bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlates of Domestic Violence Victimization Among North Korean Refugee Women in South Korea
Authors: Um Mee Young , Kim Hee Jin , Palinkas Lawrence A.
Published: January 2016

Although many North Korean (NK) refugee women are victims of domestic violence (DV) in North Korea, face sexual exploitation during migration, and remain at risk of DV while adapting to life in South Korea, there is no empirical evidence about risk factors for DV in this population. To fill this gap, this study examined whether gender role beliefs, child abuse history, and sociocultural adaptation were associated with past-year physical, emotional, sexual, and economic abuse, and whether they were associated with multiple forms of abuse. We also explored whether these associations were similar or different across different types of DV among NK refugee women. A sample of 180 ever-married NK refugee women in South Korea from the 2010 National Survey on Family Violence was used for analysis. Physical abuse was associated with more traditional gender role beliefs; emotional abuse and multiple forms of abuse were associated with lower levels of sociocultural adaptation; and sexual and economic abuse were associated with an increased likelihood of childhood abuse and poor sociocultural adaptation. Our study findings underscore the importance of assisting NK refugee women to be better adapted to the new culture in a practical way, because better sociocultural adaptation might protect them from experiencing various types of abuse. At the same time, findings of this study highlight the need for empowering NK refugee women who report physical abuse by educating their rights and altering their traditional beliefs of gender roles, and screening of childhood abuse and providing culturally sensitive psychotherapy to those who report sexual or economic abuse. Moreover, we suggest future studies to examine correlates of different forms of abuse separately because they can inform culturally tailored interventions for abused NK refugee women. To prevent further victimization, educational programs should be provided to NK refugee women at an early stage of resettlement in South Korea.
Exploring Kenyan Women’s Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Gillum Tameka L. , Doucette Mitchell , Mwanza Mtise , Munala Leso
Published: January 2016

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health problem and global human rights violation. Effective interventions can only be created upon conducting qualitative studies that explore the cultural context of an affected population and how they interpret the phenomenon. This qualitative study investigated Kenyan women’s perceptions of IPV. Two community-based focus groups ( n = 19) were conducted with Kenyan women in Nairobi. Conventional content analysis identified seven primary themes that emerged from focus group data: snapshot of violence; poverty; cultural context; masculinity; women taking action; resources; and, prevention strategies. Themes are described and implications for further research and intervention are presented.
The Yeomanry Cavalry and the Reconstitution of the Territorial Army
Authors: Hay George
Published: January 2016

This paper provides an insight into the complex relationship between Britain’s amateur cavalry regiments – the Yeomanry Cavalry – and their political and military masters during the reforming of the Territorial Army in the early 1920s. It discusses the force’s use of its influential political lobby to shape its future in the face of a determined restructuring exercise of the whole Territorial Army, but argues against the suggestion it was simply reactionary or anachronistic in its approach. As a county institution with a pedigree stretching back more than 125 years, the Yeomanry was naturally opposed to the fundamental changes being forced upon it: being dismounted to rebalance the Territorial Army with more artillery and a number of armoured car regiments. However, despite the interference of powerful advocates and elements of the force itself, and the eventual minor alterations to the original General Staff plan, the vast majority of regiments converted successfully to new arms, with only one voluntarily disbanding. This analysis finishes by highlighting the considerations that have always limited political interference with the Territorial Army, providing a cautionary historical example of the dangers of asking too much from the voluntary system.
Validation of an Arabic Questionnaire for Symptom Assessment
Authors: Al-Shahri Mohammad Zafir , Al-Zahrani Ali Saeed , Alansari Ameenah , Abdullah Abdulrahman , Alshaqi Mohamed , Matar Areej , Hassan Azza , Shoukri Mohamed , Sroor Mahmoud Yassin
Published: January 2016

Background:

Impeccable assessment of symptoms is central to palliative care (PC) practice.

Objectives:

The study objectives are (1) to test the validity of the Arabic Questionnaire for Symptom Assessment (AQSA) as a self-administered (SA) tool for assessing the severity of the listed symptoms among PC patients and (2) to test the validity of AQSA when completed by a proxy.

Methods:

The AQSA is a tool for assessing the severity of 11 symptoms in addition to the overall suffering experience on a 0 to 10 numeric scale. Symptom scores on the SA AQSA were compared to scores obtained through interviews with patients. The same procedure was repeated with patients’ sitters to explore the validity of using the tool for symptom assessment by proxy.

Results:

The study involved 107 pairs (a patient and a sitter, each) with a mean age of 46.3 years (females 59.8%) for patients and 35.9 years (females 65.7%) for sitters. The correlation coefficient ( r) for agreement between SA and interview-based (IB) scores for patients ranged from .65 ( P < .0001) for drowsiness to .86 ( P < .0001) for pain. The SA AQSA showed positive correlation between sitters’ and patients’ scores, with r ranging from .28 ( P = .004) for depression to .62 ( P ≤ .0001) for vomiting.

Conclusions:

The strong positive correlation between SA and IB AQSA indicates that the former is a valid tool. When the SA AQSA is used by proxy, it showed moderate to strong positive correlation with patients’ actual scores for most of the symptoms.
The Effect of Providing Life Support on Nurses’ Decision Making Regarding Life Support for Themselves and Family Members in Japan
Authors: Shaku Fumio , Tsutsumi Madoka
Published: January 2016

Decision making in terminal illness has recently received increased attention. In Japan, patients and their families typically make decisions without understanding either the severity of illness or the efficacy of life-supporting treatments at the end of life. Japanese culture traditionally directs the family to make decisions for the patient. This descriptive study examined the influence of the experiences of 391 Japanese nurses caring for dying patients and family members and how that experience changed their decision making for themselves and their family members. The results were mixed but generally supported the idea that the more experience nurses have in caring for the dying, the less likely they would choose to institute lifesupport measures for themselves and family members. The results have implications for discussions on end-of-life care.
Getting to the Root of the Problem in Experiential Learning
Authors: Miller Richard J. , Maellaro Rosemary
Published: January 2016

Experiential learning alone does not guarantee that students will accurately conceptualize content, or meet course outcomes in subsequent active experimentation stages. In an effort to more effectively meet learning objectives, the experiential learning cycle was modified with a unique combination of the 5 Whys root cause problem-solving tool and a collective reflection step. Applying these modifications through multiple iterations of in-class exercises, students in lean operations and leadership courses were able to move beyond treating symptoms of problems and generate more viable alternative actions for future applications of their learning. Improved grades, greater achievement of learning objectives, and positive student reactions provide evidence of the modified experiential learning cycle’s success. A generalized framework for using the modified learning cycle in other management courses is also presented.
Minimally Invasive Versus Open Distal Fibular Plating for AO/OTA 44-B Ankle Fractures
Authors: Chiang Chao-Ching , Tzeng Yun-Hsuan , Lin Chun-Cheng , Huang Ching-Kuei , Chang Ming-Chau
Published: January 2016

Background:

Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), the standard treatment for unstable ankle fractures, has well-known wound complications. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been proposed to decrease these complications. The objectives of this study were to describe an algorithm of MIS for fibular plating and compare the radiographic restoration of fibular anatomy, functional outcomes, and complications between ORIF and MIS for ankle fractures.

Methods:

This retrospective study included 71 patients with AO/OTA 44-B ankle fractures treated by a single surgeon. ORIF group consisted of 34 patients (54.5-month follow-up) and MIS group was composed of 37 patients (55.9-month follow-up). Among 37 MIS patients, 13 patients were treated with minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis and 24 patients with minimally invasive trans-fracture approach according to our MIS algorithm. Operative outcomes were evaluated and compared between the 2 groups by radiographic measurements, functional assessment, and complications.

Results:

The MIS group had less blood loss but longer operative time and greater exposure to fluoroscopy. Radiographic measurements revealed similar union time, fibular length, talocrural angle, medial clear space, and tibiofibular clear space in both groups. Lower visual analogue pain score was observed in the MIS group in the early postoperative period. At last follow-up, there were no significant differences regarding pain score, American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot score, and range of motion between the 2 groups. Total complication rate was significantly higher in the ORIF group.

Conclusion:

Patients with AO/OTA 44-B fractures treated with MIS fibular plating achieved similar radiographic and functional outcomes but had less pain in the early postoperative period and fewer wound complications compared with those treated with ORIF.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Integrating Moderation and Mediation
Authors: Sardeshmukh Shruti R. , Vandenberg Robert J.
Published: January 2016

It is increasingly common to test hypotheses combining moderation and mediation. Structural equation modeling (SEM) has been the favored approach to testing mediation hypotheses. However, the biggest challenge to testing moderation hypotheses in SEM was the complexity underlying the modeling of latent variable interactions. We discuss the latent moderated structural equation procedure (LMS) approach to specifying latent variable interactions, which is implemented in Mplus, and offer a simple and accessible way of testing combined moderation and mediation hypotheses using SEM. To do so, we provide sample code for six commonly encountered moderation and mediation cases and relevant equations that can be easily adapted to researchers’ data. By articulating the similarities in the two different approaches, discussing the combination of moderation and mediation, we also contribute to the research methods literature.
Space as designs for and in learning: investigating the interplay between space, interaction and learning sequences in higher education
Authors: Leijon Marie
Published: January 2016

In this article, the author seeks to investigate the interplay between space, interaction and learning sequences in higher education. She argues that space is an important part of designs for learning, where the building and the rooms are parts of the framing and the conditions for learning; furthermore, she discusses space as a resource in the meaning-making process, considering space as a significant part of designs in learning. The analysis builds on the concept that we can read space as three-dimensional text, using Halliday’s metafunctional theory to understand meaning potential in a space. The article also draws on a design-oriented perspective called ’Designs for Learning’ and demonstrates how we can understand space as being a part both of designs for learning and of designs in learning.
Sensitive physiological indicators for human visual comfort evaluation
Authors: Sun C , Lian Z
Published: January 2016

Three physiological factors (melatonin levels, tear mucus ferning quality and degree of asthenopia) were examined for their relationship to visual comfort. A lighting environment was created where the illuminance, illuminance uniformity and correlated colour temperature could be adjusted. A three-factor and three-level orthogonal experiment with 24 subjects was designed and carried out. The results indicated that the selected environmental factors had different impacts on the physiological factors. With the illuminance increasing, the melatonin level decreased significantly and the tear mucus ferning quality was improved. However, there is no general influence of illuminance uniformity and correlated colour temperature on the physiological parameters, only differential effects among the three levels were found.
Characterising user preference for white LED light sources with CIE colour rendering index combined with a relative gamut area index
Authors: Teunissen C , van der Heijden FHFW , Poort SHM , de Beer E
Published: January 2016

The CIE general colour rendering index ( Ra) is still the only widely used and accepted colour fidelity index for characterising white light sources. However, user preference for light sources is not determined by fidelity alone but also by colour saturation. Here, we investigate the impact of fidelity and gamut area on the preference for white light sources in three application areas: fresh food, packaged food and skin tones. Thirty-four participants evaluated the attractiveness of object appearance for seven light sources with Ra values ranging between 70 and 100 and relative gamut area index ( Ga) ranging between 90 and 120. Results show that object appearance was rated as more attractive for light sources with a larger colour gamut, which have Ra values of 80 and lower. In general, light sources with relatively high spectral power in the long wavelength range, enhancing red objects, received the highest preference. We conclude that, next to fidelity, colour saturation makes a significant contribution to the appreciation of a light source. We therefore propose using Ra in conjunction with Ga and a colour rendering graphic for providing a more detailed description of the colour quality of white LED light sources.
Justice as Failure
Authors: Dilts Andrew
Published: January 2016

In this reflection, I take up the contradiction of calling for justice to be delivered from the same institutions that, under contemporary conditions of settler-colonial and white supremacist hetero-patriarchy, are often themselves the sources of injustice. I argue for an orientation toward justice that grounds itself on its condition of failure, drawing on Beauvoir’s existentialist ethics and queer theory’s embrace of failure as a resource for critical analysis and liberation. From an abolitionist perspective, I thus call for thinking about justice as failure in order to better hear the voices and respond to the demands of those most marginalized by carceral logics and practices.
Witnessing in the age of the database: Viral memorials, affective publics, and the assemblage of mourning
Authors: Papailias Penelope
Published: January 2016

Many terms, such as spontaneous shrines, grassroots memorials and performative commemoratives, have been used to describe the collaborative on-site and online memorials created following the deaths of national and global figures, as well as those of unknown victims of mass-mediated disasters. I argue that the adjective “viral” better captures the temporality, spatiality, materiality, and mimeticism of these formations, as well as their frequent pathologization. Contemporary performative public mourning follows from mediated witnessing in the era of networked digital media, forming a witnessing/mourning assemblage. The corporeal testifying of the witness-turned-mourner contributes material derivatives to an affective network. Breaking from constative, narrative testimony and the exclusionary logic of the monument, these memorial aggregations emerge from processes of database (de)composition and network virality. Through the close analysis of a 2008 YouTube memorial video tribute for victims of a Greek bus accident, I consider shifts in public grieving and memorialization of catastrophic media events in relation to developments in web protocols and platforms.
Oesophageal biopsies are insufficient to predict final histology after endoscopic resection in early Barrett’s neoplasia
Authors: Werbrouck E , De Hertogh G , Sagaert X , Coremans G , Willekens H , Demedts I , Bisschops R
Published: January 2016

Background

Endoscopic resection (ER) with or without ablation is the first choice treatment for early Barrett’s neoplasia. Adequate staging is important to assure a good oncological outcome.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of pre‐operative biopsies in patients who undergo ER for high‐grade dysplasia (HGD) or early adenocarcinoma (EAC) in Barrett’s oesophagus (BE) and the cardia.

Methods

Between November 2005–May 2012, 142 ERs performed in 137 patients were obtained. Worst pre‐ER and ER histology were compared. Upgrading/downgrading was defined as any more/less severe histological grading on the ER specimen.

Results

The accuracy of pre‐ER biopsies in predicting final histology was 61%. ER changed the pre‐treatment diagnosis in 55 of the 142 procedures (39%) with downgrading in 23 cases (16%) and upgrading from HGD to T1a or T1b in 32 cases (23%). In the majority of upgraded cases, a visible lesion according to the Paris classification could be detected (26/32, 81%).

Conclusion

The diagnostic accuracy of oesophageal biopsies alone in predicting final pathology in Barrett’s dysplasia is only 61%. The majority of upgraded lesions are detectable. When ablative therapy is considered in HGD Barrett's dysplasia a meticulous inspection for and removal of all small visible lesions is mandatory.
Determinants of Involvement in Work for Voluntary or Charitable Organizations in European Countries
Authors: Reznik Oleksandr
Published: January 2016

Differences in democratic traditions and socioeconomic development of various countries leave a mark on the extent of involvement in work for voluntary organizations. The author makes an attempt to check whether these differences have an effect on the determinants of such kind of involvement. Socioeconomic status, social capital, civic engagement, and political participation were considered as determinants. Multiple linear regressions based on the data of the third and sixth rounds of European Social Survey (ESS-3 and ESS-6) were used to clarify configurations of the factors’ effect. The analysis has shown that socioeconomic factors and main components of social capital proved insignificant. Instead, the behavioral components of civic engagement and political participation turned out to be the most influential and distributed among most European countries. The influence of participation in social activities on the involvement in work for voluntary or charitable organizations is rather inherent in European societies with stable democracy and developed economy.
Who Believes in the Giant Skeleton Myth? An Examination of Individual Difference Correlates
Authors: Swami Viren , Tran Ulrich S. , Stieger Stefan , Pietschnig Jakob , Nader Ingo W. , Voracek Martin
Published: January 2016

This study examined individual difference correlates of belief in a narrative about the discovery of giant skeletal remains that contravenes mainstream scientific explanations. A total of 364 participants from Central Europe completed a survey that asked them to rate their agreement with a short excerpt describing the giant skeleton myth. Participants also completed measures of the Big Five personality factors, New Age orientation, anti-scientific attitudes, superstitious beliefs, and religiosity. Results showed that women, as compared with men, and respondents with lower educational qualifications were significantly more likely to believe in the giant skeleton myth, although effect sizes were small. Correlational analysis showed that stronger belief in the giant skeleton myth was significantly associated with greater anti-scientific attitudes, stronger New Age orientation, greater religiosity, stronger superstitious beliefs, lower Openness to Experience scores, and higher Neuroticism scores. However, a multiple regression showed that the only significant predictors of belief in myth were Openness, New Age orientation, and anti-scientific attitudes. These results are discussed in relation to the potential negative consequences of belief in myths.
Investigation of Health Care Components in Transition IEPs
Authors: Repetto Jeanne B. , Jaress Jennifer , Lindsey Jenna , Bae Jungah
Published: January 2016

The purpose of this study was to assess the inclusion of health care components in transition Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students diagnosed with Other Health Impaired (OHI). In this study, we analyzed 50 IEPs of students with an OHI diagnosis to establish whether there are health-related components or other common health care themes. Our data indicated that even though IEP team members noted detailed health concerns on the IEPs, it is unclear whether they considered these concerns in planning for postsecondary outcomes. Data from this study support a disconnect between knowing health concerns are present and needing to be addressed but not taking them into account in transition planning.
Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) stimulates STAT3 activation and IL-17 expression in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
Authors: Willerslev-Olsen Andreas , Krejsgaard Thorbjørn , Lindahl Lise M. , Litvinov Ivan V. , Fredholm Simon , Petersen David L. , Nastasi Claudia , Gniadecki Robert , Mongan Nigel P. , Sasseville Denis , Wasik Mariusz A. , Bonefeld Charlotte M. , Geisler Carsten , Woetmann Anders , Iversen Lars , Kilian Mogens , Koralov Sergei B. , Odum Niels
Published: January 2016

Key Points

Staphylococcal enterotoxins activate oncogenic pathways in CTCL. This discovery implies a novel role of microbes as drivers of disease progression.
Modelling subject-specific childhood growth using linear mixed-effect models with cubic regression splines
Authors: Grajeda Laura M. , Ivanescu Andrada , Saito Mayuko , Crainiceanu Ciprian , Jaganath Devan , Gilman Robert H. , Crabtree Jean E. , Kelleher Dermott , Cabrera Lilia , Cama Vitaliano , Checkley William
Published: January 2016

Background

Childhood growth is a cornerstone of pediatric research. Statistical models need to consider individual trajectories to adequately describe growth outcomes. Specifically, well-defined longitudinal models are essential to characterize both population and subject-specific growth. Linear mixed-effect models with cubic regression splines can account for the nonlinearity of growth curves and provide reasonable estimators of population and subject-specific growth, velocity and acceleration.

Methods

We provide a stepwise approach that builds from simple to complex models, and account for the intrinsic complexity of the data. We start with standard cubic splines regression models and build up to a model that includes subject-specific random intercepts and slopes and residual autocorrelation. We then compared cubic regression splines vis-à-vis linear piecewise splines, and with varying number of knots and positions. Statistical code is provided to ensure reproducibility and improve dissemination of methods. Models are applied to longitudinal height measurements in a cohort of 215 Peruvian children followed from birth until their fourth year of life.

Results

Unexplained variability, as measured by the variance of the regression model, was reduced from 7.34 when using ordinary least squares to 0.81 (p < 0.001) when using a linear mixed-effect models with random slopes and a first order continuous autoregressive error term. There was substantial heterogeneity in both the intercept (p < 0.001) and slopes (p < 0.001) of the individual growth trajectories. We also identified important serial correlation within the structure of the data (ρ = 0.66; 95 % CI 0.64 to 0.68; p < 0.001), which we modeled with a first order continuous autoregressive error term as evidenced by the variogram of the residuals and by a lack of association among residuals. The final model provides a parametric linear regression equation for both estimation and prediction of population- and individual-level growth in height. We show that cubic regression splines are superior to linear regression splines for the case of a small number of knots in both estimation and prediction with the full linear mixed effect model (AIC 19,352 vs. 19,598, respectively). While the regression parameters are more complex to interpret in the former, we argue that inference for any problem depends more on the estimated curve or differences in curves rather than the coefficients. Moreover, use of cubic regression splines provides biological meaningful growth velocity and acceleration curves despite increased complexity in coefficient interpretation.

Conclusions

Through this stepwise approach, we provide a set of tools to model longitudinal childhood data for non-statisticians using linear mixed-effect models.
Nutrition support practices in critically ill head-injured patients: a global perspective
Authors: Chapple Lee-anne S. , Chapman Marianne J. , Lange Kylie , Deane Adam M. , Heyland Daren K.
Published: January 2016

Background

Critical illness following head injury is associated with a hypermetabolic state but there are insufficient epidemiological data describing acute nutrition delivery to this group of patients. Furthermore, there is little information describing relationships between nutrition and clinical outcomes in this population.

Methods

We undertook an analysis of observational data, collected prospectively as part of International Nutrition Surveys 2007-2013, and extracted data obtained from critically ill patients with head trauma. Our objective was to describe global nutrition support practices in the first 12 days of hospital admission after head trauma, and to explore relationships between energy and protein intake and clinical outcomes. Data are presented as mean (SD), median (IQR), or percentages.

Results

Data for 1045 patients from 341 ICUs were analyzed. The age of patients was 44.5 (19.7) years, 78 % were male, and median ICU length of stay was 13.1 (IQR 7.9-21.6) days. Most patients (94 %) were enterally fed but received only 58 % of estimated energy and 53 % of estimated protein requirements. Patients from an ICU with a feeding protocol had greater energy and protein intakes (p <0.001, 0.002 respectively) and were more likely to survive (OR 0.65; 95 % CI 0.42-0.99; p = 0.043) than those without. Energy or protein intakes were not associated with mortality. However, a greater energy and protein deficit was associated with longer times until discharge alive from both ICU and hospital (all p <0.001).

Conclusion

Nutritional deficits are commonplace in critically ill head-injured patients and these deficits are associated with a delay to discharge alive.
Human Rights Violations
Authors: Lira Elizabeth
Published: January 2016

Forty years after the coup of 1973, the death of President Salvador Allende Gossens, and the beginning of a seventeen-year period (1973–90) of human rights violations by the military dictatorship, it is time to turn attention from a Santiago-centric history and relate the regional and local histories of the dictatorship. This article examines the history and social memory of dictatorship constructed in the Magellan region of Chile since 1973, from the vantage point of the efforts of victims and survivors who have fought valiantly for truth, justice, memory, and reparations in the face of impunity in the far south of Chile since 1973.
Case Report: Efficacy of dobesilate in insertional Achilles tendinopathy
Authors: Cuevas Pedro , Fernández Jaén Tomás , Guillén Pedro , Angulo Javier , Giménez-Gallego Guillermo
Published: January 2016

Achilles tendinopathy is an overuse syndrome, common among runners, with sometimes considerable negative impact on their performance, overall health, and well-being. Our report shows that local injection of an aqueous solution of the diethylammonium salt of dobesilate, an inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor with significant anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory effects, is effective in reducing vascular density and pain in insertional Achilles tendinopathy.
Temporal variation in major trauma admissions
Authors: Kieffer WKM , Michalik DV , Gallagher K , McFadyen I , Bernard J , Rogers BA
Published: January 2016

Introduction

Trauma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the UK. Since the inception of the trauma networks, little is known of the temporal pattern of trauma admissions.

Methods

Trauma Audit and Research Network data for 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2013 were collated from two large major trauma centres (MTCs) in the South East of England: Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (BSUH) and St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (SGU). The number of admissions and the injury severity score by time of admission, by weekdays versus weekend and by month/season were analysed.

Results

There were 1,223 admissions at BSUH and 1,241 at SGU. There was significant variation by time of admission; there were more admissions in the afternoons (BSUH p<0.001) and evenings (SGU p<0.001). There were proportionally more admissions at the weekends than on weekdays (BSUH p<0.001, SGU p=0.028). There was significant seasonal variation in admissions at BSUH (p<0.001) with more admissions in summer and autumn. No significant seasonal variation was observed at SGU (p=0.543).

Conclusions

The temporal patterns observed were different for each MTC with important implications for resource planning of trauma care. This study identified differing needs for different MTCs and resource planning should be individualised to the network.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between frailty and outcome in surgical patients
Authors: Oakland K , Nadler R , Cresswell L , Jackson D , Coughlin PA
Published: January 2016

Introduction

Frailty is becoming increasingly prevalent in the elderly population although a lack of consensus regarding a clinical definition hampers comparison of clinical studies. More elderly patients are being assessed for surgical intervention but the effect of frailty on surgical related outcomes is still not clear.

Methods

A systematic literature search for studies prospectively reporting frailty and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing surgical intervention was performed with data collated from a total of 12 studies. Random effects meta-analysis modelling was undertaken to estimate the association between frailty and mortality rates (in-hospital and one-year), length of hospital stay and the need for step-down care for further rehabilitation/nursing home placement.

Results

Frailty was associated with a higher in-hospital mortality rate (pooled odds ratio [OR]: 2.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.62–4.73), a higher one-year mortality rate (pooled OR: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.49–2.66), a longer hospital stay (pooled mean difference: 1.05 days, 95% CI: 0.02–2.07 days) and a higher discharge rate to further rehabilitation/step-down care (pooled OR: 5.71, 95% CI: 3.41–9.55).

Conclusions

The presence of frailty in patients undergoing surgical intervention is associated with poorer outcomes with regard to mortality and return to independence. Further in-depth studies are required to identify factors that can be optimised to reduce the burden of frailty in surgical patients.
Estrategias publicitarias para jóvenes: advergaming, redes sociales y realidad aumentada
Authors: Del Moral Pérez María Esther , Villalustre Martínez Lourdes , Neira Piñeiro María del Rosario
Published: January 2016

El nuevo contexto digital está condicionando los recursos y estrategias que las marcas utilizan para atraer a los jóvenes, apostando por el entretenimiento, creando formatos híbridos como advergames, aprovechando la interconectividad de las redes sociales y ofreciendo experiencias interactivas con realidad aumentada (RA). La presente investigación -de corte cualitativo- analiza 9 campañas publicitarias apoyadas en RA y dirigidas a jóvenes, utilizando un instrumento de análisis de contenido que identifica las tácticas persuasivas y los recursos tecnológicos empleados. Resaltando las oportunidades que ofrece la interacción y “manipulación” virtual de productos 3D, y reflexionando sobre las amenazas derivadas de su potencial inmersivo, capaz de atrapar a los menores e incrementar la asimilación inconsciente de los mensajes publicitarios. Finalmente, se enuncian las claves para una alfabetización publicitaria que minimice el impacto de estas atractivas experiencias lúdicas publicitarias en los jóvenes, formando su espíritu crítico para un consumo saludable.
Narrativa digital e infancia. La generación de los creadores colaborativos
Authors: Gil Quintana Javier
Published: January 2016

La naturaleza de los medios y lenguajes digitales ha posibilitado el desarrollo de diferentes técnicas que, en el canon del mundo analógico, se veían limitadas. Esta combinación ha originado, en los primeros años de vida del ser humano, nuevas formas de aprender envueltas en una nueva realidad. Las técnicas de creación que adquieren los niños en espacios alejados de cualquier currículo escolar, son desarrolladas gracias a su condición de ciudadanos de un contexto de sabios digitales; condición que trae intrínseco un conocimiento en el manejo tecnológico como de manera innata, convirtiendo la narrativa digital en el medio que ellos utilizan para aprender y comunicarse. Como consecuencia, en el modelo EMEREC más individualista se abre paso una generación de creadores colaborativos otorgando, por medio de la participación infantil, una mayor potencialidad a la ley de los tres tercios.
The dendritic cell side of the immunological synapse
Authors: Verboogen Danielle R.J. , Dingjan Ilse , Revelo Natalia H. , Visser Linda J. , ter Beest Martin , van den Bogaart Geert
Published: January 2016

Immune responses are initiated by the interactions between antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells (DCs), with responder cells, such as T cells, via a tight cellular contact interface called the immunological synapse. The immunological synapse is a highly organized subcellular structure that provides a platform for the presentation of antigen in major histocompatibility class I and II complexes (MHC class I and II) on the surface of the APC to receptors on the surface of the responder cells. In T cells, these contacts lead to highly polarized membrane trafficking that results in the local release of lytic granules and in the delivery and recycling of T cell receptors at the immunological synapse. Localized trafficking also occurs at the APC side of the immunological synapse, especially in DCs where antigen loaded in MHC class I and II is presented and cytokines are released specifically at the synapse. Whereas the molecular mechanisms underlying polarized membrane trafficking at the T cell side of the immunological synapse are increasingly well understood, these are still very unclear at the APC side. In this review, we discuss the organization of the APC side of the immunological synapse. We focus on the directional trafficking and release of membrane vesicles carrying MHC molecules and cytokines at the immunological synapses of DCs. We hypothesize that the specific delivery of MHC and the release of cytokines at the immunological synapse mechanistically resemble that of lytic granule release from T cells.
Ingestion of a natural mineral-rich water in an animal model of metabolic syndrome: effects in insulin signalling and endoplasmic reticulum stress
Authors: Pereira Cidália D. , Passos Emanuel , Severo Milton , Vitó Isabel , Wen Xiaogang , Carneiro Fátima , Gomes Pedro , Monteiro Rosário , Martins Maria J.
Published: January 2016

Background: High-fructose and/or low-mineral diets are relevant in metabolic syndrome (MS) development. Insulin resistance (IR) represents a central mechanism in MS development. Glucocorticoid signalling dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and oxidative stresses strongly contribute to IR and associate with MS. We have described that natural mineral-rich water ingestion delays fructose-induced MS development, modulates fructose effects on the redox state and glucocorticoid signalling and increases sirtuin 1 expression. Here, we investigated mineral-rich water ingestion effects on insulin signalling and ER homeostasis of fructose-fed rats.

Materials and methods: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats had free access to standard-chow diet and different drinking solutions (8 weeks): tap water (CONT), 10%-fructose/tap water (FRUCT) or 10%-fructose/mineral-rich water (FRUCTMIN). Hepatic and adipose (visceral, VAT) insulin signalling and hepatic ER homeostasis (Western blot or PCR) as well as hepatic lipid accumulation were evaluated.

Results: Hepatic p-IRS1Ser307/IRS1 (tendency), p-IRS1Ser307, total JNK and (activated IRE1α)/(activated JNK) decreased with fructose ingestion, while p-JNK tended to increase; mineral-rich water ingestion, totally or partially, reverted all these effects. Total PERK, p-eIF2α (tendency) and total IRS1 (tendency) decreased in both fructose-fed groups. p-ERK/ERK and total IRE1α increasing tendencies in FRUCT became significant in FRUCTMIN (similar pattern for lipid area). Additionally, unspliced-XBP1 increased with mineral-rich water. In VAT, total ERK fructose-induced increase was partially prevented in FRUCTMIN.

Conclusions: Mineral-rich water modulation of fructose-induced effects on insulin signalling and ER homeostasis matches the better metabolic profile previously reported. Increased p-ERK/ERK, adding to decreased IRE1α activation, and increased unspliced-XBP1 and lipid area may protect against oxidative stress and IR development in FRUCTMIN.
Green sample preparation of complex matrices: towards sustainable separations of organic compounds based on the biorefinery concept
Authors: Zuin Vânia G.
Published: January 2016

The development and application of green analytical techniques aiming at the sample preparation of complex matrices for the study of organic compounds have been growing considerably over the last 15 years. Miniaturisation, automation and solventless techniques are gaining importance in this field, associated to others, as is the case of metrics. However, the unreflected use of the so-called green analytical techniques “might lead to doing the same things better, rather than rethinking solutions altogether”. Some limits and potentialities of the green sample preparation towards sustainable separations of organic compounds using the biorefinery concept will be also discussed in this paper, a promising biobased route that can integrate sustainable extraction and purification processes in a whole complete circular unity.
Hezi’s Autobiographical Inscription: Philological Study and Interpretation
Authors: Stauder-Porchet Julie
Published: January 2016

Although concise, Hezi’s autobiographical inscription (temp. Teti) displays a number of unusual formulations and a tightly wrought poetic structure. Based on a discussion of various difficult passages, a new translation of the inscription is proposed (part 1). Against the general background of innovative formulation of Teti’s reign, unusual formulations are described as consisting in variations on common formulations, unparalleled phraseology, and grammatical constructions that are not otherwise documented (part 2). The tripartite structure of the text, mirrored in its layout, is examined in relation to the elements of additive and symmetrical patterning that make up the poetic structure of the composition (part 3). Pulling these lines of investigation together, it is finally shown how unusual formulations and poetic structure support one another in foregrounding the semantics of the text (part 4). Rather than narrative and referential, the text is argued to be a form of expository discourse that expresses, or even performatively establishes, aspects of the relation of the speaker with the king.
Illocution and Speaker Intent in Coptic: the Case of the ‘Autofocal’ Second Tenses
Authors: Uljas Sami
Published: January 2016

It is suggested that the so-called ‘autofocal’ second tenses attested in Coptic are characterised by uniform illocutionary properties. In most and perhaps all cases these constructions seem to appear when speakers view the propositional content of what is said as unacceptable, invalid, or, less often, defective in terms of its information value. It is shown that cross-linguistic parallels to these uses are readily forthcoming from other languages, where propositions of similar sort are regularly coded with subjunctive and corresponding forms.
Accountability in Rural India
Authors: Brulé Rachel
Published: January 2016

This article studies variation in individuals’ perceived ability across India to hold local officials accountable for their performance. It finds significant gender differences in accountability perceptions, consistent with traditional social institutions. Exposure to progressive institutions of education and labor mobility is associated with the elimination and reversal of gender differences.
Black Women’s Food Work as Critical Space
Authors: Nettles-Barcelón Kimberly D. , Clark Gillian , Thorsson Courtney , Walker Jessica Kenyatta , Williams-Forson Psyche
Published: January 2016

Black American women have long sustained a complex relationship to food—its production, consumption, and distribution within families, communities, and the nation. Black women, often represented in American culture as “natural” good cooks on the one hand and beset by obesity on the other, straddle an uncomfortable divide that is at the heart of contemporary debate about the nature of our food system. Yet, Black women as authorities in the kitchen and elsewhere in matters of food—culturally, politically, and socially—are largely absent, made invisible by the continued salience of intersecting vectors of disempowerment: race/gender/class/sexuality. In this dialogue, we bring together a variety of agents, approaches, explorations, and examples of the spaces where Black American women have asserted their “food voices” in ways that challenge fundamentally the status quo (both progressive and conservative) and utilize the dominant discourses to create spaces of dissent and strategic acquiescence to the logics of capital ever-present in our food systems.
On the Identifiability of Transmission Dynamic Models for Infectious Diseases
Authors: Lintusaari Jarno , Gutmann Michael U , Kaski Samuel , Corander Jukka
Published: January 2016

Understanding the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases is important for both biological research and public health applications. It has been widely demonstrated that statistical modeling provides a firm basis for inferring relevant epidemiological quantities from incidence and molecular data. However, the complexity of transmission dynamic models presents two challenges: (1) the likelihood function of the models is generally not computable, and computationally intensive simulation-based inference methods need to be employed, and (2) the model may not be fully identifiable from the available data. While the first difficulty can be tackled by computational and algorithmic advances, the second obstacle is more fundamental. Identifiability issues may lead to inferences that are driven more by prior assumptions than by the data themselves. We consider a popular and relatively simple yet analytically intractable model for the spread of tuberculosis based on classical IS6110 fingerprinting data. We report on the identifiability of the model, also presenting some methodological advances regarding the inference. Using likelihood approximations, we show that the reproductive value cannot be identified from the data available and that the posterior distributions obtained in previous work have likely been substantially dominated by the assumed prior distribution. Further, we show that the inferences are influenced by the assumed infectious population size, which generally has been kept fixed in previous work. We demonstrate that the infectious population size can be inferred if the remaining epidemiological parameters are already known with sufficient precision.
Signaling Cascades Governing Cdc42-Mediated Chondrogenic Differentiation and Mensenchymal Condensation
Authors: Wang Jirong , Wang Chaojun , Xu Chengyun , Wu Xiaokai , Hong Dun , Shi Wei , Gong Ying , Chen Haixiao , Long Fanxin , Wu Ximei
Published: January 2016

Endochondral ossification consists of successive steps of chondrocyte differentiation, including mesenchymal condensation, differentiation of chondrocytes, and hypertrophy followed by mineralization and ossification. Loss-of-function studies have revealed that abnormal growth plate cartilage of the Cdc42 mutant contributes to the defects in endochondral bone formation. Here, we have investigated the roles of Cdc42 in osteogenesis and signaling cascades governing Cdc42-mediated chondrogenic differentiation. Though deletion of Cdc42 in limb mesenchymal progenitors led to severe defects in endochondral ossification, either ablation of Cdc42 in limb preosteoblasts or knockdown of Cdc42 in vitro had no obvious effects on bone formation and osteoblast differentiation. However, in Cdc42 mutant limb buds, loss of Cdc42 in mesenchymal progenitors led to marked inactivation of p38 and Smad1/5, and in micromass cultures, Cdc42 lay on the upstream of p38 to activate Smad1/5 in bone morphogenetic protein-2-induced mesenchymal condensation. Finally, Cdc42 also lay on the upstream of protein kinase B to transactivate Sox9 and subsequently induced the expression of chondrocyte differential marker in transforming growth factor-β1-induced chondrogenesis. Taken together, by using biochemical and genetic approaches, we have demonstrated that Cdc42 is involved not in osteogenesis but in chondrogenesis in which the BMP2/Cdc42/Pak/p38/Smad signaling module promotes mesenchymal condensation and the TGF-β/Cdc42/Pak/Akt/Sox9 signaling module facilitates chondrogenic differentiation.