bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patient and family experiences of palliative care in hospital:  What do we know? An integrative review
Authors: Robinson Jackie , Gott Merryn , Ingleton Christine
Published: May 2013

Background:

In most developed countries, acute hospitals play a significant role in palliative care provision and are the setting in which most people die. They are often the setting where a life-limiting diagnosis is made and where patients present when symptoms develop or when they are not well managed. Understanding the experiences of hospital admissions for people with a life-limiting illness and their families is essential in understanding the role acute hospitals play in providing palliative care.

Aim:

The aim of this review is to synthesise current evidence regarding the experience of palliative care in an acute hospital setting from the perspectives of patient and family.

Design:

An integrative review was completed using standard processes followed by a process of data extraction and synthesis.

Data sources:

Using predefined search terms, literature was sourced from five electronic databases including MEDLINE (EBSCO), CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane and PsycINFO between January 1990 and November 2011. Reference lists from relevant articles were cross-checked and pertinent journals hand searched for articles.

Results:

In total, 32 articles were included in the review. Five recurring themes were identified from the synthesised data: symptom control and burden, communication with health professionals, decision-making related to patient care and management, inadequate hospital environment and interpersonal relationships with health professionals.

Conclusion:

This review has identified that, largely as a result of study design, our knowledge of patient and family experiences of palliative care in an acute hospital remains limited to discrete aspects of care. Further research is required to explore the total patient and family experience taking into account all aspects of care including the potential benefits of hospital admissions in the last year of life.
Accuracy of routine fat-suppressed FLAIR and diffusion-weighted images in detecting clinically evident acute optic neuritis
Authors: McKinney Alexander M , Lohman Brandon D , Sarikaya Basar , Benson Michael , Lee Michael S , Benson Manferd T
Published: May 2013

Background

Contrast-enhanced, fat-suppressed T1-weighted imaging (CET1WI) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is quite sensitive in detecting acute optic neuritis (ON), but ON remains a clinical diagnosis. MRI is indicated to evaluate demyelinating brain lesions rather than the optic nerves, while “routine” brain protocols typically include axial FLAIR and DWI.

Purpose

To evaluate the accuracy of axial, fat-suppressed FLAIR and DWI sequences used for our routine brain imaging in detecting acute ON, as compared to CET1WI and the clinical diagnosis.

Material and Methods

The clinical data and MRI examinations were retrospectively reviewed of 60 patients presenting to a neuro-ophthalmologist for various visual symptoms. Each patient underwent dedicated neuro-ophthalmologic examination, with axial 5 mm fat-suppressed FLAIR and DWI (part of “routine” brain MRI protocol), as well as 3 mm axial and coronal fat-suppressed CET1WI (part of dedicated orbit MRI protocol). Two neuroradiologists independently evaluated FLAIR and DWI, while CET1WI was reviewed by consensus.

Results

Thirty-one patients were clinically positive, 29 negative for ON (total = 34 positive and 86 negative nerves). The sensitivities of FLAIR, DWI, and CET1WI for ON were 75.7–77.3%, 77.3%, and 89.5%, respectively; the specificities were 90.5–93.5%, 80.4–82.7%, and 86.0%, respectively; the accuracies were 85.7–88.2%, 79.5–81.1%, and 87.0%, respectively. Inter-observer kappa was 0.783 for FLAIR, and 0.605 for DWI; intra-observer kappa was 0.746–0.816 for FLAIR, and 0.674–0.699 for DWI (each P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Being more specific, but not as sensitive, as dedicated CET1WI in acute ON, axial fat-suppressed FLAIR likely has additional value in evaluating for acute ON in “routine” brain MR protocols evaluating for demyelinating disease, while DWI may be hampered by artifacts.
The withering of shared life through the loss of biodiversity
Authors: Lestel Dominique
Published: May 2013

The article defends a conception of ecology that considers what ecosystems mean not only in themselves but also for themselves. Each living being is thus a message for another living being, and not merely a functional piece in a physical process of energy exchange or in an evolutionary process in which individual reproduction is all that counts. The article deems that the hatred of the animal kingdom characteristic of Western history and the resulting atrophy of our imagination of the living world explain our blindness. The author suggests Westerners should be more open to non-Western ways of thinking, which might help overcome their difficulty in thinking through the existential, ethical and cultural stakes involved in the present collapse of biodiversity.
Applying Objective Diagnostic Criteria to Students in a College Support Program for Learning Disabilities
Authors: Sparks Richard L. , Lovett Benjamin J.
Published: May 2013

This study examined whether a large group of postsecondary students participating in a support program for students classified as having learning disabilities (LD) met criteria for five objective diagnostic models for LD: IQ-achievement discrepancy (1.0 SD, 1.5 SD, and >2.0 SD) models, a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-IV) model, and an academic impairment model. The participants were 336 postsecondary students enrolled in a private liberal arts college who had been previously classified as having LD prior to entering the program. Results showed that the largest proportion of students met the 1.0 SD (48.8%) and the absolute academic impairment (40.2%) criteria. However, 40.5% of the participants were not classified as having LD by any of the five models. Participants exhibited remarkable variability in their aptitude and achievement scores, with mean composite achievement scores ranging from the very low to the average ranges in reading, mathematics, and writing, depending on the achievement test used. The findings of this study and others suggest that little information about a student’s academic skills is likely to be conveyed by a diagnosis of LD, leading to great heterogeneity in skill levels within LD support programs.
How Does the Ketogenic Diet Work? Four Potential Mechanisms
Authors: Danial Nika N. , Hartman Adam L. , Stafstrom Carl E. , Thio Liu Lin
Published: May 2013

The ketogenic diet and its newer variants are clinically useful in treating epilepsy. They can also have antiepileptogenic properties and can eventually have a role in treating other neurologic and nonneurologic conditions. Despite being nearly a century old, identifying the molecular underpinnings of the ketogenic diet has been challenging. However, recent studies provide experimental evidence for 4 distinct mechanisms that could contribute to the antiseizure and other beneficial effects of these diets. These mechanisms include carbohydrate reduction, activation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)–sensitive potassium channels by mitochondrial metabolism, inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, and inhibition of glutamatergic excitatory synaptic transmission.
Childhood Basilar Artery Occlusion
Authors: Chikkannaiah Mahesh , Lo Warren D.
Published: May 2013

Basilar artery occlusion has poor outcome in adults; little is known regarding outcomes in children. Whether intra-arterial treatments improve adult outcomes is controversial. Safety and efficacy of intra-arterial treatments in children are unknown. We report 5 cases of basilar artery occlusion and review published cases. We estimated National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Score (mRS) of published cases, compared scores between non–intra-arterial treatments and intra-arterial treatments groups, and examined the correlation between NIHSS and mRS. Of our cases, 4 had good outcomes and 1 died. Of 63 published cases, 45 had no intra-arterial treatments and 18 had intra-arterial treatments. In the non–intra-arterial treatments group 24 had good outcomes. In the intra-arterial treatments group 13 had good outcomes. There was strong correlation between the NIHSS and the mRS. Children with basilar artery occlusion have better outcomes than adults. Certain children with basilar artery occlusion may be treated conservatively. A registry for childhood basilar artery occlusion is urgently needed.
Periodic Eye Movements and Epileptic Spasms in West Syndrome
Authors: Kakisaka Yosuke , Kobayashi Tomoko , Hino-Fukuyo Naomi , Uematsu Mitsugu , Numata Yurika , Mori Masato , Kure Shigeo
Published: May 2013

In addition to the typical infantile spasm symptoms, several other symptoms, such as eye movements, have been reported to be associated with infantile spasms, although the relationship between the typical spasms and these other events is not fully understood. Here we present a case with West syndrome. We observed the appearance of periodic eye movements followed by the onset of typical spasms and the appearance/disappearance of periodic eye movements during withdrawal/increases of vigabatrin. We believe that the case strongly supports the notion that periodic eye movements and typical spasms represent a spectrum of symptoms related to the same phenomenon of West syndrome.
Swift Transport versus Information Gathering
Authors: Samuelsson Tobias , Berner Boel
Published: May 2013

Swift transport used to be the predominant way ambulance services provided care. During the past few decades, advanced information and communication technologies have increased the amount of patient information that ambulance crews can transmit to hospitals. The ambulance service has thus, in principle, been transformed from a swift transport unit into a complex information-gathering unit. The new telemedicine technologies available to crews are linked to demands concerning organizational changes and alterations in work procedures that challenge traditional ways of providing “good” ambulance care. In this article, we draw on both ethnographic observations and concepts from the field of science and technology studies to demonstrate how established work practices and complex local situations format the ambulance crews’ use of information-gathering technologies. We highlight how ambulance crews employ strategies of localization, including taming and deliberate nonuse of telemedicine technologies, to align these technologies with their established stance about how everyday ambulance care is best implemented.
The administrative reform trajectory of the European Commission in comparative perspective: Historical new institutionalism in compound systems
Authors: Ongaro Edoardo
Published: May 2013

The European Commission has undergone successive waves of public management reforms since the second half of the 1990s that have led to substantive administrative change. This contribution aims at explaining how the “unique” politico-administrative context of the European Union affected the trajectory of reform of the Commission, compared with trajectories of reform of the public sector at the national level. On the basis of such analysis, the Pollitt and Bouckaert model of contextual influences on the dynamics of public management reform is revisited, and considerations on the use of historical institutionalism in the study of administrative reforms proposed.
Face-Space Architectures
Authors: Nestor Adrian , Plaut David C. , Behrmann Marlene
Published: May 2013

The concept of psychological face space lies at the core of many theories of face recognition and representation. To date, much of the understanding of face space has been based on principal component analysis (PCA); the structure of the psychological space is thought to reflect some important aspects of a physical face space characterized by PCA applications to face images. In the present experiments, we investigated alternative accounts of face space and found that independent component analysis provided the best fit to human judgments of face similarity and identification. Thus, our results challenge an influential approach to the study of human face space and provide evidence for the role of statistically independent features in face encoding. In addition, our findings support the use of color information in the representation of facial identity, and we thus argue for the inclusion of such information in theoretical and computational constructs of face space.
Penal Statecraft in the Latin American City
Authors: Müller Markus-Michael
Published: May 2013

This paper applies Loïc Wacquant’s work on penal statecraft to analyze the growing punitiveness of urban politics in contemporary Mexico City. It demonstrates that the intersection of the urbanization of neoliberalism and the democratization of local politics contributed to the emergence of a punitive regime of governing urban marginality in the city. This indicates the consolidation of a punitive urban democracy in which despite the formal legal empowerment of the city’s residents during the last two decades, those at the urban margins face a reverse process of punitive exclusion that takes the form of a criminalization of poverty. In taking a closer look at the situation within the local penal apparatus, the paper furthermore shows that these exclusionary tendencies are reinforced by informal institutional practices inside the local law enforcement bureaucracies.
A time series analysis of presentations to Queensland health facilities for alcohol-related conditions, following the increase in ‘alcopops’ tax
Authors: Kisely Steve , Crowe Elizabeth , Lawrence David , White Angela , Connor Jason
Published: May 2013

Objective:

In response to concerns about the health consequences of high-risk drinking by young people, the Australian Government increased the tax on pre-mixed alcoholic beverages (‘alcopops’) favoured by this demographic. We measured changes in admissions for alcohol-related harm to health throughout Queensland, before and after the tax increase in April 2008.

Methods:

We used data from the Queensland Trauma Register, Hospitals Admitted Patients Data Collection, and the Emergency Department Information System to calculate alcohol-related admission rates per 100,000 people, for 15 – 29 year-olds. We analysed data over 3 years (April 2006 – April 2009), using interrupted time-series analyses. This covered 2 years before, and 1 year after, the tax increase. We investigated both mental and behavioural consequences (via F10 codes), and intentional/unintentional injuries (S and T codes).

Results:

We fitted an auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model, to test for any changes following the increased tax. There was no decrease in alcohol-related admissions in 15 – 29 year-olds. We found similar results for males and females, as well as definitions of alcohol-related harms that were narrow (F10 codes only) and broad (F10, S and T codes).

Conclusions:

The increased tax on ‘alcopops’ was not associated with any reduction in hospital admissions for alcohol-related harms in Queensland 15 – 29 year-olds.
Oral health of patients on psychotropic medications: a study of outpatients in Queensland
Authors: Lalloo Ratilal , Kisely Steve , Amarasinghe Hemantha , Perera Roshnal , Johnson Newell
Published: May 2013

Objective:

To describe the oral health of psychiatric patients on psychotropic medication, and compare this to Queensland and national data.

Methods:

We interviewed and examined 50 patients on medication at two outpatient clinics in South-east Queensland, in 2010. These areas had unfluoridated water till 2009.

Results:

One-third of the sample had not visited a dentist in the previous 2 years. One-half reported brushing their teeth once a day; 11% stated they never brushed. The mean of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) was 17.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 16.9 – 18.5), significantly higher than the state (13.1) and national (12.8) averages. Almost one-half of dental decay was untreated, compared to the state and national average of one-quarter.

Conclusions:

The oral health of this subgroup within the community is substantially worse than the general population and there are substantially greater treatment needs. Achieving equity in oral health care for these individuals has substantial resource and management implications.
Benefit Finding in Fathers of Childhood Cancer Survivors
Authors: Hensler Molly A. , Katz Ernest R. , Wiener Lori , Berkow Roger , Madan-Swain Avi
Published: May 2013

There is a growing literature examining positive outcomes following traumatic experiences. Although the diagnosis of a child with cancer poses extraordinary challenges for the family, awareness is growing that such a life-changing event can be a catalyst for positive growth. The current mixed methods study investigated benefit finding in fathers (N = 25) of childhood cancer survivors. Benefit finding included positive changes resulting from adversity. Participants completed a benefit finding measure and an interview describing their experience and benefits from the challenges faced during their child’s cancer journey. Findings indicated that fathers endorsed high levels of benefit finding (mean = 4.1 out of 5) specifically in personal growth, spiritual change, and relationships with others. Our study extends the literature by examining how their child’s cancer journey contributed to specific domains of paternal benefit finding. These results support the use of a positive psychology framework for understanding effects of a child’s cancer diagnosis on caregivers.
Of saints and sinners: How appeals to collective pride and guilt affect outgroup helping
Authors: van Leeuwen Esther , van Dijk Wilco , Kaynak Ümit
Published: May 2013

We examined how appeals to collective guilt and pride can motivate people to help members of a disadvantaged outgroup. Results from two experiments supported the prediction that appeals to collective pride are more effective than appeals to collective guilt in prompting high identifying group members’, but not low identifying group members’ willingness to help the outgroup. Study 2 demonstrated that, as expected, pride appeals generated more empathy for the disadvantaged group than guilt appeals, particularly among high identifiers, and empathy mediated the relationship between emotional appeals and helping. The results complement existing research on collective guilt by demonstrating how high identifiers can be persuaded to help members of a disadvantaged outgroup even in the context of historical harmdoings.
Virtual attractors, actual assemblages
Authors: Farías Ignacio
Published: May 2013

This article proposes complementing actor-network theory (ANT) with Niklas Luhmann’s communication theory, in order to overcome one of ANT’s major shortcomings, namely, the lack of a conceptual repertoire to describe virtual processes such as sense-making. A highly problematic consequence of ANT’s actualism is that it cannot explain the differentiation of economic, legal, scientific, touristic, religious, medical, artistic, political and other qualities of actual entities, assemblages and relationships. By recasting Luhmann’s theory of functionally differentiated communication forms and sense-making as dealing with different types of virtual attractors calling for actualizations in concrete assemblages, I propose a symmetrical understanding of societal differentiation processes as based on the co-production of virtual attractors and actual assemblages.
Rethinking Desi
Authors: Mallapragada Madhavi
Published: May 2013

This article examines drumnyc.org , the website of New York–based South Asian activist organization Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), and interrogates the politics of the site within the overlapping contexts of the racialization of South Asian immigrants, online activism, and desi cultures in the United States. My central argument is that drumnyc.org foregrounds working-class South Asian immigrants as active political subjects negotiating their pathways to cultural citizenship in the United States by articulating belonging to technologies of race, transnational class formations, and network cultures. Drumnyc.org also exemplifies the web’s role in revealing the instability of ideals of desi diasporic identification with the “original” South Asian homeland in the face of new temporal and spatial expressions of immigrant belonging such as websites devoted to representing and advancing working-class desi activism.
“Data” As Vital Illusion
Authors: Koro-Ljungberg Mirka
Published: May 2013

I produce data. You produce data. She produces data. We produce data. They produce data.

Data is being produced. Data produces us.

Data. Data. Data. . . . But only illusions of “data.”

Copies of “data.” ∞
Here’s Data Now, Happening
Authors: Amatucci Kristi Bruce
Published: May 2013

In traditional qualitative research, data is conceived as an object on which the researcher acts. Whether that object fits into a traditional category—an interview transcript, field notes—or a transgressive category—a dream or memory—data are still nouns, things to be apprehended by the senses. In my postqualitative work, data are not entities, not nouns subject to process. Instead a process—writing—is the data. I write autoethnographic stories that are not based on discrete data sources. Rather, the data are the stories themselves. They come to be through the process of writing. In this article, I theorize data as a verb. What can data do when it is no longer tied to a material existence as object? When it is no longer a thing, but an action? To address these questions, as all of my questions, I write. In this case, my writing stems from a recent journey East during which I couldn’t stop doing data.
Revision Surgery for Diabetic Foot Infections
Authors: Aragón-Sánchez Javier , Lázaro-Martínez Jose Luis , Molinés-Barroso Raúl , García Álvarez Yolanda , Quintana-Marrero Yurena , Hernández-Herrero Maria J.
Published: May 2013

Revision surgery (RS) is frequently needed to control diabetic foot infections. It is the aim of this retrospective observational study to analyze the variables associated with undergoing RS and the variables associated with undergoing a major amputation when RS was required. We conducted a retrospective study of patients with diabetes treated in our department during 10 years (January 1, 2000 to January 1, 2010) who had foot infections identifying those who required RS. In all, 167 out of 417 patients (40%) with diabetes who underwent surgery for foot infections underwent RS for persistent infection. The predictive variables related to undergoing revision surgery were erythrocyte sedimentation rate >70 mm/h (odds ratio [OR] = 1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-2.6), leukocytosis (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.1-2.5), peripheral arterial disease (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0-2.4), and isolation of gram-negative rods from tissue biopsy (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.5-3.4). Seventy-nine out of 167 patients (47.3) who underwent RS required a higher level of surgery achieving a limb salvage rate of 70.7%. Predictive variables related to undergoing a major amputation after RS were persistent infection located in the bone (OR = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.03-0.22), ischemic heart disease (OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.4-8.5), 2 or more reoperations (OR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.2-7.1), isolation of gram-negative rods from tissue biopsy (OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.3-8.4), and peripheral arterial disease (OR = 6.5, 95% CI = 1.9-22.8). Despite the fact that 40% of patients underwent reoperations for diabetic foot infections and 47.3% of them required a higher level of surgery, a high rate of limb salvage could be achieved.
Analysis of Nonequivalent Assessments Across Different Linguistic Groups Using a Mixed Methods Approach
Authors: Benítez Isabel , Padilla José-Luis
Published: May 2013

Differential item functioning (DIF) can undermine the validity of cross-lingual comparisons. While a lot of efficient statistics for detecting DIF are available, few general findings have been found to explain DIF results. The objective of the article was to study DIF sources by using a mixed method design. The design involves a quantitative phase in which DIF was analyzed followed by a qualitative phase conducting cognitive interviews. To illustrate the proposal, polytomous DIF was analyzed in the scales from the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) Student Questionnaire (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Evidence obtained allowed DIF to be connected with differences in the interpretation patterns of participants from the different linguistic groups. Finally, benefits of mixed methods design for analyzing equivalence in cross-lingual assessments are discussed.
Post challenge inhibition of C3 and CD14 attenuates Escherichia coli-induced inflammation in human whole blood
Authors: Egge Kjetil H , Thorgersen Ebbe B , Lindstad Julie K , Pharo Anne , Lambris John D , Barratt-Due Andreas , Mollnes Tom E
Published: May 2013

Combined inhibition of CD14 and complement, two main inducers of the inflammatory response, have proved particularly effective in attenuating Gram-negative bacteria-induced inflammation. Approaching possible clinical relevance, we investigated the effect of such inhibition in a post-challenge setting. Human whole blood was anti-coagulated with lepirudin. Anti-CD14, compstatin (C3 inhibitor) and the combination thereof were added 5 min prior to or 5, 15 or 30 min after adding Escherichia coli. Total incubation time with Escherichia coli was 120 min. Cytokines, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and the terminal complement complex (TCC) were measured using multiplex technology and ELISA. Delayed combined inhibition significantly attenuated the inflammatory response. IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α were significantly inhibited in the range of 20–40%, even when adding the inhibitors with up to 30 min delay. IL-6 was significantly inhibited with 15 min delay, and MIP-1α and MPO with 5 min delay. Complement activation (TCC) was blocked completely at each time point compstatin was added, whereas the cytokines and MPO increased steadily between the time points. The combined regimen was significantly more effective than single inhibition in the pre-challenge setting. The attenuation of Escherichia coli-induced inflammation in a post-challenge setting suggests a potential therapeutic window for this treatment in sepsis.
Probation as a setting for building well-being through integrated service provision: evaluating an Offender Health Trainer service
Authors: Dooris Mark , McArt Dervla , Hurley Margaret A , Baybutt Michelle
Published: May 2013

Introduction:

The NHS Health Trainer Programme was launched in England and Wales in 2005 with the aim of tackling health inequalities. While initially focusing on geographical communities, the initiative has extended its reach to particular population groups, such as offenders and their families, who experience high levels of physical and mental health needs and wider social exclusion. This paper reports on the evaluation of the Offender Health Trainer service delivered in probation settings in Bury, Rochdale and Oldham (Greater Manchester). This service has sought to improve the health of offenders, improve their access to mainstream services, and help reduce health inequalities – as well as facilitate rehabilitation and improve job prospects for ex-offenders through employment as health trainers.

Aims:

This evaluative research study aimed to explore the delivery of the Offender Health Trainer service and examine its impact on service users. The study design and limited time frame meant that the research was focused on the journeys of service users rather than on long-term outcomes.

Methods:

The evaluation used a mixed-methods approach, comprising two key elements: the interrogation and analysis of routinely collected quantitative data extracted from the National Health Trainer Data Collection Recording System (DCRS); and in-depth qualitative research using interviews and focus groups with clients and health trainers.

Results:

The evaluation points to the overall success of the service in meeting its aims and impacting positively on the lives of offenders. It reveals promising trends in behaviour change and self-perceived health and well-being, articulating a rich narrative detailing how the service has helped probation clients tackle multiple interwoven problems and build hope and self-belief. Of particular importance was the health trainers’ experience of the criminal justice system, which resonated with and inspired clients, developing trust and motivation to change.

Conclusions:

While the research inevitably had limitations, this study suggests that the health trainer model can be effectively implemented within the probation setting, making a valuable contribution to the improvement of offenders’ health and well-being by working in ways that acknowledge the connections between personal lifestyle and wider determinants of health. Within the context of forthcoming probation reforms, it will be increasingly important to develop services that highlight these links and to invest in appropriate evaluation that can generate further learning about ‘what works and why’.
The PROTOE Intramedullary Hammertoe Device
Authors: Scott Ryan T. , Hyer Christopher F. , Berlet Gregory C.
Published: May 2013

Hammertoe digital deformity correction is a very controversial topic among foot and ankle surgeons. Hammertoes are characterized by an extension deformity at the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) and flexion deformity at the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ). Current treatment options are often guided by the patient’s discomfort as well as the reducibility of the affected digit. Kirschner wires (K-wires) have long been considered the gold standard for hammertoe digital repair. Although K-wires are simplistic to use as fixation, they carry inherit risks such as pin tract infections, migration, and breakage. This has lead to multiple intramedullary hammertoe devices including the PROTOE intramedullary device. This paper will discuss the usage and benefits the PROTOE has to offer over the conventional K - wire.

Level of Evidence: IV
Emerging Topics in the Surgical and Critical Care Treatment of Trauma Patients
Authors: Cripps Michael W.
Published: May 2013

In 1896, Bridget Driscoll had the dubious honor of becoming the first fatality from an auto versus pedestrian collision. At the coroner’s inquiry, the judge stated that he “trusted that this sort of nonsense will never happen again” (How the UK’s first fatal car accident unfolded. BBC News Magazine. 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10987606 ). Unfortunately, more than 100 years later, fatalities still occur, but the treatment of trauma patients has greatly improved as a result of both the basic science and clinical research of traumatic injuries. The purpose of this discussion is to include a brief description of 3 topics in the surgery of trauma that have been widely discussed at national conferences and have had important new publications in the past year. Although this discussion cannot be all inclusive, it should highlight the important facts and help provide a general overview of these exciting advances in the critical care of trauma patients.
Acute Pancreatitis in a Patient With Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Normal Lipase Levels
Authors: Argueta Erwin E. , Nugent Kenneth M.
Published: May 2013

The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis requires clinical, biochemical, and occasionally imaging information. Biochemical criteria include serum lipase levels, which are considered both sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Patients with diabetic ketoacidosis often have abdominal pain that may be related to the ongoing metabolic derangement or to precipitating intra-abdominal pathology. The pain severity in diabetic ketoacidosis helps determine whether abdominal disease should be further investigated. We present a patient with diabetic ketoacidosis and acute pancreatitis who had no significant elevation of amylase and lipase. The patient had abdominal pain that persisted despite ongoing treatment with intravenous insulin for ketoacidosis. The pain was initially located in the epigastrium and then migrated to the right lower quadrant. An abdominal computed tomography scan was obtained to exclude acute appendicitis, and this study revealed peripancreatic fluid consistent with acute pancreatitis that extended into the right lower quadrant anterior to the psoas muscle. A literature review of previous case reports and possible explanations for normal lipase levels are discussed. In conclusion, normal lipase levels do not exclude the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis and imaging criteria may be needed. It is also important to recognize that laboratory studies have limitations, and these should be taken into account when confirming a diagnosis.
Public relations literacy: Developing critical consumers of public relations
Authors: Holladay Sherry Jean , Coombs William Timothy
Published: May 2013

This article introduces the concept of public relations literacy and proposes that public relations literacy should be promoted to empower consumers of public relations’ actions and messages and to increase the accountability of practitioners. The goals of this article are to describe the concept of public relations literacy as a subset of media literacy, discuss its value to society, and propose areas of critical thinking that could enhance the conceptualization and practice of public relations literacy.
Strategic communication institutionalized: A Scandinavian perspective
Authors: Kjeldsen Anna Karina
Published: May 2013

The aim of this article is to discuss the strength of Scandinavian neo-institutionalism in general and the virus metaphor in particular as analytical lens when studying processes of institutionalization. The article addresses the following two questions: (1) How do we detect the very early stages of institutionalization when strategic communication is not yet visible as organizational practice, and how can such detections provide explanation for the later outcome of the process? (2) How can studies of strategic communication benefit from an institutional perspective? How can the virus metaphor generate a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that interact from the time an organization is exposed to a new organizational idea such as strategic communication until it surfaces in the form of symptoms such as mission and vision statements, communication manuals and communication positions? The first part of the article focuses on a discussion of the virus metaphor as an alternative to the widespread fashion metaphor for processes of institutionalization. The second part of the article provides empirical examples of the virus metaphor employed, examples that are drawn from a study of the institutionalization of strategic communication in three Danish art museums.
Public relations and the new institutionalism: In search of a theoretical framework
Authors: Frandsen Finn , Johansen Winni
Published: May 2013

The aim of this conceptual article is to study a possible dual relationship between public relations and the new institutionalism. How can neo-institutional organizational theory contribute to public relations research, including answering the question: How is public relations (corporate communication or strategic communication) institutionalized in private and public organizations? And how, vice versa, can public relations contribute to the neo-institutional study of organizations, including answering the question: How does public relations institutionalize? In the first part of the article, a short up-to-date précis of the new institutionalism is given demonstrating how this theoretical framework within organizational sociology has developed through various stages and in various directions. The focus is on the shift towards a more complex and interactive understanding of how and why organizations adopt institutionalized norms. In the second part of the article, the new interest in rhetorical, discursive and communicative aspects among neo-institutional scholars is discussed with special reference to Lammers’s theory of institutional messages. An outline of a new theory about how public relations institutionalizes is presented. Each of the two parts of the article ends with a set of research questions to be addressed by future cross-disciplinary research in public relations and neo-institutional organizational theory.
Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Written Exposure Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Wisco Blair E. , Sloan Denise M. , Marx Brian P.
Published: May 2013

We examined the extent to which cognitive emotion-regulation (ER) strategies moderated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment outcome among 40 motor vehicle accident survivors. Participants were randomly assigned to either a brief written exposure therapy (WET) condition or a waitlist condition and were assessed pre- and posttreatment and at a 3-month follow-up. Positive-reappraisal and putting-into-perspective strategies at baseline interacted with condition to predict symptom change over time. Both strategies predicted greater reductions in PTSD in the waitlist group, suggesting facilitation of natural recovery. However, positive reappraisal was associated with smaller reductions in PTSD in the WET group, suggesting that this strategy may interfere with treatment. Treatment also reduced use of the maladaptive ER strategy of rumination. These results provide evidence that putting-into-perspective and positive-reappraisal strategies are beneficial in the absence of treatment and that certain types of ER strategies may reduce response to WET, highlighting the importance of future research examining ER during treatment.
Functional modelling of planar cell polarity: an approach for identifying molecular function
Authors: Hazelwood Lee D , Hancock John M
Published: May 2013

Background

Cells in some tissues acquire a polarisation in the plane of the tissue in addition to apical-basal polarity. This polarisation is commonly known as planar cell polarity and has been found to be important in developmental processes, as planar polarity is required to define the in-plane tissue coordinate system at the cellular level.

Results

We have built an in-silico functional model of cellular polarisation that includes cellular asymmetry, cell-cell signalling and a response to a global cue. The model has been validated and parameterised against domineering non-autonomous wing hair phenotypes in Drosophila.

Conclusions

We have carried out a systematic comparison of in-silico polarity phenotypes with patterns observed in vivo under different genetic manipulations in the wing. This has allowed us to classify the specific functional roles of proteins involved in generating cell polarity, providing new hypotheses about their specific functions, in particular for Pk and Dsh. The predictions from the model allow direct assignment of functional roles of genes from genetic mosaic analysis of Drosophila wings.
Characterization of the transporterB0AT3 (Slc6a17) in the rodent central nervous system
Authors: Hägglund Maria GA , Hellsten Sofie V , Bagchi Sonchita , Ljungdahl Anna , Nilsson Victor CO , Winnergren Sonja , Stephansson Olga , Rumaks Juris , Svirskis Simons , Klusa Vija , Schiöth Helgi B , Fredriksson Robert
Published: May 2013

Background

The vesicular B0AT3 transporter (SLC6A17), one of the members of the SLC6 family, is a transporter for neutral amino acids and is exclusively expressed in brain. Here we provide a comprehensive expression profile of B0AT3 in mouse brain using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry.

Results

We confirmed previous expression data from rat brain and used a novel custom made antibody to obtain detailed co-labelling with several cell type specific markers. B0AT3 was highly expressed in both inhibitory and excitatory neurons. The B0AT3 expression was highly overlapping with those of vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2) and vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1). We also show here that Slc6a17mRNA is up-regulated in animals subjected to short term food deprivation as well as animals treated with the serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine and the dopamine/noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor bupropion.

Conclusions

This suggests that the B0AT3 transporter have a role in regulation of monoaminergic as well as glutamatergic synapses.
Combined use of AFP, CEA, CA125 and CAl9-9 improves the sensitivity for the diagnosis of gastric cancer
Authors: He Chao-Zhu , Zhang Kun-He , Li Qing , Liu Xiao-Hua , Hong Yan , Lv Nong-Hua
Published: May 2013

Background

The detection of serum tumor marker becomes a common method for screening tumors. However, this method has not been widely used for routine gastric cancer screening. In this study we aimed to determine whether the combined use of tumor markers may increase the sensitivity for the diagnosis of gastric cancer.

Methods

Serum AFP, CEA, CA125 and CA19-9 levels were measured in 149 patients with gastric cancer, 111 patients with benign gastric diseases and 124 healthy people, who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from May 2011 to May 2012. Statistical analysis including receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the area under the curve (AUC), and logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic value of these markers on gastric cancer.

Results

Serum levels of CEA, CA125, and CA19-9 in gastric cancer group were higher than that in the benign gastric disease group and the healthy control group (P <0.005). The sensitivity of AFP, CEA, CA125 and CA19-9 in the diagnosis of gastric cancer was 4.7-20.8% individually, and increased to 40.3% in combination. By using optimal cut-off value, the sensitivity of CEA, CA125, and CA19-9 for the diagnosis of gastric cancer was improved. Especially, the sensitivity of CEA increased to 58.4% and the sensitivity of combined use of four markers increased to 69.1%. The age and gender had no effects on the diagnostic value of these markers.

Conclusions

The determination and application of optimal cut-off values based on ROC curve and logistic regression analysis could improve the diagnosis of gastric cancer based on common tumor markers.
Urinary high molecular weight matrix metalloproteinases as non-invasive biomarker for detection of bladder cancer
Authors: Mohammed Mohammed A , Seleim Manar F , Abdalla Mohga S , Sharada Hayat M , Abdel Wahab Abdel Hady A
Published: May 2013

Background

Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are key molecules for tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. Over-expression of different MMPs in tumor tissues can disturb the homeostasis and increase the level of various body fluids. Many MMPs including high molecular weights (HMWs) were detected in the urine of prostate and bladder cancer patients. Our aim here is to assess the usefulness of HMW MMPs as non invasive biomarkers in bilharzial bladder cancer in Egyptian patients.

Methods

The activity of different MMPs including HMW species was determined using zymographic analysis technique in the urine samples procured from sixty six bladder cancer patients (bilharzial and non-bilharzial) as well as hundred healthy control subjects. Also, the correlation between these HMW MMPs activities and different clinico-pathological parameters was investigated.

Results

High frequency of urine MMPs (uMMPs) activity was determined in 63.6% of examined tumor cases, however, none of the control cases showed any uMMPs activity. MMP-9 had the highest activity (62%) followed by MMP9/NGAL (60%), MMP-2 (54.5%), MMP-9 dimer (53%), ADAMTS (25.6%), and the lowest one was MMP-9/TIMP-1 (12%) only. There was no correlation between uMMPs and any of clinico-pathological parameters including age, gender, tumor size and type, bilharziasis, grade, lymph node involvement, and invasion to the prostate. A significant correlation was established only between MMP-9/TIMP-1 activities with the tumor size.

Conclusions

This study revealed that the detection of urinary MMPs including HMWs activity might be sensitive biomarkers for prediction of bladder cancer. It is also demonstrate that the detection of these urinary HMW gelatinases could not differentiate between bilharzial and non bilharzial bladder cancer subtypes.
Performance analysis of generalized QAM modulation under η−μ and κ−μ fading
Authors: Queiroz Wamberto J. L. , Madeiro Francisco , Lopes Waslon T. A. , Alencar Marcelo S.
Published: May 2013

This paper presents new closed-form expressions for the symbol error probability (SEP) of θ-QAM modulation with maximum ratio combining (MRC) receiver under η−μ and κ−μ fading. The SEP formulae, obtained from the definite integrals of the moment generating function (MGF) of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the input of the MRC receiver, are written in terms of Lauricella functions. The numerical evaluation of the expressions is carried out for the η−μ distribution, which includes important distributions as special cases, such as Hoyt, Nakagami-m, Rayleigh, and one-sided Gaussian, as well as for the κ−μ distribution, which includes Rice, Nakagami-m, Rayleigh, and one-sided Gaussian as special cases.
Differentially expressed proteins in the skin mucus of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) upon natural infection with Vibrio anguillarum
Authors: Rajan Binoy , Lokesh Jep , Kiron Viswanath , Brinchmann Monica F
Published: May 2013

Background

Vibriosis caused by V. anguillarum is a commonly encountered disease in Atlantic cod farms and several studies indicate that the initiation of infection occurs after the attachment of the pathogen to the mucosal surfaces (gut, skin and gills) of fish. Therefore it is necessary to investigate the role of different mucosal components in fish upon V. anguillarum infection. The present study has two parts; in the first part we analyzed the differential expression of skin mucus proteins from Atlantic cod naturally infected with V. anguillarum using two dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry. In the second part, a separate bath challenge experiment with V. anguillarum was conducted to assess the mRNA levels of the genes in skin tissue, corresponding to the selected proteins identified in the first part.

Results

Comparative proteome analysis of skin mucus of cod upon natural infection with V. anguillarum revealed key immune relevant proteins like calpain small subunit 1, glutathione-S-transferase omega 1, proteasome 26S subunit, 14-kDa apolipoprotein, beta 2-tubulin, cold inducible RNA binding protein, malate dehydrogenase 2 (mitochondrial) and type II keratin that exhibited significant differential expression. Additionally a number of protein spots which showed large variability amongst individual fish were also identified. Some of the proteins identified were mapped to the immunologically relevant JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinases) signalling pathway that is connected to cellular events associated with pathogenesis. A bath challenge experiment with V. anguillarum showed differential expression of beta 2-tubulin, calpain small subunit 1, cold inducible RNA binding protein, flotillin1, and glutathione S-transferase omega 1 transcripts in the skin tissue of cod during early stages of infection.

Conclusions

Differentially expressed proteins identified in the cod skin mucus point towards their possible involvement in V. anguillarum pathogenesis. The role of some of these proteins in vibriosis in cod described in this paper can be considered unconventional with respect to their established functions in higher vertebrates. Based on the differential expression of these proteins they are possibly important components of fish defence against bacteria and innate immunity at large. The feasibility of utilizing these proteins/genes as markers of bacterial infection or stress in cod needs to be explored further.