bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Double‐hump sign on gonioscopy: definitive plateau iris? A cross‐sectional study using ultrasound biomicroscopy
Authors: Cordeiro Sousa D. , Leal I. , Caiado F. , Goncalves I. , Reina M. , Marques‐Neves C. , Prior Filipe H. , Abegao Pinto L.
Published: September 2015

Purpose

Plateau iris configuration (PIC) is a rare condition involving an angle closure unrelated to pupillary block. It may be defined by a narrow angle and a double‐hump configuration on gonioscopy. Plateau iris syndrome (PIS) may lead to acute angle‐closure glaucoma due to an anterior displacement and rotation of the ciliary body. It has been proposed that ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) is helpful in PIC/PIS diagnosis. Our work aims to describe UBM quantitative and qualitative findings in patients whose gonioscopy suggested a PIC/PIS.

Methods

Cross‐sectional study involving patients with a double hump gonioscopic finding. UBM was then performed by a blinded observer and evaluated for the presence of following ultrasonographic (US) criteria: 1) a thick and flat iris, 2) a sharp, square root angulation on its insertion, 3) an anterior rotation of the ciliary body, 4) irido‐ciliary sulcus narrowing, 5) iris‐trabecular apposition and 6) a relatively normal anterior chamber (AC) depth. Only high‐quality images were accepted.

Results

From Sep/14‐May/15, 35 patients (59 eyes) were recruited. Only 3 eyes presented the six US criteria, 23 eyes filled five of the criteria, 13 satisfied four criteria, 16 presented three criteria and 4 two criteria. The most commonly verified criteria (over 95% of them) were a thick and flat iris and a square root insertion. There was no association between any of these criteria and sex nor age (p > 0.10). Furthermore, the presence/absence of these criteria did not correlate with either anterior chamber depth, lens vault and lens length (p > 0.10).

Conclusions

The majority of patients presenting with clinical iris plateau syndrome do not fulfill the entire US criteria for this condition. However, the US‐based iris morphological parameters seem to be present in nearly all iris plateau patients.
Learning the right lessons from Labour's 2015 defeat
Authors: Green Jane , Prosser Chris
Published: September 2015

Jane Green and Chris Prosser pick apart the factors that underpinned Labour's disappointing election performance, including the ability of the Conservative and Labour parties to win votes from other parties in crucial marginal seats, and the paradoxical consequences of Labour's successful raid on the Lib‐Dem vote.
Densification and Microstructural Evolution of Hierarchically Porous Ceramics During Sintering
Authors: Shang Haixia , Mohanram Aravind , Bordia Rajendra K.
Published: September 2015

Several technologically important ceramics are porous. One common approach to make high porosity ceramics is to use fugitive pore formers followed by partial densification. The resultant ceramic has hierarchical porosity: extrinsic large pores from the burnout of the pore former; and intrinsic small inter‐particle pores. In this study, the effect of sintering conditions and pore former on porosity and microstructure of hierarchically porous ceramics has been investigated. Pore size and pore volume fraction evolution of intrinsic and extrinsic pores were quantified as a function of sintering conditions. The effect of porosity and sintering conditions on average grain size is also investigated. It is shown that during sintering both the extrinsic and the intrinsic porosity decrease but along different trajectories. It is shown that the intrinsic pores control the grain growth. The results are discussed in terms of standard mechanisms and models available in the literature.
A Complete Solid Solution with Rutile‐Type Structure in SiO2–GeO2 System at 12 GPa and 1600°C
Authors: Kulik Eleonora , Nishiyama Norimasa , Masuno Atsunobu , Zubavichus Yan , Murzin Vadim , Khramov Evgeny , Yamada Akihiro , Ohfuji Hiroaki , Wille Hans‐Christian , Irifune Tetsuo , Katsura Tomoo
Published: September 2015

High pressure and temperature synthesis of compositions made of (Si1−x,Gex)O2 where x is equal to 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 0.7, and 1 was performed at 7–12 GPa and 1200–1600°C using a Kawai‐type high‐pressure apparatus. At 12 GPa and 1600°C, all the run products were composed of a single phase with a rutile structure. The lattice constants increase linearly with the germanium content (x), which indicates that the rutile‐type phases in the SiO2–GeO2 system form a complete series of solid solutions at these pressure and temperature conditions. Our experimental results show that thermodynamic equilibrium state was achieved in this system at 12 GPa and 1600°C, but not at 1200°C. At lower pressures (7 and 9 GPa) and 1600°C, we observed the decomposition of (Si0.5,Ge0.5)O2 into SiO2‐rich coesite and GeO2‐rich rutile phases. The silicon content in the rutile structure increases sharply with pressure in the vicinity of the coesite–stishovite phase transition pressure in SiO2.
Dietary carbohydrate intake, presence of obesity and the incident risk of type 2 diabetes in Japanese men
Authors: Sakurai Masaru , Nakamura Koshi , Miura Katsuyuki , Takamura Toshinari , Yoshita Katsushi , Nagasawa Shin‐ya , Morikawa Yuko , Ishizaki Masao , Kido Teruhiko , Naruse Yuchi , Nakashima Motoko , Nogawa Kazuhiro , Suwazono Yasushi , Sasaki Satoshi , Nakagawa Hideaki
Published: September 2015

Aims/Introduction

The present cohort study assessed the risk among Japanese men for developing type 2 diabetes, based on the percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates and degree of obesity.

Participants and Methods

The participants were 2,006 male factory employees, and the macronutrient intake of each patient was measured using a self‐administered diet history questionnaire. The incidence of diabetes was determined in annual blood examinations over a 10‐year period.

Results

During the study, 232 participants developed diabetes. The crude incidence rates (/1,000 person‐years) for different levels of carbohydrate intake as a percentage of calories consumed (<50.0, 50.0–57.4, 57.5–65.0, >65.0% of energy intake) were 16.5, 14.4, 12.7 and 17.6. Overall, carbohydrate intake was not associated with the risk of diabetes. However, there was significant interaction between carbohydrate intake and degree of obesity on the incidence of diabetes (P for interaction = 0.024). Higher carbohydrate intake was associated with elevated risk for diabetes among participants with a body mass index ≥25.0 kg/m2 (P for trend = 0.034). For obese participants, the multivariate‐adjusted hazard ratio for those with carbohydrate intakes >65% energy was 2.01 (95% confidence interval 1.08–3.71), which was significantly higher than that of participants with carbohydrate intakes 50.0–57.4% energy.

Conclusions

Higher carbohydrate intake was associated with higher risk of diabetes in obese participants, but not in non‐obese participants. Obese participants with carbohydrate intakes >65% energy should reduce their intakes to levels within the desirable carbohydrate energy proportion for Japanese (50–65% energy) to prevent development of type 2 diabetes.
Skeletal muscle proteolysis is associated with sympathetic activation and TNF‐α‐ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway in liver cirrhotic rats
Authors: Lin Shih‐Yi , Wang Ya‐Yu , Chuang Yu‐Han , Chen Chun‐Jung
Published: September 2015

Background and Aim

This study examined the effects of adrenergic blockade on muscle wasting and expression of the ubiquitin‐proteasome system, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and its signaling pathways in skeletal muscles of cirrhotic rats.

Methods

Cirrhosis was induced by bile duct ligation in adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats for 5 weeks. Oral administration of propranolol (75 mg/kg per day) and intraperitoneal administration of TNF‐α receptor antagonist (100 µg/kg per day) were delivered for the last 7 and 14 days experimental periods, respectively.

Results

Bile duct ligation caused a reduction of myosin heavy chain protein and muscle wasting. The release of free tyrosine and 3‐methylhistidine, MAFbx and MuRF‐1 ubiquitin ligase expression, myosin heavy chain protein ubiquitination, and 20S proteasome activity were higher in skeletal muscles of cirrhotic rats than in sham controls. In addition, circulating norepinephrine, protein levels of muscle TNF‐α, TNF‐α receptor‐1, and TNF receptor‐associated factor‐2, phosphorylation of IKK‐α/β, IκB‐α, and p65, and NF‐κB activity were also increased. Administration of propranolol and TNF‐α receptor antagonist led to reduction of post‐receptor actions of TNF‐α and ubiquitin‐proteasome activity in cirrhotic rats.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest a potential role of the sympathetic system, in association with pro‐inflammatory responses, in the pathogenesis of muscle wasting in liver cirrhosis.
Evolution of the mammalian middle ear: a historical review
Authors: Maier Wolfgang , Ruf Irina
Published: September 2015

Here we present a brief, historical review of research into the mammalian middle ear structures. Most of their essential homologies were established by embryologists, notably including Reichert, during the 19th century. The evolutionary dimension was confirmed by finds of fossil synapsids, mainly from the Karroo of South Africa. In 1913, Ernst Gaupp was the first to present a synthesis of the available embryological and paleontological data, but a number of morphological details remained to be solved, such as the origin of the tympanic membrane. Gaupp favoured an independent origin of the eardrum in anurans, sauropsids, and mammals; we support most of his ideas. The present review emphasizes the problem of how the mammalian middle ear structures that developed at the angle of the lower jaw were transferred to the basicranium; the ontogenesis of extant marsupials provides important information on this question.
Effects of Three Types of Digital Camera Sensors on Dental Specialists’ Perception of Smile Esthetics: A Preliminary Double‐Blind Clinical Trial
Authors: Sajjadi Seyed Hadi , Khosravanifard Behnam , Moazzami Fatemeh , Rakhshan Vahid , Esmaeilpour Mozhgan
Published: September 2015

Purpose

The effect of image quality or dental specialties on the subjective judgment of facial beauty has not been evaluated in any study. This study assessed the effect of digital sensors and specialties on the perception of smile beauty.

Materials and Methods

In the first phase of this double‐blind clinical trial, 40 female smile photographs (taken from dental students) were evaluated by a panel of three prosthodontists, six orthodontists, and three specialists in restorative dentistry to select the most beautiful smiles. In the second phase, the 20 students having the most appealing smiles were again photographed in standard conditions, but this time with three different digital sensors: full‐frame 21.1‐megapixel, half‐frame 18.0‐megapixel, and compact 10.4‐megapixel. The same panel judged smile beauty on a visual analog scale. The referees were blinded to the type of sensors, and the images were all coded. The data were analyzed using two‐way ANOVA, Kruskal‐Wallis, and Mann‐Whitney U tests (α = 0.05 and 0.0167).

Results

The mean scores for full‐frame, half‐frame, and compact sensors were 6.70 ± 1.30, 4.56 ± 1.29, and 4.40 ± 1.39 [out of 10], respectively (Kruskal‐Wallis p < 0.0001). The differences between the full‐frame and the other sensors were statistically significant (Mann‐Whitney p < 0.01); however, the difference between the half‐frame and compact sensors was not statistically significant (p > 0.1). Sensors (ANOVA p < 0.00001) but not specialties (p = 0.687) affected the perception of beauty.

Conclusions

According to the results of this study, image quality affected the perception of smile beauty. The full‐frame sensor produced consistently better results and was recommended over half‐frame and compact sensors. Dentists of different specialties might have similar standards of smile beauty, although this needs further assessment.
Religion, Race, and Discrimination: A Field Experiment of How American Churches Welcome Newcomers
Authors: Wright Bradley R. E. , Wallace Michael , Wisnesky Annie Scola , Donnelly Christopher M. , Missari Stacy , Zozula Christine
Published: September 2015

This article reports the results of a nationwide audit study testing how Christian churches welcome potential newcomers to their churches as a function of newcomers’ race and ethnicity. We sent email inquiries to 3,120 churches across the United States. The emails were ostensibly from someone moving to the area and looking for a new church to attend. That person's name was randomly varied to convey different racial and ethnic associations. In response to these inquiries, representatives from mainline Protestant churches—who generally embrace liberal, egalitarian attitudes toward race relations—actually demonstrated the most discriminatory behavior. They responded most frequently to emails with white‐sounding names, somewhat less frequently to black‐ or Hispanic‐sounding names, and much less to Asian‐sounding names. They also sent shorter, less welcoming responses to nonwhite names. In contrast, evangelical Protestant and Catholic churches showed little variation across treatment groups in their responses. These findings underscore the role of homophily, organizational homogeneity, and the costs of racial integration in perpetuating the racial segregation of American religious life.
Fifty years of co‐evolution and beyond: integrating co‐evolution from molecules to species
Authors: Carmona Diego , Fitzpatrick Connor R. , Johnson Marc T. J.
Published: September 2015

Fifty years after Ehrlich and Raven's seminal paper, the idea of co‐evolution continues to grow as a key concept in our understanding of organic evolution. This concept has not only provided a compelling synthesis between evolutionary biology and community ecology, but has also inspired research that extends beyond its original scope. In this article, we identify unresolved questions about the co‐evolutionary process and advocate for the integration of co‐evolutionary research from molecular to interspecific interactions. We address two basic questions: (i) What is co‐evolution and how common is it? (ii) What is the unit of co‐evolution? Both questions aim to explore the heart of the co‐evolutionary process. Despite the claim that co‐evolution is ubiquitous, we argue that there is in fact little evidence to support the view that reciprocal natural selection and coadaptation are common in nature. We also challenge the traditional view that co‐evolution only occurs between traits of interacting species. Co‐evolution has the potential to explain evolutionary processes and patterns that result from intra‐ and intermolecular biochemical interactions within cells, intergenomic interactions (e.g. nuclear‐cytoplasmic) within species, as well as intergenomic interactions mediated by phenotypic traits between species. Research that bridges across these levels of organization will help to advance our understanding of the importance of the co‐evolutionary processes in shaping the diversity of life on Earth.
An ADP‐ribosyltransferase Alt of bacteriophage T4 negatively regulates the Escherichia coli MazF toxin of a toxin–antitoxin module
Authors: Alawneh Abdulraheem M. , Qi Dan , Yonesaki Tetsuro , Otsuka Yuichi
Published: September 2015

Prokaryotic toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems are linked to many roles in cell physiology, such as plasmid maintenance, stress response, persistence and protection from phage infection, and the activities of toxins are tightly regulated. Here, we describe a novel regulatory mechanism for a toxin of Escherichia coli TA systems. The MazF toxin of MazE‐MazF, which is one of the best characterized type II TA systems, was modified immediately after infection with bacteriophage T4. Mass spectrometry demonstrated that the molecular weight of this modification was 542 Da, corresponding to a mono‐ADP‐ribosylation. This modification disappeared in cells infected with T4 phage lacking Alt, which is one of three ADP‐ribosyltransferases encoded by T4 phage and is injected together with phage DNA upon infection. In vivo and in vitro analyses confirmed that T4 Alt ADP‐ribosylated MazF at an arginine residue at position 4. Finally, the ADP‐ribosylation of MazF by Alt resulted in the reduction of MazF RNA cleavage activity in vitro, suggesting that it may function to inactivate MazF during T4 infection. This is the first example of the chemical modification of an E. coli toxin in TA systems to regulate activity.
Regenerating the Islamic Republic: Commemorating Martyrs in Provincial Iran1
Authors: Wellman Rose
Published: September 2015

This article explores how provincial Iranian laymen and officials who support the regime (here, Basijis) mobilize the bodies and blood of martyrs to sacralize the national landscape in Post‐Revolutionary Iran. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, a powerful cohort of religious scholars and everyday citizens has emphasized the need to (re)generate the authentically Islamic interior of the nation while resisting an immoral, “Westernstruck” exterior. A significant part of this sacred defense against Western cultural invasion has been the exhumation of bodies of Iran‐Iraq War (1980‐88) martyrs from the battlefront for reburial and commemoration at sites across the national landscape. This article, based on 15 months of ethnographic research in the Fars Province of Iran, investigates these ongoing practices of reburying and memorializing martyrs. I argue that the exhumations and reburials of martyrs are strategic religious practices that organize the bodies of Iranian subjects around key reference points, specifically the martyrdom of the Imam Husayn at the Battle of Karbala, the 1979 Revolution, and the Iran‐Iraq War. In addition, I show how acts of commemorating martyrs emphasize the sacrificial blood of male citizens, a bodily substance that draws further symbolic efficacy from its associations with the life‐giving blood of kinship. This is the first ethnographic account of how martyrs are interred and commemorated in provincial Iran.
Cerebrospinal fluid Coccidioides antigen testing in the diagnosis and management of central nervous system coccidioidomycosis
Authors: Bamberger David M. , Pepito Brian S. , Proia Laurie A. , Ostrosky‐Zeichner Luis , Ashraf Madiha , Marty Francisco , Scully Eileen , Wheat L. Joseph
Published: September 2015

The goal of this study was to report on the potential utility of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Coccidioides antigen testing in the diagnosis and management of Coccidioides meningitis. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of seven patients with Coccidioides meningitis who had Coccidioides antigen tests performed on CSF. In two severely immunocompromised patients, CSF Coccidioides antigen testing was helpful in the diagnosis when other testing modalities were negative. Coccidioides antigen testing was also useful in the management of patients who had progression of disease due to non‐adherence, development of resistance, failure of therapy and the presence of vasculitis. Changing antigen levels helped identify disease complications in three patients that led to alterations in therapy or management. On the basis of our review of these seven patients with Coccidioides meningitis, we concluded that the Coccidioides antigen test contributed to the diagnosis and management of patients with Coccidioides meningitis.
Cladistic analysis of Caseidae (Caseasauria, Synapsida): using the gap‐weighting method to include taxa based on incomplete specimens
Authors: Romano Marco , Nicosia Umberto
Published: September 2015

Occupying the role of primary consumer and having an early–middle Permian age range, caseids (Caseasauria, Synapsida) are fundamental to the interpretation of the early history of terrestrial vertebrate ecosystems. Despite this importance, no comprehensive, species‐level phylogenetic study of Caseidae has yet been performed. Herein, we present a phylogenetic analysis of the group, using gap weighting to include poorly known taxa. Besides the description and comments on the resultant topologies, some more general issues concerning cladistic methodologies are briefly addressed. This study highlights the importance of a total‐evidence approach, including as many within‐group taxa and characters as possible. Continuously varying characters, in the form of indices derived from measurement of individual skeletal elements, proved to be highly important, adding significantly to the resolution of, and support for, recovered trees. The utility of the postcranial skeleton in understanding relationships among basal synapsids is highlighted.
Influence of graft size matching on outcomes of infantile living donor liver transplantation
Authors: Wan Ping , Li Qigen , Zhang Jianjun , Shen Conghuan , Luo Yi , Chen Qimin , Chen Xiaosong , Zhang Ming , Han Longzhi , Xia Qiang
Published: September 2015

We aimed to assess the impact of size mismatching between grafts and recipients on outcomes of infants or small children after LDLT. Between October 2006 and December 2014, 129 LDLT recipients weighing no more than 8 kg were retrospectively analyzed. The entire cohort was categorized into three groups by GRWR: GRWR<3.0% (group A, n = 38), 3.0%≤GRWR<4.0% (group B, n = 61), and GRWR≥4.0% (group C, n = 30). Baseline characteristics were similar among groups A, B, and C. Compared with groups A and B, post‐transplant alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase within seven days were significantly higher in group C; however, differences between total bilirubin and albumin after transplantation were not prominent. Moreover, incidences of surgical complications, perioperative deaths, infections, and acute rejections were all comparable among the three groups. Five‐yr patient survival rates for groups A, B, and C were 89.5%, 88.9%, and 81.6%, respectively (p = 0.872), and the graft survival rates were 89.5%, 86.6%, and 81.6%, respectively (p = 0.846). In conclusion, GRWR between 1.9% and 5.8% would not cause noticeable adverse events for infantile LDLT recipients ≤8 kg. However, there is still a role for considering reduction in the graft mass as an applicable strategy in selected cases.
Sleep Duration, Activity Levels, and Measures of Obesity in Adults
Authors: Elder Betty L. , Ammar Erica M. , Pile Debra
Published: September 2015

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate sleep and activity as they relate to obesity measures of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in adults. Findings from recent studies have linked physical inactivity and short sleep with obesity.

Design and Sample

A total of 337 subjects were collected from the 2009–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Measures

The sample was evaluated to determine if a relationship existed between sleep duration, activity levels, and measures of obesity.

Results

Pearson r correlation revealed a significant positive relationship between WC and sedentary activity, r(318) = .168, p = .003. Analysis also showed a significant inverse association between sleep duration and WC, r(319) = −.113, p = .043. No statistical significance was found using BMI as the measure of obesity in relation to duration of sleep or activity level.

Conclusions

In support of recent literature, this study found duration of sleep and sedentary activity in adults may relate to the development of obesity as measured by WC.
Semantic Normativity and Semantic Causality
Authors: Zhong Lei
Published: September 2015

Semantic normativism, which is the view that semantic properties/concepts are some kind of normative properties/concepts, has become increasingly influential in contemporary meta‐semantics. In this paper, I aim to argue that semantic normativism has difficulty accommodating the causal efficacy of semantic properties. In specific, I raise an exclusion problem for semantic normativism, inspired by the exclusion problem in the philosophy of mind. Moreover, I attempt to show that the exclusion problem for semantic normativism is peculiarly troublesome: while we can solve (or dissolve) mental‐physical exclusion by adopting the so‐called ‘autonomy approach’, a similar autonomy solution to semantic exclusion is implausible if semantic properties are understood as normative properties.
Nematode quantitative resistance conferred by the pepper genetic background presents additive effects and is stable against different isolates of Meloidogyne incognita
Authors: Sánchez‐Solana F. , Ros C. , Lacasa C. M. , Palloix A. , Lacasa A.
Published: September 2015

Root‐knot nematodes (RKNs), Meloidogyne spp., are a major disease problem in solanaceous crops worldwide, including pepper (Capsicum spp.). Genetic control provides an economically and environmentally sustainable protection alternative to soil fumigants. In pepper, resistance to the main RKN species (M. incognita, M. javanica and M. arenaria) is conferred by the major genes (R genes) Me1, Me3 and N. However, RKNs are able to develop virulence, thus endangering the efficiency of R genes. Quantitative resistance (QR) against Meloidogyne spp. is expected to provide an alternative to R genes, or to be combined with R genes, to increase the resistance efficiency and durability in pepper. In order to explore the ability of QR to protect pepper against RKNs, five pepper inbred lines, differing in their QR level, were tested directly, or after combination with the Me1 and Me3 genes, for their resistance to a panel of M. arenaria, M. javanica and M. incognita isolates. The M. arenaria and M. javanica isolates showed low pathogenicity to pepper, unlike the M. incognita isolates. The QR, controlled by the pepper genetic background, displayed a high resistance level with a broad spectrum of action, protecting pepper against Me3‐virulent as well as avirulent M. incognita isolates. The QR was also expressed when combined with the Me1 and Me3 genes, but presented additive genetic effects so that heterozygous F1 hybrids proved less resistant than homozygous inbred lines. The discovery of this QR is expected to provide promising applications for preserving the efficiency and durability of nematode resistance.
Health Benefit Downward Rigidity: Employers’ Responses to Rising Insurance Costs
Authors: Guo Xuguang , Tao Ran
Published: September 2015

The article examines employers’ responses to rising insurance costs using Census Bureau Medical Expenditure Panel Survey–Insurance Component data from 1997 to 2005. The findings confirm that employers did not take dramatic actions to reduce benefit in response to the rising insurance cost during our study period. Most employers did not drop health insurance coverage, reduce workers’ eligibility for insurance, or substantially scale back their health insurance coverage. Instead, companies controlled the insurance cost in more subtle ways by adopting cost‐efficient health plans and requesting employee contribution to the insurance premium and out‐of‐pocket expenses for medical treatments. Our results show that the effect of those tactics was limited. The share of employee spending did not rise along with the growth of insurance premiums. Employers absorbed a large portion of the increased insurance cost.
Group intervention for burnout in parents of chronically ill children – a small‐scale study
Authors: Lindström Caisa , Åman Jan , Anderzén‐Carlsson Agneta , Lindahl Norberg Annika
Published: September 2015

Background

Long‐term stress leading to burnout symptoms is prevalent in parents of chronically ill children. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of a group intervention by measuring changes in self‐rated clinical burnout and performance‐based self‐esteem. In addition, the parental perceptions of the acceptability of the intervention were explored.

Methods

Previously, we have explored the prevalence of clinical burnout in parents of patients 1–18 years with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the county of Örebro. All parents who exhibited clinical burnout symptoms in accordance with the Shirom–Melamed Burnout Questionnaire (SMBQ) were then invited to participate in a group intervention, which was evaluated in the present small‐scale study. The group intervention consisted of eight sessions over a 12‐week period, including education about behaviour, cognition and symptoms associated with burnout, intending to help the parents to develop adequate strategies for coping with and reducing stress. We evaluated the effect of the intervention in terms of self‐rated clinical burnout and performance‐based self‐esteem (PBSE). In addition, the acceptability of the intervention was evaluated by analyses of recruitment and retention and self‐reports from parents.

Results

Sixteen parents (13 of children with TIDM and three of children with IBD) out of 104 reporting clinical burnout participated in the intervention. All participants completed the intervention, and the mean attendance rate at all sessions was 90%. Parents’ subjective evaluations were mainly positive, and SMBQ (p = 0.01) and PBSE scale (p = 0.04) measurements were significantly reduced, which effects remained 6 months after completion of the intervention.

Conclusions

Despite the small‐scale study, we consider that this intervention for parents with clinical burnout was appreciated and well accepted. The significant reduction in clinical burnout symptoms requires further evaluation in randomised controlled studies based on larger groups of parents.
Trajectories of Suicidal Ideation from Sixth through Tenth Grades in Predicting Suicide Attempts in Young Adulthood in an Urban African American Cohort
Authors: Musci Rashelle J. , Hart Shelley R. , Ballard Elizabeth D. , Newcomer Alison , Van Eck Kathryn , Ialongo Nicholas , Wilcox Holly
Published: September 2015

The trajectory of suicidal ideation across early adolescence may inform the timing of suicide prevention program implementation. This study aimed to identify developmental trajectories of suicidal ideation among an urban cohort of community‐residing African Americans (AA) longitudinally followed from middle school through early adulthood (ages 11–19 years). Subtypes based on the developmental course of suicidal ideation from late childhood through mid‐adolescence were identified using longitudinal latent class analysis (LLCA) with 581 AA adolescents (52.7% male; 71.1% free or reduced school meals). The developmental trajectories of suicidal ideation were then used to predict suicide attempts in young adulthood. Our LLCA indicated two subtypes (i.e., ideators and nonideators), with 8% of the sample in the ideator class. This trajectory class shows a peak of suicidal ideation in seventh grade and a steady decline in ideation in subsequent grades. Additionally, suicidal ideation trajectories significantly predicted suicide attempt. Results of these analyses suggest the need for suicide prevention approaches prior to high school for AA youth.
Biologic variability and correlation of platelet function testing in healthy dogs
Authors: Blois Shauna L. , Lang Sean T. , Wood R. Darren , Monteith Gabrielle
Published: September 2015

Background

Platelet function tests are influenced by biologic variability, including inter‐individual (CVG) and intra‐individual (CVI), as well as analytic (CVA) variability. Variability in canine platelet function testing is unknown, but if excessive, would make it difficult to interpret serial results. Additionally, the correlation between platelet function tests is poor in people, but not well described in dogs.

Objectives

The aims were to: (1) identify the effect of variation in preanalytic factors (venipuncture, elapsed time until analysis) on platelet function tests; (2) calculate analytic and biologic variability of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and arachidonic acid (AA)‐induced thromboelastograph platelet mapping (TEG‐PM), ADP‐, AA‐, and collagen‐induced whole blood platelet aggregometry (WBA), and collagen/ADP and collagen/epinephrine platelet function analysis (PFA‐CADP, PFA‐CEPI); and (3) determine the correlation between these variables.

Methods

In this prospective observational trial, platelet function was measured once every 7 days, for 4 consecutive weeks, in 9 healthy dogs. In addition, CBC, TEG‐PM, WBA, and PFA were performed.

Results

Overall coefficients of variability ranged from 13.3% to 87.8% for the platelet function tests. Biologic variability was highest for AA‐induced maximum amplitude generated during TEG‐PM (MAAA; CVG = 95.3%, CVI = 60.8%). Use of population‐based reference intervals (RI) was determined appropriate only for PFA‐CADP (index of individuality = 10.7). There was poor correlation between most platelet function tests.

Conclusions

Use of population‐based RI appears inappropriate for most platelet function tests, and tests poorly correlate with one another. Future studies on biologic variability and correlation of platelet function tests should be performed in dogs with platelet dysfunction and those treated with antiplatelet therapy.
Effects of oral supplementation of iron on hepcidin blood concentrations among non‐anaemic female blood donors: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Waldvogel S. , Rochat B. , Peduzzi D. , Vaucher P. , Tissot J.‐D. , Favrat B.
Published: September 2015

Background and objectives

Hepcidin is the main hormone that regulates iron balance. Its lowering favours digestive iron absorption in cases of iron deficiency or enhanced erythropoiesis. The careful dosage of this small peptide promises new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Its measurement is progressively being validated and now its clinical value must be explored in different physiological situations. Here, we evaluate hepcidin levels among premenopausal female donors with iron deficiency without anaemia.

Materials and Methods

In a preceding study, a 4‐week oral iron treatment (80 mg/day) was administered in a randomized controlled trial (n = 145), in cases of iron deficiency without anaemia after a blood donation. We subsequently measured hepcidin at baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment, using mass spectrometry.

Results

Iron supplementation had a significant effect on plasma hepcidin compared to the placebo arm at 4 weeks [+0·29 nm [95% CI: 0·18 to 0·40]). There was a significant correlation between hepcidin and ferritin at baseline (R2 = 0·121, P < 0·001) and after treatment (R2 = 0·436, P < 0·001). Hepcidin levels at baseline were not predictive of concentration changes for ferritin or haemoglobin. However, hepcidin levels at 4 weeks were significantly higher (0·79 nm [95% CI: 0·53 to 1·05]) among ferritin responders.

Conclusions

This study shows that a 4‐week oral treatment of iron increased hepcidin blood concentrations in female blood donors with an initial ferritin concentration of less than 30 ng/ml. Apparently, hepcidin cannot serve as a predictor of response to iron treatment but might serve as a marker of the iron repletion needed for erythropoiesis.
Estudio de la instigación social en un modelo de agresión inducida por aislamiento: efectos de la administración de JNJ16259685, un antagonista de receptores mGlu1
Authors: Martín-López Mercedes , Infante Sara , Cavas María , Navarro José Francisco
Published: September 2015

La instigación social intensifica la conducta agresiva permitiendo observar niveles más extremos de agresión. Estudios recientes indican que el receptor metabotrópico del glutamato mGlu1 está implicado en la regulación de la conducta agresiva en un modelo de agresión inducida por aislamiento. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar los efectos de la administración de un antagonista del receptor mGlu1 (JNJ16259685) sobre la conducta agresiva normal e intensificada utilizando instigación social en un modelo animal de agresión inducida por aislamiento. Varios grupos de animales aislados fueron expuestos a 5 minutos de instigación social, recibiendo la mitad de ellos JNJ16259685 (0.5 mg/kg, ip) o vehículo. Las interacciones agonísticas de 10 min de duración se realizaron en un área neutral 30 min después de la inyección. Dichos encuentros fueron grabados en vídeo para el posterior análisis etológico de diez categorías conductuales. La instigación redujo la latencia de ataque, y aumentó la frecuencia y duración de los ataques frente a los animales no instigados. La administración de JNJ16259685 redujo de forma significativa la conducta agresiva en ambos casos, sugiriendo la implicación del receptor mGlu1 en la modulación de la agresión normal e intensificada.
Afecto positivo y negativo como mediador de la relación optimismo y salud: evaluación de un modelo estructural
Authors: Vera Villarroel Pablo , Celis-Atenas Karem
Published: September 2015

Las variables psicológicas y especialmente la variables positivas han mostrado múltiple beneficios para los seres humanos. Importante evidencia indica que los sujetos con mejor bienestar, altos niveles de felicidad y emociones positivas muestran mejores indicadores de salud. El optimismo es una variable positiva ampliamente estudiada y con gran evidencia sobre sus beneficios en la salud de las personas. Sin embargo, modelos explicativos acerca de cómo se producen estos beneficios ha sido menos estudiada. Se ha propuesto evaluar un modelo que establece como el optimismo puede ser una variable causal de la salud mediada por los afectos positivos y negativos. Se realizo un análisis de modelo de ecuaciones estructurales para probar un modelo explicativo. Participaron 995 personas con edades entre los 18 y 60 años de edad. Se evaluó el optimismo disposicional, afecto positivo y negativo así como salud mental y física. Los resultados muestran que el ajuste al modelo es adecuado permitiendo considerar al optimismo como una variable explicativa de la salud tanto física y mental mediado por afecto positivo y negativo.
Ajuste psicológico y vida religiosa en Adultos Mayores
Authors: Rivera-Ledesma Armando , Montero-Lòpez Lena Marìa
Published: September 2015

La presente investigación explora la relación entre la vida religiosa de las personas y el ajuste psicológico con base en una muestra de 193 adultos mayores evangélicos de la comunidad de la Ciudad de México. El objetivo fue aportar evidencia empírica basada en una muestra latinoamericana, en relación a los controvertidos resultados en muestras anglosajonas con respecto al papel de la vida religiosa como recurso adaptativo. Los resultados permiten concluir un papel marginal de la vida espiritual con respecto al desajuste psicológico cuando es medido a través del establecimiento de una Relación satisfactoria con Dios. Por otro lado, la presente investigación logró obtener fuertes asociaciones inversas cuando la vida espiritual es asumida como Satisfacción existencial o vital. Parece prevalecer una contribución marginal de la espiritualidad divina, en contraste con el importante papel que juega la espiritualidad vital o existencial en el desajuste psicológico de sujetos de la comunidad.
Construcción de la Escala de Factores Personales de Resiliencia (FPR-1) en mujeres víctimas del desplazamiento forzado en Colombia
Authors: Amar Amar José Juan , Utria Utria Leider Miguel , Abello Llanos Raimundo , Martinez González Marina Begoña , Crespo Romero Fernando Alexis
Published: September 2015

La escala FPR-1 se desarrolló con el fin de analizar los factores personales de resiliencia en un grupo de 113 mujeres desplazadas por la violencia en Colombia. Para esto se llevó a cabo un estudio cuantitativo, explicativo, de corte psicométrico. El análisis factorial de la escala señala la presencia de 13 factores latentes en torno a los cuales se organiza la información. Se encontró que las mujeres más resilientes son las adultas intermedias seguidas de las mujeres mayores, mientras que las mujeres jóvenes tienden a la inconsistencia. Se destaca que la presencia de actitudes resilientes es explicada especialmente en relación al altruismo y la apertura a los demás.
Escala para la calidad de los servicios y lealtad del consumidor en tiendas de alimentación
Authors: Fornieles Albert , Penelo Eva , Berbel Gaspar , Prat Remei
Published: September 2015

Actualmente el comercio local está amenazado por la competencia de las grandes superficies, siendo crucial apostar por la satisfacción y lealtad. El objetivo del estudio fue elaborar un instrumento para evaluar la satisfacción y la lealtad en tiendas de alimentación y estudiar la influencia de variables sociodemográficas. Se aplicó una entrevista personal compuesta por 36 ítems agrupados en seis dimensiones: trato-clientela, instalaciones, producto, servicios, fidelidad y valor añadido, a 712 participantes. Las puntuaciones globales fueron positivas y homogéneas, destacando las escalas de producto, lealtad y trato-clientela, y siendo este último el factor más explicativo de la satisfacción. Los hombres y el grupo de 21-35 años presentan una menor satisfacción. Tres escalas se asocian positivamente con la escala de lealtad.
¿Está mediada la gravedad delictiva y cronicidad de los delincuentes juveniles por la competencia cognitivo-comportamental?
Authors: Fariña Francisca , Arce Ramón , Vázquez María José
Published: September 2015

El estudio de la relación de los problemas de conducta con la competencia cognitiva y comportamental se ha convertido en un referente continuo en la literatura científica. A este respecto, los modelos de cascada/escalada en el desarrollo prevén que el nivel de problemas de conducta esté asociado al nivel de desarrollo de la competencia cognitiva y comportamental. Desde una perspectiva legal, los problemas de conducta se identifican con la delincuencia, estableciéndose niveles según la gravedad delictiva (delitos con vs. sin violencia) y del delincuente (primarios vs. reincidentes). Para comprobar si estos niveles se reflejan en la competencia cognitiva y comportamental, 283 adolescentes que estaban cumpliendo una condena judicial, 139 (68 reincidentes y 71 primarios) habían cometido un delito violento y 144 sin violencia (77 reincidentes y 67 primarios), fueron evaluados en las medidas de referencia de la competencia cognitiva y comportamental (e.g., regulación emocional, autoconcepto, atribución de la responsabilidad, resolución de problemas). Los resultados mostraron que la gravedad delictiva es independiente de la competencia cognitiva y comportamental, y que la delincuencia crónica se relaciona con menor competencia. De estos resultados se derivan consecuencias para el tratamiento de los delincuentes juveniles y para la duración de las condenas que se discuten.
La capacidad de inhibición de respuesta y la memoria a corto plazo son robustos a los efectos de la dieta alta en grasa (HFD) durante la pre y periadolescencia
Authors: Watterson Elizabeth , Zavala Arturo R , Privitera Gregory J , Sanabria Federico
Published: September 2015

Several lines of evidence demonstrate that high fat diet exposure can be detrimental to cognition across the lifespan. We have previously shown that context-stimulus learning is sensitive to high fat diet effects during adolescence but not adulthood. In the present study we determined if pre and periadolescent high fat diet exposure interferes with response-inhibition capacity, rule- learning, and memory during adulthood. Rats were fed a high fat or low fat diet during pre and periadolescence and completed behavioral testing as adults to assess response-inhibition capacity and reinforcer efficacy rule-learning and short-term memory. Results indicate pre and periadolescent high fat diet may have long-term effects on reinforcer efficacy and sustained attention. However, results indicate that either the pre and periadolescence period is too short for a high fat diet to induce long-term deficits in response-inhibition, rule-learning, or memory, or that maturation in the absence of a high fat diet rescued these deficits.
Repercusión del optimismo y de los Cinco Grandes factores de la personalidad sobre la salud de personas mayores
Authors: Gázquez Linares José Jesús , Fuentes María del Carmen Pérez , Rubio Isabel Mercader , Inglés Saura Cándido José
Published: September 2015

Este trabajo analiza la influencia del Optimismo Disposicional y los Cinco Grandes factores de la personalidad en la percepción de salud de los mayores, así como el análisis que optimistas y pesimistas realizan respecto a su salud. La muestra está formada de 498 personas mayores (M = 63.3 años y DE = 8.55). Los resultados ponen de manifiesto que las personas optimistas muestran mejor percepción de su salud y menores niveles de Disfunción Social y Depresión. El factor Neuroticismo influye en los Síntomas Somáticos, Ansiedad, Disfunción Social y Depresión y es un factor clave en la relación que se establece entre el Optimismo Disposicional y la subescala de Depresión. Por otra parte, el Optimismo, solo influye directamente en la subescala Disfunción Social.
Aproximación a las formas de subjetivación jurídica en mujeres víctimas de violencia doméstica.
Authors: Arensburg Castelli Svenska , Pujal i Llombart Margot
Published: September 2015

A partir de una investigación precedente en el presente artículo nos interesa discutir la posición que adquieren las mujeres que han experimentado violencia de pareja en su cruce con el campo jurídico, asumiendo el interés por fortalecer una perspectiva contextual, multidimensional y compleja del problema. Se parte de conceptualizar una noción de violencia en conexión con una matriz binaria sexo/género como dispositivo de poder, lo cual nos permite abordar el problema de la violencia de género desde la noción de violencia estructural. Conceptualización que nos conduce, a su vez, a analizar cómo la propia experiencia de las mujeres que denuncian ante la institucionalidad jurídica por situaciones de violencia contra ellas, es capturada por un dispositivo de persecución que tecnifica, reduce y reconduce la demanda subjetiva/política. Captura cuyo efecto final es nutrir al propio dispositivo de control de género, a través de la imposición de un ideal jurídico de víctima que termina revictimizando a las mujeres.
Evaluación de factores de resiliencia en niños argentinos en condiciones de vulnerabilidad familiar
Authors: Morelato Gabriela Susana
Published: September 2015

El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo general identificar factores asociados a la capacidad de resiliencia en una muestra de niños víctimas de maltrato infantil y analizar la relación entre variables contextuales y personales sobre la resiliencia. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 102 niños entre 6 y 13 años de edad víctimas de maltrato (físico, psicológico y negligencia). Se construyó un índice de resiliencia con base en las pruebas aplicadas a los niños y se adoptó el modelo ecológico que considera diferentes niveles contextuales en el desarrollo. Los resultados señalaron asociaciones significativas entre la resiliencia y la verbalización del problema, la presencia de baja sintomatología, el apoyo de la familia nuclear y/o extensa y la acción participativa de la comunidad.