bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunopathological Features of Canine Myocarditis Associated withLeishmania infantumInfection
Authors: Costagliola Alessandro , Piegari Giuseppe , Otrocka-Domagala Iwona , Ciccarelli Davide , Iovane Valentina , Oliva Gaetano , Russo Valeria , Rinaldi Laura , Papparella Serenella , Paciello Orlando
Published: June 2016

Myocarditis associated with infectious diseases may occur in dogs, including those caused by the protozoaNeospora caninum,Trypanosoma cruzi,Babesia canis,andHepatozoon canis. However, although cardiac disease due toLeishmaniainfection has also been documented, the immunopathological features of myocarditis have not been reported so far. The aim of this study was to examine the types of cellular infiltrates and expression of MHC classes I and II in myocardial samples obtained at necropsy from 15 dogs with an established intravitam diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis. Pathological features of myocardium were characterized by hyaline degeneration of cardiomyocytes, necrosis, and infiltration of mononuclear inflammatory cells consisting of lymphocytes and macrophages, sometimes with perivascular pattern; fibrosis was also present in various degrees. Immunophenotyping of inflammatory cells was performed by immunohistochemistry on cryostat sections obtained from the heart of the infected dogs. The predominant leukocyte population was CD8+ with a fewer number of CD4+ cells. Many cardiomyocytes expressed MHC classes I and II on the sarcolemma.Leishmaniaamastigote forms were not detected within macrophages or any other cell of the examined samples. Our study provided evidence that myocarditis in canine visceral leishmaniasis might be related to immunological alterations associated withLeishmaniainfection.
Triptolide Inhibits Osteoclast Differentiation and Bone ResorptionIn Vitrovia Enhancing the Production of IL-10 and TGF-β1 by Regulatory T Cells
Authors: Xu Huihui , Zhao Hongyan , Lu Cheng , Qiu Qi , Wang Gui , Huang Jing , Guo Minghui , Guo Baosheng , Tan Yong , Xiao Cheng
Published: June 2016

Triptolide, a purified component ofTripterygiumwilfordii Hook F, has been shown to have immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although triptolide has demonstrated that it could suppress bone destruction in collagen-induced mice, its therapeutic mechanism remains unclear. Many studies have investigated the effect of triptolide on Tregs and Tregs-related cytokine involved in RA. Additionally, previous studies have implied that Tregs inhibit osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. Thus, in this study we aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism by which triptolide influences the Treg-mediated production of IL-10 and TGF-β1 to affect osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. In cocultures system of Tregs and mouse bone marrow macrophages (BMMs), Tregs inhibited the differentiation of osteoclasts and reduced the resorbed areas significantly and the production of both IL-10 and TGF-β1 was upregulated. When the coculture systems were pretreated with triptolide, they produced higher levels of IL-10 and TGF-β1. Our data indicate that triptolide enhances the suppressive effects of Tregs on osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption by enhancing the secretion of IL-10 and TGF-β1. Tregs are most likely involved in the triptolide-mediated regulation of bone metabolism and may provide a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory bone destruction.
The Effect of Glutamate Receptor Agonists on Mouse Retinal Astrocyte [Ca2+]i
Authors: Blandford Stephanie N. , Baldridge William H.
Published: June 2016

Calcium-imaging techniques were used to determine if mouse retinal astrocytesin siturespond to agonists of ionotropic (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid, AMPA; N-methyl-D-aspartate, NMDA) and metabotropic (S-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine, DHPG;trans-1-amino-1,3-cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid, ACPD) glutamate receptors. In most cases we found no evidence that retinal astrocyte intracellular calcium ion concentration (Ca2+i) increased in response to these glutamate agonists. The one exception was AMPA that increasedCa2+iin some, but not all, mouse retinal astrocytesin situ. However, AMPA did not increaseCa2+iin mouse retinal astrocytesin vitro, suggesting that the effect of AMPAin situmay be indirect.
Cooccurrence of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome with Two Different Clinical Entities
Authors: Oztunc Funda , Ugan Atik Sezen , Dedeoglu Reyhan , Erbek Alp Firuze , Gokalp Selman
Published: June 2016

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is an abnormal heart rate response to a positional change. Several potential mechanisms for pathophysiology of POTS are defined. This syndrome can coexist with different clinical situations. In our report, the first case was a 13-year-old female who has been followed up for diagnosis of homocystinuria. She was admitted to our outpatient clinic with complaints of dizziness after suddenly moving from supine to upright position and chest pain after exercise. Tilt table test was performed to evaluate dizziness. According to the tilt table test the patient was diagnosed with POTS. The second case was a 17-year-old female who had been evaluated in different centers with the complaints of fainting, bruising, redness, and swelling on the hands and feet after moving from supine position to upright position during the last 4 years. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome was diagnosed by tilt table test and ivabradine was started. Herein, we aimed to point out the cooccurrence of different clinical entities and POTS.
Occupational Risks Associated with Solid Waste Management in the Informal Sector of Gweru, Zimbabwe
Authors: Jerie Steven
Published: June 2016

This study identifies and analyses the occupational risks associated with solid waste management practices in the informal enterprises of Gweru. Many concerns have been raised about the potential harm from waste to the environment and the general public, but the risks and consequent costs of occupational hazards in waste management have received little attention in the rush to adopt or adapt technologies such as composting. A multimethods research design that triangulates qualitative and quantitative research paradigms is employed in this study. The quantitative design involves physical characterisation of solid waste through material component separation and measurements as well as a questionnaire survey that investigates the risks associated with waste management. The qualitative component includes interviews, open-ended questionnaires, and field observations. Occupational risks occur at every stage in the waste management process, from the point where workers handle waste in the enterprises for collection or recycling to the point of ultimate disposal. Key findings from the study revealed that solid waste management practices are dominated by manual handling tasks hence the higher incidents of muscular-skeletal disorders. Other safety and health hazards associated with waste management in the informal enterprises of Gweru include incidents of diarrhoea, viral hepatitis, and higher incidents of obstructive and restrictive disorders.
Subsonic Flutter of Cantilever Rectangular PC Plate Structure
Authors: Yaman Kemal
Published: June 2016

Flutter characteristics of cantilever rectangular flexible plate structure under incompressible flow regime are investigated by comparing the results of commercial flutter analysis program ZAERO©with wind tunnel tests conducted in Ankara Wind Tunnel (ART). A rectangular polycarbonate (PC) plate, 5 × 125 × 1000 mm in dimension, is used for both numerical and experimental investigations. Analysis and test results are very compatible with each other. A comparison between two different solution methods (g-methodandk-method) of ZAERO©is also done. It is seen that thek-methodgives a closer result than the other one. However,g-method results are on a conservative side and it is better to use conservative results, namely,g-method results. Even if the modal analysis results are used for the flutter analysis for this simple structure, a modal test should be conducted in order to validate the modal analysis results to have accurate flutter analysis results for more complicated structures.
A Case Study of Severe Esophageal Dysmotility following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
Authors: Sheppard Caroline E. , Sadowski Daniel C. , Gill Richdeep , Birch Daniel W.
Published: June 2016

Following bariatric surgery, a proportion of patients have been observed to experience reflux, dysphagia, and/or odynophagia. The etiology of this constellation of symptoms has not been systematically studied to date. This case describes a 36-year-old female with severe esophageal dysmotility following LSG. Many treatments had been used over a course of 3 years, and while calcium channel blockers reversed the esophageal dysmotility seen on manometry, significant symptoms of dysphagia persisted. Subsequently, the patient underwent a gastric bypass, which seemed to partially relieve her symptoms. Her dysphagia was no longer considered to be associated with a structural cause but attributed to a “sleeve dysmotility syndrome.” Considering the difficulties with managing sleeve dysmotility syndrome, it is reasonable to consider the need for preoperative testing. The question is whether motility studies should be required for all patients planning to undergo a LSG to rule out preexisting esophageal dysmotility and whether conversion to gastric bypass is the preferred method for managing esophageal dysmotility after LSG.
Effect of Collaborative Recommender System Parameters: Common Set Cardinality and the Similarity Measure
Authors: Al-Shamri Mohammad Yahya H.
Published: June 2016

Recommender systems are widespread due to their ability to help Web users surf the Internet in a personalized way. For example, collaborative recommender system is a powerful Web personalization tool for suggesting many useful items to a given user based on opinions collected from his neighbors. Among many, similarity measure is an important factor affecting the performance of the collaborative recommender system. However, the similarity measure itself largely depends on the overlapping between the user profiles. Most of the previous systems are tested on a predefined number of common items and neighbors. However, the system performance may vary if we changed these parameters. The main aim of this paper is to examine the performance of the collaborative recommender system under many similarity measures, common set cardinalities, rating mean groups, and neighborhood set sizes. For this purpose, we propose a modified version for the mean difference weight similarity measure and a new evaluation metric called users’ coverage for measuring the recommender system ability for helping users. The experimental results show that the modified mean difference weight similarity measure outperforms other similarity measures and the collaborative recommender system performance varies by varying its parameters; hence we must specify the system parameters in advance.
Nonenzymatic Glucose Biosensors Based on Silver Nanoparticles Deposited on TiO2Nanotubes
Authors: Li Zheng , Zhang Yong , Ye Jiaye , Guo Meiqing , Chen Jing , Chen Weiyi
Published: June 2016

In the present research, a nonenzymatic glucose biosensor was fabricated by depositing Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) using in situ chemical reduction method on TiO2nanotubes which were synthesized by anodic oxidation process. The structure, morphology, and mechanical behaviors of electrode were examined by scanning electron microscopy and nanoindentation. It was found that Ag-NPs remained both inside and outside of TiO2nanotubes whose length and diameter were about 1.2 μm and 120 nm. The composition was constructed as an electrode of nonenzymatic biosensor for glucose oxidation. The electrocatalytic properties of the prepared electrodes for glucose oxidation were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CVs) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Compared with bare TiO2and Ag-fresh TiO2nanotube, Ag-TiO2/(500°C) nanotube exhibited the best electrochemical properties from cyclic voltammetry (CVs) results. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) results showed that, at +0.03 V, the sensitivity of the electrode to glucose oxidation was3.69 mA⁎cm-2⁎mM-1with a linear range from 20 mM to 190 mM and detection limit of 24 μM (signal-to-voice ratio of 3). In addition the nonenzymatic glucose sensors exhibited excellent selectivity, stability, and repeatability.
Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Crankshaft Structure Based on Cooptimization and Multi-Island Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Liu Jian , Yu Gaoyuan , Li Yao , Wang Hongmin , Xiao Wensheng
Published: June 2016

The feasibility design method with multidisciplinary and multiobjective optimization is applied in the research of lightweight design and NVH performances of crankshaft in high-power marine reciprocating compressor. Opt-LHD is explored to obtain the experimental scheme and perform data sampling. The elliptical basis function neural network (EBFNN) model considering modal frequency, static strength, torsional vibration angular displacement, and lightweight design of crankshaft is built. Deterministic optimization and reliability optimization for lightweight design of crankshaft are operated separately. Multi-island genetic algorithm (MIGA) combined with multidisciplinary cooptimization method is used to carry out the multiobjective optimization of crankshaft structure. Pareto optimal set is obtained. Optimization results demonstrate that the reliability optimization which considers the uncertainties of production process can ensure product stability compared with deterministic optimization. The coupling and decoupling of structure mechanical properties, NVH, and lightweight design are considered during the multiobjective optimization of crankshaft structure. Designers can choose the optimization results according to their demands, which means the production development cycle and the costs can be significantly reduced.
Tag-Protector: An Effective and Dynamic Detection of Illegal Memory Accesses through Compile Time Code Instrumentation
Authors: Saeed Ahmed , Ahmadinia Ali , Just Mike
Published: June 2016

Programming languages permitting immediate memory accesses through pointers often result in applications having memory-related errors, which may lead to unpredictable failures and security vulnerabilities. A lightweight solution is presented in this paper to tackle such illegal memory accesses dynamically in C/C++ based applications. We propose a new and effective method of instrumenting an application’s source code at compile time in order to detect illegal spatial and temporal memory accesses. It is based on creating tags to be coupled with each memory allocation and then placing additional tag checking instructions for each access made to the memory. The proposed solution is evaluated by instrumenting applications from the BugBench benchmark suite and publicly available benchmark software, run-time intrusion prevention evaluator (RIPE), detecting all the bugs successfully. The performance and memory overheads are further analyzed by instrumenting and executing real-world applications from various renowned benchmark suites. In addition, the proposed solution is also tested to analyze the performance overhead for multithreaded applications in multicore environments. Overall our technique can detect a wide range of memory bugs and attacks with reduced performance overhead and higher detection rate as compared to the similar existing countermeasures when tested under the same experimental setup.
Additive Prognostic Value of Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in a Population-Based Cohort
Authors: Kuznetsova Tatiana , Cauwenberghs Nicholas , Knez Judita , Yang Wen-Yi , Herbots Lieven , D’hooge Jan , Haddad Francois , Thijs Lutgarde , Voigt Jens-Uwe , Staessen Jan A.
Published: June 2016

Background—

Techniques of 2-dimensional speckle tracking enable the measurement of myocardial deformation (strain) during systole. Recent clinical studies explored the prognostic role of left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS). However, there are few data on the association between cardiovascular outcome and GLS in the community. Therefore, we hypothesized that GLS contains additive prognostic information over and beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors in a large, population-based cohort.

Methods and Results—

We measured GLS by 2-dimensional speckle tracking in the apical 4-chamber view in 791 participants (mean age 50.9 years). We calculated multivariable adjusted hazard ratios for midwall, endocardial, and epicardial GLS, while accounting for family cluster and cardiovascular risk factors. Median follow-up was 7.9 years (5th to 95th percentile, 3.7–9.6). In continuous analysis, with adjustments applied for covariables, midwall, endocardial, and epicardial GLS were significant predictors of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular (n=96;
P
<0.0001) and cardiac events (n=68;
P
≤0.001). In the sex-specific low quartile of midwall GLS (<18.8% in women and <17.4% in men), the risk was significantly higher than the average population risk for cardiovascular (128%,
P
<0.0001) and cardiac (94%,
P
=0.0007) events. We also noticed that the risk for cardiovascular events increased with increasing number of left ventricular abnormalities, such as low GLS, diastolic dysfunction, and hypertrophy (log-rank
P
<0.0001).

Conclusions—

Low GLS measured by 2-dimensional speckle tracking predicts future cardiovascular events independent of conventional risk factors. Left ventricular midwall strain represents a simple echocardiographic measure, which might be used for assessing cardiovascular risk in a population-based cohort.
The role of mean platelet volume in patients with Takayasu arteritis
Authors: Peng You-Fan , Guo Jing , Deng Yi-Bin
Published: June 2016

Background

Takayasu arteritis is a chronic non-specific inflammatory disease and mean platelet volume can either be decreased or increased during inflammation. However, there are no published data to confirm an association between mean platelet volume and Takayasu arteritis. Our aim was to evaluate the role of mean platelet volume in patients with Takayasu arteritis.

Methods

A total of 119 consecutive patients with Takayasu arteritis and 217 healthy individuals were included in this study. Forty-five Takayasu arteritis patients with active disease were followed with prednisone therapy.

Results

Mean platelet volume of patients was low compared with control groups (10.1 ± 1.47 fL vs. 11.2 ± 0.91 fL; P < 0.001). Mean platelet volume was lower in active Takayasu arteritis than in inactive Takayasu arteritis patients (9.3 ± 1.39 fL vs. 10.6 ± 1.28 fL; P< 0.001). Mean platelet volume values were significantly increased after prednisone treatment (9.3 ± 1.45 fL vs. 10.5 ± 1.29 fL; P < 0.001). Mean platelet volume negatively correlated with C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, neutrophil count and platelet count (r = − 0.219, P = 0.018; r = − 0.296, P < 0.001; r = − 0.273, P = 0.003; r =−0.486, P< 0.001), and positively correlated with platelet distribution width (r=0.304, P ≤ 0.001) in patients with Takayasu arteritis. An inverse correlation between mean platelet volume and erythrocyte sedimentation rate was observed in active Takayasu arteritis patients (r = −0.406, P = 0.010). In multiple linear regression analysis, mean platelet volume was independently correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate in patients with Takayasu arteritis.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that mean platelet volume may identify active disease in patients with Takayasu arteritis, and the values of mean platelet volume may help to establish remission of active disease after treatment in Takayasu arteritis patients.
Norm advocacy networks: Nordic and Like-Minded Countries in EU gender and development policy
Authors: Elgström Ole
Published: June 2016

This article investigates the informal networks of Member States that are claimed to be the drivers of EU gender and development policy. The aim is to highlight the negotiation strategies used in gender and development negotiations and to link these to network characteristics. I categorise the characteristics of the Nordic and the like-minded groupings, relying on network theory and investigate their modes of influence. The article is based on interviews with officials at the Permanent Representations and EU institutions in Brussels. My results demonstrate that the Nordics and the Like-Minded Countries constitute informal networks with frequent interaction. Network members share information and coordinate initiatives. The findings show a preference for gradual entrapment and framing rather than shaming and exclusion. The choice of strategies can be linked to network characteristics: the like-minded network is non-formalised and open, and as the ambition is to spread the norms of the like-minded also to reluctant actors, network participants prefer gradual entrapment and traditional diplomatic initiatives before confrontation. Norm promotion normally occurs in concentric circles negotiations, mirroring the layered structure of the network. This article contributes to the literature on informal governance in EU foreign policy by highlighting key strategies used in intra-EU policy networks.
The informal open-air museum of Antarctic transportation at Base Esperanza
Authors: Heidbrink Ingo
Published: June 2016

Surface transportation was a crucial element of all human activities ever since the beginning of the exploration of the seventh continent. At the Argentine Antarctic research base ‘Base Esperanza' there is a small informal collection/museum on Antarctic transportation that constitutes the only transportation museum in Antarctica.
Emotion Work in the Arab Context
Authors: Bozionelos Georgios
Published: June 2016

The research investigated the relationship of emotion work directed towards customers and towards coworkers with job satisfaction in Saudi Arabia. Emotion work means the requirement to display particular emotions as part of the job and includes surface acting where actual emotions differ from displayed emotions and deep acting where displayed and felt emotions are congruent. Participants were 147 flight attendants (31 men, 116 women; mean age = 36.9 years, SD = 7.5) employed by a major Saudi Arabian airline, who were either Saudi nationals or nationals of other Gulf Arab countries. Data were collected with questionnaires. Analysis was based on the General Linear Model and indicated that deep acting towards customers and towards coworkers was positively related to job satisfaction. On the other hand, the hypothesized negative relationship between surface acting and job satisfaction was not supported. Organizational trust moderated the relationship of emotion work with job satisfaction. The findings indicate the importance of considering emotion work in interactions with coworkers along with the influence of national culture in the relationships of emotion work with key variables.
Collaborative filtering using non-negative matrix factorisation
Authors: Aghdam Mehdi Hosseinzadeh , Analoui Morteza , Kabiri Peyman
Published: June 2016

Collaborative filtering is a popular strategy in recommender systems area. This approach gathers users’ ratings and then predicts what users will rate based on their similarity to other users. However, most of the collaborative filtering methods have faced problems such as sparseness and scalability. This paper presents a non-negative matrix factorisation method to alleviate these problems via decomposing rating matrix into user matrix and item matrix. This method tries to find two non-negative user matrix and item matrix whose product can well estimate the rating matrix. This approach proposes updated rules to learn the latent factors for factorising the rating matrix. The proposed method can estimate all the unknown ratings and its computational complexity is very low. Empirical studies on benchmark datasets show that the proposed method is more tolerant of the sparseness and scalability problems.
Working memory and developmental language impairments
Authors: Henry Lucy A , Botting Nicola
Published: June 2016

Children with developmental language impairments (DLI) are often reported to show difficulties with working memory. This review describes the four components of the well-established working memory model, and considers whether there is convincing evidence for difficulties within each component in children with DLI. The emphasis is on the most demanding form of working memory that draws on central executive (CE) resources, requiring concurrent processing and storage of information. An evaluation of recent research evidence suggests that, not only are children with DLI impaired on verbal CE measures, but they also show difficulties on non-verbal CE tasks that cannot be assumed to tap language. Therefore, it seems increasingly likely that children with DLI show domain-general CE impairments, along with their more established impairments in verbal short-term memory. Implications for potential working memory interventions and classroom learning are discussed.
Does Public Service Motivation Matter in Public Higher Education? Testing the Theories of Person–Organization Fit and Organizational Commitment Through a Serial Multiple Mediation Model
Authors: Jin Myung H. , McDonald Bruce , Park Jaehee
Published: June 2016

To address some of the inconsistencies in the literature regarding links between public service motivation (PSM) and individual performance, this study proposes and tests a three-path mediation model in public higher education in which the relationship is mediated by person–organization fit (P-O fit) and organizational commitment (OC) in serial. Based on a sample of 692 faculty at an urban public university, we find that P-O fit and OC as a causal chain mediate the relationship between PSM and organizational citizenship behavior and that this mediated relationship varies depending on the specific context of the performance dimensions. While PSM has positive influence on service through its effect on P-O fit and OC in serial, the results indicate an indirect negative effect on research productivity and no association with teaching. The results regarding both direct and indirect effects further reveal that the directions and significance of the relationships can vary depending on how performance is conceptualized.
Tracking Emotional and Behavioral Changes in Childhood: Does the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire Measure the Same Constructs Across Time?
Authors: Sosu Edward M. , Schmidt Peter
Published: June 2016

R. Goodman’s Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is widely used to measure emotional and behavioral difficulties in childhood and adolescence. In the present study, we examined whether the SDQ measures the same construct across time, when used for longitudinal research. A nationally representative sample of parents ( N = 3,375) provided data on their children at ages 4, 5, and 6 years. Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for ordinal data, two competing models (three-factor model vs. five-factor model) were tested to establish equivalence across time. Results showed that the five-factor model had a superior fit to the data compared with the alternative three-factor model which only achieved an adequate fit at a configural level. Strong longitudinal factorial invariance was established for the five-factor parent version of the SDQ. Our findings support the use of the SDQ in longitudinal studies and provide the important psychometric information required for basing educational, clinical, and policy decisions on outcomes of the SDQ.
Pharmacokinetics of fixed-dose combination of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, lamivudine, and efavirenz: results of a randomized, crossover, bioequivalence study
Authors: Abhyankar Dhiraj , Shedage Ashish , Gole Milind , Raut Preeti
Published: June 2016

The objective of this study was to assess the bioequivalence between a fixed-dose combination of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/lamivudine/efavirenz 300/300/600 mg and the individual innovator products. A randomized, balanced, open-label, two-sequence, two-treatment, two-period, single dose, crossover study in 48 healthy adults was conducted. Dosing was separated by a washout period of 32 days. Twenty-seven blood samples were collected in each period from pre-dose to 72 h post-dose. The data of 45 subjects were analyzed for pharmacokinetics and safety. Ninety percent CIs of geometric mean ratio on Cmax, AUC0–t, and AUC0-inf for tenofovir and lamivudine and on Cmax and AUC0-72 for efavirenz were within the acceptance criteria (80–125%). For tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, the Tmax, Kel, and t1/2 values for the test and reference products were 1.02 versus 0.91 h, 0.04 versus 0.04/h, 18.67 versus 18.46 h, respectively. For lamivudine, the Tmax, Kel, and t1/2 values were: 1.38 versus 1.30 h, 0.21 versus 0.19/h, 3.44 versus 3.91 h, respectively. For efavirenz, the Tmax values for the test and reference products were 3.71 and 3.65 h, respectively. Both the treatments were well tolerated. Our findings suggest that the tested formulation is bioequivalent to the innovators’ formulations, and both treatments were well tolerated.
Treatment of human immunodeficiency virus-related peripheral neuropathy with Scrambler Therapy: a case report
Authors: Smith Thomas J , Auwaerter Paul , Knowlton Amy , Saylor Deanna , McArthur Justin
Published: June 2016

Peripheral neuropathy is one of the most common neurological complications of HIV infection with a 30–60% lifetime prevalence. Newer HIV drugs cause less peripheral neuropathy, but patients are now living long enough to develop concomitant diabetes-related, vascular-related, and chemotherapy-related neuropathy so it continues as a major debilitating issue. Recent national CDC guidelines have stressed the importance of non-opioid therapies, especially in this population that may have had drug abuse problems. We treated a 52-year-old man who had severe disabling classic peripheral neuropathy since 1998 with Scrambler Therapy (Calmare), an FDA-cleared peripheral non-invasive neuromodulation device. His pain rapidly improved, as did his motor and sensory function, with just four 45-min treatments, and he was able to come off opioids for the first time in years. When his pain returned six months later, only two treatments were needed to resolve it. This represents the first published use of this novel, inexpensive, and non-invasive pain modality in HIV peripheral neuropathy, and should engender further trials.
Toward a philosophical history of psychology: An alternative path for the future
Authors: de Freitas Araujo Saulo
Published: June 2016

Recent transformations in the history of science and the philosophy of science have led historians of psychology to raise questions about the future development of their historiography. Although there is a dominant tendency among them to view their discipline as related to the social turn in the history of science, there is no consensus over how to approach the history of psychology methodologically. The aim of this article is to address the issue of the future of the historiography of psychology by proposing an alternative but complementary path for the field, which I call a philosophical history of psychology. In order to achieve this goal, I will first present and discuss the emergence of the social turn in the history of psychology, showing some of its problems. I will then introduce the contemporary debate about the integration of the history of science and the philosophy of science as an alternative model for the history of psychology. Finally, I will propose general guidelines for a philosophical history of psychology, discussing some of its possible advantages and limitations.
A Meta-Analysis of Nonpharmacological Interventions for People With Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Lee JuHee , Choi MoonKi , Yoo Yonju
Published: June 2016

Nonpharmacological interventions are important in providing care for Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. However, there is limited evidence related to their impacts on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We aimed to examine the effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for improving the HRQOL of PD patients. Articles published in peer-reviewed journals from 2000 to 2015 were searched through electronic searching, computerized author searching, and footnote chasing. A meta-analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.3 program. Overall, effect size for the studies ( n = 18) was −4.17 with 95% confidence interval (CI) from −7.63 to −0.70 ( Z = 2.36, p = .02), indicating positive effects of nonpharmacological interventions on HRQOL. In subgroup analysis regarding the intervention types, the effect size of exercise programs was −5.73 with 95% CI of −11.36 to −0.10 ( Z = 2.00, p = .05). Thus, nonpharmacological interventions, and particularly exercise programs, were effective in improving the HRQOL of PD patients.
New Estimates of Offer and Take-Up of Employer-Sponsored Insurance
Authors: Abramowitz Joelle , O’Hara Brett
Published: June 2016

This analysis uses new questions in the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement to examine rates of offer and take-up of employer-sponsored health insurance over early 2014 and early 2015, as well as reasons reported for why individuals did not enroll. We find increases in offer and eligible rates of 0.5 and 0.9 percentage points, respectively, and a decrease in the take-up rate of 1.5 percentage points, while the coverage rate remained stable. We further find an increase in the proportion of workers covered by another plan and decreases in the proportions eligible for coverage but having a preexisting condition, employed as contract or temporary employees not allowed in the plan, and who have not yet worked for an employer long enough.
A View Inside the “Black Box” of Hot Spots Policing From a Sample of Police Commanders
Authors: Haberman Cory P.
Published: June 2016

This study used observations of crime strategy meetings and interviews with police commanders to “get inside the black box of hot spots policing.” The findings focus on what the studied police commanders believed they were doing and why they believed those tactics would be effective during hot spots policing implemented under non-experimental conditions. An example causal model for the effectiveness of hot spots policing that emerged from the data is presented. While the commanders’ views aligned with commonly used policing tactics and crime control theories, their underlying theoretical rationale is complex. The presented model provides one causal model that could be tested in future hot spots policing evaluations, and a discussion is presented of how the study’s methodology can be applied in other jurisdictions to define localized causal models and improve hot spot policing evaluations.
Topological Reading of Movement Connectivity in Sensory Integration Space for Autistic Children
Authors: Yatmo Yandi Andri , Atmodiwirjo Paramita , Paramita Kristanti Dewi
Published: June 2016

This article describes how autistic children experience space dedicated for sensory integration (SI) therapy activities and how the idea of topology enables a thorough reading of their experiences. A topological approach is used to investigate the SI activity space through the narratives of children’s activities. Rather than considered as a collection of elements, SI space is seen as a space of a connected sensory tour based on the child’s movements in different SI therapy scenarios. Every scenario has different operations that show how children move within the environment as a form of responses involved in the SI process. This article illustrates how connectivity occurs based on the narratives of space experienced by the child. Exploration of scenario sequences and their operations in detail may develop an understanding of the comprehensive spatial experiences and thus expand our knowledge of spatial design for individuals with autism.
A Marxist primer for critical public relations scholarship
Authors: Weaver C. Kay
Published: June 2016

Critical public relations which has its foundations in critical social enquiry has developed extensively as a subset of public relations research and theorising. Surprisingly, however, given the profound influence that Karl Marx’s writings had on the evolution of critical theory, there has been minimal discussion of how Marxist criticism might contribute to our understanding and theorising of public relations. At a time when capitalism is regarded by many as ‘in crisis’, this article explores the value of applying a Marxist analysis to the study of public relations in the 21st century. It examines how key Marxist concepts can be applied to theorising public relations, and how these concepts provide insights into the social, political, and economic structures that public relations works to maintain.
Rethinking the private–public mix in health care: analysis of health reforms in Israel during the last three decades
Authors: Filc Dani , Davidovitch Nadav
Published: June 2016

Objectives

To analyse the process of health care privatization using the case of Israeli health care reforms during the last three decades.

Methods

We used mixed methods including quantitative analysis of trends in health expenditures in Israel and qualitative critical analysis of documents describing the main health reforms.

Results

Israel epitomizes how boundaries between the private and public sector become blurred when health care services are subject to privatization, both of finance and supply. Additionally, the continuous growth of public–private relationships in health care results in systems that lack both equity and efficiency.

Conclusions

More than three decades of experience show that such private–public partnerships increase both inequality and inefficiency. While most discussion surrounding the private–public mix in health care focuses on financing infrastructure, in Israel, the public–private mix has become a central way of financing and delivering services, making its damaging influence more pervasive.
Pattern of major injuries after motorcycle accidents in Egypt: The Mansoura Emergency Hospital experience
Authors: Fouda El Yamani , Youssef Mohamed , Emile Sameh H , Elfeki Hossam , Thabet Waleed , Abdallah Emad , Elshobaky Ayman , Toma Mohamed S , Khafagy Wael
Published: June 2016

Background and aim

Motorcycle accidents are one of the leading causes of road traffic injuries and mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the common patterns of major injuries associated with motorcycle accidents in patients attending Mansoura University Emergency Hospital in Egypt, and to measure the magnitude of the problem in our community.

Patients and methods

Patients involved in motorcycle crashes who were admitted to the hospital during August 2014 to April 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. All age groups and both genders were included.

Results

Two hundred patients (181 males) with a mean age of 30.7 ± 10.5 years were included with the majority of patients aged 20–40 years. Head injuries were the most frequent fatal injuries (9/61) patients; orthopedic injuries were the most common injuries, occurring in 78.5% of victims. Multisystem injuries occurred in 28% of patients. None of the motorcyclists involved in accidents wore helmets.

Conclusion

Motorcycle accidents are a common cause of road traffic injuries and mortalities in Egypt, occurring mainly in males aged 20–40 years. The majority of victims had an isolated trauma to single body system. Orthopedic injuries were the most common and least fatal type of injuries. The highest fatalities were among patients with chest injuries then patients with head injuries. None of the victims wore protective clothing or helmets at the time of accident.
Exploring self-conscious emotions in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Harrison Samantha L , Robertson Noelle , Goldstein Roger S , Brooks Dina
Published: June 2016

This study aimed to explore the extent to which self-conscious emotions are expressed, to explore any associations with adverse health outcomes, and to compare self-conscious emotions in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to healthy controls. A two-stage mixed-methods study design was employed. Interviews with 15 individuals with COPD informed the choice of questionnaires to assess self-conscious emotions which were completed by individuals with COPD and healthy controls. Five overarching themes were abstracted: grief, spectrum of blame, concern about the view of others, concealment, and worry about the future. The questionnaires were completed by 70 patients (mean( SD) age 70.8(9.4) years, forced expiratory volume in one second predicted 40.5(18.8), 44% male) and 61 healthy controls (mean( SD) age 62.2(12.9) years, 34% male]. Self-conscious emotions were associated with reduced mastery, heightened emotions, and elevated anxiety and depression (all p < 0.001). Individuals with COPD reported lower self-compassion, higher shame, and less pride than healthy controls (all p ≤ 0.01). There is a need to increase awareness of self-conscious emotions in individuals with COPD. Therapies to target such emotions may improve mastery, emotions, and psychological symptoms.
Revenge Porn and Mental Health
Authors: Bates Samantha
Published: June 2016

This study examines the emotional and mental health effects revenge porn has on female survivors. To date, no other academic studies have exclusively focused on mental health effects in revenge porn cases. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted between February 2014 and January 2015 with 18 female revenge porn survivors, and inductive analysis revealed participants’ experiences of trust issues, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and several other mental health effects. These findings reveal the seriousness of revenge porn, the devastating impacts it has on survivors’ mental health, and similarities between revenge porn and sexual assault.
“Down in the Sewers”: Perceptions of Depression and Depression Care Among African American Men
Authors: Hudson Darrell L. , Eaton Jake , Banks Andrae , Sewell Whitney , Neighbors Harold
Published: June 2016

Depression is one of the most common, costly, and debilitating psychiatric disorders in the United States. One of the most persistent mental health disparities is the underutilization of treatment services among African American men with depression. Little is known about appropriateness or acceptability of depression care among African American men. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of depression and determine barriers to depression treatment among African American men. A series of four focus groups were conducted with 26 African American men. The average age of the sample was 41 years and most participants reported that they had completed high school. Nearly half of the participants reported that they are currently unemployed and most had never been married. The most common descriptions of depression in this study were defining depression as feeling down, stressed, and isolated. A small group of participants expressed disbelief of depression. The majority of participants recognized the need to identify depression and were supportive of depression treatment. Nonetheless, most men in this sample had never sought treatment for depression and discussed a number of barriers to depression care including norms of masculinity, mistrust of the health care system, and affordability of treatment. Men also voiced their desire to discuss stress in nonjudgmental support groups. Research findings highlight the need to increase the awareness of symptoms some African American men display and the need to provide appropriate depression treatment options to African American men.
Resilience and impact of children’s intellectual disability on Indian parents
Authors: Rajan Anugraha Merin , John Romate
Published: June 2016

Resilience of parents in the context of raising a child with intellectual disability is gaining attention as a mechanism that addresses their inherent strengths to withstand the potential associated strain. Understanding its underlying factors has applications in fostering their resilience. The present study explored the resilience of parents and its relationship with the impact of child’s disability. A total of 121 parents were assessed using Connor Davidson Resilience Scale and National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped Disability Impact Scale. The results revealed that parenting a child with intellectual disability posed them with both positive and negative experiences. Their evaluations about the condition of the child significantly influenced their resilience. The positive perceptions about the child’s disability operated as a protective element, whereas their negative evaluations acted as a risk element of resilience. The findings have specific importance in designing interventions for families of persons with intellectual disability.
Identifying technical, physiological, tactical and psychological characteristics that contribute to career progression in soccer
Authors: Forsman Hannele , Blomqvist Minna , Davids Keith , Liukkonen Jarmo , Konttinen Niilo
Published: June 2016

This study sought to examine which technical, physiological, tactical and psychological characteristics at age 15 years contribute to successful soccer performance at age 19 years. Participants were male soccer players ( n = 114; mean age 15.4 ± 0.3 years), divided into elite and sub-elite groups based on their performance level at age 19 years. Technical, physiological, tactical and psychological characteristics were recorded when players were 15-year olds. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that performance level at age 19 was clearly associated with technical skills of passing and centering as well as agility and motivation levels recorded at age 15 years. These results extend our understanding of career progression in youth soccer and highlight the multidimensional nature of talent development processes in soccer. Moreover, it seems crucial that coaching support should be devoted to the development of passing and centering skills, agility and motivation in the development of youth players.
A severe anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis case with extensive cortical and white matter changes, cerebral atrophy and communicating hydrocephalus
Authors: Mohd Fauzi Nor Amelia , Joseph Joyce Pauline , Mohd Zain Norzaini Rose , Hashim Hilwati
Published: June 2016

A 21-year-old woman presented with a viral prodrome, abnormal behaviours, confusion and short-term memory loss, followed by status epilepticus that later evolved to orofacial dyskinesias, autonomic dysfunctions and hypoventilation requiring prolonged ventilator support and ICU admission. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum analysis confirmed the presence of anti-NMDAR autoantibodies. A left salpingoopherectomy was performed on day 35 of admission revealing an immature ovarian teratoma. Following surgical and two courses of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, her response remained poor. Initial brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during the acute stage showed enlarged left hippocampus. Further MRI follow-up 13 weeks after admission showed unusual findings of extensive cortical and white matter changes, generalised cerebral atrophy, dilated ventricles and possible transependymal CSF seepage of communicating hydrocephalus. A ventriculo-peritoneal shunt was performed subsequently and she was discharged 6 months after admission without significant change in her clinical status. Follow-up 4 months later showed some improvement but patient remained severely disabled.