bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of antipsychotics and benzodiazepines in connection to minimising coercion and mechanical restraint in a general psychiatric ward
Authors: Højlund Mikkel , Høgh Lene , Bojesen Anders Bo , Munk-Jørgensen Povl , Stenager Elsebeth
Published: February 2018

Background:

Decrease in coercive measures can lead to increased exposure to antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. This is not desirable as these drugs are associated with harmful side effects and reduced life expectancy.

Aim:

To quantify and compare the use of antipsychotic and anxiolytic medications in connection with the implementation of a programme to reduce coercion and restraint.

Methods:

Observational study in a general psychiatric ward comparing psychopharmacological treatment after implementation of non-pharmacological interventions to reduce coercion and mechanical restraint with a historical reference cohort from the same ward.

Results:

Data from 101 admissions after implementation of interventions were compared with data from 85 admissions in a historical reference cohort. Mean defined daily doses of antipsychotics, benzodiazepines or the total amount of both showed no difference before and after implementation of the programme. Standardised regression coefficients (β) from a mixed effects linear regression model, adjusted for age, gender, length of admission, involuntary admission and history of substance abuse showed that neither total dose of antipsychotics (adjusted β: .05, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.20 to 0.31), total dose of benzodiazepines (adjusted β: −.13, 95%CI: −.42 to 0.16) nor total amount of both drugs (adjusted β: .00, 95%CI: −.26 to 0.21) increased after implementation.

Conclusion:

Decrease in coercive measures from 2013 to 2016 has not lead to significant increases in the use of antipsychotic medication or benzodiazepines. The interventions are useful in establishing restraint-free wards, and careful monitoring of the psychopharmacological treatment is important for patient safety.
Craniomaxillofacial Disorders and Solutions in Humans and Animals
Authors: Arzi B. , Moshaverinia A. , Verstraete F.J.M. , Fiani N. , Nishimura I.
Published: February 2018

Cross-disciplinary collaborations have initiated translational studies in an effort to harness naturally occurring diseases in companion animals to accelerate the development of new treatment modalities, drugs, and device inventions. These synergistic collaborations can identify clinically relevant models that offer the opportunity to conduct rigorous translational investigations. However, the relationship between craniomaxillofacial diseases in companion animals and humans has been widely overlooked. We report here an innovative and visionary 2-d symposium that was organized to gather professionals working on craniomaxillofacial disorders and solutions in humans and/or animals from multiple disciplines, including veterinary physicians, basic scientists, biomedical engineers, physicians, and dentists. The symposium provided a platform for junior and senior investigators and basic science and clinical researchers to network, collaborate, and develop a new clinical and translational framework for accelerated therapy development.
The Editor’s Note
Authors: Heller Rafael
Published: February 2018

What should educators understand about the online lives of today’s young people? It may be tempting to argue that digital natives are entirely different from previous generations, notes Kappan’s editor, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Computers and mobile devices have had some powerful influences on the ways in which children live their lives, but let’s not exaggerate the extent to which childhood itself has changed.
The commercial side of virtual play worlds
Authors: Kargın Tolga
Published: February 2018

In recent years, virtual play spaces have become enormously popular among young children around the world. As yet, though, there has been relatively little research into the ways in which children interact on such sites and what they learn in the process. This article describes a study of kids’ experiences with one such virtual world, Club Penguin, created by the Walt Disney Company, which was for many years a leading online destination for children ages 5-10. The author focuses specifically on the commercial nature of Club Penguin, concluding with suggestions for parents, teachers, and researchers as to how they can help today’s young children to become conscious customers and responsible digital citizens.
The data on children’s media use: An interview with Michael Robb
Authors: Heller Rafael
Published: February 2018

Since 2003, nonprofit organization Common Sense Media has studied the ways in which kids are growing up in the digital age. In this interview, research director Michael Robb shares recent findings about the media habits of young children, tweens, and teens. While the news coverage of these issues tends to be hyperbolic and alarming, Robb explains, the evidence gives a more balanced picture of kids’ lives today.
Identifying what matters
Authors: Wardrip Peter , Evancho Jeffrey , McNamara Annie
Published: February 2018

A question like “what do you want your children to be like when they leave your class?” seems simple on the surface, but it quickly becomes complex when teachers are asked to name, prioritize, and document the kinds of student learning and engagement they value most. This article shares the ongoing work of a regional learning community that focuses on defining the goals of student learning, describing what that looks like in their classrooms, and documenting evidence of its value.
Teaching of English as an International Language in Various Contexts: Nothing is as Practical as Good Theory
Authors: Dogancay-Aktuna Seran , Hardman Joel
Published: February 2018

Despite the proliferation of publications on teaching English as an international language (EIL) or a Lingua Franca (ELF), the diffusion of these concepts into the world of English Language Teaching has been slow and incomplete. There is some wariness among educators about the teaching of ELF and EIL, with no consensus regarding appropriate pedagogy. In this article we look at some of the research on the integration of global Englishes into English language classrooms and discuss issues concerning a model of language to guide pedagogy when there are multiple Englishes. We maintain that it is by relying on theoretical understandings of concepts underlying the development and use of global Englishes and basing pedagogical decisions on contextual needs, rather than on prescriptions for practice, that teachers can make realistic decisions about integrating Englishes into their own classroom pedagogy. We refer to a model of teaching English that is based on a vision of situated teacher praxis and show how one component of this model, meta-culture, can be used to teach language-culture connection in the era of global Englishes.
Do School Learning Opportunities Compound or Compensate for Background Inequalities? Evidence from the Case of Assignment to Effective Teachers
Authors: Hanselman Paul
Published: February 2018

Are equal educational opportunities sufficient to narrow long-standing economic and racial inequalities in achievement? In this article, I test the hypothesis that poor and minority students benefit less from effective elementary school teachers than do their nonpoor and white peers, thus exacerbating inequalities. I use administrative data from public elementary schools in North Carolina to calculate value-added measures of teachers’ success in promoting learning, and I assess benefits for different students. Results suggest that differential benefits of effective teachers uniquely exacerbate black–white inequalities but do not contribute to economic achievement gaps. Racial differences are small, on average, relative to the benefits for all groups; are not explained by differences in prior achievement; and are largest for low-achieving students. Teacher-related learning opportunities are crucial for all students, but these results point to a disconnect between typical school learning opportunities and low-achieving minority students.
Suicide Risk Factors Among Older Adults: Exploring Thwarted Belongingness and Perceived Burdensomeness in Relation to Personality and Self-Esteem
Authors: Eades Allison , Segal Daniel L. , Coolidge Frederick L.
Published: February 2018

The objective of this study was to explore the role of personality and self-esteem in later life within two established risk factors for suicidal ideation (SI)—Thwarted Belongingness (TB) and Perceived Burdensomeness (PB). The data about personality (i.e., Five Factor Model [FFM] and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition Personality Disorders [PD]), self-esteem, TB, PB, and SI were collected from 102 community-dwelling older adults and analyzed using bivariate and multivariate techniques. All FFM domains and most PD traits were significantly correlated with SI, TB, and PB. Furthermore, FFM and PD traits explained a significant and meaningful amount of variance of SI, TB, and PB. Self-esteem demonstrated strong negative relationships with SI, TB, and PB. Personality features and self-esteem are important associated features for SI, TB, and PB. Clinicians should consider this information when assessing and evaluating for suicidal risk among older adults. The findings also highlight the need to consider personality traits in developing prevention strategies.
PDGFR-β modulates vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype via IRF-9/SIRT-1/NF-κB pathway in subarachnoid hemorrhage rats
Authors: Wan Weifeng , Ding Yan , Xie Zongyi , Li Qian , Yan Feng , Budbazar Enkhjargal , Pearce William J , Hartman Richard , Obenaus Andre , Zhang John H , Jiang Yong , Tang Jiping
Published: February 2018

Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFR-β) has been reported to promote phenotypic transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the PDGFR-β/IRF9/SIRT-1/NF-κB pathway in VSMC phenotypic transformation after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). SAH was induced using the endovascular perforation model in Sprague-Dawley rats. PDGFR-β small interfering RNA (siRNA) and IRF9 siRNA were injected intracerebroventricularly 48 h before SAH. SIRT1 activator (resveratrol) and inhibitor (EX527) were administered intraperitoneally 1 h after SAH induction. Twenty-four hours after SAH, the VSMC contractile phenotype marker α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) decreased, whereas the VSMC synthetic phenotype marker embryonic smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (Smemb) increased. Both PDGFR-β siRNA and IRF9 siRNA attenuated the induction of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and enhanced the expression of α-SMA. The SIRT1 activator (resveratrol) preserved VSMC contractile phenotype, significantly alleviated neurological dysfunction, and reduced brain edema. However, these beneficial effects of PDGFR-β siRNA, IRF9 siRNA and resveratrol were abolished by the SIRT1 inhibitor (EX527). This study shows that PDGFR-β/IRF9/SIRT-1/NF-κB signaling played a role in the VSMC phenotypic transformation after SAH. Inhibition of this signaling cascade preserved the contractile phenotype of VSMCs, thereby improving neurological outcomes following SAH.
Narrative Influences on “Desire to Act in My Community” in Digital Storytelling Workshops for Latina Teens
Authors: Larkey Linda , Del Toro-Mejías Lizbeth , DiFulvio Gloria , Gubrium Aline
Published: February 2018

Digital storytelling workshops are increasingly being used to capture lived experiences and develop/disseminate health promotion messages for vulnerable and marginalized populations. Thirty female Latina teens of varied sexual/parity status produced digital stories of significant life experiences in a group context and then viewed and evaluated them using the Narrative Quality Assessment Tool. This tool was used to examine participants’ experience of emotional engagement and identification with each story as well as a single-item indicator of desire to “do something in my community” related to the story. Emotional engagement was moderately strong; identification scores were neutral relative to the stories. Emotional engagement was strongly, significantly related to “desire to act in my community,” while identification was not related. Emotional engagement should be considered an important factor to incorporate in the production of digital stories for purposes of developing interest in social action beyond the digital storytelling workshop.
Diagnostic value of urine soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (sTREM-1) for late-onset neonatal sepsis in infected preterm neonates
Authors: Alkan Ozdemir Senem , Ozer Esra Arun , Ilhan Ozkan , Sutcuoglu Sumer , Tatlı Mansur
Published: February 2018

Objective

Sepsis is a complex clinical condition caused by a dysregulated immune response to an infection resulting in a fatal outcome. This study aimed to investigate the value of urine soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (sTREM-1) for diagnosing culture-proven sepsis in preterm infants.

Methods

Preterm neonates were evaluated for late-onset sepsis (LOS). Laboratory investigations were performed. Urine sTREM-1 samples and blood cultures were synchronously collected. Using blood culture results, preterm neonates were divided into the culture-proven group and suspected sepsis group.

Results

A total of preterm 62 infants were included in the study; 31 had culture-proven sepsis and 31 were suspected as having sepsis. There were no significant differences in gestational age, sex, birth weight, and delivery mode between the groups. Neonates in the culture-proven group had significantly higher urine sTREM-1 levels than did those in the suspected sepsis group. Using a cut-off point for a urine sTREM-1 level of 78.5 pg/mL, the sensitivity was 0.90, specificity was 0.78, positive predictive value was 0.68, and negative predictive value was 0.94.

Conclusions

The present study highlights the role of urine sTREM-1 levels in LOS. Urine sTREM-1 may be a reliable and sensitive marker in detecting sepsis in preterm infants.
Proportional Classification Revisited: Automatic Content Analysis of Political Manifestos Using Active Learning
Authors: Wiedemann Gregor
Published: February 2018

Supervised machine learning is a promising methodological innovation for content analysis (CA) to approach the challenge of ever-growing amounts of text in the digital era. Social scientists have pointed to accurate measurement of category proportions and trends in large collections as their primary goal. Proportional classification, for example, allows for time-series analysis of diachronic data sets or correlation of categories with text-external covariates. We evaluate the performance of two common approaches for this goal: a method based on regression analysis with feature profiles from entire collections and a method aggregating classifier decisions for individual documents. For both, we observed a significant negative effect on classification performance due to the uneven distribution of characteristic language structures within the text collection. For proportional classification, this poses considerable problems. To fix this problem, we propose a workflow of active learning, which alternates between machine learning and human coding. Results from experiments with empirical data (political manifestos) demonstrate that active learning enables researchers to create training sets for automatic CA efficiently, reliably, and with high accuracy for the desired goal while retaining control over the automatic process.
Tribodynamics of hydraulic actuated clutch system for engine-downsizing in heavy duty off-highway vehicles
Authors: Dolatabadi Nader , Rahmani Ramin , Theodossiades Stephanos , Rahnejat Homer , Blundell Guy , Bernard Guillaume
Published: February 2018

Engine downsizing is desired for modern heavy-duty vehicles to enhance fuel economy and reduce emissions. However, the smaller engines usually cannot overcome the parasitic loads during engine start-up. A new clutch system is designed to disconnect the downsized engine from the parasitic losses prior to the idling speed. A multi-scale, multi-physics model is developed to study the clutch system. Multi-body dynamics is used to study the combined translational–rotational motions of the clutch components. A micro-scale contact model is incorporated to represent the frictional characteristics of the sliding surfaces. Although the clutch is designed for dry contact operation, leakage of actuating hydraulic fluid can affect the interfacial frictional characteristics. These are integrated into the multi-body dynamic analysis through tribometric studies of partially wetted surfaces using fresh and shear-degraded lubricants. Multi-scale simulations include sensitivity analysis of key operating parameters, such as contact pressure. This multi-physics approach is not hitherto reported in the literature. The study shows the importance of adhesion in dry clutch engagement, enabling full torque capacity. The same is also noted for any leakage of significantly shear-degraded lubricant into the clutch interfaces. However, the ingression of fresh lubricant into the contact is found to reduce the clutch torque capacity.
Abrupt treatments of hysteria during World War I, 1914–18
Authors: Macleod AD (Sandy)
Published: February 2018

Case reports of the abrupt recovery of hysterical disorders during World War I (1914–18), though undoubtedly subject to publication bias, raise both aetiological and treatment issues regarding pseudo-neurological conversion symptoms. Published clinical anecdotes report circumstantial, psychotherapeutic, hypnotic, persuasive (and coercive) methods seemingly inducing recovery, and also responses to fright and alterations of consciousness. The ethics of modern medical practice would not allow many of these techniques, which were reported to be effective, even in the chronic cases.
‘A more perfect arrangement of plants’: the botanical model in psychiatric nosology, 1676 to the present day
Authors: Mason Daniel , Hsin Honor
Published: February 2018

Psychiatric classification remains a complex endeavour; since the Enlightenment, nosologists have made use of various models and metaphors to describe their systems. Here we present the most common model, botanical taxonomy, and trace its history from the nosologies of Sydenham, Sauvages and Linnaeus; to evolutionary models; to the later contributions of Hughlings-Jackson, Kraepelin and Jaspers. Over time, there has been a shift from explicit attempts to pattern disease classification on botanical systems, to a more metaphorical use. We find that changes in the understanding of plants and plant relationships parallel changes in the conceptualization of mental illness. Not only have scientific discoveries influenced the use of metaphor, but the language of metaphor has also both illuminated and constrained psychiatric nosology.
Love in Law’s Shadow: Political Theory, Moral Psychology and Young Hegel’s Critique of Punishment
Authors: Norrie Alan
Published: February 2018

Modern theory of punishment conflates two types of question. The first concerns the justification of state punishment, the second the moral damage that occurs when a person is violated, and how the resulting damage can be repaired. The first question leads to political theory and a particular legally based moral grammar of wrongdoing and punishment. The second goes in the direction of a different moral psychology involving a grammar of violation, grieving and reconciliation. Retrieving the young Hegel’s analysis takes us in the second direction. It provides a critical vantage point from which to view the dominant liberal political theory, including Hegel’s own mature position as a founder of retributive theory. The modern theory of state punishment is legitimated by its public association with a moral psychology of violation, which it at the same time suppresses in favour of its own very different moral grammar.
Making Things to Serve Sultans, Viziers and Army Commanders (1450-1800)
Authors: Faroqhi Suraiya
Published: February 2018

Ottoman documents on manufactures for court and army concentrate on governmental initiatives. However, the time has come to view these branches of production in a broader, comparative perspective, focusing on the demands of the sultan’s officials and the actions of skilled persons working for the apparatus of empire.

As for the production of military hardware, the demands of eighteenth-century warfare fell most heavily on the more prosperous workshops; and the lack of working capital became a permanent worry after the Russo-Ottoman war of 1768–74. However, until about 1750, the sultans’ military machine was still ahead of the Russians in the supply of armaments and foodstuffs. Technology and the lack of manufacturing skills, thus, were not at issue when Ottoman armies suffered defeat.
Equity Risk Premium in India: Comparative Estimates from Historical Returns, Dividend and Earnings Models
Authors: Tripathi Manju , Kashiramka Smita , Jain P. K.
Published: February 2018

The article compares efficiencies of dividend and earnings growth models with historical model in predicting the unconditional expected equity risk premium (ERP) in addition to analysing the impact of recession. The exercise is undertaken employing two different Indian capital market indices, NIFTY500 and SENSEX. The study period is 20 years (1997–2016) with pre- and post-recession periods as 2001–2008 and 2009–2016, respectively. The dividend growth model emerges as the most efficient model for predicting ERP while highlighting that Indian firms follow stable dividend policy. NIFTY500 index with a wider base proves to be a superior benchmark for market returns over SENSEX comprising 30 blue-chip firms.
Measuring Technical Efficiency in Rice Productivity Using Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Pradhan Abhilas Kumar
Published: February 2018

The study has made an attempt to measure technical efficiency (TE) in rice productivity in Odisha during the period of 2011–13. An input-oriented data envelopment analysis (DEA) has estimated the average TE score at 79.10 per cent, indicating overuse of critical input resources to the tune of 20.90 per cent. The model found seed and fertilizers use can be reduced to the extent of 4.14 kg/ha and 26.58 kg/ha, respectively, without affecting the current productivity. Malmquist Index analysis for panel data on TE change indicates regress in efficiency for 14 districts, progress for 13 districts and no change for 3 districts. Nevertheless, the mean value of TE change over the study period was found to be 1, pointing neither progress nor regress in input resource utilization. The observed technical inefficiencies in resource use may be attributed to four important factors: (a) very small-sized operational land holding; (b) better off-farm income-generating activities and fluctuations of agricultural product prices; (c) traditional mindset of older farmers; and (d) low degree of involvement of farmers with the cooperative bodies. The DEA results suggest need for adoption of more efficient resource management practices in the state’s rice cultivation scenario.
A new graduate medical school curriculum in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine: reflections on a decade of development
Authors: Bonner Daniel , Maguire Paul , Cartledge Björn , Keightley Philip , Reay Rebecca , Parige Raj , Cubis Jeff , Tedeschi Michael , Craigie Peggy , Looi Jeffrey CL
Published: February 2018

Objectives:

The aim of this study is to reflect upon the rationale, design and development of the Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine curriculum at the Australian National University Medical School, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.

Conclusions:

We conclude that the development of the fourth-year curriculum of a four-year graduate medical degree was a complex evolutionary process.
Risks associated with lamotrigine prescription: a review and personal observations
Authors: Parker Gordon
Published: February 2018

Objectives:

To detail some serious lamotrigine side effects and their management, and raise awareness about the possible lack of quality control of some brands of lamotrigine.

Methods:

A literature review is provided and some personal observations added.

Results:

While most psychiatrists are aware of the risks of Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS), awareness of two other serious side effects – toxic epidermal necrosis (TEN) and drug-related eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) – is seemingly lower. Awareness that failure to respond to lamotrigine and that the prevalence of serious side effects may reflect poor quality control of some preparations is also less well recognized.

Conclusions:

While lamotrigine may be retrialled at a lower dose escalation rate following some skin reactions, it should not be recommenced following a SJS, TEN or DRESS reaction. Prescribers should be aware of quality control concerns about some available brands of lamotrigine.
A novel singular spectrum analysis–based baseline-free approach for fatigue-breathing crack identification
Authors: Prawin J , Lakshmi K , Rao A Rama Mohan
Published: February 2018

Breathing cracks are the most common type of damages that occur in structures subjected to fatigue loading. These breathing cracks induce nonlinearity in the dynamic signatures of the cracked structure which carry useful information about the damage. In this article, we present a new baseline-free algorithm using singular spectrum analysis for breathing crack detection, localization, and characterization. The major advantage of using singular spectrum analysis is that it has the ability to reliably extract the nonlinear harmonics and intermodulation components buried in the noisy components of the response of the structure with breathing crack. A new damage index based on singular spectrum analysis exploiting the nonlinear harmonics and intermodulations in the response is proposed. Numerical simulation studies are carried out to evaluate the proposed damage diagnostic algorithm and later complemented with experimental studies to demonstrate its practical application.
Encounters With the White Coat: Confessions of a Sexuality and Disability Researcher in a Wheelchair in Becoming
Authors: Blockmans Inge G. E.
Published: February 2018

In this autoethnographic essay, I will deconstruct my own being and becoming of a female researcher with a spinal cord injury (SCI) in the first half of my doctoral research on the sexual well-being of women with SCI, more specifically in the aftermath of a 1-month internship at a rehabilitation hospital where I assisted the health care team and had informal conversations with residents. Following Barad’s plead for diffractive methodologies, I aim to track interference patterns of the range of relationalities—imagined or mobilized by myself or by others—that I embraced or shied away from during my fieldwork based on field notes and memory to discover from them the constant process of my own becoming-in-the-world with a “broken body.”
Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Northwestern Botswana: The Maun Women’s Study
Authors: Barchi Francis , Winter Samantha , Dougherty Danielle , Ramaphane Peggie
Published: February 2018

Factors characterizing intimate partner violence (IPV) against women vary according to setting and must be understood in localized environments if effective interventions are to be identified. This 2009-2010 exploratory study in Maun, Botswana, used semistructured interviews to elicit information from 469 women about their experiences with IPV. Characteristics found to be important included suicide attempts, childhood exposure to familial violence, access to and control over certain tangible assets, number of children, household location and monthly income, controlling behavior by a partner, and alcohol consumption. Controlling behavior by a partner was the single greatest predictor of physical or psychological IPV.
Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly to Soften Evaluations of Service Failure
Authors: Newton Joshua D. , Wong Jimmy , Casidy Riza
Published: February 2018

Symbols associated with seasonal religious festivals are periodically displayed by service providers, but do these symbols serve more than just a decorative function? Findings from seven experiments suggest they do. In the presence of such symbols, individuals soften their evaluations of a personally experienced service failure encounter. This effect emerges through the activation of forgiveness but only among those with a religious upbringing and only when the encounter involves service failure (rather than neutral service). The softening of service evaluations in the presence of such symbols is reversed, however, when service failure is observed (rather than directed at the self) and when the recipient of that failure is perceived to be vulnerable. Contextual exposure to symbols associated with seasonal religious festivals therefore presents a double-edged sword for managers; depending upon the service failure recipient, these symbols can harden or soften evaluations of the service failure encounter.
Diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis: Update on evidence supporting available tests
Authors: Tasker Séverine
Published: February 2018

Practical relevance:

Feline coronavirus (FCoV) infection is very common in cats, usually causing only mild intestinal signs such as diarrhoea. Up to 10% of FCoV infections, however, result in the fatal disease feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).

Clinical challenges:

Obtaining a definitive diagnosis of FIP based on non-invasive approaches is difficult. Confirmation of the disease relies on finding appropriate cytological or histopathological changes in association with positive immunostaining for FCoV antigen. In FIP cases with effusions, cytology and immunostaining on effusion samples can be relatively easy to perform; otherwise obtaining diagnostic samples is more challenging and collection of biopsies from tissues with gross lesions is necessary. In the absence of a definitive diagnosis, a high index of suspicion of FIP may be obtained from the cat’s signalment and history, combined with findings on clinical examination and laboratory test results. If largely consistent with FIP, these can be used as a basis for discussion with the owner about whether additional, more invasive, diagnostic tests are warranted. In some cases it may be that euthanasia is discussed as an alternative to pursuing a definitive diagnosis ante-mortem, especially if financial limitations exist or where there are concerns over a cat’s ability to tolerate invasive diagnostic procedures. Ideally, the diagnosis should be confirmed in such patients from samples taken at post-mortem examination.

Global importance:

FIP occurs wherever FCoV infection is present in cats, which equates to most parts of the world.

Evidence base:

This review provides a comprehensive overview of how to approach the diagnosis of FIP, focusing on the tests available to the veterinary practitioner and recently published evidence supporting their use.
Book Review: Timmer, C. Peter. 2015: Food Security and Scarcity
Authors: Alfranca Oscar
Published: February 2018

Timmer, C. Peter. 2015: Food Security and Scarcity. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 240 pp. £39. ISBN: 9780812246667.
Book Review: Adams, Vicanne, editor. 2016: Metrics: What Counts in Global Health
Authors: Curtis Sarah
Published: February 2018

Adams, Vicanne, editor. 2016: Metrics: What Counts in Global Health. Durham, NC/London, UK: Duke University Press. 265 pp. $24.95 (Paperback). ISBN: 9780822360971.
Book Review: Abbink, Jon. 2017: A Decade of Ethiopia: Politics, Economy and Society 2004–2016
Authors: Cochrane Logan
Published: February 2018

Abbink, Jon. 2017: A Decade of Ethiopia: Politics, Economy and Society 2004–2016. Leiden: Brill. 253 pp. $24.00. ISBN: 9789004345881.
Horizontal competition and interorganizational exchange partner selection: An analysis of Major League Baseball player trades
Authors: Barden Jeff , Vestal Alex
Published: February 2018

This study examines the influence of horizontal competition on interorganizational exchange. Interorganizational competition is a multidimensional construct that can influence exchange in multiple, sometimes countervailing ways. With an analysis of Major League Baseball player trades, we examine the influences of three components of competition—goal conflict, rivalry, and competitive interaction—on interorganizational exchange partner selection. We find that goal conflict reduces the hazard rate of exchange between organizations, but competitive interaction increases it. Moreover, we find evidence that prior exchange moderates the competition–exchange relationship by reducing the perceived risks and information benefits of exchange with a competitor. We do not find evidence that interorganizational rivalry shapes subsequent exchange behavior.
Integrated Cancer Treatment in the Course of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: Complete Resolution in 2 Cases
Authors: Bonucci Massimo , Pastore Carlo , Ferrera Vincenzo , Fiorentini Carla , Fabbri Alessia
Published: February 2018

Pancreatic cancer (PC) has a very low average survival, but its prognosis is further reduced in the case of metastatic spread. Medical therapy in these cases is the only applicable methodology in the international guidelines. During anticancer treatments, common side effects are nausea, vomiting, arthralgia, neuropathy, and alopecia as well as a myelosuppressive effect. The toxicity of various drugs not only affects the quality of life of the patient, but often its severity requires a reduction in if not the termination of drug administration. Scientific studies have shown that a combined use of chemotherapy and certain natural substances, in the form of standardized extracts, can lead to an enhancement of the action of the chemotherapy. Here, we describe 2 cases of metastatic PC. The first case concerns the integrated treatment of a patient with cancer of the pancreas tail with metastatic involvement ab initio of peripancreatic lymph nodes and liver parenchyma, with numerous secondary lesions greater than 9.5 cm. The second case concerns the integrated treatment of a patient with cancer of the pancreatic body with metastatic involvement of the liver parenchyma, with a small secondary lesion. In both cases, an integrated cancer treatment approach, combining chemotherapy with natural remedies, extracts, and hyperthermia, induced a notable remission of primary and metastatic lesions.
Reversible Electroporation–Mediated Liposomal Doxorubicin Delivery to Tumors Can Be Monitored With 89Zr-Labeled Reporter Nanoparticles
Authors: Srimathveeravalli Govindarajan , Abdel-Atti Dalya , Pérez-Medina Carlos , Takaki Haruyuki , Solomon Stephen B. , Mulder Willem J. M. , Reiner Thomas
Published: February 2018

Reversible electroporation (RE) can facilitate nanoparticle delivery to tumors through direct transfection and from changes in vascular permeability. We investigated a radiolabeled liposomal nanoparticle (89Zr-NRep) for monitoring RE-mediated liposomal doxorubicin (DOX) delivery in mouse tumors. Intravenously delivered 89Zr-NRep allowed positron emission tomography imaging of electroporation-mediated nanoparticle uptake. The relative order of 89Zr-NRep injection and electroporation did not result in significantly different overall tumor uptake, suggesting direct transfection and vascular permeability can independently mediate deposition of 89Zr-NRep in tumors. 89Zr-NRep and DOX uptake correlated well in both electroporated and control tumors at all experimental time points. Electroporation accelerated 89Zr-NRep and DOX deposition into tumors and increased DOX dosing. Reversible electroporation–related vascular effects seem to play an important role in nanoparticle delivery to tumors and drug uptake can be quantified with 89Zr-NRep.
Backward sequential approach for dynamic parameter identification of robot manipulators
Authors: Jung Dawoon , Cheong Joono , Park Dong Il , Park Chanhun
Published: February 2018

This article proposes a sequential optimization approach to efficiently identify non-minimal dynamic parameters of robot manipulators, possibly having large degrees of freedom. A back-substitution-based parameter identification from the last link to inward links is enabled due to the block upper triangular form of inherent regressor matrix. Starting with the dynamic model using the non-minimal parameters, we derive a generic compact formulation for the linear regression equation. We then establish a sequential optimization procedure taking into account physical feasibility of parameters. Numerical case examples demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach.
Nonlinear model predictive control for trajectory tracking of nonholonomic mobile robots
Authors: Nascimento Tiago P , Dórea Carlos Eduardo Trabuco , Gonçalves Luiz Marcos G
Published: February 2018

Trajectory tracking for autonomous vehicles is usually solved by designing control laws that make the vehicles track predetermined feasible trajectories based on the trajectory error. This type of approach suffers from the drawback that usually the vehicle dynamics exhibits complex nonlinear terms and significant uncertainties. Toward solving this problem, this work proposes a novel approach in trajectory tracking control for nonholonomic mobile robots. We use a nonlinear model predictive controller to track a given trajectory. The novelty is introduced by using a set of modifications in the robot model, cost function, and optimizer aiming to minimize the steady-state error rapidly. Results of simulations and experiments with real robots are presented and discussed verifying and validating the applicability of the proposed approach in nonholonomic mobile robots.
Optimal tracking control of a trajectory planned via fuzzy reactive approach for an autonomous mobile robot
Authors: Akka Khaled , Khaber Farid
Published: February 2018

This article deals with the design of an optimal tracking controller for a wheeled mobile robot. The tracking control can be performed to track either a given or a planned trajectory. In our study, an improved linear quadratic tracker is adopted to track a path planned using an improved reactive approach that combines the dynamic window with the fuzzy logic to make the robot movement toward the target faster, smoother, and safer whatever the complexity of the environment. The fuzzy logic is used to dynamically adjust the weights of the terms included in the dynamic window objective function according to different environmental scenarios. Simulation results of the path planning and the tracking control prove that the proposed approaches are significantly superior to the conventional ones.
Safety and efficacy of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel: results from an open-label extension study in Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Murata Miho , Mihara Masahito , Hasegawa Kazuko , Jeon Beomseok , Tsai Chon-Haw , Nishikawa Noriko , Oeda Tomoko , Yokoyama Masayuki , Robieson Weining Z. , Chatamra Krai , Facheris Maurizio F. , Benesh Janet
Published: February 2018

Objectives:

Levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) was developed to reduce motor complications in Parkinson’s disease (PD) caused by pulsatile levodopa plasma concentrations following oral levodopa administration. Dyskinesia and ‘wearing off’ symptoms can vary between Asian and Caucasian patients with PD, thus highlighting the importance of assessing the effectiveness of LCIG in an Asian population. Efficacy and safety of LCIG were previously assessed in a 12-week open-label study; we report the efficacy and safety of at least 52 weeks of LCIG treatment in Japanese, Taiwanese, and Korean patients with advanced PD in the ongoing extension study.

Methods:

In this interim analysis of a phase III, open-label, multicenter extension study in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan [ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02082249/JapiCTI-142482], the mean change from baseline to final visit in ‘off’ time, as reported in the PD symptom diary, was normalized to a 16-h waking day. Changes in Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) summary index and domains scores were also analyzed. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded.

Results:

Of the 28 patients enrolled (21 Japanese, 3 Taiwanese, 4 Korean), 27 completed at least 52 total weeks of treatment, and 25 patients were continuing in the study at data cutoff. The mean [standard deviation (SD)] ‘off’ time was significantly reduced by 4.6 (3.1) h/day ( p < 0.001, n = 28). Patients experienced significant improvements in quality of life, as recorded by the mean change from baseline in PDQ-39 summary index ( p < 0.001). All patients had at least one AE; three patients (11%) discontinued due to an AE. There were two deaths (sepsis and drowning), both of which the investigator considered unrelated to LCIG treatment.

Conclusions:

These data suggest that LCIG treatment is efficacious, safe, and well tolerated in Japanese, Taiwanese, and Korean patients with advanced PD, thus confirming the consistency of LCIG treatment in patients with advanced PD.
Clinical and electrophysiological impact of repetitive low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation on the sensory–motor network in patients with restless legs syndrome
Authors: Lanza Giuseppe , Cantone Mariagiovanna , Aricò Debora , Lanuzza Bartolo , Cosentino Filomena Irene Ilaria , Paci Domenico , Papotto Maurizio , Pennisi Manuela , Bella Rita , Pennisi Giovanni , Paulus Walter , Ferri Raffaele
Published: February 2018

Background:

Based on the hyperexcitability and disinhibition observed in patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) following transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), we conducted a study with low-frequency repetitive TMS (rTMS) over the primary motor (M1) and somatosensory cortical areas (S1) in patients with RLS.

Methods:

A total of 13 right-handed patients and 10 age-matched controls were studied using clinical scales and TMS. Measurements included resting motor threshold (rMT), motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), cortical silent period (CSP), and central motor conduction time (CMCT). A single evening session of rTMS (1 Hz, 20 trains, 50 stimuli each) was administered over the left M1, left S1, and sham stimulation over M1 in a random order. Clinical and TMS measures were repeated after each stimulation modality.

Results:

Baseline CSP was shorter in patients than in controls and remained shorter in patients for both motor and somatosensory stimulation. The patients reported a subjective improvement of both initiating and maintaining sleep the night after the rTMS over S1. Patients exhibited a decrease in rMT after rTMS of S1 only, although the effect was smaller than in controls. MEP latency and CMCT changed only in controls after stimulation. Sham stimulation was without effect on the observed variables.

Conclusions:

rTMS on S1-M1 connectivity alleviated the sensory–motor complaints of RLS patients. The TMS indexes of excitation and inhibition indicate an intracortical and corticospinal imbalance, mainly involving gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic and glutamatergic circuitries, as well as an impairment of the short-term mechanisms of cortical plasticity. The rTMS-induced activation of the dorsal striatum with the consequent increase of dopamine release may have contributed to the clinical and neurophysiological outcome.
“An idea is in your body”: Technology and transformation in the early childhood classroom
Authors: Bentley Dana Frantz
Published: February 2018

What does it mean to engage in transformational learning with young children? In a time when “technology” is hallowed as all-important, how do we frame young children as empowered, critical thinkers around technologies, instead of just consumers? This article looks closely at a child-centered, emergent curricular process within an early childhood classroom. Framing the “having of ideas” as the essential technology in children’s lives, a teacher chronicles and analyzes children’s idea-having process and the pedagogies around it. Focusing on children’s talk, questioning, critique, and negotiation, this article shifts away from notions of traditional technologies, looking closely at the transformational learning inherent in children’s collective having-of-ideas.
Potential biomarkers and targets in reversibility of pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to congenital heart disease: an explorative study
Authors: Huang Li , Li Li , Hu Enci , Chen Guo , Meng Xianmin , Xiong Changming , He Jianguo
Published: February 2018

Whether pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is reversible in congenital heart disease (CHD) is important for the operability of CHD. However, little is known about that. Our research was aimed at exploring novel biomarkers and targets in the reversibility of CHD‐PAH. CHD‐PAH patients diagnosed with right heart catheterization (RHC) were enrolled (n = 14). Lung biopsy was performed during the repair surgery. After one year follow‐up, mean pulmonary arterial pressures (mPAP) were evaluated by RHC to determine the diagnosis of reversible (mPAP < 25 mmHg, n = 10) and irreversible (mPAP ≥ 25 mmHg, n = 4) PAH. Harvested normal lung tissues (n = 6) were included as the control group. Pulmonary arteriole lesions were identified by pathological grading in tissue staining. iTRAQ‐labelled mass‐spectrometry analysis followed by immunohistochemistry and western blot was used to explore the most meaningful differential proteins. For enrolled patients, the histopathological grading of pulmonary vascular lesions in reversible CHD‐PAH patients was all at grades 0–II while grades III–IV were shown only in irreversible CHD‐PAH patients. Proteomic analysis identified 85 upregulated and 75 downregulated proteins, including cytoskeletal proteins and collagen chains, mainly involved in cell adhesion, extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton, immune response, and complement pathways. Among them, caveolin‐1, filamin A expression, and cathepsin D combined with macrophagocytes counts were significantly increased; glutathione S‐transferase mu1 (GSTM1) expression was significantly decreased in the irreversible CHD‐PAH group (all P < 0.05). Caveolin‐1, filamin A, and cathepsin D expression showed a positive relation and GSTM1 showed a negative relation with pathological grading. Upregulated caveolin‐1, filamin A, and cathepsin D combined with increased macrophagocytes and downregulated GSTM1 may be potential biomarkers and targets in the irreversibility CHD‐PAH, and which may be useful in evaluating the operability and understanding the irreversibility of CHD‐PAH. Expression of these pathological biomarkers combined with pathological changes in lung biopsy may have great value in predicting the irreversibility of PAH.