bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antidepressant‐Like Effects of Cordycepin in a Mice Model of Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress
Authors: Tianzhu Zhang , Shihai Yang , Juan Du
Published: December 2014

Cordycepin (3′‐deoxyadenosine), a major bioactive component isolated from Cordyceps militaris, has multiple pharmacological activities. This study is attempted to investigate whether cordycepin (COR) possesses beneficial effects on chronic unpredictable mild stress‐ (CUMS‐) induced behavioral deficits (depression‐like behaviors) and explore the possible mechanisms. ICR mice were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress for 42 consecutive days. Then, COR and fluoxetine (FLU, positive control drug) were administered for 21 consecutive days at the last three weeks of CUMS procedure. The classical behavioral tests, open field test (OFT), sucrose preference test (SPT), tail suspension test (TST), and forced swimming test (FST), were applied to evaluate the antidepressant effects of COR. Then the serotonin (5‐HT) and noradrenaline (NE) concentrations in hippocampal were evaluated by HPLC; tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) in hippocampal were evaluated, and the proteins of TNF‐α, IL‐6, NF‐κBP65 5‐HT 2A receptor (5‐HT 2AR), and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in hippocampal were evaluated by Western blot. Our results indicated that 6 weeks of CUMS exposure induced significant depression‐like behavior, with low 5‐HT and NE levels, high TNF‐α and IL‐6 in brain and high hippocampal TNF‐α, IL‐6, P‐NF‐κBP65, and 5‐HT 2AR levels, and low BDNF expression levels. Whereas, chronic COR (20, 40 mg/kg) treatments reversed the behavioral deficiency induced by CUMS exposure, treatment with COR normalized the change of TNF‐α, IL‐6, 5‐HT, and NE levels, which demonstrated that COR could partially restore CUMS‐induced 5‐HT receptor impairments and inflammation. Besides, hippocampal BDNF expressions were also upregulated after COR treatments. In conclusion, COR remarkably improved depression‐like behavior in CUMS mice and its antidepressant activity is mediated, at least in part, by the upregulating BDNF and downregulating 5‐HT 2AR levels and inflammation in hippocampus.
Generating and Reversing Chronic Wounds in Diabetic Mice by Manipulating Wound Redox Parameters
Authors: Dhall Sandeep , Do Danh C. , Garcia Monika , Kim Jane , Mirebrahim Seyed H. , Lyubovitsky Julia , Lonardi Stefano , Nothnagel Eugene A. , Schiller Neal , Martins-Green Manuela
Published: December 2014

By 2025, more than 500 M people worldwide will suffer from diabetes; 125 M will develop foot ulcer(s) and 20 M will undergo an amputation, creating a major health problem. Understanding how these wounds become chronic will provide insights to reverse chronicity. We hypothesized that oxidative stress (OS) in wounds is a critical component for generation of chronicity. We used the db/db mouse model of impaired healing and inhibited, at time of injury, two major antioxidant enzymes, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, creating high OS in the wounds. This was necessary and sufficient to trigger wounds to become chronic. The wounds initially contained a polymicrobial community that with time selected for specific biofilm-forming bacteria. To reverse chronicity we treated the wounds with the antioxidantsα-tocopherol and N-acetylcysteine and found that OS was highly reduced, biofilms had increased sensitivity to antibiotics, and granulation tissue was formed with proper collagen deposition and remodeling. We show for the first time generation of chronic wounds in which biofilm develops spontaneously, illustrating importance of early and continued redox imbalance coupled with the presence of biofilm in development of wound chronicity. This model will help decipher additional mechanisms and potentially better diagnosis of chronicity and treatment of human chronic wounds.
Association of Socioeconomic Position and Demographic Characteristics with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Healthcare Access among Adults Living in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia
Authors: Hosey G. M. , Samo M. , Gregg E. W. , Barker L. , Padden D. , Bibb S. G.
Published: December 2014

Background. The burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasing in low-to-middle income countries. We examined how socioeconomic and demographic characteristics may be associated with CVD risk factors and healthcare access in such countries.Methods. We extracted data from the World Health Organization’s STEPwise approach to surveillance 2002 cross-sectional dataset from Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). We used these data to estimate associations for socioeconomic position (education, income, and employment) and demographics (age, sex, and urban/rural) with CVD risk factors and with healthcare access, among a sample of 1638 adults (25–64 years).Results. In general, we found significantly higher proportions of daily tobacco use among men than women and respondents reporting primary-level education (<9 years) than among those with postsecondary education (>12 years). Results also revealed significant positive associations between paid employment and waist circumference and systolic blood pressure. Healthcare access did not differ significantly by socioeconomic position. Women reported significantly higher mean waist circumference than men.Conclusion. Our results suggest that socioeconomic position and demographic characteristics impact CVD risk factors and healthcare access in FSM. This understanding may help decision-makers tailor population-level policies and programs. The 2002 Pohnpei data provides a baseline; subsequent population health surveillance data might define trends.
Angioedema due to Systemic Isotretinoin Therapy
Authors: Üstüner Pelin
Published: December 2014

Angioedema is the swelling of the mucosal membranes as a variant of urticaria induced by hereditary C1 esterase inhibitor enzyme deficiency, certain foods, or drugs. Herein, we report the case of a 23-year-old woman, with mild-moderate acne presenting with widespread facial angioedema on the 2nd day of systemic isotretinoin treatment. The patient had taken no drugs other than isotretinoin in the preceding days and had no known food allergy. Her angioedema was resolved after the isotretinoin was discontinued. We want to draw the attention of dermatologists to this rare adverse allergic effect of isotretinoin which is frequently used in the treatment of acne vulgaris.
Human CD38hiCD138+Plasma Cells Can Be Generated In Vitro from CD40-Activated Switched-Memory B Lymphocytes
Authors: Itoua Maïga Rayelle , Bonnaure Guillaume , Tremblay Rochette Josiane , Néron Sonia
Published: December 2014

B lymphocyte differentiation into long-lived plasma cells is the keystone event for the production of long-term protective antibodies. CD40-CD154 and CD27-CD70 interactions are involved in human B lymphocyte differentiation into CD38hiCD138+cells in vivo as well as in vitro. In this study, we have compared these interactions in their capacity to drive switched-memory B lymphocytes differentiation into CD38hiCD138+plasma cells. The targeted B lymphocytes were isolated from human peripheral blood, expanded for 19 days, and then submitted to CD70 or CD154 interactions for 14 days. The expanded B lymphocytes were constitutively expressing CD39, whereas CD31’s expression was noticed only following the in vitro differentiation step (day 5) and was exclusively present on the CD38hicell population. Furthermore, the generated CD38hiCD138+cells showed a higher proportion of CD31+cells than the CD38hiCD138-cells. Besides, analyses done with human blood and bone marrow plasma cells showed that in vivo and de novo generated CD38hiCD138+cells have a similar CD31 expression profile but are distinct according to their reduced CD39 expression level. Overall, we have evidences that in vitro generated plasma cells are heterogeneous and appear as CD39+precursors to the ones present in bone marrow niches.
Resource Management Technique Based on Lightweight and Compressed Sensing for Mobile Internet of Things
Authors: Jianming Zhou , Fan Liu , Qiuyuan Lu
Published: December 2014

In mobile Internet of Tings, based on cross-layer design and resource-aware scheduling, the combination of light weight coding and compressed sensing is used to improve the real-time performance of acquisition of system resource and reliability of resource management in this paper. Compressed sensing scheme based on the adaptive frame format definition of lightweight coding is able to set up the parameters such as sample signal, signal and hops. The nonlinear relationship matrixes between resource information of sensors or system and quality of services are built to manage the global or local network resource scheduling. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme is better than the traditional scheme or resource management based on compressed sensing alone scheme, which can make the system be able to achieve optimal resource allocation.
Predicting Audience Location on the Basis of the k‐Nearest Neighbor Multilabel Classification
Authors: Wu Haitao , Ying Shi
Published: December 2014

Understanding audience location information in online social networks is important in designing recommendation systems, improving information dissemination, and so on. In this paper, we focus on predicting the location distribution of audiences on YouTube. And we transform this problem to a multilabel classification problem, while we find there exist three problems when the classical k‐nearest neighbor based algorithm for multilabel classification (ML‐kNN) is used to predict location distribution. Firstly, the feature weights are not considered in measuring the similarity degree. Secondly, it consumes considerable computing time in finding similar items by traversing all the training set. Thirdly, the goal of ML‐kNN is to find relevant labels for every sample which is different from audience location prediction. To solve these problems, we propose the methods of measuring similarity based on weight, quickly finding similar items, and ranking a specific number of labels. On the basis of these methods and the ML‐kNN, the k‐nearest neighbor based model for audience location prediction (AL‐kNN) is proposed for predicting audience location. The experiments based on massive YouTube data show that the proposed model can more accurately predict the location of YouTube video audience than the ML‐kNN, MLNB, and Rank‐SVM methods.
Si Substrate‐Based Metamaterials for Ultrabroadband Perfect Absorption in Visible Regime
Authors: Han Qi , Jin Lei , Fu Yongqi , Yu Weixing
Published: December 2014

We report the broadband efficient light absorbing property of a structure of quadrangular frustum pyramid array in visible regime. The structure can absorb light efficiently with an average absorptivity of 0.98 over the whole visible waveband. In addition, it is found that this kind of super light absorbing can maintain an average of 0.9 for a wide incident angle range. The perfect absorbing property of the metamaterial‐based nanoring array is attributed to the effect of the Fabry‐Perot resonance. The structure is possible to be used as a type of Si photonics devices in future photonic circuits.
A Computational Approach for Predicting Role of Human MicroRNAs in MERS-CoV Genome
Authors: Hasan Md Mahmudul , Akter Rozina , Ullah Md. Shahin , Abedin Md. Jaynul , Ullah G. M. Ahsan , Hossain Md. Zakir
Published: December 2014

The new epidemic Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is caused by a type of human coronavirus called MERS-CoV which has global fatality rate of about 30%. We are investigating potential antiviral therapeutics against MERS-CoV by using host microRNAs (miRNAs) which may downregulate viral gene expression to quell viral replication. We computationally predicted potential 13 cellular miRNAs from 11 potential hairpin sequences of MERS-CoV genome. Our study provided an interesting hypothesis that those miRNAs, that is, hsa-miR-628-5p, hsa-miR-6804-3p, hsa-miR-4289, hsa-miR-208a-3p, hsa-miR-510-3p, hsa-miR-18a-3p, hsa-miR-329-3p, hsa-miR-548ax, hsa-miR-3934-5p, hsa-miR-4474-5p, hsa-miR-7974, hsa-miR-6865-5p, and hsa-miR-342-3p, would be antiviral therapeutics against MERS-CoV infection.
A Rare Case of Low-Solute Hyponatremia in a Nonalcoholic Person
Authors: Srisung Weeraporn , Mankongpaisarnrung Charoen , Anaele Cyriacus , Dumrongmongcolgul Nat , Ahmed Vaqar
Published: December 2014

Low-solute hyponatremia is a relatively uncommon entity of euvolemic hyponatremia. Classic cases were described in alcoholics as beer potomania, which is characterized by hyponatremia in the setting of low-solute intake due to heavy beer drinking. We report a case of low-solute hyponatremia in a nonalcoholic person who was given a solute load, and, subsequently, had excessive diuresis with the resultant rapid increase in serum sodium concentration.
The Mechanisms of Calcium Cycling and Action Potential Dynamics in Cardiac Alternans
Authors: Kanaporis Giedrius , Blatter Lothar A.
Published: December 2014

Rationale:

Alternans is a risk factor for cardiac arrhythmia, including atrial fibrillation. At the cellular level alternans manifests as beat-to-beat alternations in contraction, action potential duration (APD), and magnitude of the Ca
2+
transient (CaT). Electromechanical and CaT alternans are highly correlated, however, it has remained controversial whether the primary cause of alternans is a disturbance of cellular Ca
2+
signaling or electrical membrane properties.

Objective:

To determine whether a primary failure of intracellular Ca
2+
regulation or disturbances in membrane potential and AP regulation are responsible for the occurrence of alternans in atrial myocytes.

Methods and Results:

Pacing-induced APD and CaT alternans were studied in single rabbit atrial and ventricular myocytes using combined [Ca
2+
]i and electrophysiological measurements. In current-clamp experiments, APD and CaT alternans strongly correlated in time and magnitude. CaT alternans was observed without alternation in L-type Ca
2+
current, however, elimination of intracellular Ca
2+
release abolished APD alternans, indicating that [Ca
2+
]i dynamics have a profound effect on the occurrence of CaT alternans. Trains of 2 distinctive voltage commands in form of APs recorded during large and small alternans CaTs were applied to voltage-clamped cells. CaT alternans was observed with and without alternation in the voltage command shape. During alternans AP-clamp large CaTs coincided with both long and short AP waveforms, indicating that CaT alternans develop irrespective of AP dynamics.

Conclusions:

The primary mechanism underlying alternans in atrial cells, similarly to ventricular cells, resides in a disturbance of Ca
2+
signaling, whereas APD alternans are a secondary consequence, mediated by Ca
2+
-dependent AP modulation.
Paradoxical Normoxia-Dependent Selective Actions of Inorganic Nitrite in Human Muscular Conduit Arteries and Related Selective Actions on Central Blood Pressures
Authors: Omar Sami A. , Fok Henry , Tilgner Katharina D. , Nair Ashok , Hunt Joanne , Jiang Benyu , Taylor Paul , Chowienczyk Phil , Webb Andrew J.
Published: December 2014

Background—

Inorganic nitrite dilates small resistance arterioles via hypoxia-facilitated reduction to vasodilating nitric oxide. The effects of nitrite in human conduit arteries have not been investigated. In contrast to nitrite, organic nitrates are established selective dilators of conduit arteries.

Methods and Results—

We examined the effects of local and systemic administration of sodium nitrite on the radial artery (a muscular conduit artery), forearm resistance vessels (forearm blood flow), and systemic hemodynamics in healthy male volunteers (n=43). Intrabrachial sodium nitrite (8.7 μmol/min) increased radial artery diameter by a median of 28.0% (25th and 75th percentiles, 25.7% and 40.1%;
P
<0.001). Nitrite (0.087–87 μmol/min) displayed conduit artery selectivity similar to that of glyceryl trinitrate (0.013–4.4 nmol/min) over resistance arterioles. Nitrite dose-dependently increased local cGMP production at the dose of 2.6 μmol/min by 1.1 pmol·min
−1
·100 mL
−1
tissue (95% confidence interval, 0.5–1.8). Nitrite-induced radial artery dilation was enhanced by administration of acetazolamide (oral or intra-arterial) and oral raloxifene (
P
=0.0248,
P
<0.0001, and
P
=0.0006, respectively) but was inhibited under hypoxia (
P
<0.0001) and hyperoxia (
P
=0.0006) compared with normoxia. Systemic intravenous administration of sodium nitrite (8.7 μmol/min) dilated the radial artery by 10.7% (95% confidence interval, 6.8–14.7) and reduced central systolic blood pressure by 11.6 mm Hg (95% confidence interval, 2.4–20.7), augmentation index, and pulse wave velocity without changing peripheral blood pressure.

Conclusions—

Nitrite selectively dilates conduit arteries at supraphysiological and near-physiological concentrations via a normoxia-dependent mechanism that is associated with cGMP production and is enhanced by acetazolamide and raloxifene. The selective central blood pressure–lowering effects of nitrite have therapeutic potential to reduce cardiovascular events.
Trends in Coronary Revascularization Procedures Among Medicare Beneficiaries Between 2008 and 2012
Authors: Culler Steven D. , Kugelmass Aaron D. , Brown Phillip P. , Reynolds Matthew R. , Simon April W.
Published: December 2014

Background—

This study reports on the trends in the volume and outcomes of coronary revascularization procedures performed on Medicare beneficiaries between 2008 and 2012.

Methods and Results—

This retrospective study identifies all Medicare beneficiaries undergoing a coronary revascularization procedure: coronary artery bypass graft surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) performed in either the nonadmission or inpatient setting.
International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification
procedure codes (inpatient setting) and Current Procedural Terminology and Ambulatory Payment Classification codes (nonadmission) were used to identify revascularizations. The study population consists of 2 768 007 records. This study finds that the rapid growth in nonadmission PCIs performed on Medicare beneficiaries (60 405–106 495) has been more than offset by the decrease in PCI admissions (363 384–295 434) during the study period. There also were >18 000 fewer coronary artery bypass graft admissions in 2012 than in 2008. This study finds lower observed mortality rates (3.7%–3.2%) among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing any coronary artery bypass graft surgery and higher observed mortality rates (1.7%–1.9%) for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing any PCI encounter. This study also finds a growth in the number of facilities performing revascularization procedures during the study period: 268 (20.2%) more sites were performing nonadmission PCIs; 136 (8.2%) more sites were performing inpatient PCIs; and 19 (1.6%) more sites were performing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Conclusions—

The total number of revascularization procedures performed on Medicare beneficiaries peaked in 2010 and declined by >4% per year in 2011 and 2012. Observed mortality rates among all Medicare beneficiaries undergoing any coronary revascularization remained between 2.1% and 2.2% annually during the study period.
Sound Synthesis with Auditory Distortion Products
Authors: Kendall Gary S. , Haworth Christopher , Cádiz Rodrigo F.
Published: December 2014

This article describes methods of sound synthesis based on auditory distortion products, often called combination tones. In 1856, Helmholtz was the first to identify sum and difference tones as products of auditory distortion. Today this phenomenon is well studied in the context of otoacoustic emissions, and the “distortion” is understood as a product of what is termed the cochlear amplifier. These tones have had a rich history in the music of improvisers and drone artists. Until now, the use of distortion tones in technological music has largely been rudimentary and dependent on very high amplitudes in order for the distortion products to be heard by audiences. Discussed here are synthesis methods to render these tones more easily audible and lend them the dynamic properties of traditional acoustic sound, thus making auditory distortion a practical domain for sound synthesis. An adaptation of single-sideband synthesis is particularly effective for capturing the dynamic properties of audio inputs in real time. Also presented is an analytic solution for matching up to four harmonics of a target spectrum. Most interestingly, the spatial imagery produced by these techniques is very distinctive, and over loudspeakers the normal assumptions of spatial hearing do not apply. Audio examples are provided that illustrate the discussion.
Palaearctic species of the Spathius exarator species group (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) with entirely sculptured mesopleuron
Authors: BELOKOBYLSKIJ SERGEY A. , SAMARTSEV KONSTANTIN G.
Published: December 2014

The Palaearctic species of the S. exarator species group of the genus Spathius Nees with entirely sculptured mesopleuron are discussed. Four new species, Spathius austriacus sp. nov., S. intercontinentalis sp. nov., S. pseudodentatus sp. nov., and S. sculptipleurum sp. nov., are described and illustrated. Spathius curvicaudis Ratzeburg, 1944 treated here as junior synonym of S. erythrocephalus Wesmael, 1838 (syn. nov.) The key for determination of the Palaearctic species of this group with constantly or temporary sculptured mesopleuron is provided.
Formation of Intrathermocline Lenses by Eddy–Wind Interaction
Authors: McGillicuddy Dennis J.
Published: December 2014

Mesoscale intrathermocline lenses are observed throughout the World Ocean and are commonly attributed to water mass anomalies advected from a distant origin. An alternative mechanism of local generation is offered herein, in which eddy–wind interaction can create lens-shaped disturbances in the thermocline. Numerical simulations illustrate how eddy–wind-driven upwelling in anticyclones can yield a convex lens reminiscent of a mode water eddy, whereas eddy–wind-driven downwelling in cyclones produces a concave lens that thins the mode water layer (a cyclonic “thinny”). Such transformations should be observable with long-term time series in the interiors of mesoscale eddies.
A Comparative Analysis of Job Motivation and Career Preference of Asian Undergraduate Students
Authors: Ko Kilkon , Jun Kyu-Nahm
Published: December 2014

This article examines how various job motivators and perception toward public service affect university students’ tendencies to choose public sector jobs in a comparative context. We address this question using survey data collected from undergraduate students in China, Singapore, and Korea. The findings indicate that a positive association exists between motivation to benefit society and public sector job preference among Singaporean and Korean students, although such a relationship does not exist among Chinese students. Job security and salary are commonly important motivators for students who prefer either public or private sector jobs. Finally, the divergent characteristics of students’ career goals serve to emphasize the importance of comparative studies in identifying context-specific and context-general factors that motivate students toward public service careers.
“I’ve Redeemed Myself by Being a 1950s ‘Housewife’ ”
Authors: Nordqvist Petra
Published: December 2014

This article investigates the relationship between grandparents and lesbian daughters in the context of childbirth, looking specifically at the role that pregnancy plays in shaping kinship affinities. Gender, sex, and heterosexuality are fundamental to Euro-American kinship discourse and practice; lesbian couples’ parenthood through donor conception represents a significant departure from prevailing tropes of kinship. Thus, questions arise about how lesbians experience becoming and being parents, and about how their own parents may respond to becoming a genetic or nongenetic grandparent. This article draws on original data from interviews conducted in the United Kingdom with lesbians who became parents by donor conception, and grandparents with lesbian daughters in those situations where the older generation was not originally supportive of their daughters. It explores the negotiated meaning of pregnancy and how relationships with grandparents may be shaped by whether or not it is the daughter of the family who gave birth.
Effects of changes in life circumstances on interaction and communication in adults with congenital deafblindness and an intellectual disability
Authors: Bloeming-Wolbrink Kitty A , Janssen Marleen J , Ruijssenaars Wied AJJM , Menke Roelof , Riksen-Walraven J Marianne
Published: December 2014

This study examined the effects of the first 2 years of the ongoing Project CHANGE, aimed at improving interaction and communication in adults with congenital deafblindness (CDB) and an intellectual disability (ID). Six adults with no history of deafblind education participated in this study. These first 2 years of CHANGE involved an improvement in living conditions, including a transition to a new group home and interactions with specialized caregivers. Video recordings and file information were used to measure interaction and communication during baseline (T0) and two subsequent periods (T1 and T2). The results show an improvement in interaction: attention by the caregiver, confirmation by the caregiver, and affective involvement all improved. An improvement was also shown in the participants’ level of expressive communication and in the variety of their communicative behaviors. The improvements over time emphasize the need for a specific approach for persons with CDB and an ID.
Measuring Afterschool Program Quality Using Setting-Level Observational Approaches
Authors: Oh Yoonkyung , Osgood D. Wayne , Smith Emilie P.
Published: December 2014

The importance of afterschool hours for youth development is widely acknowledged, and afterschool settings have recently received increasing attention as an important venue for youth interventions, bringing a growing need for reliable and valid measures of afterschool quality. This study examined the extent to which the two observational tools, that is, Caregiver Interaction Scales (CIS) and Promising Practices Rating Scales (PPRS), could serve as reliable and valid tools for assessing the various dimensions of afterschool setting quality. The observation data of 44 afterschool programs were analyzed using both standard psychometric procedures (i.e., internal consistency, interrater reliability, and factor analysis) and generalizability theory. The results show the potential promise of the instruments, on one hand, and suggest future directions for improvement of measurement design and development of the field, on the other hand. In particular, our findings suggest the importance of addressing the effect of day-to-day fluctuations in observed afterschool quality.
The Contribution of Maternal Care and Control to Adolescents’ Adjustment Following War
Authors: Dekel Rachel , Solomon Dan
Published: December 2014

This study examined the contribution of maternal bonding to the adjustment of Israeli adolescents following the 2006 Lebanon War. In all, 2,858 seventh and eighth graders who lived in areas that were exposed to missile attacks completed the Parental Bonding Instrument (assessing maternal care and control) and questionnaires evaluating post-traumatic stress (PTS), psychological distress, and life satisfaction. Beyond the contribution of war exposure, maternal control was associated with adolescents’ greater distress, more PTS symptoms, and lower life satisfaction. Maternal care contributed to adolescents’ lower distress and greater life satisfaction. Furthermore, maternal care moderated the association between adolescents’ war exposure and their distress: Among adolescents who were highly exposed to war, those who perceived their mothers as less caring exhibited greater distress than equally traumatized adolescents who perceived their mothers as more caring. The discussion deals with the findings in light of the literature regarding parenting and trauma.
The Role of Social Networking Sites in Early Adolescents’ Social Lives
Authors: Antheunis Marjolijn L. , Schouten Alexander P. , Krahmer Emiel
Published: December 2014

The aim of this study was to examine the role of social networking sites (SNSs) in early adolescents’ social lives. First, we investigated the relation between SNS use and several aspects of early adolescents’ social lives (i.e., friendship quality, bridging social capital, and bonding social capital). Second, we examined whether there are differences between SNS users and nonusers in terms of their social lives. Drawing on a survey among 3,068 early adolescents, results showed positive relations between SNS use and friendship quality, bridging social capital, and bonding social capital. Furthermore, we found positive effects of SNS membership on these social indicators. In sum, even though concerns have been voiced about a possible negative impact of SNS use on adolescents’ social lives, we found no evidence of this. Results of this study show that the role of SNSs in early adolescents’ social lives is positive at least concerning friendship quality, bridging social capital, and bonding social capital.
Rural geography III
Authors: McDonagh John
Published: December 2014

Expectations and contradictions in the rural, played out through small-scale farming, the pervasive nature of globalization, discourses of food security, new productivism and escalation in global land grabs have been shown in previous reports to impact greatly on sustainable rural futures. The analysis continues here by exploring another often contradictory pathway, that of sustainable intensification. The bioeconomy and its nascent popularity in rural policy discourse is discussed before questions are posed about the ‘logic’ of sustainable intensification, its increasingly dominant positioning as a guiding principle, and its conceivable use as a rural policy instrument.
Geographies of finance III
Authors: Christophers Brett
Published: December 2014

We are now not far short of a decade on from the start of the global financial crisis. By most reckonings, those regions most directly affected by the crisis, and most people living therein, are still struggling to recover from and to come to terms with that crisis. But there already exists a burgeoning literature on the next great financial crisis: on, that is to say, what has – or, more pointedly, has not – been done to prevent such a reoccurrence, to limit its likelihood, or to restrict its potential scope. This literature, and in particular its discussion of financial (re)regulation, is the subject of this article. Through a critical reading of the literature the article argues that positive (re)regulation has been inhibited by the power of the financial sector to stymie meaningful reform, and that this power assumes highly material geographical configurations. The article also emphasizes the profound influence of economic ideas on financial policy-making. One idea that perhaps needs thorough critical reconsideration, the article concludes, is that of financial regulation itself.
Arthroscopic Repair of Partial-Thickness and Small Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears
Authors: Chung Seok Won , Kim Jae Yoon , Yoon Jong Pil , Lyu Seong Hwa , Rhee Sung Min , Oh Se Bong
Published: December 2014

Background:

The healing failure rate is high for partial-thickness or small full-thickness rotator cuff tears.

Purpose:

To retrospectively evaluate and compare outcomes after arthroscopic repair of high-grade partial-thickness and small full-thickness rotator cuff tears and factors affecting rotator cuff healing.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Included in the study were 55 consecutive patients (mean age, 57.9 ± 7.2 years) who underwent arthroscopic repair for high-grade partial-thickness (n = 34) and small full-thickness (n = 21) rotator cuff tears. The study patients also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) preoperatively and computed tomography arthrography (CTA) at least 6 months postoperatively, and their functional outcomes were evaluated preoperatively and at the last follow-up (>24 months). All partial-thickness tears were repaired after being converted to full-thickness tears; thus, the repair process was almost the same as for small full-thickness tears. The tendinosis of the torn tendon was graded from the MRI images using a 4-point scale, and the reliabilities were assessed. The outcomes between high-grade partial-thickness tears that were converted to small full-thickness tears and initially small full-thickness tears were compared, and factors affecting outcomes were evaluated.

Results:

The inter- and intraobserver reliabilities of the tendinosis grade were good (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.706 and 0.777, respectively). Failure to heal as determined by CTA was observed in 12 patients with a high-grade partial-thickness tear (35.3%; complete failure in 4 and partial failure in 8) and in 3 patients with a small full-thickness tear (14.3%; complete failure in 1 and partial failure in 2). The patients with high-grade partial-thickness rotator cuff tears showed a higher tendinosis grade than did those with small full-thickness tears ( P = .014), and the severity of the tendinosis was related to the failure to heal ( P = .037). Tears with a higher tendinosis grade showed a 7.64-times higher failure rate (95% CI, 1.43-36.04) than did those with a lower tendinosis grade ( P = .013). All functional outcome scores improved after surgery (all P < .001); however, there was no difference between groups.

Conclusion:

The high-grade partial-thickness rotator cuff tears showed more severe tendinosis compared with the small full-thickness tears in this study. Contrary to previous impressions that tear size or fatty infiltration is the factor that most influences healing, tendinosis severity assessed by preoperative MRI was the only factor associated with failure to heal, given the numbers available for analysis, in patients with partial-thickness and small full-thickness rotator cuff tears. Surgeons should pay more attention to tendon quality during repair surgery or rehabilitation in smaller rotator cuff tears, especially in high-grade partial-thickness tears with severe tendinosis.
Catholic Hispanic Deacons and Hispanic Parishes
Authors: Ferrari Joseph R.
Published: December 2014

Hispanic deacons ( n = 156) from across the United States completed measures on personal leadership style and their perceived sense of parish community along with demographic items. Most deacons ( n = 91) were assisting at Hispanic parishes, while many assisted at predominately non-Hispanic parishes ( n = 65). Results found no significant difference between Hispanic deacons at Hispanic or non-Hispanic parishes on their leadership style or parish sense of community (controlling for the total number of families in a parish). However, at Hispanic parishes only, Hispanic deacons perceived that the more fellow deacons, the significantly less sense of community was experienced in the parish. There was no significant relationship between the number of priests and perceived sense of parish community. Implications for staffing and the nature of Hispanic parishes are presented.
U.S. Latino Arrest
Authors: Tapia Mike
Published: December 2014

This article examines the impact of Latino nativity and origin on the risk of arrest. Survey data are used to compare the odds of arrest within and between various U.S. race-ethnic groups over one decade. Net of legal, demographic, and social correlates of arrest in teen and young adult samples, Blacks consistently experience higher odds of arrest than other groups. Puerto Rican arrest risk approximates that of Blacks while foreign-born Latinos consistently experienced a lower arrest risk than Whites. This effect was nearly indistinguishable from that of U.S.-born Latinos. The study has implications for the life-course perspective in terms of how arrest correlates change for all groups over time. For Latinos, findings also inform acculturation and segmented assimilation perspectives.
Drinking Context and Companions as Predictors of Alcohol Use Among Border and Non-Border Mexican Americans
Authors: Reingle Gonzalez Jennifer M. , Caetano Raul , Mills Britain A. , Vaeth Patrice A. C.
Published: December 2014

Alcohol dependence is prevalent among Mexican Americans, as 15% of men meet the threshold for dependency. Drinking in a bar increases the odds of binge drinking; however, research is not clear regarding whether drinking companions within the bar setting further increases risk. Therefore, we examine whether drinking place (bars) and companion (friends) have direct or synergistic effects on binge drinking. Data included two samples of Mexican American drinkers, one group who resides along the U.S.-Mexico border ( N = 691) and a similar group living in large cities that are not proximal to the border ( N = 660). Among border residents, drinking with friends was significantly associated with binge drinking on the maximum drinking occasion. Drinking at bars was associated with increased drinking among non-border residents only. These findings suggest that drinking context and choosing friends as drinking companions are related to one’s propensity to binge drink on a single heavy drinking occasion, and these risk factors differ across context.
Medical-School Partnership in Guiding Return to School Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Youth
Authors: Gioia Gerard A.
Published: December 2014

Mild traumatic brain injury is recognized as a prevalent and significant risk concern for youth. Appropriate school return is particularly challenging. The medical and school systems must be prepared partners to support the school return of the student with mild traumatic brain injury. Medical providers must be trained in assessment and management skills with a focused understanding of school demands. Schools must develop policies and procedures to prepare staff to support a gradual return process with the necessary academic accommodations. Ongoing communication between the family, student, school, and medical provider is essential to supporting recovery. A systematic gradual return to school process is proposed including levels of recommended activity and criteria for advancement. Targets for intervention are described with associated strategies for supporting recovery. A 10-element Progressive Activities of Controlled Exertion (PACE) model for activity-exertion management is introduced to manage symptom exacerbation. A strong medical-school partnership will maximize outcomes for students with mild traumatic brain injury.
The Yield of Neuroimaging in Children Presenting to the Emergency Department With Acute Ataxia in the Post–Varicella Vaccine Era
Authors: Rudloe Tiffany , Prabhu Sanjay P. , Gorman Mark P. , Nigrovic Lise E. , Harper Marvin B. , Landschaft Assaf , Kimia Amir A.
Published: December 2014

To determine the yield of neuroimaging in children presenting to the emergency department with acute ataxia in the post–varicella vaccine era, we conducted a cross-sectional study between 1995 and 2013 at a single pediatric tertiary care center. We included children aged 1-18 years evaluated for acute ataxia of <7 days’ duration. The main outcome was clinically urgent intracranial pathology defined as a radiologic finding that changed initial management. We identified 364 children, among whom neuroimaging was obtained in 284 (78%). Forty-two children had clinically urgent intracranial pathology (13%, 95% confidence interval 9%-17%); tumors and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis were the leading findings. Age ≤3 years and symptoms ≤3 days of duration were predictors of low risk (0.7%, 95% confidence interval 0%-4.4%). In conclusion, neuroimaging may be indicated for most patients presenting with acute ataxia. Neuroimaging may be deferred in younger children with short duration of symptoms contingent on close follow-up.
Optimizing Care With a Standardized Management Protocol for Patients With Infantile Spasms
Authors: Fedak Erin M. , Patel Anup D. , Heyer Geoffrey L. , Wood Eric G. , Mytinger John R.
Published: December 2014

The primary aim of this quality improvement initiative was to increase the number of patients receiving first-line therapy (adrenocorticotropic hormone, corticosteroids, vigabatrin) as the initial treatment for infantile spasms. We implemented a standardized management protocol for infantile spasms based on the best available data and expert consensus. To assess the impact of this intervention, we compared the 3-month remission rates between prestandardization (January 2009 to August 2012) and poststandardization (September 2012 to May 2014) cohorts. We found that the percentage of patients receiving first-line therapy as the initial treatment was 57% (31/54) in the prestandardization cohort and 100% (35/35) in the poststandardization cohort ( P < .001). The rate of infantile spasms remission was higher poststandardization compared to prestandardization (78.8% vs 30.6%, P < .001). Management standardization led to all patients receiving first-line therapy as the initial treatment and was associated with a significantly improved rate of infantile spasms remission 3 months after diagnosis.
Automotive plastic parts design, recycling, research, and development in China
Authors: Zhao Qinghua , Chen Ming
Published: December 2014

Automotive steel, accounting for about 70% of a car’s weight, has already been successfully recycled. Hence, the target of most researchers is to improve the recycling technologies for automotive plastics from the scrap automobile throughout the world. This article gave a short introduction to typical automotive plastic parts recycling in developed countries and then introduced the status quo of automotive plastic recycling in China. This article also introduced the development of new automotive plastics recycling in China. The most important is that according to China’s actual situation, we put forward automotive plastic part design, recycling, research, and development in China.
Supporter Loyalty
Authors: Wymer Walter , Rundle-Thiele Sharyn
Published: December 2014

We conceptualize supporter loyalty, evaluate a scale for its measurement, and examine which organizational facets are most suitable to serve as loyalty objects. We conducted a survey-based research ( N = 306) to examine the influence of supporter loyalty on donation behaviors (four types), volunteering behaviors (three types), organizational citizenship behaviors (four types), and bequest intentions. The effect of supporter loyalty was significant for one type of donation behaviors, all three volunteering behaviors, three of four organizational citizenship behaviors, and bequest intentions. Evaluating the effect sizes indicates that the strength of supporter loyalty’s influence is relatively modest. The organization’s mission and the people served by the organization were the most important loyalty objects.
Connecting through music: The contribution of a music programme to fostering positive youth development
Authors: Barrett Margaret S. , Bond Nigel
Published: December 2014

This article reports an investigation of the musical and extra-musical outcomes of participation in a music programme for students in four socio-economically disadvantaged school settings. Drawing on the theory of Positive Youth Development, which provides a focus on the positive assets young people bring to their engagement rather than perceived deficits and risks, the findings indicate that PYD outcomes do arise from music participation in these settings. Specifically, students evidence developing competencies in the PYD domains of Competency (musical, academic, social), Confidence, Connection, Character, and Caring. The findings also indicate those learning and teaching strategies and environmental supports that foster the development of PYD domains in these settings.
A systematic review of the incidence and prevalence of sleep disorders and seizure disorders in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Marrie Ruth Ann , Reider Nadia , Cohen Jeffrey , Trojano Maria , Sorensen Per Soelberg , Cutter Gary , Reingold Stephen , Stuve Olaf
Published: December 2014

Background:

Several studies have suggested that comorbid neurologic disorders are more common than expected in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective:

To estimate the incidence and prevalence of comorbid seizure disorders and sleep disorders in persons with MS and to evaluate the quality of studies included.

Methods:

The PUBMED, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge, and SCOPUS databases, conference proceedings, and reference lists of retrieved articles were searched. Two reviewers independently screened abstracts to identify relevant articles, followed by full-text review of selected articles. We assessed included studies qualitatively and quantitatively ( I2 statistic), and conducted meta-analyses among population-based studies.

Results:

We reviewed 32 studies regarding seizure disorders. Among population-based studies the incidence of seizure disorders was 2.28% (95% CI: 1.11–3.44%), while the prevalence was 3.09% (95% CI: 2.01–4.16%). For sleep disorders we evaluated 18 studies; none were population-based. The prevalence ranged from 0–1.6% for narcolepsy, 14.4–57.5% for restless legs syndrome, 2.22–3.2% for REM behavior disorder, and 7.14–58.1% for obstructive sleep apnea.

Conclusion:

This review suggests that seizure disorders and sleep disorders are common in MS, but highlights gaps in the epidemiological knowledge of these conditions in MS worldwide. Other than central-western Europe and North America, most regions are understudied.
An examination of the evidence in culturally adapted evidence-based or empirically supported interventions
Authors: Helms Janet E.
Published: December 2014

Measurement yields perhaps the most critical evidence influencing whether culturally adapted evidence- based practice (EBP) and empirically supported treatments (EST) are deemed more effective for African Americans, Latino/a Americans, Asian/Pacific Islander Americans, Native Americans, and related immigrant groups than standard treatments, as well as for determining the validity of results of surveys of health conditions in nondominant populations internationally. However, little attention has been given to measuring the effects of race and ethnic culture, as experiential constructs rather than sociodemographic categories, on diagnosis, the treatment process, and outcomes. Three meta-analyses of culturally adapted treatments and three studies cited in them were analyzed to determine the ways in which researchers incorporated measurement of racial and ethnic cultural dynamics as explicit factors in any phase of their interventions. The analysis revealed that researchers did not report adapting standard measures to address cultural influences, nor did they define symptoms from participants’ cultural or racial experiences. The author concludes that although there are criteria for judging good research designs, which may or not be feasible for research on nondominant racial and ethnic groups, there are no paradigms for developing measures or for interpreting existing measures to incorporate ethnicity and racialized experiences. Some principles from cross-cultural assessment research (i.e., functional, conceptual, metric, and linguistic equivalence) are adapted to suggest how measures for investigating the effectiveness of culturally adapted interventions for nondominant ethnic and racialized groups might be developed and/or used more appropriately throughout the course of the intervention.