bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychosocial therapies for the adjunctive treatment of bipolar disorder in adults: Network meta-analysis
Authors: Chatterton Mary Lou , Stockings Emily , Berk Michael , Barendregt Jan J. , Carter Rob , Mihalopoulos Cathrine
Published: February 2017

Background

Few trials have compared psychosocial therapies for people with bipolar affective disorder, and conventional meta-analyses provided limited comparisons between therapies.

Aims

To combine evidence for the efficacy of psychosocial interventions used as adjunctive treatment of bipolar disorder in adults, using network meta-analysis (NMA).

Method

Systematic review identified studies and NMA was used to pool data on relapse to mania or depression, medication adherence, and symptom scales for mania, depression and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF).

Results

Carer-focused interventions significantly reduced the risk of depressive or manic relapse. Psychoeducation alone and in combination with cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) significantly reduced medication non-adherence. Psychoeducation plus CBT significantly reduced manic symptoms and increased GAF. No intervention was associated with a significant reduction in depression symptom scale scores.

Conclusions

Only interventions for family members affected relapse rates. Psychoeducation plus CBT reduced medication non-adherence, improved mania symptoms and GAF. Novel methods for addressing depressive symptoms are required.
A systematic review and synthesis of outcome domains for use within forensic services for people with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Morrissey Catrin , Langdon Peter E. , Geach Nicole , Chester Verity , Ferriter Michael , Lindsay William R. , McCarthy Jane , Devapriam John , Walker Dawn-Marie , Duggan Conor , Alexander Regi
Published: February 2017

Background

There is limited empirical information on service-level outcome domains and indicators for the large number of people with intellectual disabilities being treated in forensic psychiatric hospitals.

Aims

This study identified and developed the domains that should be used to measure treatment outcomes for this population.

Method

A systematic review of the literature highlighted 60 studies which met eligibility criteria; they were synthesised using content analysis. The findings were refined within a consultation and consensus exercises with carers, patients and experts.

Results

The final framework encompassed three apriorisuperordinate domains: (a) effectiveness, (b) patient safety and (c) patient and carer experience. Within each of these, further sub-domains emerged from our systematic review and consultation exercises. These included severity of clinical symptoms, offending behaviours, reactive and restrictive interventions, quality of life and patient satisfaction.

Conclusions

To index recovery, services need to measure treatment outcomes using this framework.
Drug Infusion Systems: Technologies, Performance, and Pitfalls
Authors: Kim Uoo R. , Peterfreund Robert A. , Lovich Mark A.
Published: February 2017

This review aims to broadly describe drug infusion technologies and raise subtle but important issues arising from infusion therapy that can potentially lead to patient instability and morbidity. Advantages and disadvantages of gravity-dependent drug infusion are described and compared with electromechanical approaches for precise control of medication infusion, including large-volume peristaltic and syringe pumps. This review discusses how drugs and inert carriers interact within infusion systems and outlines several complexities and potential sources of drug error. Major topics are (1) the importance of the infusion system dead volume; (2) the quantities of coadministered fluid and the concept of microinfusion; and (3) future directions for drug infusion.

The infusion system dead volume resides between the point where drug and inert carrier streams meet and the patient’s blood. The dead volume is an often forgotten reservoir of drugs, especially when infusion flows slow or stop. Even with medications and carriers flowing, some mass of drug always resides within the dead volume. This reservoir of drug can be accidentally delivered into patients. When dose rate is changed, there can be a significant lag between intended and actual drug delivery. When a drug infusion is discontinued, drug delivery continues until the dead volume is fully cleared of residual drug by the carrier. When multiple drug infusions flow together, a change in any drug flow rate transiently affects the rate of delivery of all the others. For all of these reasons, the use of drug infusion systems with smaller dead volumes may be advantageous.

For critically ill patients requiring multiple infusions, the obligate amount of administered fluid can contribute to volume overload. Recognition of the risk of overload has given rise to microinfusion strategies wherein drug solutions are highly concentrated and infused at low rates. However, potential risks associated with the dead volume may be magnified with microinfusion. All of these potential sources for adverse events relating to the infusion system dead volume illustrate the need for continuing education of clinical personnel in the complexities of drug delivery by infusion.

This review concludes with an outline of future technologies for managing drug delivery by continuous infusion. Automated systems based on physiologic signals and smart systems based on physical principles and an understanding of dead volume may mitigate against adverse patient events and clinical errors in the complex process of drug delivery by infusion.
A differential autophagy dependent response to DNA-double strand brakes in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells from sporadic ALS patients
Authors: Wald-Altman Shane , Pichinuk Edward , Kakhlon Or , Weil Miguel
Published: February 2017

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable motor neurodegenerative disease caused by a diversity of genetic and environmental factors leading to neuromuscular degeneration and pathophysiological implications in non-neural systems. Our previous work showed abnormal transcriptional expression levels of biomarker genes in non-neuronal cell samples from ALS patients. The same genes proved to be differentially expressed in brain, spinal cord and muscle of the SOD1G93A ALS mouse model. These observations support the pathophysiological relevance of the ALS biomarkers discovered in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) isolated from bone marrow samples of ALS patients (ALS-hMSC). Here we demonstrate that ALS-hMSC are also a useful patient based model to study intrinsic cell molecular mechanisms of the disease. We investigated the ALS-hMSC response to oxidative DNA damage exerted by neocarzinostatin (NCS)-mediated DNA double-strand breaks (DSB). We found that the ALS-hMSC responded to this stress differently than cells from healthy controls (HC-hMSC). Interestingly, we found that ALS-hMSC cell death, in response to DSB, was dependent on autophagy, initialized by an increase of p-AMPK and blocked by the class III PI3K and autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3MeA). ALS-hMSC cell death in response to DSB was not apoptotic as it was caspase independent. This unique ALS-hMSC specific response to DNA damage emphasizes the possibility that an intrinsic abnormal regulatory mechanism controlling autophagy initiation exists in ALS-patient derived hMSC. This mechanism may also be relevant to the most affected tissues in ALS. Hence, our approach might be opening avenues for new therapies at the personalized level for ALS.
Recent trends in airway management
Authors: Karlik Joelle , Aziz Michael
Published: February 2017

Tracheal intubation remains a life-saving procedure that is typically not difficult for experienced providers in routine conditions. Unfortunately, difficult intubation remains challenging to predict and intubation conditions may make the event life threatening. Recent technological advances aim to further improve the ease, speed, safety, and success of intubation but have not been fully investigated. Video laryngoscopy, though proven effective in the difficult airway, may result in different intubation success rates in various settings and in different providers’ hands. The rescue surgical airway remains a rarely used but critical skill, and research continues to investigate optimal techniques. This review highlights some of the new thoughts and research on these important topics.
Microfilament-coordinated adhesion dynamics drives single cell migration and shapes whole tissues
Authors: Aguilar-Cuenca Rocio , Llorente-Gonzalez Clara , Vicente Carlos , Vicente-Manzanares Miguel
Published: February 2017

Cell adhesion to the substratum and/or other cells is a crucial step of cell migration. While essential in the case of solitary migrating cells (for example, immune cells), it becomes particularly important in collective cell migration, in which cells maintain contact with their neighbors while moving directionally. Adhesive coordination is paramount in physiological contexts (for example, during organogenesis) but also in pathology (for example, tumor metastasis). In this review, we address the need for a coordinated regulation of cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesions during collective cell migration. We emphasize the role of the actin cytoskeleton as an intracellular integrator of cadherin- and integrin-based adhesions and the emerging role of mechanics in the maintenance, reinforcement, and turnover of adhesive contacts. Recent advances in understanding the mechanical regulation of several components of cadherin and integrin adhesions allow us to revisit the adhesive clutch hypothesis that controls the degree of adhesive engagement during protrusion. Finally, we provide a brief overview of the major impact of these discoveries when using more physiological three-dimensional models of single and collective cell migration.
Multiattribute Loss Aversion and Reference Dependence: Evidence from the Performing Arts Industry
Authors: Tereyağoğlu Necati , Fader Peter S. , Veeraraghavan Senthil
Published: February 2017

We study the prevalence of multiattribute loss aversion and reference effects in a revenue management setting based on data of individual-level purchases over a series of concert performances. The reference dependence that drives consumer choice is not only based on the price but also on observed sales (as a fraction of the seating capacity) during their past visits. We find that consumers suffer from loss aversion on both prices and seats sold: consumers incur significant utility loss when prices are above their references or when the actual seat sales are lower than their references. We suggest pricing policies that can address consumer decisions driven by such reference dependence and loss aversion.

This paper was accepted by Vishal Gaur, operations management.
The Wisdom of Crowds in Matters of Taste
Authors: Müller-Trede Johannes , Choshen-Hillel Shoham , Barneron Meir , Yaniv Ilan
Published: February 2017

Decision makers can often improve the accuracy of their judgments on factual matters by consulting “crowds” of others for their respective opinions. In this article, we investigate whether decision makers could similarly draw on crowds to improve the accuracy of their judgments about their own tastes and hedonic experiences. We present a theoretical model that states that accuracy gains from consulting a crowd’s judgments of taste depend on the interplay among taste discrimination, crowd diversity, and the similarity between the crowd’s preferences and those of the decision maker. The model also delineates the boundary conditions for such “crowd wisdom.” Evidence supporting our hypotheses was found in two laboratory studies in which decision makers made judgments about their own enjoyment of musical pieces and short films. Our findings suggest that although different people may have different preferences and inclinations, their judgments of taste can benefit from the wisdom of crowds.

Data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2016.2660 .

This paper was accepted by Teck-Hua Ho, judgment and decision making.
THE OCCURENCE & DISTRIBUTION OF TWO BLACK SEA CUCUMBER SPECIES IN POMBO ISLAND, CENTRAL MALUKU (INDONESIA)
Authors: Setyastuti Ana
Published: February 2017

The so called “black sea cucumber” are found in Indonesia as several species including Holothuria atra, H. leucospilota, H. coluber, H. excellens and H. turriscelsa. The local community of Wainure village near Pombo Island in central Maluku had reported that most sea cucumbers inhabiting the island are the black sea cucumbers or locally known as “teripang hitam.” They are occasionally consumed but not exploited excessively by the locals. The goals of this study are to identify the species of black sea cucumbers inhabiting Pombo Island and map their distribution to understand the microhabitats of black sea cucumber. Two field surveys conducted in March and April 2014 collected more than 550 individuals of black sea cucumbers that belong to two species Holothuria (Halodeima) atra Jaeger, 1833, and Holothuria (Mertensiothuria) leucospilota Brandt, 1835. Furthermore, distribution maps of these two species show that they are found only along the SE to SW coast of the island. Such distribution may relate to the availability of marine vegetation, as well as boulders and stones that provide shelters to the organism. The distribution maps also show that H. atra has a wider distribution than H. leucospilota in Pombo Island. This may be due to the semi-cryptic habit of H. Leucospilota’s (i.e. hiding its posterior body under rocks or crevices), making its distribution restricted to areas that provide ample shelters.
The Interaction between Theory and Practice in Social Pedagogy: Α European Campaign and an Interactive Social Pedagogical Tool against Bullying in Schools
Authors: Alevizos Stefanos , Lagoumintzi Ioanna , Salichos Pavlos
Published: February 2017

Bullying is a phenomenon that has intensively concerned the scientific community over the last decades. A lot of research has been undertaken about this phenomenon, and a variety of actions have been planned and developed by state services as well as non-governmental organisations both at a level of prevention and management. The Smile of the Child is a recognised and certified NGO in Greece which, since 1996, has developed a wide range of social pedagogical actions concerning children’s problems, particularly child abuse and neglect, school and cyber bullying, missing and exploited children as well as health and welfare issues.

The first part of the present article refers to the results in Greece, in the time of crisis, of a pan-European survey conducted in 2011 and 2012 and coordinated by The Smile of the Child. The second part of the article presents a European social pedagogy oriented interactive educational tool tackling bullying. All data derived from the survey and the educational tool itself are available at www.e-abc.eu.
School and Student Families’ Communication Techniques and Relevant Practices in a Social Pedagogical Context: Primary School Principals’ Views in Greece during the Economic Crisis
Authors: Babalis Thomas , Kirkigianni Foteini , Tsoli Konstantina
Published: February 2017

The current paper researches and discusses primary school principals’ views in Greece, regarding the school and student families’ communication techniques and relevant practices during the economic crisis, based on the comparison of research findings with corresponding findings from international research. More specifically, it measures the extent to which the principals use communication techniques and practices to communicate with the students’ parents, as well as the usage rate of ways to approach active parents, parents who avoid contact with the school, parents who would like more involvement with the school. Moreover, it contemplates how principals’ views differentiate depending on their gender, their overall experience in their duties, their experience in their current position, as well as their school’s level of communication with the students’ parents. The study included 80 participating principals, who served in primary schools of Cyclades (an island group in the Aegean Sea) during the first semester of 2011. The results show that, apart from gender, all the above factors differentiate the principals’ views regarding the usage rate of the school’s communication techniques and practices with the parents. The findings also depict the frame and the communication limits, which the principals in Greece seek to achieve with the students’ parents.
All-Day School: A School in Crisis or a Social Pedagogical Solution to the Crisis?
Authors: Thoidis Ioannis , Chaniotakis Nikos
Published: February 2017

In Greece, the operation of the all-day school has been highlighted by the Ministry of Education as the most important innovation of recent years. Its main goals are provide a safe environment for students at the end of the compulsory school programme, their participation in activities of an academic, cultural and athletic character, and the opportunity to complete their homework.

This paper examines and reflects critically on the function of all-day schools from a socio-pedagogical point of view, especially the role that they play in the current economic crisis. In our country, the future of the all-day school depends on a number of factors, not least of which is a greater awareness of their socio-pedagogical role, and a greater clarity as to their essential aims.
Crisis, Childhood and Children’s Rights: A Modern Sociological Approach
Authors: Daskalakis Dimosthenis
Published: February 2017

Discussions around the current economic crisis have primarily focused on how it affects children’s well-being, ignoring its consequences on the conception of childhood. Following the modern sociological approach to childhood, which argues that it is not just a biological fact of life but a product of the social context and that children have to be seen as social agents, it is examined how the current socio-economic situation affects the construction of childhood and whether this hinders children from being active subjects of social structures and processes. Similarly, taking into account the close relation between conceptions of childhood and perceptions on children’s rights, this paper also examines the consequences of the economic crisis on the contemporary theoretical evolution of children’s rights, which is mainly specified by the ascription of autonomy rights to children. The conclusion common to both the sociology of childhood and children’s rights is that modern social reality fails to meet the expectations that have been raised by recent developments in the above fields, as crucial concepts, such as dependency, agency and capacity, are undergoing complex transformations.
Child Protection in Times of Crisis in Greece
Authors: Kallinikaki Theano
Published: February 2017

Children’s upbringing and wellbeing in Greece have been deeply affected by the bailout programme agreed between Greece and the IMF-EU-ECB, which has caused a dramatic increase in unemployment, poverty, inequality, racism and social disruption. Health insurance and welfare provision have collapsed under the acute pressure to reduce public cost, while the huge wave of youth immigration has weakened the existing ‘family based’ welfare.

Uncertainty, insecurity, the sudden and complete overthrow of living conditions and prospects, and the loss of dignity have severely threatened daily social functioning and parents’ mental health, with obvious consequences on children’s wellbeing. Although Greek families are child oriented, the new conditions have affected inter-generational solidarity and led to a vicious circle of risks causing child neglect or maltreatment.

Following an outline of the traditional welfare in Greece, this paper briefly discusses welfare issues under the crisis conditions and the ‘adjustment plan’ before raising questions about welfare services’ responsiveness to the needs of children and youth living in ‘new poor’ families and deprived communities.

The paper emphasizes the continued shortage of ‘permissive factors for effective parenting’ (Buchanan, 1996, p. 8) and of protective factors for children’s development in schools and communities as well as the rapid increase of out-home care provision.

Drawing on a social work perspective, it traces the specific clinical-family crisis, foster care interventions, and community interventions in schools and neighbourhoods. Among the pressing priorities is to make sure that children’s vulnerabilities are visible on policy agendas, and both children and their families are included in policies targeted at combating poverty, educational and health inequalities.
The Socio-Economic Crisis and Human Rights in Greece: The Role of Social Work
Authors: Pantazis Vassilis , Pantazi Georgia
Published: February 2017

Human rights are violated on a daily basis both voluntarily and involuntarily. This proves that they are not guaranteed and applied through legal procedures, rules and regulations. We need to create a society of citizens and public bodies who promote human rights around the world and will fight for the prevention of injustice, oppression and discrimination. This will build a global culture, the keystone of which is respect for human rights. To achieve this vision, the contribution of the field of human rights education is seen as necessary, as this direction can effectively lead to the building of a global culture of human rights and help develop human rights competence. One of the professional groups on which human rights education focuses is that of social workers.

The current social and economic conditions in Greece call for action on the part of the social work profession. Social workers are now required to overcome methodologically and politically many of the conservative ‘theories’ that they have been nurtured with and seek new forms of action, utilising many elements from social pedagogy. This direction will contribute to the emergence of a new social work which is politically active and socially sensitive.
Greeks and Albanian Immigrants’ Perceptions on Family Values, Marriage Myths and Love: The Role of Acculturation
Authors: Antoniou Alexander-Stamatios , Dalla Marina V.
Published: February 2017

This paper aims to shed light on issues examined in the framework of social pedagogy, such as those that influence and often determine the values and the integrative model of individuals and groups as well as their subsequent perceptions and behaviours. The study focuses on comparative data from Greek and Albanian immigrants related to family values, parental roles, emotional models, family relationships as well as dimensions such as cultural integration and assimilation. More specifically, this article presents results regarding family values, marriage myths, intimacy, passion and commitment among 231 native Greeks and 102 Albanian immigrants. Next, it presents the correlations of acculturation of immigrants with family values, marriage myths and love. Participants completed the Triangular Love Scale (Sternberg, 1997), the Marriage Quiz (Larson, 1988) and the Family Value Scale (Georgas, 1999). Immigrants’ acculturation was measured using the Vancouver Index of Acculturation (Ryder et al., 2000). Traditional values such as the father as protector, the woman as subordinate, and restriction of emotions of intimacy were more prevalent among immigrants than among Greeks. Married people with children scored lower in intimacy, passion and commitment than unmarried and married participants without children. Immigrants’ orientation toward heritage culture and marriage myths was related to lower levels of intimacy. Both native Greeks and immigrants related good relationships of parent and children to higher intimacy, passion and commitment.
Multiple Practices of Social Pedagogy: The Case of The Smile of the Child, a Non-Profit Organization Dedicated to Children’s Protection and Well-Being
Authors: Yannopoulos Costas , Alevizos Stefanos , Kavallieraki Marina
Published: February 2017

The Smile of the Child is a Greek non-profit, voluntary organization in the field of social pedagogy. It has been an NGO active in the field of child protection and children’s rights since 1996. It began as the dream of 10-year old Andreas Yannopoulos, who, shortly before losing his own battle for life, documented his vision in his journal. The Smile of the Child, empowered by committed employees and the support of hundreds of volunteers, provides services 24 hours a day throughout the year, including programmes for children’s welfare and protection of their physical and psychological health, as well as for the safety of thousands of children in danger in Greece.
The Value of Social Pedagogical Volunteerism in the Midst of the Greek Economic Crisis: The Example of Voluntary Caring for Patients in the Hospitals (EDANI)
Authors: Kontogiannis Vasileios
Published: February 2017

Caring for common affairs and unconditional service are connected with Greek life and culture and closely related to religious duty and piousness. In the difficult days of the economical crisis and recession, offers for organized volunteering have culminated. The Voluntary Caring for Patients (EDANI), is both an organized ecclesiastical activity which wonderfully reclaims scientific knowledge and a model of education, support, supervision and distribution of volunteers. Along with the crisis, the effort has been more thoroughly organized and based on self-devotion, love for the other, social and spiritual sensitivity, EDANI manages to maintain a stable number of volunteers and to multiply its offer to nursing institutions in quality and quantity. It has well-trained and supportive volunteers taking care of patients (adults and children) who have no family environment to support them. In fact, EDANI is conducting social pedagogical work. Its strong social pedagogical character is demonstrated through: a) its sensitivity and interest in vulnerable groups of people, which is transformed into actual and systematic action; b) the pursuit to enable people to have a better quality of life, which we consider a duty; c) the development of volunteering action, which begins with the intention of an unconditional service and continues with meeting the needs of people who go through a bad situation; d) seeking personal strengthening and involvement of the patients and the volunteers; and e) finally, the vision of well-being for all people.

The media, the volunteers themselves as well as the structure of the Orthodox Church of Greece have played an important role in bringing out this social pedagogical character of EDANI and have contributed to its success. During this period of crisis the Orthodox Church of Greece is promoting the spiritual character of the voluntary offer, organizing the distribution of material, time and money in order to sufficiently support people in need in our country, and has engaged in important religious and social pedagogical work for many years now.
Social Pedagogical Reflexes of Greek Society during the Economic Crisis Period: Indicative Social Pedagogical Actions
Authors: Gogoni Panagiota , Athanasaki Evangelia , Evgenia Venni
Published: February 2017

The present paper investigates the social pedagogical reflexes from various organizations in Greece during the period of economical crisis in order to handle the various and different problems that have occurred. These social pedagogical reflexes are investigated and presented through an indicative presentation of several social pedagogical actions taking place in this country during this period, originating from different social pedagogical institutions. The indicative social pedagogical actions have been divided into five basic categories, aiming to show in a better way the respective lines of interest of the practice of Greek social pedagogy during the crisis period.

In this context, this paper presents different social pedagogical actions, focusing on the profile, the aims and the social pedagogical work of institutions, i.e. of non-governmental organizations, associations, public and private initiatives, usually based on volunteer actions of Greek citizens. These institutions are aiming to resolve and effectively address a wide range of social pedagogical problems.

With the support of the aforementioned institutions, coordinated and active networks of volunteers have been created throughout the country. These aim to effectively support social pedagogically oriented programmes and actions. Through their collaboration, selfless offer, systematic work, empathy, solidarity and respect towards every person, all of the individuals and groups involved strongly demonstrate the ethos of social pedagogy and greatly increase the possibilities for practitioners in social pedagogy.
Aerial Lidar Point Cloud Voxelization with its 3D Ground Filtering Application
Authors: Wang Liying , Xu Yan , Li Yu
Published: February 2017

Compared to raster grid, Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN), and point cloud, the benefit of voxel representation lies in that the implicit notion of adjacency and the true 3D representation can be presented simultaneously. A binary voxel-based data (BVD) model is proposed to reconstruct
aerial lidar point cloud and based on the constructed model 3D ground filtering (V3GF) is developed for separating ground points from unground ones. The proposed V3GF algorithm selects the lowest voxels with a value of 1 as ground seeds and then labels them and their 3D connected set as ground
voxels. The ISPRS benchmark dataset are used to compare the performance of V3GF with those of eight other publicized filtering methods. Results indicate that the V3GF improves on Axelsson's performance on five samples in terms of total error. The average Kappa coefficients for sites with relatively
flat urban areas, rough slope and discontinuous surfaces are 92.49 percent, 72.23 percent and 61.27 percent, respectively.
Revascularization in a 17-Year-Old Girl with Neurofibromatosis and Severe Hypertension Caused by Renal Artery Stenosis
Authors: Beladan Carmen C. , Geavlete Oliviana D. , Botezatu Simona , Postu Marin , Popescu Bogdan A. , Ginghina Carmen , Coman Ioan M.
Published: February 2017

Renal artery stenosis caused by neurofibromatosis is a rare cause of renovascular hypertension. This hypertension can develop during childhood and is one of the leading causes of poor outcome.

We report the case of a 17-year-old girl who was incidentally diagnosed with severe hypertension. During her examination for secondary hypertension, we reached a diagnosis of neurofibromatosis type 1 on the basis of a cluster of typical findings: optic nerve glioma, café au lait spots, nodular neurofibromas, and axillary freckling.

Renal angiograms revealed a hemodynamically significant left renal artery stenosis (70%). Renal angioplasty with a self-expanding stent was performed one month later for rapidly progressive renal artery stenosis (90%) and uncontrolled blood pressure. Excellent blood pressure control resulted immediately and was maintained as of the 2-year follow-up evaluation. We think that percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty can be effective in select patients who have neurofibromatosis type 1 and refractory hypertension caused by renal artery stenosis.
Effectiveness of Early Invasive Therapy for Atrial Tachycardia in Adult Atrial-Baffle Survivors
Authors: Bradley Elisa A. , Zaidi Ali N. , Morrison Justin , Daniels Curt J. , Kalbfleisch Steven , Kertesz Naomi J.
Published: February 2017

Adults who underwent complex atrial baffling as children via Mustard or Senning procedures are at heightened risk for atrial arrhythmias. Antiarrhythmic therapies are typically ineffective in this population. Accordingly, our team of pediatric and adult electrophysiologists investigated the effectiveness of early invasive transbaffle-access techniques to perform early radiofrequency ablation at the source of these clinically significant arrhythmias.

For this retrospective study, we selected 11 adult survivors of atrial baffling (mean age, 34 ± 9 yr) who underwent clinically indicated electrophysiologic study after no more than one trial of antiarrhythmic therapy. Using transbaffle-access techniques and 3-dimensional mapping of the venous atria, we found 12 inducible arrhythmias in 10 patients: intra-atrial reentrant tachycardia (n=6), atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (n=3), focal atrial tachycardia (n=2), and repetitive double firing of the atrioventricular node (n=1). Defining success as short- and midterm freedom from arrhythmia, we analyzed outcomes of radiofrequency ablation at 1 and 6 months.

At 1 month, ablation was 100% successful. At 6 months, after 11 ablations in 9 patients, 5 patients had no clinical recurrence, 2 had improved arrhythmia control from minimal medical therapy, and 2 were to undergo repeat study for recurrent tachycardia. In the recurrence-free patients, arrhythmias during electrophysiology study matched the types found clinically before the study.

To our knowledge, this is the largest one-year cohort of adult survivors of atrial baffling to have undergone study by a combined pediatric–adult electrophysiology team. We conclude that early invasive transbaffle access for ablating diverse atrial tachyarrhythmias was effective in these patients.
Cancer Antigen 125 is Associated with Length of Stay in Patients with Acute Heart Failure
Authors: Kaya Hakki , Kurt Recep , Beton Osman , Zorlu Ali , Yucel Hasan , Gunes Hakan , Oguz Didem , Yilmaz Mehmet Birhan
Published: February 2017

Length of stay is the primary driver of heart-failure hospitalization costs. Because cancer antigen 125 has been associated with poor morbidity and mortality rates in heart failure, we investigated the relationship between admission cancer antigen 125 levels and lengths of stay in heart-failure patients. A total of 267 consecutive patients (184 men, 83 women) with acute decompensated heart failure were evaluated prospectively. The median length of stay was 4 days, and the patients were classified into 2 groups: those with lengths of stay ≤4 days and those with lengths of stay >4 days. Patients with longer lengths of stay had a significantly higher cancer antigen 125 level of 114 U/mL (range, 9–298 U/mL) than did those with a shorter length of stay (19 U/mL; range; 3–68) (P <0.001). The optimal cutoff level of cancer antigen 125 in the prediction of length of stay was >48 U/mL, with a specificity of 95.8% and a sensitivity of 96% (area under the curve, 0.979; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.953–0.992). In the multivariate logistic regression model, cancer antigen 125 >48 U/mL on admission (odds ratio=4.562; 95% CI, 1.826–11.398; P=0.001), sodium level (P<0.001), creatinine level (P=0.009), and atrial fibrillation (P=0.015) were also associated with a longer length of stay after adjustment for variables found to be statistically significant in univariate analysis and correlated with cancer antigen 125 level. In addition, it appears that in a cohort of patients with acute decompensated heart failure, cancer antigen 125 is independently associated with prolonged length of stay.
Resection of Celiac Artery Aneurysm with Bypass Grafting to the Splenic and Common Hepatic Arteries
Authors: Pattakos Gregory , Tolpin Daniel , Ott David A.
Published: February 2017

Celiac artery aneurysms are rare and typically warrant surgical treatment. Atherosclerosis is their chief cause. Symptomatic patients usually present with abdominal pain. Surgical resection of celiac artery aneurysms is associated with low morbidity and mortality rates. We report the case of a patient whose 2.2-cm celiac artery aneurysm we resected, with subsequent saphenous vein bypass grafting from the celiac trunk to the splenic and common hepatic arteries. In addition, we briefly discuss other treatment options.
Impaired myogenic response of the afferent arteriole contributes to the increased susceptibility to renal disease in Milan normotensive rats
Authors: Ge Ying , Fan Fan , Didion Sean P. , Roman Richard J.
Published: February 2017

Milan normotensive (MNS) rats are more susceptible to the development of renal disease than Milan hypertensive (MHS) rats, but the genes and pathways involved are unknown. This study compared the myogenic response of isolated perfused afferent arterioles (Af‐Art) and autoregulation of renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular capillary pressure (Pgc) in 6–9‐week‐old MNS and MHS rats. The diameter of the Af‐Art of MHS rats decreased significantly from 14.3 ± 0.5 to 11.5 ± 0.6 μm when perfusion pressure was elevated from 60 to 120 mmHg. In contrast, the diameter of Af‐Art of MNS rats did not decrease. RBF was well autoregulated in MHS rats, but it increased by 26% in MNS rats. Pgc rose by 11 mmHg when renal perfusion pressure (RPP) was increased from 100 to 140 mmHg in MNS but not in MHS rats. Protein excretion increased from 10 ± 1 to 245 ± 36 mg/day in MNS rats as they aged from 3 to 11 months but it did not increase in MHS rats. We also compared the development of proteinuria in MNS and MHS rats following the induction of diabetes with streptozotocin. Protein excretion rose from 16 ± 3 to 234 ± 43 mg/day in MNS rats, but it remained unaltered in MHS rats. These data indicate that the myogenic response of the Af‐art is impaired in MNS rats and increased transmission of pressure to the glomerulus may contribute to renal injury in MNS rats similar to what is seen in fawn‐hooded hypertensive and Dahl salt‐sensitive rats.
A New Method to Aid Copy Testing of Paid Search Text Advertisements
Authors: Rutz Oliver J. , Sonnier Garrett P. , Trusov Michael
Published: February 2017

The authors propose a new approach to evaluate the perceptions and performance of a large set of paid search ads. This approach consists of two parts. First, primary data on hundreds of ads are collected through paired comparisons of their relative ability to generate awareness, interest, desire, action, and click performance. The authors use the Elo algorithm, a statistical model calibrated on paired comparisons, to score the full set of ads on relative perceptions and click performance. The estimated scores validate the theoretical link between perceptions and performance. Second, the authors predict the perceptions and performance of new ads relative to the existing set using textual content metrics. The predictive model allows for direct effects and interactions of the text metrics, resulting in a “large p, small n” problem. They address this problem with a novel Bayesian implementation of the VANISH model, a penalized regression approach that allows for differential treatment of main and interaction effects, in a system of equations. The authors demonstrate that this approach ably forecasts relative ad performance by leveraging perceptions inferred from content alone.
The automorphism groups of doubly transitive bilinear dual hyperovals
Authors: Dempwolff Ulrich
Published: February 2017

We determine the automorphism groups of the 2-transitive, bilinear dual hyperovals over 𝔽2of typeD[k] constructed in [6] by the author. Then we characterize the 2-transitive quotients of the Huybrechts dual hyperovals, compute their automorphism groups and give estimates on the number of such quotients.
Tight sets in finite classical polar spaces
Authors: Nakić Anamari , Storme Leo
Published: February 2017

We show that every i-tight set in the Hermitian variety H(2r + 1, q) is a union of pairwise disjoint (2r + 1)-dimensional Baer subgeometries

PG
(
2
r
+
1
,

q

)

$\text{PG}(2r+1,\,\sqrt{q})$

and generators of H(2r + 1, q), if q ≥ 81 is an odd square and i < (q
2/3 − 1)/2. We also show that an i-tight set in the symplectic polar space W(2r + 1, q) is a union of pairwise disjoint generators of W(2r + 1, q), pairs of disjoint r-spaces {Δ, Δ
⊥}, and (2r + 1)-dimensional Baer subgeometries. For W(2r + 1, q) with r even, pairs of disjoint r-spaces {Δ, Δ
⊥} cannot occur. The (2r + 1)-dimensional Baer subgeometries in the i-tight set of W(2r + 1, q) are invariant under the symplectic polarity ⊥ of W(2r + 1, q) or they arise in pairs of disjoint Baer subgeometries corresponding to each other under ⊥. This improves previous results where

i
<

q

5

/

8

/

2

+
1

$i \lt q^{5/8} / \sqrt{2} +1$

was assumed. Generalizing known techniques and using recent results on blocking sets and minihypers, we present an alternative proof of this result and consequently improve the upper bound on i to (q
2/3 − 1)/2. We also apply our results on tight sets to improve a known result on maximal partial spreads in W(2r + 1, q).
Non-autonomous Eigenvalue Problems with Variable (p
1,p
2)-Growth
Authors: Baraket Sami , Chebbi Souhail , Chorfi Nejmeddine , Rădulescu Vicenţiu D.
Published: February 2017

We are concerned with the study of a class of non-autonomous eigenvalue problems driven by two non-homogeneous differential operators with variable

(

p
1

,

p
2

)

{(p_{1},p_{2})}

-growth. The main result of this paper establishes the existence of a continuous spectrum consisting in an unbounded interval and the nonexistence of eigenvalues in a neighbourhood of the origin. The abstract results of this paper are described by two Rayleigh-type quotients and the proofs rely on variational arguments.
Piezoelectric Clamped Beam Energy Harvester Using Vibration Caused by Centrifugal Force at High Wind Speeds
Authors: Xiao Da , Yang Ying , Shen Qinlong , Jin Jiamei , Wang Yiping
Published: February 2017

In this study, a piezoelectric wind energy harvester was vibrated that aims to convert high-speed wind energy into electrical energy using vibrations caused by centrifugal force. Vibrations induced by centrifugal force enabled effective distortion of the piezoelectric clamped beam and thus produced electric charge through the piezoelectric effect. A clamped beam was used rather than a conventional thin cantilever to harvest the wind energy in the proposed harvester. The centrifugal force was introduced by a pair of rotating eccentric turbines that are installed on two ball bearings on both sides of the piezoelectric unimorph. Benefiting from the rotating eccentric masses of these turbines, the harvester is capable of capturing wind energy in high speed wind environments. A prototype was set up to examine the effects of the wind speed and the structural parameters on the electrical output of the harvester. It is found that the harvester worked efficiently with wind applied from the axial directions in a 20–55 m/s speed range and produced a maximum open-circuit voltage of 47.2 V. When connected to an external load of 50 kΩ, the harvester showed a peak output power of 3.69 mW at a wind speed of 55 m/s.
Herbal approach in the treatment of pancytopenia
Authors: Bagwe Siddhi Manohar , Kale Pravin Popatrao , Bhatt Lokesh Kumar , Prabhavalkar Kedar S.
Published: February 2017

Pancytopenia is a health condition in which there is a reduction in the amount of leucocytes, erythrocytes and thrombocytes. If more than one of the blood cells is low then the condition is called as bicytopenia. The pancytopenic condition is observed in treatment of diseased conditions like thalassemia and hepatitis C. Iatrogenically pancytopenia is caused by some antibiotics and anti-HCV drugs. Medical conditions like aplastic anaemia, lymphoma, copper deficiency, and so forth can also cause pancytopenia. Pancytopenia can in turn decrease the immunity of the person and thereby can be fatal. Current therapies for pancytopenia include bone marrow stimulant drugs, blood transfusion and bone marrow transplant. The current therapies are very excruciating and have long-term side-effects. Therefore, treating these condition using herbal drugs is very important. Herbs like wheatgrass, papaya leaves and garlic are effective in treating single lineage cytopenias. The present review is focused on the potential effects of natural herbs for the treatment of pancytopenia.
The association between pre-pregnancy obesity and screening results of depression for all trimesters of pregnancy, postpartum and 1 year after birth: a cohort study
Authors: Salehi-Pourmehr Hanieh , Mohammad-Alizadeh Sakineh , Jafarilar-Agdam Nayyer , Rafiee Somayyeh , Farshbaf-Khalili Azizeh
Published: February 2017

Objective:

To determine the relationship between pre-pregnancy obesity and screening results of gestational and post-delivery depression in women referred to the health centers of Tabriz, Iran.

Methods:

In this cohort study, 62 and 245 pregnant women with class 2–3 obesity [body mass index (BMI)≥35 kg/m2] and normal-weight (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2) were enrolled, respectively, in the first trimester of pregnancy from December 2012 to January 2016. For matching of groups, nulliparous and multiparous mothers aged 18–35 years were selected with the ratio of 1:4 in obese and normal BMI groups from the same recruitment center and to controlling the confounder factors, inclusion criteria were considered. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was completed in five time points, the first, second, third trimester of pregnancy, 6–8 weeks and 12 months after delivery. Independent t-test, Mann-Whitney, chi-square, Fisher’s exact tests and multivariate logistic and linear regression adjusted for confounders were used. P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results:

Based on the EPDS, 12.7% of normal weight women in first, 13.5% in second, 10.2% in third trimester of pregnancy, 7.8% in 6–8 weeks of postpartum and 10.6% in 1 year after delivery screened positive for depression. This proportion was greater in class 2–3 obese women (32.3%, 33.3%, 28.8% in trimesters of pregnancy and 35.4%, 19.4% in postpartum period, respectively) (P<0.05). The results of multivariate logistic regression adjusted for confounding factors showed that the risk of depression in the first trimester of pregnancy for class 2–3 obesity was 3.25-fold greater than normal weight group [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.68–6.28]. This risk was 3.29-fold in the second (aOR 3.29, 95% CI 1.67–6.47), 4-folds in the third trimester (aOR 4.003, 95% CI 1.84–8.70 for third), 7.5-fold in the 6–8 weeks of postpartum (aOR 7.46, 95% CI 3.30–16.89) and 1.83-fold (aOR 7.46, 95% CI 3.30–16.89) for 1 year after birth.

Conclusions:

Pre-pregnancy obesity was associated with probability of gestational and post-delivery depression. Therefore, training and planning to conduct required interventions to resolve obesity seem be helpful in this regard.
The Transcendence and Visibility of the Father in the Gospel of John
Authors: Filtvedt Ole Jakob
Published: February 2017

This article examines five statements in John related to the visibility of the Father (1,18; 5,37; 6,46; 12,45; 14,7–11). Some of these seem to affirm that the Father can be seen, while others seem to deny it. The article argues that John ultimately holds that God can be seen, that the passages that seem to deny this only deny the possibility of unmediated access to the Father, apart from Jesus, and that John has developed three ways of securing God’s transcendence, despite his visibility: (i) the vision of God is only available through Jesus; (ii) the vision of God is climaxed precisely where God seems to be absent, namely in Jesus’ crucifixion; and (iii) the vision of God in Jesus’ crucifixion runs counter to human expectations, and is therefore only recognizable with hindsight. Thus, John is able to affirm both God’s visibility and transcendence.