bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genotype-guided versus standard vitamin K antagonist dosing algorithms in patients initiating anticoagulation
Authors: Belley-Cote Emilie , Hanif Hasib , D’Aragon Frederick , Eikelboom John , Anderson Jeffrey , Borgman Mark , Jonas Daniel , Kimmel Stephen , Manolopoulos Vangelis , Baranova Ekaterina , Maitland-van der Zee Anke , Pirmohamed Munir , Whitlock Richard
Published: July 2015

Variability in vitamin K antagonist (VKA) dosing is partially explained by genetic polymorphisms. We performed a meta-analysis to determine whether genotype-guided VKA dosing algorithms decrease a composite of death, thromboembolic events and major bleeding (pri-mary outcome) and improve time in therapeutic range (TTR). We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, trial registries and conference proceedings for randomised trials comparing genotype-guided and standard (non genotype-guided) VKA dosing algorithms in adults initiating anticoagulation. Data were pooled using a random effects model. Of the 12 included studies (3,217 patients), six reported all components of the primary outcome of mortality, thromboembolic events and major bleeding (2,223 patients, 87 events). Our meta-analysis found no significant difference between groups for the primary outcome (relative risk 0.85, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.54–1.34; heterogeneity X2=4.46, p=0.35, I2=10 %). Based on 10 studies (2,767 patients), TTR was significantly higher in the genotype-guided group (mean difference (MD) 4.31 %; 95 % CI 0.35, 8.26; heterogeneity X2=43.31, p< 0.001, I2=79 %). Pre-specified exploratory analyses demonstrated that TTR was significantly higher when geno-type-guided dosing was compared with fixed VKA dosing (6 trials, 997 patients: MD 8.41 %; 95 % CI 3.50,13.31; heterogeneity X2=15.18, p=0.01, I2=67 %) but not when compared with clinical algorithm-guided dosing (4 trials, 1,770 patients: MD –0.29 %; 95 % CI –2.48,1.90; heterogeneity X2=1.53, p=0.68, I2=0 %; p for interaction=0.002). In conclusion, genotype-guided compared with standard VKA dosing algorithms were not found to decrease a composite of death, thromboembolism and major bleeding, but did result in improved TTR. An improvement in TTR was observed in comparison with fixed VKA dosing algorithms, but not with clinical algorithms.
Fibroblast Angiotensin II Type 1a Receptors Contribute to Angiotensin II–Induced Medial Hyperplasia in the Ascending Aorta
Authors: Poduri Aruna , Rateri Debra L. , Howatt Deborah A. , Balakrishnan Anju , Moorleghen Jessica J. , Cassis Lisa A. , Daugherty Alan
Published: July 2015

Objective—

Angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion causes aortic medial thickening via stimulation of angiotensin II type 1a (AT1a) receptors. The purpose of this study was to determine the cellular loci of AT1a receptors that mediate this Ang II–induced aortic pathology.

Approach and Results—

Saline or Ang II was infused into AT1a receptor floxed mice expressing Cre under control of cell-specific promoters. Initially, AT1a receptors were depleted in aortic smooth muscle cell and endothelium by expressing Cre under control of SM22 and Tie2 promoters, respectively. Deletion of AT1a receptors in either cell type had no effect on Ang II–induced medial thickening. To determine whether this effect was related to neural stimulation, AT1a receptors were depleted using an enolase 2–driven Cre. Depletion of AT1a receptors in neural cells attenuated Ang II–induced medial thickening of the ascending, but not descending aorta. Lineage tracking studies, using ROSA26-LacZ, demonstrated that enolase 2 was also expressed in adventitial cells adjacent to the region of attenuated thickening. To determine whether adventitial fibroblasts contributed to this attenuation, AT1a receptors in fibroblasts were depleted using S100A4 driven Cre. Similar to enolase 2-Cre, Ang II–induced medial thickening was attenuated in the ascending, but not the descending aorta. Lineage tracking demonstrated an increase of S100A4-LacZ positive cells in the media of the ascending region during Ang II infusion.

Conclusions—

AT1a receptor depletion in fibroblasts attenuates Ang II–induced medial hyperplasia in the ascending aorta.
Comparison of 2-Dimensional, 3-Dimensional, and Surgical Measurements of the Tricuspid Annulus Size
Authors: Dreyfus Julien , Durand-Viel Guillaume , Raffoul Richard , Alkhoder Soleiman , Hvass Ulrik , Radu Costin , Al-Attar Nawwar , Ghodbhane Walid , Attias David , Nataf Patrick , Vahanian Alec , Messika-Zeitoun David
Published: July 2015

Background—

Associated tricuspid annuloplasty is recommended during left-heart valve surgery when the tricuspid annulus (TA) is dilated but methodology for the measurement of TA size and thresholds for TA enlargement are not clearly defined.

Methods and Results—

Measurement of the TA diameter (TAD) was prospectively performed using 2-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2D-TTE) in 282 patients in 4 different views (parasternal long axis, parasternal short axis, apical 4-chamber [A4C], and subcostal). TAD was also measured using 3D-transesophageal echocardiography in 183 patients (long axis), peroperatively in 120 patients who underwent a tricuspid valve surgery and using TTE (A4C) in 66 healthy volunteers. TAD was significantly different between the 4 2D-TTE views (3.85±0.58, 3.87±0.61, 4.02±0.69, and 3.92±0.65 cm, respectively;
P
<0.0001) but differences were small and the A4C was the most feasible (76%, 65%, 92%, and 73%, respectively;
P
<0.0001) and offered the highest reproducibility. TAD measured in A4C view was smaller than when measured by 3D-transesophageal echocardiography (3.90±0.63 versus 4.33±0.62 cm;
P
<0.0001) but correlation was excellent (
r
=0.84;
P
<0.0001) with a systematic 4-mm underestimation. In contrast, 2D-TTE measurements were significantly smaller and only modestly correlated to surgical measurements (4.11±0.61 versus 4.37±0.75 cm;
P
<0.0001;
r
=0.57;
P
<0.0001) which were poorly reproducible. In healthy volunteers, we suggested 42 mm or 23 mm/m
2
as pathological values for the TAD in A4C.

Conclusions—

Measurements of the TAD using 2D-TTE in A4C were highly feasible and reproducible and despite being systematically smaller than 3D measurements, accurately reflected the degree of TA enlargement as assessed using 3D transesophageal echocardiography. We proposed the thresholds that may be used in future prospective studies to demonstrate whether a preventive strategy would improve the outcome.
Multimodality Intra-Arterial Imaging Assessment of the Vascular Trauma Induced by Balloon-Based and Nonballoon-Based Renal Denervation Systems
Authors: Karanasos Antonios , Van Mieghem Nicolas , Bergmann Martin W. , Hartman Eline , Ligthart Jurgen , van der Heide Elco , Heeger Christian-H. , Ouhlous Mohamed , Zijlstra Felix , Regar Evelyn , Daemen Joost
Published: July 2015

Background—

Renal denervation is a new treatment considered for several possible indications. As new systems are introduced, the incidence of acute renal artery wall injury with relation to the denervation method is unknown. We investigated the acute repercussion of renal denervation on the renal arteries of patients treated with balloon-based and nonballoon-based denervation systems by quantitative angiography, intravascular ultrasound, and optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Methods and Results—

Twenty-five patients (50 renal arteries) underwent bilateral renal denervation with 5 different systems, 3 of which balloon-based (Paradise [n=5], Oneshot [n=6], and Vessix V2 [n=5)]) and 2 nonballoon-based (Symplicity [n=6] and EnligHTN [n=3]). Analysis included quantitative angiography and morphometric intravascular ultrasound measurements pre and post procedure and assessment of vascular trauma (dissection, edema, or thrombus) by OCT after denervation. A significant reduction in lumen size by quantitative angiography and intravascular ultrasound was observed in nonballoon denervation but not in balloon denervation. By postdenervation OCT, dissection was seen in 14 arteries (32.6%). The percentage of frames with dissection was higher in balloon-based denervation catheters. Thrombus and edema were detected in 35 (81.4%) and 32 (74.4%) arteries, respectively. In arteries treated with balloon-based denervation that had dissection by OCT, the balloon/artery ratio was higher (1.24 [1.17–1.32] versus 1.10 [1.04–1.18];
P
<0.01).

Conclusions—

A varying extent of vascular injury was observed after renal denervation in all systems; however, different patterns were identified in balloon-based and in nonballoon-based denervation systems. In balloon denervation, the presence of dissections by OCT was associated with a higher balloon/artery ratio.
A Novel Reconstruction Framework for Time-Encoded Signals with Integrate-and-Fire Neurons
Authors: Florescu Dorian , Coca Daniel
Published: July 2015

Integrate-and-fire neurons are time encoding machines that convert the amplitude of an analog signal into a nonuniform, strictly increasing sequence of spike times. Under certain conditions, the encoded signals can be reconstructed from the nonuniform spike time sequences using a time decoding machine. Time encoding and time decoding methods have been studied using the nonuniform sampling theory for band-limited spaces, as well as for generic shift-invariant spaces. This letter proposes a new framework for studying IF time encoding and decoding by reformulating the IF time encoding problem as a uniform sampling problem. This framework forms the basis for two new algorithms for reconstructing signals from spike time sequences. We demonstrate that the proposed reconstruction algorithms are faster, and thus better suited for real-time processing, while providing a similar level of accuracy, compared to the standard reconstruction algorithm.
Changes in wild red squirrel personality across ontogeny: activity and aggression regress towards the mean
Authors: Kelley A.D. , Humphries M.M. , McAdam A.G. , Boutin Stan
Published: July 2015

Both juvenile and adult animals display stable behavioural differences (personality), but lifestyles and niches may change as animals mature, raising the question of whether personality changes across ontogeny. Here, we use a wild population of red squirrels to examine changes in activity and aggression from juvenile to yearling life stages. Personality may change at the individual level (individual stability), population level (mean level stability), and relative to other individuals (differential stability). We calculated all three types of stability, as well as the structural stability of the activity–aggression behavioural syndrome. Within individuals, both activity and aggression scores regressed towards the mean. Differential stability was maintained for activity, but not aggression. Structural stability was maintained; however, the activity–aggression correlation increased in squirrels that gained territories later in the season. These results suggest that personality undergoes some changes as animals mature, and that the ontogeny of personality can be linked to environmental changes.
Mate detection and seasonal variation in stick insect mating behaviour (Phamatodea: Clitarchus hookeri)
Authors: Myers Shelley S. , Buckley Thomas R. , Holwell Gregory I.
Published: July 2015

For animals that exhibit a scramble competition mating system, sexual selection pressures on mate searching ability are expected to be strong. Scramble competition mating systems evolve when populations provide females with equal accessibility to all male competitors, yet sex ratio and population density influences mating systems and varies seasonally. The stick insect species,Clitarchus hookeri, is frequently found in copula, yet very little is known about it’s mating behaviour. We preformed behavioural tests and assayed antennal sensory morphology to determine whether males used chemosensory cues to detect females. Through natural field observations we found populations to be significantly male-biased earlier in the season, while later, populations began to display equal sex ratios. With increasing female availability mating pair proportions steadily increased, while copulation duration declined. These results supportC. hookerias a scramble competitor, and demonstrate males may alter their behaviour in response to the seasonal variation in female density.
A Bayesian Hidden Markov Model of Daily Precipitation over South and East Asia
Authors: Holsclaw Tracy , Greene Arthur M. , Robertson Andrew W. , Smyth Padhraic
Published: July 2015

A Bayesian hidden Markov model (HMM) for climate downscaling of multisite daily precipitation is presented. A generalized linear model (GLM) component allows exogenous variables to directly influence the distributional characteristics of precipitation at each site over time, while the Markovian transitions between discrete states represent seasonality and subseasonal weather variability. Model performance is evaluated for station networks of summer rainfall over the Punjab region in northern India and Pakistan and the upper Yangtze River basin in south-central China. The model captures seasonality and the marginal daily distributions well in both regions. Extremes are reproduced relatively well in the Punjab region, but underestimated for the Yangtze. In terms of interannual variability, the combined GLM–HMM with spatiotemporal averages of observed rainfall as a predictor is shown to exhibit skill (in terms of reduced RMSE) at the station level, particularly for the Punjab region. The skill is largest for dry-day counts, moderate for seasonal rainfall totals, and very small for the number of extreme wet days.
Can Reliability of Multiple Component Measuring Instruments Depend on Response Option Presentation Mode?
Authors: Menold Natalja , Raykov Tenko
Published: July 2015

This article examines the possible dependency of composite reliability on presentation format of the elements of a multi-item measuring instrument. Using empirical data and a recent method for interval estimation of group differences in reliability, we demonstrate that the reliability of an instrument need not be the same when polarity of the response options for its individual components differs across administrations of the instrument. Implications for empirical educational, behavioral, and social research are discussed.
Austerity and the Future for Gender Equality in Europe
Authors: Rubery Jill
Published: July 2015

Austerity policies in Europe are disrupting and potentially reversing progress toward gender equality, a core principle of European policy from the mid-1990s onward. Not all EU gender-related policy has been aimed at promoting equality but instead has been associated with reforming the EU social model toward more neoliberal, flexible, and high employment labor markets. In this article, the author assesses these uses and potential abuses of the gender equality agenda in Europe, both before and after the crisis. While the crisis has not reversed the trend toward women’s integration into employment, women are facing cuts in employment conditions post crisis, affecting both the higher skilled in the public sector and the lower skilled, attributable to accelerated labor market deregulation. Moreover, the trend toward a new reproductive bargain has been halted with public care services being cut, particularly in member states where services are already limited.
Union Organizing Decisions in a Deteriorating Environment
Authors: Farber Henry
Published: July 2015

It is well known that the organizing environment for labor unions in the United States has deteriorated dramatically over a long period of time, a situation that has contributed to the sharp decline in the private-sector union membership rate and resulted in many fewer representation elections. What is less well known is that since the late 1990s, average turnout in the representation elections that are held has dropped substantially. These facts are related. The author develops a model of how unions select targets for organizing through the NLRB election process that clearly implies that a deteriorating organizing environment will lead to systematic change in the composition of elections held. The model implies that a deteriorating environment will lead unions not only to contest fewer elections but also to focus on larger potential bargaining units and on elections where they have a larger probability of winning. A standard rational-voter model implies that these changes in composition will lead to lower turnout. The author investigates the implications of these models empirically, using data on turnout in more than 140,000 NLRB certification elections held between 1973 and 2009. The results are consistent with the model and suggest that changes in composition account for about one-fifth of the decline in turnout between 1999 and 2009.
Light-Curing Units
Authors: Price R.B. , Ferracane J.L. , Shortall A.C.
Published: July 2015

For improved interstudy reproducibility, reduced risk of premature failures, and ultimately better patient care, researchers and dentists need to know how to accurately characterize the electromagnetic radiation (light) they are delivering to the resins they are using. The output from a light-curing unit (LCU) is commonly characterized by its irradiance. If this value is measured at the light tip, it describes the radiant exitance from the surface of the light tip, and not the irradiance received by the specimen. The value quoted also reflects only an averaged value over the total measurement area and does not represent the irradiance that the resin specimen is receiving locally or at a different moment in time. Recent evidence has reported that the spectral emission and radiant exitance beam profiles from LCUs can be highly inhomogeneous. This can cause nonuniform temperature changes and uneven photopolymerization within the resin restoration. The spectral radiant power can be very different between different brands of LCUs, and the use of irradiance values derived from dental radiometers to describe the output from an LCU for research purposes is discouraged. Manufacturers should provide more information about the light output from the LCU and the absorption spectrum of their resin-based composite (RBC). Ideally, future assessments and research publications should include the following information about the curing light: 1) radiant power output throughout the exposure cycle and the spectral radiant power as a function of wavelength, 2) analysis of the light beam profile and spectral emission across the light beam, and 3) measurement and reporting of the light the RBC specimen received as well as the output measured at the light tip.
Supply chains, maintenance and safety in the Australian airline industry
Authors: Gregson Sarah , Hampson Ian , Junor Anne , Fraser Doug , Quinlan Michael , Williamson Ann
Published: July 2015

This article examines potential regulatory and safety problems arising from the outsourcing and offshoring of heavy aircraft maintenance. We raise questions about the advisability of using increasingly complex supply chains in the aircraft maintenance industry where safety standards are paramount. Greater disarticulation of maintenance work makes regulatory oversight more convoluted and expensive to do thoroughly and transparently. Using a Pressure, Disorganisation and Regulatory Failure model, the article highlights how new work arrangements involving increased use of supply chains are developing more quickly than adequate airline, union and regulator responses to the safety problems engendered by those changes. In often heated industrial debates between licensed aircraft maintenance engineers (LAMEs) and airline managers about business needs and safety, we urge that more attention be paid to LAME concerns about outsourcing.
Amoebic liver abscess: a report from central India
Authors: Chaudhary Satyarth , Noor Mohd. Talha , Jain Sunil , Kumar Ravindra , Thakur Bhagwan Singh
Published: July 2015

Amoebic liver abscess is a serious but curable hepatic illness predominantly seen in tropical countries. We describe our experience of clinical presentation, laboratory parameters, radiological findings and treatment strategies. This is a retrospective analysis of 114 patients who were admitted from January 2012 to September 2014 at our centre. The mean age of presentation was 41.7 ± 13.9 years, the majority of patients were male (86.8%) with chronic alcoholism (63.2%). Most of the patients had a solitary right lobe liver abscess. Abdominal pain, fever, tachycardia and hepatomegaly were the most common clinical findings while hypoalbuminaemia, anaemia, leucocytosis and electrolyte imbalance were the most common laboratory abnormalities. A significant number of patients could be managed with antibiotics only (45.6%), percutaneous radiological drainage techniques being an important adjunct in selected cases (percutaneous needle aspiration, 20.2%; percutaneous pigtail catheter drainage, 30.7%). Surgical intervention was required in only a few cases (3.5%). Mortality was 3.5%.
Experimental Investigation of Inter-element Isolation in a Medical Array Transducer at Various Manufacturing Stages
Authors: Marinozzi Franco , Bini Fabiano , Grandoni Andrea
Published: July 2015

This work presents the experimental investigation of vibration maps of a linear array transducer with 192 piezoelements by means of a laser Doppler vibrometer at various manufacturing finishing steps in air and in water. Over the years, many researchers have investigated cross-coupling in fabricated prototypes but not in arrays at various manufacturing stages. Only the central element of the array was driven at its working frequency of 5 MHz. The experimental results showed that the contributions of cross-coupling depend on the elements of the acoustic stack: Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT), kerf, filler, matching layer, and lens. The oscillation amplitudes spanned from (6 ± 38%) nm to (110 ± 40%) nm when the energized element was tested in air and from (6 ± 57%) nm to (80 ± 67%) nm when measurements were obtained under water. The best inter-element isolation of −22 dB was measured in air after cutting the kerfs, whereas the poorest isolation was −2 dB under water with an acoustic lens (complete acoustic stack). The vibration pattern in water showed a higher standard deviation on the displacement measurements than the one obtained in air, due to the influence of acousto-optic interactions. The amount increased to 30% in water, as estimated by a comparison with the measurements in air. This work describes a valuable method for manufacturers to investigate the correspondence between the manufacturing process and the quantitative evaluations of the resulting effects.
Introduction to the special section on student effects on teachers’ behaviors and attitudes
Authors: Nurmi Jari-Erik , Kiuru Noona
Published: July 2015

A special section of the International Journal of Behavioral Development (IJBD) devoted to the topic “Student effects on teacher behaviours and attitudes.”
Introduction of Zinc-salt Fixation for Effective Detection of Immune Cell–related Markers by Immunohistochemistry
Authors: Mori Hidetoshi , Soonsawad Pan , Schuetter Louis , Chen Qian , Hubbard Neil E. , Cardiff Robert D. , Borowsky Alexander D.
Published: July 2015

Tissue localization of immune cells is critical to the study of disease processes in mouse models of human diseases. However, immunohistochemistry (IHC) for immune cell phenotyping in mouse tissue sections presents specific technical challenges. For example, CD4 and CD8 have been difficult to detect using IHC on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded mouse tissue, prompting alternative methods. We investigated the use of formalin-free zinc-salt fixation (ZN) and optimized IHC protocols for detecting a panel of immune cell–related markers (CD3, CD4, CD8, Foxp3, B220, F4/80, CD68, and major histocompatibility complex [MHC] class-I, MHC class-II, and Gr-1). The IHC results for these markers were compared on mouse spleen tissue treated with neutral buffered formalin (NBF) or ZN with or ZN without antigen retrieval (AR). Whereas CD4 and CD8 were not detected in NBF-treated tissue, all markers were detected in ZN-treated tissue without AR. Thus, the use of ZN treatment for IHC staining can be a good tool for studying immunoreactive lesions in tissues.
A review of randomised controlled trials comparing ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy with endothermal ablation for the treatment of great saphenous varicose veins
Authors: Davies Huw OB , Popplewell Matthew , Darvall Katy , Bate Gareth , Bradbury Andrew W
Published: July 2015

Objective

The last 10 years have seen the introduction into everyday clinical practice of a wide range of novel non-surgical treatments for varicose veins. In July 2013, the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended the following treatment hierarchy for varicose veins: endothermal ablation, ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy, surgery and compression hosiery. The aim of this paper is to review the randomised controlled trials that have compared endothermal ablation and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy to determine if the level 1 evidence base still supports an “endothermal ablation first” strategy for the treatment of varicose veins.

Methods

A PubMed and OVID literature search (until 31 January 2015) was performed and randomised controlled trials comparing endothermal ablation and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy were obtained.

Results

Although anatomical success appeared higher with endothermal ablation than ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy, clinical success and patient-reported outcomes measures were similar. Morbidity and complication rates were very low and not significantly different between endothermal ablation and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy. Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy was consistently less expensive that endothermal ablation.

Conclusions

All endovenous modalities appear to be successful and have a role in modern day practice. Although further work is required to optimise ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy technique to maximise anatomical success and minimise retreatment, the present level 1 evidence base shows there is no significant difference in clinical important outcomes between ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy and endothermal ablation. As ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy is less expensive, it is likely to be a more cost-effective option in most patients in most healthcare settings. Strict adherence to the treatment hierarchy recommended by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence seems unjustified.
The Art Affinity Index (AAI)
Authors: Tschacher Wolfgang , Bergomi Claudia , Tröndle Martin
Published: July 2015

The interplay of knowledge and art perception has been investigated over the past decades in various disciplines such as art sociology and aesthetic education. We present a brief overview of methodological approaches that investigated the effect of knowledge and expertise on the perception and appreciation of art. We then describe in detail the construction of the empirically grounded Art Affinity Index (AAI), which was formulated using exploratory factor analysis of questionnaire data received from 288 visitors to a fine arts museum in Switzerland. Subsequent confirmatory factor analysis in 289 other visitors showed the reliability and stability of the two AAI factors: Art relation and Art knowledge. The AAI was found to possess satisfactory validity and correlated meaningfully with visitors’ age and gender. These psychometric properties suggest the AAI is a convenient measure of art affinity. It provides a useful instrument for researchers in art sociology, visitor studies, and empirical aesthetics.
Unsettling care: Troubling transnational itineraries of care in feminist health practices
Authors: Murphy Michelle
Published: July 2015

Responding to the call by Maria Puig de la Bellacasa for Science and Technology Studies to take up ‘matters of care’, this article cautions against equating care with positive feelings and, in contrast, argues for the importance of grappling with the non-innocent histories in which the politics of care already circulates, particularly in transnational couplings of feminism and health. The article highlights these histories by tracing multiple versions of the politics of care in a select set of feminist engagements with the pap smear and cervical cancer. Drawing on postcolonial and indigenous feminist commitments, as well as amplifying Donna Haraway’s call to ‘stay with the trouble’, the article seeks to disturb hegemonic histories and arrangements of race, colonialism, and political economy, while simultaneously valuing divergent multi-local itineraries as relevant to technoscientific matters of care. This call for a politics of ‘unsettling’ care strives to stir up and put into motion what is sedimented, while embracing the generativity of discomfort, critique, and non-innocence.
Anatomic Reconstruction With a Semitendinosus Allograft for Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability
Authors: Dierckman Brian D. , Ferkel Richard D.
Published: July 2015

Background:

The modified Broström procedure has been successful for most patients with chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI); however, a subset of patients has had unsatisfactory outcomes. For those at risk of failure, anatomic reconstruction of the lateral ankle ligaments using a semitendinosus allograft to augment the modified Broström procedure is available.

Purpose:

To report the results of anatomic reconstruction of the lateral ankle with a semitendinosus allograft for the treatment of CLAI.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

This is a retrospective review of a single surgeon’s experience from 2003 to 2011 in performing anatomic lateral ankle ligament reconstruction with a semitendinosus allograft for the treatment of CLAI. Of 38 patients (40 ankles), 31 (33 ankles; 82% of patients) returned for final follow-up and constituted the study group. Preoperatively, all patients completed the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Score (AHS) and a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and underwent plain and stress talar tilt radiographs. At the most recent follow-up, patients were evaluated by an independent surgeon and completed the postoperative AHS, Foot-Function Index (FFI), VAS for pain, Tegner activity score, and a satisfaction survey. Patients were evaluated with plain and stress talar tilt and anterior drawer radiographs.

Results:

At a mean follow-up of 38 ± 30 months (range, 24-107 months), 100% of patients were completely satisfied with the procedure. AHS values significantly improved from a mean of 60.3 ± 14.4 to 87.5 ± 9.3 ( P < .0001). VAS pain scores significantly decreased from 7.3 ± 1.3 to 1.9 ± 1.8 ( P < .0001). Twenty-two of 31 patients (71%) either returned to or were 1 level below their previous preoperative or preinjury Tegner activity level. No patients developed arthritic changes beyond grade I on plain radiographs. On stress radiographs, the mean talar tilt decreased from 14.3° ± 5.4° to 3.1° ± 2.4°. The mean postoperative anterior tibiotalar translation was 1.8 ± 1.1 mm, with no patients having greater than 5 mm of translation.

Conclusion:

Anatomic lateral ankle ligament reconstruction with a semitendinosus allograft for the treatment of CLAI leads to high patient satisfaction, decreased pain, a stable ankle without arthritic changes, and significantly improved function.
Development of a Dating Violence Assessment Tool for Late Adolescence Across Three Countries: The Violence in Adolescents’ Dating Relationships Inventory (VADRI)
Authors: Aizpitarte Alazne , Alonso-Arbiol Itziar , Van de Vijver Fons J. R. , Perdomo Maria Cristina , Galvez-Sobral J. Andres , Garcia-Lopez Eric
Published: July 2015

Accurate assessment of dating violence (DV) is crucial for evaluation and intervention planning. However, extant self-report measurement tools of DV do not adequately consider age-, generation-, and culture-specific issues, which are essential for its accurate conceptualization. To address these gaps, we developed the Violence in Adolescents’ Dating Relationships Inventory (VADRI) and evaluated its psychometric properties. The VADRI was developed based on a qualitative approach for item development through adolescents’ individual interviews, focus groups, and experts’ judgments, followed by a quantitative approach for tool assessment. Two aspects of DV were addressed: victimization and perpetration. After the necessary cultural and linguistic adaptation of items, the instrument was administered to 466 adolescents from three Spanish-speaking countries: Guatemala, Mexico, and Spain. The items were best represented by a one-factor solution in each country, which suggests that DV is a unidimensional construct combining victimization and perpetration. Analyses of item-level factor weights and differential item functioning were conducted aimed at obtaining information about items that best represented the construct, resulting in a 26-item final version that was cross-culturally equivalent. Convergent validity was supported by positive correlations with the Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory, and reliability analyses yielded favorable results (with all Cronbach’s α values above .90). We conclude that the VADRI is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of DV in various cultural contexts.
Survival of the Fittest and the Sexiest: Evolutionary Origins of Adolescent Bullying
Authors: Koh Jun-Bin , Wong Jennifer S.
Published: July 2015

The central idea of evolutionary psychology theory (EPT) is that species evolve to carry or exhibit certain traits/behaviors because these characteristics increase their ability to survive and reproduce. Proponents of EPT propose that bullying emerges from evolutionary development, providing an adaptive edge for gaining better sexual opportunities and physical protection, and promoting mental health. This study examines adolescent bullying behaviors via the lens of EPT. Questionnaires were administered to 135 adolescents, ages 13 to 16, from one secondary school in metro Vancouver, British Columbia. Participants were categorized into one of four groups (bullies, victims, bully/victims, or bystanders) according to their involvement in bullying interactions as measured by the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. Four dependent variables were examined: depression, self-esteem, social status, and social anxiety. Results indicate that bullies had the most positive scores on mental health measures and held the highest social rank in the school environment, with significant differences limited to comparisons between bullies and bully/victims. These results lend support to the hypothesis that youth bullying is derived from evolutionary development. Implications for approaching anti-bullying strategies in schools and directions for future studies are discussed.
New Categories Are Not Enough
Authors: Westbrook Laurel , Saperstein Aliya
Published: July 2015

Recently, scholars and activists have turned their attention toward improving the measurement of sex and gender in survey research. The focus of this effort has been on including answer options beyond “male” and “female” to questions about the respondent’s gender. This is an important step toward both reflecting the diversity of gendered lives and better aligning survey measurement practice with contemporary gender theory. However, our systematic examination of questionnaires, manuals, and other technical materials from four of the largest and longest-running surveys in the United States indicates that there are a number of other issues with how gender is conceptualized and measured in social surveys that also deserve attention, including essentialist practices that treat sex and gender as synonymous, easily determined by others, obvious, and unchanging over the life course. We find that these understandings extend well beyond direct questions about the respondent’s gender, permeating the surveys. A hyper-gendered world of “males” and “females,” “brothers” and “sisters,” and “husbands” and “wives” shapes what we can see in survey data. If not altered, surveys will continue to reproduce statistical representations that erase important dimensions of variation and likely limit understanding of the processes that perpetuate social inequality.
Normalization of children: Politics and images of children in the Freetown of Christiania
Authors: Wasshede Cathrin
Published: July 2015

This article aims to problematize the normalization of children in a Nordic welfare society. The production of ‘good childhoods’ is seen as a guarantee for socially sustainable societies. Children are subject to different governing strategies; the ‘child’ and ‘youth’ are disputed symbols, used to protect already established ‘futures’, that is, the present order, and promote alternative futures. Parliamentary debates and government reports about children in the Freetown of Christiania, Denmark, are analysed. The results highlight the need to distinguish between soft and coercive disciplinary power and the presence of sovereign power even in liberal societies that value freedom of the individual.
Numerical simulations and experimental analysis of a vehicle cabin and its occupants subjected to a mine blast
Authors: Guo Qitao , Zhou Yunbo , Wang Xianhui , She Lei , Wei Ran
Published: July 2015

When military vehicles are subjected to a mine blast, the vehicles will be damaged and the occupants will be injured. The main objective of this paper is to analyse the responses of the floor-plate of the vehicle cabin and of its occupants subjected to the blast using numerical and experimental methods. A numerical analysis of the floor-plate of the vehicle cabin and of its occupants in the event of mine detonation under the vehicle cabin with LS-DYNA software was carried out, the shock wave from the mine was modelled approximately using LS-DYNA and the vehicle driver was represented by using a Hybrid III dummy. The simulations obtained most of the details of the model including the stress, the displacement, the velocity, the variation in the energy of the cabin’s floor-plate, the overpressure and the response of the dummy. Moreover, four tests at full-scale were completed on the specific vehicle subjected to shock waves that originated from the detonation of four different equivalent mine surrogates. Two different kinds of sensor (pressure sensors and dummy sensors) were used to measure the overpressure of vehicle and the response of the dummy. A comparison of the results shows good agreement between the numerical simulations and the experiments. The results show that the combination of these two methods can be used in blast modelling with a reasonable degree of accuracy. Also, the results provide insight into the vulnerability of the vehicle cabin and its occupants to the effects of blast mines and provide a good foundation for a subsequent optimization study of the model.
Imagining the International
Authors: McMillan Nesam
Published: July 2015

This article highlights and interrogates the significance of dominant representations of international crime and international criminal justice. It positions international criminal justice as a discursive, as well as practical, global project and is concerned, in particular, with the relational and ethical implications of the way in which international crime and justice are thought about, spoken about and portrayed. I argue that dominant representations of international crime and international criminal justice serve to map the international as a site of crime, justice and community. A key contribution of this article is to explicate the uniquely ‘crimino-legal’ nature of this site or sphere, by illustrating its criminological, legal and spatial characteristics. I then reflect on the ethical and relational limits of this arena of sociolegal engagement, as well as emphasising the importance of continued academic attention to the representation and imagination, as well as practice, of international criminal justice.
Noncommunicable Diseases of Major Public Health Interest and Prevention
Authors: Bueno-de-Mesquita H. Bas
Published: July 2015

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs; mainly cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases) are now responsible for more than 35 million deaths per annum in the world; more than 80% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Dramatic worldwide changes in lifestyle and in the prevalence and incidence of major chronic diseases lends credence to the causative role of modifiable risk factors. For the elucidation of modifiable risk factors, large-scale prospective cohort studies with biobanks often combined in consortia are of paramount importance. Associations between selected risk factors and development of NCDs will be reviewed. In addition to the contribution of treatment, even larger proportions of NCDs can be prevented had risk factors been reduced to the optimum levels or eliminated. Individual-based approaches should be complemented by administrative regulations.
Male Batterer Parenting Attitudes
Authors: Ferreira Regardt J. , Lauve-Moon Katie , Cannon Clare
Published: July 2015

Objective:

The purpose of the study was to investigate the differences between intimate partner violence (IPV) and parenting attitudes by race by comparing demographic, parenting, and IPV indicators for African American and White men.

Method:

The study employed a nonequivalent, control group design in a secondary analysis of 111 men.

Results:

Analyses indicated that (1) African American men had more children; (2) chi-square tests revealed no statistically significant differences between African American and Caucasian men with respect to IPV perpetration and parenting attitudes; and (3) a logistic regression model indicated that the number of children and a higher risk category for parenting attitudes were significant predictors of race group membership.

Conclusion:

These findings reveal that having more children is related to a higher level of stress on intimate partner relationships, and these stressors are not evenly distributed across racial groups. Batterer intervention programs should include parenting skills to help perpetrators better cope with such stresses.
Extending the Impacts of Hostile Media Perceptions
Authors: Hart P. Sol , Feldman Lauren , Leiserowitz Anthony , Maibach Edward
Published: July 2015

Researchers recently have begun to examine how hostile media perceptions may promote discursive activities aimed at correcting the media’s perceived negative influence. We use nationally representative survey data to test a moderated-mediation model that finds that hostile media perceptions significantly affect support for climate mitigation policies through the mediator of discussion and that the link between discussion and policy support is moderated in a three-way interaction with social network heterogeneity and political ideology. Discussion in homogeneous social networks increases opinion polarization between liberals and conservatives by intensifying conservatives’ opinions, whereas discussion in heterogeneous social networks decreases polarization by moderating liberals’ opinions.
Solvability of the equivalent inclusion problem for an ellipsoidal inhomogeneity
Authors: Freidin Alexander B , Kucher Vladislav A
Published: July 2015

The problem of an elastic ellipsoidal inhomogeneity in an infinite matrix is considered for the case of arbitrary anisotropy. Using the Fourier representation of Hill’s tensor, which we derive directly from the classical Eshelby solution for an ellipsoidal inclusion, and assuming certain conditions on the elasticity tensors, we prove the solvability of the Eshelby equivalent inclusion problem. This justifies a formula for the anisotropic polarization tensor for an ellipsoid.
The Role of Xylitol Gum Chewing in Restoring Postoperative Bowel Activity After Cesarean Section
Authors: Lee Jian Tao , Hsieh Mei-Hui , Cheng Po-Jen , Lin Jr-Rung
Published: July 2015

Aims:

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of xylitol gum chewing on gastrointestinal recovery after cesarean section.

Methods:

Women who underwent cesarean section ( N = 120) were randomly allocated into Group A (xylitol gum), Group B (nonxylitol gum), or the control group (no chewing gum). Every 2 hr post-cesarean section and until first flatus, Groups A and B received two pellets of chewing gum and were asked to chew for 15 min. The times to first bowel sounds, first flatus, and first defecation were then compared among the three groups.

Results:

Group A had the shortest mean time to first bowel sounds (6.9 ± 1.7 hr), followed by Group B (8 ± 1.6 hr) and the control group (12.8 ± 2.5 hr; one-way analysis of variance, p < .001; Scheffe’s post hoc comparisons, p < .05). The gum-chewing groups demonstrated a faster return of flatus than the control group did ( p < .001), but the time to flatus did not differ significantly between the gum-chewing groups. Additionally, the differences in the time to first defecation were not significant.

Conclusion:

After cesarean section, chewing gum increased participants’ return of bowel activity, as measured by the appearance of bowel sounds and the passage of flatus. In this context, xylitol-containing gum may be superior to xylitol-free gum.
Serum Tryptophan Metabolite Levels During Sleep in Patients With and Without Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Authors: Heitkemper Margaret M. , Han Claire Jungyoun , Jarrett Monica E. , Gu Haiwei , Djukovic Danijel , Shulman Robert J. , Raftery Daniel , Henderson Wendy A. , Cain Kevin C.
Published: July 2015

Poor sleep and stress are more frequently reported by women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) than by healthy control (HC) women. The pathophysiology linking poor sleep and stress to gastrointestinal symptoms remains poorly understood. We used a metabolomic approach to determine whether tryptophan (TRP) metabolites differ between women with and without IBS and whether the levels are associated with sleep indices and serum cortisol levels. This study sample included 38 women with IBS and 21 HCs. The women were studied in a sleep laboratory for three consecutive nights. On the third night of the study, a social stressor was introduced, then blood samples were drawn every 20 min and sleep indices were measured. Metabolites were determined by targeted liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in a sample collected 1 hr after the onset of sleep. The ratios of each metabolite to TRP were used for analyses. Correlations were controlled for age and oral contraceptive use. Melatonin/TRP levels were lower ( p = .005) in the IBS-diarrhea group versus the IBS-constipation and HC groups, and kynurenine/TRP ratios tended to be lower ( p = .067) in the total IBS and IBS-diarrhea groups compared to HCs. Associations within the HC group included melatonin/TRP with polysomnography-sleep efficiency ( r = .61, p = .006) and weaker positive correlations with the other ratios for either sleep efficiency or percentage time in rapid eye movement sleep ( r > .40, p = .025–.091). This study suggests that reductions in early nighttime melatonin/TRP levels may be related to altered sleep quality in IBS, particularly those with diarrhea.
Methods for the simulation of the pressure, stress, and temperature distribution in the contact of fractal generated rough surfaces
Authors: Magyar Balázs , Sauer Bernd
Published: July 2015

In this paper, the influence of surface roughness on the local tribological load with a dry sliding contact is studied. First, three artificial rough surfaces with similar structure but different asperity heights are generated and projected on a smooth ball. After that, a contact pattern is determined between a rough ball and a smooth surface taking into account the elastic only as well as the linear elastic-perfectly plastic material description. On the basis of the calculated contact pressure distribution, the subsurface stresses and a three-dimensional temperature distribution in the sliding contact are calculated. The solutions show that a low surface roughness not necessarily results in low local tribological load of the surface.