2008 and 2014, 17 percutaneous valves were implanted in 16 patients with TV bioprosthesis dysfunction (9 females) from 2 centers. Median age and weight were 31.3 years (5–77.2) and 65.2 kg (17.7–107); 14 patients had congenital heart disease (univentricular heart with a right atrial to right ventricle bioprosthesis in 3, Ebstein’s anomaly of the TV in 5, and other in 6), and 2 had acquired TV dysfunction. All procedures were successful (Melody n=7, Sapien 26 mm valve n=4, Sapien XT 29 mm valve n=6). One valve showed early dysfunction. It was replaced surgically and shortly after that a repeated PTVI was performed. The median duration of follow-up was 2.1 years (3 days to 6.3 years). The percutaneous valve was performing well in 15 of 16 patients.

Conclusions—

PTVI was safe and effectively improved TV function in all but 1 patient at midterm follow-up. We think that PTVI is a good alternative to repeated surgical TV replacements and that it may reduce the total number of open heart surgeries in these patients.
Premature Ventricular Complexes on Screening Electrocardiogram and Risk of Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Agarwal Sunil K. , Chao Jennifer , Peace Frederick , Judd Suzanne E. , Kissela Brett , Kleindorfer Dawn , Howard Virginia J. , Howard George , Soliman Elsayed Z.
Published: April 2015

Background and Purpose—

Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) detected from long-term ECG recordings have been associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke. Whether PVCs seen on routine ECG, commonly used in clinical practice, are associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke remains unstudied.

Methods—

This analysis included 24 460 participants (aged, 64.5+9.3 years; 55.1% women; 40.0% blacks) from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study who were free of stroke at the time of enrollment. PVCs were ascertained from baseline ECG (2003–2007), and incident stroke cases through 2011 were confirmed by an adjudication committee.

Results—

A total of 1415 (5.8%) participants had at least 1 PVC at baseline, and 591 developed incident ischemic stroke during an average (SD) follow-up of 6.0 (2.0) years. In a cox proportional hazards model adjusted for age, sex, race, geographic region, education, previous heart disease, systolic blood pressure, blood pressure–lowering medications, current smoking, diabetes mellitus, left ventricular hypertrophy by ECG, and aspirin use and warfarin use, the presence of PVCs was associated with 38% increased risk of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.38 [1.05–1.81]).

Conclusions—

PVCs are common on routine screening ECGs and are associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke.
Bromelia gracilisepala (Bromeliaceae), a new species from the northwestern frontier of Brazil
Authors: Monteiro Raquel Fernandes , Forzza Rafaela Campostrini
Published: April 2015

We describe and illustrate a new species of Bromelia, from Nova Mamoré, Rondônia state, Brazil. Bromelia gracilisepala is distinguished from its closest relatives by its leaves narrowed toward the base; inflorescence capituliform, sunk in the center of the rosette; sepals linear exposing most of the petals; petals magenta with white margins. This study also discusses its similarities with other species of Bromelia.
A new species of Afropinnotheres Manning, 1993 (Crustacea, Brachyura, Pinnotheridae) from southwestern India, the first record of the genus from the Indian Ocean, with a review of the Pinnotheridae of India and adjacent seas
Authors: NG PETER K. L. , KUMAR APPUKUTTANNAIR BIJU
Published: April 2015

A new species of pinnotherid crab of the genus Afropinnotheres Manning, 1993, is described from the brown mussel, Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758), in southwestern India. This is the first record of the genus from the western Indian Ocean, the other four species been recorded from the eastern Atlantic. The new species can be distinguished from all congeners in  possessing a more rounded male carapace, form of the chela, relatively longer ambulatory legs which have no natatory setae, presence of dense pubescence on the male ambulatory legs, and the shape of the male and female telsons. The Indian Pinnotheridae is also reviewed and the taxonomy of the species reappraised. The taxonomy of Pinnaxodes Heller, 1865, and Holothuriophilus Nauck, 1880, is also discussed, in the context of their similarity to Afropinnotheres.
Methods to Calculate Precipitation from Weighing-Bucket Gauges with Redundant Depth Measurements
Authors: Leeper Ronald D. , Palecki Michael A. , Davis Egg
Published: April 2015

The U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) monitors precipitation using a well-shielded Geonor T-200B gauge. To ensure the quality and continuity of the data record, the USCRN adopted an innovative approach to monitor precipitation using redundant technology: three vibrating-wire load sensors measuring the liquid depth of a weighing-bucket gauge. In addition to detecting and flagging suboptimally operating sensors, quality assurance (QA) approaches also combine the redundant observations into a precipitation measurement. As an early adopter of this technology, USCRN has pioneered an effort to develop QA strategies for such precipitation systems.

The initial USCRN approach to calculating precipitation from redundant depth observations, pairwise calculation (pairCalc), was found to be sensitive to sensor noise and gauge evaporation. These findings led to the development of a new approach to calculating precipitation that minimized these nonprecipitation impacts using a weighted average calculation (wavgCalc). The two calculation approaches were evaluated using station data and simulated precipitation scenarios with a known signal. The new QA system had consistently lower measures of error for simulated precipitation events. Improved handling of sensor noise and gauge evaporation led to increases in network total precipitation of 1.6% on average. These results indicate the new calculation system will improve the quality of USCRN precipitation measurements, making them a more reliable reference dataset with the capacity to monitor the nation’s precipitation trends (mean and extremes). In addition, this study provides valuable insight into the development and evaluation of QA systems, particularly for networks adopting redundant approaches to monitoring precipitation.
Measuring Team Cohesion
Authors: Salas Eduardo , Grossman Rebecca , Hughes Ashley M. , Coultas Chris W.
Published: April 2015

Objective:

The aim of this study was to review literature relevant to cohesion measurement, explore developing measurement approaches, and provide theoretical and practical recommendations for optimizing cohesion measurement.

Background:

Cohesion is essential for team effectiveness and performance, leading researchers to focus attention on understanding how to enhance it. However, cohesion is inconsistently defined and measured, making it difficult to compare findings across studies and limiting the ability to advance science and practice.

Method:

We reviewed empirical research through which we uncovered specific information about cohesion’s conceptualization, measurement, and relationships with performance, culminating in a set of current trends from which we provide suggestions and possible solutions to guide future efforts and help the field converge toward greater consistency.

Results:

Cohesion demonstrates more significant relationships with performance when conceptualized using social and task (but not other) dimensions and when analyses are performed at the team level. Cohesion is inherently temporal, yet researchers rarely measure cohesion at multiple points during the life of a team. Finally, cohesion matters in large, dynamic collectives, complicating measurement. However, innovative and unobtrusive methodologies are being used, which we highlight.

Conclusion:

Practitioners and researchers are encouraged to define cohesion with task and social subdimensions and to measure with behavioral and attitudinal operationalizations. Individual and team-oriented items are recommended, though team-level analyses are most effective. Innovative/unobtrusive methods should be further researched to enable cohesion measurement longitudinally and in large, dynamic collectives.

Application:

By applying our findings and conclusions, researchers and practitioners will be more likely to find consistent, reliable, and significant cohesion-to-performance relationships.
Political Accountability and Spaces of Contestation
Authors: Heidelberg Roy L.
Published: April 2015

The concept of accountability is defined based on a technical apparatus of rules. The prevailing conception, as described by Dubnick and Frederickson, focuses on control and consequence. They divide the concept into pre factum and post factum arenas, the former encompassing rules of control and the latter, consequences for the violation of rules. This two-dimensional view of accountability neglects the moment of decision and action, which might be referred to as the per factum dimension. Introducing this added dimension to accountability highlights the political quality of the concept by drawing attention to practices and opportunities for contestation.
Toward a behavioural theory of cooperation between managers and employee representatives in works councils
Authors: Van der Brempt Olivier , Boone Christophe , van Witteloostuijn Arjen , van den Berg Annette
Published: April 2015

This article builds a comprehensive behavioural framework of cooperation between management and employee representatives in a works council setting. The authors do so by applying insights from organizational behaviour in the works council setting in the belief that this discipline’s long-standing research tradition on (work) group processes and outcomes may provide the necessary theoretical building blocks to unravel cooperation among managers and employee representatives. The authors’ framework suggests that cooperation is a complex phenomenon that is largely driven by the extent of ideological and educational differences between management and employee representatives, procedural justice and perceived organizational support. A series of case studies of Belgian works councils provide illustrations of this framework. The overall contribution of this article is a grounded and testable behavioural framework of how cooperation can develop between management and employee representatives in a works council context.
The psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Satisfaction with Daily Occupations
Authors: Manee Fahad , Alotaibi Naser , Alobaidly Fatma , Abu Tariah Hashem , Hamed Razan , Eklund Mona
Published: April 2015

Introduction

There is a shortage of tools designed for use by occupational therapy practice in Arabic-speaking countries. The purpose of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the original Satisfaction with Daily Occupations tool to Arabic and assess the psychometric properties of the adapted tool.

Method

A cross-cultural adaptation process was performed. Face, content, and criterion validity were examined, as well as internal consistency and test–retest reliability. The study included 147 healthy adults and 73 patients with cerebrovascular accident. They were purposefully selected from two countries (Kuwait and Jordan).

Results

The adapted tool comprised six domains and a total of 14 items. Face and content validity were established through prolonged content analysis. Criterion validity was indicated by significant differences between the healthy and the cerebrovascular accident group in all areas of the Satisfaction Daily Occupations scale ( p < 0.001). Satisfactory overall internal consistency (α = 0.77) and good test–retest reliability for the total satisfaction score for the healthy (inter-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.984) and the cerebrovascular accident group (inter-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.933) were found.

Conclusions

The Satisfaction with Daily Occupations-Arabic version is a valid and reliable tool for use with Arabic-speaking occupational therapy clients. This study has several implications for occupational therapy education, practice, and research in the Arab world.
Setting measurable goals with young people: Qualitative feedback from the Goal Attainment Scale in youth mental health
Authors: Cairns Alice , Kavanagh David , Dark Frances , McPhail Steven M
Published: April 2015

Introduction

Measuring occupational performance is an essential part of clinical practice; however, there is little research on service user perceptions of measures. The aim of this investigation was to explore the acceptability and utility of one occupational performance outcome measure, Goal Attainment Scaling, with young people (12–25 years old) seeking psychological help.

Method

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten young people seeking help from a youth mental health clinic. Interviews were audio taped and a field diary kept. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis. Results were verified by member checking.

Results

All participants were able to engage in using Goal Attainment Scaling to set goals for therapy, and reported the process to be useful. The participants identified the physical location and ownership of the scale was important to help motivate them to work on their goals.

Conclusion

Young help-seekers see Goal Attainment Scaling as an acceptable tool to facilitate the establishment of functional goals. Young service users were particularly keen to maintain control over the physical location of completed forms.
WOW! Occupational therapy education and experiential service learning through community volunteering
Authors: Parmenter Vanessa , Thomas Holly
Published: April 2015

Introduction

This research investigated the contribution of ‘Widening Occupation Weeks’, a two-week experience of occupation-focused service learning through community volunteering, to undergraduate occupational therapy education.

Method

A pluralist research methodology combining psychosocial approaches with cooperative appreciative inquiry and grounded theory was used in order to explore individual experiences and collective understanding. Students participated in questionnaires and a focus group to: explore how Widening Occupation Weeks impacted on understanding of the relationship between occupation, health and wellbeing; discover students’ interpretation of significant learning; develop a general view of the relevance of Widening Occupation Weeks for occupational therapy education.

Results

Thematic analysis of qualitative data identified that students’ experience during Widening Occupation Weeks is diverse and variable, enabling learning about the occupational therapy paradigm and about the values involved in being a therapist: therapeutic relationships and professionalism. Significant learning occurs through reflection over time on the challenging, contrasting experiences offered by the Widening Occupation Weeks model. This contributes to the development of personal theories of practice, recognised as a key component in professional socialisation and innovation.

Conclusion

The pluralist methodology enabled perspectives on personal and collective interpretation of learning and the findings can be translated to a general theory about the value of occupation-focused, service learning in occupational therapy education.
Investigation of the tensile properties of natural and natural/synthetic hybrid fiber woven fabric composites
Authors: Karahan Mehmet , Karahan Nevin
Published: April 2015

The development of polymer composites containing natural fibers as a sustainable alternative material for certain engineering applications, particularly aerospace and automotive applications, is a popular area of research. In this study, the mechanical properties of flax, jute and jute/carbon woven fabric composites were investigated and compared with those of 3 K carbon woven fabric composites. The results of this study demonstrate the utility of natural fibers in composite applications. Furthermore, it is observed that the mechanical properties of natural fibres are significantly affected by changes in temperature. Experimental results prove that the mechanical properties of natural fiber composites are significantly lower than those of carbon fiber composites, but the hybridization of carbon and jute fibers can result in a composite material with enhanced mechanical properties.
Compensatory Strategies: Prevalence of Use and Relationship to Physical Function and Well-Being
Authors: Gitlin Laura N. , Winter Laraine , Stanley Ian H.
Published: April 2015

We examine prevalence of four compensatory strategies (assistive devices, receiving help, changing frequency, or method of performance) and their immediate and long-term relationship to well-being. A total of 319 older adults (>70 years) with functional difficulties at home provided baseline data; 285 (89%) provided 12-month data. For 17 everyday activities, the most frequently used strategy was changing method of performance ( M = 10.27 activities), followed by changing frequency ( M = 6.17), assistive devices ( M = 5.38), and receiving help ( M = 3.37; p = .001). Using each strategy type was associated with functional difficulties at baseline ( ps < .0001), whereas each strategy type except changing method predicted functional decline 12 months later ( ps < .0001). Changing frequency of performing activities was associated with depressed mood ( p < .0001) and poor mastery ( p < .0001) at both baseline and 12 months ( ps < .02). Findings suggest that strategy type may be differentially associated with functional decline and well-being although reciprocal causality and the role of other factors in these outcomes cannot be determined from this study.
Sexual Violence Experienced in the Sport Context by a Representative Sample of Quebec Adolescents
Authors: Parent Sylvie , Lavoie Francine , Thibodeau Marie-Ève , Hébert Martine , Blais Martin ,   Team PAJ
Published: April 2015

This is the first study to report the prevalence of sexual violence perpetrated by a sport coach within a representative sample of the general population of adolescents aged between 14 and 17 years ( N = 6,450). The questionnaire administered in high schools includes self-reported measures on a variety of dimensions relevant to the study of victimization, including sexual abuse, sexual contacts perceived as consensual, sexual harassment, and involvement in an organized sport context. Descriptive and chi-square analyses were performed. The results show that 0.5% of adolescents experienced sexual abuse involving a coach. When considering all adolescents who experienced sexual abuse in their lifetime (10.2%), it appears that 5.3% of them were victims of sexual abuse by a coach. Participants also reported experiencing sexual harassment from a coach (0.4%) and consensual sexual contacts (1.2%) with a coach in the 12 months preceding the study. Questions are raised on the overrepresentation of boys in situations of sexual victimization experiences in an organized sport context.
Snapshots of British Islam
Authors: Billaud Julie
Published: April 2015

This article seeks to capture the reconfigurations of Islamic morality in England through a collection of snapshots depicting the new actors who have made their apparition in public in the post 9/11 and 7/7 context. While underlying the unintended and paradoxical effects of neoliberalism and of state interventions in the domain of “race relations,” it displaces current debates on “Islamism” from a focus on organized religious movements to one that is sensitive to everyday social practices, embodied performances, and cultural assemblages. Islam in England is envisioned as a “framework,” in the sense of Charles Taylor (1989), for exploring the Self and identity and for promoting the “good ethical life.” Building on Lambek’s (2010) notion of “ordinary ethics,” I argue that Islamic morality does not automatically derive from norms promoted by religious institutions but is rather shaped by everyday practices and interactions. These dynamics are apprehended through snapshots collected during ethnographic “flâneries” in various British cities. The processes of differentiation and assimilation they reveal provide a basis for the phenomenological interpretation of Islam as it is enmeshed in the everyday world of “multiple modernities.”
Lost in Translation
Authors: Kopaneva Irina , Sias Patricia M.
Published: April 2015

Research on organizational mission and vision has primarily centered on the leader’s role in developing and implementing these while neglecting employee worldviews on mission and vision. Guided by the communicative constitution of organizations (CCO) perspective, this exploratory study acknowledges that employees, as well as leaders, contribute to the shared knowledge about what their organization stands for and where it is heading. Toward this end, we explored the extent to which employee constructions and official mission/vision statements were congruent and how they differed. Analysis revealed substantial lack of congruence between employees and their organizations. In general, employee and official versions shared less than half of the same themes. With respect to substance, official statements tended to be far more broad and complex than employee versions. These differences suggest problems with the inclusion of employee worldviews into higher level organizational texts.
A zero phase error tracking based path precompensation method for high-speed machining
Authors: Li Xuewei , Zhang Jun , Zhao Wanhua , Lu Bingheng
Published: April 2015

Contour error due to the dynamic characteristics of feed system has a great influence on machining accuracy, in high-speed machining. In this paper, a new path precompensation method is proposed using zero phase error tracking control algorithm to improve the contouring accuracy for multiaxis machining with large feed rates. In this method, the outputs are predicted with the identified position-loop models of feed systems, and a contour error calculator is designed to calculate contour error in each sample instance using the predicted output and reference input. In order to compensate the contour error resulting from the dynamic tracking error of feed systems, the contour error vector is decomposed orthogonally and the compensation components for individual axis are calculated using zero phase error tracking control algorithm. Simulations showed that contour errors can be significantly improved with small compensation using the new path precompensation method for linear, circular, and parabola contours. Experimental results showed that the new method can reduce contour error significantly and achieve a better compensation compared with zero phase error tracking control and cross-coupled path pre-compensation.
Analysis of rod reversal in reciprocating compressor with capacity regulating system
Authors: Li Ying , Xuan Haijun , Hong Weirong
Published: April 2015

In reciprocating compressors, partial unloading stepless capacity regulation causes the power consumption to reduce in proportion to the decrease in capacity. To enable the widespread application of this method, it is necessary to analyse the changes in the mechanical status of a reciprocating compressor while its capacity is being regulated. This study focused on the rod reversal in a reciprocating compressor and evaluated the influence of capacity regulation. Based on a thermodynamic cycle model, the reversal angles for different capacities were calculated and compared for an M-type reciprocating compressor. The calculated results show that, for a compressor for which the designed reversal angles are sufficiently large to ensure good lubrication for pin and bushing assemblies, stepless capacity regulation can guarantee its safe operation.
WATERSTORY ILE
Authors: Bassi Andrea M. , De Rego Frank , Harrisson John , Lombardi Niccolò
Published: April 2015

Background: Sustainable management of the municipal water supply is a priority issue in the policy agenda of Maui County, Hawaii. The Maui Economic Development Board launched the WaterStory initiative to educate residents about the determinants and history of Maui’s water resource development. A System Dynamics model was developed and coupled with a user interface to create WATERSTORY, an interactive learning environment (ILE).

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the benefits of WATERSTORY for the identification and assessment of sustainable water management policies in Maui.

Method: WATERSTORY is a System Dynamics-based ILE that shows the cross-sectoral impacts of users’ decisions. Both, the simulation model and the ILE resulted from group modeling and ILE testing sessions.

Results: The development of the WATERSTORY ILE facilitated the involvement of local communities in the discussion of water management problems and identification of possible solutions.

Conclusions: The study suggests that developing a simple ILE is essential in raising the interest of a wide audience involved in sustainable development policy making. After stakeholders gain confidence in the benefit of the ILE, it becomes easier to integrate simulation exercises into planning processes at national, regional and local levels.
‘Don’t push your immorals on me’: Encouraging anti-porn advocacy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Authors: Sumerau J Edward , Cragun Ryan T
Published: April 2015

In this article, we examine how leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS or LDS Church) encouraged their followers to oppose pornography. Based on archival materials from the LDS Church, we examine how LDS leaders, responding to the expansion of pornography over the last 40 years, fostered anti-porn advocacy among their followers by (1) creating anti-porn media offerings, (2) celebrating anti-porn activism, and (3) negotiating pornography laws. In conclusion, we draw out implications for understanding how religious leaders influence public debates about sexual controversies, and the reciprocal relationship between religious and sexual politics.
Bareback sex, queer legal theory, and evolving socio-legal contexts
Authors: Ashford Chris
Published: April 2015

This article seeks to explore bareback sex in the context of an evolving socio-legal landscape. The emergence of homonormativity and the intrinsic focus upon marriage and an agenda of domesticity have cemented the ‘good gay’ at the heart of contemporary society. For the ‘bad queer’, bareback as identity and bareback as act can be negotiated as points of difference, but the law continues to struggle with such difference. Instead, we increasingly see doctrinal law along with the force of law seeking to erase bareback sex, notably in the context of pornography. This piece argues for the radical power of bareback sex as a liberation-inspired concept, one that serves as point of resistance to law.
Leading by example: A queer critique of personalization and coercive community governance in Act Up-Paris’s operation against the bareback writers
Authors: Davis Oliver
Published: April 2015

This article advances a queer historiographical critique of Act Up-Paris’s operation against Guillaume Dustan and Erik Rémès, two writers of semi-autobiographical fiction closely associated with bareback in France at the turn of the 21st century. It calls into question the group’s strategy of personalization, its insistence on exemplarity of conduct and its reliance on a problematic if widely accepted view of the necessity of community governance by ‘role model’. Without simply finding in favour of the writers, the article develops and contextualizes, both historically and theoretically (principally by reference to Foucault’s account of the ‘state of emergency’ and the ongoing work of Tim Dean), reservations voiced by some members of the community at the time about the latent ‘fascism’ in Act Up’s attempt to coercively police adherence to the norm of condom use. It argues that Act Up-Paris, alongside its intended objective to police the consensus around safe sex, unwittingly offered a collateral lesson in stigmatizing coercion, which constituted a performative contradiction of a nurturing function it had so effectively played for gay people in the preceding decade. The article concludes by resituating bareback within a continuity of ‘arse-sex-positive’ queer socio-sexual practices.
Mediated intimacies: Raw sex, Truvada, and the biopolitics of chemoprophylaxis
Authors: Dean Tim
Published: April 2015

This article offers a retrospective view on Unlimited Intimacy by evaluating the status of pharmaceutical mediation in the emergence and development of bareback as a sexual practice. It examines the US public health recommendation of 2014 that HIV-negative people should begin taking Truvada, an AIDS drug, for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Situating the pragmatics of PrEP in a discussion of the medicalization of gay sexuality, it argues that Truvada has biopolitical side effects that warrant critical attention. Drawing on queer theorist Beatriz Preciado, the article elaborates a concept of ‘pharmacopower’ to contextualize the development of chemoprophylaxis in the history of sexuality.
Barebacking and sexual position
Authors: Grundy-Bowers Matthew , Hardy Sally , McKeown Eamonn
Published: April 2015

Bareback sex continues to fuel the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men but despite the fact that much academic attention has been focused on the sexual behaviour of this population few authors have considered the significance of sexual position. In order to explore this relatively under-examined factor, interviews were conducted with 13 HIV-negative and unknown status gay men who had recently engaged in bareback sex. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and through the lens of sexual position, the findings were organized across three super-ordinal themes. There were some areas in which there was little difference between the men's experiences of engaging in bareback as tops or bottoms (for instance, how participants connected with barebacking partners). In other areas, however, there were clear differences in men's experiences according to sexual position, particularly in the interpersonal dynamic between tops and bottoms during bareback sex encounters, which, it is argued, were acted out in accordance with a barebacking ‘sexual script’. There were further differences by position in how individuals overcame ‘cognitive dissonance’ by invoking strategies to make their engagement in bareback sex safer and in the meanings men ascribed to bareback sex and semen exchange. These findings provide valuable insights for those working with MSM around HIV prevention.
The condomlessness of bareback sex: Responses to the unrepresentability of HIV in Treasure Island Media’s Plantin’ Seed and Slammed
Authors: Scott Stuart
Published: April 2015

This article focuses on the pornography produced by Treasure Island Media, specifically the two films Plantin’ Seed (2004) and Slammed (2012), in order to explore and analyze the ways in which they alternately seek to represent HIV and to skirt its unrepresentability with metaphorical substitutes. The article posits a link between the function of the representation of the condom and that of condomlessness; it accordingly proposes a problematization of the representation of condomlessness within bareback pornography and argues that to represent condomlessness is fundamentally antithetical to what bareback pornography postulates and indeed believes about itself.
A comparison of service use by people with dementia in two samples a decade apart
Authors: Gilbert Claire , Wilcock Jane , Thuné-Boyle Ingela , Iliffe Steve
Published: April 2015

Investment in improving community-based dementia care is underway in the United Kingdom, but we do not know how well it meets the needs of people with dementia and those who care for them. The aim of this study was to explore the service use and reported unmet needs of people with dementia in two samples recruited a decade apart. We interviewed 122 carers from Central Scotland and London in 2000–2001 and 84 carers from South-East England in 2010–2011 using the same interview schedule. The two samples of carers had similar demographics. The later groups were more likely to be spouses, slightly older, not working, ethnically diverse, have better perceived health and better access to a car. The people with dementia in each sample had similar characteristics and levels of disability. Carers in the later sample reported more met need for activities of daily living, although up to a third were still not getting sufficient help with some activities. Nearly half of both samples reported verbal aggression and nearly a fifth physical aggression, yet most have not received advice on how to manage this. There is a more evident role of the practice nurse ( p = 0.01) and less evident use of community nurses ( p = 0.0005), psychiatric nurses ( p = 0.006) and health visitors ( p = 0.0003) in the more recent sample.
A flicker perception metric
Authors: Bodington D , Bierman A , Narendran N
Published: April 2015

A metric is proposed for predicting the perception of light source flicker from a measurement of the relative light output waveform. The metric is the weighted quadrature sum of the temporal spectral components comprising the waveform after dividing by the waveform mean. The metric’s foundation is that used by the IEC flickermeter, which assumes a linear, time invariant human response to flicker. This assumption, restated in terms of the spectral components being additive and independent, was found to accurately model the flicker detection thresholds for a range of waveform shapes and frequencies. In the testing of the additive and independence requirements, the empirical spectral sensitivity to flicker was measured for 10 observers. The metric also correctly predicted whether flicker was detected for five commercial A-lamps.
The validity of self-reported convictions in a community sample: Findings from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development
Authors: Auty Katherine M. , Farrington David P. , Coid Jeremy W.
Published: April 2015

Self-report surveys are among the most widely used methods of collecting data on delinquent behaviour, despite persistent concerns over systematic bias. Further investigation into this area is necessary, because the increasing difficulty of obtaining detailed official criminal records is making researchers increasingly reliant on self-reports. Therefore, this analysis investigates the validity of self-reported conviction data in a community sample of young adults who are the offspring of the original male participants in the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development. The analysis revealed a high level of concurrent validity, although those who had several convictions or convictions for serious offences were more likely to under-report them, whereas older offenders were less likely to over-report. Those living with their parents were less likely to under-report and more likely to over-report their offences. The predictive validity analyses demonstrated that self-reports significantly predicted subsequent convictions for property, violent, drug and driving offences. Users of self-report data need to take these results into consideration.
How Final Is Leaving College While in Academic Jeopardy? Examining the Utility of Differentiating College Leavers by Academic Standing
Authors: Kopp Jason P. , Shaw Emily J.
Published: April 2015

Retention research rarely differentiates between students dismissed from an institution for poor academic performance versus students leaving by choice. As a proxy for studying academic dismissal, this study investigated differences between students leaving college in academic jeopardy after the first year (<2.00 grade point average) and those leaving in good standing. These two types of academic leavers differed sharply in their 6-year completion outcomes, with students leaving in good standing most likely to receive a degree from another 4-year institution and students leaving in academic jeopardy most likely to not receive a postsecondary degree in 6 years. Further, these two groups differed on a number of student demographic and academic characteristics (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, first-generation college student, SAT scores) and institutional characteristics of first institution attended (e.g., freshman class size). Future research should consider differentiating between these two types of academic leavers when examining retention and designing-related interventions.
Impact of Acute Intermittent Exercise on Natural Killer Cells in Breast Cancer Survivors
Authors: Evans Elizabeth S. , Hackney A. C. , McMurray Robert G. , Randell Scott H. , Muss Hyman B. , Deal Allison M. , Battaglini Claudio L.
Published: April 2015

Background. Current research examining the effect of exercise on immune responses in cancer survivors is limited. Objective. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the effect of 1 bout of intermittent exercise on natural killer (NK) cell numbers in breast cancer survivors. Methods. A total of 9 women with stage I to III invasive breast cancer who were 3 to 6 months posttreatment and 9 sedentary women without a history of cancer completed 10 three-minute intervals of aerobic exercise on the cycle ergometer at 60% of VO2peak (peak oxygen uptake). Whole blood samples were taken pre-exercise, immediately postexercise, and at 2 hours and 24 hours postexercise. NK cell counts were assessed using flow cytometry. Results. In both groups, NK cell counts significantly increased immediately postexercise compared with pre-exercise ( P = .004-.008) and returned to near pre-exercise levels during recovery ( P = .129-.547). Absolute NK cell counts were significantly lower in breast cancer survivors immediately postexercise when compared with controls ( P = .046). Conclusions. The breast cancer survivor group exhibited NK cell responses to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity intermittent aerobic exercise that were comparable with that in the group of physically similar women without a history of cancer. Immune changes related to cancer treatments may be related to the lower absolute NK cell counts observed in the breast cancer survivor group. Although the results of this study are preliminary in nature, they suggest that this type of exercise does not disrupt this aspect of innate immunity in recent breast cancer survivors, thereby supporting current exercise recommendations for this population.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Update on pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and the role of S-adenosylmethionine
Authors: Noureddin Mazen , Mato José M , Lu Shelly C
Published: April 2015

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently the most common liver disease worldwide affecting over one-third of the population in the U.S. It has been associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance and is initiated by the accumulation of triglycerides in hepatocytes. Isolated hepatic steatosis (IHS) remains a benign process, while a subset develops superimposed inflammatory activity and progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with or without fibrosis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying NAFLD progression are not completely understood. Liver biopsy is still required to differentiate IHS from NASH as easily accessible noninvasive biomarkers are lacking. In terms of treatments for NASH, pioglitazone, vitamin E, and obeticholic acid have shown some benefit. All of these agents have potential complications associated with long-term use. Nowadays, a complex hypothesis suggests that multiple parallel hits are involved in NASH development. However, the ‘key switch’ between IHS and NASH remains to be discovered. We have recently shown that knocking out enzymes involved in S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) metabolism, the main biological methyl donor in humans that is abundant in the liver, will lead to NASH development in mice. This could be due to the fact that a normal SAMe level is required to establish the proper ratio of phosphatidylethanolamine to phosphatidylcholine that has been found to be important in NAFLD progression. New data from humans have also suggested that these enzymes play a role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and that some of SAMe cycle metabolites may serve as noninvasive biomarkers of NASH. In this review, we discuss the evidence of the role of SAMe in animal models and humans with NAFLD and how studying this area may lead to the discovery of new noninvasive biomarkers and possibly personalized treatment for NASH.
Analytical Performance Requirements for Systems for Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose With Focus on System Accuracy
Authors: Freckmann Guido , Schmid Christina , Baumstark Annette , Rutschmann Malte , Haug Cornelia , Heinemann Lutz
Published: April 2015

In the European Union (EU), the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 15197 standard is applicable for the evaluation of systems for self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) before the market approval. In 2013, a revised version of this standard was published. Relevant revisions in the analytical performance requirements are the inclusion of the evaluation of influence quantities, for example, hematocrit, and some changes in the testing procedures for measurement precision and system accuracy evaluation, for example, number of test strip lots. Regarding system accuracy evaluation, the most important change is the inclusion of more stringent accuracy criteria. In 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States published their own guidance document for the premarket evaluation of SMBG systems with even more stringent system accuracy criteria than stipulated by ISO 15197:2013. The establishment of strict accuracy criteria applicable for the premarket evaluation is a possible approach to further improve the measurement quality of SMBG systems. However, the system accuracy testing procedure is quite complex, and some critical aspects, for example, systematic measurement difference between the reference measurement procedure and a higher-order procedure, may potentially limit the apparent accuracy of a given system. Therefore, the implementation of a harmonized reference measurement procedure for which traceability to standards of higher order is verified through an unbroken, documented chain of calibrations is desirable. In addition, the establishment of regular and standardized post-marketing evaluations of distributed test strip lots should be considered as an approach toward an improved measurement quality of available SMBG systems.