bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Air cholangiography in endoscopic bilateral stent-in-stent placement of metallic stents for malignant hilar biliary obstruction
Authors: Lee Jae Min , Lee Sang Hyub , Jang Dong Kee , Chung Kwang Hyun , Park Jin Myung , Paik Woo Hyun , Lee Jun Kyu , Ryu Ji Kon , Kim Yong-Tae
Published: December 2015

Background:

Although endoscopic bilateral stent-in-stent (SIS) placement of self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) is one of the major palliative treatments for unresectable malignant hilar biliary obstruction, post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) cholangitis can occur frequently due to inadequate drainage, especially after contrast injection into the biliary tree. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of air cholangiography-assisted stenting.

Methods:

This study included 47 patients with malignant hilar biliary obstruction who underwent endoscopic bilateral SEMS placement using the SIS technique. They were divided into two groups, air ( n = 23) or iodine contrast ( n = 24) cholangiography. We retrospectively compared comprehensive clinical and laboratory data of both groups.

Results:

There were no significant differences found between the two groups with respect to technical success (87% versus 87.5%, air versus contrast group, respectively), functional success (95% versus 95.2%), 30-day mortality (8.3% versus 8.7%) and stent patency. Post-ERCP adverse events occurred in 5 (21.7%) of the patients in the air group and 8 (33.3%) of the patients in the contrast group. Among these, the rate of cholangitis was significantly lower in the air group (4.8% versus 29.2%, p = 0.048). In multivariate analysis, air cholangiography, technical success and a shorter procedure time were significantly associated with a lower incidence of post-ERCP cholangitis.

Conclusions:

Air cholangiography-assisted stenting can be a safe and effective method for endoscopic bilateral SIS placement of SEMS in patients with malignant hilar biliary obstruction.
Case Series Using a Novel Implant and Accelerated Rehabilitation for Patients Undergoing an Isolated Talonavicular Arthrodesis
Authors: Shymon Stephen Joseph , Moss Lewis , Harris Thomas Gregory
Published: December 2015

Talonavicular (TN) arthrodeses for TN arthritis have a high rate of nonunions for an essential hindfoot joint. In this case series, 12 patients underwent an isolated TN arthrodesis using a novel implant (IO FiX) by a single surgeon with a minimum 1-year follow-up (30.1 ± 14.7 months; mean ± SD). All patients (62 ± 12 years) underwent an aggressive rehabilitation protocol given the strength and compression of the implant. There were no nonunions, nor were there any patients lost to follow-up. Time to radiographic union was 9.6 ± 1.4 weeks. The Visual Analog Scale pain level decreased from 7.3 ± 0.9 preoperatively to 2.1 ± 0.7 postoperatively (P < .001). The Short-Form-12 physical component improved from 27.9 ± 4.2 preoperatively to 42.2 ± 3.5 postoperatively (P < 0.001), while the Short-Form-12 mental component did not change from 50.8 ± 6.9 preoperatively to 54.4 ± 3.8 postoperatively (P > .05). Use of the novel fixation device for TN arthrodesis by a single surgeon with an accelerated rehabilitation protocol significantly decreased patients’ pain and improved their physical functional outcomes (P < .001). The IO FiX implant can potentially improve TN arthrodesis fusion rates and surgical outcomes.

Levels of Evidence: Therapeutic, Level IV: Case series
Rural–Urban Disparity in Students’ Academic Performance in Visual Arts Education
Authors: Opoku-Asare Nana Afia Amponsaa , Siaw Abena Okyerewa
Published: December 2015

Rural–urban disparity in economic and social development in Ghana has led to disparities in educational resources and variations in students’ achievement in different parts of the country. Nonetheless, senior high schools (SHSs) in rural and urban schools follow the same curriculum, and their students write the same West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE), which qualifies them to access higher education in Ghana’s public universities. Urban SHSs are also recognized nationwide as good schools where students make it to university. Moreover, performance patterns with regard to admission of SHS graduates into university also vary between rural and urban schools; consequently, some parents do everything to get their children in urban SHSs, even consenting to placement in visual arts, a program deemed appropriate only for academically weak students. This study therefore adopted the qualitative-quantitative research approach with interview, observation, and questionnaire administration to investigate the critical factors that affect academic performance of SHS students, particularly those in visual arts as case study. Findings from six public SHSs in Kumasi—two each in rural, peri-urban, and urban areas—revealed that urban schools perform better than rural and peri-urban schools because they attract and admit junior high school graduates with excellent Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) grades, have better infrastructure, more qualified teachers, prestigious names, and character that motivate their students to do well. This suggests that bridging the rural–urban gap in educational resources could promote quality teaching and learning, and thereby raise academic achievement for SHS students in Ghana.
Spatial Imagination and Development in Colonial Calcutta, c. 1850–1900
Authors: Basu Sudipto
Published: December 2015

Although sanitation and improvement were seen as key considerations among planners in modern cities around the world, they were used as an important mechanism of colonial propaganda in order to shape the colonial city in accordance to the state’s understanding of the urban space and the meanings that such a space held for them, politically and commercially. This article aims to investigate the terms of planning and to understand the so-called improvement projects carried out by the colonial state in relation to their imaginings of the city and how they understood the city space and what the city meant to them. By studying the various texts written by prominent Europeans in Calcutta in the nineteenth century and their memories of the city, one could gauge how and what part of the city did the administrators at large consider to be Calcutta, and how that had a bearing on the development or improvement projects in the city. This would help give a fresh perspective on the lopsided development and improvement of nineteenth-century Calcutta. The article would finally investigate the ways in which the city was viewed commercially to help tie the other end of the explanation of the kind of improvement Calcutta witnessesd.
A CCR2 macrophage endocytic pathway mediates extravascular fibrin clearance in vivo
Authors: Motley Michael P. , Madsen Daniel H. , Jürgensen Henrik J. , Spencer David E. , Szabo Roman , Holmbeck Kenn , Flick Matthew J. , Lawrence Daniel A. , Castellino Francis J. , Weigert Roberto , Bugge Thomas H.
Published: December 2015

Key Points

Fibrin is cleared from extravascular space via endocytosis and lysosomal degradation by a CCR2-positive subset of inflammatory macrophages. This novel endocytic fibrin degradation pathway is mechanistically coupled to extracellular fibrin degradation pathways.
Childhood wheezing phenotypes influence asthma, lung function and exhaled nitric oxide fraction in adolescence
Authors: Duijts Liesbeth , Granell Raquel , Sterne Jonathan A.C. , Henderson A. John
Published: December 2015

The objective of this study was to examine the associations of childhood wheezing phenotypes with asthma, lung function and exhaled nitric oxide fraction (FeNO) in adolescence.

In a population-based, prospective cohort study of 6841 children, we used latent class analysis to identify wheezing phenotypes during the first 7 years of life. Physician-diagnosed asthma, spirometry andFeNOwere assessed at 14–15 years.

Compared with never/infrequent wheeze, intermediate-onset and persistent wheeze were consistently strongest associated with higher risk of asthma (risk ratio (95% CI) 10.9 (8.97–13.16) and 9.13 (7.74–10.77), respectively), lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio (mean difference in standard deviation units (SDU) (95% CI) −0.34 (−0.54– −0.14) and −0.50 (−0.62– −0.38), respectively), lower forced expiratory flow at 25–75% of FVC (FEF25–75%) (mean difference in SDU (95% CI) −0.30 (−0.49– −0.10) and −0.42 (−0.54– −0.30), respectively) and increased FEV1bronchodilator reversibility (mean difference in SDU (95% CI) 0.12 (0.02–0.22) and 0.13 (0.06–0.19), respectively). Prolonged early and persistent wheeze were associated with a decline in FEV1/FVC ratio and FEF25–75%between 8–9 and 14–15 years. Intermediate-onset, late-onset and persistent wheeze were associated with higherFeNOratios (ratio of geometric means (95% CI) 1.90 (1.59–2.29), 1.57 (1.39–1.77) and 1.37 (1.22–1.53), respectively, compared with never/infrequent wheeze).

Early-onset wheezing phenotypes persisting after 18 months of age show the strongest associations with asthma, lower lung function, even worsening from mid-childhood, and higherFeNOlevels in adolescence.
Cellular dynamics underlying regeneration of appropriate segment number during axolotl tail regeneration
Authors: Vincent Carr D. , Rost Fabian , Masselink Wouter , Brusch Lutz , Tanaka Elly M.
Published: December 2015

Background

Salamanders regenerate their tails after amputation anywhere along their length. How the system faithfully reconstitutes the original number of segments and length is not yet known.

Methods

To gain quantitative insight into how the system regenerates the appropriate length, we amputated tails at 4 or 16 myotomes post-cloaca and measured blastema size, cell cycle kinetics via cumulative Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and the method of Nowakowski, and myotome differentiation rate.

Results

In early stages until day 15, blastema cells were all proliferative and divided at the same rate at both amputation levels. A larger blastema was formed in 4th versus 16th myotome amputations indicating a larger founding population. Myotome differentiation started at the same timepoint in the 4th and 16 th level blastemas. The rate of myotome formation was more rapid in 4th myotome blastemas so that by day 21 the residual blastema from the two amputation levels achieved equivalent size. At that time point, only a fraction of blastema cells remain in cycle, with the 4th myotome blastema harboring double the number of cycling cells as the 16th myotome blastema allowing it to grow faster and further reconstitute the larger number of missing myotomes.

Conclusions

These data suggest that there are two separable phases of blastema growth. The first is level-independent, with cells displaying unrestrained proliferation. In the second phase, the level-specific growth is revealed, where differing fractions of cells remain in the cell cycle over time.
Vascular assessment techniques of podiatrists in Australia and New Zealand: a web‐based survey
Authors: Tehan Peta Ellen , Chuter Vivienne Helaine
Published: December 2015

Background

Podiatrists play a central role in conducting non‐invasive vascular assessment in the lower extremity. This involves screening for signs and symptoms of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and ongoing monitoring of the condition. Podiatric vascular assessment practices in Australia and New Zealand are currently unclear. Determining the clinical habits of Podiatrists is essential in identifying if there is a need for further education or support in performing accurate vascular assessments.

Methods

A web‐based, secure, anonymous questionnaire was conducted of registered Podiatrists in Australia and New Zealand between 1 April and 31 July 2013. The questions examined clinician's regular practices in vascular assessment, clinical indicators to perform and barriers in completing vascular assessment. Nominal logistic regression was performed to further examine years of experience and practice setting on clinical indicators to perform vascular assessment and types of assessment performed.

Results

Four hundred forty‐seven podiatrists participated in the survey. Clinical indicators for vascular assessment, along with barriers and available equipment were examined and the results varied depending on the podiatrists' geographical location, practice setting, and experience. Palpation of pedal pulses was the most frequently reported assessment (97 %) along with Doppler assessment (74 %). Pressure measurement was the least frequently reported vascular assessment method, with only 34 % undertaking ankle‐brachial indices and 19 % completing toe‐brachial indices. Public podiatrists reported more varied and complete vascular assessment compared to those in private practice. Lack of time was identified as the most frequently reported barrier (66 %) in performing vascular assessment, followed by lack of equipment (28 %). In New Zealand podiatrists, lack of equipment was much more of an issue than in Australian podiatrists.

Conclusion

Large variations exist in vascular assessment methods amongst Australian and New Zealand podiatrists. Some assessments being undertaken are potentially inadequate for accurate screening for PAD. There is a need for continuing education in vascular assessment to address the deficiencies in technique reported by some Podiatrists. A podiatry‐relevant summary of broad international guidelines for PAD screening may be of use to improve utilisation and accuracy of screening methods to improve patient management.
A survey to investigate the association of pain, foot disability and quality of life with corns
Authors: Farndon Lisa , Concannon Michael , Stephenson John
Published: December 2015

Background

Corns are a common foot problem affecting a large proportion of the population. This study describes the characteristics of corns experienced by 201 participants taking part in a randomised controlled trial to investigate associations between demographic and corn parameters on pain, foot related disability and quality of life (QoL).

Methods

Pain from the main (index) corn was measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS); foot related disability was assessed with the Foot Disability Questionnaire (now known as the Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index) and quality of life was recorded with the EQ‐5D questionnaire. The effect of demographic and corn parameters on the pain and quality of life outcomes was assessed with analysis of variance (ANOVA) methods. The effect of the same factors on a linear combination of the foot‐related disability outcome measures was assessed using multivariate ANOVA methods. Pain was also tested for its mediating properties on the causal pathway between the independent variables and quality of life.

Results

The mean pain score was 5.29 points on a 10 cm VAS, with females reporting substantively higher pain levels than males. Age affected foot‐related disability, with lower levels on all domains of the MFPDI reported in older participants; each year of advancing age was associated with falls of: 0.009 points on the Concern about Appearance (CA) domain; 0.047 points on the Functional Limitation (FL) domain and 0.048 points on the Pain Intensity (PI) domain. Sex and corn type also affected disability, with higher scores reported by females and participants with plantar corns.

Conclusions

The effect of pain was shown to mediate the relationship between sex and foot‐related disability. The presence of plantar corns has a more detrimental effect on QoL than dorsal/inter‐digital corns.

Trial registration

ISRCTN 13166839
Rakotch type contractive maps, square roots and uniform convexity
Authors: Jiménez-Melado Antonio
Published: December 2015

In this paper we introduce a family of weakly contractive maps on the space $B(S)$
B
(
S
)
of bounded real valued functions and use it to show that a fundamental step in the proof of the well-known Stone-Weierstrass approximation theorem can be achieved via Rakotch’s fixed point theorem for weakly contractive maps. With the same technique, we obtain Zemanek’s theorem on the existence of square roots in certain Banach subalgebras of $B(S)$
B
(
S
)
, and, finally, in the context of abstract Banach algebras, we exhibit some relationship between weakly contractive maps on the closed unit ball and the geometry of the spheres.
Hepatocyte-Specific Disruption of CD36 Attenuates Fatty Liver and Improves Insulin Sensitivity in HFD-Fed Mice
Authors: Wilson Camella G. , Tran Jennifer L. , Erion Derek M. , Vera Nicholas B. , Febbraio Maria , Weiss Ethan J.
Published: December 2015

CD36/FAT (fatty acid translocase) is associated with human and murine nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, but it has been unclear whether it is simply a marker or whether it directly contributes to disease pathogenesis. Mice with hepatocyte-specific deletion of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2L mice) have increased circulating free fatty acids (FAs), dramatically increased hepatic CD36 expression and profound fatty liver. To investigate the role of elevated CD36 in the development of fatty liver, we studied two models of hepatic steatosis, a genetic model (JAK2L mice) and a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced steatosis model. We deleted Cd36 specifically in hepatocytes of JAK2L mice to generate double knockouts and from wild-type mice to generate CD36L single-knockout mice. Hepatic Cd36 disruption in JAK2L livers significantly improved steatosis by lowering triglyceride, diacylglycerol, and cholesterol ester content. The largest differences in liver triglycerides were in species comprised of oleic acid (C18:1). Reduction in liver lipids correlated with an improvement in the inflammatory markers that were elevated in JAK2L mice, namely aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transaminase. Cd36 deletion in mice on HFD (CD36L-HFD) reduced liver lipid content and decreased hepatic 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene-FA uptake as compared with CON-HFD. Additionally, CD36L-HFD mice had improved whole-body insulin sensitivity and reduced liver and serum inflammatory markers. Therefore, CD36 directly contributes to development of fatty liver under conditions of elevated free FAs by modulating the rate of FA uptake by hepatocytes. In HFD-fed animals, disruption of hepatic Cd36 protects against associated systemic inflammation and insulin resistance.
Macrocalcitonin Is a Novel Pitfall in the Routine of Serum Calcitonin Immunoassay
Authors: Alves Thalita G. , Kasamatsu Teresa S. , Yang Ji H. , Meneghetti Maria Cecília Z. , Mendes Aline , Kunii Ilda S. , Lindsey Susan C. , Camacho Cléber P. , Dias da Silva Magnus R. , Maciel Rui M. B. , Vieira José Gilberto H. , Martins João Roberto M.
Published: December 2015

Context:

Calcitonin (CT) is a sensitive marker of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and is used for primary diagnosis and follow-up after thyroidectomy. However, persistently elevated CT is observed even after complete surgical removal without evidence of a recurrent or persistent tumor.

Objective:

To investigate the presence of assay interference in the serum CT of MTC patients who are apparently without a structural disease.

Patients and Methods:

We studied three index MTC cases for CT assay interference and 14 patients with metastatic MTC. The CT level was measured using an immunofluorometric assay. Screening for assay interference was performed by determination of CT levels before and after serum treatment with polyethylene glycol. Additionally, samples were analyzed by chromatography on ultra-performance liquid chromatography and protein A-Sepharose.

Results:

Patients with biochemical and structural disease showed CT mean recovery of 84.1% after polyethylene glycol treatment, whereas patients suspected of interference showed recovery from 2–7%. The elution profile on UPLC showed that the immunometric CT from these three patients behaved like a high molecular mass aggregate (>300 kDa). Additionally, when these samples were applied to the protein A-Sepharose, CT immunoreactivity was retained on the column and was only released after lowering the pH.

Conclusions:

For the first time, our results show the presence of a novel pitfall in the CT immunoassay: “macrocalcitonin.” Its etiology, frequency, and meaning remain to be defined, but its recognition is of interest and can help clinicians avoid unnecessary diagnostic investigations and treatment during the follow-up of MTC.
The Performance of Poverty: On “Althusser’s Dramaturgy and the Critique of Ideology”
Authors: Robbins Bruce
Published: December 2015

This essay argues that Étienne Balibar, in his essay on Althusser’s dramaturgy, uses the analogy between ideology and theatrical performance to defend the significance of politics as a performance that is anything but free—that is, rather, informed and invested with meaning by its constraints.
Red Detachment of Women: Revolutionary Melodrama and Alternative Socialist Imaginations
Authors: Liu Xiao
Published: December 2015

This essay focuses on the cinematic form of revolutionary melodrama, or, more specifically, on alterations made to family melodrama in the construction of the big socialist family as an imagined social space. Reading Red Detachment of Women (1961) in the tradition of family melodrama, the author examines the ways the film transforms the genre and conjures up an alternative socialist space, which also provides room for more fluid gender formations that radically redefine such notions as women and femininity. This essay also uncovers in the film an affective space contiguous with both the private and the public, suggesting a sort of collectivity that neither presumes autonomous individuals nor is subsumed to a unitary state power.
The Application of near Infrared Spectroscopy in Process Monitoring of Solid-State Fermentation of Sweet Sorghum Stalks
Authors: Fan Guifang , Jiang Yan , Li Guangming , Xu Weiliang , Chang Sandra , Zhang Lei , Li Jihong , Zhao Gang , Li Shizhong
Published: December 2015

Multiple samples (117) of sweet sorghum stalk particles were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively during solid-state fermentation using near infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics methods. The study indicated that the samples could be identified to the lag phase, exponential phase or stationary phase of the ethanol fermentation process by discriminant analysis of a principal component analysis (PCA) model. The first principal component score of PCA could be used to predict the extent of reaction, regardless of the value of parameters, such as pH value and sugar, ethanol and water content. The r2 values of multivariate regression models for mass fractions of sugar, alcohol and water, and pH were 0.93, 0.94, 0.87 and 0.95, respectively. The root mean standard errors of prediction for mass fractions of sugar, alcohol and water, and pH were 0.013, 0.006, 0.008 w w−1 and 0.15, respectively. The partial least squares regression of the value of pH had the best fit of the four parameters. Near infrared spectroscopy could be used successfully in process monitoring of solid-state fermentation of sweet sorghum stalks.
Vesicle-Like and 3D-Hexagonal Mesoporous SiO2: Preparation and Laccase Adsorption Properties
Authors: Yang H. , Liu L. , Liang B. S. , Yuan H. M. , Tian M. J. , Yang Y. X. , Huang Y.
Published: December 2015

3D hexagonal mesoporous silica (YPS) and vesicle-like mesoporous silica (YNS) were synthesized using H3PO4 and HNO3 as catalyst respectively, and environmental friendly sodium N-dodecyl glycine (YCS) as a green surfactant. The YPS and YNS samples were calcined at 550 °C, 700 °C and 850 °C. Their ordered meso-structures were characterized using infrared spectroscopy (IR), small-angle X-ray diffraction (SXRD), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Since YNS has special pore structure, it shows radiating channels with 20 nm shell around, while YPS shows random access channels. YNS not only has slightly larger pore size and IEP value than those of YPS but also possesses higher thermal stability. Precisely because of these factors, the pore of YNS-550 is characteristic of unique curvature, having stronger action with the lacease molecule than that between lacease molecule and YPS-550 with smaller pore curvature. So lacease adsorption isotherm of YPS-550 was V-type and that of YNS-550 was IV-type. The adsorption equation for lacease onto a mesoporous silica surface may be obtained as log[θ/(1 − θ)] = (log C + log K)/β.
A Critical Short Review of Equilibrium and Kinetic Adsorption Models for VOCs Breakthrough Curves Modelling
Authors: Valenciano Raquel , Aylón Elvira , Izquierdo M. Teresa
Published: December 2015

Volatile organic compounds emission has important effects over the environment and human beings health. When these substances cannot be substituted, adsorption systems are still a very common solution to VOCs emission, but for their design, previous laboratory work is necessary: adsorption isotherms and breakthrough curves must be obtained. The first ones establish the maximal amount of adsórbate retained over the solid adsorbent for a certain pressure of the adsórbate, and the second ones define the adsorption process kinetics. Once this information is studied, a theoretical breakthrough time model can be built up, and then the scale up of the adsorption system can be developed. This process is rather complex for multicomponent gas mixtures, where a competition between adsorbates happens. Thus, the aim of this paper is to establish a guide for authors willing to develop breakthrough time prediction models for multicomponent systems through a critical review of different adsorption and kinetic models.
ESA Activities in Earth Observation for Cultural Heritage Applications
Authors: Stewart C. , Rast M. , Sarti F. , Arino O.
Published: December 2015

An overview is provided of the activities of the European Space Agency, ESA, to support the documentation, monitoring and management of Cultural Heritage through the use of Earth Observation, EO. These activities include: participation in international agreements; funding of service demonstration projects and support to researchers through the provision of data, training courses and the hosting of research students at the ESA European Space Research Institute, ESRIN, establishment. Since ESA and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, signed the “Open Initiative on the Use of Space Technologies to Support the World Heritage Convention”, world heritage has become increasingly prominent in ESA as an emerging application area. Various demonstration projects have successfully revealed the potential to bridge the gap between research and operational service delivery. These projects include Heritage Observation and Retrieval Under Sand, HORUS, which used radar to document archaeological structures buried beneath the sand in Egypt, and ArchEO, a project recently kicked-off, aimed at demonstrating optical Earth observation techniques for the detection of archaeological structures in Poland. An increasing number of research projects are exploiting ESA and Third Party Mission, TPM, data for cultural heritage applications. Some of these include a project using radar remote sensing for subsurface archaeological feature detection, a project focussing on monitoring land subsidence over Syrian archaeological sites using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar, InSAR, and a project documenting archaeological structures over the Silk Road in China. In addition to the provision of data and processing tools, ESA supports the heritage research and user community through training courses that focus on the application of EO for cultural heritage. Finally, ESA contributes to workshops to provide a forum for the heritage and remote sensing communities to exchange ideas, and provide insights into evolving user needs and technological achievements. ESA activities are driven by user requirements. The increasing involvement of ESA in EO related activities in cultural heritage is indicative of the emerging awareness of the benefits of EO on the part of the heritage community, and their growing interest in its integration into their activities. In order to most efficiently channel resources and plan future EO developments to meet this increased demand, interdisciplinary dialogue is essential between the heritage and remote sensing communities.
Deactivation of an internal defibrillator in patients with heart failure: a case study
Authors: Lovedale Lisa , Chester Tim
Published: December 2015

Increasing numbers of patients are receiving ICDs. At the end of life, regardless of the mode of death, these devices need deactivation. The how, when and where are well documented. Yet, as frontline carers, it is a difficult thing to undertake. This short case study finds a heart failure nurse in the position of being the main health professional managing and coordinating the decisions, and actually deactivating the ICD at home to facilitate a home death.
Shocked and guilty, but highly motivated: Younger patients' experience post MI
Authors: McAnirn Gemma , Lusk Lisa , Donnelly Patrick , McKenna Niall , Hamill Conal , Fitzsimons Donna
Published: December 2015

Background:

Prevalence of myocardial infarction (MI) is increasing in younger patients. These patients have distinct needs post MI and are also the poorest attenders at cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Little is known about how younger patients come to terms with their diagnosis, evaluate their personal risk and motivate themselves for lifestyle change.

Aim:

The aim of the study is to explore the issues encountered by younger patients, who have families, as they attempt lifestyle changes post MI.

Methods:

A Heideggerian phenomenological methodology employing semi-structured interviews was used with participants (n=7), 6–8 weeks following discharge from hospital. All participants were diagnosed with an MI for the first time, were <50 years of age and had dependent children. Framework analysis was used to identify themes within the interviews.

Results:

Five major themes were identified: guilt, grief, disbelief, motivation for change, and family support and involvement in lifestyle change. Post MI, family responsibilities were a strong motivator for survival and lifestyle change. The participants were keen to live healthier lives, improve their risk profile and encourage others to do the same.

Conclusion:

This study confirms the importance of considering the patient's age and family responsibilities within the setting of preventative cardiology. A more patient-centred and tailored approach to CR is needed with younger patients to improve uptake owing to their lifestyle and family commitments. There is need for further research in the acceptability of the current provision of CR.
Jordanian client perspectives of substance abuse: Implications for occupational therapists
Authors: Abu Tariah Hashem S , Hamed Razan T , Al-Omari Hassan D
Published: December 2015

Background/Aims:

Substance abuse is a global health problem with harmful consequences for the individual, family and society. This study explored the personal factors contributing to substance abuse from the perspective of Jordanian clients and its implications for occupational therapy.

Methods:

An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using a questionnaire with nine open-ended questions to explore participants' experience of their illness and recovery. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse data.

Results:

Participants were 146 Jordanian substance abuse clients (142 male) with a mean age of 28 years. Five main themes emerged: fears; personal traits; helpers; speaking out; the best solution.

Conclusions:

Occupational therapists might design client-centred interventions for substance abuse where they consider the perspectives of clients with regard to the personal traits that contribute to their recovery. Occupational therapy services that take an interdisciplinary team approach are recommended for clients diagnosed with substance abuse.
‘More tests are the last thing we need’
Authors: McKeown Sal
Published: December 2015

While the government has decided to review bringing back external assessments at the end of key stage 1, teachers worry that this will have a negative impact on pupils.
The Venceremos Brigade: North Americans in Cuba Since 1969
Authors: Kavitha Iyengar
Published: December 2015

The Venceremos Brigade is an ‘anti-imperialist Education Project’ that began its travel to Cuba in 1969 to support and learn about the Cuban Revolution. On Venceremos trips, North American volunteers offer aid to Cuban government projects while touring the island nation and learning about both Cuba and revolutionary ideals. Participants in the projects are involved for both personal and political reasons, offering a model for productive political relations born of hostilities. Although its story remains undocumented within histories of both the US Left and US-Cuban relations, by 2015, the group had sent more than 9,000 North American activists to the island. Through reading newspapers from Cuba, Venceremos Press Publications in the US, and by listening to personal narratives, this article documents this important political education project that continues to model productive relations today.
Notes from the Editors, December 2015
Authors: The Editors -
Published: December 2015

buy this issue
In this issue we feature two articles on the 1965–1966 mass killings and imprisonments in Indonesia. The army-led bloodbath was aimed at the near-total extermination of members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), then a highly successful electoral party with a membership in the millions.… In all, an estimated 500,000 to a million (or more) people were murdered. Another 750,000 to a million-and-a-half people were imprisoned, many of whom were tortured. Untold thousands died in prison. Only around 800 people were given a trial—most brought before military tribunals that summarily condemned them to death.… The United States…was involved clandestinely in nearly every part of this mass extermination: compiling lists of individuals to be killed; dispatching military equipment specifically designated to aid the known perpetrators of the bloodletting; offering organizational and logistical help; sending covert operatives to aid in the "cleansing"; and providing political backing to the killers.… [T]he mass killings…[were carried out with the active] complicity of the U.S. media.

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TRABALHO E EDUCAÇÃO NO CONTEXTO DE ADOLESCENTES BRASILEIROS: REFLEXÕES SOBRE RETÓRICAS DE ERRADICAÇÃO E POLÍTICAS SOCIAIS
Authors: Pessoa Alex Sandro Gomes , Coimbra Renata Maria , Viotto Filho Irineu Aliprando
Published: December 2015

O texto tem como objetivo discutir o trabalho infantil, buscando elementos que contribuam para a ampliação do debate e com o rompimento de proposituras que inviabilizam a efetivação de ações condizentes com as necessidades de crianças e adolescentes nessa condição. Inicialmente, são apresentados posicionamentos teóricos que destoam dos discursos hegemônicos sobre formas de erradicação. Em seguida, são discutidas as condições de trabalho dentro do modelo social vigente e seus desdobramentos na realidade de crianças e adolescentes. Por fim, são apresentadas algumas interlocuções entre os programas sociais e os processos de escolarização formal de crianças trabalhadoras. Aponta-se que o trabalho infantil está vinculado a questões de ordem estrutural, materializadas principalmente no modelo em que prevalece a desigualdade. Assim, o discurso de erradicação de todas as suas formas não se sustenta, sobretudo quando se entende que o modelo de organização social vigente conduz muitas crianças e muitos adolescentes à necessidade de trabalhar. http://dx.doi.org/10.14572/nuances.v26i1.3819
Automorphism-extendable modules
Authors: Tuganbaev Askar A.
Published: December 2015

We study modules, in which all automorphisms of submodules may be extended to endomorphisms (automorphisms) of the whole module.
Multi-response Optimization in Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM) of Al6061/SiCp Composite Using Hybrid Approach
Authors: Anand Babu K. , Venkataramaiah P.
Published: December 2015

In recent days, the silicon carbide particulate reinforced aluminium metal matrix composites are most promising material in various engineering applications due to their strength to weight ratio, wear resistance and thermal resistance over the non-reinforced alloys. However, these materials are very difficult to cut by conventional machining methods due to the presence of silicon carbide particles. To overcome this limitation, the wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) is employed to machine these composites. The aim of this study is to optimize the process parameters in wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) of Al6061/SiCp composite using AHP-TOPSIS method. Al 6061/2% SiCp/3 µm particulate metal matrix composite is fabricated by using stir casting method and the uniformity of particle distribution was analyzed by SEM. Taguchi L18 orthogonal array is designed by considering various process parameters viz. Wire Type (WT), Pulse ON Time (T ON), Pulse OFF Time (T OFF), Wire Feed rate (WF) and Sensitivity (S) for conducting WEDM experiments. The obtained experimental results were analyzed and the results revealed that Sensitivity (S) is the prevailing factor on the response characteristics of WEDM followed by pulse ON time (T ON), wire feed rate (WF), Wire Type (WT) and pulse OFF time (T OFF).
Habitat altitude and home range of the endangered long-tailed goral (Naemorhedus caudatus): seasonal and monthly home range and altitude change
Authors: Cho Cheaun , Kim Kyucheol , Kwon Guhui
Published: December 2015

With data from GPS collars, we analyzed the behavioral characteristics of the endangered long-tailed goral (n=10) in three locations (Seoraksan and Woraksan National Park, and the Uljin area), from March 2007 to May 2014. We found significant differences in the seasonal home range size of females, but not in males. Additionally, females significantly differed in their habitat altitudes depending on the season, with higher altitude habitats used in the summer and lower altitude habitats used in the winter. Males also exhibited this pattern, but it was not significant. Thus, males’ seasonal home range was largest in summer and the smallest in spring, but females’ home range was largest in spring and autumn and smallest in summer and winter. In monthly home range, male’s home range was largest in October to November during their mating season, the size of female’s home range dramatically decreased in May, June, July due to giving birth. In habitat characteristics, seasonal and monthly use of altitude was highest in summer and lowest in winter for both of males and females. So, we found that there were differences in seasonal and monthly habitat use for both of males and females. Our findings will contribute to a better understanding of long-tailed goral restoration ecology.
Ultrafast photoinduced carrier dynamics at ZnO nanohybrid interfaces for light-harvesting applications
Authors: Sardar Samim , Pal Samir Kumar
Published: December 2015

The use of nanoscale materials for efficient solar light harvesting has attracted immense attention in the recent time in order to address the energy and environmental issues. Among them, semiconductor materials such as ZnO have been widely used in the field of photocatalysis and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). However, due to limited visible-light activity and low photo-conversion efficiency, ZnO needs to be modified to design heterostructures with efficient charge separation. Several strategies have been made to modify the wide-bandgap semiconductors including narrow-bandgap semiconductor coupling, noble metal deposition, conducting polymer sensitization and organic dye sensitization. However, the activity of such heterogeneous systems critically depends on the charge dynamics across the involved nanostructured interface. The present review is an effort to unravel the ultrafast dynamical processes across the interface of heterostructures to enhance the solar light-harvesting efficiency. Here, we have discussed few of our selected results covering the different modification strategies of the ZnO nanostructures. The special emphasis has been given to the correlation between the ultrafast processes at the interface and their implications in the light-harvesting applications. The detailed spectroscopic investigations revealing electronic pathways for light harvesting will be helpful in designing future solar devices.
Comparative biological evaluation between 99mTc tricarbonyl and 99mTc-Sn(II) levosalbutamol as
a β
2-adrenoceptor agonist
Authors: Sanad Mahmoud H. , Borai Emad H.
Published: December 2015

This study describes the comparison between 99mTc-tricarbonyl and 99mTc-Sn (II) levosalbutamol
as a β
2-adrenoceptors radiopharmaceutical and evaluation of their different biological characteristics using experimental
animals. Levosalbutamol was labeled firstly with 99mTc in the presence of SnCl2 · 2H2O as a reducing
agent under the optimum conditions: pH 8, 50 μg SnCl2 · 2H–2O, room temperature, 40 μg
levosalbutamol and 30 min reaction time to give a maximum radiochemical yield of 98 ± 0.1%. The
obtained 99mTc-levosalbutamol was stable for a time up to 8 h. Secondly,
99mTc-tricarbonyl ([99mTc(CO)3(H2O)3]+) levosalbutamol was prepare under
30 min heating at 100 ℃. Labeling yield and stability were analyzed by high performance liquid
chromatography (labeling yield >99% and stability for 8 h). Biodistribution investigation showed that,
the maximum uptake ratio of the 99mTc-levosalbutamol (99mTc-Lev) between lung and heart was
2.34 ± 0.62 % of the injected activity/g tissue organ, at 30 min post-injection. But in case of
99mTc-tricarbonyl levosalbutamol (99mTc-tricarbonyl Lev) the maximum uptake ratio was
3.6 ± 0.11of the injected activity/g tissue organ, at 30 min post-injection. This indicates that
99mTc-tricarbonyl levosalbutamol was more selective for lung β
2-adrenoceptors than
99mTc-levosalbutamol. These results introduce 99mTc-tricarbonyl levosalbutamol as a novel
potential radiopharmaceutical for lung imaging.
High order approximations in space and time of a sixth order Cahn–Hilliard equation
Authors: Boyarkin Oleg , Hoppe Ronald H. W. , Linsenmann Christopher
Published: December 2015

We consider an initial-boundary value problem for a sixth order Cahn-Hilliard equation describing the formation of microemulsions. Based on a Ciarlet-Raviart type mixed formulation as a system consisting of a second order and a fourth order equation, the spatial discretization is done by a C
Hygrothermal Analysis for Pitched Roof in Consideration of Water Penetration Through Interface Between Fastener and Roofing Underlayment
Authors: Saito Hiroaki
Published: December 2015

Roofing assemblies for wood frame houses are usually made up of a combination of roofing tiles and underlayments in order to avoid water leakage. However, on the actual construction site, fasteners (such as nails and staples) that pass through the roofing underlayment have the potential to make annular spaces that cause water penetration into sheathing boards of the roofing assemblies. This study describes the impacts of water penetration on moisture behavior at the sheathing board on the pitched roof of a wood frame house. Water spray tests for a roof structure that has roofing tiles are implemented to clarify water leakage through the gaps between the tiles. Additionally, rates of leakage through the interface between the roofing underlayments and the fasteners are determined by water penetration tests. Heat, air, and moisture (HAM) analyses of the water penetration through the roofing underlayment are demonstrated using climate data in a mild climate region. Results indicate that a vented cavity under the sheathing board should be used with roof assemblies having an impermeable underlayment (such as asphalt impregnated felt) in order to avoid serious moisture accumulation. Additionally, the results show that installation of permeable underlayment (such as polymer housewrap) is effective in preventing moisture accumulation in the sheathing board.
Ghrelin O-acyltransferase knockout mice show resistance to obesity when fed high-sucrose diet
Authors: Kouno Tetsuya , Akiyama Nobuteru , Ito Takahito , Okuda Tomohiko , Nanchi Isamu , Notoya Mitsuru , Oka Shogo , Yukioka Hideo
Published: December 2015

Ghrelin is an appetite-stimulating hormone secreted from stomach. Since the discovery that acylation of the serine-3 residue by ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) is essential for exerting its functions, GOAT has been regarded as an therapeutic target for attenuating appetite, and thus for the treatment of obesity and diabetes. However, contrary to the expectations, GOAT-knockout (KO) mice have not shown meaningful body weight reduction, under high-fat diet. Here, in this study, we sought to determine whether GOAT has a role in body weight regulation and glucose metabolism with a focus on dietary sucrose, because macronutrient composition of diet is important for appetite regulation. We found that peripherally administered acylated-ghrelin, but not unacylated one, stimulated sucrose consumption in a two-bottle-drinking test. The role of acylated-ghrelin in sucrose preference was further supported by the finding that GOAT KO mice consumed less sucrose solution compared with WT littermates. Then, we investigated the effect of dietary composition of sucrose on food intake and body weight in GOAT KO and WT mice. As a result, when fed on high-fat diet, food intake and body weight were similar between GOAT KO and WT mice. However, when fed on high-fat, high-sucrose diet, GOAT KO mice showed significantly reduced food intake and marked resistance to obesity, leading to amelioration of glucose metabolism. These results suggest that blockade of acylated-ghrelin production offers therapeutic potential for obesity and metabolic disorders caused by overeating of palatable food.
The mare as a model for luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome: intrafollicular endocrine milieu
Authors: Bashir S T , Gastal M O , Tazawa S P , Tarso S G S , Hales D B , Cuervo-Arango J , Baerwald A R , Gastal E L
Published: December 2015

Luteinized unruptured follicle (LUF) syndrome is a recurrent anovulatory dysfunction that affects up to 23% of women with normal menstrual cycles and up to 73% with endometriosis. Mechanisms underlying the development of LUF syndrome in mares were studied to provide a potential model for human anovulation. The effect of extended increase in circulating LH achieved by administration of recombinant equine LH (reLH) or a short surge of LH and decrease in progesterone induced by prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) on LUF formation (Experiment 1), identification of an optimal dose of COX-2 inhibitor (flunixin meglumine, FM; to block the effect of prostaglandins) for inducing LUFs (Experiment 2), and evaluation of intrafollicular endocrine milieu in LUFs (Experiment 3) were investigated. In Experiment 1, mares were treated with reLH from Day 7 to Day 15 (Day 0=ovulation), PGF2α on Day 7, or in combination. In Experiment 2, FM at doses of 2.0 or 3.0 mg/kg every 12 h and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (1500 IU) were administered after a follicle ≥32 mm was detected. In Experiment 3, FM at a dose of 2.0 mg/kg every 12 h plus hCG was used to induce LUFs and investigate the intrafollicular endocrine milieu. No LUFs were induced by reLH or PGF2α treatment; however, LUFs were induced in 100% of mares using FM. Intrafollicular PGF2α metabolite, PGF2α, and PGE2were lower and the ratio of PGE2:PGF2α was higher in the induced LUF group. Higher levels of intrafollicular E2 and total primary sex steroids were observed in the induced LUF group along with a tendency for higher levels of GH, cortisol, and T; however, LH, PRL, VEGF-A, and NO did not differ between groups. In conclusion, this study reveals part of the intrafollicular endocrine milieu and the association of prostaglandins in LUF formation, and indicates that the mare might be an appropriate model for studying the poorly understood LUF syndrome.