bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Missing Tool in the Design Leadership Toolbox: Integrating Conflict Management into Collaborative Design
Authors: LA LUZ‐HAWKINS SUSANA
Published: December 2015

Businesses often face the challenge of reaching out to people in contexts that are wholly different from the world they operate in and they are regularly attempting to create experiences for consumers that exist within complicated dynamics of social, economic, political, and cultural flux.

Arriving with training that encompasses everything from design research, iterative prototyping, tolerance of ambiguity, process‐driven approaches, and an appreciation for wicked problems, Designers are uniquely positioned to be in roles of leadership within these businesses who are trying to create experiences for consumers.

Design Leaders ARE the bridges between businesses and the people they're trying to serve.

Unfortunately, while Design Leaders can speak in the voice of the customer, drive the innovation process, advocate for deferral of judgment, and diverge and converge with the best of them, one critical skill set is lacking from their Design toolbox: conflict management. Design Leaders need to develop conflict management tools or they will be left off of the invitation when all the leaders sit down around the industry table to talk about innovation.

Conflict management as an area of research and development has been around for quite some time and has a number of valuable tools that can be easily adapted to fit into Collaborative Design processes. This paper will provide a deeper dive into one tool that has been developed specifically for Design Leaders to incorporate into the convergent phases of their Collaborative Design process: the Interest‐Based Converge Process.
Challenges to Internet Connectivity in the Himalayan Foothills
Authors: LIESKOVSKY MIN , PARIS LUFI , FIORE ANDREW
Published: December 2015

Understanding Internet connectivity in remote regions presents a host of logistical and methodological challenges. As researchers and business professionals, we cannot just assume that these places are simply Unconnected. We must understand the challenges people face in connecting, in what ways they have connectivity, and in what ways they do not. This paper examines research methods and framing to investigate Internet connectivity options for residents of the diverse terrain of the Himalayan foothills.
Enabling Ethnography in Small Budget Economies
Authors: CUARON DANIELA , SAUNDERS EMMA , ELLINGSEN MATTHEW
Published: December 2015

This paper discusses a collaborative research model, referred to as ‘The Art of Empathy’. This is a model developed to integrate ethnographic practices in small budget economies. The paper aims to contribute to the variety of working approaches to ethnography in business, exploring the work to be done in straddling the delicate balance between growing and enabling ethnographic thinking without contributing to it's de‐enrichment and commoditization. Key words: client collaboration, capability building, and design research.
From Inspiring Change to Directing Change: How Ethnographic Praxis Can Move beyond Research
Authors: HOU CAROLYN , HOLME MADS
Published: December 2015

This paper reflects on the evolving nature of ethnographic praxis in industry and argues that we must move beyond research and towards strategy in order to elevate our praxis, and to deliver real impact and value for our clients. Although this conversation is not new for the EPIC community, there has been a lack of models and examples – even in its tenth year – for how to do so. Taking a project with a medical device company that manufacturers voice prostheses for laryngectomees as a case study, we show how a team of social scientists used “Sensemaking” to determine a new commercial direction for innovation and to design a five‐year portfolio strategy for our client. In doing so, we illustrate how our praxis can do more than deliver research insights or design, but also act as the core foundation that defines business processes and strategy.
Bridging Ethnography and Path‐finding Business Opportunities
Authors: ANDERSON KEN , LEVIN PETER , BARNETT BRANDON , BEZAITIS MARIA
Published: December 2015

While ethnography has been integrated into the design research, new product development and corporate strategy, it has been less well integrated into path‐finding for new business opportunities. We've developed a model for path‐finding research that has three core parts: creating a business opportunity hypothesis from social flux, testing and validating the hypothesis, and catalyzing opportunities for the corporation. We provide a case study of how we used the approach around The Data Economy. We highlight three important aspects of the approach: shift of research focus from context to ecosystem; robust action, rather than funnel development for concepts, and present a tool we created called the Business Opportunity Canvas to convey research findings into action. We then highlight the direct implications of this shift for ethnographic projects, from a focus on how knowledge is produced and description of context, to an analysis of society and culture. We have not spelled out the entire process but have created a minimal viable product that can be experimented upon. Keywords: path‐finding, ethnography, business opportunities, methods, case study, ecosystem, robust action, innovation, transformation.
A Seat at the Table of Social Change through Service Design
Authors: BLOMBERG JEANETTE , DARRAH CHUCK
Published: December 2015

Services and access to them are related to core societal concerns such as sustainability and the role of families and communities in people's lives, themes of enduring concern to the discipline of anthropology. Our aim in this paper is to begin to outline arguments for why anthropology and the EPIC community more broadly should have a prominent seat at the table of understanding and engaging social change emanating from innovations in the service economy. The discourse on services advises that we are in the middle of a major transformation akin to the move from agriculture to manufacturing, where modern economies are becoming service economies and people's relations to material possessions are being reconfigured through services. We suggest that if a major shift is underway in how people get on in the world then it is incumbent upon the EPIC community to consider the opportunities and limitations for shaping this transformation.
Goodbye Empathy, Hello Ownership: How Ethnography Really Functions in the Making of Entrepreneurs
Authors: TAMURA HIROSHI , ICHIKAWA FUMIKO , UCHIDA YUKI
Published: December 2015

Human‐Centered Innovation has come to be known as the central discipline in the entrepreneurial arena. Through three‐years of directorship at Innovation Studio Fukuoka, a “citizen‐led” innovation incubation platform in Japan, multiple approaches have been investigated and thus learned a successful to‐be‐entrepreneur him/herself has to co‐own a concern with potential customers that evokes him/her a mission to pursue, that is beyond simply understanding customers with empathy. We witnessed ethnographic approach well facilitates the to‐be‐entrepreneur to meet an unaware yet intrinsic personal concern and nourish to co‐own it with the customers. We also discuss what and how ethnographic praxis in industry can contribute to the entrepreneurial arena and propose a new role that we experienced ethnographers to take.
Digital Love: Hacking the System
Authors: KOPEN DEREK , CAPRON JULIE
Published: December 2015

According to John Lennon, “All you need is love…” Do these words still hold true? What happens when society, family, or friends don't approve? Or when cultural values make finding love feel awkward or taboo? Digital has forever changed what is accepted and expected in the world of dating; however, even online platforms do not always enable everyone's expression of love. Despite these obstacles, in‐love audiences are hacking societal constructs through social media to find love on their own terms. They are manipulating the intended uses of social media platforms in unique and unexpected ways to express love – especially when this need is unmet in real life. Derek Kopen and Julie Capron see an opportunity for brands to learn from these hacking behaviors by examining what these hacks tell us about people, their motivations, and what it truly means to build meaningful connections.
The Sportcaster Voice as the Main Emotional Link between Fans and the Experience
Authors: BAZANTE MAURICIO GUADARRAMA
Published: December 2015

This research was to redefine the design structure, strategy and implementation of the sport narratives of the National Mexican Team during the last Soccer World Cup in Brazil in 2014. There is a crucial difference between attending a global sporting event and watch it on TV. However, the moment when a fan start watching TV, the narrators create the main emotional link providing engagement. They are the ones who narratively indicate the exact moment of attention, epic, passion, and emotion.

Sportscasters are the bridge between the game and the fan; therefore, the game is not only experienced through “sight”, but can also be through “hearing” and through the loyalty towards your preferred narrators. At that moment when the excitement and passion increases, because your national soccer team is playing, the sportscaster's performance is essential in the fans experience.
Empathy without a Face: Is Ethnography Effective in the Absence of Participant Photographs?
Authors: BAYLOR ELIZABETH ELLIOTT , KOBAYASHI MARINA
Published: December 2015

UX researchers channel the voice of the user. They succeed to the extent that they are able to build bridges, giving designers and stakeholders an authentic sense of user emotions, motivations, challenges, and delights. Good research pushes the design team to feel what the user feels, participating vicariously in the user experience. One of the surest ways to establish empathy is through photography. Images ‘from the field’ bring a participant to life, while implying authenticity and the researcher's authority to tell a user's story. But we aren't taking pictures. As researchers for Google's internal tools and infrastructure, our subjects are our coworkers, and participant faces are conspicuously absent in our deliverables. We asked ourselves why and stumbled into larger issues of truth, exoticism, and representation. We explore what the lack of participant photographs has meant for our work by revisiting image‐intensive past projects and addressing three burning questions: (1) Why are we less likely to photograph participants who are ‘closer’ to us? (2) To what extent are images ‘photographic evidence’? Are we using them to assert an unfair aura of objectivity, an undeserved right to speak for the user? and (3) Is ethnography effective in the absence of participant photographs?
Injury‐induced rapid activation of MAPK signaling in dechorionated eggs and larvae of the silkworm Bombyx mori
Authors: Gu Shi‐Hong , Chen Chien‐Hung
Published: December 2015

Previous study showed that diapause in Bombyx mori eggs can be terminated by dechorionation and that activation in the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) in dechorionated cultured eggs is involved in diapause termination. In the present study, the possible mechanism underlying activation of ERK upon dechorionation was further investigated. Results showed that mechanical injury of diapause eggs without medium incubation also resulted in rapid increase in the phospho‐ERK levels and that injury increased the phospho‐ERK levels at different stages of both diapause eggs and eggs in which diapause initiation was prevented by HCl. Effects of anaerobiosis on dechorionation‐stimulated phospho‐ERK levels showed that the mechanical injury itself but not the dramatic increase in oxygen uptake upon injury is involved in a rapid activation of ERK. Chemical anaerobiosis on dechorionation‐stimulated phospho‐ERK levels and the in vivo effect of anaerobiosis showed that the supply of oxygen also plays a role in ERK signaling. In addition, injury induced the phosphorylation of c‐jun N‐terminal kinases (JNKs) and p38 kinase, components of two parallel MAPK pathways. A kinase assay showed a dramatic increase in JNK kinase activity in egg lysates upon injury. When newly hatched first instar larvae were injured, an increase in the phospho‐ERK levels similar to that in dechorionated eggs was observed. From the results, we hypothesize that the injury‐induced rapid activation of MAPK signaling, which serves as a natural signal for embryonic development, is related to diapause termination in dechorionated eggs.
Epidemiology of rheumatic diseases in Iran from analysis of four COPCORD studies
Authors: Davatchi Fereydoun , Sandoughi Mahnaz , Moghimi Nasrin , Jamshidi Ahmad‐Reza , Tehrani Banihashemi Arash , Zakeri Zahra , Sadeghi Abdollahi Bahar
Published: December 2015

Aim

To calculate the epidemiology of Rheumatic Diseases in Iran.

Materials and Methods

The data of Tehran, Zahedan, Sanandaj (urban) and Tuyserkan (rural) stage Community Oriented Program for the Control of Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD) studies were gathered. The data were adjusted to the population number of the studied areas to represent Iran.

Results

The population of Iran is 75 149 669 (71.5% urban areas, males 50.4%) and of the mentioned area were respectively 10 000 000, 580 071, 311 444 and 109 262. The interviewed subjects were 10 291, 1565, 2100 and 5830. Male/female ratio was 0.9/1, 0.8/1, 08/1 and 0.8/1.

Musculoskeletal complaints during the past 7 days (people aged ≥ 15 years) were detected in 44.7% of subjects. They were: shoulder 15.6%, wrist 10.4%, hands and fingers 10.2%, hip 8.3%, knee 27.4%, ankle 12.3%, toes 6.2%, cervical spine 14.2% and dorsolumbar spine 23.7%. Osteoarthritis (OA) was detected in 16.9%: knee 15.5%, hands 2.9% and hip 0.32%. Low back pain was found in 15.7%, sciatica in 0.94%, and soft tissue rheumatism in 4.6% (shoulder tenosynovitis 2.5%, frozen shoulder 0.56%, tennis elbow 1.2%, golf elbow 0.48%, de Quervain tenosynovitis 0.24%, trigger finger 0.2%, carpal tunnel syndrome 1.3%). Rheumatoid arthritis was detected in 0.37%, seronegative spondyloarthropathy in 0.24%, ankylosing spondylitis in 0.12%, systemic lupus erythematosus in 0.06%, Behcet's disease in 0.08%, fibromyalgia in 0.79% and gout in 0.13%.

Conclusion

Compared to other COPCORD reports (17 countries), Iran gets the following rank: musculoskeletal complaints second, low back pain fourth, osteoarthritis second, knee osteoarthritis third, soft tissue rheumatism sixth, rheumatoid arthritis tenth, seronegative spondyloarthropathies fifth, gout eleventh and fibromyalgia fifth.
Psychometric Evaluation of the D‐Catch, an Instrument to Measure the Accuracy of Nursing Documentation
Authors: D'Agostino Fabio , Barbaranelli Claudio , Paans Wolter , Belsito Romina , Juarez Vela Raul , Alvaro Rosaria , Vellone Ercole
Published: December 2015

Purpose

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the D‐Catch instrument.

Methods

A cross‐sectional methodological study. Validity and reliability were estimated with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and internal consistency and inter‐rater reliability, respectively.

Findings

A sample of 250 nursing documentations was selected. CFA showed the adequacy of a 1‐factor model (chronologically descriptive accuracy) with an outlier item (nursing diagnosis accuracy). Internal consistency and inter‐rater reliability were adequate.

Conclusions

The D‐Catch is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the accuracy of nursing documentation. Caution is needed when measuring diagnostic accuracy since only one item measures this dimension.

Implications for Nursing Practice

The D‐Catch can be used as an indicator of the accuracy of nursing documentation and the quality of nursing care.
Pre‐operative haematological assessment in patients scheduled for major surgery
Authors: Muñoz M. , Gómez‐Ramírez S. , Kozek‐Langeneker S.
Published: December 2015

Peri‐operative anaemia, blood loss and allogeneic blood transfusion are associated with increased postoperative morbidity and mortality, and prolonged hospital stay. A multidisciplinary, multimodal, individualised strategy, collectively termed ‘patient blood management’, may reduce or eliminate allogeneic blood transfusion and improve outcomes. This approach has three objectives: the detection and treatment of peri‐operative anaemia; the reduction of peri‐operative bleeding and coagulopathy; and harnessing and optimising the physiological tolerance of anaemia. This review focuses on the pre‐operative evaluation of erythropoiesis, coagulation status and platelet function. Where possible, evidence is graded systematically and recommended therapies follow recently published consensus guidance.
Peri‐operative fluid management to enhance recovery
Authors: Gupta R. , Gan T. J.
Published: December 2015

‘Enhanced recovery after surgery’ protocols implement a series of peri‐operative interventions intended to improve recovery after major operations, one aspect of which is fluid management. The pre‐operative goal is to prepare a hydrated, euvolaemic patient by avoiding routine mechanical bowel preparation and by encouraging patients to drink clear liquids up to two hours before induction of anaesthesia. The intra‐operative goal is to achieve a ‘zero’ fluid balance at the end of uncomplicated surgery: goal‐directed fluid therapy is recommended for poorly prepared or sick patients or those undergoing more complex surgery. The postoperative goal is eating and drinking without intravenous fluid infusions. Postoperative oliguria should be expected and accepted, as urine output does not indicate overall fluid status.
Postoperative recovery and outcomes – what are we measuring and for whom?
Authors: Bowyer A. J. , Royse C. F.
Published: December 2015

Recovery is an abstract quantity the definition of which varies according to the pre‐dilection of individual institutions, clinicians or patients. While traditionally focused on immediate postoperative restitution of function and readiness for discharge, recovery assessment has progressively expanded its focus to include other clinically relevant time periods, each of which is influenced by specific factors. Assessment tools have progressed from assessing one dimension of recovery, such as physiological variables, to multidimensional assessment of physical, nociceptive, emotive, functional and cognitive performance. They should be validated ideally for repeat measures and should provide real‐time recovery data, as recovery can be viewed as a continuous process.
Peri‐operative renal dysfunction: prevention and management
Authors: Golden D. , Corbett J. , Forni L. G.
Published: December 2015

Postoperative increases in serum creatinine concentration, by amounts historically viewed as trivial, are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Acute kidney injury is common, affecting one in five patients admitted with acute medical disease and up to four in five patients admitted to intensive care, of whom one in two have had operations. This review is focused principally on the identification of patients at risk of acute kidney injury and the prevention of injury. In the main, there are no interventions that directly treat the damaged kidney. The management of acute kidney injury is based on correction of dehydration, hypotension, and urinary tract obstruction, stopping nephrotoxic drugs, giving antibiotics for bacterial infection, and commencing renal replacement therapy if necessary.
Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and adverse event profile of GSK2256294, a novel soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor
Authors: Lazaar Aili L. , Yang Lucy , Boardley Rebecca L. , Goyal Navin S. , Robertson Jonathan , Baldwin Sandra J. , Newby David E. , Wilkinson Ian B. , Tal‐Singer Ruth , Mayer Ruth J. , Cheriyan Joseph
Published: December 2015

Aims

Endothelial‐derived epoxyeicosatrienoic acids may regulate vascular tone and are metabolized by soluble epoxide hydrolase enzymes (sEH). GSK2256294 is a potent and selective sEH inhibitor that was tested in two phase I studies.

Methods

Single escalating doses of GSK2256294 2–20 mg or placebo were administered in a randomized crossover design to healthy male subjects or obese smokers. Once daily doses of 6 or 18 mg or placebo were administered for 14 days to obese smokers. Data were collected on safety, pharmacokinetics, sEH enzyme inhibition and blood biomarkers. Single doses of GSK2256294 10 mg were also administered to healthy younger males or healthy elderly males and females with and without food. Data on safety, pharmacokinetics and biliary metabolites were collected.

Results

GSK2256294 was well‐tolerated with no serious adverse events (AEs) attributable to the drug. The most frequent AEs were headache and contact dermatitis. Plasma concentrations of GSK2256294 increased with single doses, with a half‐life averaging 25–43 h. There was no significant effect of age, food or gender on pharmacokinetic parameters. Inhibition of sEH enzyme activity was dose‐dependent, from an average of 41.9% on 2 mg (95% confidence interval [CI] –51.8, 77.7) to 99.8% on 20 mg (95% CI 99.3, 100.0) and sustained for up to 24 h. There were no significant changes in serum VEGF or plasma fibrinogen.

Conclusions

GSK2256294 was well‐tolerated and demonstrated sustained inhibition of sEH enzyme activity. These data support further investigation in patients with endothelial dysfunction or abnormal tissue repair, such as diabetes, wound healing or COPD.
Monoclonal antibodies: the new magic bullets for allergy: IUPHAR Review 17
Authors: Landolina N , Levi‐Schaffer F
Published: December 2015

Allergic diseases and conditions are widespread and their incidence is on the increase. They are characterized by the activation of mast cells resident in tissues and the consequent infiltration and stimulation of several inflammatory cells, predominantly eosinophils. Cell–cell cross‐talk and the release of mediators are responsible for the symptoms and for the modulation of the response. The gold standard of therapeutic intervention is still glucocorticosteroids, although they are not effective in all patients and may cause numerous side effects. Symptomatic medications are also widespread. As research has led to deeper insights into the mechanisms governing the diseases, new avenues have been opened resulting in recent years in the development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) such as anti‐IgE mAbs (omalizumab) and others still undergoing clinical trials aimed to specifically target molecules involved in the migration and stimulation of inflammatory cells. In this review, we summarize new developments in the field of anti‐allergic mAbs with special emphasis on the treatment of asthma, particularly severe forms of this condition, and atopic dermatitis, which are two unmet clinical needs.
Integrating the GPCR transactivation‐dependent and biased signalling paradigms in the context of PAR1 signalling
Authors: Little PJ , Hollenberg MD , Kamato D , Thomas W , Chen J , Wang T , Zheng W , Osman N
Published: December 2015

Classically, receptor‐mediated signalling was conceived as a linear process involving one agonist, a variety of potential targets within a receptor family (e.g. α‐ and β‐adrenoceptors) and a second messenger (e.g. cAMP)‐triggered response. If distinct responses were stimulated by the same receptor in different tissues (e.g. lipolysis in adipocytes vs. increased beating rate in the heart caused by adrenaline), the differences were attributed to different second messenger targets in the different tissues. It is now realized that an individual receptor can couple to multiple effectors (different G proteins and different β‐arrestins), even in the same cell, to drive very distinct responses. Furthermore, tailored agonists can mould the receptor conformation to activate one signal pathway versus another by a process termed ‘biased signalling’. Complicating issues further, we now know that activating one receptor can rapidly trigger the local release of agonists for a second receptor via a process termed ‘transactivation’. Thus, the end response can represent a cooperative signalling process involving two or more receptors linked by transactivation. This overview, with a focus on the GPCR, protease‐activated receptor‐1, integrates both of these processes to predict the complex array of responses that can arise when biased receptor signalling also involves the receptor transactivation process. The therapeutic implications of this signalling matrix are also briefly discussed.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Molecular Pharmacology of G Protein‐Coupled Receptors. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v173.20/issuetoc
High invasive ant activity drives predation of a native butterfly larva
Authors: Lach Lori , Volp Trevor M. , Greenwood Todd A. , Rose Annaleice
Published: December 2015

Yellow crazy ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes) threaten invertebrates on many tropical islands, but little work has been done in continental ecosystems. We found 4.4–16.0 times more cruiser butterfly caterpillars were attacked in Australian rain forest sites with A. gracilipes than in native ant sites, and extrafloral nectar had little influence.
Epigenetics in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Miyazaki Yusei , Niino Masaaki
Published: December 2015

The development of multiple sclerosis (MS) is based on complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Epigenetic regulation is a biological phenomenon defined as the modification of gene expression without alteration of the DNA sequence, and is currently thought to underlie the interactions between the genetic and environmental risks of MS. The molecular mechanisms of epigenetics include DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNAs. Observational data obtained from epidemiological studies of MS, such as the parent‐of‐origin effect and the longitudinal increase in female patients, suggest that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in MS development, although the molecular basis remains unclear. Interestingly, environmental factors related to the development of MS, such as Epstein‐Barr virus, smoking, and vitamin D, have been shown to regulate gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms in some experimental settings. One study showed no reproducible differences among DNA methylation profiles in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells between three monozygotic twin pairs discordant for MS. However, several studies have shown that dysregulated DNA methylation of genes is related to abnormal immune reactions and post‐translational modifications of myelin proteins in MS brain samples. In addition, abnormal microRNA profiles have been reported in brain tissues and peripheral blood immune cells obtained from MS patients. In this article, we will review the studies on the epigenetics of MS and discuss the perspectives for future research.
Office spirometry correlates with laboratory spirometry in patients with symptomatic asthma and COPD
Authors: Bambra Gurpreet , Jalota Leena , Kapoor Chandni , Mills Paul K. , Vempilly Jose Joseph , Jain Vipul V.
Published: December 2015

Objectives

Spirometry remains underutilized in the evaluation of obstructive lung disease. While office spirometry (OS) has been compared to formal laboratory‐based spirometry (LS) in healthy subjects, the correlation has never been formally assessed in patients with symptomatic obstructive lung disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation in this population.

Methods

We used a retrospective study design to analyze spirometry data from patients that underwent both OS and LS. Two flow sensing office (portable) spirometers were used and compared with laboratory‐based (body plethymosgraph) spirometer. Accuracy and reliability were assessed using Bland Altman analysis.

Results

Among 185 patients with symptomatic obstructive lung disease, 129 had undergone both OS and LS. Of these, 107 patients had both tests performed less than 90 days apart and were included in final analyses. Mean age was 54 years with mean FEV1 of 1.97 L (65% predicted). Ninety‐two patients had airflow obstruction, as determined by a FEV1/FVC ratio of <70%. We found significant correlation in the values between OS and LS for both FEV1 and FVC (r = 0.937 and 0.90, respectively, P < 0.001). Eighty‐seven percent of patients had a concordant spirometry in terms of airflow obstruction. Correlation was independent of the office spirometer (and hence the Flow‐sensing mechanism) used.

Conclusions

In patients with known asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), OS is accurate and reliable when compared to formal laboratory‐based spirometry. Routine use of OS should be encouraged to improve spirometry utilization and healthcare outcomes in patients with Asthma and COPD.
Effect of 6‐minute walk test on neuromuscular properties of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Pereira Juliana Saraiva , Lemos Fernando de Aguiar , Di Naso Fábio Cangeri , Krüger Renata , de Oliveira Alice , Knorst Marli Maria , Dias Alexandre Simões
Published: December 2015

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate the neuromechanical properties of the knee extensor muscles before and after the 6‐minute walk test (6MWT) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and control subjects.

Materials and Methods

COPD patients from the Department of Pulmonology of the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre and age‐ and sex‐matched control volunteers without COPD were included in this study. Body composition and lower limb strength assessed by maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of the knee extensors) were assessed before and after the 6MWT. The total reaction time (TRT), premotor time (PMT) and motor time (MT) were assessed using surface electromyography of the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis knee extensor muscles.

Results

Eighteen patients COPD patients (10 men, FEV1 36 ± 12% of predicted) and 8 control subjects (5 men, FEV1 82 ± 7% of predicted) were included. COPD patients had lower muscle strength before (21.77 ± 7.86 kg) and after the 6MWT (11.16 ± 4.70 kg) compared with control subjects (33.50 ± 14.01 kg before; 29.25 ± 16.66 kg after). After the 6MWT, COPD patients showed a significant reduction in the MVIC and a significant increase in the TRT and PMT, which did not occur in control subjects. The reaction time parameters were higher in COPD patients after the 6MWT compared with control subjects. The TRT (r = −0.535, P < 0.005) and PMT (r = −0.549, P < 0.005) were inversely correlated with the MVIC after the 6MWT.

Conclusions

Neuromuscular changes associated with upper motor neuron activation contribute to MVIC impairment in COPD patients after performing a functional test.
Arm strength training improves activities of daily living and occupational performance in patients with COPD
Authors: Calik‐Kutukcu Ebru , Arikan Hulya , Saglam Melda , Vardar‐Yagli Naciye , Oksuz Cigdem , Inal‐Ince Deniz , Savci Sema , Duger Tulin , Coplu Lutfi
Published: December 2015

Objectives

Arm strength training may improve functional performance for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This trial investigated the effects of arm strength training on arm exercise capacity, activities of daily living (ADL) and occupational performance in patients with COPD.

Methods

These was a randomized controlled trial in an outpatient clinic. Forty‐two stable patients with COPD were randomly assigned into treatment and control groups. The treatment group underwent an 8‐week (23 sessions) arm strength training programme. Both groups completed daily breathing exercises at home. Tests included hand grip strength, arm ergometer test, the Glittre‐ADL and ADL Simulation tests and measures included the Milliken ADL Scale (MAS) and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM).

Results

Statistically significant increases were detected in hand grip strength and %hand grip strength values, peak arm ergometer workload and the number of ADL simulation test cycles for the treatment group (P < 0.05). Significant decreases were also found in dyspnea and arm fatigue perception during arm ergometer test, and heart rate and dyspnea perception during Glittre‐ADL test in the treatment group (P < 0.05). The treatment group also showed significant increases in MAS‐house cleaning and laundry and MAS‐other activities integrated scores and COPM‐performance and satisfaction scores (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Arm strength training increases peripheral muscle strength, arm exercise capacity, ADL performance and patients’ ADL performance satisfaction. Training decreases dyspnea and arm fatigue perception during supported arm exercises, and dyspnea perception during ADL. Arm strength training is a reliable and feasible treatment for COPD patients.
Confrontations on Karst: Antibiocide Activism in theOzarks,UnitedStates
Authors: Campbell Brian C.
Published: December 2015

In response to unannounced herbicide spraying on electric line easements,OzarkHighlands' residents confronted their rural electric cooperative and requested they cease; and when that failed, they asked me to produce a documentary film and looked into legal recourse. This paper presents the ethnohistorical and ethnographic research foundation for the applied anthropology project that became the documentary filmThe Natural State of America. This includes exploration of the early 20th‐century battle over chemical cattle dips for tick eradication and late 20th‐century back‐to‐the‐lander activism againstU.S. Forest Service herbicide applications and the results of contemporary participant observation with activists combating their electric cooperative's spray program. The concluding discussion emphasizes environmental justice and the relationships between biocide opposition, subsistence strategies, and ecological awareness, highlighting discrepancies and common ground among the three phases of antibiocide activism.
Marshmallows for Alligators: Defining Ecotourism in Southwest Florida
Authors: Jones Barbara K.
Published: December 2015

Should an ecotour operator feed marshmallows to wild alligators in the Florida Everglades? Observing the operator encourage alligators to approach an airboat so that the tourists onboard could see them provoked questions about what ecotourism is and what value it has for both the tourist industry and resource preservation. Is ecotourism merely a new label for an old product or is it a real effort to reengage the public in our natural and cultural heritage resources, but in an environmentally sensitive and culturally appropriate way? To answer this question, this paper considers how the ecosystem service or natural resource capital model can help reconcile what ecotourism offers to both the traveling consumer and to those tasked with measuring and protecting our natural resources.
Reconsidering counselling and consent
Authors: Hall David R. , van Niekerk Anton A.
Published: December 2015

In the current era patient autonomy is enormously important. However, recently there has also been some movement back to ensure that trust in the doctor's skill, knowledge and virtue is not excluded in the process. These new nuances of informed consent have been referred to by terms such as beneficent paternalism, experience‐based paternalism and we would add virtuous paternalism. The purpose of this paper is to consider the history and current problematic nature of counselling and consent. Starting with the tradition founded by Hippocrates we trace and seek to understand how relevant aspects of the patient‐doctor relationship have evolved under the influences of subsequent moral theories. Finally we tentatively endorse certain modes of counselling in the current era in order to promote morally sound, good clinical practice.
Planetary Secularisms: Delayed Messianism, Climate Change, and the Space for Pluralism
Authors: Bauman Whitney A.
Published: December 2015

As many scholars have pointed out, Western secularism (or neoliberalism) is itself a faith‐filled and religiously located concept. It forces other understandings of secularism (and along with it other religions) to adhere to the public reason/private faith distinction, for instance, or else face the charge of being unenlightened or somehow in the dark (ages). This article agrees with and builds upon these ongoing critiques of secularism by suggesting that the two important bio‐historical factors that are beginning to shed light on the religiously filled foundations of Western‐style secularity are those of globalization and climate change. The contemporary situation of globalization and climate change is forcing the hidden faith of secularism out of its foxhole.
Secular Epiphanies: The Anatheistic Hermeneutics of Gerard Manley Hopkins
Authors: Kearney Richard
Published: December 2015

What might epiphany mean for a “secular” society? What does it mean after the death of God? This article explores the hermeneutics of immanent, planetary epiphanies in the work of Gerard Manley Hopkins. In the creative spaces between author, text, and reader new possibilities for becoming enter the world. As such we might be able to name these anatheistic epiphanies.
The Incremental Value of Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Identification of Apical Pouch in Patients with Apical Variant of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Vucicevic Darko , Lester Steven J. , Appleton Christopher P. , Panse Prasad M. , Schleifer John William , Wilansky Susan
Published: December 2015

Background

The development of a left ventricular (LV) apical pouch in patients with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (aHCM) has been thought to be the transition point that can become an apical aneurysm, which is linked to higher risk of adverse events. In our study, we sought to compare the ability of transthoracic echocardiography (echo) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) to accurately identify the presence of an apical pouch or aneurysm in patients with aHCM.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all consecutive patients that had features of aHCM on imaging. Data from cMRI and echo examinations were abstracted, and the ability of these diagnostic modalities to identify the presence of a LV apical pouch and aneurysm was analyzed.

Results

Of 31 patients with aHCM, 17 (54.8%) had an apical pouch and 2 were found to have apical aneurysm (6.5%) on cMRI. Echo with and without perflutren contrast was able to accurately identify both aneurysms, but only 47.1% (8/17) of apical pouches seen by cMRI. Two patients had apical thrombus that was identified by cMRI, but not by echo.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that cMRI is superior to echo in identifying apical pouches in patients with aHCM. Our results also suggest that in patients undergoing echo, the use of perflutren contrast for LV opacification increases the diagnostic yield. Further study is necessary to delineate whether earlier identification of an apical pouch will be of clinical benefit for patients with aHCM by altering clinical management and avoiding adverse cardiovascular events.
MEASURING EFFORT INCENTIVES IN A TOURNAMENT WITH MANY PARTICIPANTS: THEORY AND APPLICATION
Authors: Han Chirok , Kang Changhui , Lee Sam‐Ho
Published: December 2015

This article provides an empirical measure to compare incentive effects of different tournament structures. Although there have been many theoretical attempts to analyze incentive effects of a tournament competition, empirical applications are limited as the provided conditions cannot easily be empirically observed. We show that the empirical density of the performance distribution can be used to measure effort incentives in a tournament with many participants. We apply this method to evaluate the grading policy change in the 2008 College Scholastic Ability Test in South Korea. (JEL C70, C51)
Long‐term changes in ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages in Scotland
Authors: POZSGAI GABOR , BAIRD JOHN , LITTLEWOOD NICK A. , PAKEMAN ROBIN J. , YOUNG MARK R.
Published: December 2015

1. One‐way, directional changes in both plant and animal associations are likely to be occurring as a result of changing climate. Current knowledge of long‐term cycles in insect communities is scarce, and therefore it is difficult to assess whether the observed changes in insect communities are the first part of a long‐term trend or parts of normal cycles.

2. In this study multivariate methods were used to describe the trends in ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages over an 18‐year (1994–2011) period at two Scottish sites. In order to have a deeper insight into the underlying processes, both environmental factors and the species driving the detected changes were investigated.

3. In four out of the six sample transects, insect community compositions showed trends rather than fluctuating patterns. Hierarchical cluster analysis also revealed a clear separation, after accounting for sampling location and broad habitat, between early and later years of sampling. Decreasing annual maximum temperatures and increasing precipitation were identified as the main environmental drivers. Although increased rainfall was expected to be beneficial for hygrophilous species, in the transects in this study generalist species increased in dominance.

4. The increasing importance of generalists, in the communities studied here, underlines the vulnerability of the specialist species and urges greater effort in their conservation. Assemblage changes along different trajectories at the sites in the present study could only be tracked using multivariate methods; commonly used diversity indices proved to be unsatisfactory. Therefore, the exclusive use of simple diversity indices should be discouraged and multivariate methods should be preferred in environmental assessments and conservation planning.
From Balance to Conflict: A New Constitution for the EU
Authors: Dawson Mark , de Witte Floris
Published: December 2015

As the crisis (and the Union's response to it) further develops, one thing appears clear: the European Union post‐crisis will be a very different animal from the pre‐crisis EU. This article offers an alternative model for the EU's constitutional future. Its objective is to invert the Union's current path‐dependency: changes to the way in which the Union works should serve to question, rather than entrench, its future objectives and trajectory. The paper argues that the post‐crisis EU requires a quite different normative, institutional and juridical framework. Such a framework must focus on reproducing the social and political cleavages that underlie authority on the national level and that allow divisive political choices to be legitimised. This reform project implies reshaping the prerogatives of the European institutions. Rather than seeking to prevent or bracket political conflict, the division of institutional competences and tasks should be rethought in order to allow the EU institutions to internalise within their decision‐making process the conflicts reproduced by social and political cleavages. Finally, a reformed legal order must play an active role as a facilitator and container of conflict over the ends of the integration project.
Equine orbital angiomatosis
Authors: Ludwig H. C. , Pucket J. D. , Shaw G. C.
Published: December 2015

Angiomatosis refers to a vascular tumour consisting of several vascular, blood‐filled cavities with a lining of well‐differentiated endothelial cells. This condition is seen in very young cattle as a malformative process and has been documented in other animals as well. In horses, this disease has only rarely been described, with no reported lesions being found within the equine orbit. This report details the clinical findings, surgical exploration, histopathology, and long‐term follow‐up of an aged horse with orbital angiomatosis.
Children and Added Sugar: The Case for Restriction
Authors: Bach Theodore
Published: December 2015

It is increasingly clear that children's excessive consumption of products high in added (or extrinsic) sugar causes obesity and obesity‐related health problems like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. Less clear is how best to address this problem through public health policy. In contrast to policies that might conflict with adult's right to self‐determination — for example sugar taxes and soda bans — this article proposes that children's access to products high in added sugars should be restricted in the same way that children's access to tobacco products is restricted. The article first considers how the recommended policy will protect a child's right to an open future while not violating parental rights. The article then explores how the implementation of the recommended policy can help transform the social meaning of sugar and thereby curb the parental supply of added sugar to children — a central cause of obesity. The article also addresses several potential objections.
Renal Denervation vs Pharmacotherapy for Resistant Hypertension: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Sun Dongdong , Li Chuang , Li Mei , Liu Jielin , Wen Shaojun
Published: December 2015

The effect of renal denervation (RD) for resistant hypertension remains controversial because of the conflicting results of finished and ongoing studies. The authors performed a meta‐analysis of case‐control studies to identify whether renal sympathetic denervation or pharmacotherapy (PHAR) was more effective for resistant hypertension. A systematic Internet database search of relevant papers written in English was performed. A total of nine studies met the inclusion criteria, with a total of 1096 patients. When comparing the RD group with the PHAR group, there was a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) (weighted mean difference, −12.81 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval [CI], −22.77 mm Hg to −2.85 mm Hg; P=.01) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (weighted mean difference, −5.56; 95% CI, −8.15 mm Hg to −2.97 mm Hg; P<.0001). This pooled analysis shows that for patients with resistant hypertension, RD is more effective in reducing SBP and DBP than PHAR. RD may be more effective in special subgroups of patients, which needs to be identified in future investigations.
A THEORETICAL APPROACH TO STERILIZED FOREIGN EXCHANGE INTERVENTION
Authors: Villamizar‐Villegas* Mauricio , Perez‐Reyna David
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we survey prominent theories that have shaped the literature on sterilized foreign exchange interventions. We identify three main strands of literature: (1) that which deems interventions futile; (2) that which requires some market friction (i.e. limited arbitrage) in order for interventions to be effective; and (3) that which advocates the use of interventions as long as they convey signals on the stance of future monetary policy. We contribute to the literature in three important ways. First, by reviewing new theoretical models that have surfaced within the last decade. Second, by further penetrating into the theory of interventions in order to analyze the key features that make each model distinct. And third, by only focusing on sterilized operations, which allows us to sidestep the effects induced by changes in the stock of money supply. In addition, the models that we present comprise both a macro and microstructure approach so as to provide a comprehensive view of the theory behind exchange rate intervention.