bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute Tubular Necrosis Following Interferon-Based Therapy for Hepatitis C: Case Study with Literature Review
Authors: Fabrizi Fabrizio , Aghemo Alessio , Fogazzi G. Battista , Moroni Gabriella , Passerini Patrizia , D'Ambrosio Roberta , Messa Piergiorgio
Published: February 2014

Background/Aims: Interferon treatment of malignant or viral diseases can be accompanied by various side-effects including nephro-toxicity. Methods: We report on a 68-year-old Caucasian male who received dual therapy with pegylated interferon 2a plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C. Results: After three months of antiviral therapy, the patient developed acute kidney failure (serum creatinine up to 6 mg/dL) with mild proteinuria (500 mg daily) and haematuria. Immediate immunosuppressive therapy with high-dose intravenous steroids did not improve kidney function. Kidney biopsy was consistent with acute tubular necrosis without glomerular abnormalities. He started long-term peritoneal dialysis (four regular exchanges) to provide both dialysis adequacy and ascites removal. Kidney function gradually improved over the following months (serum creatinine around 2 mg/dL) and peritoneal dialysis was continued with two exchanges daily. The temporal relationship between the administration of the drug and the occurrence of nephro-toxicity, and the absence of other obvious reasons for acute tubular necrosis support a causative role for pegylated interferon; benefit on kidney disease was noted after withdrawal of antiviral agents. An extensive review of the literature on acute tubular necrosis associated with interferon-based therapy, based on in vitro data and earlier case-reports, has been made. The proposed pathogenic mechanisms are reviewed. Conclusions: Our case emphasizes the importance of monitoring renal function during treatment of chronic hepatitis C with antiviral combination therapy as treatment may precipitate kidney damage at tubular level.
Curcumin Ameliorates Podocytic Adhesive Capacity Damage Under Mechanical Stress By Inhibiting miR-124 Expression
Authors: Li Dong , Lu Zhenyu , Jia Junya , Zheng Zhenfeng , Lin Shan
Published: February 2014

Background/Aims: Curcumin, a kind of plant polyphenolic compound, has been recently discovered to have renoprotective effects on diabetic nephropathy (DN). Podocyte can respond to various injuries including mechanical stress secondary to DN. Our previous study showed that podocyte miR-124 expression was up-regulated accompanied with podocytic adhesive capacity damage in vitro and in vivo. We hypothesized, in the present research that curcumin would ameliorate podocyte adhesion damage under mechanical stress by inhibiting miR-124 expression. Methods: Gene expression of miR-124 was measured by real-time PCR and protein expression of integrin α3 was measured by Western blotting in STZ-induced uninephrectomized diabetic rats and cultured podocytes under mechanical stress treated with curcumin respectively. Western blot and luciferase reporter assays were used to detect the effects of miR-124 overexpression on the Itga3 expression in podocytes. Results: Gene expression of miR-124 was upregulated and α3 was downregulated in renal cortex of diabetic rats and cultured podocytes under mechanical stress which were ameliorated by curcumin treatment significantly. Transient co-transfection of miR-124 mimics with luciferase expression plasmids resulted in a significant repression of luciferase activity in podocytes. Mechanistically, Itga3 may be a regulation target of miR-124. Conclusions: These results provide a novel idea that curcumin prevents against podocytic adhesive capacity damage under mechanical stress by inhibitting miR-124
In-vivo-Darstellung einer Sarcoptes-scabiei-Infestation mittels optischer Kohärenztomographie
Authors: Banzhaf Christina Alette , Themstrup Lotte , Ring Hans Christian , Welzel Julia , Mogensen Mette , Jemec Gregor Borut Ernst
Published: February 2014

Hintergrund: Sarcoptes scabiei kann mit Hilfe verschiedener Darstellungsverfahren sichtbar gemacht werden. Mit der optischen Kohärenztomographie (OCT) lassen sich möglicherweise die bei Skabies-Infestation auftretenden Veränderungen der Hautmorphologie charakterisieren und der Parasit darstellen. Methoden: Fünf Patienten aus der Klinik für Dermatologie am Klinikum Augsburg und am Roskilde Hospital in Roskilde, Dänemark, wurden mit der optischen Kohärenztomographie (OCT; VivoSight®; Michelson Diagnostics Ltd., UK) untersucht. Der Nachweis der Milben erfolgte mittels Epilumineszenz; zur Bestätigung der Diagnose wurde eine lichtmikroskopische Untersuchung durchgeführt. Ergebnisse: Die OCT wies in vivo bei allen Patienten S.-scabiei-Milben nach. Milben und Gänge wurden sichtbar gemacht und Einzelheiten des Ganginhalts dargestellt. Schlussfolgerung: Die OCT kann S.-scabiei-Milben in vivo sichtbar machen, was dafür spricht, dass die OCT zur Untersuchung der Biologie der Milbe in vivo eingesetzt werden kann und eine frühzeitige Beurteilung einer gegen Krätzmilben wirkenden Therapie ermöglicht. Die OCT ist in der Lage, Strukturen in der Haut mit einer Auflösung von 8 µm darzustellen. Somit könnte dieses Verfahren eine rasche, nichtinvasive, In-vivo-Diagnose und -Untersuchung von Infestationen ermöglichen.
A Novel (Paternally Inherited) Duplication 13q31.3q32.3 in a 12-Year-Old Patient with Facial Dysmorphism and Developmental Delay
Authors: Atack E. , Fairtlough H. , Smith K. , Balasubramanian M.
Published: February 2014

We report a 12-year-old boy referred to the Clinical Genetics service in view of facial dysmorphism, learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorder. 60K arrayCGH revealed an 8.2-Mb duplication on chromosome 13q31.3q32.3, which was paternally inherited. This specific duplication on chromosome 13 has not been previously reported in the medical literature, and there are no familial or de novo patients with the same duplication breakpoints. This region contains 24 OMIM genes, including the glypicans GPC5 and GPC6, and the ZIC2 gene. We discuss the relevance of this chromosome imbalance and discuss the impact of this duplication on our patient's phenotype. Given that the duplication on 13q was paternally inherited, and although initially thought to be of uncertain significance, on exploring the family history further, it became apparent that the father had learning difficulties as a child and previous surgery for congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Here we explore the phenotype in association with this novel duplication on chromosome 13q and add to the existing literature on array findings within this region.
Evaluation of the Siemens HIV Antigen-Antibody Immunoassay
Authors: Vallefuoco Luca , Aden Abdi Fatima , Sorrentino Rosanna , Spalletti-Cernia Daniela , Mazzarella Claudia , Barbato Sara , Perna Enzo , Buffolano Wilma , Di Nicuolo Giuseppe , Portella Giuseppe
Published: February 2014

Fourth-generation assays for the simultaneous detection of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antigen and antibodies are available on the international market and are currently used for blood donor screening and for HIV diagnosis. In this study we evaluated the performance of the novel automated fourth-generation ADVIA Centaur® HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay. The assay detected seroconversion at the same bleed or at least one bleed earlier in panels with respect to other assays and showed a detection efficacy equal to those of other assays in a low-titer panel. Samples obtained from blood donors (n = 2,778) or from HIV-positive patients (HIV-1 B subtype, n = 82; non-B subtype, n = 71) were also tested, showing a good correlation with other fourth-generation assays. We assessed the performance of 3 fourth-generation assays for detecting in utero transmitted anti-HIV antibodies and found a more specific detection efficiency with the ADVIA Centaur HIV Ag/Ab Combo assay compared to the other fourth-generation assays.
Interstitial Fibrosis, Left Ventricular Remodeling, and Myocardial Mechanical Behavior in a Population-Based Multiethnic Cohort
Authors: Donekal Sirisha , Venkatesh Bharath A. , Liu Yuan Chang , Liu Chia-Ying , Yoneyama Kihei , Wu Colin O. , Nacif Marcelo , Gomes Antoinette S. , Hundley W. Gregory , Bluemke David A. , Lima Joao A.C.
Published: February 2014

Background—

Tagged cardiac magnetic resonance provides detailed information on regional myocardial function and mechanical behavior. T1 mapping by cardiac magnetic resonance allows noninvasive quantification of myocardial extracellular expansion (ECE), which has been related to interstitial fibrosis in previous clinical and subclinical studies. We assessed sex-associated differences in the relation of ECE to left ventricular (LV) remodeling and myocardial systolic and diastolic deformation in a large community-based multiethnic population.

Methods and Results—

Midventricular midwall peak circumferential shortening and early diastolic strain rate and LV torsion and torsional recoil rate were determined using cardiac magnetic resonance tagging. Midventricular short-axis T1 maps were acquired in the same examination pre- and postcontrast injection using Modified Look-Locker Inversion-Recovery sequence. Multivariable linear regression (estimated regression coefficient,
B
) was used to adjust for risk factors and subclinical disease measures. Of 1230 participants, 114 had a visible myocardial scar by late gadolinium enhancement. Participants without a visible myocardial scar (n=1116) had no history of previous clinical events. In the latter group, multivariable linear regression demonstrated that lower postcontrast T1 times, reflecting greater ECE, were associated with lower circumferential shortening (
B
=−0.1;
P
=0.0001), lower LV end-diastolic volume index (
B
=0.6;
P
=0.0001), and lower LV end-diastolic mass index (
B
=0.4;
P
=0.0001). In addition, lower postcontrast T1 times were associated with lower early diastolic strain rate (
B
=0.01;
P
=0.03) in women only and lower LV torsion (
B
=0.005;
P
=0.03) and lower LV ejection fraction (B=0.2,
P
=0.01) in men only.

Conclusions—

Greater ECE is associated with reduced LV end-diastolic volume index and LV end-diastolic mass index in a large multiethnic population without history of previous cardiovascular events. In addition, greater ECE is associated with reduced circumferential shortening, lower early diastolic strain rate, and a preserved ejection fraction in women, whereas in men, greater ECE is associated with greater LV dysfunction manifested as reduced circumferential shortening, reduced LV torsion, and reduced ejection fraction.
Effects of Noninvasive Facial Nerve Stimulation in the Dog Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Model of Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Borsody Mark K. , Yamada Chisa , Bielawski Dawn , Heaton Tamara , Castro Prado Fernando , Garcia Andrea , Azpiroz Joaquín , Sacristan Emilio
Published: February 2014

Background and Purpose—

Facial nerve stimulation has been proposed as a new treatment of ischemic stroke because autonomic components of the nerve dilate cerebral arteries and increase cerebral blood flow when activated. A noninvasive facial nerve stimulator device based on pulsed magnetic stimulation was tested in a dog middle cerebral artery occlusion model.

Methods—

We used an ischemic stroke dog model involving injection of autologous blood clot into the internal carotid artery that reliably embolizes to the middle cerebral artery. Thirty minutes after middle cerebral artery occlusion, the geniculate ganglion region of the facial nerve was stimulated for 5 minutes. Brain perfusion was measured using gadolinium-enhanced contrast MRI, and ATP and total phosphate levels were measured using
31
P spectroscopy. Separately, a dog model of brain hemorrhage involving puncture of the intracranial internal carotid artery served as an initial examination of facial nerve stimulation safety.

Results—

Facial nerve stimulation caused a significant improvement in perfusion in the hemisphere affected by ischemic stroke and a reduction in ischemic core volume in comparison to sham stimulation control. The ATP/total phosphate ratio showed a large decrease poststroke in the control group versus a normal level in the stimulation group. The same stimulation administered to dogs with brain hemorrhage did not cause hematoma enlargement.

Conclusions—

These results support the development and evaluation of a noninvasive facial nerve stimulator device as a treatment of ischemic stroke.
Serum Albumin Levels Are Associated With Cardioembolic and Cryptogenic Ischemic Strokes
Authors: Xu Wei-Hai , Dong Chuanhui , Rundek Tatjana , Elkind Mitchell S.V. , Sacco Ralph L.
Published: February 2014

Background and Purpose—

Low serum albumin concentrations have been associated with increased stroke risk, but the underlying mechanisms are less well studied. We aimed to investigate the association between serum albumin levels and ischemic stroke etiologies in a large, population-based, multiethnic, prospective, cohort study.

Methods—

Participants from the Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS; n=2986; mean age, 69±10 years) free of stroke at baseline were followed for incident stroke (a median follow-up of 12 years). Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for baseline serum albumin levels and risk of ischemic stroke and ischemic stroke subtypes after adjusting for vascular risk factors.

Results—

The mean baseline serum albumin level was 4.42±0.33 g/dL. There were 271 ischemic strokes during follow-up. Participants with serum albumin levels of 2.7 to 4.2 g/dL (the lowest tertile) had increased risk of all stroke (HR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.32–2.35), ischemic stroke (HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.21–2.29), cardioembolic stroke (HR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.10–3.34), and cryptogenic stroke (HR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.21–5.53), compared with those with levels of 4.6 to 5.5 g/dL (the top tertile; reference). Low albumin levels (2.7–4.2 g/dL) were not associated with large vessel or lacunar stroke.

Conclusions—

Our study shows an association between low serum albumin levels and ischemic stroke, particularly cardioembolic and cryptogenic subtypes. These results suggest the potential shared pathophysiological relationship between low serum albumin levels, cardiac embolism, and cryptogenic infarction, which warrants further investigation.
The Making of the Sin of Achan (Joshua 7)
Authors: Berman Joshua
Published: February 2014

The ascription of blame to an entire people for the infraction of a nondescript individual found in the account of the sin of Achan (Joshua 7) is without parallel in the Hebrew Bible and in the legal and treaty literature of the ancient Near East. Attempts to explain the account through concepts such as “corporate personality” or the “contagion” to be found in devoted goods have rightly come under great scrutiny. This paper seeks to understand collective punishment in Joshua 7 by engaging in a close reading of the final form of the text and with recourse to notions found in contemporary ethical theory. The paper introduces the rhetorical use of minor characters as markers of collective attitudes in biblical narrative. Central to the exposition of the Achan account is the role of the spies’ report (7:2-3) as such a marker of collective attitudes shared by the polity as a whole.
Armenian Involvement in the Latin-Mongol Crusade: Uses of the Magi and Prester John in Constable Smbat’s Letter and Hayton of Corycus’s “Flos historiarum terre orientis,” 1248-1307
Authors: Osipian Alexandr
Published: February 2014

Abstract

This paper examines the issue of how Armenians and Nestorians in the Mongol service used the Western legends about the Orient to influence the crusading plans of the Latin Christians between 1248 and 1307. In particular, it considers the role of the ruling elite of Cilician Armenia as mediators between Mongols and Franks in Outremer, first discussing the Letter of Cilician Constable Smbat (1248), and then examining the treatise “Flos historiarum terre orientis” by Hayton of Corycus (Het’um/Haitonus, 1307) with the crusading proposal contained in it. This article examines the narrative techniques used by Smbat and Het’um to produce a positive image of the Mongols/Tatars for Western readers in a wider cultural context of contemporary European perception of the Orient. In particular, it researches how Smbat incorporated the stories about the Magi and Prester John into the description of the Mongol Empire and the spread of Christianity within it. Special attention is given to a comparison of Armenian sources written for internal (Armenian) and external (Frankish) readers. This article also develops a hypothesis that Armenian diplomacy used Louis IX of France’s letter and his envoy William of Rubruck to enforce the position of the Cilician king Het’um I at the Mongol court in 1254.
Cross-border Healthcare: Directive 2011/24 and the Greek Law
Authors: Vidalis Takis , Kyriakaki Irini
Published: February 2014

Abstract

The Greek legal framework on healthcare is characterized by the complexity of an immense number of laws and regulatory acts, particularly regarding the national health system. In the face front of that problem, the Directive stands as an effort (and an opportunity) to achieve a regulatory rationalization. The Law 3918/2011 established the National Organisation for Healthcare (eopyy). eopyy is the unique national contact point in the country for the purposes of the Directive, having a responsibility to ensure that the services provided by its affiliated healthcare providers meet certain quality and safety standards. Furthermore, the Greek legal system encompasses an integrated body of legislation on informed consent, privacy, and data protection, as well as an explicit reference to the ‘quality, safety and efficiency’ of medical services, and provisions related to reimbursement issues that need further regulatory specification.
A new species of Piaroa (Schizomida: Hubbardiidae) from Venezuela, with taxonomic notes on the genus
Authors: M. OSVALDO VILLARREAL , DE ARMAS LUIS F. , GARCÍA LUIS FERNANDO
Published: February 2014

A new species belonging to the schizomid genus Piaroa Villarreal, Giupponi and Tourinho, 2008 is described from north-western Venezuela. A complementary description of Piaroa guipongai Villarreal and Garcia, 2012 is provided including SEM pictures of relevant structures of both sexes. A key for males of Piaroa and Colombiazomus Armas and Delgado-Santa, 2012 is included. The presence of Dm3 setae on Hubbardiidae is discussed.
Routes and Reasons Out, Paths Back
Authors: Boylan Rebecca L. , Renzulli Linda
Published: February 2014

Dropout is a major issue facing our country’s schools; however, many students who drop out of school later go on to finish their degree either by returning to high school or by earning a General Education Development (GED) credential. Despite this, there has been relatively little research on these students who “stopout” of high school. Drawing on a sample of high school dropouts, we build on research conceptualizing dropouts as having been “pushed” or “pulled” out of school by examining how routes out of school influence the process of return. Our analysis reveals that being either pushed or pulled has little differential impact on the reengagement process. But, particular reasons within the categories have strong effects on keeping students out of school and on the pathways that they take if they return. Implications are suggested for both school practice and for how researchers should best conceptualize dropouts.
Professional psychology competency initiatives: implications for training, regulation, and practice
Authors: Rodolfa Emil , Baker Jeff , DeMers Steve , Hilson Amy , Meck Donald , Schaffer Jack , Woody Sheila , Turner Matt , Webb Carol
Published: February 2014

Psychology in the United States has struggled with defining and specifying competencies for the practice of psychology since the Boulder Conference of 1949 outlined the first training model for graduate programs in psychology. Competency was largely defined by types of experiences and “seat time” until 1986, when the first major competency model in professional psychology in the United States was proposed. By 2000, discussions about the competencies had begun in earnest, and since that time, psychology’s focus on competencies has intensified, resulting in a shift away from a model of training that involved tracking the number of hours spent learning specific knowledge or skills to a “culture of competence” that emphasizes outcome, that is, the acquisition of the essential knowledge and skills. In order to develop this culture, competence must first be defined and described. A number of efforts to do so have been completed, initially resulting in a confusing array of different models or perspectives. Over time, however, the models have become more refined and similar in their structure and framework. This article provides an overview of these efforts and discusses the next steps in the implementation of a competency model that is comprehensive enough to be useful, but simple enough to be used. The implications of the competency development process for training, practice, and regulation are discussed.
Mean Scatterer Spacing Estimation in Normal and Thermally Coagulated Ex Vivo Bovine Liver
Authors: Rubert Nicholas , Varghese Tomy
Published: February 2014

The liver has been hypothesized to have a unique arrangement of microvasculature that presents as an arrangement of quasiperiodic scatterers to an interrogating ultrasound pulse. The mean scatterer spacing (MSS) of these quasiperiodic scatterers has been proposed as a useful quantitative ultrasound biomarker for characterizing liver tissue. Thermal ablation is an increasingly popular method for treating hepatic tumors, and ultrasonic imaging approaches for delineating the extent of thermal ablation are in high demand. In this work, we examine the distribution of estimated MSS in thermally coagulated bovine liver and normal untreated bovine liver ex vivo. We estimate MSS by detecting local maxima in the spectral coherence function of radio frequency echoes from a clinical transducer, the Siemens VFX 9L4 transducer operating on an S2000 scanner. We find that normal untreated bovine liver was characterized by an MSS of approximately 1.3 mm. We examined regions of interest 12 mm wide laterally, and ranging from 12 mm to 18 mm axially, in 2 mm increments. Over these parameters, the mode of the MSS estimates was between 1.25 and 1.37 mm. On the other hand, estimation of MSS in thermally coagulated liver tissue yields a distribution of MSS estimates whose mode varied between 0.45 and 1.0 mm when examining regions of interest over the same sizes. We demonstrate that the estimated MSS in thermally coagulated liver favors small spacings because the randomly positioned scatterers in this tissue are better modeled as aperiodic scatterers. The submillimeter spacings result from the fact that this was the most probable spacing to be estimated if the discretely sampled spectral coherence function was a uniformly random two-dimensional function.
Speckle Suppressing Anisotropic Diffusion Filter for Medical Ultrasound Images
Authors: Ovireddy Saraniya , Muthusamy Ezhilarasi
Published: February 2014

Ultrasonography is often preferred over the other medical imaging modalities due to its noninvasive nature, cost-effectiveness, and portability. However, the resolution of the ultrasound image greatly depends upon the presence of speckle noise. Speckle noise generally tends to reduce the image resolution and contrast, thereby reducing the diagnostic resolution of this imaging modality. In this paper, we propose a speckle suppressing anisotropic diffusion (SSAD) filter, to remove the speckle noise from B-Mode Ultrasound images. The performance of the SSAD filter is compared with the existing diffusion filters. The evaluation is based on their application to images simulated by Field II (developed by Jensen et al.). The algorithms were also tested for clinical ultrasound images of polycystic ovaries obtained from HDI 5000 Ultrasound Scanner. Performance evaluation was done by both numerical and functional parameters. The proposed filter yields better results in terms of greatest structural similarity index map (SSIM) of 0.95 and accuracy of 99.5.
Chondrosarcoma of the chest wall: Single-center experience
Authors: Al-Refaie Reda E , Amer Sameh , Ismail Mohammed F , Al-Shabrawy Mohammed , Al-Gamal Galal , Mokbel Ehab
Published: February 2014

Background

chondrosarcoma is the most common primary tumor of the chest wall. We analyzed cases of chest wall chondrosarcoma to establish the presentation, diagnostic tools, surgical treatment, and outcome.

Methods

this was a retrospective observational analysis of 45 patients who underwent surgery for chondrosarcoma.

Results

the mean age was 42.3 ± 8.5 years, and 57.8% patients were male. Symptoms were a painful chest wall mass in 91.1% of patients. Chest radiography and computed tomography, and biopsy were the diagnostic tools. The tumor was right-sided in 57.8% of patients. It was located in the lateral (71.1%), anterior (26.7%), or posterior (2.2%) chest wall. The mean tumor diameter was 7.6 ± 3.3 cm. Radical en-bloc excision was performed in all patients. Chest wall reconstruction was carried out using methylmethacrylate and Prolene mesh (42.2%), Prolene mesh alone (37.8%), and direct closure (20%). A muscle flap was used for soft tissue reconstruction in 11.1%. Complications were encountered in 6.7%. There was no operative mortality. Follow-up was complete in 66.7% of patients. The mean follow-up period was 3.7 ± 2.1 years. Local recurrences and late mortality occurred in 4.4%.

Conclusion

surgery for chondrosarcoma can be performed with acceptable morbidity and mortality. Proper selection of patients and radical en-block excision of the tumor are the keys for successful treatment and better outcomes.
Insecure Attachment and Eating Pathology in Early Adolescence
Authors: van Durme Kim , Braet Caroline , Goossens Lien
Published: February 2014

The present study investigated whether associations exist between attachment dimensions toward mother and different forms of eating pathology (EP) in a group of early adolescent boys and girls, and whether these associations were mediated by maladaptive emotion regulation (ER) strategies. Developmentally appropriate self-report questionnaires were administered to a community sample of 952 early adolescents ([Formula: see text] = 12.19, 54.6% female). The results demonstrated associations between the insecure attachment dimensions and the different forms of EP. Moreover, the relationships between both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance toward mother on the one hand and restraint and EP concerns on the other hand, were partially mediated by maladaptive ER. These results assign an important role to maladaptive ER, in explaining the relationship between insecure attachment and EP. Future longitudinal research should replicate and elaborate on these findings.
Nutrition Implications and Challenges of the Transplant Patient Undergoing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Therapy
Authors: Ulerich Linda
Published: February 2014

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used to treat patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome or severe cardiac and/or respiratory failure that is unresponsive to conventional ventilator therapy. Provision of adequate nutrition support can be challenging due to hemodynamic alterations encountered in these critically ill patients. Although ECMO is an established therapy for many aspects of organ transplant in the pre‐ and posttransplant phases, there is a paucity of published data for this patient population. Clinical guidelines are available for the nutrition support of neonates supported with ECMO, but no guidelines have been established for the adult population receiving ECMO support. Review of published reports and personal experience indicates that early enteral nutrition support can be well tolerated by transplant patients receiving either venovenous or venoarterial ECMO, if care is taken to adequately assess potential barriers to optimal nutrition support. Until specific guidelines are developed for patients receiving ECMO, it appears that the guidelines for the provision and assessment of nutrition support therapy in the adult critically ill patient provide the best guidance for the nutrition support clinician who is caring for the patient receiving ECMO support.
Competing Technologies of Embodiment
Authors: Hoang Kimberly Kay
Published: February 2014

This article illustrates how the circulation of capital and culture in Asia produces divergent embodied gendered ideals of national belonging through the case of Vietnam’s global sex industry. Introducing the concept of competing technologies of embodiment, I show how sex workers’ surgical and cosmetic bodily projects represent different perceptions of an emerging nation’s divergent trajectories in the global economy. In a high-end niche market that caters to local elite Vietnamese businessmen, sex workers project a new pan-Asian modernity highlighting emergent Asian ideals of beauty in a project of progress that signals the rise of Asia. Women who cater to Western men, in contrast, embody Third World dependency, portraying Vietnam as a poverty-stricken country in need of Western charity. By comparing multiple markets, I illustrate how individual agents in the developing world actively reimagine their nation’s place in the global economy through their embodied practices.
Accurate Metacognition for Visual Sensory Memory Representations
Authors: Vandenbroucke Annelinde R. E. , Sligte Ilja G. , Barrett Adam B. , Seth Anil K. , Fahrenfort Johannes J. , Lamme Victor A. F.
Published: February 2014

The capacity to attend to multiple objects in the visual field is limited. However, introspectively, people feel that they see the whole visual world at once. Some scholars suggest that this introspective feeling is based on short-lived sensory memory representations, whereas others argue that the feeling of seeing more than can be attended to is illusory. Here, we investigated this phenomenon by combining objective memory performance with subjective confidence ratings during a change-detection task. This allowed us to compute a measure of metacognition—the degree of knowledge that subjects have about the correctness of their decisions—for different stages of memory. We show that subjects store more objects in sensory memory than they can attend to but, at the same time, have similar metacognition for sensory memory and working memory representations. This suggests that these subjective impressions are not an illusion but accurate reflections of the richness of visual perception.
Online Mediation of Minority Dissent
Authors: Soriano Cheryll Ruth
Published: February 2014

Often marginalized from government services and markets and with limited access to mainstream media, the expansion of the reach of the Internet to previously underrepresented sectors inspires an examination of the place of online media for minorities, and in turn the role of these new actors, in shaping the future of media. In the Philippines, minority groups have recently developed online narratives, discursive spaces and productions in websites, blogs and social networking sites that allow them to bypass traditional distribution systems to articulate their respective struggles. This article engages ‘Buechler’s historical-dialectical-structurational approach’ in analyzing the interdependence between these activist online media practices and the local, national, and global enabling and constraining structures that surround online cultural activism. Through an analysis of case studies representing ethnic, ethno-religious and sexual minorities in the Philippines, the article shows that minority groups’ online political mobilization strategies are influenced by the historical, cultural and social circumstances and global power dynamics that surround their respective struggles and online activism. This situated analysis veers away from presenting minorities as mere recipients of technology but as online political activists creatively working their way through multiple structures and opportunities that come with online mediation.
Making Sense of Life’s Transitions
Authors: Rivera-Sánchez Milagros (Millie) , Walton Marion
Published: February 2014

This article focuses on how South African youths from the town of Makhaza, Khayelitsha, who were transitioning from high school to tertiary education or full time employment, used their mobile phones. It also examines the meanings that the devices hold for them. Using ‘space’ as a key construct, the article relies on Victor Turner’s theory of ‘liminality’, Michel Foucault’s concept of heterotopias as conceptualized by Wearing and the power of contexts and spaces, to understand the uses of, and meanings ascribed to, mobile phones by youth in transition. These theoretical lenses allowed us to explore the way post-high school, unemployed youth use mobile media to resist subjectivities of inferiority, redefine themselves in the practice of their everyday lives, and expand their understanding of living in an increasingly networked world. The study found that the participants applied extensive ingenuity and creativity in the appropriation of mobile Internet technologies to configure their social surroundings in support of their interests, although they were not always able to channel these into developing opportunities for further study and work.
Factors Influencing Food Choice in an Australian Aboriginal Community
Authors: Brimblecombe Julie , Maypilama Elaine , Colles Susan , Scarlett Maria , Dhurrkay Joanne Garnggulkpuy , Ritchie Jan , O’Dea Kerin
Published: February 2014

We explored with Aboriginal adults living in a remote Australian community the social context of food choice and factors perceived to shape food choice. An ethnographic approach of prolonged community engagement over 3 years was augmented by interviews. Our findings revealed that knowledge, health, and resources supporting food choice were considered “out of balance,” and this imbalance was seen to manifest in a Western-imposed diet lacking variety and overrelying on familiar staples. Participants felt ill-equipped to emulate the traditional pattern of knowledge transfer through passing food-related wisdom to younger generations. The traditional food system was considered key to providing the framework for learning about the contemporary food environment. Practitioners seeking to improve diet and health outcomes for this population should attend to past and present contexts of food in nutrition education, support the educative role of caregivers, address the high cost of food, and support access to traditional foods.
Measures of Narcissism and Their Relations to DSM-5 Pathological Traits
Authors: Miller Joshua D. , Lynam Donald R. , Campbell W. Keith
Published: February 2014

There exists substantial debate about how to best assess pathological narcissism with a variety of measures designed to assess grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, as well as the DSM-IV and DSM-5 based conceptualizations of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). Wright and colleagues published correlations between several narcissism measures (Narcissistic Personality Inventory [NPI]; Pathological Narcissism Inventory [PNI]; Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire [PDQ] NPD) with the traits comprising the DSM-5 Section III personality trait model. In the current study, we examine the agreement manifested by Wright and colleagues’ narcissism– DSM-5 trait profiles with expert ratings of the DSM-5 traits most relevant to descriptions of DSM-IV NPD. Despite concerns regarding the NPI’s ability to measure pathological narcissism, its trait profile was strongly correlated with expert ratings, as was PDQ NPD’s profile. Conversely, the trait profiles associated with the PNI were primarily uncorrelated with the expert rated NPD profile. The implications of these findings with regard to the assessment of narcissism are discussed.
Stories that Count
Authors: Shen Fuyuan , Ahern Lee , Baker Michelle
Published: February 2014

This paper examines the impact of using narratives to frame a political issue on individuals’ attitudes. In an experiment, we asked participants to read either narrative or informational news articles that emphasized the potential economic benefits or environmental consequences associated with shale gas drilling. Results indicated both news formats (narrative vs. informational) and frames (environmental vs. economic) had significant immediate effects on issue attitudes and other responses; narrative environmental news had a significantly greater impact than informational environmental news. Cognitive responses and empathy were significant partial mediators of narrative impact. Environmental narratives also had a more significant impact on individuals’ delayed issue attitudes.
Thinking about Romney
Authors: Bedingfield Sid , Anshari Dien
Published: February 2014

Analyzing Ohio newspaper articles ( n = 466), this study investigates the framing of Mitt Romney in a key battleground state during the 2012 presidential election. Campaign officials and political journalists contend that attacks launched by President Obama in late spring defined Romney for the remainder of the campaign. Results suggest partial support for this claim by revealing increased use of negative media frames after the attacks began. Specifically, framing of Romney as a “vulture capitalist” increased significantly during the Obama frame-building effort. Findings offer theoretical insights into the concepts of frame building and “content bias” in media coverage of political campaigns.
Why and for what are clinical trials the gold standard?
Authors: Hansson Sven Ove
Published: February 2014

The epistemological basis of clinical trials and evidence-based medicine is investigated. Clinical trials are directly action-guiding experiments on treatment effects. This is the reason why well-performed clinical trials take precedence over all other types of studies as far as treatment effects are concerned. The efficiency of public health interventions can be studied with directly action-guiding experiments that have the same strong epistemic justification as clinical trials. However, in order to assess the causality of diseases, information from several types of studies will have to be combined. Here, no single type of studies has priority over all the others. Therefore, evidence hierarchies are less helpful in studies of causality than they are in investigations of the effects of treatments or interventions.
Evidence on public policy: Methodological issues, political issues and examples
Authors: Attanasio Orazio P
Published: February 2014

In this paper I discuss how evidence on public policy is generated and in particular the issue of evaluation of public policies. In economics, the issue of attribution and the identification of causal links has recently received considerable attention. Important methodological issues have been tackled and new techniques have been proposed and used. Randomized Control Trials have become some sort of gold standard. However, they are not exempt from problems and have important limitations: in some case they cannot be constructed and, more generally, problems of external validity and transferability of results can be important. The paper then moves on to discuss the political economy of policy evaluations for policy evaluations to have an impact for the conduct of actual policy, it is important that the demand for evaluation comes directly from the policy making process and is generated endogenously within it. In this sense it is important that the institutional design of policy making is such that policy making institutions are incentivized to use rigorous evaluation in the process of designing policies and allocating resources to alternative options.

Economists are currently involved in the design and evaluation of many policies, including policies about health, nutrition and education. The role they can play in these fields is not completely obvious. The paper argues that their main contribution is in the modelling of how individual reacts to incentives (including those provided by public policies).
Newspapers commemorate 11 September: A cross-cultural investigation
Authors: Somerstein Rachel
Published: February 2014

On 12 September 2001, as Hans-Peter Feldmann documented in his 2002 installation 9/12 Front Page, the front pages of newspapers from 151 countries showed similar photographs of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. Despite this cross-cultural agreement on the most salient image at the time, in the decade since, distinct visual narratives of 9/11 have emerged in newspaper anniversary journalism.

This paper examines how The New York Times (US) and Le Monde (France) have used photographs, advertisements, and editorial cartoons in 9/11 anniversary journalism. Using theories of collective memory and photography, along with demographic data of 9/11 victims, I examine how photographic representations of the victims have changed, offering a less complex story of events. I document the images that have been recirculated and discuss why the emergence of visual icons matters to our collective memory of 9/11. And I explore how the papers’ proximity to the events influenced their visual anniversary journalism.
One journalist, two roles: What happens when journalists also work as media coordinators?
Authors: Tandoc Edson C , Peters Jonathan
Published: February 2014

Individuals interacting with society possess multiple roles, and yet the study of journalistic role conceptions, based on the assumption that role conceptions influence journalistic outputs, has not addressed the idea that journalists possess multiple roles inside and outside the journalistic field. A peculiar arrangement in Missouri is the appointment of journalists to serve as media coordinators for the courts. Using a symbolic interactionism framework, we explore how media coordinators experience this duality of roles.
Serum Folic Acid and RFC A80G Polymorphism in Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia
Authors: Mansoori Nasim , Tripathi Manjari , Alam Rizwan , Luthra Kalpana , Sharma Sumit , Lakshmy Ramakrishnan , Kalaivani Mani , Mukhopadhyay Asok K.
Published: February 2014

Low level of vitamin B12 and folic acid has been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). Serum folic acid and vitamin B12 were assayed in 80 AD and 50 VaD cases and in 120 healthy controls. The reduced folate carrier ( RFC1) gene, rs1051266, which encodes the RFC 1, protein was analyzed for polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism. It was observed that the patients having folic acid <8.45 ng/mL had 2.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4-4.5) times higher odds of having AD and 2.1 (95% CI: 1.1-4.2) times higher odds of having VaD than patients having folic acid ≥8.45 ng/mL. Serum vitamin B12 level did not show any such statistically significant effect in altering the odds. No direct association was found between variant (G) allele or genotype of rs1051266 with AD and VaD cases. On serum folate level no association was observed with gene polymorphism.
Ms L
Authors: Tanev Kaloyan S. , Vento John A.
Published: February 2014

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is second only to Alzheimer’s disease in individuals younger than 65 years of age. Behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD) presents with nonspecific symptoms such as disinhibition, apathy, or emotional blunting. Although neuropsychological testing and structural neuroimaging are not very helpful in diagnosing bvFTD in its initial stages, newer quantitative structural methods and functional neuroimaging have better sensitivity and specificity. Ms L presented with blunted affect, disinhibition, impairments in insight, planning ability and social comportment, changed dietary habits, and episodes of mutism. Her brain magnetic resonance imaging was normal whereas her single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) pattern was consistent with FTD. Her clinical presentation was consistent with bvFTD yet both the symptoms and SPECT findings reversed after 2 years of follow-up. We suggest that Ms L had a reversible phenotypic and brain function equivalent of bvFTD. The case highlights the limitations of our diagnostic tools and the complex relationship between clinical symptoms, neuroimaging, and etiology.
Clinical Correlates of Unawareness of Deficits Among Patients With Dementia Due to Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Chen Yi-Lung , Chen Hui-Mei , Huang Mei-Feng , Yeh Yi-Chun , Yen Cheng-Fang , Chen Cheng-Sheng
Published: February 2014

Background:

To investigate the associations between unawareness of deficits and clinical correlates, including apathy and depression, among patients with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Methods:

Fifty-five patients with AD were enrolled. Unawareness of memory deficits and psychosis or behavior problems was assessed. The Apathy Evaluation Scale informant version and the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) were used to measure apathy and depression, respectively.

Results:

In all, 32 (57.2%) and 27 (49.1%) participants were identified as being unaware of memory deficits and psychosis or behavior problems, respectively. Unawareness of memory deficits was associated with lower scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and higher scores on the CSDD. Unawareness of psychosis or behavior problems was associated with lower scores on the MMSE.

Conclusion:

Unawareness of deficits among patients with AD was common. The 2 domains of unawareness showed different characteristics and may possibly present different etiologies.
Hollywood Sperm Donors
Authors: Nelson Amargaret K.
Published: February 2014

Sociologist Margaret K. Nelson explores how Hollywood has portrayed the use of assisted reproductive technologies. She argues that these new technologies have the potential to transform the nuclear family as we know it; however, popular films glorify romantic love and traditional family structures.
C-Section Epidemic
Authors: Morris Theresa
Published: February 2014

How can we explain the exponential increase of the cesarean section in the U.S. in recent decades? Drawing from 130 in-depth interviews with women, obstetricians, midwives, and labor and delivery nurses, sociologist Theresa Morris explains the epidemic that affects the lives, health, and families of every woman in America.
Privatization and Racial Inequality
Authors: Roscigno Vincent J. , Wilson George
Published: February 2014

Sociologists Vincent J. Roscigno and George Wilson discuss workplace “reforms” that undermine public sector workers’ rights.
I Gentrify Bed-Stuy
Authors: Ali Syed
Published: February 2014

Sociologist Syed Ali provides an analytical, autobiographical essay on gentrification in one of the “hottest” neighborhoods in Brooklyn.
Considering the orphan: Personal identification and its relations with transformational leadership, trust, and performance in a three-path mediation model
Authors: Nübold Annika , Dörr Stefan L , Maier Günter W
Published: February 2014

Transformational leadership research investigating the identification processes of followers has mostly focused on social identification. In contrast, empirical evidence on the role of followers’ personal identification with their leader is still scarce. Furthermore, there has been no attempt to test the links between personal identification and other proposed mediators of transformational leadership. This study examined how a group’s identification with and trust in its leader sequentially combine to mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and supervisor-rated group performance. Using a sample of 343 employees and their supervisors ( N = 80), we tested a model in which trust functions as a proximal mediator and personal identification as a distal mediator in the leadership–performance relationship. Results support the hypothesized three-path mediation model. Our findings indicate the importance of trust for the development of personal identification in the leadership process and provide evidence that the group’s identification with the leader results in positive outcomes for organizations.