bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychopathic Personality Traits, Suicide Ideation, and Suicide Attempts in Male Prison Inmates
Authors: Smith Phillip N. , Selwyn Candice N. , Wolford-Clevenger Caitlin , Mandracchia Jon T.
Published: November 2013

Prison inmates are at greater risk for death by suicide compared with the general population. Although many risk factors for suicide identified in the general population (e.g., depression, substance abuse) also apply to prison populations, few studies have examined variables that are of particular relevance to prison inmates. The current study used cross-sectional survey methodology to examine the relationships of primary and secondary psychopathic personality traits with current suicide ideation and previous suicide attempts in a sample of male prison inmates. Prison inmates who endorsed greater secondary psychopathic traits were more likely to be multiple-suicide attempters versus single and nonattempters. Primary psychopathic traits did not predict suicide attempt status. The relationship of secondary psychopathic traits and suicide ideation grew stronger as depressive symptoms increased. Primary psychopathic traits were not associated with increased suicide ideation either alone or in confluence with depressive symptoms.
A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis of Endoscopic Balloon Dilation of Pediatric Subglottic Stenosis
Authors: Lang Michael , Brietzke Scott E.
Published: November 2013

Objective

Endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) is an inviting, noninvasive option to manage pediatric subglottic stenosis that could preclude the need for tracheostomy and/or laryngeal‐tracheal reconstruction (LTR). However, treatment outcomes and patient selection criteria are not well described.

Data Sources

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane databases were systematically searched using multiple search terms.

Review Methods

A systematic review of pediatric EBD was performed and then reported in compliance with PRISMA principles. Inclusion criteria consisted of a sample size of 5 or greater, pediatric patients, and primary EBD without adjuvant procedures. Meta‐analysis was performed with random effects modeling and pooled data regression.

Results

After systematic database search and detailed review, 7 studies were included in the final data set with 150 total subjects. All studies were case series (level 4 evidence). The mean sample size was 20 subjects (range, 5‐44), and the grand mean age was 2.2 years (range, 2.2‐60 months). The random effects model estimate of the overall treatment success (avoidance of tracheostomy or LTR) was 65.3% (k = 6 studies, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 60.1%‐70.6%, P <. 001, Q test for heterogeneity = 3.98, P =. 552, I2 = 0%). Follow‐up was inconsistently reported but averaged 4.6 months (range, 0.25‐12.5 months). Only 1 study reported significant complications (1 death, 2 tracheal lacerations). Pooled data multivariate regression indicated that increasing Cotton‐Meyers grade was associated with decreased odds of success (odds ratio = 0.198, 95% CI = 0.0451‐0.870, P =. 032). Funnel plot analysis suggested the possibility of publication bias.

Conclusions

EBD is successful in most patients over short‐term follow‐up. The reported complication rates are low. Increasing severity of subglottic stenosis increases the odds of treatment failure.
Acute coronary syndrome in two patients with mechanical valve prostheses
Authors: Kaya Dayimi , Alp Alper , Elbi Huseyin , Kupelioglu Ali , Ozdogan Oner
Published: November 2013

We report 2 similar cases of embolic myocardial infarction due to thrombus on a mechanical prosthesis despite anticoagulation therapy. In our first case, aspiration of the thrombus was performed successfully. Our second patient was given medical treatment with target international normalized ratio values between 3.5 and 4.0.
Technique for delivering large tumors in video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy
Authors: Sihoe Alan DL , Chawla Surbhi , Paul Sohini , Nair Arun , Lee Jesse , Yin Kanhua
Published: November 2013

Background

The optimal technique for delivering large tumors during video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy remains uncertain.

Methods

In 258 patients receiving video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer, techniques for delivering the resected lobe included complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy without rib spreading ( n = 206, 80%), resection of a short rib segment ( n = 9, 3%), brief rib spreading ( n = 12, 5%), and conversion to a minithoracotomy ( n = 21, 8%). In 10 (4%) patients, a novel anterior rib cutting technique was used: one rib at the utility port was cut near its anterior end to widen the intercostal space without forcible rib spreading for lobe delivery.

Results

There was no mortality or major morbidity using the anterior rib cutting technique, and it delivered tumors of a larger mean diameter than complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy (5.4 ± 3.4 vs. 2.3 ± 1.4 cm, p = 0.017) whilst yielding a similar mean operation time and blood loss to the other non-complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy techniques. The anterior rib cutting technique gave similar postoperative patient pain scores and analgesic use to complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy, and shorter mean hospital stay than the other non-complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy techniques (5.6 ± 2.8 vs. 10.0 ± 7.1 days, p = 0.003).

Conclusions

In video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy, the anterior rib cutting technique is a safe and feasible procedure for delivering large tumors, causing no more pain than complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy, and allowing faster recovery than other non-complete video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy techniques.
Systematic review of spontaneous pneumomediastinum: A survey of 22 years’ data
Authors: Dajer-Fadel Walid L , Argüero-Sánchez Rubén , Ibarra-Pérez Carlos , Navarro-Reynoso Francisco P
Published: November 2013

Objective

To describe and clarify management protocols in relation to spontaneous pneumomediastinum, and try to integrate criteria on this subject.

Background

Thoracic physicians are faced with patients who present with gas in the mediastinum, frequently without an obvious etiologic factor. Published material contains heterogeneous information from which different conclusions can be drawn.

Methods

In a Medline search from 1990 to 2012, we collected data on mortality, morbidity, signs, symptoms, etiologic factors, and diagnostic methods. Standardized mean differences were calculated.

Results

We identified 600 patients in 27 papers with series of >5 patients without precipitating or etiologic factors previous to the clinical presentation, but athletic activity, drug abuse, and history of asthma played an apparent role in the disease process. Most patients complained of thoracic pain and dyspnea, with subcutaneous emphysema and Hamman’s sign. The most common complication was tension pneumothorax. Morbidity was seen in 2.8%; no mortality has been reported so far.

Conclusion

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a rare disease with a benign course, which should be treated conservatively unless a complication mandates an invasive procedure. An algorithm for diagnosis and treatment is offered, based on the available evidence.
Reduced left internal mammary artery blood flow on normal sternal retraction
Authors: Kotkar Kunal Deepak , Chaudhary Ambuj , Brar Rahat , Mahant Tek Singh
Published: November 2013

The left internal mammary artery is the conduit of choice for bypassing the left anterior descending artery. A 72-year-old man underwent off-pump triple-vessel coronary artery bypass. The left internal mammary artery was harvested with brisk blood flow from the distal artery on completion of harvesting, but normal sternal retraction with a Medtronic OctoBase retractor led to cessation of flow. A vein graft was utilized for the left anterior descending artery, and the internal mammary artery was grafted to the first diagonal branch. Computed tomography-angiography on postoperative day 5 demonstrated no possible cause of the reduced flow on sternal retraction.
Adapting choral singing experiences for older adults: The implications of sensory, perceptual, and cognitive changes
Authors: Yinger Olivia Swedberg
Published: November 2013

As people age, they naturally experience sensory, perceptual, and cognitive changes. Many of these changes necessitate adaptations in designing programs for older adults. Choral singing is an activity that has many potential benefits for older adults, yet the rehearsal environment, presentation style, and content of material presented may need to be modified in order for older adults to participate to their fullest. The purpose of this article is to discuss sensory, perceptual, and cognitive changes that may occur in old age and, based on the implications of these changes, provide recommendations on designing a choral singing experience for older adults. I offer suggestions for adapting choral singing experiences based on empirical evidence as well as my own experience leading a choir for mature singers with Parkinson’s disease. Adaptive strategies are given so those working with older adults might help mature singers more fully participate when engaging in choral singing.
The Virtues of Violence: The Salafi-Jihadi Political Universe
Authors: Bhatt Chetan
Published: November 2013

The article examines some recent areas of Al Qaeda and salafi-jihadi ideology and argues that, while there has been an evolution in strategy since 9/11, the core elements of salafi-jihadi ideology have remained unchanged. The article explores ideological, technical and aesthetic aspects of Al Qaeda and salafi-jihadi literature. It is argued that salafi-jihadi ideology is characterized by a particular association between political virtue and visceral violence, an association that dominates the aesthetic and cultural universe created by salafi-jihadis. Existing views that salafi-jihadi thought represents an ethical project or a project for humanity or a response to military occupations are, it is argued, consequences of a broader philosophical and social theory tradition that privileges a specifically theological idea of sacrifice. Instead, it is argued that salafi-jihadi ideology is characterized by an array of sharp oppositions. These contrasting doublets of ideas include ones about the temporal world and the afterlife, authoritarian law and violent chaos, loyalty and enmity, defilement and plenitude, tangible lands and imagined spaces. These severe theoretical oppositions in salafi-jihadi thinking are outlined and considered in relation to broader social theory. The article also considers the sociological importance of ideas of Paradise and the afterlife in salafi-jihadi thought. The distinct nature of salafi-jihadi thought, and the understanding of political violence it contains, are considered in relation to nationalist jihadi and political Islamist tendencies.
Low-educated immigrants and the social relevance of second language acquisition research
Authors: Young-Scholten Martha
Published: November 2013

Since the 1980s’ decoupling of the formal study of second language acquisition from pedagogical concerns, the social relevance of such research has been of little concern. Early studies, in the 1970s, of uninstructed adult learners’ acquisition of morphosyntax pointed to social implications: these working class immigrants had varying levels of schooling, and it turned out that those with the least education made the slowest progress. With a shift in interest to consideration of poverty of the stimulus effects, researchers no longer needed to rely on adults who were uninstructed in the second language (L2) while immersed in the target language. Reliance on easy-to-recruit middle-class secondary school and university participants has had the – unintended – consequence of diminishing the attention paid to socially excluded adult L2 learners. This has left a range of language-external factors unaddressed in second language acquisition (SLA) at the international level; however, at the local level, interest in the language acquisition and literacy development of adult immigrants has risen along with increased immigration by adults with little or no native language schooling. These adults face considerable challenges in acquiring the linguistic competence and literacy skills that support participation in the economic and social life of their new communities. Those who teach such adults have very little SLA research to refer to in dealing with increasingly politicized policies and worsening provision. A return to the type of studies conducted in West Germany and the rest of Europe in the 1970s and 1980s would serve this population of learners well.
Paraparesis in a Golden Retriever
Authors: Aschenbroich S. , Woolcock A. , Rissi D. R.
Published: November 2013

A 7-year-old female spayed Golden Retriever dog presented with fever and a 10-day history of neurological signs, including ambulatory paraparesis and pelvic limb ataxia. Neurological examination initially revealed a T3-L3 myelopathy. Thoracic radiographs revealed a diffuse miliary pulmonary pattern. Endotracheal washes and fine-needle aspirates from several organs aimed at identifying a potential infectious agent or neoplastic process were all unsuccessful. Due to worsening of the clinical signs, euthanasia was elected. Necropsy findings included multifocal, pale to dark red, firm nodules infiltrating the lungs, heart, mesentery, pancreas, small intestine, brain, and spinal cord. Cytological examination of impression smears obtained from the pulmonary nodules during necropsy revealed clusters of epithelioid cells admixed with fewer spindle cells, erythrocytes, and scattered leukocytes. Clinical signs and cytological findings initially suggested the possibility of a widespread granulomatous disease or a metastatic epithelial neoplasm as possible clinical differentials in this case. The final diagnosis was based on the gross and histological findings, with confirmation following histochemistry and immunohistochemistry.
Assessment of metal concentrations in commercially important fish species in Black Sea
Authors: Alkan Nigar , Alkan Ali , Gedik Kenan , Fisher Andrew
Published: November 2013

In the present study, concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) were measured in the muscle, gill, and gonads of the pelagic fish species Trachurus mediterraneus, Engraulis encrasicolus ponticus, and Sprattus sprattus that are important both commercially and for the ecosystems in the Black Sea. The samples were collected during 2011. The metals were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) following an acid digestion. The highest concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn were found in E. encrasicolus ponticus, whereas the greatest concentrations of Ni were found in T. mediterraneus and Mn in S. sprattus. Results showed that average metal concentrations in the tissues of T. mediterraneus, E. encrasicolus ponticus, and S. sprattus decreased in the order gill > gonad > muscle, gonad > gill > muscle, and gill > gonad > muscle, respectively, for the three species. When metal concentrations of fish tissues were compared between fish gender, there were only statistical differences in the gonads of the studied fish species ( p < 0.05). The present study demonstrated that the metals have different correlations with condition factor (CF) and gonadosomatic index (GSI) of the fish species. Cr showed statistically important positive correlation to the GSI in male T. mediterraneus. Co showed statistically important positive correlation to CF in female E. encrasicolus ponticus, and also Co and Cd showed correlation to CF in male T. mediterraneus. Cd concentrations in the muscle tissues of the fish species were above the maximum acceptable concentration for human consumption.
Subchronic dermal exposure to T-2 toxin produces cardiac toxicity in experimental Wistar rats
Authors: Chattopadhyay Pronobesh , Islam Johirul , Goyary Danswrang , Agnihotri Amit , Karmakar Sanjev , Banerjee Subham , Singh Lokendra , Veer Vijay
Published: November 2013

Our study aimed to determine the cardiac toxicities of T-2 toxin, a representative mycotoxin that frequently contaminates maize, cereals, and other agricultural products, harvested and stored under damp and cold conditions. Dermal exposure to T-2 toxin caused severe cardiotoxicity in experimental Wistar rats. Electrocardiography studies showed the conduction abnormalities including prolongation of the QT and corrected QT interval, shortening of the PR interval, and tachycardia. Biochemical studies also reported the toxicity of T-2 toxin. T-2 toxin induced acute cardiotoxicity in rats and characterized by significant ( p < 0.05) elevation of serum troponin I, creatine kinase (CK) isoenzyme MB, CK isoenzyme NAC, and lactate dehydrogenase as compared to control rats. It is concluded that cardiotoxicity effects of T-2 toxin are thought to be due to direct action on electrocardiac potentials and biochemical changes.
Biochemical and histopathological changes in liver of the Nile tilapia from Egyptian polluted lakes
Authors: Abdel-Moneim Ashraf M , Essawy Amina E , El-Din Nariman K Badr , El-Naggar Nahed M
Published: November 2013

The aim of the present study was to analyze the impact of environmental contamination on oxidative stress and histopathologic biomarkers in liver of the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, collected from four sites that differ in their extent of pollution load, including heavy metals: the southeast basin (SEB), main basin (MB), and northwest basin (NWB) of Lake Mariut as well as Boughaz El-Maadiya, a channel in Lake Edku. The SEB was the less-impacted site, and thus considered as a reference. High concentrations of heavy metals (cadmium, copper, iron, lead, zinc, and manganese) were detected in fish liver at sites with anthropogenic pressure. All biomarkers, lipid peroxidation (in the MB, NWB, and Lake Edku), superoxide dismutase (in the MB and NWB), and glutathione peroxidase, and reduced glutathione (in the NWB) were found to be significantly higher compared to the reference values. Catalase, glutathione reductase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase showed a varied response and displayed significantly lower activities in the polluted sites. Certain hepatic lesions, detected microscopically, were stimulated in fish from the MB and NWB, reflecting the high contamination of these areas. These included foci of necrosis, melanomacrophage infiltration, congestion, nuclear pyknosis, and extensive vacuolation corresponding to relatively higher lipid content. Overall, our results suggest that the selected biomarkers are useful for the assessment of pollution impacts in natural aquatic environments influenced by multiple pollution sources. The existence of chronic background pollution of the test sites implies that the observed biomarker responses cannot be solely attributed to heavy metals.
Antifungal activity of essential oil of Ziziphora clinopodioides and the inhibition of aflatoxin B1 production in maize grain
Authors: Moghadam Hediyeh Davoudi , Sani Ali Mohamadi , Sangatash Masoomeh Mehraban
Published: November 2013

The aim of this study was to determine the antifungal effect of the essential oil obtained from Ziziphora clinopodioides L on two fungi species including Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus using microdilution method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) were determined for the essential oil at 10 different concentrations (i.e. 25,000, 12,500, 6250, 3125, 1562.5, 781.25, 390.625, 195.31, 97.65, and 48.82 µg/ml). Finally, the effect of the essential oil at six levels (6250, 3125, 1600, 800, 400, and 196 µg/ml) was investigated on the growth and activity of A. flavus and A. parasiticus, and also toxin production of these species in maize at 0.97 aw and 25°C after 29 days. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) content was assayed by enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay technique. Results showed that essential oil of Z. clinopodioides was found more effective on A. parasiticus than A. flavus in both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Z. clinopodioides oil exhibited the same MIC value in the liquid medium against all fungal strains (48.82 µg/ml), while it showed different activity against A. flavus and A. parasiticus with MFC values of 781.25 and 390.625 µg/ml respectively. Under storage condition in maize, AFB1 production was significantly ( p < 0.05) repressed at the concentration of 6250 µg/ml for A. flavus and 6250 and 3125 µg/ml for A. parasiticus. At the lower concentrations, the AFB1 production increased gradually. The results of the present study indicated that the essential oil of Z. clinopodioides had significant antifungal activity ( p < 0.05); therefore, it can be used as an antifungal agent in the food and medicinal industries.
Exposure of rat hippocampal astrocytes to Ziram increases oxidative stress
Authors: Matei Ann-Marie , Trombetta Louis D
Published: November 2013

Pesticides have been shown in several studies to be the leading candidates of environmental toxins and may contribute to the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases. Ziram (zinc-bis(dimethyldithiocarbamate)) is an agricultural dithiocarbamate fungicide that is used to treat a variety of plant diseases. In spite of their generally acknowledged low toxicity, dithiocarbamates are known to cause a wide range of neurobehavioral effects as well as neuropathological changes in the brain. Astrocytes play a key role in normal brain physiology and in the pathology of the nervous system. This investigation studied the effects of 1.0 µM Ziram on rat hippocampal astrocytes. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance assay performed showed a significant increase in malondialdehyde, a product of lipid peroxidation, in the Ziram-treated cells. Biochemical analysis also revealed a significant increase in the induction of 70 kDa heat shock and heme oxygenase 1 stress proteins. In addition, an increase of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and a significant increase in oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were observed in the Ziram-treated cells. The ratio GSH to GSSG calculated from the treated cells was also decreased. Light and transmission electron microscopy supported the biochemical findings in Ziram-treated astrocytes. This data suggest that the cytotoxic effects observed with Ziram treatments may be related to the increase of oxidative stress.
Neuroprotective effect of quercetin against oxidative damage and neuronal apoptosis caused by cadmium in hippocampus
Authors: Kanter Mehmet , Unsal Cuneyt , Aktas Cevat , Erboga Mustafa
Published: November 2013

The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate cadmium (Cd)-induced neurotoxicity in hippocampal tissues and beneficial effect of quercetin (QE) against neuronal damage. A total of 30 male rats were divided into 3 groups: control, Cd-treated, and Cd + QE-treated groups. After the treatment, the animals were killed and hippocampal tissues were removed for biochemical and histopathological investigation. Cd significantly increased tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC) levels and also decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzyme activities in hippocampal tissue compared with the control. Administration of QE with Cd significantly decreased the levels of MDA and PC and significantly elevated the levels of antioxidant enzymes in hippocampal tissue. In the Cd-treated group, the neurons of both tissues became extensively dark and degenerated with pyknotic nuclei. The morphology of neurons in Cd + QE group was well protected, but not as neurons of the control group. The caspase-3 immunopositivity was increased in degenerating neurons of the Cd-treated group. Treatment of QE markedly reduced the immunoreactivity of degenerating neurons. The results of the present study show that QE therapy causes morphologic improvement in neurodegeneration of hippocampus after Cd exposure in rats.
Effect of different in vitro culture extracts of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) on toxic metabolites-producing strains
Authors: Ahmad Nisar , Abbasi Bilal Haider , Fazal Hina
Published: November 2013

In the present study, the effect of different in vitro cultures (callus, in vitro shoots) and commercially available peppercorn extract was investigated for its activity against toxic metabolite-producing strains ( Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans). These in vitro cultures were extracted with ethanol, hexane, and chloroform, and the antipathogenic activity was determined by well-diffusion method. Hexane extract of callus showed 22 mm zone of inhibition against B. cereus, 23 mm against S. aureus, while regenerated shoots and seeds have shown 24.3 and 26 mm zones of inhibition. The ethanolic extracts of regenerated Piper shoots have shown 25 mm activity against S. aureus, 21 mm against B. cereus, and 16 mm in the case of C. albicans in comparison with standard antibiotics. Peppercorn extracts in chloroform and ethanol had shown activities against B. cereus (23.6 mm) and B. subtilis (23.5 mm). During in vitro organogenesis and morphogenesis, cells and tissues produced a comparable phytochemicals profile like mother plant. Morphogenesis is critically controlled by the application of exogenous plant-growth regulators. Such addition alters the hormonal transduction pathways, and cells under in vitro conditions regenerate tissues, which are dependant on the physiological state of cells, and finally enhance the production of secondary metabolites. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to compare the antimicrobial potential of in vitro regenerated tissues and peppercorn with standard antibiotics. In conclusion, most of the extracts showed pronounced activities against all the pathogenic microbes. This is a preliminary work, and the minimum inhibitory concentration values needs to be further explored. Regenerated tissues of P. nigrum are a good source of biologically active metabolites for antimicrobial activities, and callus culture presented itself as a good candidate for such activities.
Infectious Complications With Nondaily Versus Daily Infusion of Intravenous Fat Emulsions in Non–Critically Ill Adults
Authors: Chheng Mary Lou , Heidbreder Charles , Btaiche Imad F. , Blackmer Allison Beck
Published: November 2013

Background: Increased risk for infection has been associated with the administration of intravenous fat emulsion (IVFE). Typically, IVFE is infused daily as part of the parenteral nutrition (PN) regimen. However, a national IVFE shortage in 2010 compelled institutions to restrict administration to nondaily. This retrospective study evaluated the rate of infections associated with the nondaily as compared to daily IVFE infusion in hospitalized adult patients. Methods: Patients in the study group received nondaily IVFE during the shortage period, and patients in the control group received daily IVFE. The primary outcomes were the development of catheter‐related bloodstream infections (CR‐BSIs) or any bloodstream infection (BSI). Secondary outcomes were the development of respiratory, urinary, wound, or other infections. Results: Included in the study were 52 patients, 33 patients in the study group and 19 patients in the control group. There were no CR‐BSIs reported. BSIs occurred in 1 patient in the study group. The total number of infections and urinary tract infections (UTIs) per 1000 catheter days were not different between the 2 groups (45.28 vs 21.24, P = .203) and (24.39 vs 5.525, P = .099), respectively. Survival analyses showed no difference between the 2 groups for the time to first infection (11.24 vs 6.59 days, P = .30) and time to first UTI (11.97 vs 7 days, P = .093), respectively. Conclusions: Nondaily vs daily IVFE infusion did not have a significant effect on the risk of infection or time to development of infection; however, results are limited due to the small sample size. Large prospective randomized clinical trials are needed to further evaluate the effect of daily as compared to nondaily IVFE infusion on infectious complications.
Breast Milk Choline Contents Are Associated with Inflammatory Status of Breastfeeding Women
Authors: Ozarda Yesim , Cansev Mehmet , Ulus Ismail H.
Published: November 2013

Background:

Choline is an important component of human breast milk and its content varies considerably among breastfeeding women and lactation periods.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between breast milk choline contents and inflammatory status in breastfeeding women.

Methods:

Breast milk choline compounds and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were determined in breastfeeding women at 1 to 3 (n = 53) or 22 to 180 (n = 54) days postpartum, expressing colostrum or mature milk, respectively.

Results:

Median concentrations of free choline, phosphocholine, glycerophosphocholine, phospholipid-bound choline, and total choline were 71, 38, 96, 194, and 407 µmol/L or 93, 351, 958, 186, and 1532 µmol/L in colostrum or mature milk, respectively. Median serum CRP concentrations were 4.13 mg/L and 0.33 mg/L at 1 to 3 days and 22 to 180 days postpartum, respectively. At 1 to 3 days postpartum, milk free choline, phosphocholine, glycerophosphocholine, and total choline as well as serum CRP concentrations were significantly higher in breastfeeding women who delivered by cesarean section than those who delivered via the vaginal route. Serum CRP concentration was positively correlated with colostrum free choline (r = 0.703; P < .001), phosphocholine (r = 0.759; P < .001), glycerophosphocholine (r = 0.706; P < .001), and total choline (r = 0.693; P < .001), whereas it was negatively correlated (r = −0.442; P < .001) with colostrum phospholipid-bound choline. Serum CRP was also negatively correlated with mature milk free choline (r = −0.278; P < .05), but no correlation was found between serum CRP and other choline compounds in mature milk.

Conclusion:

These data show that the concentrations of milk choline compounds are associated with inflammatory status of breastfeeding women, particularly during the first few days after delivery.
Helping Fellow Beings
Authors: Ahn Hee-Kyung , Kim Hae Joo , Aggarwal Pankaj
Published: November 2013

People are often reluctant to comply with social causes because doing so may involve personal sacrifices of time, money, and effort for benefits that are shared by other members of society. In an effort to increase compliance, government agencies and public institutions sometimes employ financial tools to promote social causes. However, employing financial tools to induce prosocial behavior is expensive and often ineffective. We propose that anthropomorphizing a social cause is a practical and inexpensive tool for increasing compliance with it. Across three prosocial contexts, we found that individuals exposed to a message from an anthropomorphized social cause, compared with individuals exposed to a message relating to a nonanthropomorphized social cause, were more willing to comply with the message. This effect was mediated by feelings of anticipatory guilt experienced when they considered the likely consequences of not complying with the cause. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Screening and Primary prevention of Colorectal Cancer: a Review of sex-specific and site-specific differences
Authors: Massat Nathalie J , Moss Sue M , Halloran Stephen P , Duffy Stephen W
Published: November 2013

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second commonest cancer in England. Incidence rates for colorectal adenomas and advanced colorectal neoplasia are higher in men than in women of all age groups. The male-to-female ratio for CRC incidence rates differs for different parts of the large bowel.

Objective

To summarize the current evidence on colorectal screening and prevention, focussing on potential differences in benefits between sexes and colorectal sites.

Methods

(i), We reviewed the evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the impact of different screening approaches on CRC incidence and mortality, overall, for each sex separately, and for subsites of the large bowel. (ii) We reviewed studies comparing detection parameters for faecal immunochemical tests for haemoglobin (FIT) with guaiac FOBt (gFOBt). (iii) The role of aspirin in CRC prevention in the general population was reviewed using evidence from RCTs, with specific emphasis on the differences observed between sexes and lesion site.

Results

(i) Our intention-to-treat random-effects meta-analysis showed that once-only flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) screening performed on average-risk individuals aged 55 + decreased CRC incidence by 18% and mortality by 28%, but sex-specific results were lacking. (ii) Modern quantitative FIT were superior to qualitative gFOBt in average-risk population screening in their ability to discriminate between individuals with and without colorectal neoplasia. Some recent FIT studies suggest varying operating characteristics in men and women. (iii) Evidence of an effect of aspirin on the incidence of CRC (in particular, proximal disease) in both sexes aged 40 and over at average-risk of CRC is emerging.

Conclusions

We encourage researchers of CRC screening and prevention to publish their results by sex where possible. Pilot studies should be undertaken before implementation of quantitative FIT in a national screening programme to establish the appropriate threshold. Finally, individual risk assessment for CRC and non-CRC events, will be necessary to make an informed decision on whether a patient should receive aspirin chemoprevention.
The Postpediatrician Transition
Authors: Viola Deborah , Arno Peter S. , Byrnes Jeanne G. , Doran Elizabeth A.
Published: November 2013

A variety of factors impacts the transition from childhood to adulthood for persons with special health care needs or disabilities. Among these are the barriers in care coordination associated with our bifurcated health care delivery system in which pediatric medicine does not smoothly link up with the medical care received by adults. After reviewing the literature, we discuss the strong case to be made for reconceptualizing the medical home model, introducing a life span perspective to resolve the postpediatrician transition. Rather than a “hand off” from pediatrician to adult provider, this approach provides a pathway to fully integrating this patient population into our evolving health care system.
Practical Reason Within and Across Disciplinary Borders
Authors: Kemp Susan P. , Nurius Paula S.
Published: November 2013

Longhofer and Floersch argue for more expansive thinking about the modes of social science research predominant in contemporary social work science. This commentary concurs with aspects of their article that we see as compatible both with social work aims and with current trends and imperatives in research and practice, including mixed methods and participatory studies, translational research, the scholarship of engagement, and rapidly emerging interest in collective impact. At the same time, it encourages the authors to extend their analyses by grounding them more thoroughly in the specifics of contemporary social work research, encouraging collective dialogue about the implications of their proposals, and recognizing that contemporary transdisciplinary and translational research endeavors are typically more fully aligned with these proposals than this article allows.
Children in Residential Care
Authors: Strijbosch E. L. L. , Helm G. H. P. van der , Brandenburg M. E. T. van , Mecking M. , Wissink I. B. , Stams G. J. J. M.
Published: November 2013

Purpose:

This study describes the development and validation of the Group Climate Instrument for Children aged 8 to 15 years (GCIC 8-15), which purports to measure the quality of group climate in residential care.

Methods:

A confirmatory factor analysis was performed on data of 117 children in Dutch residential youth care. Reliability analysis was performed and concurrent validity was tested.

Results:

An adequate fit of a two-factor model indicated construct validity of the GCIC 8-15. Reliability coefficients were good, and a significant correlation between perceived group climate and treatment motivation supported concurrent validity.

Discussion:

The GCIC 8-15 can be used to identify positive and negative aspects of group climate in residential youth care and enables further group climate research with children.
A Response to Anastas and Coffey
Authors: Voisin Dexter R. , Wong Marleen , Samuels Gina Miranda
Published: November 2013

Relationships are central to the profession of social work; relationships with allied disciplines, among professional social work organizations, and between classroom and field education. However, embedded within these relationships are historical tensions, and contemporary opportunities that can advance both the science of social work and the status of the profession. This article mainly highlights opportunities for advancing professional relationships between Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and National Association of Social Work (NASW) and provides exemplars for strengthening relationships between the classroom, field education, and practicing social work professionals. We argue that deepening the connections between CSWE and NASW as well as the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) require parallel efforts to link research, evidence-based practices, and the training and education of future social workers.
Evaluation of a Sexual Abuse Prevention Education for Chinese Preschoolers
Authors: Zhang Wenjing , Chen Jingqi , Feng Yanan , Li Jingyi , Liu Chengfeng , Zhao Xiaoxia
Published: November 2013

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of a sexual abuse prevention education in a sample of Chinese preschool children in Beijing, China.

Method:

One hundred and fifty preschool children were randomly assigned to either the intervention group ( N = 78) or the wait-list control group ( N = 72). Children were posttested on sexual abuse prevention knowledge and self-protection skills gains.

Results:

Following program participation, preschool children in the intervention group demonstrated greater knowledge about sexual abuse prevention and higher levels of self-protection skills compared with children in the wait-list control group.

Conclusions:

Findings suggest that it is feasible to implement the sexual abuse prevention education with Chinese preschoolers. Applications and limitations of these findings are discussed.
Transitional Support for Adults With Severe Mental Illness
Authors: Herman Daniel B.
Published: November 2013

Professional social workers and other mental health providers have for many years been involved in delivering treatment and support services focused on the needs of adults with severe mental illnesses living in the community. While some models have evolved largely through practice experience, others have developed through research paradigms in which program developers have attempted to systematically test their models by employing randomized trials and other rigorous approaches to assess impacts. Critical time intervention (CTI) is a time-limited care coordination model intended to prevent homelessness and other adverse outcomes among adults with severe mental illness during periods of transition. After briefly tracing its roots in assertive community treatment—a pioneering earlier model of community care—this article describes CTI, the evidence for its effectiveness, preliminary efforts toward its broad dissemination, and offers thoughts about its further development and potential for adaptation.
When Moral Awareness Isn’t Enough
Authors: Baker Diane F.
Published: November 2013

The traditional case-based method used to teach ethics in business classrooms gives students valuable practice identifying and applying key moral principles. This approach builds on a rational model of decision making and emphasizes moral awareness and moral judgment, encouraging students to describe moral dilemmas and assess the consequences of various responses. Unfortunately, moral awareness and moral judgment do not necessarily lead to moral action; organizational variables and social influences frequently trigger emotions such as fear, anxiety or desire, motivating employees to act in ways that they know are wrong. A review of ethics education articles and a sampling of business textbooks and learning objectives indicate that attention to the role of social influence in ethical decision making is limited in business classrooms. The contribution of this article is to heighten the awareness of this deficiency among business faculty and offer a set of instructional strategies that can be used to expand the current use of case studies across the business curriculum so that our students will recognize and respond ethically to social influence tactics.
Promoting Interdisciplinary Practice
Authors: Zabel Robert H. , Kaff Marilyn , Teagarden James
Published: November 2013

As part of an ongoing oral history project, a conversation was held with Dr. Stephen Forness on the past, present, and possible future of the field of providing services to children with emotional-behavioral disorders. Dr. Forness stresses the increasing importance of providing an interdisciplinary approach to meeting these needs.
Cover-Copy-Compare
Authors: Konrad Moira , Joseph Laurice M.
Published: November 2013

Cover-copy-compare is a practical, low-cost, effective strategy for teachers to add to their repertoires of evidence-based practices. This article describes the cover-copy-compare strategy and how it can be applied to teach both self-management and basic academic skills. A variety of ways this strategy can be used across content areas are suggested along with ideas for how teachers can maximize their use of the strategy.
Adapting a Tier 2 Behavioral Intervention, Check-in/Check-out, to Meet Students’ Needs
Authors: Swoszowski Nicole Cain
Published: November 2013

Check-in/check-out (CICO) is a resource-efficient, mentor-based, Tier 2 intervention. Various problem behaviors of students with and without disabilities across traditional and alternative school settings have been impacted positively by CICO. Not all students respond to the traditional, five-step approach, however. This article provides an overview of three resource-efficient adaptations educators may consider prior to designing resource-intensive, Tier 3 (i.e., individualized) interventions for students who do not respond to traditional check-in/check-out.
Providing Performance Feedback for Teachers to Increase Treatment Fidelity
Authors: Stormont Melissa , Reinke Wendy M.
Published: November 2013

This article reviewed a method for increasing teachers’ use of behavior-specific praise, which is especially important for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. The use of performance feedback has been researched fairly extensively and has yielded positive outcomes when compared with other forms of consultation. This article provides research to support the use of performance feedback as well as a framework for building systems to support implementation.
Using iPads With Students With Disabilities
Authors: Draper Rodríguez Cathi , Strnadová Iva , Cumming Therese
Published: November 2013

The use of mobile technology has increased greatly in recent years. Although the research in this area is still in its infancy, preliminary studies are showing a positive impact on the skills and academic engagement of students with disabilities. This column provides an overview of a selection of research studies involving mobile devices such as iPads. Ideas for classroom implementation and suggestions to overcome common challenges are also addressed.
At the End of the Tunnel, We Must See the Light
Authors: Zapata-Sepúlveda Pamela
Published: November 2013

This essay represents my process of thinking, rethinking, and assessing trauma and loss from my “I” as a woman who grew up during a dictatorship, as a scholar today in a Chilean public university. Feeling and listening is a form of creating knowledge in the process of studying trauma in Chilean former political prisoners of Pinochet’s regime. I start this essay by thinking about past and static concepts of trauma and loss that were developed in a present and living “thing” that I cannot separate to Memory and Redress. Story telling, dreams, and short stories in a performative text shape this essay to seek shared feelings, experiences, and ideas about trauma and loss, today, and to encourage readers to action. My feelings are identified as part of this “thing” popularly called trauma, which is understood as my own personal construction about some aspects of these events during Pinochet’s regime.
Study of a Semester
Authors: Limes-Taylor Kelly
Published: November 2013

While a growing body of work focuses on research in the form of poetry, the author instead uses poetry to examine not only her research topic and academia but also her own motives for research. Based on an exploration of narrative in her historiographical study of the Georgia Writer’s Project Drums and Shadows: Survival Studies Among the Georgia Coastal Negroes, Kelly’s poetic interrogation begins with her personal connection to the Flying African tales, then moves into the ways her own life informs her self-identification as a researcher and scholar. Finally, she turns her gaze on the ultimate gazer—academia.

The presentation of this work in an academic journal seeks to trouble rather than soothe, agitate rather than comfort. It calls for an unwavering, unabashed accountability: if we academicians truly want to explore, truly want to find the answers to our questions, we must first examine ourselves.
‘Strong multiplicity’: an interpretive lens in the analysis of qualitative interview narratives
Authors: Hartman Tova
Published: November 2013

This article examines the responses to an exercise administered over a 10-year period to graduate-level psychology students in an advanced methodology seminar, to explore one of the central questions of qualitative research: What theories about identity do we bring to our analyses of first-person interview narratives? It suggests that researchers’ interpretations of what appear to be inconsistent and/or conflicting statements by interview subjects about their experience within the course of an interview can serve as a conceptual touchstone reflecting core assumptions about identity. Students’ responses to the exercise, which asked them to interpret two statements by an interview subject that seem to self-contradict, have consistently favored the type of dichotomous analytical paradigms associated with modernist conceptions of a unified self. This trend may be reflective of an insufficiently developed interpretive lexicon within postmodern narrative analysis. The author offers an interpretive approach termed ‘strong multiplicity’ to reflect the possibility of finding legitimate expressions of identity among seemingly inconsistent self-representations.
An automatic COLREGs-compliant obstacle avoidance system for an unmanned surface vehicle
Authors: Campbell Sable , Abu-Tair Mamun , Naeem Wasif
Published: November 2013

Unmanned surface vehicles are becoming increasingly vital tools in a variety of maritime applications. Unfortunately, their usability is severely constrained by the lack of a reliable obstacle detection and avoidance system. In this article, one such experimental platform is proposed, which performs obstacle detection, risk assessment and path planning (avoidance) tasks autonomously in an integrated manner. The detection system is based on a vision-LIDAR (light detection and ranging) system, whereas a heuristic path planner is utilised. A unique property of the path planner is its compliance with the marine collision regulations. It is demonstrated through hardware-in-the-loop simulations that the proposed system can be useful for both uninhabited and manned vessels.