bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utilization of the Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) Rat Model for Investigating Hypoglycemia-related Toxicities
Authors: Tirmenstein Mark , Horvath Joseph , Graziano Michael , Mangipudy Raja , Dorr Thomas , Colman Karyn , Zinker Bradley , Kirby Mark , Cheng Peter T. W. , Patrone Laura , Kozlosky John , Reilly Timothy P. , Wang Victor , Janovitz Evan
Published: June 2015

Glucokinase (GK) catalyzes the initial step in glycolysis and is a key regulator of glucose homeostasis. Therefore, glucokinase activators (GKa) have potential benefit in treating type 2 diabetes. Administration of a Bristol-Myers Squibb GKa (BMS-820132) to healthy euglycemic Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and beagle dogs in 1 mo toxicology studies resulted in marked and extended hypoglycemia with associated clinical signs of toxicity and degenerative histopathological changes in the stomach, sciatic nerve, myocardium, and skeletal muscles at exposures comparable to those expected at therapeutic clinical exposures. To investigate whether these adverse effects were secondary to exaggerated pharmacology (prolonged hypoglycemia), BMS-820132 was administered daily to male Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats for 1 mo. ZDF rats are markedly hyperglycemic and insulin resistant. BMS-820132 did not induce hypoglycemia, clinical signs of hypoglycemia, or any of the histopathologic adverse effects observed in the 1 mo toxicology studies at exposures that exceeded those observed in SD rats and dogs. This indicates that the toxicity observed in euglycemic animals was secondary to the exaggerated pharmacology of potent GK activation. This study indicates that ZDF rats, with conventional toxicity studies, are a useful disease model for testing antidiabetic agents and determining toxicities that are independent of prolonged hypoglycemia.
The Politics of Postsecular Feminism
Authors: Vasilaki Rosa
Published: June 2015

This article critically engages the postsecular turn in feminism by focusing on recent contributions by Judith Butler, Rosi Braidotti, and Saba Mahmood, whose stance can be seen as symptomatic of the postsecular moment. The article demonstrates that their conjoint theoretical moves have unintended yet important implications, which are left unexamined. Whilst recognizing the importance of the effort of postsecular feminism to think of agency beyond the limitations of Eurocentric theorizing, the article argues that it remains unclear whether the particular conceptualization of agency, as detached from autonomy, can have counter-hegemonic effects. The article is concerned with the politics that the postsecular turn in feminism authorizes, and for this purpose it questions to what extent postsecular feminist theorizing risks the neutralization of critical social theory itself, because abandoning autonomy as the foundation of political subjectivity does not allow for the interrogation of arbitrary authorities and the social inequalities that they sustain.
A Network is a Network is a Network: Reflections on the Computational and the Societies of Control
Authors: Berry David M. , Galloway Alexander R.
Published: June 2015

In this wide-ranging conversation, Berry and Galloway explore the implications of undertaking media theoretical work for critiquing the digital in a time when networks proliferate and, as Galloway claims, we need to ‘forget Deleuze’. Through the lens of Galloway’s new book, Laruelle: Against the Digital, the potential of a ‘non-philosophy’ for media is probed. From the import of the allegorical method from excommunication to the question of networks, they discuss Galloway’s recent work and reflect on the implications of computation for media theory, thinking about media objects, and critical theory.
Long-term results of transjugular coil embolisation for pelvic vein reflux – Results of the abolition of venous reflux at 6–8 years
Authors: Dos Santos Scott J , Holdstock Judy M , Harrison Charmaine C , Whiteley Mark S
Published: June 2015

Background

Pelvic venous reflux is known to be associated with lower limb varicose veins in 20% of women with a history of at least one previous vaginal delivery. Pelvic vein embolisation with coils has been shown to be a successful treatment in the short term. The objective of this study was to ascertain the long-term outcomes of pelvic vein embolisation for pelvic venous reflux.

Methods

Patients who had undergone pelvic vein embolisation in 2005–2007 were invited back to a specialist vein unit for transvaginal duplex ultrasonography in the summer of 2013. A total of 110 women were contacted. Pre-embolisation transvaginal duplex ultrasonography results were compared to those obtained six weeks post-procedure and at long-term follow-up.

Results

Twenty-eight female patients aged 40 to 75 years (mean 53.5) attended (response rate 25.5%), with parity prior to embolisation ranging from 1–5 children (mean 2.8). Mean follow-up time was 7.5 years. Six weeks post-procedure, 25 women had complete or virtual elimination of all reflux, and three had persistent reflux in at least one vein. At long-term follow-up, 11 women had complete elimination of all reflux, seven had elimination of all truncal reflux but minor reflux in vulval veins, six had minor reflux in one truncal vein, and four had significant reflux in one or more truncal veins (one of these gave birth one-year post-pelvic vein embolisation and another had coils removed during gynaecological surgery).

Conclusions

Transjugular pelvic vein embolisation is a durable technique for the abolition of reflux in the pelvic veins and is particularly adept at treating reflux in the ovarian veins.
Surgical management of venous malformation in soft tissue with the guidance of magnetic resonance imaging and percutaneous sinus angiography/three-dimensional computed tomography imaging
Authors: Yuan Si-Ming , Zhou Chang-Sheng , Cui Lei , Guo Yao , Hong Zhi-Jian , Jiang Hui-Qing
Published: June 2015

Background

Venous malformation (VM) is a common vascular malformation in soft tissue. Surgical management plays an important role in its treatment. The location, extent, and adjacent anatomy of the lesion are crucial information for the safety of operation. This study introduces the application of magnetic resonance imaging and percutaneous sinus angiography/three-dimensional computed tomography imaging in gathering above information.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was made in the patients with venous malformation from January 2012 to June 2014 in our clinic. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging and percutaneous sinus angiography/three-dimensional computed tomography imaging. The location, extent of the lesion, its draining veins, and the relationship with around tissues were showed. Surgical management was carried out in the lesions which were well defined, located in the superficial fascia without important vessels and nerves across it. The wound was repaired by skin flap or skin graft.

Results

A total of 13 patients underwent complete surgical removal of the lesions, including five type I venous malformations and eight type II venous malformations. Ten lesions were removed by undermining dissection, and the wound was repaired by the undermined flap. Three superficial lesions were removed together with the skin over it, and the wound was repaired by the skin graft. In the six months to two years of follow-up period, none of the recurrence of the lesion was observed.

Conclusion

Magnetic resonance imaging and percutaneous sinus angiography/three-dimensional computed tomography imaging can display abundant morphological details of venous malformation, which are helpful for the surgical management.
The Supervision Partnership as a Phase of Attachment
Authors: Koehn Amanda J. , Kerns Kathryn A.
Published: June 2015

The supervision partnership in middle childhood was proposed by Waters, Kondo-Ikemura, Posada, and Richters as the last phase of parent-child attachment. The present study elaborates this concept by proposing three components of the supervision partnership: availability and accessibility, willingness to communicate, and mutual recognition of the other’s rights. Using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development ( n = 1,050), we derived indices of the three components and related them to other attachment assessments and to maternal sensitivity. The three components of the supervision partnership were significantly related to one another, to attachment measured in preschool and adolescence, and to maternal sensitivity measured in middle childhood. The findings lend initial support to the proposal that the supervision partnership may more fully capture the secure base concept in late middle childhood than traditional approaches that focus only on availability and accessibility.
Trial-by-Trial Vividness Self-Reports Versus VVIQ
Authors: Runge Matthew , Bakhilau Valery , Omer Faisa , D’Angiulli Amedeo
Published: June 2015

The Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ) globally defines an individual according to their propensity to form visual mental imagery. A less frequently used approach to the study of mental imagery is based on self-reports on a trial-by-trial basis. The current meta-analysis consisted of three tests designed to compare the VVIQ and trial-by-trial vividness ratings against more objective criteria to address the predictive validity of these different measure instruments. Test 1 was based on a convenient sample and the calculation of effect sizes using exact p values. Tests 2 and 3 were based on a systematic sample, but while Test 2 used exact p values, Test 3 used effect sizes directly. Trial-by-trial vividness reports demonstrated significantly larger effect sizes than the VVIQ across all three experimental methodologies, with neural measures yielding significantly greater effect sizes than behavioral and cognitive ones. Therefore, we conclude that trial-by-trial self-reports have higher predictive value than VVIQ.
Beyond the Biopolitics of Capability and Choice in Human Development: Being, Decision, and World
Authors: Alt Suvi
Published: June 2015

International development is one of the primary biopolitical problematics of the 21st century. Yet, biopolitical critiques of ‘human development’ tend to leave the framework’s ontological underpinnings largely unexplored. This article seeks to remedy this gap by problematising the notions of ‘capability’ and ‘choice’ in human development through an engagement with Martin Heidegger’s critique of the metaphysics of modernity. The article argues that underlying human development is an ontology that enframes human beings as a contingent, orderable, and calculable reserve of capabilities. The enframing of choice in turn conceals the limitedness of the conditions within which choice can happen. As opposed to such liberal choice, the article puts forward an ontological notion of ‘decision’, which entails understanding the world as an openness that resists any final determination of being. A politics that draws its involvement in the world from the openness of being entails the ability to question critically even benevolent and supposedly emancipatory projects when they lack recognition of their own ontological commitments and of the limitations that those commitments impose on people’s lives. A re-politicisation of human development thus requires exposing the paradigm’s ontological limits, but it also demands practical political engagement in the factical situations that beings inhabit.
Research on electrically conductive acrylate resin filled with silver nanoparticles plating multiwalled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Zhang Yi , Zhang Fan , Xie Qian , Wu Guanglei
Published: June 2015

Silver nanoparticles plating multiwalled carbon nanotubes were synthesized by electroless plating method. The electrically conductive acrylate pressure-sensitive adhesive filled with silver nanoparticles plating multiwalled carbon nanotubes was prepared using the solution blending method. Characterization of morphology and other properties were performed by transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, etc. Transmission electron microscope images and X-ray diffraction results indicated that impurities in multiwalled carbon nanotubes were effectively removed after purification treatment. Scanning electron microscope images showed that a large number of Ag nanoparticles were successfully coated on the purified multiwalled carbon nanotubes’ surfaces, and that Ag/multiwalled carbon nanotubes were homogeneously dispersed in acrylate PSA. Electrical conductivity measurements revealed the existence of a percolation threshold for acrylate pressure-sensitive adhesive filled with silver nanoparticles plating multiwalled carbon nanotubes composites at 3.0 vol%. In addition, the increment of content of Ag/multiwalled carbon nanotubes can significantly decrease the 180° peel strength and increase shear strength. With an Ag/multiwalled carbon nanotubes content of 6.0 vol%, the acrylate pressure-sensitive adhesive filled with silver nanoparticles plating multiwalled carbon nanotubes composites exhibited both good electrical conductivity and favorable mechanical properties.
Determinants of Public Servants’ Intention to Adopt E-Government Learning
Authors: Chung Hsiu-Ying , Lee Gwo-Guang , Kuo Ren-Zong
Published: June 2015

The competence of public servants has a direct impact on a country’s administrative performance, for which governments provide considerable funding and training. Therefore, their behaviors toward e-government learning are worth examining. This study investigated the factors influencing the behavioral intention of public servants toward adopting e-government learning. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was adopted as the theoretical basis for analysis, and three constructs, behavioral attitude, barrier factor, and policy factor were added to obtain a more complete perspective and to enhance explanatory power. The results indicated that the research model, apart from fully demonstrating the characteristics of the research subject, identified the key factors to facilitate the policy-making processes of the government agency in charge of e-government learning.
Does Context Matter for the Type of Performance-Related Behavior of Public Service Motivated Employees?
Authors: van Loon Nina Mari
Published: June 2015

Empirical studies have found a positive relationship between public service motivation (PSM) and individual performance. However, it is unclear what public service motivated employees are doing in terms of behavior that makes them perform. Moreover, it is uncertain whether PSM inspires similar behaviors among employees in different contexts. Conceptualizing performance as a multidimensional construct, this study investigates the relationship between PSM and self-reported output, service outcome, responsiveness, and democratic outcome behaviors. Using structural equation modeling on survey data from 459 employees in people-changing (service production, aimed at changing the user) and 461 employees in people-processing (service regulation, categorizing, and processing users) organizations, the results show that PSM is related to all performance-related behaviors in the people-changing group, but neither to output nor responsiveness in the people-processing group. PSM’s relationship to behavior may thus differ between contexts.
Biocompatibility of Dead Sea Water and retinyl palmitate carrying poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) micro/nanoparticles designed for transdermal skin therapy
Authors: Eke Gozde , Goñi-de-Cerio Felipe , Suarez-Merino Blanca , Hasirci Nesrin , Hasirci Vasif
Published: June 2015

In this study, novel drug carriers were developed for the treatment of skin conditions such as psoriasis, aging, or ultraviolet damage using micro/nanocapsules and micro/nanospheres of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate). The sizes of the particles were in the micron range and were loaded with retinyl palmitate and Dead Sea Water. In some tests, MgCl2 was used as a substitute for Dead Sea Water for accurate determination of released ions of Dead Sea Water. Encapsulation efficiency and loading of water-soluble excipients Dead Sea Water and MgCl2 were almost eight times lower than the hydrophobic compound retinyl palmitate. The particles were not cytotoxic as determined with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide test using L929 mouse fibroblasts, BALB/3T3 mouse embryo fibroblasts, and HaCaT human keratinocytes. Ames test showed that the carriers were not genotoxic. The particles penetrated the membrane of human osteosarcoma cells Saos 2 and accumulated in their cytoplasm. No reactive oxygen species production could be detected which indicated low or no inflammatory response toward the particles. In the tests with intact human skin, 1.2% of the retinyl palmitate–loaded poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) particles penetrated into the human skin, but when the skin was without stratum corneum and increased to 6.9%. In conclusion, these carriers have shown a significant potential as topical drug delivery systems in the personalized treatment of skin diseases because their contents could be modified according to a patient’s needs and several drugs could be loaded in one type of microparticle, or several populations, each carrying a different drug, can be used in the treatment.
Accurate Documentation of Malnutrition Diagnosis Reflects Increased Healthcare Resource Utilization
Authors: Phillips Wendy
Published: June 2015

Nutrition support professionals often care for the sickest of hospitalized patients. An understanding of healthcare payment models can help the nutrition support professional know how documentation of nutrition status can ensure maximum resources are available to care for these patients. Medicare is the major funding source for many hospitals in the United States. Hospitals receive payments using the Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System, which classifies patients into Medical Severity Diagnosis‐Related Groups (MS‐DRGs) to determine payment amounts. Documentation of comorbidities and complications can increase the payment hospitals receive to offset increased resource utilization. This article explains how malnutrition documentation and coding can influence the case mix index, an indicator of level of acuity of patients treated at the hospital, and the payment the hospital receives to care for the patient.
Oral Diets and Nutrition Support for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Shah Neha D. , Parian Alyssa M. , Mullin Gerard E. , Limketkai Berkeley N.
Published: June 2015

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which primarily includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, involves chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The mechanisms of IBD pathogenesis are not well understood at this time, but likely involve an interaction between genetic, gut microbial, immune, and environmental factors. Emerging epidemiologic studies have suggested a relationship between specific dietary nutrients as an environmental factor and IBD risk. Clinical trials have also shown oral diets to have variable efficacy in affecting clinical outcomes for IBD. This review discusses the key studies that evaluated the use of various oral diets as well as nutrition support in the management of IBD.
Chitosan-glycolipid nanogels loaded with anti-obese marine carotenoid fucoxanthin: Acute and sub-acute toxicity evaluation in rodent model
Authors: Ravi Hindupur , Arunkumar Ranganathan , Baskaran Vallikannan
Published: June 2015

Fucoxanthin (FUCO) is a light- and heat-sensitive marine xanthophyll carotenoid, present in brown algae that render physiological properties as anti-oxidants. In this study, nanoencapsulation is an approach adopted to improve bioavailability of FUCO by using ionic-gelation method with polymeric chitosan (CS) dispersed in glycolipid (GL), as a carrier. Further, the aim was to investigate adverse effect of acute and sub-acute toxicity of chitosan nanogels (CS-NGs) loaded with FUCO+GL in rats. In the acute toxicity study, FUCO was fed to rats at doses of 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 mg/kg body weight (BW). In the sub-acute toxicity study, FUCO was fed at doses of 1 and 10 mg/kg BW for 28 days. In both the studies, no mortality and abnormalities in gross morphology were observed. Acute toxicity study revealed that the LD50 of FUCO in CS-NGs is higher than 100 mg/kg BW. No postprandial plasma levels of FUCO were detected. However, fucoxanthinol (FUOH), a hydrolytic metabolite of FUCO was detected in a dose dependent manner ( P < 0.01). Compared to the control group(s), no dose-related toxic effects of CS-NGs with FUCO + GL were found in haematological, histopathological, plasma biochemical indices, etc. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for CS-NGs with FUCO + GL in rats was 10 mg/kg/day. To conclude, no apparent adverse effect of CS-NGs with FUCO + GL demonstrating CS could be a promising polymer matrix for safe delivery of FUCO. This is the first study to demonstrate the safety assessment of CS-NGs with FUCO + GL.
Online inspection system for the automatic detection of bolt defects on a freight train
Authors: Li Caiqin , Wei Zhenzhong , Xing Jing
Published: June 2015

Inspecting the condition of the key components of freight trains is an important task in the rail industry. Bolts on the wheel bearings are key components of a bogie, and bolt defects, such as missing or broken bolts, can lead to serious accidents. To improve the traditional manual inspection procedure, which is both laborious and inflexible, a novel method of automatic image recognition for bolt defects is proposed in this paper. The main procedures are as follows. When a freight train drives through the inspection station, images of the train’s wheels are captured by cameras installed alongside the track. Based on the local binary pattern descriptor, a support vector machine classifier is trained to distinguish between bolt and non-bolt images. The classifier is then combined with a rotate-and-slide window method to localize the three bolt regions in the wheel image. Specifically, a self-updating method is proposed in the training phase to automatically capture the various different situations experienced by bolts in real-life scenarios. After localization, we distinguish defective bolts from normal bolts based on whether there is a hexagonal shape in the bolt region. As demonstrated by real-life experiments, our proposed method can guarantee to find bolt defects and further work will be devoted to reducing the false alarm rate.
Union inclusiveness and temporary agency workers: The role of power resources and union ideology
Authors: Benassi Chiara , Vlandas Tim
Published: June 2015

This article investigates the determinants of union inclusiveness towards agency workers in Western Europe, using an index which combines unionization rates with dimensions of collective agreements covering agency workers. Using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis, we identify two combinations of conditions leading to inclusiveness: the ‘Northern path’ includes high union density, high bargaining coverage and high union authority, and is consistent with the power resources approach. The ‘Southern path’ combines high union authority, high bargaining coverage, statutory regulations of agency work and working-class orientation, showing that ideology rather than institutional incentives shapes union strategies towards the marginal workforce.
Filtering wireless (Wi-Fi) Internet access in public places
Authors: Spacey Rachel , Muir Adrienne , Cooke Louise , Creaser Claire , Spezi Valérie
Published: June 2015

This paper discusses selected results from the AHRC-funded ‘Managing Access to the Internet in Public Librarie s’ (MAIPLE) project and explores Wi-Fi Internet access in UK public libraries. It investigates how this compares to commercial provision of public Wi-Fi. It discusses security issues, filtering of Wi-Fi access and acceptable use policies. A mixed methods approach was used involving a review of the literature, a questionnaire survey of UK public library authorities and five case studies of selected authorities. A majority of UK public library authorities offer Wi-Fi access to the public at one or more of their libraries and they generally have an authentication system in place for their users. The majority of survey respondents that provide Wi-Fi use filtering software. There are similarities and differences in the ways that public libraries and commercial outlets provide and manage access to their wireless networks. Differences mainly relate to security and privacy: these differences reflect to an extent the underlying purposes of providing public Wi-Fi access as well as legal obligations. In some ways, public library Wi-Fi access is better managed than commercially provided public services. Evidence from the case studies suggests reluctant acceptance of filtering on the part of public library authorities, based on a perceived need to balance providing access to information with providing a safe and trusted public space for all.
Active disease is independently associated with more severe anxiety rather than depressive symptoms in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Tay S H , Cheung P P M , Mak A
Published: June 2015

Objective

The inter-correlation between and co-existence of depression and anxiety may engender inconsistency in addressing the relationship between the severity of depression and disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We aimed at identifying whether lupus disease activity is independently associated with depression and anxiety in lupus patients.

Methods

Adult lupus patients were assessed for the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms and lupus disease activity by using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), respectively. Age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited for comparison. Prevalence and severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms were compared between lupus patients and HCs. Independent relationships between the severity of anxiety (HADS-Anxiety) and depressive (HADS-Depression) symptoms, and SLEDAI were studied with regression models.

Results

In total, 110 lupus patients and 110 HCs were studied. Lupus patients had significantly higher HADS scores than HCs (10.82 ± 6.5 vs 7.34 ± 4.9, p < 0.001). Significantly more lupus patients had anxiety (40.9 vs 21.8%, p = 0.002) and depressive symptoms (15.5 vs 6.4%, p = 0.025) than HCs. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that SLEDAI (β = 0.160, p = 0.016), calcineurin inhibitor non-use (β = –1.929, p = 0.041) and past cyclophosphamide non-use (β = –1.603, p = 0.039) independently predicted HADS-Anxiety amongst lupus patients even after adjusting for HADS-Depression. Conversely, SLEDAI (β = 0.014, p = 0.834) lost its significant univariate correlation with HADS-Depression after controlling for HADS-Anxiety and other covariates.

Conclusion

Anxiety is more common in lupus patients than in HCs, and its severity is independently associated with more active SLE regardless of the presence or absence of concomitant depression.
Integrating Information and Communication Technology for Health Information System Strengthening
Authors: Marzuki Nuraidah , Ismail Saimy , Al-Sadat Nabilla , Ehsan Fauziah Z. , Chan Chee-Khoon , Ng Chiu-Wan
Published: June 2015

Despite the high costs involved and the lack of definitive evidence of sustained effectiveness, many low- and middle-income countries had begun to strengthen their health information system using information and communication technology in the past few decades. Following this international trend, the Malaysian Ministry of Health had been incorporating Telehealth (National Telehealth initiatives) into national health policies since the 1990s. Employing qualitative approaches, including key informant interviews and document review, this study examines the agenda-setting processes of the Telehealth policy using Kingdon’s framework. The findings suggested that Telehealth policies emerged through actions of policy entrepreneurs within the Ministry of Health, who took advantage of several simultaneously occurring opportunities—official recognition of problems within the existing health information system, availability of information and communication technology to strengthen health information system and political interests surrounding the national Multimedia Super Corridor initiative being developed at the time. The last was achieved by the inclusion of Telehealth as a component of the Multimedia Super Corridor.
Just Do It! Reducing Academic Procrastination of Secondary Students
Authors: Xu Ziwei
Published: June 2015

Academic procrastination is a common problem among secondary students. This paper provides secondary teachers with evidence-based strategies to reduce or prevent academic procrastination in their classrooms. Given that reducing academic procrastination is a responsibility for teachers as well as students, the paper describes teacher-administered strategies related to assignment and course design as well as student-administered strategies related to self-management and its variations. In conclusion, a framework encompassing these strategies and modifications for different learner types, the three-tier anti-procrastination (T-TAP) model, is presented.
Filipino Nurses’ Spirituality and Provision of Spiritual Nursing Care
Authors: Labrague Leodoro J. , McEnroe-Petitte Denise M. , Achaso Romeo H. , Cachero Geifsonne S. , Mohammad Mary Rose A.
Published: June 2015

This study was to explore the perceptions of Filipino nurses’ spirituality and the provision of spiritual nursing care. A descriptive, cross-sectional, and quantitative study was adopted for this study. The study was conducted in the Philippines utilizing a convenience sample of 245 nurses. Nurses’ Spirituality and Delivery of Spiritual Care (NSDSC) was used as the main instrument. The items on NSDSC with higher mean scores related to nurses’ perception of spirituality were Item 7, “I believe that God loves me and cares for me,” and Item 8, “Prayer is an important part of my life,” with mean scores of 4.87 ( SD = 1.36) and 4.88 ( SD = 1.34), respectively. Items on NSDSC with higher mean scores related to the practice of spiritual care were Item 26, “I usually comfort clients spiritually (e.g., reading books, prayers, music, etc.),” and Item 25, “I refer the client to his/her spiritual counselor (e.g., hospital chaplain) if needed,” with mean scores of 3.16 ( SD = 1.54) and 2.92 ( SD = 1.59). Nurse’s spirituality correlated significantly with their understanding of spiritual nursing care ( r = .3376, p ≤ .05) and delivery of spiritual nursing care ( r = .3980, p ≤ .05). Positive significant correlations were found between understanding of spiritual nursing care and delivery of spiritual nursing care ( r = .3289, p ≤ .05). For nurses to better provide spiritual nursing care, they must care for themselves through self-awareness, self-reflection, and developing a sense of satisfaction and contentment.
Is ADHD Really Increasing in Youth?
Authors: Safer Daniel J.
Published: June 2015

Objective: It would be useful to compare temporal changes in the diagnostic prevalence of ADHD obtained from identical population surveys with time-trend survey findings based on individual ADHD features. Method: Changes in the diagnostic prevalence of ADHD over time were recorded from parent reports and from physician office visit data. Associated features of ADHD were temporally recorded from standardized teacher, parent, and youth surveys. Results: Time-trend diagnostic findings on ADHD prevalence based on 6 parent surveys and 12 outpatient physician office visit surveys revealed consistent rate increases. By contrast, 26 sets of standard ratings of the primary and associated features of ADHD assessed systematically by different teachers, parents, and students during different years indicated little change. Conclusion: Time-trend national surveys of ADHD in youth over the last two decades reveal consistent increases in its diagnostic prevalence, whereas time-trend findings for individual ADHD-related symptoms remained relatively stable.
Voice onset time and global foreign accent in German–French simultaneous bilinguals during adulthood
Authors: Lein Tatjana , Kupisch Tanja , van de Weijer Joost
Published: June 2015

Aims and objectives:

In this study, we investigated crosslinguistic influence in the phonetic systems of simultaneous bilinguals (2L1s) during adulthood.

Methodology:

Specifically, we analyzed the voice onset time (VOT) of the voiceless stop /k/ in the spontaneous speech of 14 German–French bilinguals who grew up in France or Germany. We looked at both languages, first comparing the groups, second comparing their VOT to their global accent.

Data and analysis:

The material consisted of interviews, lasting for about half an hour.

Findings/conclusions:

Most 2L1s showed distinct VOT-ranges in their two languages, even if they were perceived to have a foreign accent in the minority language of their childhood environment. We conclude that the phonetic systems of 2L1s remain separate and stable throughout the lifespan. However, the 2L1s from France had significantly shorter VOTs in German than the 2L1s from Germany, and their speech was overall more accented. These findings are discussed with respect to the role of intra- and extra-linguistic factors.

Originality:

Our study adds a new perspective to existing VOT studies of bilinguals by using naturalistic speech data and by comparing two groups of 2L1s who have the same language combination but grew up in different countries, which allows us to evaluate the impact of their childhood environment on VOT development.

Significance/implications:

Language exposure during childhood seems to be beneficial for pronunciation during adulthood.
Transmedia intertextualities in educational media resources: The case of BBC Schools in the United Kingdom
Authors: Zorrilla Abascal María Luisa
Published: June 2015

The results presented are part of a wider enquiry into how educational television and the Internet are converging in an era in which the boundaries between different media are disappearing. The case selected to explore educational media convergence is BBC Schools in the United Kingdom, which includes radio, television, and web educational contents. The project as a whole included three phases related to convergent educational resources: their production, the products themselves, and their uses in the classroom. This article refers to the products, focusing on transmedia intertextuality as a mechanism of media convergence.
Preparation and characterization of porous hydroxyapatite pellets: Effects of calcination and sintering on the porous structure and mechanical properties
Authors: Albayrak Onder , Ipekoglu Mehmet , Mahmutyazicioglu Nazim , Varmis Mehmet , Kaya Emrah , Altintas Sabri
Published: June 2015

In this study, porous hydroxyapatite structures were produced by using urea particles of 600–850 µm size. Samples with two different urea composition (25 and 50 wt%) were prepared along with samples without any urea content by adding urea to commercially available hydroxyapatite in its as purchased and calcined states. The produced pellets were sintered at 1100 ℃ and 1200 ℃ for 2 h. Compression tests and microhardness measurements were conducted and changes in density values were examined in order to determine the effect of the calcination state of the prior hydroxyapatite powder, the sintering temperature and the amount of urea added. Also X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, and scanning electron microscopy analyses were conducted to determine the phase stability, functional groups, and pore morphology, respectively. Calcination is found to negatively affect the densification and sinterability of the produced samples, resulting in a decrease of compressive strength and microhardness. With the control of the urea content and sintering temperature uncalcined hydroxyapatite can successfully be used to tailor the density and mechanical properties of the final porous structures.
Trial Steering Committees in randomised controlled trials: A survey of registered clinical trials units to establish current practice and experiences
Authors: Conroy Elizabeth J , Harman Nicola L , Lane J Athene , Lewis Steff C , Murray Gordon , Norrie John , Sydes Matt R , Gamble Carrol
Published: June 2015

Background:

The Medical Research Council Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice outlines a three-committee trial oversight structure – the day-to-day Trial Management Group, the Data Monitoring Committee and the Trial Steering Committee. In this model, the Trial Steering Committee is the executive committee that oversees the trial and considers the recommendations from the Data Monitoring Committee. There is yet to be in-depth consideration establishing the Trial Steering Committee’s role and functionality.

Methods:

A survey to establish Trial Steering Committee’s current practices, role and the use and opinion on the Medical Research Council guidelines was undertaken within UK Clinical Research Collaborative registered Clinical Trials Units.

Results:

Completed surveys were obtained from 38 of 47 fully and partially registered Units. Individual items in the survey were analysed and reported spanning current Trial Steering Committee practices including its role, requirement and experience required for membership; methods to identify members; and meeting frequency. Terms (a document describing the committee’s remit, objectives and functionality) were obtained and analysed from 21 of 33 Units with documents in place at their Unit. A total of 20 responders suggested aspects of the current Medical Research Council Guidelines that need improvement.

Conclusion:

We present the first survey reporting on practices within UK Clinical Research Collaborative registered Clinical Trials Units on the experience and remits of Trial Steering Committees. We have identified a widespread adoption of Medical Research Council Guidelines for Trial Steering Committees in the United Kingdom, but limitations in this existing provision have been identified that need to be addressed.
The impact of an educational program on HCV patient outcomes using boceprevir in community practices (OPTIMAL trial)
Authors: Poordad Fred , Rustgi Vinod , Brown Robert S. , Patel Vishal , Kugelmas Marcelo , Regenstein Fredric , Balart Luis , LaBrecque Douglas , Brown Kimberly , Avila Mark , Biederman Michael , Freed Glenn , Smith Richard , Bernstein Marc , Arnold Hays , Cahan Joel , Fink Scott , Katkov William , Massoumi Hatef , Harrison Stephen
Published: June 2015

Objectives:

Although effective, direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapies for genotype 1 (GT 1) hepatitis C virus (HCV) have been associated with compliance challenges. Additionally, treatment at predominantly community-based centers has been associated with low retention of patients on treatment and higher dropout rates. The OPTIMAL Phase IV interventional trial ( ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01405027) was designed to evaluate the impact of an education program for community investigator (CI) sites participating in a Chronic Liver Disease Foundation study treating chronic GT 1 HCV patients.

Methods:

This physician educational program was administered by 22 Hepatology Centers of Educational Expertise (HCEE) academic sites to 33 CI sites asked to participate from December 2011 to July 2012. The HCEE mentors from DAA-experienced academic sites educated those at CI sites on therapeutic management, practice, and patient outcomes through a series of four standardized educational sequence visits regarding the use of first generation HCV protease inhibitors and the overall treatment of HCV.

Results:

Treatment duration compliance rates for patients treated at CI sites versus those treated at HCEE academic sites were evaluable in 77 of 84 HCEE academic site patients, 102 of 113 patients treated at CI sites, and 179 of 197 overall patients. The treatment duration compliance rates for patients treated at HCEE academic sites, CI sites and overall were 85.4 ± 25.39%, 83.8 ± 27.37%, and 84.5 ± 26.48%, respectively, and did not differ statistically between the groups ( p = 0.49). Almost half (47%) of the patients in the study achieved a sustained virological response for 24 weeks (SVR24) regardless of the type of site ( p = 0.64). Safety profiles were similar at both HCEE and CI sites.

Conclusions:

These results demonstrated that education of CI sites unfamiliar with DAAs resulted in patient outcomes consistent with those observed at DAA-experienced academic sites.
Preclinical Performance Evaluation of Percutaneous Glucose Biosensors
Authors: Soto Robert J. , Schoenfisch Mark H.
Published: June 2015

The utility of continuous glucose monitoring devices remains limited by an obstinate foreign body response (FBR) that degrades the analytical performance of the in vivo sensor. A number of novel materials that resist or delay the FBR have been proposed as outer, tissue-contacting glucose sensor membranes as a strategy to improve sensor accuracy. Traditionally, researchers have examined the ability of a material to minimize the host response by assessing adsorbed cell morphology and tissue histology. However, these techniques do not adequately predict in vivo glucose sensor function, necessitating sensor performance evaluation in a relevant animal model prior to human testing. Herein, the effects of critical experimental parameters, including the animal model and data processing methods, on the reliability and usefulness of preclinical sensor performance data are considered.
Occupational-Related Chemical Injuries
Authors: Lurati Ann
Published: June 2015

Although few occupational chemical injuries are reported each year, the severity of these injuries increases their importance to occupational health nurses who intervene to prevent these injuries by understanding their nature and etiology. This article is a review of the literature detailing specific occupational chemical injuries as well as a review of common occupational chemical injuries in the United States focusing on pulmonary, ocular, and burn injuries.
Activated protein C β-glycoform promotes enhanced noncanonical PAR1 proteolysis and superior resistance to ischemic injury
Authors: Gleeson Eimear M. , Dichiara María G. , Salicio Agustina , Quinn Louise M. , Drakeford Clive , Russell Shane E. , Walsh Patrick T. , Orbe Josune , Hermida José , Smith Owen P. , O’Donnell James S. , Montes Ramón , Preston Roger J. S.
Published: June 2015

Key Points

This study demonstrates a novel mechanistic role for a specific N-linked glycan in regulating PAR1 proteolysis. We provide the first description of an APC variant with enhanced therapeutic cytoprotective activity in vivo.
Properties of convergence of a class of iterative processes generated by sequences of self-mappings with applications to switched dynamic systems
Authors: De la Sen Manuel , Ibeas Asier
Published: June 2015

This article investigates the convergence properties of iterative processes involving sequences of self-mappings of metric or Banach spaces. Such sequences are built from a set of primary self-mappings which are either expansive or non-expansive self-mappings and some of the non-expansive ones can be contractive including the case of strict contractions. The sequences are built subject to switching laws which select each active self-mapping on a certain activation interval in such a way that essential properties of boundedness and convergence of distances and iterated sequences are guaranteed. Applications to the important problem of stability of dynamic switched systems are also given.
Long term headache duration is a factor predicting nonresponse to detoxification and advice in medication overuse headache
Authors: Caproni Stefano , Bianchi Elisa , Cupini Letizia M , Corbelli Ilenia , Beghi Ettore , Calabresi Paolo , Sarchielli Paola ,   SAMOHA Study Group
Published: June 2015

Background

Medication overuse headache (MOH) is a very heterogeneous disorder for which a recommended treatment is not yet available. The purpose of this study was to investigate any possible roles of demographic and clinical characteristics of MOH patients that might predict a response to detoxification and advice with or without preventive treatment.

Findings

This ancillary study is part of the Sodium vAlproate in the treatment of Medication Overuse HeadAche (SAMOHA) study that randomized 88 MOH patients for 3-month treatment period with sodium valproate (VPA) (800 mg/day) or placebo after a 6-day outpatient detoxification regimen. Demographic and clinical characteristics obtained on patients from both study arms were analyzed to point out an association with the response to the treatment. While for patients from VPA arm no significant results were obtained, comparing responders to non-responders to detoxification and advice to withdraw from MOH, a significant difference in headache duration was observed. Specifically, the efficacy of such treatment resulted ineffective in headache lasting longer than 30 years.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the benefit from detoxification and advice can be excluded in MOH of long duration. Therefore, a preventive treatment is suggested particularly for these patients.
Contact heat evoked potentials and habituation measured interictally in migraineurs
Authors: Beese Lena Clara , Putzer Denise , Osada Nani , Evers Stefan , Marziniak Martin
Published: June 2015

Background

A lack of habituation of different evoked potential modalities in migraine patients in-between attacks has been suggested.

Methods

This study investigates cortical response after painful stimuli evaluated by contact heat evoked potentials (CHEPs) and quantitative sensory testing (QST) during the migraine-free interval. We enrolled 22 migraine patients and 22 healthy subjects.

Results

Cortical potentials after contact heat stimulation of the cheeks and the volar forearm at a temperature of 51°C showed significantly reduced A-δ-amplitudes in patients and healthy controls. When the subjects’ attention was drawn to an arithmetic task, a partial lack of habituation of amplitude could be seen in migraine patients. QST did not show any difference between migraineurs and controls.

Conclusion

Our findings can be primarily deemed to demonstrate that patients and healthy controls show significantly lower amplitudes while performing the calculation task. Without performing the calculation task we could not show the expected lack of habituation in migraineurs. Yet, while performing the calculation task our results partly suggest that hypothesis.