bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Matrix metalloproteinase 9 polymorphisms and systemic lupus erythematosus: correlation with systemic inflammatory markers and oxidative stress
Authors: Bahrehmand F , Vaisi-Raygani A , Kiani A , Rahimi Z , Tavilani H , Ardalan M , Vaisi-Raygani H , Shakiba E , Pourmotabbed T
Published: November 2014

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that involves multiple organs and is characterized by persistent systemic inflammation. Among the effects of inflammatory mediators, the induction of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and oxidative stress has been demonstrated to be important in the development of SLE. In this study, the possible association between MMP-9 and MMP-2 functional promoter polymorphism, stress, and inflammatory markers with development of severe cardiovascular disease (CVD), high blood pressure (HBP), and lupus nephropathy (LN) in SLE patients was investigated. The present case-control study consisted of 109 SLE patients with and without CVD, HBP and LN and 101 gender- and age-matched unrelated healthy controls from a population in western Iran. MMP-2 –G1575A and MMP-9 –C1562T polymorphisms were detected by PCR-RFLP, serum MMP-2 and MMP-9, neopterin, malondialdehyde (MDA) and lipid levels were determined by ELISA, HPLC and enzyme assay, respectively. We found that MMP-9 –C1562 T and MMP-2 –G1575A alleles act synergistically to increase the risk of SLE by 2.98 times ( p = 0.015). Findings of this study also demonstrated that there is a significant increase in the serum levels of MMP-2, neopterin and MDA and a significant decrease in serum level of MMP-9 in the presence of MMP-9-C1562 T and MMP-2 –G1575A alleles in SLE patients compared to controls. Further, SLE patients with MMP-9 (C/T + T/T) genotype had significantly higher serum concentrations of MMP-2, neopterin, MDA and LDL-C, but lower serum MMP-9 and HDL-C levels than corresponding members of the control group. MMP-9 (C/T + T/T) genotype increased risk of hypertension in SLE patients 2.71-fold. This study for the first time not only suggests that MMP-9 –C1562 T and MMP-2 –G1575A alleles synergistically increase the risk of SLE but also high serum levels of MDA, neopterin, and circulatory levels of MMP-2 and lower MMP-9 in SLE patients. This information may be important in the evaluation of SLE progression and in the elucidation of the mechanisms of the disease pathogenesis.
Eltrombopag as steroid sparing therapy for immune thrombocytopenic purpura in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Maroun M-C , Ososki R , Andersen J C , Dhar J P
Published: November 2014

Background

Eltrombopag activates the thrombopoietin (TPO) surface receptor on the megakaryocyte, which increases the production of platelets, and rapidly improves circulating platelet numbers in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). This allows for rapid tapering and/or cessation of corticosteroid therapy. Less is known about the platelet response to this drug in ITP associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

A retrospective review was performed of the clinical course of three consecutive patients, each with SLE-associated ITP who were initially treated with corticosteroids or other immunomodulatory therapy. These patients were treated with eltrombopag at the DMC Center for Bleeding Disorders and Thrombosis. Eltrombopag was administered according the package insert, with an initial dose of 50 mg daily, with weekly, then monthly monitoring of platelet counts and dose adjustments. Some immunomodulatory agents (e.g. hydroxychloroquine) were continued to control non hematologic SLE manifestations.

Results

All three patients maintained acceptable platelet counts (>50,000/mm3 for >3 years) following tapering and cessation of corticosteroids. The drug was well-tolerated and there were no adverse events, and specifically no thrombotic events.

Conclusion

Eltrombopag is effective as a rapidly acting corticosteroid sparing therapy for patients with ITP associated with SLE. This is important in reducing corticosteroid related side effects and morbidities in treating SLE patients with ITP. Larger studies are needed to ascertain safety and efficacy of eltrombopag in SLE patients with ITP, particularly those with coexisting antiphospholipid antibodies.
Adjusting for treatment switching in randomised controlled trials – A simulation study and a simplified two-stage method
Authors: Latimer Nicholas R , Abrams KR , Lambert PC , Crowther MJ , Wailoo AJ , Morden JP , Akehurst RL , Campbell MJ
Published: November 2014

Estimates of the overall survival benefit of new cancer treatments are often confounded by treatment switching in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) – whereby patients randomised to the control group are permitted to switch onto the experimental treatment upon disease progression. In health technology assessment, estimates of the unconfounded overall survival benefit associated with the new treatment are needed. Several switching adjustment methods have been advocated in the literature, some of which have been used in health technology assessment. However, it is unclear which methods are likely to produce least bias in realistic RCT-based scenarios. We simulated RCTs in which switching, associated with patient prognosis, was permitted. Treatment effect size and time dependency, switching proportions and disease severity were varied across scenarios. We assessed the performance of alternative adjustment methods based upon bias, coverage and mean squared error, related to the estimation of true restricted mean survival in the absence of switching in the control group. We found that when the treatment effect was not time-dependent, rank preserving structural failure time models (RPSFTM) and iterative parameter estimation methods produced low levels of bias. However, in the presence of a time-dependent treatment effect, these methods produced higher levels of bias, similar to those produced by an inverse probability of censoring weights method. The inverse probability of censoring weights and structural nested models produced high levels of bias when switching proportions exceeded 85%. A simplified two-stage Weibull method produced low bias across all scenarios and provided the treatment switching mechanism is suitable, represents an appropriate adjustment method.
The social construction of competence: Conceptions of science and expertise among proponents of the low-carbohydrate high-fat diet in Finland
Authors: Jauho Mikko
Published: November 2014

The article looks at conceptions of science and expertise among lay proponents of the low-carbohydrate high-fat diet in Finland. The research data consist of comments on a webpage related to a debate on the health dangers of animal fats screened in Finnish national television in autumn 2010. The article shows that contrary to the prevailing image advocated by the national nutritional establishment, which is based on the deficit model of public understanding of science, the low-carbohydrate high-fat proponents are neither ignorant about scientific facts nor anti-science. Rather, they express nuanced viewpoints about the nature of science, the place of individual experience in nutritional recommendations and the reliability of experts. Inspired by discussions on the social construction of ignorance, the article argues that the low-carbohydrate high-fat proponents are engaged in what it calls the social construction of competence when they present their position as grounded in science and stylize themselves as lay experts.
The significance of small things for dignity in psychiatric care
Authors: Skorpen Frode , Rehnsfeldt Arne , Thorsen Arlene Arstad
Published: November 2014

Background:

This study is based on the ontological assumption about human interdependence, and also on earlier research, which has shown that patients in psychiatric hospitals and their relatives experience suffering and indignity.

Aim:

The aim of this study is to explore the experience of patients and relatives regarding respect for dignity following admission to a psychiatric unit.

Research design:

The methodological approach is a phenomenological hermeneutic method.

Participants and research context:

This study is based on qualitative interviews conducted with six patients at a psychiatric hospital and five relatives of patients who experienced psychosis.

Ethical consideration:

Permission was given by the Regional Committee for Medical Research Ethics in Western Norway, the Norwegian Data Protection Agency and all wards within the hospital in which the patients were interviewed.

Findings:

The analysis revealed one main theme: ‘The significance of small things for experiencing dignity’ and four subthemes described as follows - ‘to be conscious of small things’, ‘being conscious of what one says’, ‘being met’ and ‘to be aware of personal chemistry’.

Discussion and conclusion:

Staff members seem not to give enough attention to the importance of these small things. Staff members need to explore this phenomenon systematically and expand their own understanding of it.
Smart contradictions: The politics of making Barcelona a Self-sufficient city
Authors: March Hug , Ribera-Fumaz Ramon
Published: November 2014

In recent years, the Smart City has become a very popular concept amongst policy makers and urban planners. In a nutshell, the Smart City refers to projects and planning strategies that aim to join up new forms of inclusive and low-carbon economic growth based on the knowledge economy through the deployment of information and communication technologies. However, at the same time as new urban Smart interventions are being designed and applied, insufficient attention has been paid to how these strategies are inserted into the wider political economy and, in particular, the political ecology of urban transformation. Therefore, in this paper we critically explore the implementation of the Smart City, tracing how the ‘environment’ and environmental concerns have become an organising principle in Barcelona’s Smart City strategy. Through an urban political ecology prism we aim to critically reflect upon the contradictions of the actually existing Smart City in Barcelona and how Smart discourses and practices might be intentionally or unintentionally mobilised in ways that serve to depoliticise urban redevelopment and environmental management. The paper stresses the need to repoliticise the debates on the Smart City and put citizens back at the centre of the urban debate.
Direct Economic Burden and Influencing Factors in Patients With Hepatitis B Virus Related Diseases in Jiangsu, China
Authors: Zhang Hua , Chao Jianqian , Zhu Liguo , Song Long , Li Xiyan , Liu Pei
Published: November 2014

The purpose of this study was to explore direct economic burden and its influencing factors in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) related diseases. Time phasing continuous sampling was used to select patients from August 1, 2012, to December 31, 2012, in 3 county hospitals of 3 model regions in Jiangsu Province, China. A total of 436 outpatients and 196 inpatients were observed. The average direct economic burden of HBV-associated admission was US$107.11 for outpatients, and drug fees accounted for 74%; the burden was US$3193.47 for inpatients, and the direct medical costs accounted for 96%. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that drug fee, examination fee, and antiviral therapy were influencing factors for outpatients, while hospitalization stay, drug ratio, and patient’s age were influencing factors for inpatients. It can be concluded that the direct economic burden of patients with HBV-related diseases was high compared to their household income. Measures should be taken to reduce the economic burden of patients.
Investigation of the Effects of Planned Mouth Care Education on the Degree of Oral Mucositis in Pediatric Oncology Patients
Authors: Yavuz Betül , Bal Yılmaz Hatice
Published: November 2014

This study was designed as a longitudinal study with the purpose of investigating the effects of providing mouth care education to pediatric oncology patients on the degree of oral mucositis. The study sample included 16 children aged 8 to 18 years who were hospitalized in the pediatric oncology and hematology clinics at a university hospital. The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the degree of mucositis before and after the education given to children undergoing chemotherapy ( P < .05). The median pain values were significantly different before and after the education ( P < .05) as well. It was also found that there was a strong positive statistically significant correlation between the degree of mucositis and mean pain score both before and after the education ( P < .001). Consequently, it is reported that both the degree of mucositis and pain levels decreased when children were given planned mouth care education before chemotherapy and when they regularly performed mouth care.
Supporting Pediatric Cancer Survivors With Neurocognitive Late Effects
Authors: Northman Lisa , Ross Sarah , Morris Marybeth , Tarquini Sarah
Published: November 2014

Educational difficulties are common for childhood survivors of central nervous system (CNS) cancers. Children who have been treated for brain tumors and those who have received treatments involving the CNS are at increased risk of developing neurocognitive late effects including difficulties with attention, executive functioning, speed of processing, and academic functioning. These children are also at risk for difficulties with social functioning and social isolation. This hospital’s School Liaison Program (SLP) provides ongoing psychoeducation, advocacy, and consultation services for parents, schools, and medical staff to address the educational needs associated with the late effects of treatment for pediatric CNS-involved patients. This article provides an overview of the SLP model of care and discusses parent-perceived quality and program effectiveness. In general, parents attributed SLP involvement to improved academic performance, home-school communication, and school-level understanding of unique student cognitive profiles and learning needs.
High Validity and Reliability of the PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale for Brazilian Children With Cancer
Authors: Nascimento Lucila Castanheira , Nunes Michelle Darezzo Rodrigues , Rocha Ester Leonardo , Bomfim Emiliana Omena , Floria-Santos Milena , dos Santos Claudia Benedita , dos Santos Danielle Maria de Souza Serio , de Lima Regina Aparecida Garcia
Published: November 2014

Among the main factors that affect patients’ quality of life, fatigue is a significant symptom experienced by children during treatment. Despite the high incidence, there has been no validated scale to evaluate fatigue in children with cancer in Brazil. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale, using self-reports of Brazilian children, 8 to 18 years of age, and proxy reports. A cross-sectional method was used to collect data from 216 subjects over an 18-month period. Reliability ranged from .70 to .90 except for sleep/rest fatigue, self-report (α = .55). No floor or ceiling effects were found in any dimension. Convergent validity was higher than .40 and divergent validity had 100% adjustment. The root mean square error of approximation was acceptable. The comparative fit index was lower than expected. The agreement between self and proxy responses was weak and moderate. The results demonstrate the reliability and validity of the Brazilian version in children with cancer. This is the first validated scale that assesses fatigue in Brazilian children and adolescents with cancer.
Perception of Pain Among Pediatric Patients With Sickle Cell Pain Crisis
Authors: Fosdal Marian B.
Published: November 2014

Pain related to vasoocclusion is the most common reason for emergency department visits and hospital stays among pediatric patients with sickle cell disease. Using a prospective descriptive design, patients hospitalized with sickle cell pain were asked to complete the Adolescent Pediatric Pain Tool on each day of their hospital stay, providing data on the location, intensity, and quality of their pain. Data for 82 hospital stays were collected from 40 African American study participants. Mean age was 14.8 years, and mean length of stay (LOS) was 5.1 days. Mean LOS for 8 to 12 year olds (3.23 days; n = 22) was shorter than mean LOS for 13 to 19 year olds (5.85 days; n = 60). This LOS difference was significant ( P = .004). Difference in LOS by gender was not significant. Higher initial number of body sites with pain was significantly associated with longer LOS ( r = .39; P < .001). Higher initial pain intensity scores were significantly associated with longer LOS ( r = .37; P = .001). Higher initial number of word descriptors was only weakly associated with longer LOS. Neither gender nor age differences were significant for Adolescent Pediatric Pain Tool data.
Contributions of Advanced Practice Nurses With a DNP Degree During Palliative and End-of-Life Care of Children With Cancer
Authors: Hendricks-Ferguson Verna L. , Akard Terrah Foster , Madden Jennifer R. , Peters-Herron Alberta , Levy Robyn
Published: November 2014

The doctorate in nursing practice (DNP) degree is recommended as the terminal degree for advanced practice nurses by 2015. Improvement in the quality of palliative and end-of-life care for children with cancer is recognized as a health care priority. The purpose of this article is to describe: ( a) how the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s 8 core elements and competencies can be used by DNP-advanced practice nurses in pediatric oncology settings and ( b) the DNP-advanced practice nurses’ leadership role to advocate translation of evidence in the care of pediatric oncology patients and to promote interdisciplinary collaboration to improve health care outcomes for pediatric oncology patients.
Using Colors to Assess Pain in Toddlers
Authors: Mahon Paula , Holsti Liisa , Siden Harold , Strahlendorf Caron , Turnham Lucy , Giaschi Deborah
Published: November 2014

Self-report, when available, is considered the ideal way to assess the intensity and other aspects of pain in children. However, self-report scales are often too complex cognitively for preschool-aged children (2-4 years). The Rainbow Pain Scale (RPS) was developed to provide individualized self-reported pain ratings for preschool-aged children. The psychometric properties of this scale have yet to be evaluated. To ensure validity, our first step was to compare RPS scores to a well-validated scale in older children who were able to self-report their pain. The purpose of this study was to assess the concurrent validity of the RPS in children aged 5 to 10 years as proof of principle. We compared ratings of 49 children’s pain using the RPS with those on the Faces Pain Scale–Revised (FPS-R). Participants suffering from pain related to cancer and cancer treatment were recruited to complete both scales at 3 time points, during both inpatient and outpatient clinic visits. Pearson’s r and Cohen’s κ were used to evaluate the level of association between the scales. The association between RPS and the FPS-R was greater than .7 at all 3 visits; r = .96 between the scales at the first clinic visit, .97 at the second visit, and .93 at the third visit. Cohen’s κ between scales was 1.0 at the first clinic visit, .95 at the second visit, and .87 at the third visit. The RPS shows excellent concurrent validity with the FPS-R in school-aged children. The next step will be to examine the psychometric properties of the RPS in preschool-aged children.
Barriers and Facilitators of Adolescent Health in Rural Kenya
Authors: Secor-Turner Molly , Randall Brandy A. , Mudzongo Courage C.
Published: November 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to identify perceived barriers and facilitators of health from the perspective of rural Kenyan adolescents and to characterize the cultural context that shapes these barriers and facilitators. Design: Following a semistructured interview guide, qualitative focus group interviews were conducted at day schools with 64 upper-primary and secondary students in rural central Kenya. Participants provided written parental consent and individual assent for study participation. Results: Findings were organized into seven categories (individual, family, peer, school, community, institutional, and cultural) according to a social–ecological framework to highlight the multiple social and environmental contexts that shape health the experiences rural Kenyan youth. Conclusions: The prevalence and complexity of factors that shape the health experiences of young people in rural Kenya displayed in these findings adds context to the importance of utilizing multipronged approaches to improving adolescent health by focusing on the social contextual determinants of health behaviors and outcomes.
Evaluating Community Health Advisor (CHA) Core Competencies
Authors: Story Lachel , To Yen M.
Published: November 2014

Health care and academic systems are increasingly collaborating with community health advisors (CHAs) to provide culturally relevant health interventions that promote sustained community transformation. Little attention has been placed on CHA training evaluation, including core competency attainment. This study identified common CHA core competencies, generated a theoretically based measure of those competencies, and explored psychometric properties of that measure. A concept synthesis revealed five CHA core competencies (leadership, translation, guidance, advocacy, and caring). The CHA Core Competency Retrospective Pretest/Posttest (CCCRP) resulted from that synthesis, which was administered using multiple approaches to individuals who previously received CHA training ( N = 142). Exploratory factor analyses revealed a two-factor structure underlying the posttraining data, and Cronbach’s alpha indicated high internal consistency. This study suggested some CHA core competencies might be more interrelated than previously thought, and two major competencies exist rather than five and supported the CCCRP’s use to evaluate core competency attainment resulting from training.
An Overview of Cyberbullying in Higher Education
Authors: Washington Edwina Thomas
Published: November 2014

Bullying is a social problem. The proliferation of electronic technology has provided a new forum for bullies to harm victims. That is, bullies can transmit harmful text messages, photos, or video over the Internet and other digital communication devices to victims. This malpractice of technology-oriented phenomenon known as cyberbullying has become a social problem. College students who have been cyberbullied have committed suicide, dropped out, or endured torment while in school. This article provides an overview of cyberbullying among adults in higher education and an examination of the current status of state and federal laws that may serve as deterrents to cyberbullying.
A Descriptive Study of Music Teacher Educators’ Beliefs About Policy
Authors: Aguilar Carla E. , Richerme Lauren Kapalka
Published: November 2014

While policies at all levels affect music educators, and music education researchers have called for increased attention to policy issues, few have explored preservice music teacher educators’ beliefs about policy. This study examined music teacher educators’ ( N = 81) familiarity with and attitudes toward contemporary education and music education policies as well as how frequently they addressed these policies in their undergraduate classes. The data indicate that participants had the most familiarity with and most positive attitudes toward the National Music Standards, music education advocacy, and state music standards. Conversely, participants asserted that they had the least positive attitudes toward and spent the least amount of time addressing Race to the Top and STEAM. Respondents indicated more personal knowledge about policy, more time in undergraduate courses, and greater personal interest in policy would have the greatest influence on the amount of time they spent on policy in undergraduate courses.
Droperidol for the Treatment of Acute Migraine Headaches
Authors: Thomas Michael C. , Musselman Megan E. , Shewmaker Justin
Published: November 2014

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of droperidol for the relief of acute migraine headaches. Data Sources: A MEDLINE search (1946 to August 2014) was performed using the following keywords and associated medical subject headings: droperidol, inapsine, headache, migraine, and migraine disorder.Study Selection and Data Extraction: The search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials comparing droperidol with placebo or an active control in adult patients with acute migraine headaches that were published in English. Primary end points included acute headache improvement after the intervention. Safety end points included the frequency of extrapyramidal symptoms, somnolence, and cardiac adverse effects. Data Synthesis: In all, 5 manuscripts are included in this review. Patients presenting to the emergency department with acute headache desire rapid pain relief, which was the primary objective in each of the evaluated studies. Droperidol was better than placebo and at least as effective as comparator drugs such as prochlorperazine, meperidine, or olanzapine using droperidol doses of 2.5 to 5 mg, given either intramuscularly (IM) or intravenously (IV). The most commonly reported adverse effects were extrapyramidal symptoms and sedation. Cardiac adverse effects were not reported in any of the studies; however, only 2 articles described using cardiac monitoring. Conclusions: Parenteral droperidol is an effective option for the treatment of acute migraine. The minimum effective dose is 2.5 mg given IM or IV. Clinicians must be aware of the risk for adverse events, select appropriate patients, perform EKG monitoring for patients at risk of QTc prolongation, and institute treatment if necessary.
Destructive Pseudo-neuroarthropathy Associated With Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition
Authors: Lomax Adam , Ferrero Andrea , Cullen Nick , Goldberg Andy , Singh Dishan
Published: November 2014

Background:

Calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) disease is a metabolic disorder characterized by soft tissue calcific deposits formed primarily in articular cartilage. What can result is a crystal-induced arthropathy often referred to as pseudogout, which is variable in both presentation and severity. A particularly destructive and deforming arthritis is an uncommon but well-recognized subtype of this disease. Radiologically resembling the neuroarthropathy described by Charcot, a pattern of joint fragmentation and structural collapse occurs in the absence of peripheral neuropathy. This pseudo-neuroarthropathy is rarely reported in the foot and ankle.

Methods:

A total of 15 cases of pseudo-neuroarthropathy involving some previously unreported joints within the foot and ankle are described in this case series of 9 patients.

Results:

All patients presented with disease involving multiple joints. Clinical deformity was apparent in each case, and extensive joint destruction was seen on plain radiographs. In 6 patients, histopathological CPPD disease was confirmed on tissue biopsy of the affected joints. In the remaining 3 patients a clinical diagnosis was made on the basis of the classic appearance of pseudo-neuroarthropathy in the foot, with additional recognized features of CPPD. Operative management with deformity correction using joint arthrodesis produced satisfactory clinical and radiological results.

Conclusions:

In the absence of peripheral neuropathy and systemic disease, the pseudo-neuroarthropathy of CPPD should be considered when a progressively deforming and destructive arthritis is seen in the foot and ankle.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, case series.
Androgen Modulation of Hippocampal Structure and Function
Authors: Atwi Sarah , McMahon Dallan , Scharfman Helen , MacLusky Neil J.
Published: November 2014

Androgens have profound effects on hippocampal structure and function, including induction of spines and spine synapses on the dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons, as well as alterations in long-term synaptic plasticity (LTP) and hippocampally dependent cognitive behaviors. How these effects occur remains largely unknown. Emerging evidence, however, suggests that one of the key elements in the response mechanism may be modulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the mossy fiber (MF) system. In male rats, orchidectomy increases synaptic transmission and excitability in the MF pathway. Testosterone reverses these effects, suggesting that testosterone exerts tonic suppression on MF BDNF levels. These findings suggest that changes in hippocampal function resulting from declining androgen levels may reflect the outcome of responses mediated through normally balanced, but opposing, mechanisms: loss of androgen effects on the hippocampal circuitry may be compensated, at least in part, by an increase in BDNF-dependent MF plasticity.
Risk of Re-Reporting Among Infants Who Remain at Home Following Alleged Maltreatment
Authors: Putnam-Hornstein Emily , Simon James David , Eastman Andrea Lane , Magruder Joseph
Published: November 2014

Maltreatment that begins during infancy is likely to be chronic in duration and developmentally consequential if the appropriate intervention is not delivered. Repeated reports of maltreatment may signal unmet service needs. This study prospectively followed infants who remained at home following an initial report of maltreatment to determine the rate of re-reporting within 5 years. Birth records for all children born in California in 2006 were linked to statewide child protection records through 2012; 5.2% ( n = 29,135) of children were reported for abuse or neglect prior to age 1. Following an initial report, 81.9% of infants remained in the home, the majority (60.7%) of whom were re-reported within 5 years. The highest rate of re-reporting was observed among infants whose initial allegation was substantiated and who had a case opened for family maintenance services (69.1%). Infants whose initial allegation was not investigated had re-reporting rates that were equal to or higher than other infants remaining in the home without services. Findings highlight that most families with infants reported for maltreatment are not formally served through the child protection system. High rates of re-reporting underscore the challenge of delivering services that remedy conditions necessitating child protection follow-up and call attention to the importance of accessing data from community service providers.
Framing Depression
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Jin Yan , Tang Yunbing
Published: November 2014

As the first study of Chinese newspaper coverage of depression over the past twelve years, this paper analyzed how state-controlled Party press and market-oriented City press framed depression and attributed responsibilities at individual and societal levels. The study also explored how cultural and organizational factors influenced frame building. Findings indicate that print news coverage utilized more thematic than episodic framing. However, there was a gradual decrease in thematic and increase in episodic framing over time. Chinese newspapers placed more problem-solving (but not causal) responsibilities on the society. City press was less likely than Party press to make societal-level responsibility attributions.
Political News with a Personal Touch
Authors: Boukes Mark , Boomgaarden Hajo G. , Moorman Marjolein , de Vreese Claes H.
Published: November 2014

Journalists increasingly use personal exemplars in news stories about political issues. This study experimentally investigated how such human interest framing indirectly affects political attitudes via the way people attribute responsibility of an issue. Results show that exposure to human interest-framed television news increased attribution of responsibility to the government for the portrayed problem, which in turn decreased support for the government to cut public spending on this issue. This article explains how and why these findings are in line with exemplification theory but run counter to findings of studies on episodic framing effects.
A Story Located in “Shoulds”
Authors: Pelias Ronald J.
Published: November 2014

This piece identifies several directions that I believe scholars engaged in qualitative inquiry ought to pursue. I offer a list of “shoulds” to argue that qualitative scholars would benefit by privileging story over philosophy and theory, by limiting adherence to the postmodern push toward uncertainty, by calling on the literary in our written accounts, by speaking across positionalities, and by strategically considering the audiences for our work.
Numerical sensitivity analysis of corrosion detection
Authors: Bilotta Antonio , Turco Emilio
Published: November 2014

The aim of the present work is the detection of corrosion damage along the inaccessible part of the boundary of a body under investigation. The data of the problem, besides all the information relative to the domain such as the geometry and the conductivity of the body, are the prescribed current fluxes and voltage measurements on the accessible part of the boundary. This constitutes, in general, a nonlinear inverse problem whose ill-posed feature requires a suitable solution procedure. The strategy proposed here is based on a linearization of the Robin boundary condition on the inaccessible part of the boundary and on the identification of a resistivity parameter related to the corroded surface. Besides giving a strategy to evaluate the corrosion damage parameter, this paper tries to sketch a sensitivity analysis of the computed solution with respect to all factors affecting the available information relative to the accessible boundary, such as the quantity and quality of data and the unavoidable errors corrupting the compatibility of the measured data.
False Memory in Adults With ADHD: A Comparison Between Subtypes and Normal Controls
Authors: Soliman Abdrabo Moghazy , Elfar Rania Mohamed
Published: November 2014

Objectives: To examine the performance on the Deese-Roediger-McDermott task of adults divided into ADHD subtypes and compares their performance to that of healthy controls to examine whether adults with ADHD are more susceptible to the production of false memories under experimental conditions. Method: A total of 128 adults with ADHD (50% females), classified into three Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV-TR) subtypes, were compared with 48 controls. Results: The results indicated that the ADHD participants recalled and recognized fewer studied words than the controls, the ADHD groups produced more false memories than the control group, no differences in either the false positives or the false negatives. The ADHD–combined (ADHD-CT) group recognized significantly more critical words than the control, ADHD–predominantly inattentive (ADHD-IA), and ADHD–predominantly hyperactive-impulsive (ADHD-HI) groups. The ADHD groups recalled and recognized more false positives, were more confident in their false responses, and displayed more knowledge corruption than the controls. The ADHD-CT group recalled and recognized more false positives than the other ADHD groups. Conclusion: The adults with ADHD have more false memories than the controls and that false memory formation varied with the ADHD subtypes.
Is Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy a Risk Factor for Cigarette Smoking in Offspring? A Longitudinal Controlled Study of ADHD Children Grown Up
Authors: Biederman Joseph , Martelon MaryKate , Woodworth K. Yvonne , Spencer Thomas J. , Faraone Stephen V.
Published: November 2014

Objective: This study examined whether exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy in children with and without ADHD is associated with smoking in offspring and whether this association is selective to ADHD children. Method: Ninety-six exposed and 400 unexposed participants were derived from two longitudinal studies of boys and girls with and without ADHD. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was defined by interviews with participants’ mothers. Results: A significant association was observed between exposure to maternal smoking in pregnancy and cigarette smoking in offspring ( p = .02). Exposed offspring were also more likely to have higher rates of major depression ( p = .04), bipolar disorder ( p = .04), and conduct disorder ( p = .04), and lower IQ ( p = .01), lower Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score ( p = .02), and more impaired Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents (SAICA) scores versus unexposed offspring, adjusting for social class. Conclusion: Maternal smoking during pregnancy was found to increase the risk for smoking and a wide range of adverse psychiatric, cognitive, and functional outcomes in youth.
Parent- and Teacher-Reported Symptoms of ADHD in School-Aged Children With Active Epilepsy: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Reilly Colin , Atkinson Patricia , Das Krishna B. , Chin Richard F. M. , Aylett Sarah E. , Burch Victoria , Gillberg Christopher , Scott Rod C. , Neville Brian G. R.
Published: November 2014

Objective: Provide data on the distribution of parent- and teacher-reported symptoms of ADHD in childhood epilepsy and describe coexisting cognitive and behavioral disorders in children with both epilepsy and ADHD. Method: Eighty-five (74% of those eligible) children (5-15 years) in a population-based sample with active epilepsy underwent psychological assessment. The ADHD Rating Scale–IV (ADHD-RS-IV) scale was completed by parents ( n = 69) and teachers ( n = 67) of participating children with an IQ > 34. ADHD was diagnosed with respect to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Results: Parents reported significantly more symptoms of ADHD than teachers ( p < .001). Symptoms of inattention were more commonly reported than symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity ( p < .001). Neurobehavioral comorbidity was similar in those with ADHD and non-ADHD with the exception of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD), which were more common in those with both epilepsy and ADHD. Conclusion: Symptoms of ADHD are very common in childhood epilepsy but prevalence is influenced by informant.
Ruination and the Headless Man
Authors: Campbell Craig
Published: November 2014

Ruination and the Headless Man is a companion piece to an art installation titled Promethean Methods. Together my work explores the experience of viewing horrific images of suffering and brutality from the safety of home. Like the event of beheading itself, the installation work becomes something else through remediations. Rather than simply describing Promethean Methods this piece seeks to build on and extend that work.
Semantic connection or visual connection: Investigating the true source of confusion
Authors: Ishii Tomoko
Published: November 2014

It has been repeatedly argued among vocabulary researchers that semantically related words should not be taught simultaneously because they can interfere with each other. However, the question of what types of relatedness cause interference has rarely been examined carefully. In addition, there are disagreements among the past studies that have examined this issue, with some providing results showing that semantic clustering does not cause interference and confusion (e.g. Papathanasiou, 2009) and some seeming to suggest that different types of semantic similarity affect memory in different ways (Tinkham, 1997). Replicating a study by Ishii (2013), this article reports the results of a study conducted with the hypothesis that the shared visual feature of the referents of the words learned simultaneously is a significant causal factor in interference. The study compared the learning of (1) unrelated, (2) semantically related, and (3) physically related sets of words; the results confirmed that physically related sets were harder to learn than the other two sets and exhibited more cases of confusion in a test conducted after an interval of 20 minutes. The semantically related sets, which were controlled for physical relatedness, were neither harder nor easier to learn than the unrelated sets, although there were some signs of confusion in the process of learning them. This suggests the possibility that the impeding effect of semantic clustering repeatedly reported in the past (e.g. Tinkham, 1993, 1997; Waring 1997) could be partly due to the visual features sometimes shared between the referents of semantically similar words.
Practice to research: Integrating evidence-based practices with culture and context
Authors: Weisner Thomas S. , Cameron Hay M.
Published: November 2014

There are ways to integrate culturally competent services (CCS) and evidence-based practices (EBP) which can improve the experiences of patients and their families and communities when faced with health problems, as well as the effectiveness and positive experiences of practitioners. CCS and EBP evidence should be jointly deployed for helping patients and clinicians. Partnership research models are useful for achieving the integration of CCS and EBP, since they involve close observation of and participation by clinicians and practitioners in the research process, and often use integrated qualitative and quantitative mixed methods. We illustrate this with 3 examples of work that can help integrate CCS and EBP: ongoing collection of information from patients, clinicians and staff, or “evidence farming”; close study and continuous improvement of activities and accommodations; and use of evidence of tacit, implicit cultural scripts and norms, such as being “productive,” as well as explicit scripts. From a research practice point of view, collaborative partnerships will likely produce research with culture and context bracketed in, and will contribute stronger research models, methods, and units of analysis.
Disaster and relief: The 3.11 Tohoku and Fukushima disasters and Japan’s media industries
Authors: Furukawa Hiroko , Denison Rayna
Published: November 2014

The earthquake and tsunami which occurred in the Tohoku region of Japan (northern Japan) on 11 March 2011 have taken the lives of more than 15,000 people. The disaster and the accident in the nuclear reactors in Fukushima have left about 330,000 people homeless. The catastrophe has affected not only Japanese politics, economics, society and people’s mentalities, but also its cultural industries. This article attempts to investigate two contemporary issues tracing the effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake (the Tohoku Disaster) on Japan’s media landscape: its impact on Japanese media production and distribution, particularly of its most transnationally famous forms, manga and anime; and how perceptions of ‘soft power’ have fluctuated in this difficult media moment. The research uses a cultural and industrial studies approach based on discourse analysis, focusing on the period immediately following the Tohoku Disaster in order to map significant shifts and unexpected results and responses from within Japan’s cultural industries to the earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima power plant disasters.
The thing about pain: The remaking of illness narratives in chronic pain expressions on social media
Authors: Gonzalez-Polledo Elena , Tarr Jen
Published: November 2014

In this article, we analyse chronic pain narratives on Flickr and Tumblr. We focus on how, by incorporating visual and multimodal elements, chronic pain expressions in social media significantly extend and challenge the logic, function and effects of traditional ‘illness narratives’. We examine a sample of images and blogs related to chronic pain and formulate a typology of chronic pain expressions on these sites. Flickr brings a form of narrative immediacy, making the pain experience visible, eliciting empathy and marking chronicity. Tumblr lends itself to more networked forms of interaction through the circulation of multimodal memes, and support communities are built through humour and social criticism. We argue that new forms of mediation and social media dynamics transform pain narratives. This has implications for our understandings of the forms and formats of pain communication and offers new possibilities for communicating pain within and beyond clinical contexts.
Why no twin-track Europe? Unity, discontent, and differentiation in European integration
Authors: Hvidsten Andreas H , Hovi Jon
Published: November 2014

European integration has grown increasingly differentiated. EU member countries now integrate at different speeds and frequently resort to opt-out clauses, while occasionally voicing deep discontent with the direction of the integration process. Nevertheless, European integration essentially remains a single-track enterprise, whereby member countries move in the same direction under the same set of EU institutions. Offering a novel perspective on EU integration, we argue that the real puzzle is not why integration has become differentiated but rather why it has not become more differentiated. Using a simple formal model to illustrate and deepen our argument, we throw new light on the bewildering coexistence of unity, discontent, and differentiation in the European project. We show that a twin-track Europe would likely leave more EU members discontented.
Providing information for family carers of hospital patients experiencing dementia
Authors: Bronson Mary , Toye Christine
Published: November 2014

Family carers of people with dementia may take on this role without understanding how it will evolve or how to obtain support. Hospitalisation of the person with dementia can not only compound carers’ concerns, but also provides an opportunity for their needs to be addressed. This project involved preparing hospital based nurses, so they could initiate a dialogue with family carers of patients diagnosed with dementia, developing a protocol to guide the nurses as they provided carers with a dementia information booklet, implementing this protocol during a 12-week trial period, and obtaining feedback from the nurses using a questionnaire. At least 21 booklets were distributed; 16 nurses provided feedback. Nurses viewed the practice change positively. Recommendations are to engage ward based champions to embed this strategy into nursing practice, keep the staff informed, and ensure that the booklet is kept in a location visible to the staff.
Diverse Diversions: Youth Justice Reform, Localized Practices, and a ‘New Interventionist Diversion’?
Authors: Kelly Laura , Armitage Vici
Published: November 2014

The recent resurgence of practices aimed at ‘diverting’ young people from prosecution appears to suggest a sea change from the interventionism which characterized New Labour’s approach to young law-breakers. Drawing on interviews with youth justice practitioners at two sites in England, we argue this is overly simplistic, since the ‘interventionist diversion’ they describe reflects the continued influence of New Labour reforms, as well as older approaches. We conclude that more empirical research is needed to establish where such interventions sit within the broader – and increasingly localized – landscape of support provision, as well as the consequences of providing ‘welfare’ in this way.