bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of 4D CT angiography for preoperative screening in patients with intracranial tumors
Authors: Suzuki Kazufumi , Abe Kayoko , Maruyama Takashi , Nitta Masayuki , Amano Kosaku , Yamaguchi Koji , Kawamata Takakazu , Sakai Shuji
Published: March 2016

Introduction

Four-dimensional computed tomography angiography (4D CTA) is now becoming an often used diagnostic imaging modality for the assessment of patients with intracranial tumors. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the utility of 4D CTA for preoperative screening in patients with intracranial tumors as well as to examine the correlation between perfusion data and grading of gliomas.

Methods

We performed preoperative screening using 320-row detector CT scanner in 186 patients with intracranial tumors, and 115 patients were finally included in the study. Time-resolved subtracted maximum intensity projection images and volume-rendered images were reconstructed to evaluate vascular structures, tumor staining and incidental lesions. We also evaluated the perfusion functional map for gliomas to find correlations between their vascularity and tumor grading.

Results

We evaluated gliomas in 70 patients, meningiomas in 29, and other tumors in 16. Patients with gliomas of a pathologically higher grade showed high cerebral blood volume ( p < 0.05). Tumor staining was observed on MIP images for 12 meningiomas, 4 gliomas, and 3 other tumors. Fifty patients showed a mass effect on vascular structures, seven had cerebral venous sinus obstruction, and two had aneurysms. No iatrogenic accidents with the CT procedure were reported.

Conclusions

The 4D CTA technique is effective and safe for depicting vascular structures such as arteries, veins, tumor-related vessels, and direct and indirect anatomical complications such as vascular obstruction or vascular compression. This information is useful for preoperative screening. Although 4D CTA also provides perfusion data correlating with the tumor vascularity and grading of gliomas, its clinical value remains limited.
Cerebral aneurysm debuting as rupture during diagnostic CT angiography: An unexpected worst-case scenario
Authors: Dmytriw Adam A , Martinez Jaime L , Spears Julian , Marotta Thomas R
Published: March 2016

Previously-asymptomatic intracranial aneurysm rupture during cerebral angiography is an extremely rare phenomenon. There is a small risk of rupture of these aneurysms during digital subtraction angiography (DSA), but no case of spontaneous rupture during computed tomographic angiography (CTA) has been reported. A concise case of a 40-year-old woman referred for workup of an asymptomatic intracranial aneurysm who experienced acute rupture at the time of identification of a second aneurysm is described. This case highlights the potential for rupture at the time of scan acquisition and the importance of maintaining a high level of suspicion in the setting of neurological deterioration, as well as the potential need by all medical imaging professionals to identify an emergency and activate an urgent response.
Melanotic schwannoma of the L5 root
Authors: Güzel Ebru , Er Uygur , Güzel Aslan , Toktaş Zafer , Yapıcıer Özlem
Published: March 2016

Melanotic neoplasm of the central nervous system is rare and the majority of them are metastatic. Melanotic schwannoma (MS) is an unusual variant of nerve sheath neoplasm accounting for less than 1% of primary nerve sheath tumors. A case involving a 36-year-old man with MS at the L5 root is presented. Surgery, differential diagnosis, radiology, histology, and treatment of this rare entity are discussed.
Ketamine enantiomers in the rapid and sustained antidepressant effects
Authors: Muller John , Pentyala Sahana , Dilger James , Pentyala Srinivas
Published: March 2016

Recent evidence has suggested that the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine shows significant therapeutic effects in major depression and bipolar disorder. This effect is especially important in treatment-resistant depression and depression with suicidal ideation. In this review we explain the mechanism of action, drug efficacy, and the side effects of ketamine; the antidepressive effects of ketamine; the individual effects of ketamine isomers, R(–) ketamine and S(+) ketamine; the effects of the combination of ketamine with electroconvulsive therapy; and the possible use of ketamine in treating depression.
Cross-sectional comparison of first-generation antipsychotic long-acting injections vs risperidone long-acting injection: patient-rated attitudes, satisfaction and tolerability
Authors: Singh Sourabh Moti , Haddad Peter M. , Husain Nusrat , Heaney Eamonn , Tomenson Barbara , Chaudhry Imran B.
Published: March 2016

Objectives:

The objective of this study was to compare patients’ attitudes and satisfaction with medication and patient-rated tolerability between those prescribed a first-generation antipsychotic long-acting injection (FGA-LAI) and those prescribed risperidone long-acting injection (RLAI).

Method:

A cross-sectional study of a representative sample of outpatients prescribed an FGA-LAI or RLAI for a minimum of 6 months and attending a depot clinic. Attitudes to medication were assessed by the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-30), tolerability was measured by the Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side Effect Rating Scale (LUNSERS) and satisfaction with antipsychotic medication was assessed by the Satisfaction with Antipsychotic Medication (SWAM) scale.

Results:

The RLAI ( n = 28) and FGA-LAI ( n = 39) groups did not differ in terms of mean age, sex, diagnosis and ethnicity. All individual LAIs were prescribed within British National Formulary limits. The most commonly prescribed FGA-LAI was flupentixol decanoate ( n = 22). There was no significant difference between the RLAI and FGA-LAI groups in terms of mean total scores on the DAI-30, LUNSERS and SWAM or the tolerability subscales of the LUNSERS or the two subscales (treatment acceptability and medication insight) of the SWAM. In both LAI groups there was a low level of side effects (LUNSERS) and a generally positive attitude (DAI-30) and reasonable satisfaction (SWAM) with medication.

Conclusions:

Patients treated with FGA-LAI and RLAI for at least 6 months did not differ in terms of patient-rated tolerability, attitudes and satisfaction with medication. The current design cannot determine whether differences would have been evident earlier on during treatment. These results should be regarded as preliminary and are subject to prescribing bias. Randomized studies avoid prescribing bias and are a superior way to compare specific LAIs. Ideally randomized studies should include patient-rated outcome measures including medication tolerability; assessment of side effects, efficacy and quality of life made by blinded raters; and additional objective side-effect data including changes in weight and key blood parameters.
Multiple D2 heteroreceptor complexes: new targets for treatment of schizophrenia
Authors: Borroto-Escuela Dasiel O. , Pintsuk Julia , Schäfer Thorsten , Friedland Kristina , Ferraro Luca , Tanganelli Sergio , Liu Fang , Fuxe Kjell
Published: March 2016

The dopamine (DA) neuron system most relevant for schizophrenia is the meso-limbic-cortical DA system inter alia densely innervating subcortical limbic regions. The field of dopamine D2 receptors and schizophrenia changed markedly with the discovery of many types of D2 heteroreceptor complexes in subcortical limbic areas as well as the dorsal striatum. The results indicate that the D2 is a hub receptor which interacts not only with many other G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) including DA isoreceptors but also with ion-channel receptors, receptor tyrosine kinases, scaffolding proteins and DA transporters. Disturbances in several of these D2 heteroreceptor complexes may contribute to the development of schizophrenia through changes in the balance of diverse D2 homo- and heteroreceptor complexes mediating the DA signal, especially to the ventral striato-pallidal γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) pathway. This will have consequences for the control of this pathway of the glutamate drive to the prefrontal cortex via the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus which can contribute to psychotic processes. Agonist activation of the A2A protomer in the A2A–D2 heteroreceptor complex inhibits D2 Gi/o mediated signaling but increases the D2 β-arrestin2 mediated signaling. Through this allosteric receptor–receptor interaction, the A2A agonist becomes a biased inhibitory modulator of the Gi/o mediated D2 signaling, which may the main mechanism for its atypical antipsychotic properties especially linked to the limbic A2A–D2 heterocomplexes. The DA and glutamate hypotheses of schizophrenia come together in the signal integration in D2– N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and A2A–D2–metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) heteroreceptor complexes, especially in the ventral striatum. 5-Hydroxytryptamine 2A (5-HT2A)–D2 heteroreceptor complexes are special targets for atypical antipsychotics with high potency to block their 5-HT2A protomer signaling in view of the potential development of pathological allosteric facilitatory 5-HT2A–D2 interaction increasing D2 protomer signaling. Neurotensin (NTS1)–D2 heterocomplexes also exist in the ventral and dorsal striatum, and likely also in midbrain DA nerve cells as NTS1-D2 autoreceptor complexes where neurotensin produces antipsychotic and propsychotic actions, respectively.
What is the effect of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor stimulation on osteoarthritis in a rodent animal model?
Authors: Bock Kilian , Plaass Christian , Coger Vincent , Peck Claas-Tido , Reimers Kerstin , Stukenborg-Colsman Christina , Claassen Leif
Published: March 2016

Objectives:

Despite the rising number of patients with osteoarthritis, no sufficient chondroprotective and prophylactic therapy for osteoarthritis has been established yet. The purpose of this study was to verify whether stimulation of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor via nicotine has a beneficial effect on cartilage degeneration in the development of osteoarthritis and is capable of reducing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and cartilage degrading enzymes in synovial membranes after osteoarthritis induction.

Methods:

Experimental osteoarthritis was induced in Lewis rats using a standardized osteoarthritis model with monoiodoacetate. A total of 16 Lewis rats were randomized into four groups: control, sham + nicotine application, osteoarthritis, and osteoarthritis + nicotine application. Nicotine (0.625 mg/kg twice daily) was administered intraperitoneally for 42 days. We analyzed histological sections, radiological images and the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, and of matrix metalloproteases 3, 9 and 13 and tissue inhibitors of metalloprotease-1 in synovial membranes via quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results:

Histological and x-ray examination revealed cartilage degeneration in the osteoarthritis group compared to control or sham + nicotine groups (histological control vs osteoarthritis: p = 0.002 and x-ray control vs osteoarthritis: p = 0.004). Nicotine treatment reduced the cartilage degeneration without significant differences. Osteoarthritis induction led to a higher expression of proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteases as compared to control groups. This effect was attenuated after nicotine administration. The differences of proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteases did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusion:

With the present small-scale study, we could not prove a positive effect of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor stimulation on osteoarthritis due to a conservative statistical analysis and the consecutive lack of significant differences. Nevertheless, we found promising tendencies of relevant parameters that might prompt further experiments designed to evaluate the potency of stimulation of this receptor system as an additional treatment approach for osteoarthritis.
A one stop consultant led urology clinic is effective and does not lead to missed diagnoses
Authors: Exarchou Klaire , Tin Su , Hamm Rebecca
Published: March 2016

Objective:

The objective of this study was to review the effectiveness and safety of a one stop urology clinic led by a consultant diagnostic urologist.

Methods:

Data were collected prospectively on all patients seen by a single consultant diagnostic urologist from February 2007 to February 2008. In 2013, patient records were reviewed and cross-referenced to identify if any patients had been re-referred to the urology service and why.

Results:

From 889 referrals, 799 patients attended, of these 689 (86%) were discharged after a single visit with 110 (14%) booked follow-up appointments. Ninety patients were re-referred, only two of these had a significant diagnosis. Thirty-four (38%) had a new referral reason.

Conclusion:

The one stop method of consultation is effective and efficient across a range of presenting complaints in urology. It is safe for patients and leads to a high discharge rate with a low re-referral rate without missing clinically significant diagnoses.
Differences in common heritable blood immune cell populations may underlie MS susceptibility and progression
Authors: Booth David R , Fewings Nicole L , Parnell Grant P , McKay Fiona C , Stewart Graeme J
Published: March 2016

A promising new avenue of MS research that may lead to a better understanding of pathogenesis, progression and therapeutic response, and to development of new therapies, comes from the recent identification of defined immune cell populations that are highly heritable. Such stable populations have been identified in three recent papers using extensive flow cytometric panels to investigate twin and family cohorts. They showed that while most of the variation in immune cell populations between individuals was not heritable, some was. This heritability was sometimes very high, and the authors concluded that it likely contributes to variability in response among individuals for disease and drug response traits.
Double Jeopardy
Authors: Hong OiSaeng , Chin Dal Lae , Phelps Stephanie , Joo Yoonmee
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of tinnitus and assess the relationship between tinnitus and hearing loss among firefighters and operating engineers, who are exposed to noise on-the-job. The study analyzed existing data from two different populations (154 firefighters and 769 operating engineers) who completed a survey and audiometric tests as part of a hearing loss prevention intervention study. Approximately 40% of both groups reported tinnitus; 34% of firefighters and 59% of operating engineers showed hearing loss at noise-sensitive frequencies (4 kHz and 6 kHz). Firefighters with high frequency hearing loss (odds ratio [OR] = 2.31; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.05, 5.11]) and those with perceived impaired hearing status (OR = 3.53; 95% CI = [1.27, 9.80]) were significantly more likely to report tinnitus. Similarly, operating engineers who had hearing loss at both low (OR = 2.10; 95% CI = [1.40, 3.15]) and high frequencies (OR = 2.00; 95% CI = [1.37, 2.90]), and perceived impaired hearing status (OR = 2.17; 95% CI = [1.55, 3.05]) were twice as likely to report tinnitus. This study demonstrated that tinnitus is a considerable problem for noise-exposed workers. Workers with hearing loss demonstrated significantly higher rates of tinnitus. Comprehensive workplace hearing conservation programs should include tinnitus management for noise-exposed workers, along with other key elements such as noise control and hearing protection.
From Islamophobia to Westophobia: The Long Road to Radical Islamism
Authors: Ali Ameer
Published: March 2016

Islamophobia or the fear of Islam in Christian West is as old as Islam itself, and Westophobia or antipathy towards the West is its younger sibling born in the wake of European colonization of Islamdom. During its high noon, Islamdom ignored the West, because the West could hardly provide anything novel or useful to enhance the strength and prosperity of the caliphate. There was thus no Westophobia in the Islamic quarter until the colonial era, but there was certainly an undercurrent of military hostility and a superiority complex because Islamdom then was a hegemon. Colonialism reversed everything. The humiliation that Islam and Muslims endured politically, economically and culturally under European colonization created contradictory responses ranging from Westernization, Westoxification and Islamization. However, the failure of the Western secular models to promote democracy and development with justice and equity, and persisting grievances against a West-manufactured world order, provoked a wave of Westophobia which in turn has produced in the West a more pernicious brand of Islamophobia. Amidst this spiralling negativism, a new generation of Islamists are becoming extremely radicalized.
Transforming a Trip Abroad Into an Experiential Exercise in Entrepreneurship
Authors: Batchelor John H. , Burch Gerald F.
Published: March 2016

At some point in their careers, many professors ponder the idea of taking a group of students abroad. This notion is especially true for entrepreneurship professors interested in exposing students to international entrepreneurship. In this article, we discuss how a professor and a student organization turned organizing a study abroad trip to China into an experiential exercise in entrepreneurship by creating and managing a short-term business to fund and plan the trip. Specific recommendations for a new set of entrepreneurial experiential best practices are outlined and illustrated.
Development and validation of a rapid, aldehyde dehydrogenase bright–based cord blood potency assay
Authors: Shoulars Kevin , Noldner Pamela , Troy Jesse D. , Cheatham Lynn , Parrish Amanda , Page Kristin , Gentry Tracy , Balber Andrew E. , Kurtzberg Joanne
Published: March 2016

Key Points

Cord blood content of ALDHbr cells correlates well with CFUs and may act as a surrogate potency assay for cord blood units. ALDHbr cells in segments are assayed rapidly, allowing potency results to be used for release of the unit from a public cord blood bank.
Technology for noninvasive mechanical ventilation: looking into the black box
Authors: Farré Ramon , Navajas Daniel , Montserrat Josep M.
Published: March 2016

Current devices for providing noninvasive respiratory support contain sensors and built-in intelligence for automatically modifying ventilation according to the patient's needs. These devices, including automatic continuous positive airway pressure devices and noninvasive ventilators, are technologically complex and offer a considerable number of different modes of ventilation and setting options, the details of which are sometimes difficult to capture by the user. Therefore, better predicting and interpreting the actual performance of these ventilation devices in clinical application requires understanding their functioning principles and assessing their performance under well controlled bench test conditions with simulated patients. This concise review presents an updated perspective of the theoretical basis of intelligent continuous positive airway pressure and noninvasive ventilation devices, and of the tools available for assessing how these devices respond under specific ventilation phenotypes in patients requiring breathing support.
From the desktop to the grid: scalable bioinformatics via workflow conversion
Authors: de la Garza Luis , Veit Johannes , Szolek Andras , Röttig Marc , Aiche Stephan , Gesing Sandra , Reinert Knut , Kohlbacher Oliver
Published: March 2016

Background

Reproducibility is one of the tenets of the scientific method. Scientific experiments often comprise complex data flows, selection of adequate parameters, and analysis and visualization of intermediate and end results. Breaking down the complexity of such experiments into the joint collaboration of small, repeatable, well defined tasks, each with well defined inputs, parameters, and outputs, offers the immediate benefit of identifying bottlenecks, pinpoint sections which could benefit from parallelization, among others. Workflows rest upon the notion of splitting complex work into the joint effort of several manageable tasks.

There are several engines that give users the ability to design and execute workflows. Each engine was created to address certain problems of a specific community, therefore each one has its advantages and shortcomings. Furthermore, not all features of all workflow engines are royalty-free —an aspect that could potentially drive away members of the scientific community.

Results

We have developed a set of tools that enables the scientific community to benefit from workflow interoperability. We developed a platform-free structured representation of parameters, inputs, outputs of command-line tools in so-called Common Tool Descriptor documents. We have also overcome the shortcomings and combined the features of two royalty-free workflow engines with a substantial user community: the Konstanz Information Miner, an engine which we see as a formidable workflow editor, and the Grid and User Support Environment, a web-based framework able to interact with several high-performance computing resources. We have thus created a free and highly accessible way to design workflows on a desktop computer and execute them on high-performance computing resources.

Conclusions

Our work will not only reduce time spent on designing scientific workflows, but also make executing workflows on remote high-performance computing resources more accessible to technically inexperienced users. We strongly believe that our efforts not only decrease the turnaround time to obtain scientific results but also have a positive impact on reproducibility, thus elevating the quality of obtained scientific results.
Characterization of mesenchymal stem cells and fibrochondrocytes in three-dimensional co-culture: analysis of cell shape, matrix production, and mechanical performance
Authors: McCorry Mary Clare , Puetzer Jennifer L. , Bonassar Lawrence J.
Published: March 2016

Background

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown positive therapeutic effects for meniscus regeneration and repair. Preliminary in vitro work has indicated positive results for MSC applications for meniscus tissue engineering; however, more information is needed on how to direct MSC behavior. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of MSC co-culture with primary meniscal fibrochondrocytes (FCCs) in a three-dimensional collagen scaffold in fibrochondrogenic media. Co-culture of MSCs and FCCs was hypothesized to facilitate the transition of MSCs to a FCC cell phenotype as measured by matrix secretion and morphology.

Methods

MSCs and FCCs were isolated from bovine bone marrow and meniscus, respectively. Cells were seeded in a 20 mg/mL high-density type I collagen gel at MSC:FCC ratios of 0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0. Constructs were cultured for up to 2 weeks and then analyzed for cell morphology, glycosaminoglycan content, collagen content, and production of collagen type I, II, and X.

Results

Cells were homogeneously mixed throughout the scaffold and cells had limited direct cell–cell contact. After 2 weeks in culture, MSCs transitioned from a spindle-like morphology toward a rounded phenotype, while FCCs remained rounded throughout culture. Although MSC shape changed with culture, the overall size was significantly larger than FCCs throughout culture. While 75:25 and 100:0 (MSC mono-culture) culture groups produced significantly more glycosaminoglycan (GAG)/DNA than FCCs in mono-culture, GAG retention was highest in 50:50 co-cultures. Similarly, the aggregate modulus was highest in 100:0 and 50:50 co-cultures. All samples contained both collagen types I and II after 2 weeks, and collagen type X expression was evident only in MSC mono-culture gels.

Conclusions

MSCs shift to a FCC morphology in both mono- and co-culture. Co-culture reduced hypertrophy by MSCs, indicated by collagen type X. This study shows that MSC phenotype can be influenced by indirect homogeneous cell culture in a three-dimensional gel, demonstrating the applicability of MSCs in meniscus tissue engineering applications.
Fuzzy quasi-triangular spaces, fuzzy sets of Pompeiu-Hausdorff type, and another extensions of Banach and Nadler theorems
Authors: Włodarczyk Kazimierz
Published: March 2016

Let $\mathcal{A}$
A
be an index set, and $C=\{C_{\alpha}\}_{\alpha\in \mathcal{A}}\in{}[1;\infty)^{\mathcal{A}}$
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. Fuzzy quasi-triangular space is defined to be $(X,\mathcal{M}_{C;\mathcal{A}},\ast)$
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, left (right) $\mathcal{G}$
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generated by $\mathcal{M}_{C;\mathcal{A}}$

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($\mathcal{K}_{C;\mathcal{A}}$

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generalize $\mathcal {M}_{C;\mathcal{A}}$

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) are defined and described. Using families $\mathcal {K}_{C;\mathcal{A}}$

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, three kinds of left (right) fuzzy sets of Pompeiu-Hausdorff type on $2^{X}\times2^{X}\times(0;\infty)$

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are constructed, and for such fuzzy contractions, conditions guaranteeing the existence of periodic points and left (right) $\mathcal {M}_{C;\mathcal{A}}$

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, using left (right) $\mathcal{G}$
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-families $\mathcal{K}_{C;\mathcal{A}}$

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C
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generated by $\mathcal{M}_{C;\mathcal{A}}$

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, two kinds of left (right) single-valued fuzzy contractions $T:X\rightarrow X$
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are constructed, and for such fuzzy contractions, the convergence, existence, approximation, uniqueness, periodic point, and fixed point result is also obtained. Examples are provided.
Use of the MS2 aptamer and coat protein for RNA localization in yeast: A response to “MS2 coat proteins bound to yeast mRNAs block 5′ to 3′ degradation and trap mRNA decay products: implications for the localization of mRNAs by MS2-MCP system”
Authors: Haimovich Gal , Zabezhinsky Dmitry , Haas Brian , Slobodin Boris , Purushothaman Pravinkumar , Fan Lin , Levin Joshua Z. , Nusbaum Chad , Gerst Jeffrey E.
Published: March 2016

The MS2 system has been extensively used to visualize single mRNA molecules in live cells and follow their localization and behavior. In their Letter to the Editor recently published, Garcia and Parker suggest that use of the MS2 system may yield erroneous mRNA localization results due to the accumulation of 3′ decay products. Here we cite published works and provide new data which demonstrate that this is not a phenomenon general to endogenously expressed MS2-tagged transcripts, and that some of the results obtained in their study could have arisen from artifacts of gene expression.
‘Community Music’ in Germany? An attempt to untangle German and English concepts in the context of music and pedagogy
Authors: Josties Elke
Published: March 2016

Which concepts come into play in the context of music and pedagogy? Why do German institutions tend to favour English terms such as ‘education’? Why does a concept like ‘Community Music’ have no simple German translation – and why does it evoke irritating associations of ‘music abuse’ in 20th century German history? How can we characterize the tradition and profile of music education in German youth work today? What would we achieve by introducing ‘Community Music’ as a theoretical, musical-pedagogical concept to discourses on cultural education? And how can we define ‘Community Music’ in the German context? Why is the more artistically/aesthetically, pedagogically oriented Kulturelle Bildung of central interest in Germany? Does a new concept like Community Music threaten to crush the achievements of music-based children’s and youth work? This essay is an attempt to untangle German and English concepts in the context of music and pedagogy. The author predicts that the term ‘Community Music’ will establish itself in Germany – similar to how ‘education’ has already established itself. This term will put a new label on old knowledge, strengthen or endanger established fields of practice, initiate new musical-pedagogical discourses and projects, but also evoke a host of vague associations.
Music Geragogy, Elemental Music Pedagogy and Community Music – didactic approaches for making music in old age
Authors: Hartogh Theo
Published: March 2016

Older people have shown a growing interest in cultural activities in recent years. In Germany, the disciplines Music Geragogy and Elementary Music Pedagogy have reacted to this trend and started to integrate the topic ‘Music making in old age’ into (further) education programmes. This article presents these initiatives and their links to Community Music. As for the future, the international discourse concerning these three approaches should produce important stimuli for the didactic and methodological fundamentals of the topic ‘Music making in old age’, in both theory and practice.
Blank spaces: In search of community music in Germany
Authors: Clausen Bernd
Published: March 2016

In light of the scarcity of the term ‘community music’ (CM) within German academic discourses, this article tries to unfold probable reasons for this from the viewpoint of music education. It questions the accuracy of previous statements on the relevance of CM and spurs on a more precisely conducted debate in Germany.
Developing community music in Germany: The journey to this journal issue
Authors: De Banffy-Hall Alicia
Published: March 2016

Although community music is slowly gaining popularity in Germany, it is still largely unknown, both as a term and as a concept of practice. Consequently, it has so far been understudied: there has been no primary research to specifically explore the concept of community music in Germany. This journal issue is a first step in exploring community music from a variety of academic disciplines: music education, music therapy and social work. It is the first publication solely dedicated to community music in Germany. The purpose of this article is twofold. First, to analyse and locate the concept of community music in the German context and in relation to the disciplines of music education and social work. Second, to provide a local, practice-based example of the potential and resonance of the concept of community music in the German context. The example I provide is the Munich Community Music Action Research Group (MCMARG), which shows how community music in Munich developed as a result of the group’s work. The group consisted of eight policy-makers, practitioners and academics and worked for over two years (2013–2015) to develop community music in Munich. The process and developments of the MCMARG led to local developments in community music practice, to an international community music conference and finally to this journal issue. In both parts of this article I will show first, that community music has intersections with a range of contexts and disciplines in Germany, and second, the relevance of the community music concept to many areas of music-making practice in Germany. This will hopefully provide a point of reference and identification for community musicians and researchers in this field as it develops in Germany.
A prospective study on causes and functional outcome of frozen shoulder
Authors: Mahajan Sanjeev , Gadi Daksh , Gupta Rahul , Singla Saurav , Setia Piyush , Gupta Som , Kaur Raminder
Published: March 2016

Backgroud: Frozen shoulder also called as adhesive capsulitis is a condition characterised by global limitation of humeroscapular motion resulting from contracture and loss of compliance of the glenohumeral joint capsule. Frozen shoulder is a common problem and results in frustrating debilitation for its sufferers. There can be many reasons for pain and stiffness of shoulder joint, so it is very important to differentiate between adhesive capsulitis and the other causes.Objective: The main objective of the study was to evaluate the various modes of treatment for frozen shoulder and to identify various causes and associations of frozen shoulder in Indian population. To the best of our knowledge no prospective study has been done which have compared different treatment options in patients of adhesive capsulitis in Indian population.Methods: The study was done on 75 patients which were divided into three groups, based on the mode of management i.e. conservatively with medication and physiotherapy, physiotherapy and intraarticular injection and arthroscopic capsular release. The range of movement and functional outcome was compared using Constant & Murley score.Conclusion: We found that patients undergoing conservative management showed benefits of various treatment options if the condition is diagnosed at an early stage but the results convincingly prove the advantages of arthroscopic capsular release in patients with chronic painful stiff shoulder or in failed conservative treatment.
School truancy among Turkish high school students: A test of General Strain Theory
Authors: Solakoglu Ozgur , Orak Ugur
Published: March 2016

School absenteeism is a complicated problem with a variety of causes. It has been shown to be one of the main predictors of school drop-outs as well as leading to delinquency and criminal behavior in adulthood. This study examines the applicability of General Strain Theory on educational factors by considering truancy as a risk behavior. In this empirical study, we test the explanatory powers of certain kinds of strain, including school strain, economic deprivation, negative life events, anger, college plans, past victimization, and depression on students’ truancy. Data were drawn from the part of 2008 Youth in Europe Survey conducted in Istanbul in 2008. The sample consists of 2445 high school students. Results indicate that school strain, anger, and negative life events are significantly associated with likelihood of truancy while past victimization and economic strain have no effect. College goal and depression, on the other hand, have relatively weaker effects on students’ school absenteeism. Findings revealed that there is a relationship between cutting classes and certain kinds of strain among Turkish adolescents. The study also demonstrates that General Strain Theory is applicable for problematic behaviors in an educational context and generalizable to countries other than the U.S.
Classroom teachers’ professional development activities within the scope of life long learning in Turkey
Authors: Erdem Aliye , Koç E. Seda
Published: March 2016

Among all the factors affecting education, teachers have more important role in ensuring the effectiveness of the teaching process. Teachers’ professional development is a subject that directly affect the teaching process. Researches on the development of teaching profession indicate that professional training is a necessity for better education and better schools. Because if the teacher learns during performing the teaching profession, the quality of the education offered by the teacher will be higher. Teachers who develop themselves in terms of profession provide both a better education and a positive learning environment for the students. In this context, the aim of this research is to investigate the activities of the classroom teachers participate in Turkey in order to ensure their professional development. The study is prepared depending on the views of the classroom teachers. The data were obtained from the classroom teachers who teach 1, 2, 3, and 4. classes in public and private elementary schools in Ankara, in the 2014-2015 academic year. Questionnaire developed by the researchers was used for collecting the data.
“Prayer is the answer”: Apocalypticism, Our Lady, and Catholic Identity
Authors: Krebs Jill
Published: March 2016

Apocalyptic beliefs are common in modern Marian apparitions and represent an important area of tension between believers and skeptics—tension that in part determines the official Church stance toward, as well as popularity and longevity of, the apparition. Apocalypticism therefore is an important component of Catholic identity for many Marian devotees. Drawing from a case study of a modern apparition site in rural Emmitsburg, Maryland, I argue that apocalyptic beliefs shape Catholic identity by framing social and religious changes as evidence of coming chastisement; galvanize action among believers, who both prepare for and attempt to avert apocalypse; and validate the Catholic identity of those individuals marginalized within their communities because of those same apocalyptic beliefs. Using Christian Smith's subcultural identity theory of religious persistence and strength, as well as literature on apparitional movements, I describe the dynamics of apocalyptic belief in modern Marian apparitions, explore how the tension engendered by apocalypticism promotes strong identity through symbolic boundary marking, and argue that such beliefs shape Catholic identity for apocalyptic Catholics.
“Declension Comes Home”: Cotton Mather, Male Youth Rebellion, and the Hope of Providential Affliction in Puritan New England
Authors: Setran David
Published: March 2016

The theme of generational religious decline has been a staple of New England Puritan historiography. Yet while scholars have examined these issues at the larger cultural and ecclesial levels, few have looked at the small-scale manifestations of such “declension” within Puritan parent-child relationships. This article looks at Cotton Mather's perceptions of the causes of and potential solutions for male youth waywardness in colonial New England. Attempting to provide pastoral wisdom for distressed parents in his congregation, Mather also had to deal with this issue in his own home. His rebellious son, Increase, served as a very personal example of a vexing public issue, and Mather worked hard to put his pastoral ideals into “fatherly” practice. As he confronted these challenges, Mather located the causes of male youth rebellion in the perilous nature of “youth,” the failures of Puritan parents, and the inscrutable sovereignty of God. In the end, I argue that Mather was ultimately hopeful about God's work and purposes in the midst of youth declension. His belief in God's providence meant that the afflictions attending youthful rebellion could be perceived as God's means of spurring repentance and renewal, addressing parental sin, bolstering godly childrearing, and arousing youth themselves in the pursuit of righteousness.
Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Long Social Gospel Movement
Authors: Cook Vaneesa
Published: March 2016

Historians have posited several theories in an attempt to explain what many regard as Martin Luther King, Jr.'s radical departure, in the late 1960's, from his earlier, liberal framing of civil rights reform. Rather than view his increasingly critical statements against the Vietnam War and the liberal establishment as evidence of a fundamental change in his thinking, a number of scholars have braided the continuity of King's thought within frameworks of democratic socialism and the long civil rights movement, respectively. King's lifelong struggle for racial justice in America, they argue, was rife with broader and more radical implications than that of a national campaign for political inclusion. His message was global, and it was revolutionary. However, when depicting him exclusively in the context of black radicals during “the long civil rights movement,“ or the labor movement, these scholars have a tendency to downplay the most fundamental component of King's activism - his religion. More so than he referenced the brave black leaders of previous civil rights campaigns, King drew upon the writings and ideas of social gospel thinkers, such as Walter Rauschenbusch and Reinhold Niebuhr. By analyzing King within the context of “the long social gospel movement” in addition to “the long civil rights movement,” we can explain his radical social mission in terms of race and class, but without marginalizing the Christian values at the core of his calling.
ER strikes again: Proteostasis Dysfunction In ALS
Authors: Maharjan Niran , Saxena Smita
Published: March 2016

The precise contribution of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) variants in human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients to the pathogenesis of ALS remained unclear. In the present study, Woehlbier et al () demonstrated that these PDI variants are capable of altering motor neuron morphology, impairing the expression of synaptic proteins, and compromising neuromuscular junction (NMJ) integrity.
Investigação do efeito do tempo de exposição à temperatura ambiente e ao tempo de estocagem de um filme adesivo estrutural de resina epoxídica
Authors: Silva Ana Carolina Teixeira Neves da , Guilherme Fernanda , Ferrari Vanesa Mitchell , Ferrari Paulo Eduardo
Published: March 2016

Resumo A exposição de filmes adesivos de resina epoxídica à temperatura ambiente propicia condições que afetam diretamente suas propriedades físicas. Para o adesivo estrutural AF191, de aplicação no setor aeronáutico, isto pode ser confirmado pela súbita perda de pegajosidade (“tack”). Sendo assim, o comportamento do sistema de resina escolhido foi estudado experimentalmente, expondo-se este ao ambiente de laboratório a intervalos pré-determinados de tempo e a diferentes períodos de armazenamento (–18°C). O efeito da exposição foi analisado por meio de ensaios fisico-químicos baseados em normas internacionais complementados por testes empíricos não normatizados que visaram observar alguns comportamentos especificos da resina, como capacidade de fluxo e solubilidade. A partir dos resultados, foi possível observar alterações no comportamento fisico-químico, que afetam as condições de processabilidade do adesivo, como a capacidade de fluxo do adesivo quando aquecido, redução da aderência e da solubilidade em solvente orgânico. Estas alterações sugerem que houve um possível aumento no número de reticulações da matriz polimérica à temperatura ambiente.Porém este fato não foi comprovadopelo método de análise térmica utilizado (calorimetria exploratória diferencial – DSC), onde não foi observado alteração significativa da entalpia de cura ao longo do período de exposição. Isso pode ser atribuído a uma taxa de cura muito baixa da matriz ou apenas pela falta sensibilidade do método. A mudança de comportamento pode estar associada ao processo de plastificação da matriz polímérica causado pela absorção de umidade devido ao caráter higroscópico da matriz epoxídica, que pode ser verificado no aumento progressivo do ensaio de teor de voláteis. O período de estocagem mostrou que não houve alteração significativa das características avaliadas do adesivo.
Regulação em Saúde: desafios à governança do SUS
Authors: Barbosa Dayse Vieira Santos , Barbosa Nelson Bezerra , Najberg Estela
Published: March 2016

Resumo O Sistema Único de Saúde tem desenvolvido estratégias de racionalização do uso dos recursos, expressas no sistema de regulação. Nesse sentido, o desafio que o sistema enfrenta refere-se à capacidade de organizar as atividades desse sistema. Este artigo tem como objetivo descrever a política de regulação adotada no âmbito do SUS, considerando seus elementos conceituais e operacionais, com foco na atenção às urgências. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, baseado em fontes secundárias. Toma como ponto de partida a definição de regulação, derivada da economia, e descreve o processo e instrumentos de estruturação de um sistema de organização da oferta e demanda em saúde. A definição de responsabilidades entre os gestores conforma um processo de organização de um sistema de governança direcionado à efetiva regulação do sistema, em especial para ordenação da oferta e demanda em uma de suas áreas mais sensíveis – a atenção às urgências e emergências. A estruturação e funcionamento da rede de serviços nessa área podem se beneficiar do controle do fluxo e da qualidade de serviços, dependendo da capacidade de uso dos elementos constitutivos do sistema de regulação, com ênfase na sua governança.
Agreement assessment between hemoglobin and hematocrit to detect anemia prevalence in children less than 5 years old
Authors: Brunken Gisela Soares , França Giovanny Vinícius Araújo de , Luiz Ronir Raggio , Szarfarc Sophia Cornbluth
Published: March 2016

Abstract This study aimed to assess the extent of agreement between hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Ht), while also verifying whether anemia prevalence can be determined by hematocrit cut-off points. A hundred pairs of capillary Hb and Ht of children less than 5 years old were analyzed. The Hb and Ht concentrations were measured using HemoCue and microhematocrit centrifuge, respectively. The Bland and Altman’s method was used to assess the agreement between ‘observed Hb’ and ‘Hb estimated through Ht’ (Hb = Ht/3). The ROC curve was constructed based on the reference to anemia classification according to Hb. The subjects were classified according to the status of anemia obtained through the Ht, also evaluating the agreement regarding Hb. The area under the ROC curve identified that Ht <35% correctly classified 85% of subjects with Hb <11.0 g/dL. However, the cut-off point of <33% showed higher kappa (k = 0.49 against 0.41) and higher relative agreement (82% vs. 74%) compared to Ht <35%. Our findings indicate that capillary Hb and Ht could be used either together or separately to assess the prevalence of anemia. Considering the need to identify iron deficiency anemia with a single indicator in population studies, the use of Ht would be simpler and cost-saving.