bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethical climate and nurse competence – newly graduated nurses' perceptions
Authors: Numminen Olivia , Leino-Kilpi Helena , Isoaho Hannu , Meretoja Riitta
Published: December 2014

Background:

Nursing practice takes place in a social framework, in which environmental elements and interpersonal relations interact. Ethical climate of the work unit is an important element affecting nurses’ professional and ethical practice. Nevertheless, whatever the environmental circumstances, nurses are expected to be professionally competent providing high-quality care ethically and clinically.

Aim:

This study examined newly graduated nurses’ perception of the ethical climate of their work environment and its association with their self-assessed professional competence, turnover intentions and job satisfaction.

Method:

Descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational research design was applied. Participants consisted of 318 newly graduated nurses. Data were collected electronically and analysed statistically.

Ethical considerations:

Ethical approval and permissions to use instruments and conduct the study were obtained according to required procedures. Data were rendered anonymous to protect participant confidentiality. Completing the questionnaire was interpreted as consent to participate.

Findings:

Nurses’ overall perception of the ethical climate was positive. More positive perceptions related to peers, patients and physicians, and less positive to hospitals and managers. Strong associations were found between perceived ethical climate and self-assessed competence, turnover intentions in terms of changing job, and job satisfaction in terms of quality of care. Nurses at a higher competence level with positive views of job satisfaction and low turnover intentions perceived the climate significantly more positively.

Conclusion:

Nursing management responsible for and having the power to implement changes should understand their contribution in ethical leadership, as well as the multidimensional nature of nurses’ work environment and the interaction between work-related factors in planning developmental measures. Future research should focus on issues in nurse managers’ ethical leadership in creating ethical work environments. There is also a need for knowledge of newly graduated nurses’ views of factors which act as enhancers or barriers to positive ethical climates to develop. Interventions, continuing education courses, and discussions designed to promote positive ethical climates should be developed for managers, nurses, and multi-professional teams.
Using “Informances” in General Music
Authors: Zaffini Erin Dineen
Published: December 2014

General music teachers might be faced with formal performance expectations placed on them by administrators. While performance expectations are common in performance-based ensembles, meeting these expectations can be cumbersome and daunting to those who serve in the realm of general music. Informances—informative presentations of student learning that emphasize the learning process—provide an alternative to traditional concerts or programs. Informances serve as an excellent way of communicating one’s educational objectives to parents, administrators, and community members by sharing what and how students learn in the classroom. This article explores the benefits of including informances in one’s yearly programming, aligning the role of informances to address the new core music standards, two differing types of informances, as well as suggestions on how to successfully include them in the general music curriculum.
Moving Off the Page
Authors: Miranda Martina
Published: December 2014

This article explores the interplay between young children’s spontaneous engagement in learning through their imagination, and the mind-set of the teacher when approaching planning for instruction. Perhaps by connecting with our own imaginative thinking, we can gain insights about our young learners, and find additional strategies to promote “creative imagining” in early childhood music experiences.
Adaptation of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire for Remote Aboriginal Australia
Authors: D’Aprano Anita , Silburn Sven , Johnston Vanessa , Robinson Gary , Oberklaid Frank , Squires Jane
Published: December 2014

A key challenge to providing quality developmental care in remote Aboriginal primary health care (PHC) centers has been the absence of culturally appropriate developmental screening instruments. This study focused on the cross-cultural adaptation of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, 3rd edition (ASQ-3), with careful attention to language and culture. We aimed to adapt the ASQ-3 for use with remote dwelling Australian Aboriginal children, and to investigate the cultural appropriateness and feasibility of the adapted ASQ-3 for use in this context. We undertook a qualitative study in two remote Australian Aboriginal communities, using a six-step collaborative adaptation process. Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs) were trained to use the adapted ASQ-3, and follow-up interviews examined participants’ views of the cultural acceptability and usefulness of the adapted instrument. The adapted ASQ-3 was found to have high face validity and to be culturally acceptable and relevant to parents, AHWs, and early childhood development experts.
“United We Stand”
Authors: Lian Olaug S. , Nettleton Sarah
Published: December 2014

In this article, we report on a study that seeks to explore how the contested chronic condition myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), one of the current medical diagnoses for medically unexplained long-term exhaustion, is negotiated within the context of Norwegian internet sites. From an analysis of discussions on 14 internet forums sustained by and for people living with ME, we seek to understand how their online activity sustains a virtual symbolic community (VSC). After exploring the content on these sites, we identified four discursive domains, or fields of conversation, that are demarcated by a discursive frame, or norms, values, and goals that define and reinforce the boundaries of the community. Interpreting discursive domains and their discursive frame provides insight not only to the culture of the ME VSC but also to its role in an international social health movement, including its potential for becoming politically influential.
Understanding Barriers to Mental Health Care for Recent War Veterans Through Photovoice
Authors: True Gala , Rigg Khary K. , Butler Anneliese
Published: December 2014

Despite an urgent need for mental health care among U.S. service members returning from deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, many veterans do not receive timely or adequate treatment. We used photovoice methods to engage veterans in identifying barriers to utilizing mental health services. Veterans described how key aspects of military culture and identity, highly adaptive during deployment, can deter help-seeking behavior and hinder recovery. Veterans’ photographs highlighted how mental health symptoms and self-coping strategies operated as barriers to care. Many veterans’ photos and stories revealed how negative health care encounters contributed to avoidance and abandonment of treatment; some veterans described these experiences as re-traumatizing. Visual methods can be a powerful tool for engaging recent war veterans in research. In particular, community-based participatory research approaches, which have rarely been used with veterans, hold great promise for informing effective interventions to improve access and enhance provision of patient-centered care for veterans.
Palliative Sedation and What Constitutes Active Dying
Authors: Strand Jacob J. , Feely Molly A. , Kramer Neha M. , Moeschler Susan M. , Swetz Keith M.
Published: December 2014

We present the case of a 34-year-old woman with Klippel-Feil syndrome who developed progressive generalized dystonia of unclear etiology, resulting in intractable pain despite aggressive medical and surgical interventions. Ultimately, palliative sedation was required to relieve suffering. Herein, we describe ethical considerations including defining sedation, determining prognosis in the setting of an undefined neurodegenerative condition, and use of treatments that concurrently might prolong or alter end-of-life trajectory. We highlight pertinent literature and how it may be applied in challenging and unique clinical situations. Finally, we discuss the need for expert multidisciplinary involvement when implementing palliative sedation and illustrate that procedures and rules need to be interpreted to deliver optimal patient-centered plan of care.
Physical and Psychosocial Effects of Wii Fit Exergames Use in Assisted Living Residents
Authors: Chao Ying-Yu , Scherer Yvonne K. , Montgomery Carolyn A. , Wu Yow-Wu , Lucke Kathleen T.
Published: December 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physical and psychosocial effects of the Wii Fit exergames incorporating self-efficacy theory on assisted living residents. The study was a quasi-experimental pre/post-test design. Thirty-two participants were recruited from two assisted living facilities. Sixteen participants received the Wii Fit exergames incorporating self-efficacy theory twice a week for 4 weeks. The other participants received a health education program. Physical function, fear of falling, depression, and quality of life were evaluated. T tests were used for data analysis. After the 4-week intervention, the Wii Fit group showed significant improvements in balance ( p < .01), mobility ( p < .01), and depression ( p < .05). The education group showed no significant improvement in any of the outcomes. Integrating concepts of self-efficacy theory with the exergames show promise as a potential tool to improve and maintain physical and psychosocial health for older adults.
Normalization of fatigue crack growth data in AISI H11 tool steel at room and elevated temperature
Authors: Shah Masood , Mabru Catherine , Baccar Manel , Rezaï-Aria Farhad
Published: December 2014

The fatigue crack growth rate of materials is shown to be dependent on the testing conditions like load ratio R and testing temperature. Great interest exists in normalizing this data onto a single curve. In this research, some methods commonly used to normalize the effect of R ratio are tested on Fatigue Crack Growth Rate (FCGR) curves of AISI H11 tool steel. These methods are based on either purely mathematical relations or on the effect of crack closure in variable R ratio tests. A model based on the crack tip opening displacement measurements to normalize the effect of R ratio as well as temperature is also used. This model takes into account the material-hardening coefficient, yield stress, Young’s modulus, and the crack tip opening displacement measurements. Crack tip opening displacement measurements have also been directly used to characterize the FCGR. A method is presented to find out crack closure as well as crack tip opening displacement using 2D digital image correlation measurements near the crack tip. At the end, a critical analysis of the four normalization techniques is presented.
Building Employee Relationships Through Corporate Social Responsibility
Authors: West Bettina , Hillenbrand Carola , Money Kevin
Published: December 2014

We explore the role of deeply held beliefs, known as social axioms, in the context of employee–organization relationships. Specifically, we examine how the beliefs identified as social cynicism and reward for application moderate the relationship between employees’ work-related experiences, perceptions of CSR, attitudes, and behavioral intentions toward their firm. Utilizing a sample of 130 retail employees, we find that CSR affects more positively employees low on social cynicism and reduces distrust more so than with cynical employees. Employees exhibiting strong reward for application are less positively affected by CSR, whereas their experiences of other work-related factors are more likely to reduce distrust. Our findings suggest the need for a differentiated view of CSR in the context of employee studies and offer suggestions for future research and management practice.
When Interaction Flows
Authors: van Oortmerssen Lise A. , van Woerkum Cees M. J. , Aarts Noelle
Published: December 2014

There is a growing awareness of the significance of collective creativity in dealing with the complex problems typical of today’s rapidly changing society. Whereas studies on collective creativity provide insight into what happens during creative episodes in terms of a changing meaning of the interaction content, they do not explain what happens in the conversational interaction process. To shed light on this, we introduce and define the concept of interaction flow. Interaction flow was observed during creative episodes in the board meetings of Platform Inspire, an innovation-oriented collaborative governance board in Western Europe. The concept of interaction flow makes collective creative episodes more observable and offers points of attention for facilitating these episodes.
Too Poor to Care? The Salience of AIDS in Africa
Authors: Justesen Mogens K.
Published: December 2014

Sub-Saharan Africa is the part of the world that is most severely affected by HIV/AIDS. Yet, surveys of attitudes to AIDS across African countries show that voters do not attach great importance to the issue. This paper argues that the low salience of AIDS is in large part a result of the widespread poverty that exists on the continent, which means that AIDS is crowded out by other issues. Using multilevel regressions, results from four waves of survey data support the hypothesis that poverty significantly affects the salience of AIDS as a political issue at the individual level.
Intermediate-term Results of Mobile-bearing Total Ankle Replacement
Authors: Deleu Paul-André , Devos Bevernage Bernhard , Gombault Vincent , Maldague Pierre , Leemrijse Thibaut
Published: December 2014

Background:

The literature analyzing total ankle replacement (TAR) results should be critically interpreted because studies made by the design surgeons are potentially subject to bias. European nondesigner surgeon studies reviewing the HINTEGRA TAR system are scarce in the literature. The present study is a European nondesigner surgeon study reviewing a consecutive series of 50 HINTEGRA TAR systems with a minimum follow-up of 2 years, focusing on clinical and radiographic outcomes.

Methods:

Fifty primary TAR procedures were performed between February 2008 and January 2012 by a single surgeon. Every patient underwent a standardized clinical and radiographic follow-up at 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively and annually thereafter. The mean time to final follow-up was 45 months.

Results:

The mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Scale score significantly increased from 43.5 preoperatively to 83.8 postoperatively. Clinical range of motion of the ankle also improved from 23.3 degrees preoperatively to 28.3 degrees postoperatively. In 70% of the TAR procedures, the talar component was positioned anteriorly with respect to the tibial axis. Radiological evidence of osteolysis was identified in 24 ankles. The failure rate in the present series was 10%, which was defined as having major revision surgery within 4 years.

Conclusion:

The survival of the first 50 HINTEGRA TAR systems in this series was satisfactory from clinical and radiological points of view. However, the incidence of asymptomatic periprosthetic osteolytic lesions was quite high (24 ankles).

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Serotonin 1A and Serotonin 4 Receptors
Authors: Samuels Benjamin Adam , Mendez-David Indira , Faye Charlène , David Sylvain André , Pierz Kerri A. , Gardier Alain M. , Hen René , David Denis J.
Published: December 2014

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the mostly widely used treatment for major depressive disorders and also are prescribed for several anxiety disorders. However, similar to most antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors suffer from two major problems: They only show beneficial effects after 2 to 4 weeks and only about 33% of patients show remission to first-line treatment. Thus, there is a considerable need for development of more effective antidepressants. There is a growing body of evidence supporting critical roles of 5-HT1A and 5-HT4 receptor subtypes in mediating successful depression treatments. In addition, appropriate activation of these receptors may be associated with a faster onset of the therapeutic response. This review will examine the known roles of 5-HT1A and 5-HT4 receptors in mediating both the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety and the treatment of these mood disorders. At the end of the review, the role of these receptors in the regulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis will also be discussed. Ultimately, we propose that novel antidepressant drugs that selectively target these serotonin receptors could be developed to yield improvements over current treatments for major depressive disorders.
Co-Parenting Relationship Experiences of Black Adolescent Mothers in Active Romantic Partnerships With the Fathers of Their Children
Authors: Nelson LaRon E. , Thach Chia T. , Shelton Melissa M. , Boyer Cherrie B.
Published: December 2014

We conducted an interpretive description of co-parenting relationship experiences of romantically involved Black adolescent mothers and fathers with shared biological children. The study was conducted in Brooklyn, New York, using data from individual in-depth interviews with adolescent mothers and fathers ( n = 10). Four themes were identified: (a) putting our heads together; (b) balancing childhood and parenthood; (c) less money, more problems; and (d) if we use condoms, it is for contraception. The co-parenting couples managed very complex relationships, but their mutual interest in the welfare of their children was a relational asset. Co-parents had sparse financial resources but used a moral economy strategy to provide mutual support. Future research is needed that focuses on identifying other co-parent relationship assets and integrating and evaluating their utility for enhancing interventions for adolescent families.
Issues Surrounding Polypharmacy
Authors: Alpert Patricia T.
Published: December 2014

Polypharmacy is being practice in greater force today than it was 20 years ago. There are many reasons for this practice, including (1) the availability of a greater number of newer medications to treat a wider range of conditions, (2) aging population that is notorious for taking multiple medications, and (3) practice guidelines that advocate for the use of more than one drug to treat recalcitrant conditions. A closer look at the issues surrounding the practice of polypharmacy is discussed here.
Assessing Health-Related Quality of Life in the Greek Home Health Care Setting
Authors: Adamakidou Theodoula , Galanis Petros , Kallergis George , Katostaras Theofanis , Patiraki Elisabeth , Kalokerinou Athena
Published: December 2014

The study’s aim was to evaluate the agreement between patients’ and nurses’ ratings of patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and to identify factors that affect their level of agreement. A total of 150 home health care cancer patients from Greece and all nurses ( N = 5) who worked in the home health care units completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire–Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30). Intraclass correlation coefficients varied between .45 and .87, indicating a moderate to excellent agreement. Median absolute difference on QLQ-C30 scores ranged from 0.00 to 16.66 points on the 0 to 100 scale. Cohen’s d varied between −0.15 and 0.59. Nurses’ higher educational level was associated with greater agreement ( p = .05). Nurses assessed lower the QoL of patients who were completely disabled than the patients themselves did ( p = .005). Our findings suggest that Greek home health care nurses estimate patients’ QoL in a reliable and valid way.
Case Report—Physical Therapy After Total Knee Replacement Surgery
Authors: Warne Kevin J.
Published: December 2014

The primary purpose of rehabilitation is to return the patient to a level of function enabling them to resume activities that are important to them. Physical therapy following total knee replacement has been shown to improve functional outcomes and mobility in these patients. Strength, range of motion and balance are three key components of functional rehabilitation following total knee replacement. The purpose of this report is to describe interventions following knee replacement surgery and compare them with the existing evidence. This report will focus on the outcome of two patients who underwent total knee replacement. Objective outcome measurements were then extrapolated into the “Lower Extremity Functional Scale” to better quantify and qualify functional outcome. Rehabilitation outcomes after total knee replacement surgery have been reported to include knee strength, range of motion, activities of daily living (ADLs), walking and quality of life. Both study patients participated actively with their clinical program as well as modified home programs. This report focused on three patient outcome measures; range of motion, strength and balance. Both patients had favorable outcomes that put them at a functional levels to resume their activities of daily living . The first patient had an earlier and more favorable result compared to the second patient’s outcome. Evidence supports the use of an intense progressive physical therapy program following knee replacement surgery.
High-performance atomistic modeling of optical thin films deposited by energetic processes
Authors: Grigoriev FV , Sulimov AV , Kochikov Igor , Kondakova OA , Sulimov VB , Tikhonravov AV
Published: December 2014

In this paper we present a computationally effective approach to classical molecular dynamic simulation of thin film growth with orientation on cluster supercomputing facilities. The goal of the developed approach is to investigate structural heterogeneities of thin films deposited on substrates at a nanoscale level. These heterogeneities depend on the experimental conditions of a deposition process being used. They have essential influence on practical properties of thin films and their modeling is important for achieving further progress in thin film optical technology.

The presented research is focused on silicon dioxide thin films growth. A special force field, oriented on the atomistic description of the silicon dioxide deposition on fused silica substrate, has been developed and applied to the molecular dynamic simulation with the GROMACS package. The validity of the developed simulation approach is verified using atomic clusters consisting of up to 106 atoms and having characteristic dimensions of up to 30 nm. Its computational efficiency is tested using up to 2048 cores. The dependence of achievable efficiency on model parameters is discussed.
Voting correctly in lab elections with monetary incentives
Authors: Blais André , St-Vincent Simon Labbé , Pilet Jean-Benoit , Treibich Rafael
Published: December 2014

Whether people make the right choice when they vote for a given candidate or party and what factors affect the capacity to vote correctly have been recurrent questions in the political science literature. This paper contributes to this debate by looking at how the complexity of the electoral context affects voters’ capacity to vote correctly. Correct voting is defined as a vote that maximizes one’s payoffs in lab elections with monetary incentives. We examine two aspects of the electoral context: district magnitude and the distribution of preferences within the electorate. The main finding is that the frequency of correct voting is much higher in single-member than in multi-member district elections. As soon as there is more than one single seat to be allocated, voters have more difficulty figuring out whether they should vote sincerely for their preferred party or opt strategically for another party in order to maximize their payoffs. By contrast, the distribution of preferences within the electorate has no significant effect.
Political parties and styles of representation
Authors: Önnudóttir Eva H
Published: December 2014

This paper focuses on how characteristics of parties and party voters explain the styles of representation emphasised within parties. Styles of representation are defined at the party level as the proportion of representatives within parties who are partisans, delegates or trustees. Each style manifests due to different incentives related to the characteristics of their party and/or their party voters. The findings show that the main explanatory factors for the proportion of partisans are parties’ leadership control over nomination and party socialisation. The main determinant for the proportion of trustees is how often parties have been represented in government. For delegates the results are mixed, but it is indicated that a high proportion of party identifiers among party voters is related to a high proportion of delegates within parties.
Google comes to Life
Authors: Dalziell Tanya , Genoni Paul
Published: December 2014

When Google announced in November 2008 that it was to host online one of the world’s largest corpus of photographic images, thanks to its collaboration with the Life magazine picture collection, it also said something, almost incidentally, about the state of the archive in the digital age. This essay examines the meeting between the archive and technology that the Google publicity announces by focusing on a relatively minor subset of the Life images digitized as a result of this partnership. It does so by foregrounding ‘user builders’ and their roles in both making meaning from digital archives and making digital archives meaningful.
A pilot study of tele-anaesthesia by virtual private network between an island hospital and a mainland hospital in Japan
Authors: Miyashita Tetsuya , Mizuno Yusuke , Sugawara Yo , Nagamine Yusuka , Koyama Yukihide , Miyazaki Tomoyuki , Uchimoto Kazuhiro , Iketani Yasuhiro , Tojo Kentaro , Goto Takahisa
Published: December 2014

We studied the use of tele-anaesthesia between Sado General Hospital (SGH) located on Sado Island and Yokohama City University Hospital (YCUH) located in mainland Japan. The two sites were connected via a virtual private network (VPN). We investigated the relationship between the bandwidth of the VPN and both the frame rate and the delay time of the tele-anaesthesia monitoring system. The tool used for communication between the two hospitals was free videoconferencing software (FaceTime), which can be used over Wi-Fi connections. We also investigated the accuracy of the commands given during teleanaesthesia: any commands from the anaesthetist at the YCUH that were not carried out for any reason, were recorded in the anaesthetic records at the SGH. The original frame rate and data rate at the SGH were 5 fps and approximately 18 Mbit/s, respectively. The frame rate at the transmission speeds of 1, 5 and 20 Mbit/s was 0.6, 1.6 and 5.0 fps, respectively. The corresponding delay time was 12.2, 4.9 and 0.7 s. Twenty-five adult patients were enrolled in the study and tele-anaesthesia was performed. The total duration of anaesthesia was 37 hours. All 888 anaesthetic commands were completed. There were 7 FaceTime disconnections, which lasted for 10 min altogether. Because no commands needed to be given during the FaceTime disconnection, the telephone was not used. The anaesthesia assistance system might form part of the solution to medical resource shortages.
Enhancing physical activity promotion in midlife women with technology-based self-monitoring and social connectivity: A pilot study
Authors: Butryn Meghan L , Arigo Danielle , Raggio Greer A , Colasanti Marie , Forman Evan M
Published: December 2014

This pilot study tested a novel program to promote adoption and maintenance of aerobic activity in midlife women. Lifestyle modification group sessions were held weekly for 3 months, followed by two booster sessions during the 3-month maintenance phase. During all 6 months of the program, participants used a physical activity sensor to automate self-monitoring and a web platform to facilitate social connectivity. Aerobic exercise increased from 63 to 132 minute/week from baseline to 3 months ( p < .01), and activity was maintained at 6 months (135 minute/week). Technology enhancements have strong potential to promote maintenance of behavior change.
Association between somatic growth trajectory and cognitive functioning in young children with sickle cell disease
Authors: Puffer Eve S , Schatz Jeffrey C , Roberts Carla W
Published: December 2014

Children with sickle cell disease are at risk of cognitive deficits and somatic growth delays beginning in early childhood. We examined growth velocity from age 2 years (height and body mass index progression over time) and cognitive functioning in 46 children with sickle cell disease 4 to 8 years of age. Height-for-age velocity was not associated with cognitive outcomes. Higher body mass index velocity was associated with higher scores on global cognitive and visual-motor abilities but not processing resources or academic achievement. Body mass index progression over time may be a clinically useful indicator of neurocognitive risk in sickle cell disease, as it may reflect multiple sickle cell disease–related risk factors.
The demographics of fat talk in adult women: Age, body size, and ethnicity
Authors: Engeln Renee , Salk Rachel H
Published: December 2014

Fat talk, conversations in which women disparage the size/shape of their bodies, acts as both a reflection of and contributor to body dissatisfaction. We assessed the impact of age, body mass index, and ethnicity on fat talk in two large, online surveys of adult women. Body mass index showed a small, positive correlation with fat talk, but only for women who were not overweight. Fat talking was common across all ages. In contrast to the common belief that fat talk is limited to young, thin women, these studies demonstrate that women of many body sizes and ages engage in fat talk.
The development of co-speech gesture and its semantic integration with speech in 6- to 12-year-old children with autism spectrum disorders
Authors: So Wing-Chee , Wong Miranda Kit-Yi , Lui Ming , Yip Virginia
Published: December 2014

Previous work leaves open the question of whether children with autism spectrum disorders aged 6–12 years have delay in producing gestures compared to their typically developing peers. This study examined gestural production among school-aged children in a naturalistic context and how their gestures are semantically related to the accompanying speech. Delay in gestural production was found in children with autism spectrum disorders through their middle to late childhood. Compared to their typically developing counterparts, children with autism spectrum disorders gestured less often and used fewer types of gestures, in particular markers, which carry culture-specific meaning. Typically developing children’s gestural production was related to language and cognitive skills, but among children with autism spectrum disorders, gestural production was more strongly related to the severity of socio-communicative impairment. Gesture impairment also included the failure to integrate speech with gesture: in particular, supplementary gestures are absent in children with autism spectrum disorders. The findings extend our understanding of gestural production in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders during spontaneous interaction. The results can help guide new therapies for gestural production for children with autism spectrum disorders in middle and late childhood.
Ameliorative potential of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ramipril) on chronic constriction injury of sciatic nerve induced neuropathic pain in mice
Authors: Kaur Parneet , Muthuraman Arunachalam , Kaur Jaspreet
Published: December 2014

Introduction:

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of ramipril (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor) on the chronic constriction injury of sciatic nerve induced neuropathic pain in mice.

Methods:

The neuropathic pain was induced by four loose ligations of the right sciatic nerve in mice. The battery of behavioral tests, i.e. plantar, pin prick, tail flick, tail pinch, rota rod tests, were performed to assess the degree of thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia in ipsilateral paw and tail, and motor in-coordination activity respectively. In addition, the biochemical tests, i.e. total protein, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and reduced glutathione, were also performed in sciatic nerve tissue samples.

Results:

The administration of ramipril (2 and 4 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly attenuated chronic constriction injury-induced rise in peripheral as well as central pain sensitivity (thermal and mechanical) along with impairment of motor in-coordination activity. Further, it also produces ameliorative effects on chronic constriction injury-induced rise in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and decrease in glutathione levels when compared with a normal control group.

Conclusion:

It may be concluded that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor may be a potential new target for the management of neuropathic pain.
Effects of olmesartan therapy on the expression of lung adrenoceptors in rats with chronic heart failure
Authors: Li YF , Jiang ZL , Cao FF , Liu F
Published: December 2014

Introduction:

Adrenergic receptors (AR) play important roles in regulating lung function. However, there are few reports concerning AR expression and the protective effect of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) on the lung in chronic heart failure (CHF). In this study, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of the ARB olmesartan on the lung in CHF.

Materials and methods:

Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control, sham-operated rats, rats with CHF induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary arteries, and rats with CHF treated with olmesartan (1 mg/kg) once daily for 8 weeks. Heart function, plasma renin activity (PRA) and angiotensin II (Ang II) levels, lung microscopic structure inspection and mRNA and protein expressions of α1A-, β1- and β2-AR in lung were tested.

Results:

Compared with the CHF group, PRA and Ang II levels were decreased while heart function and mRNA and protein expression of α1A-AR, β1-AR and β2-AR were up-regulated in the olmesartan group ( p<0.05 or p<0.01). The inflammation and cell proliferation in CHF lung tissue were reduced in the olmesartan group.

Conclusion:

Olmesartan may play a beneficial role in protecting lung in CHF by up-regulating AR and decreasing levels of PRA and Ang II.
Eliciting prior distributions for extra parameters in some generalized linear models
Authors: Elfadaly Fadlalla G. , Garthwaite Paul H.
Published: December 2014

To elicit an informative prior distribution for a normal linear model or a gamma generalized linear model (GLM), expert opinion must be quantified about both the regression coefficients and the extra parameters of these models. The latter task has attracted comparatively little attention. In this article, we introduce two elicitation methods that aim to complete the prior structure of the normal and gamma GLMs. First, we develop a method of assessing a conjugate prior distribution for the error variance in normal linear models. The method quantifies an expert's opinions through assessments of a median and conditional medians. Second, we propose a novel method for eliciting a lognormal prior distribution for the scale parameter of gamma GLMs. Given the mean value of a gamma distributed response variable, the method is based on conditional quartile assessments. It can also be used to quantify an expert's opinion about the prior distribution for the shape parameter of any gamma random variable, if the mean of the distribution has been elicited or is assumed to be known. In the context of GLMs, the mean value is determined by the regression coefficients. Interactive graphics is the medium through which assessments for the two proposed methods are elicited. Examples illustrating use of the methods are given. Computer programs that implement both methods are available.
Emerging technologies in marine electric propulsion
Authors: Symington William P , Belle Alan , Nguyen Hung D , Binns Jonathan R
Published: December 2014

Increasing fuel costs and regulation of emissions are encouraging operators, shipbuilders and researchers to seek improvements in marine vessel efficiency. In the area of vessel electrical systems, there are increasing choices as a result of research and development over the past decade giving rise to a number of promising new technologies. Promising new battery chemistries are being developed and existing chemistries are being enhanced with nano-technology. Supercapacitors and fuel cells are now powering ferries. Permanent magnets are enabling novel motor topologies and solar panel prices are decreasing. In addition to new technologies recently commercialised for vessels, new developments in electric vehicles and grid electrical systems will be applicable to the marine environment. This article reviews emerging electrical technologies and it focusses on those with potential for improving vessel efficiency within the next decade.
Polydatin prevents angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial superoxide generation
Authors: Zhang Qi , Tan Yingying , Zhang Nan , Yao Fanrong
Published: December 2014

Our studies and others recently demonstrate that polydatin, a resveratrol glucoside, has antioxidative and cardioprotective effects. This study aims to investigate the direct effects of polydatin on Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy to explore the potential role of polydatin in cardioprotection. Our results showed that in primary cultured cardiomyocytes, polydatin blocked Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy in a dose-dependent manner, which were associated with reduction in the cell surface area and [3H]leucine incorporation, as well as attenuation of the mRNA expressions of atrial natriuretic factor and β-myosin heavy chain. Furthermore, polydatin prevented rat cardiac hypertrophy induced by Ang II infusion, as assessed by heart weight-to-body weight ratio, cross-sectional area of cardiomyocyte, and gene expression of hypertrophic markers. Further investigation demonstrated that polydatin attenuated the Ang II-induced increase in the reactive oxygen species levels and NADPH oxidase activity in vivo and in vitro. Polydatin also blocked the Ang II-stimulated increases of Nox4 and Nox2 expression in cultured cardiomyocytes and the hearts of Ang II-infused rats. Our results indicate that polydatin has the potential to protect against Ang II-mediated cardiac hypertrophy through suppression of NADPH oxidase activity and superoxide production. These observations may shed new light on the understanding of the cardioprotective effect of polydatin.
Interventions on the Superficial Venous System for Chronic Venous Insufficiency by Surgeons in the Modern Era
Authors: Carruthers Thomas N. , Farber Alik , Rybin Denis , Doros Gheorghe , Eslami Mohammad H.
Published: December 2014

Objective:

To evaluate patient characteristics, practice patterns, and outcomes for patients treated for chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).

Background:

Chronic venous insufficiency is a common problem treated using open or endovascular methods by physicians from a number of surgical and nonsurgical specialties.

Methods:

Patients treated for CVI in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data set (2005-2011) were identified. Analyses were based on open surgical treatment (open surgery of varicose vein [OSVV]) versus endovenous ablation (EVA), specialty of treating surgeon, and by the presence of venous ulceration (VU). Preoperative patient characteristics and intraoperative measures were examined, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed for the postoperative outcomes of superficial surgical site infection (sSSI) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT).

Results:

A total of 4366 patients were identified. Patients undergoing EVA were older (53.3 vs 51.8 years; P < .001), had higher body mass index (BMI; 29.9 vs 29.0; P < .001), and more commonly presented with VU (20.9% vs 13.3%; P < .001). Vascular surgeons were more likely than general surgeons to treat patients with VU (17.0% vs 13.4%; P = .017). Patients with VU had higher BMI (32.2 vs 28.8; P < .001), were older (57.9 vs 51.4 years; P < .001), and more likely to be diabetic (9.0% vs 4.7%; P < .001). Factors associated with sSSI were OSVV (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.56; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-5.50; P = .016), obesity (AOR 2.16; 95% CI 1.10-4.24; P = .025), and VU (AOR 2.56; 95% CI 1.19-5.50; P = .016). Patients undergoing OSVV had significantly lower odds of DVT when compared to EVA (AOR 0.52; 95% CI 0.28-0.97; P = .040).

Conclusions:

The OSVV, obesity, and VU increase the odds of sSSI after procedures treating CVI. Patients in these categories should be monitored closely for signs of infection in the perioperative period. Patients undergoing EVA have higher odds of postoperative DVT, suggesting that routine screening after EVA for DVT may be justified.
A Novel Classification System for Autogenous Arteriovenous Fistula Aneurysms in Renal Access Patients
Authors: Valenti Domenico , Mistry Hiren , Stephenson Matthew
Published: December 2014

Introduction:

Arteriovenous fistulae (AVFs) constructed for hemodialysis access are prone to aneurysmal degeneration. This can lead to life-threatening sequelae such as aneurysmal rupture. The literature includes various guidelines on the management of certain aspects of access-related aneurysm formation; however, no classification system exists to guide reporting or prognostication. We aimed to create a universally acceptable classification for these aneurysms and establish guidance about their management.

Methods:

We clinically examined, duplex scanned, and photographed all of the autologous arteriovenous fistulae in our local renal failure population in January 2010 in order to categorize morphology. We then followed up the cohort for 2 years prospectively to assess outcomes, primarily of rupture or surgical intervention for bleeding.

Results:

A total of 344 patients were included (292 currently needling their fistula and 52 with low creatinine clearance awaiting dialysis). In all, 43.5% of dialyzed patients had aneurysmal fistulae. We propose a classification system as follows: type 1a: dilated along the length of the vein; type 1b: postanastomotic aneurysm; type 2a: classic “camel hump”; type 2b: combination of type 2a and 1b; type 3: complex; and type 4: pseudoaneurysm. Six fistulae needed emergency surgery for bleeding in the 2-year follow-up period and 5 of these were type 2 aneurysms. The remaining one was in the nonaneurysmal group, although it had become aneurysmal by the time it bled.

Conclusion:

Type 1 aneurysms are much commoner in patients who have not yet needled their fistula and have a relatively innocuous course although type 1a aneurysms should be monitored for high flow and physiological consequences thereof. Type 2 aneurysms are associated with needling of AVFs. They are at significant risk of rupture and need to be monitored carefully or treated prophylactically.
Percutaneous Embolization of a Postnephrectomy Arteriovenous Fistula With Intervening Pseudoaneurysm Using the Amplatzer Vascular Plug 2
Authors: Abdel-Aal Ahmed Kamel , Elsabbagh Ahmed , Soliman Hesham , Hamed Maysoon , Underwood Edgar , Saddekni Souheil
Published: December 2014

Although renal arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is an uncommon condition, it may lead to high cardiac output heart failure and renal insufficiency. Recently, percutaneous transcatheter embolization has replaced traditional surgery as the first line of treatment. We report a case of a 68-year-old male who presented with a renal AVF and was treated by percutaneous transcatheter embolization using the Amplatzer Vascular Plug 2 (AVP 2; St Jude Medical, Plymouth, Minnesota) through an arterial access. To our knowledge, the use of AVP 2 device in the treatment of renal AVF as a single embolotherapy device through the transarterial route has not been previously reported in the literature. Our technique demonstrates the feasibility and safety of AVP 2 device in the treatment of renal AVF.
Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Treatment in the Stent Graft Era
Authors: Tulga Ulus A. , Fahrettin Kucukay , Erdal Simsek , Sarper Oktem , Serkan Mola , Mustafa Ozdemir , Ahmet Saritas , Kerem Vural , Levent Birincioglu
Published: December 2014

Background:

We aim to decrease mortality and morbidity by early diagnosis and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) or by using open surgery.

Methods:

The patients who had underwent open surgery and EVAR with a diagnosis of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms were evaluated retrospectively. Patients with EVAR were separated as group I and the patients with surgical operations constituted group II. The risk factors, duration of the operation, blood product usage, drainage amounts, complications, mortality, and morbidity rates were evaluated.

Results:

The duration of the operation and the required blood and blood products were lower in group I ( P < .05). There is no any significant difference between the groups in terms of mortality, complications, short-, and long-term results.

Conclusion:

We support the idea that better results can be obtained by showing regard to suitable patient, suitable clinical condition, and suitable anatomy together with the correct choice of operation type.
Protocol Design Challenges in the Detection of Awareness in Aware Subjects Using EEG Signals
Authors: Henriques J. , Gabriel D. , Grigoryeva L. , Haffen E. , Moulin T. , Aubry R. , Pazart L. , Ortega J.-P.
Published: December 2014

Recent studies have evidenced serious difficulties in detecting covert awareness with electroencephalography-based techniques both in unresponsive patients and in healthy control subjects. This work reproduces the protocol design in two recent mental imagery studies with a larger group comprising 20 healthy volunteers. The main goal is assessing if modifications in the signal extraction techniques, training-testing/cross-validation routines, and hypotheses evoked in the statistical analysis, can provide solutions to the serious difficulties documented in the literature. The lack of robustness in the results advises for further search of alternative protocols more suitable for machine learning classification and of better performing signal treatment techniques. Specific recommendations are made using the findings in this work.
Lifelong learning for social inclusion of ethnic minorities in Botswana
Authors: Maruatona Tonic
Published: December 2014

In spite of its overall economic success, most citizens living in the remote areas of Botswana face poverty and are unemployed. The article argues that minority communities in remote areas are excluded because education programs use unfamiliar languages and de-contextualized curricula, there is no national qualifications framework to sufficiently recognize the prior learning experiences of minorities, and there is no state partnership with nongovernmental organizations in the delivery of education. Consequently, it suggests that the Government needs to deliver inclusive lifelong learning, endorse multiculturalism, create clear learning and qualification pathways, and collaborate with nongovernmental organizations in the delivery of minority education in Botswana.