bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Airway and Endobronchial Ultrasound in Perioperative Medicine
Authors: Votruba Jiri , Zemanová Petra , Lambert Lukas , Vesela Michaela Michalkova
Published: December 2015

Recent years have witnessed an increased use of ultrasound in evaluation of the airway and the lower parts of the respiratory system. Ultrasound examination is fast and reliable and can be performed at the bedside and does not carry the risk of exposure to ionizing radiation. Apart from use in diagnostics it may also provide safe guidance for invasive and semi-invasive procedures. Ultrasound examination of the oral cavity structures, epiglottis, vocal cords, and subglottic space may help in the prediction of difficult intubation. Preoperative ultrasound may diagnose vocal cord palsy or deviation or stenosis of the trachea. Ultrasonography can also be used for confirmation of endotracheal tube, double-lumen tube, or laryngeal mask placement. This can be achieved by direct examination of the tube inside the trachea or by indirect methods evaluating lung movements. Postoperative airway ultrasound may reveal laryngeal pathology or subglottic oedema. Conventional ultrasound is a reliable real-time navigational tool for emergency cricothyrotomy or percutaneous dilational tracheostomy. Endobronchial ultrasound is a combination of bronchoscopy and ultrasonography and is used for preoperative examination of lung cancer and solitary pulmonary nodules. The method is also useful for real-time navigated biopsies of such pathological structures.
Validation of Capturing Sleep Diary Data via a Wrist-Worn Device
Authors: Jungquist Carla R. , Pender John J. , Klingman Karen J. , Mund Jamie
Published: December 2015

Paper sleep diaries are the gold standard for assessment of sleep continuity variables in clinical practice as well as research. Unfortunately, paper diaries can be filled out weekly instead of daily, lost, illegible or destroyed; and are considered out of date according to the newer technology savvy generations. In this study, we assessed the reliability and validity of using a wrist-worn electronic sleep diary.Design.A prospective design was used to compare capturing 14 days of sleep continuity data via paper to a wrist-worn electronic device that also captured actigraphy data.Results.Thirty-five healthy community dwelling adults with mean (sd) age of 36 (15), 80% Caucasians, and 74% females were enrolled. All sleep continuity variables via electronic and paper diary capture methods were significantly correlated with moderate, positive relationships. Assessment of validity revealed that electronic data capture had a significant relationship with objective measure of sleep continuity variables as measured by actigraphy. Paper diary variables were not significantly associated with objective measures.Conclusions. The use of a wrist-worn device to capture daily sleep diary data is as accurate as and for some variables more accurate than using paper diaries.
Saw Palmetto Extract Inhibits Metastasis and Antiangiogenesis through STAT3 Signal Pathway in Glioma Cell
Authors: Ding Hong , Shen Jinglian , Yang Yang , Che Yuqin
Published: December 2015

Signal transducer and activator of transcription factor 3 (STAT3) plays an important role in the proliferation and angiogenesis in human glioma. Previous research indicated that saw palmetto extract markedly inhibited the proliferation of human glioma cells through STAT3 signal pathway. But its effect on tumor metastasis and antiangiogenesis is not clear. This study is to further clear the impact of saw palmetto extract on glioma cell metastasis, antiangiogenesis, and its mechanism. TUNEL assay indicated that the apoptotic cells in the saw palmetto treated group are higher than that in the control group (p<0.05). The apoptosis related protein is detected and the results revealed that saw palmetto extract inhibits the proliferation of human glioma. Meanwhile pSTAT3 is lower in the experimental group and CD34 is also inhibited in the saw palmetto treated group. This means that saw palmetto extract could inhibit the angiogenesis in glioma. We found that saw palmetto extract was an important phytotherapeutic drug against the human glioma through STAT3 signal pathway. Saw palmetto extract may be useful as an adjunctive therapeutic agent for treatment of individuals with glioma and other types of cancer in which STAT3 signaling is activated.
Risk Factors Associated with Increased Morbidity in Living Liver Donation
Authors: Candido Helry L. , da Fonseca Eduardo A. , Feier Flávia H. , Pugliese Renata , Benavides Marcel A. , Silva Enis D. , Gordon Karina , de Abreu Marcelo Gama , Canet Jaume , Chapchap Paulo , Neto Joao Seda
Published: December 2015

Living donor liver donation (LDLD) is an alternative to cadaveric liver donation. We aimed at identifying risk factors and developing a score for prediction of postoperative complications (POCs) after LDLD in donors. This is a retrospective cohort study in 688 donors between June 1995 and February 2014 at Hospital Sírio-Libanês and A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, in São Paulo, Brazil. Primary outcome was POC graded ≥III according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Left lateral segment (LLS), left lobe (LL), and right lobe resections (RL) were conducted in 492 (71.4%), 109 (15.8%), and 87 (12.6%) donors, respectively. In total, 43 (6.2%) developed POCs, which were more common after RL than LLS and LL (14/87 (16.1%) versus 23/492 (4.5%) and 6/109 (5.5%), resp.,p<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that RL resection (OR: 2.81, 95% CI: 1.32 to 3.01;p=0.008), smoking status (OR: 3.2, 95% CI: 1.35 to 7.56;p=0.012), and blood transfusion (OR: 3.15, 95% CI: 1.45 to 6.84;p=0.004) were independently associated with POCs. RL resection, intraoperative blood transfusion, and smoking were associated with increased risk for POCs in donors.
Dasatinib and Doxorubicin Treatment of Sarcoma Initiating Cells: A Possible New Treatment Strategy
Authors: Aggerholm-Pedersen Ninna , Demuth Christina , Safwat Akmal , Meldgaard Peter , Kassem Moustapha , Sandahl Sorensen Boe
Published: December 2015

Background. One of the major challenges affecting sarcoma treatment outcome, particularly that of metastatic disease, is resistance to chemotherapy. Cancer‐initiating cells are considered a major contributor to this resistance. Methods. An immortalised nontransformed human stromal (mesenchymal) stem cell line hMSC‐TERT4 and a transformed cell line hMSC‐TERT20‐CE8, known to form sarcoma‐like tumours when implanted in immune‐deficient mice, were used as models. Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) activation was analysed by RTK arrays and cellular viability after tyrosine kinases inhibitor (TKI) treatment with or without doxorubicin was assessed by MTS assay. Results. Initial results showed that the hMSC‐TERT4 was more doxorubicin‐sensitive while hMSC‐TERT20‐CE8 was less doxorubicin‐sensitive evidenced by monitoring cell viability in the presence of doxorubicin at different doses. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was activated in both cell lines. However hMSC‐TERT20‐CE8 exhibited significantly higher expression of the EGFR ligands. EGFR inhibitors such as erlotinib and afatinib alone or in combination with doxorubicin failed to further decrease cell viability of hMSC‐TERT20‐CE8. However, inhibition with the TKI dasatinib in combination with doxorubicin decreased cell viability of the hMSC‐TERT20‐CE8 cell line. Conclusion. Our results demonstrate that dasatinib, but not EGFR‐directed treatment, can decrease cell viability of stromal cancer stem cells less sensitive to doxorubicin.
Genomic Profiling of Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma Reveals New Opportunities for Targeted Therapy
Authors: McDaniel Andrew S. , Hovelson Daniel H. , Cani Andi K. , Liu Chia-Jen , Zhai Yali , Zhang Yajia , Weizer Alon Z. , Mehra Rohit , Feng Felix Y. , Alva Ajjai S. , Morgan Todd M. , Montgomery Jeffrey S. , Siddiqui Javed , Sadis Seth , Bandla Santhoshi , Williams Paul D. , Cho Kathleen R. , Rhodes Daniel R. , Tomlins Scott A.
Published: December 2015

Penile squamous cell carcinoma (PeSCCA) is a rare malignancy for which there are limited treatment options due to a poor understanding of the molecular alterations underlying disease development and progression. Therefore, we performed comprehensive, targeted next-generation sequencing to identify relevant somatic genomic alterations in a retrospective cohort of 60 fixed tumor samples from 43 PeSCCA cases (including 14 matched primary/metastasis pairs). We identified a median of two relevant somatic mutations and one high-level copy-number alteration per sample (range, 0–5 and 0–6, respectively). Expression of HPV and p16 was detectable in 12% and 28% of patients, respectively. Furthermore, advanced clinical stage, lack of p16 expression, and MYC and CCND1 amplifications were significantly associated with shorter time to progression or PeSCCA-specific survival. Notably, four cases harbored EGFR amplifications and one demonstrated CDK4 amplification, genes for which approved and investigational targeted therapies are available. Importantly, although paired primary tumors and lymph node metastases were largely homogeneous for relevant somatic mutations, we identified heterogeneous EGFR amplification in primary tumor/lymph node metastases in 4 of 14 cases, despite uniform EGFR protein overexpression. Likewise, activating HRAS mutations occurred in 8 of 43 cases. Taken together, we provide the first comprehensive molecular PeSCCA analysis, which offers new insight into potential precision medicine approaches for this disease, including strategies targeting EGFR. Cancer Res; 75(24); 5219–27. ©2015 AACR.
Identidade e alteridade no cinema: espaços significantes na poética sonora contemporânea
Authors: Flôres Virginia Osorio
Published: December 2015

Nem sempre o trabalho com o som nos !lmes passa apenas pela questão da localização in ou off em rela- ção à imagem. Por exemplo, o modo como Lucrecia Martel se apropria e elabora a trilha sonora – e a referência aqui é aos !lmes La ciénaga (O pântano, 2001) e La mujer sin cabeza (A mulher sem cabeça, 2008) – estabelece outro tipo de observação em relação ao espaço construído pelo som e coloca em evidência outras possibilidades de leitura do próprio !lme. Assim como Martel trabalha de forma singular e contundente seus espaços narrativos através do som, enfatizando a importância e a possibilidade de se usar este elemento no sentido da composição do espaço cênico e das relações com a mise en scène, dois exemplares da produ- ção brasileira contemporânea – O som ao redor (2013), de Kleber Mendonça Filho, e Eles voltam (2014), de Marcelo Lordello –, se destacam pelos trabalhos com a trilha sonora. A partir da criação dos ambientes sonoros que cercam as personagens, os !lmes constroem sutilmente os conceitos de alteridade e identidade, tecendo um jogo interessante de diferenças e semelhanças entre o que se vê (identidade) e o que se ouve (alteridade).
On the Quest for the Best Freeze
Authors: Ciconte Giuseppe , Mugnai Giacomo , Sieira Juan , Velagić Vedran , Saitoh Yukio , Irfan Ghazala , Hunuk Burak , Ströker Erwin , Conte Giulio , Di Giovanni Giacomo , Baltogiannis Giannis , Wauters Kristel , Brugada Pedro , de Asmundis Carlo , Chierchia Gian-Battista
Published: December 2015

Background—

The second-generation cryoballoon is effective in achieving acute pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and favorable clinical outcome. To date, no data are available on factors affecting late PV reconnection after second-generation cryoballoon ablation.

Methods and Results—

A total of 29 consecutive patients (25 male, 86.2%; mean age 57.8±13.8 years) underwent a repeat procedure, after a mean 11.6±4.5 months (range, 3.5–19.7 months), after index ablation using the 28-mm second-generation cryoballoon. All repeat ablations were performed using a 3-dimensional electroanatomical mapping system. Among all 115 PVs, including 1 left common ostiums (LCOs), 25 (21.7%) showed a PV reconnection in 20 patients (1.25 per patient). Persistent PVI could be documented in 90 of 115 PVs (78.2%). In 9 of 29 patients (31%), all PVs were electrically isolated. In the multivariable analysis, time to PVI (
P
=0.03) and failure to achieve −40°C within 60 s (
P
=0.05) independently predicted late PV reconnection. At receiver-operator curve analysis, time to PVI <60 s identified the absence of PV reconduction (sensitivity, 86.7%; specificity, 86.2%; positive predictive value, 59.1%; and negative predictive value, 96.4%; area under the curve, 0.85; confidence interval, 0.73–0.97;
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

The rate of late PV reconnection after second-generation cryoballoon ablation is low (1.25 PVs/patient). Faster time to isolation and achievement of −40°C within 60 s independently predict durable PVI. In addition, 60-s cut-off for time to PVI indicates persistent isolation with 96.4% negative predictive value. These parameters might guide the operator whether to perform further applications to ensure a long-lasting PVI.
Characterization of Autosomal Dominant Hypercholesterolemia Caused by
PCSK9
Gain of Function Mutations and Its Specific Treatment With Alirocumab, a PCSK9 Monoclonal Antibody
Authors: Hopkins Paul N. , Defesche Joep , Fouchier Sigrid W. , Bruckert Eric , Luc Gérald , Cariou Bertrand , Sjouke Barbara , Leren Trond P. , Harada-Shiba Mariko , Mabuchi Hiroshi , Rabès Jean-Pierre , Carrié Alain , van Heyningen Charles , Carreau Valérie , Farnier Michel , Teoh Yee P. , Bourbon Mafalda , Kawashiri Masa-aki , Nohara Atsushi , Soran Handrean , Marais A. David , Tada Hayato , Abifadel Marianne , Boileau Catherine , Chanu Bernard , Katsuda Shoji , Kishimoto Ichiro , Lambert Gilles , Makino Hisashi , Miyamoto Yoshihiro , Pichelin Matthieu , Yagi Kunimasa , Yamagishi Masakazu , Zair Yassine , Mellis Scott , Yancopoulos George D. , Stahl Neil , Mendoza Johanna , Du Yunling , Hamon Sara , Krempf Michel , Swergold Gary D.
Published: December 2015

Background—

Patients with
PCSK9
gene gain of function (GOF) mutations have a rare form of autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia. However, data examining their clinical characteristics and geographic distribution are lacking. Furthermore, no randomized treatment study in this population has been reported.

Methods and Results—

We compiled clinical characteristics of
PCSK9
GOF mutation carriers in a multinational retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study. We then performed a randomized placebo-phase, double-blind study of alirocumab 150 mg administered subcutaneously every 2 weeks to 13 patients representing 4 different
PCSK9
GOF mutations with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥70 mg/dL on their current lipid-lowering therapies at baseline. Observational study: among 164 patients, 16 different
PCSK9
GOF mutations distributed throughout the gene were associated with varying severity of untreated LDL-C levels. Coronary artery disease was common (33%; average age of onset, 49.4 years), and untreated LDL-C concentrations were higher compared with matched carriers of mutations in the
LDLR
(n=2126) or apolipoprotein B (n=470) genes. Intervention study: in
PCSK9
GOF mutation patients randomly assigned to receive alirocumab, mean percent reduction in LDL-C at 2 weeks was 62.5% (
P
<0.0001) from baseline, 53.7% compared with placebo-treated
PCSK9
GOF mutation patients (
P
=0.0009; primary end point). After all subjects received 8 weeks of alirocumab treatment, LDL-C was reduced by 73% from baseline (
P
<0.0001).

Conclusions—

PCSK9
GOF mutation carriers have elevated LDL-C levels and are at high risk of premature cardiovascular disease. Alirocumab, a PCSK9 antibody, markedly lowers LDL-C levels and seems to be well tolerated in these patients.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique Identifier: NCT01604824.
Exercise-Induced Left Ventricular Remodeling Among Competitive Athletes
Authors: Weiner Rory B. , DeLuca James R. , Wang Francis , Lin Jeffrey , Wasfy Meagan M. , Berkstresser Brant , Stöhr Eric , Shave Rob , Lewis Gregory D. , Hutter Adolph M. , Picard Michael H. , Baggish Aaron L.
Published: December 2015

Background—

Contemporary understanding of exercise-induced cardiac remodeling is based on cross-sectional data and relatively short duration longitudinal studies. Temporal progression of exercise-induced cardiac remodeling remains incompletely understood.

Methods and Results—

A longitudinal repeated-measures study design using 2-dimensional and speckle-tracking echocardiography was used to examine acute augmentation phase (AAP; 90 days) and more extended chronic maintenance phase (39 months) left ventricular (LV) structural and functional adaptations to endurance exercise training among competitive male rowers (n=12; age 18.6±0.5 years). LV mass was within normal limits at baseline (93±9 g/m
2
), increased after AAP (105±7 g/m
2
;
P
=0.001), and further increased after chronic maintenance phase (113±10 g/m
2
;
P
<0.001 for comparison to post-AAP). AAP LV hypertrophy was driven by LV dilation (ΔLV end-diastolic volume, 9±3 mL/m
2
;
P
=0.004) with stable LV wall thickness (ΔLV wall thickness, 0.3±0.1 mm;
P
=0.63). In contrast, chronic maintenance phase LV hypertrophy was attributable to LV wall thickening (Δ LV wall thickness, 1.1±0.4 mm;
P
=0.004) with stable LV chamber volumes (ΔLV end-diastolic volume, 1±1 mL/m
2
;
P
=0.48). Early diastolic peak tissue velocity increased during AAP (−11.7±1.9 versus −13.6±1.3 cm/s;
P
<0.001) and remained similarly increased after chronic maintenance phase.

Conclusions—

In a small sample of competitive endurance athletes, exercise-induced cardiac remodeling follows a phasic response with increases in LV chamber size, early diastolic function, and systolic twist in an acute augmentation phase of exercise training. This is followed by a chronic phase of adaptation characterized by increasing wall thickness and regression in LV twist. Training duration is a determinant of exercise-induced cardiac remodeling and has implications for the assessment of myocardial structure and function in athletes.
Spirit and Flesh in the Doing of & Theology
Authors: Martin Francis
Published: December 2015

This article attempts to set forth the possibility, the legitimacy and the practical outworking of what could be called a ’critical hermeneutics of the Spirit’ in contradistinction to a ’hermeneutic of the flesh’. After a definition of the terms ’flesh’ and ’spirit’, the article proceeds to a description of life and activity according to the Spirit whose most salient characteristics are that the ’body of sin is rendered inoperative’ (Romans 6.6) with the result that there is clarity of mind. Errors in interpreting the Sacred Text can come about because of faulty information about and from the Text or because of the interference of the flesh. The drives of the flesh that most inhibit an understanding of the realities mediated by the Text are self-seeking, ignorance of one’s own sinfulness, sloth and prejudice. Prejudice can be philosophical (epistemological and historical) and literary (restricting oneself to a discussion of ’text’ rather than reality mediated by the text). As an example of both ‘explaining’ and ’understanding’ a biblical text, Hebrews 10.40-10 is studied with the goal of letting the text be ’adversarius noster’ and move us to a spiritual understanding of not only what the text says but also what it is talking about.
Why are Mongolian Infants Treated Like ‘Kings’?
Authors: Michelet Aude
Published: December 2015

As infants and toddlers, Mongolian children grow up as the centre of attention in their home, promptly taken care of and tenderly indulged. In this paper, I seek to explain why young children in the middle Gobi enjoy a privileged status, in contrast with their status as older children. I show how the physical, emotional and moral peculiarities of infants’ and toddlers’ personhood converge in conferring upon them ‘kingly’ prerogatives. I then examine what leads to their loss of privileges, as they grow older. Unlike most studies examining the changes of status that children undergo, I do not focus onrites de passage, but analyse daily interactions. The loss of young children’s privileges occurs according to different timelines for each aspect of their personhood, while the prerogatives enjoyed by young children also reoccur at different periods in life, thus inviting us to reconsider what is meant by infancy as a discrete stage.
The Historical and Contemporary Sociology of the European Muslim Brotherhood Movement and its Logics of Action
Authors: Maréchal Brigitte
Published: December 2015

From a sociological viewpoint, this article analyses the Muslim Brothers’ organisational complexity and their logics of action in Europe (beyond their role as an active minority). To evoke the coexistence and indeed interactions between their various types of structures, themselves supported by individual memberships in change, the concept movance, which we seek to present here, appears suitable: it allows us to go beyond concepts of movement, organisation, network and field in a Bourdieusian sense of the term in a useful manner, in pointing out the extent to which the Brothers incarnate a relatively open system beyond the tensions internal to their various organised structures: they do not just play at the heart of one and the same arena they endeavour to control, but rather exert their efforts multidirectionally in order to become a reference model for a greater number.
Semi-Lagrangian Advection of Stratospheric Ozone on a Yin–Yang Grid System
Authors: de Grandpré Jean , Tanguay Monique , Qaddouri Abdessamad , Zerroukat Mohamed , McLinden Chris A.
Published: December 2015

The lack of formal mass conservation that is inherent to the standard semi-Lagrangian transport scheme represents a significant model limitation that needs to be addressed. The magnitude of this impact depends on the nature of the advected quantity and particularly on the strength of species spatiotemporal variability. In this study, this issue is examined in the context of two configurations of the Environment Canada Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model. The first configuration (GEM Lat–Lon) is based on a global latitude–longitude grid system with the Arakawa C grid in the horizontal. The second configuration (GEM Yin–Yang) uses the overset Yin–Yang grid, which is singularity free and has quasi-uniform resolution. Both model versions have been used for studying the mass conservation property of passive and nonpassive tracers such as stratospheric ozone using different shape-preserving schemes and a global mass fixer. Experiments with idealized tracers indicate that the implementation of a global mass fixer and a conservative shape-preserving scheme reduces the error field in both 2D and 3D configurations. In the case of stratospheric ozone, the study demonstrates that the mass conservation error is significantly reduced with the use of the Yin–Yang grid. This is attributed to the quasi-uniform nature of the grid that contributes to improve the accuracy of the computation particularly in high-latitude regions where most of the ozone mass resides. The study demonstrates the potential benefits of using a quasi-uniform Yin–Yang grid system and shows that chemical constituents can serve as a useful diagnostic for the evaluation of numerical weather prediction (NWP) models.
Safe Exclusion of Deep Vein Thrombosis by a Rapid Sensitive ELISA D-dimer and Compression Ultrasonography in 1330 Outpatients With Suspected DVT
Authors: Michiels Jan Jacques , Maasland Hanny , Moossdorff Wim , Lao Mildred , Gadiseur Alain , Schroyens Wilfried
Published: December 2015

Of 1330 outpatients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a normal enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) d-dimer (VIDAS) of <500 ng/mL was true negative in 382 of 384 and false negative in compression ultrasonography (CUS) in 2, indicating a sensitivity of 99.52% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.48%, with a specificity of 36% irrespective of clinical score. In 1059 outpatients with no DVT, the CUS was positive for the alternative diagnoses (AD): Bakers cyst, muscle hematoma, or old DVT in 62 (5.8%); superficial vein thrombosis without DVT in 78 (7.4%), and leg edema or varices in 17%. A second CUS in 641 patients was positive in 26 (4.0%), indicating an NPV of 96% after a first negative CUS. The NPV of the combination of a negative first CUS and a ELISA d-dimer test <1000 ng/mL was 99.1% at a specificity of 66.9%. As this strategy is cost effective by reduction in the need to repeat CUS by 67%, we designed a novel algorithm for the safe exclusion and diagnosis of DVT and AD for subsequent evaluation in a large prospective study.
Gender Disparity in the Safety and Efficacy of Radial and Femoral Access for Coronary Intervention
Authors: Huang Fang-Yang , Huang Bao-Tao , Wang Peng-Ju , Zhang Chen , Zuo Zhi-Liang , Liao Yan-Biao , Xia Tian-Li , Gui Yi-Yue , Peng Yong , Liu Wei , Chen Mao , Zhu Ye
Published: December 2015

Our aim was to investigate the gender disparity in the safety and efficacy of transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; TRI) and transfemoral PCI (TFI) by a meta-analysis. MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL were searched to identify studies on vascular access with sex-specific events available or studies on sex difference with the events reported by vascular access. Fifteen studies involving 3 921 848 participants were included. Transradial PCI significantly reduced the risk of bleeding complications in both sexes (TRI-versus-TFI odds ratio [OR]: 0.37 in females vs 0.47 in males) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in females (OR: 0.70, P < .001) but not in males (OR: 0.83, P = .15) compared to TFI. Transradial PCI diminished the sex difference in the incidence of bleeding complications (female-versus-male OR: 1.82 with TRI vs 2.39 with TFI; interaction P = .01) and MACE (female-versus-male OR: 1.21 with TRI vs 1.41 with TFI; interaction P = .003) compared to TFI. Females were associated with higher crossover rate in the TRI subgroup but not in the TFI subgroup (interaction P = .05). In conclusion, TRI may improve the safety and efficacy of outcomes in both sexes and be an effective means to cut down the gender difference in prognosis.
Mast Cell Deficiency Limits the Development of Chronic Rhinosinusitis in Mice
Authors: Hua Xiaoyang , Naselsky Warren C. , Jania Corey M. , Chason Kelly D. , Huang Julianne J. , Doerschuk Claire M. , Graham Scott M. , Senior Brent A. , Tilley Stephen L.
Published: December 2015

Background:

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is one of the most common chronic diseases in adults in both developing and developed countries. The etiology and pathogenesis of CRS remain poorly understood, and the disease is refractory to therapy in many patients. Mast cell activation has been demonstrated in the sinonasal mucosa of patients with CRS; however, the specific contribution of mast cells to the development and pathogenesis of this disease has not been established.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to investigate the role of mast cells in the development of CRS.

Methods:

C57BL/6 wild-type and C57BL/6-KitW-sh/W-sh mast cell–deficient mice were immunized by intraperitoneal allergen injection and subsequent chronic low dose intranasal allergen challenges. The sinonasal phenotypes of these groups were then evaluated and compared to saline-treated controls using radiologic, histologic, and immunologic methods.

Results:

Wild-type mice exposed to chronic intranasal allergen developed many features seen in human CRS, including mucosal thickening, cystic changes, polyp development, eosinophilia, goblet cell hyperplasia, and mast cell activation. In contrast, sinonasal pathology was significantly attenuated in mast cell–deficient mice subjected to the same chronic allergen protocol. Specifically, tissue eosinophilia and goblet cell hyperplasia were reduced by approximately 50% compared to wild-type levels. Surprisingly, none of the mast cell–deficient mice subjected to chronic allergen challenge developed cystic changes or polypoid changes in the nose or sinuses.

Conclusions:

These data identify a critical role for mast cells in the development of many features of a mouse model of eosinophilic CRS, suggesting that therapeutic strategies targeting mast cells be examined in humans afflicted with this disease.
Screening for antibodies against Treponema pallidum with chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay: analysis of discordant serology results and clinical characterization
Authors: Li Zhiyan , Feng Zhenru , Liu Ping , Yan Cunling
Published: December 2015

Background

Traditionally, testing for syphilis has consisted of initial screening with a non-treponemal test, then retesting reactive specimens with a treponemal test. Recent availability of a chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay for detecting antibodies against Treponema pallidum has led several laboratories in China to adopt chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay for screening of syphilis, with subsequent testing of reactive serum samples with non-treponemal tests. We evaluated the utility of chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay for routine screening of syphilis.

Methods

Antibodies against Treponema pallidum were screened in 20,550 serum samples using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay-positive samples were reflexively tested with rapid plasma reagin tests and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assays. Dot-immunoblot assays were used to confirm results of chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay-positive and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination-negative serum samples.

Results

Overall, 267 samples (1.3%) were chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay-positive, and 185 (69.3%) of those chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay-positive serum samples were also Treponema pallidum particle agglutination-positive. Samples’ signal to cut-off ratio for chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay correlated with diagnostic reliability, as greater samples’ signal to cut-off ratio corresponded with greater concordance between chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination results. Dot-immunoblot testing of 82 chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay-positive and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination-negative serum samples showed that 16 samples (19.5%) were Dot-immunoblot-positive, 28 (34.2%) were indeterminate and 38 (46.3%) were negative.

Conclusions

Because there is a certain percentage of false-positive results using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay for routine screening of syphilis, further analysis by Treponema pallidum particle agglutination is recommended to confirm diagnostic results. While in screening populations discrepancies between chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination results are quite prevalent, confirmation by immunoblot assay may be useful.
A take-home placebo treatment can reduce stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression in a non-patient population
Authors: Darragh Margot , Yow Boris , Kieser Anel , Booth Roger J , Kydd Robert R , Consedine Nathan S
Published: December 2015

Background:

With a healthcare system burdened by symptomatic and mental-health related conditions, the placebo effect may represent a useful clinical tool. First, however, there is a need to broaden research attention and investigate placebo effects outside laboratories and beyond experimental pain. This study investigated the effectiveness of a take-home placebo treatment in the short-term alleviation of stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression in a non-patient population.

Method:

A sample of 77 participants was randomized to either the ‘oxytocin’ treatment group ( n = 22), the ‘serotonin’ treatment group ( n = 22) or the wait-list control group ( n = 33). The two treatment groups were given an ‘anti-stress treatment spray’ (placebo) to self-administer for 3 days, and completed online measures of perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale-10), anxiety (Cognitive Somatic Anxiety Questionnaire) and symptoms of depression (Centre for Epidemiological Studies – Depression) before and after the 3-day protocol.

Results:

Both the ‘serotonin’ and ‘oxytocin’ treatment sprays were effective in reducing symptoms of depression; however, only those in the ‘oxytocin’ group reported less stress and anxiety as compared with controls. Overall, the ‘oxytocin’ was perceived as more effective.

Conclusion:

Placebo effects can be translated to a real-life setting in the short-term reduction of stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression in a non-patient population. In treating psychological distress, placebos may be useful addition to the treatment repertoire. The information given with treatment may also be an important consideration for practitioners.
Detection of antibodies against Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus GDVII strain in experimental guinea pigs
Authors: Häger C , Glage S , Held N , Bleich E M , Burghard A , Mähler M , Bleich André
Published: December 2015

A disease affecting guinea pigs called ‘guinea pig lameness’ characterized by clinical signs of depression, lameness of limbs, flaccid paralysis, weight loss and death within a few weeks was first described by Römer in 1911. After a research group in our facility kept laboratory guinea pigs from two different origins together in one room, lameness was observed in two animals. Further investigations revealed a serological immune response against Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV; GDVII strain) in these animals. Histopathology of the lumbar spinal cord of these animals showed mononuclear cell infiltration and necrotic neurons in the anterior horn. Therefore, all guinea pigs from this contaminated animal unit, from other units in our facility, as well as from different European institutions and breeding centres were screened for antibodies directed against GDVII. Our investigations showed that approximately 80% of all guinea pigs from the contaminated animal unit were seropositive for GDVII, whereas animals from other separate units were completely negative. In addition, 43% of tested sera from the different European institutions and breeding centres contained antibodies against GDVII. The present data confirm that an unknown viral infection causes an immune response in experimental guinea pigs leading to seroconversion against GDVII and that guinea pigs from a commercial breeder are the source of the infection.
AYP Status, Urbanicity, and Sector: School-to-School Variation in Instruction
Authors: Northrop Laura , Kelly Sean
Published: December 2015

This study investigates whether adequate yearly progress (AYP) status, locale, and sector—common variables used to judge the quality of schools—accurately signal true differences in instructional practices in high school mathematics and science. Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS), we find the school-to-school variation in instructional practices to be minimal. Controlling for a variety of school and teacher characteristics, we find that there is no difference in the use of developmental instruction between schools that make AYP and schools that do not, urban and nonurban schools, and public and private schools.
“STEMming” the Swell of Absenteeism in the Middle Years: Impacts of an Urban District Summer Robotics Program
Authors: Mac Iver Martha Abele , Mac Iver Douglas J.
Published: December 2015

This article reports findings from a quasi-experimental study of the impact of a summer robotics program for urban middle-grade students. The study focuses on student engagement, measured by school attendance rate the year following the program. Program students, who were nearly all low-income minority students, were matched to comparison students who did not attend summer school. After establishing baseline equivalence in attendance between the groups, the study found a statistically and educationally significant program effect on school attendance the following year, suggesting that high-interest hands-on educational activities can help maintain student engagement in school.
“It’s Important for Them to Know Who They Are”: Teachers’ Efforts to Sustain Students’ Cultural Competence in an Age of High-Stakes Testing
Authors: Zoch Melody
Published: December 2015

This article examines how four urban elementary teachers designed their literacy instruction in ways that sought to sustain students’ cultural competence—maintaining their language and cultural practices while also gaining access to more dominant ones—amid expectations to prepare students for high-stakes testing. A large part of their teaching involved taking their students’ backgrounds into account and selecting classroom texts to provide examples of the contributions made by successful culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse people with space for dialogue about inequity.
Revisiting territories of relegation: Class, ethnicity and state in the making of advanced marginality
Authors: Wacquant Loïc
Published: December 2015

In the postindustrial city, relegation takes the form of real or imaginary consignment to distinctive sociospatial formations variously and vaguely referred to as ‘inner cities,’ ‘ghettos,’ ‘enclaves,’ ‘no-go areas,’ ‘problem districts’ or simply ‘rough neighborhoods’. How are we to characterise and differentiate these spaces; what determines their trajectory (birth, growth, decay and death); whence comes the intense stigma attached to them; and what constellations of class, ethnicity and state do they both materialise and signify? These are the questions I pursued in my book Urban Outcasts (Wacquant, 2008a) through a methodical comparison of the trajectories of the black American ghetto and the European working-class peripheries in the era of neoliberal ascendancy. In this article, I revisit this cross-continental sociology of ‘advanced marginality’ to tease out its broader lessons for our understanding of the tangled nexus of symbolic, social and physical space in the polarising metropolis at century’s threshold in particular, and for bringing the core principles of Bourdieu’s sociology to bear on comparative urban studies in general.
Students’ Reactions to Course Policy Decisions
Authors: Bailey Sarah F. , Jenkins Jade S. , Barber Larissa K.
Published: December 2015

Classroom management involves managing students’ requests for course policy changes. Instructors can adhere to the course policies or convey flexibility through making an exception for the student. The current study empirically examines students’ emotional reactions (hostility, guilt, and surprise) and fairness perceptions to course policy decisions. In Study 1 ( N = 162), students had negative emotional reactions, but increased procedural fairness perceptions, to policy adherence. Study 2 ( N = 341) examined the effects of the instructor’s interpersonal warmth and gender. Study 2 largely replicated the results of Study 1. Although the instructor’s gender had no effect, interpersonal warmth had a main effect on interactional fairness perceptions. Instructors can use policy adherence and interpersonal warmth to promote fairness perceptions.
Reducing Prejudice With Labels
Authors: Scroggins W. Anthony , Mackie Diane M. , Allen Thomas J. , Sherman Jeffrey W.
Published: December 2015

In three experiments, we used a novel Implicit Association Test procedure to investigate the impact of group memberships on implicit bias and implicit group boundaries. Results from Experiment 1 indicated that categorizing targets using a shared category reduced implicit bias by increasing the extent to which positivity was associated with Blacks. Results from Experiment 2 revealed that shared group membership, but not mere positivity of a group membership, was necessary to reduce implicit bias. Quadruple process model analyses indicated that changes in implicit bias caused by shared group membership are due to changes in the way that targets are evaluated, not to changes in the regulation of evaluative bias. Results from Experiment 3 showed that categorizing Black targets into shared group memberships expanded implicit group boundaries.
Aesthetic as Analysis
Authors: Bingham Shawn C. , Green Sara E.
Published: December 2015

A wide range of comedians with disabilities has recently been reclaiming the comedy stage as a space in which to contest inequality. The work of disabled comedians highlights the utility of humor as an alternative lens into social life, especially the complexity of the disability experience. Despite the rise of disability humor as a form of activism, scholars have identified disability humor as an undertheorized area. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 10 professional comedians from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, we examine common conceptual ground between humor theory and disability theory—focusing on how humor can function as an epistemological and critical lens for viewing disability in everyday social context. Our analysis suggests that even types of humor that have traditionally been used to demean and disable can be (and are) wielded by people with disabilities, on and off the stage, as both a shield and a sword with which to contest the constraints imposed by an ableist world, while also countering the widespread belief that disability is only and always a personal tragedy.
Increasing Teacher Praise and on Task Behavior for Students With Autism Using Mobile Technology
Authors: Rivera Christopher J. , Mason Lee L. , Jabeen Iffat , Johnson Josiah
Published: December 2015

This study investigated the effects of using mobile technology as an intervention to increase the amount of praise delivered by teachers to low-performing students with autism. Additionally, the study also investigated the impact that praise would have on the on-task behaviors of these students. Participants included five elementary students with autism, two teachers, and two paraprofessionals. Results indicated that prompts from the mobile devices were effective in increasing the amount of praise provided by each of these educators. However, the extent to which teachers’ contingent praise impacted student on-task behaviors was less clear. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
GrAPPling With How to Teach Social Skills? Try Tapping Into Digital Technology
Authors: Doody Kathy Ralabate
Published: December 2015

Socially appropriate behavior is required for a child to function successfully in home, recreational, community, and school settings. Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may require specialized interventions focusing on social skill remediation. One such intervention is a social narrative, used to help students with ASD acknowledge other people's feelings, thereby increasing and improving appropriate social interactions with peers. A social narrative uses photographs, written narrative, and other graphics to describe and illustrate a target behavior that is socially appropriate. Social narratives are easy and cost effective to create and can be produced in hard copy or digitally. This article will discuss technology features currently available for creation of a social narrative, benefits of digital social narratives, as well as a “how-to” guide.
Comparing Teacher-Provided and Computer-Assisted Simultaneous Prompting for Vocabulary Development With Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Authors: Coleman Mari Beth , MacLauchlan Meredith Phelan , Cihak David F. , Martin Melissa S. , Wolbers Kimberly
Published: December 2015

In this study, the effects of teacher-provided simultaneous prompting and computer-assisted simultaneous prompting for teaching content-area vocabulary words to students who are deaf or hard of hearing were compared using a multiple probe across behaviors with an embedded alternating treatments design. Participants included three second-grade students at a residential school for the deaf in the southeastern United States. Results were mixed, with teacher- and computer-based instruction being equally effective for two students while only teacher-provided instruction was effective for one student who had concomitant disabilities. Social validity surveys for students indicated all three preferred learning vocabulary with the computer. The study extends the literature showing that simultaneous prompting may be an effective instructional strategy for students who are deaf or hard of hearing and that computer-assisted simultaneous prompting may be a useful tool to provide independent learning opportunities for some students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Implications for classroom instruction and directions for further research are discussed.
A New Order of Things: Network Mechanisms of Field Evolution in the Aftermath of an Exogenous Shock
Authors: Corbo Leonardo , Corrado Raffaele , Ferriani Simone
Published: December 2015

This study examines the role of a major environmental shock in triggering change in the social structure of an organizational field. Based on the longitudinal analysis of changing network configurations in the global airline industry, we explore how logics of attachment shift before, during and after an exogenous shock and how the rewiring of network ties in response to the shock may act as a countervailing force to the network dynamics that drive field stratification. Using the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 as a natural experiment, our work reveals how shocks may affect key mechanisms of network evolution thus altering tie distribution and access among members of the field. Overall this article contributes to emergent literature on field dynamics by exposing the evolution of interorganizational dynamics when external events produce unsettled times that render extant logics brittle and open prospects for change.
Changes in Quality of Life After a Suicide Attempt
Authors: Pien Feng-Chen , Chang Yue-Cune , Feng Hsin-Pei , Hung Pin-Wei , Huang San-Yuan , Tzeng Wen-Chii
Published: December 2015

The aim of this follow-up study was to examine factors related to a suicide attempt within 3 months of a prior attempt. Participants were recruited from a suicide-prevention center. Of 96 suicidal individuals who had participated in the baseline study, only 51 completed all measures at follow-up assessment. Study results showed that suicidal individuals who reattempted suicide during the first 3 months of follow-up care exhibited lower mean scores on all four domains of the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality-of-Life Instrument at follow-up assessment than at baseline. In contrast, individuals who did not reattempt suicide had higher quality-of-life scores across all domains between baseline and 3 months. The reattempt and no-reattempt groups differed significantly in the physical health and environmental domains. These results can be used by nurses to develop their abilities to recognize and prevent suicide reattempts in high-risk groups.
Fairtrade and Halal Food Certification and Labeling
Authors: White Gareth R. T. , Samuel Anthony
Published: December 2015

Drawing upon the successes and criticisms of Fairtrade certification and labeling systems, this article considers how such successes may be replicated within Halal food supply chains. While the advantages of a trusted labeling system are evident, the highly complicated nature of Halal food production, driven by the heterogeneous religious requirements of its consumers, conspires to make the development of such a system both costly and impractical. Adopting Hunt’s (1981) concept of macromarketing and Layton’s (2007) definition of a marketing system, the article builds a conceptual model of the Halal food labeling marketing system. It presents a comparative analysis of the Fairtrade and Halal systems that can be viewed as push- and pull- driven respectively, and proffers suggestions for future research around the influence of consumer religiosity upon food production systems.