bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of the Intervention Selection Profile–Social Skills to Identify Social Skill Acquisition Deficits
Authors: Kilgus Stephen P. , von der Embse Nathaniel P. , Scott Katherine , Paxton Sara
Published: April 2015

The purpose of this investigation was to develop and initially validate the Intervention Selection Profile–Social Skills (ISP-SS), a novel brief social skills assessment method intended for use at Tier 2. Participants included 54 elementary school teachers and their 243 randomly selected students. Teachers rated students on two rating scales, including the Social and Academic Behavior Risk Screener (SABRS) and the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS). Items corresponding to the SABRS Social Behavior scale were considered for inclusion in the ISP-SS, given the research supporting the scale’s reliability, validity, and diagnostic accuracy as a predictor of social skill performance. A clinimetric approach was used in selecting SABRS items for the ISP-SS based upon applied utility, which was defined as the accuracy with which items predicted the presence of social skill acquisition deficits within broad skill domains. Findings supported the selection of six items, which yielded acceptable levels of agreement and classification accuracy. ISP-SS items evidenced adequate internal consistency, with alpha coefficients falling within acceptable ranges. Taken together, findings yielded initial support for the use of the ISP-SS in identifying acquisition deficits to be targeted via Tier 2 social skills instruction. Implications for practice and future directions for research are presented.
Callous-Unemotional Traits and Differently Motivated Aggression
Authors: Flexon Jamie L.
Published: April 2015

Emerging psychopathy in youth is often identified by the presence of callous-unemotional traits, while variants of psychopathy are recognized to exist in either primary or secondary form. These variants have been differentially associated with aggressive behavior, as well as dissimilarly motivated (instrumental, reactionary). The present research evaluates those resembling the variants and the qualities of aggression associated with them in a noninstitutionalized sample of youth. Findings suggest that youth resembling the secondary variant demonstrate higher expression of instrumental and reactive aggression compared to the primary-like variants and non-variants. This finding held when scrutinized against other covariates in the noninstitutionalized sample. Further distinctions based on variant type are discussed.
“Silly Girls” and “Nice Young Lads”
Authors: McMillan Lesley , White Deborah
Published: April 2015

In this article, we explore perceptions and presumptions in relation to rape, raped women, and rapists, among medico-legal professionals who perform forensic medical examinations in rape cases. We draw upon data from in-depth interviews conducted with forensic medical examiners and forensic nurse practitioners in one area of England. Findings reveal that many of these personnel hold particular views centered broadly on the vilification of victims and the vindication of perpetrators. We conclude that these perceptions and presumptions may hold concerning implications for both victim experiences and evidentiary and judicial outcomes.
The chronic abyss and an electronic bridge
Authors: Gill Michael
Published: April 2015

Health systems are failing to address the needs of people with serious chronic disease. The current focus of activity is on acute symptoms but with the rapid rise of chronic conditions, the design of the system comes into question. Medical science is an on-going positive contribution but the way the health system fails to manage people in need outside and between medical silos is problematic. For many with medium to severe chronic diseases, the choices, the opportunities and the available resources are little more than a dark abyss. Rheumatoid disease, often referred to rheumatoid arthritis and closely associated with lupus, lacks adequate understanding and support across both clinical and community spheres. There are three key issues: (a) clinicians underestimate the impact the disease has on their patients; (b) the range of available coordinated support measures is poor; and (c) people with serious chronic conditions need tools and services for self-management of care to augment episodic clinic services. Dragon Claw is a radical initiative that merges patient's unmet need with Internet technologies to provide the first set of steps to enable a more comprehensive approach to managing these debilitating diseases.
Sexual Assault and Testimony: Articulation of/as Violence
Authors: Crowe Kate
Published: April 2015

Testifying to sexual assault can re-traumatize a victim-survivor. This article applies a psychoanalytic framework to existing debate to provide a new interpretation as to why this is still the case despite legal and policy reform. The trauma of testifying to sexual assault is located at the same site where a victim-survivor imagines the law understands and transforms an experience of sexual assault. The sexual assault victim-survivor’s testifying voice is both a medium for fantasy and a violent disruption to it, paradoxically constituting and imposing a violence to their subjectivity. Violence is inflicted through the testifying victim-survivor’s act of speaking, in directing their voice toward the law, and in the ideology associated with sexuality which coats voice and informs fantasy.
Outcome of arthroscopic reduction association of the scapholunate joint
Authors: Koehler S. M. , Guerra S. M. , Kim J. M. , Sakamoto S. , Lovy A. J. , Hausman M. R.
Published: April 2015

This study evaluates the arthroscopic reduction association scapholunate technique and outcomes. A total of 18 patients with chronic scapholunate instability with mean follow-up of 36 months were reviewed. Postoperatively, the mean visual analogue score was 2.5 and the mean DASH score was 8. The grip strength was 27 kg on the operative side compared with 32 kg on the uninjured side. The mean wrist flexion was 46° and extension was 56°. Seven patients had complications. Six patients had scapholunate joint widening, one had windshield-wipering of the screws with loss of reduction, and two demonstrated progression of scapholunate advanced collapse deformity. Four patients underwent revision surgeries: two revision arthroscopic reduction association scapholunates and two proximal row carpectomies. A preoperative scapholunate gap of greater than 5 mm and the presence of scapholunate advanced collapse Grade I were both predictive of a complication or revision surgery. Patients with a scapholunate gap of greater than 5 mm or scapholunate advanced collapse had statistically higher complications rates.

Level of Evidence IV.
Selection and Use of Galactogogues
Authors: Nice Frank J.
Published: April 2015

Breastfeeding mothers are often are concerned about an inadequate quantity of breast milk, designated as insufficient milk supply. Many breastfeeding mothers will attempt to increase the quantity of breast milk production by taking prescription drugs and/or herbs and foods called galactogogues. Galactogogues are defined simply as substances that promote lactation. The most common prescription galactogogues are domperidone, metoclopramide, metformin, and oxytocin. Many common herbals and foods have been traditionally used as galactogogues. These galactogogues will be reviewed; this information will allow health care professionals in all settings to provide consultative services to breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding mothers and supporters will find the information useful to determine if galactogogues are necessary, and if so, which galactogogues are appropriate for use. Treatment guidelines including benefits, doses, actions, and cautions are discussed.
The Cognitive Consequences of Formal Clothing
Authors: Slepian Michael L. , Ferber Simon N. , Gold Joshua M. , Rutchick Abraham M.
Published: April 2015

Drawing from literature on construal-level theory and the psychological consequences of clothing, the current work tested whether wearing formal clothing enhances abstract cognitive processing. Five studies provided evidence supporting this hypothesis. Wearing more formal clothing was associated with higher action identification level (Study 1) and greater category inclusiveness (Study 2). Putting on formal clothing induced greater category inclusiveness (Study 3) and enhanced a global processing advantage (Study 4). The association between clothing formality and abstract processing was mediated by felt power (Study 5). The findings demonstrate that the nature of an everyday and ecologically valid experience, the clothing worn, influences cognition broadly, impacting the processing style that changes how objects, people, and events are construed.
A case of transient hypothermia after trans-lamina terminalis and third ventricle clipping of an extremely high-position basilar tip aneurysm
Authors: Hidaka Toshikazu , Ikawa Fusao , Hamasaki Osamu , Kurokawa Yasuharu , Yonezawa Ushio , Kurisu Kaoru
Published: April 2015

Reports on the trans-lamina terminalis and trans-third ventricular approach are rare. The risk associated with this approach is unknown. After an unsuccessful endovascular surgery, we performed direct surgical clipping via the third ventricle on a 78-year-old woman presenting with an extremely high-positioned, ruptured basilar tip aneurysm. She experienced transient hypothermia for 5 days, and it was considered that this was due to hypothalamic dysfunction. It is necessary to recognize that there is the potential for hypothermia after surgery via the lamina terminalis and third ventricle, even though the mechanisms of hypothalamic thermoregulation are still unclear.
Translating Job 42.6—A Modest Proposal
Authors: Yan Yu Suee
Published: April 2015

Job 42.6 has been interpreted in various ways by ancient translators and modern scholars. The traditional interpretation of a repentant Job, found in most Bible versions, has its own problems and difficulties. A re-examination of the words used in Job 42.6 leads to the conclusion that Job is both overwhelmed and comforted. A new rendering of Job 42.6 is proposed, with the alternative interpretations listed in a footnote.
Lexicography to the Aid of a Problematic Pastoral Proverb: With What Should Christians Be Content in 1 Timothy 6.8?
Authors: Wenkel David H.
Published: April 2015

What are the essential needs for survival? One answer to this question lies in 1 Timothy 6.8. But a quick comparison of various Bible translations will reveal that the answer is not so easily discernible. Some translations use the word pair “food and clothing” while others have “food and shelter.” These are vastly different answers. This study will examine primary source materials in order to seek an accurate translation and interpretation of the word σκέπασμα in this important verse. An examination of primary source materials with an emphasis on synchronic evidence will demonstrate that 1 Timothy 6.8 most likely refers to clothing and not to housing or shelter.
Bible Translation of Non-Mandarin Han Fangyan (Dialects) in Mainland China: The Case of Swatow
Authors: Wong Simon
Published: April 2015

This paper aims at raising awareness of the Bible translation needs among the non-Mandarin Han dialect groups in the People’s Republic of China, especially in the light of the recent reprinting of the 1898 Swatow New Testament by a Swatow Baptist Church in Hong Kong. Such needs are better understood in terms of the Chinese term fangyan, which means topolect (or, regionalect), rather than dialect; in particular, the non-Mandarin Han fangyan spoken in the southeast of the country, such as Cantonese (Yue), Hakka, Hokkien (Min), and so forth, are mutually incomprehensible. Bible translation work among the local fangyan remains very active in Taiwan. It is nevertheless not encouraged, if not forbidden, in Mainland China, mainly because of the country’s deliberate suppression of any fangyan publication. It is hoped that the 2001 revision of the language policy may give more room to the possibility of translation.
Social-ecological systems in the Anthropocene: The need for integrating social and biophysical records at regional scales
Authors: Dearing JA , Acma B , Bub S , Chambers FM , Chen X , Cooper J , Crook D , Dong XH , Dotterweich M , Edwards ME , Foster TH , Gaillard M-J , Galop D , Gell P , Gil A , Jeffers E , Jones RT , Anupama K , Langdon PG , Marchant R , Mazier F , McLean CE , Nunes LH , Sukumar R , Suryaprakash I , Umer M , Yang XD , Wang R , Zhang K
Published: April 2015

Understanding social-ecological system dynamics is a major research priority for sustainable management of landscapes, ecosystems and resources. But the lack of multi-decadal records represents an important gap in information that hinders the development of the research agenda. Without improved information on the long-term and complex interactions between causal factors and responses, it will be difficult to answer key questions about trends, rates of change, tipping points, safe operating spaces and pre-impact conditions. Where available long-term monitored records are too short or lacking, palaeoenvironmental sciences may provide continuous multi-decadal records for an array of ecosystem states, processes and services. Combining these records with conventional sources of historical information from instrumental monitoring records, official statistics and enumerations, remote sensing, archival documents, cartography and archaeology produces an evolutionary framework for reconstructing integrated regional histories. We demonstrate the integrated approach with published case studies from Australia, China, Europe and North America.
Exploring patterns of care coordination within services for older people
Authors: Chester Helen , Hughes Jane , Sutcliffe Caroline , Xie Chengqiu , Challis David
Published: April 2015

Introduction

Supporting frail older people at home is an international policy objective. This article explored variations in care coordination arrangements and their relationship with service level outcomes using England as a case study.

Method

Survey data and routinely generated data collected in 2006 from 119 local authorities responsible for social care were combined. Using cluster analysis, distinct groups were identified with regard to forms of care coordination.

Results

Considerable variation was evident both within and between different types of care coordination, reflecting implementation guidance. Links with service level outcomes were weak, the most notable being the provision of intensive home care, a component of intensive care management.

Discussion

Thus this study, using agency level data, confirmed the variability in care coordination arrangements and the relative absence of intensive care management, central to shifting the balance of care from residential and nursing provision to care at home.
Improving the quality of care delivered to people imminently dying in hospital by implementing a care bundle: an observational before and after feasibility study
Authors: Clark Katherine , Byfieldt Naomi
Published: April 2015

Introduction

Most Australians die predictably in acute hospital settings. Despite this, hospitals remain ill-equipped to care for dying patients with hospital deaths not uncommonly perceived as distressing by both patients and their families. A care bundle for the dying was developed with this aiming to report the feasibility of implementing this quality improvement strategy.

Methods

A before and after observational approach was used to compare whether there were changes in care delivery to imminently dying patients in two medical wards. Data were extracted retrospectively from their inpatient files. The main outcome of this work was the percentage compliance with the bundle elements and proportional change from baseline where comparative care processes had previously been in place.

Results

Over 6 months, 90 deaths occurred with the bundle in place for 74.5% (n = 70) with significant increases in regular symptom monitoring and monitoring of family distress seen ( p < 0.001, respectively). There was compliance with prescribing guideline for pain in 59.2% (29/49) charts and breathlessness in 53.1% (26/49). In the absence of previous prescribing guidelines it was not possible to comment on the significance of this latter observation.

Discussion

This work highlights that it is feasible to implement and assess a pilot project aimed at improving the quality of care delivered to people dying in acute hospitals. This preliminary work suggests that it is possible to integrate evidence-based care processes into the care of the dying by adopting a care paradigm more typically reserved for critical care. However, more work is required to confirm this in larger studies.
Hook for change or shaky peg? Imprisonment, narratives and desistance
Authors: Schinkel Marguerite
Published: April 2015

Given the twin challenges of the fiscal costs of high levels of imprisonment and of high reconviction rates post-release, the question of whether imprisonment can (and does) contribute to processes of desistance is a crucial one. This article discusses the repeated, and controversial, research finding that some prisoners see themselves as transformed by imprisonment. It argues, with reference to the narratives of Scottish prisoners, that this is not owing to intentional rehabilitative input, but driven by the need to craft a positive future. The article explores under what circumstances a transformation narrative is most likely to emerge and whether such narratives have the power to make desistance more likely.
From probation work to criminal sanctions work: Key changes in social work with offenders in Finland from the 1960s to today
Authors: Harrikari Timo , Westerholm Kristina
Published: April 2015

The article addresses key changes in Finnish probation work’s rationalities, mentalities and technologies from the 1960s to the present, examining them within a wider governance theory framework. The article asks how the following aspects of probation work have changed: (1) the conditions of probation work, (2) its institutional self-understanding, (3) its work methods and (4) its objectives. The thesis is that these changes have been connected to several synchronous and multi-layered developments, such as globalization, a re-orientation of Finnish social policy and the introduction of new methods and tools within probation work.
An Investigation Into the Culture and Social Actors Representation in Summit Series ELT Textbooks Within van Leeuwen’s 1996 Framework
Authors: Rashidi Nasser , Ghaedsharafi Shiva
Published: April 2015

The current study aims at identifying particular ways through which social actors are represented in Summit Series ELT textbooks. It examines cultural load in the textbooks within critical discourse analysis framework, in this case van Leeuwen’s framework. Particularly, the study attempts to explore if values, norms, and roles are culture/context-bound. Results of the analyses showed that among discursive features, Inclusion, Genericization, and Indetermination were used more than Exclusion, Specification, and Determination. Activation was more observed than Passivation, and Categorization had an important function in the representation of some of the social actors along with Assimilation and Impersonalization. The analysis also indicated the impartiality toward the representation of social actors. Moral, social, and personal values were the most disseminated values, while social morality and traditions had the highest occurrence. However, a few discriminative cases were found regarding gender roles. The researchers proposed that Summit Series were less grounded in cultural assumptions/biases. This impartiality eases language learning by keeping learners away from misunderstanding and incomprehensibility.
How I use bypassing therapy for prophylaxis in patients with hemophilia A and inhibitors
Authors: Leissinger Cindy A. , Singleton Tammuella , Kruse-Jarres Rebecca
Published: April 2015

Inhibitor development poses a significant challenge in the management of hemophilia because once an inhibitor is present, bleeding episodes can no longer be treated with standard clotting factor replacement therapy. Consequently, patients with inhibitors are at increased risk for difficult-to-control bleeding and complications, particularly arthropathy and physical disability. Three clinical trials in patients with inhibitors have demonstrated that prophylaxis with a bypassing agent reduces joint and other types of bleeding and improves health-related quality of life compared with on-demand bypassing therapy. In hemophilia patients without inhibitors, the initiation of prophylaxis with factor (F) VIII or FIX prior to the onset of recurrent hemarthroses can prevent the development of joint disease. Whether this is also true for bypassing agent prophylaxis remains to be determined.
The role of rituximab in adults with warm antibody autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Authors: Dierickx Daan , Kentos Alain , Delannoy André
Published: April 2015

Warm antibody hemolytic anemia is the most common form of autoimmune hemolytic anemia. When therapy is needed, corticosteroids remain the cornerstone of initial treatment but are able to cure only a minority of patients (<20%). Splenectomy is usually proposed when a second-line therapy is needed. This classical approach is now challenged by the use of rituximab both as second-line and as first-line therapy. Second-line treatment with rituximab leads to response rates similar to splenectomy (∼70%), but rituximab-induced responses seem less sustained. However, additional courses of rituximab are most often followed by responses, at the price of reasonable toxicity. In some major European centers, rituximab is now the preferred second-line therapy of warm antibody hemolytic anemia in adults, although no prospective study convincingly supports this attitude. A recent randomized study strongly suggests that in first-line treatment, rituximab combined with steroids is superior to monotherapy with steroids. If this finding is confirmed, rituximab will emerge as a major component of the management of warm antibody hemolytic anemia not only after relapse but as soon as treatment is needed.
Activated protein C: biased for translation
Authors: Griffin John H. , Zlokovic Berislav V. , Mosnier Laurent O.
Published: April 2015

The homeostatic blood protease, activated protein C (APC), can function as (1) an antithrombotic on the basis of inactivation of clotting factors Va and VIIIa; (2) a cytoprotective on the basis of endothelial barrier stabilization and anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic actions; and (3) a regenerative on the basis of stimulation of neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and wound healing. Pharmacologic therapies using recombinant human and murine APCs indicate that APC provides effective acute or chronic therapies for a strikingly diverse range of preclinical injury models. APC reduces the damage caused by the following: ischemia/reperfusion in brain, heart, and kidney; pulmonary, kidney, and gastrointestinal inflammation; sepsis; Ebola virus; diabetes; and total lethal body radiation. For these beneficial effects, APC alters cell signaling networks and gene expression profiles by activating protease-activated receptors 1 and 3. APC’s activation of these G protein–coupled receptors differs completely from thrombin’s activation mechanism due to biased signaling via either G proteins or β-arrestin-2. To reduce APC-associated bleeding risk, APC variants were engineered to lack >90% anticoagulant activity but retain normal cell signaling. Such a neuroprotective variant, 3K3A-APC (Lys191-193Ala), has advanced to clinical trials for ischemic stroke. A rich data set of preclinical knowledge provides a solid foundation for potential translation of APC variants to future novel therapies.
An official American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society statement: research questions in COPD
Authors: Celli Bartolome R. , Decramer Marc , Wedzicha Jadwiga A. , Wilson Kevin C. , Agustí Alvar , Criner Gerard J. , MacNee William , Make Barry J. , Rennard Stephen I. , Stockley Robert A. , Vogelmeier Claus , Anzueto Antonio , Au David H. , Barnes Peter J. , Burgel Pierre-Regis , Calverley Peter M. , Casanova Ciro , Clini Enrico M. , Cooper Christopher B. , Coxson Harvey O. , Dusser Daniel J. , Fabbri Leonardo M. , Fahy Bonnie , Ferguson Gary T. , Fisher Andrew , Fletcher Monica J. , Hayot Maurice , Hurst John R. , Jones Paul W. , Mahler Donald A. , Maltais François , Mannino David M. , Martinez Fernando J. , Miravitlles Marc , Meek Paula M. , Papi Alberto , Rabe Klaus F. , Roche Nicolas , Sciurba Frank C. , Sethi Sanjay , Siafakas Nikos , Sin Don D. , Soriano Joan B. , Stoller James K. , Tashkin Donald P. , Troosters Thierry , Verleden Geert M. , Verschakelen Johny , Vestbo Jorgen , Walsh John W. , Washko George R. , Wise Robert A. , Wouters Emiel F.M. , ZuWallack Richard L.
Published: April 2015

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and resource use worldwide. The goal of this official American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) research statement is to describe evidence related to diagnosis, assessment and management; identify gaps in knowledge; and make recommendations for future research. It is not intended to provide clinical practice recommendations on COPD diagnosis and management.

Clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates with expertise in COPD were invited to participate. A literature search of Medline was performed, and studies deemed relevant were selected. The search was not a systematic review of the evidence. Existing evidence was appraised and summarised, and then salient knowledge gaps were identified.

Recommendations for research that addresses important gaps in the evidence in all areas of COPD were formulatedviadiscussion and consensus.

Great strides have been made in the diagnosis, assessment and management of COPD, as well as understanding its pathogenesis. Despite this, many important questions remain unanswered. This ATS/ERS research statement highlights the types of research that leading clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates believe will have the greatest impact on patient-centred outcomes.
The involvement of follistatin-like protein 1 in osteoarthritis by elevating NF-κB-mediated inflammatory cytokines and enhancing fibroblast like synoviocyte proliferation
Authors: Ni Su , Miao Kaisong , Zhou Xianju , Xu Nanwei , Li Chenkai , Zhu Ruixia , Sun Rongbin , Wang Yuji
Published: April 2015

Introduction

Our previous work has revealed that expression of follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL1) is elevated in the synovial tissues from osteoarthritis (OA) patients. The aim of this study was to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms by which FSTL1 plays a role in the pathogenesis of OA.

Methods

Cultured fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) from synovial tissues of OA patients were stimulated with human recombinant FSTL1, and then the expression of inflammatory cytokines in FLS and their concentrations in the cell supernatants were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation was examined by western blot and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay at the p65 binding site. Finally, the proliferation of FLSs and the expression level of the proliferation-related tumor suppressors (p53 and p21) were determined by MTS assay kit and western blot in the presence or absence of FSTL1, respectively.

Results

FSTL1 remarkably promoted expression levels of several inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)) in vitro. Western blot analysis showed that FSTL1 activated the inflammatory-related NF-κB signaling pathway, as validated by ChIP assay detecting p65-binding level on the cytokine promoter region. Moreover, FSTL1 promoted the proliferation of OA FLS by downregulating the expression of p53 and p21. Interestingly, the concentration of synovial fluid IL-6 was remarkably elevated in OA patients, and was correlated with synovial fluid and serum FSTL1 levels.

Conclusions

These findings show that FSTL1 functions as an important proinflammatory factor in the pathogenesis of OA by activating the canonical NF-κB pathway and enhancing synoviocytes proliferation, suggesting that FSTL1 may be a promising target for the treatment of OA.
Gout and risk of chronic kidney disease and nephrolithiasis: meta-analysis of observational studies
Authors: Roughley Matthew J , Belcher John , Mallen Christian D , Roddy Edward
Published: April 2015

Introduction

To determine the prevalence of chronic kidney disease and nephrolithiasis in people with gout, and the association between gout and prevalent or incident chronic kidney disease and nephrolithiasis.

Methods

Systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. Data sources; MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL databases, hand-searched reference lists, citation history and contact with authors. Eligibility criteria: cohort, case–control or cross-sectional studies which examined the occurrence of chronic kidney disease or nephrolithiasis amongst adults with gout (with or without a non-gout comparator group) in primary care or general population samples. Prevalence and risk estimate meta-analyses were performed using a random-effects model.

Results

Seventeen studies were included in the meta-analysis (chronic kidney disease n = 7, nephrolithiasis n = 8, both n = 2). Pooled prevalence estimates of chronic kidney disease stage ≥3 and self-reported lifetime nephrolithiasis in people with gout were 24% (95% confidence interval 19% to 28%) and 14% (95% CI 12% to 17%) respectively. Gout was associated with both chronic kidney disease (pooled adjusted odds ratio 2.41, 95% confidence interval 1.86 to 3.11) and self-reported lifetime nephrolithiasis (1.77, 1.43 to 2.19).

Conclusions

Chronic kidney disease and nephrolithiasis are commonly found amongst patients with gout. Gout is independently associated with both chronic kidney disease and nephrolithiasis. Patients with gout should be actively screened for chronic kidney disease and its consequences.
Gender differences in outcomes in people with schizophrenia in
rural China: 14-year follow-up study
Authors: Ran Mao-Sheng , Mao Wen-Jun , Chan Cecilia Lai-Wan , Chen Eric Yu-Hai , Conwell Yeates
Published: April 2015

Background

Little is known about gender differences in the long-term outcomes of
people with schizophrenia living in the community.

Aims

To explore gender differences in the 14-year outcome of people with
schizophrenia in rural China.

Method

A 14-year follow-up study among a 1994 cohort (n = 510)
of participants with schizophrenia was conducted in Xinjin County,
Chengdu, China. All participants and their informants were followed up in
2004 and 2008 using the Patients Follow-up Schedule.

Results

Compared with female participants, male participants were significantly
younger, had significantly higher rates of mortality, suicide and
homelessness, and poorer family and social support. There was no
significant gender difference in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale
scores, previous suicide attempts, those never treated, previous hospital
admission or inability to work. Longer duration of illness was associated
with functional decline and comparatively poorer family economic
status.

Conclusions

The long-term outcomes of men with schizophrenia is worse than those of
women with the disorder in rural China. Higher mortality, suicide and
homelessness rates in men may contribute partly to the higher prevalence
of schizophrenia in women in China. Policies on social and family support
and gender-specific intervention strategies for improving long-term
outcomes should be developed for people with this disorder.
Technological innovations in mental healthcare: harnessing the digital revolution
Authors: Hollis Chris , Morriss Richard , Martin Jennifer , Amani Sarah , Cotton Rebecca , Denis Mike , Lewis Shôn
Published: April 2015

Digital technology has the potential to transform mental healthcare by connecting patients, services and health data in new ways. Digital online and mobile applications can offer patients greater access to information and services and enhance clinical management and early intervention through access to real-time patient data. However, substantial gaps exist in the evidence base underlying these technologies. Greater patient and clinician involvement is needed to evaluate digital technologies and ensure they target unmet needs, maintain public trust and improve clinical outcomes.
Lessons from export to New Zealand of the second opinion appointed doctor scheme
Authors: Dawson John , Glue Paul , Ellis Pete M. , Lenagh-Glue Jessie , Goldsmith David , Smith Don A. R.
Published: April 2015

Aims and method

We compared findings of an audit of New Zealand's version of the second opinion appointed doctor (SOAD) scheme with published information on the equivalent scheme for England and Wales, to consider what might be learnt from the different jurisdictions' experience.

Results

Strong similarities exist between the two schemes in the demographic profile of individuals subject to the SOAD process and rates of approval of compulsory treatment. The clearer legal framework for the English scheme and its supervision by an independent national agency may offer significant advantages in terms of consistency and transparency, compared with the informal, decentralised structure of New Zealand's scheme.

Clinical implications

Clinicians may not always favour greater formality or elaborate national structures for administering the Mental Health Act, but there are advantages in promoting clarity and consistency in a mandatory statutory process designed to protect compulsory patients' rights.
Advance care planning and palliative medicine in advanced dementia: a literature review
Authors: Jethwa Ketan Dipak , Onalaja Oluwademilade
Published: April 2015

Aims and method

To assess the factors that affect the clinical use of advanced care planning and palliative care interventions in patients with dementia. A literature search of Medline, Embase and PsycINFO was performed to identify themes in advanced care planning and palliative care in dementia.

Results

In total, 64 articles were found, including 12 reviews, and three key areas emerged: barriers to advanced care planning, raising awareness and fostering communication between professionals and patients, and disease-specific interventions.

Clinical implications

Most of the studies analysed were carried out in the USA or Continental Europe. This narrative review aims to help guide future primary research, systematic reviews and service development in the UK.
Low Serum Vitamin D Levels Are Associated With Inferior Survival in Follicular Lymphoma: A Prospective Evaluation in SWOG and LYSA Studies
Authors: Kelly Jennifer L. , Salles Gilles , Goldman Bryan , Fisher Richard I. , Brice Pauline , Press Oliver , Casasnovas Olivier , Maloney David G. , Soubeyran Pierre , Rimsza Lisa , Haioun Corinne , Xerri Luc , LeBlanc Michael , Tilly Hervé , Friedberg Jonathan W.
Published: April 2015

Purpose

Recent literature reports a potential association between high vitamin D and improved lymphoma prognosis. We evaluated the impact of pretreatment vitamin D on follicular lymphoma (FL) outcome.

Patients and Methods

SWOG participants were previously untreated patients with FL enrolled onto SWOG clinical trials (S9800, S9911, or S0016) involving CHOP chemotherapy plus an anti-CD20 antibody (rituximab or iodine-131 tositumomab) between 1998 and 2008. Participants included in our second independent cohort were also previously untreated patients with FL enrolled onto the Lymphoma Study Association (LYSA) PRIMA trial of rituximab plus chemotherapy (randomly assigned to rituximab maintenance v observation) between 2004 and 2007. Using the gold-standard liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method, 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured in stored baseline serum samples. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS).

Results

After a median follow-up of 5.4 years, the adjusted PFS and overall survival hazard ratios for the SWOG cohort were 1.97 (95% CI, 1.10 to 3.53) and 4.16 (95% CI, 1.66 to 10.44), respectively, for those who were vitamin D deficient (< 20 ng/mL; 15% of cohort). After a median follow-up of 6.6 years, the adjusted PFS and overall survival hazard ratios for the LYSA cohort were 1.50 (95% CI, 0.93 to 2.42) and 1.92 (95% CI, 0.72 to 5.13), respectively, for those who were vitamin D deficient (< 10 ng/mL; 25% of cohort).

Conclusion

Although statistical significance was not reached in the LYSA cohort, the consistent estimates of association between low vitamin D levels and FL outcomes in two independent cohorts suggests that serum vitamin D might be the first potentially modifiable factor to be associated with FL survival. Further investigation is needed to determine the effects of vitamin D supplementation in this clinical setting.
MiR-22/Sp-1 Links Estrogens With the Up-Regulation of Cystathionine γ-Lyase in Myocardium, Which Contributes to Estrogenic Cardioprotection Against Oxidative Stress
Authors: Wang Long , Tang Zhi-Ping , Zhao Wei , Cong Bing-Hai , Lu Jian-Qiang , Tang Xiao-Lu , Li Xiao-Han , Zhu Xiao-Yan , Ni Xin
Published: April 2015

Hydrogen sulfide, generated in the myocardium predominantly via cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE), is cardioprotective. Our previous study has shown that estrogens enhance CSE expression in myocardium of female rats. The present study aims to explore the mechanisms by which estrogens regulate CSE expression, in particular to clarify the role of estrogen receptor subtypes and the transcriptional factor responsible for the estrogenic effects. We found that either the CSE inhibitor or the CSE small interfering RNA attenuated the protective effect of 17β-estradiol (E2) against H2O2- and hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced injury in primary cultured neonatal cardiomyocytes. E2 stimulates CSE expression via estrogen receptor (ER)-α both in cultured cardiomyocytes in vitro and in the myocardium of female mice in vivo. A specificity protein-1 (Sp-1) consensus site was identified in the rat CSE promoter and was found to mediate the E2-induced CSE expression. E2 increases ERα and Sp-1 and inhibits microRNA (miR)-22 expression in myocardium of ovariectomized rats. In primary cardiomyocytes, E2 stimulates Sp-1 expression through the ERα-mediated down-regulation of miR-22. It was confirmed that both ERα and Sp-1 were targeted by miR-22. In the myocardium of ovariectomized rats, the level of miR-22 inversely correlated to CSE, ERα, Sp-1, and antioxidant biomarkers and positively correlated to oxidative biomarkers. In summary, this study demonstrates that estrogens stimulate Sp-1 through the ERα-mediated down-regulation of miR-22 in cardiomyocytes, leading to the up-regulation of CSE, which in turn results in an increase of antioxidative defense. Interaction of ERα, miR-22, and Sp-1 may play a critical role in the control of oxidative stress status in the myocardium of female rats.
Sorting Nexin 5 and Dopamine D1 Receptor Regulate the Expression of the Insulin Receptor in Human Renal Proximal Tubule Cells
Authors: Li Fengmin , Yang Jian , Jones John Edward , Villar Van Anthony M. , Yu Peiying , Armando Ines , Felder Robin A. , Jose Pedro A.
Published: April 2015

Sorting nexin 5 (SNX5) belongs to the SNX family, which is composed of a diverse group of proteins that mediate trafficking of plasma membrane proteins, receptors, and transporters. SNX5 is important in the resensitization of the dopamine D1-like receptor (D1R). D1R is uncoupled from its effector proteins in hypertension and diabetes, and treatment of diabetes restores D1R function and insulin receptor (IR) expression. We tested the hypothesis that the D1R and SNX5 regulate IR by studying the expression, distribution, dynamics, and functional consequences of their interaction in human renal proximal tubule cells (hRPTCs). D1R, SNX5, and IR were expressed and colocalized in the brush border of RPTs. Insulin promoted the colocalization of SNX5 and IR at the perinuclear area of hRPTCs. Unlike SNX5, the D1R colocalized and coimmunoprecipitated with IR, and this interaction was enhanced by insulin. To evaluate the role of SNX5 and D1R on IR signaling, we silenced via RNA interference the endogenous expression of SNX5 or the D1R gene DRD1 in hRPTCs. We observed a decrease in IR expression and abundance of phosphorylated IR substrate and phosphorylated protein kinase B, which are crucial components of the IR signal transduction pathway. Our data indicate that SNX5 and D1R are necessary for normal IR expression and activity. It is conceivable that D1R and SNX5 may interact to increase the sensitivity to insulin via a positive regulation of IR and insulin signaling.
Estrogen Replacement Therapy in Ovariectomized Nonpregnant Ewes Stimulates Uterine Artery Hydrogen Sulfide Biosynthesis by Selectively Up-Regulating Cystathionine β-Synthase Expression
Authors: Lechuga Thomas J. , Zhang Hong-hai , Sheibani Lili , Karim Muntarin , Jia Jason , Magness Ronald R. , Rosenfeld Charles R. , Chen Dong-bao
Published: April 2015

Estrogens dramatically dilate numerous vascular beds with the greatest response in the uterus. Endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a potent vasodilator and proangiogenic second messenger, which is synthesized from L-cysteine by cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE). We hypothesized that estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) selectively stimulates H2S biosynthesis in uterine artery (UA) and other systemic arteries. Intact and endothelium-denuded UA, mesenteric artery (MA), and carotid artery (CA) were obtained from ovariectomized nonpregnant ewes (n = 5/group) receiving vehicle or estradiol-17β replacement therapy (ERT). Total RNA and protein were extracted for measuring CBS and CSE, and H2S production was determined by the methylene blue assay. Paraffin-embedded UA rings were used to localize CBS and CSE proteins by immunofluorescence microscopy. ERT significantly stimulated CBS mRNA and protein without altering CSE mRNA or protein in intact and denuded UA. Quantitative immunofluorescence microscopic analyses showed CBS and CSE protein localization in endothelium and smooth muscle and confirmed that ERT stimulated CBS but not CSE protein expression in UA endothelium and smooth muscle. ERT also stimulated CBS, but not CSE, mRNA and protein expression in intact and denuded MA but not CA in ovariectomized ewes. Concomitantly, ERT stimulated UA and MA but not CA H2S production. ERT-stimulated UA H2S production was completely blocked by a specific CBS but not CSE inhibitor. Thus, ERT selectively stimulates UA and MA but not CA H2S biosynthesis by specifically up-regulating CBS expression, implicating a role of H2S in estrogen-induced vasodilation and postmenopausal women's health.
Money After Decolonization
Authors: Martin Randy
Published: April 2015

The transformation of money from a fixed anchor to something altogether more fluid is typically told as the story of a center that could not hold. Bretton Woods breaks up, and finance colonizes the world. Rather, we may get further in our critical analysis by revising the emergence of finance in the present conjuncture as a process of decolonization. A generative line of investigation would be to align the operations of money with those of the derivative, in which information flows can be priced and knowledge valued. In this respect, derivative money can generate a rethinking of the capital-labor relation and perhaps a reconception of key political formations.
Capacity and Error Exponents of Stationary Point Processes under Random Additive Displacements
Authors: Anantharam Venkat , Baccelli François
Published: April 2015

Consider a real-valued discrete-time stationary and ergodic stochastic process, called the noise process. For each dimensionn, we can choose a stationary point process in ℝnand a translation invariant tessellation of ℝn. Each point is randomly displaced, with a displacement vector being a section of lengthnof the noise process, independent from point to point. The aim is to find a point process and a tessellation that minimizes the probability of decoding error, defined as the probability that the displaced version of the typical point does not belong to the cell of this point. We consider the Shannon regime, in which the dimensionntends to ∞, while the logarithm of the intensity of the point processes, normalized by dimension, tends to a constant. We first show that this problem exhibits a sharp threshold: if the sum of the asymptotic normalized logarithmic intensity and of the differential entropy rate of the noise process is positive, then the probability of error tends to 1 withnfor all point processes and all tessellations. If it is negative then there exist point processes and tessellations for which this probability tends to 0. The error exponent function, which denotes how quickly the probability of error goes to 0 inn, is then derived using large deviations theory. If the entropy spectrum of the noise satisfies a large deviations principle, then, below the threshold, the error probability goes exponentially fast to 0 with an exponent that is given in closed form in terms of the rate function of the noise entropy spectrum. This is obtained for two classes of point processes: the Poisson process and a Matérn hard-core point process. New lower bounds on error exponents are derived from this for Shannon's additive noise channel in the high signal-to-noise ratio limit that hold for all stationary and ergodic noises with the above properties and that match the best known bounds in the white Gaussian noise case.
New Bounds for the Traveling Salesman Constant
Authors: Steinerberger Stefan
Published: April 2015

LetX1,X2, …,Xnbe independent and uniformly distributed random variables in the unit square [0, 1]2, and letL(X1, …,Xn) be the length of the shortest traveling salesman path through these points. In 1959, Beardwood, Halton and Hammersley proved the existence of a universal constant β such that limn→∞n−1/2L(X1, …,Xn) = β almost surely. The best bounds for β are still those originally established by Beardwood, Halton and Hammersley, namely 0.625 ≤ β ≤ 0.922. We slightly improve both upper and lower bounds.
Burrowing by small polychaetes – mechanics, behavior, and muscle structure ofCapitellasp.
Authors: Grill Susann , Dorgan Kelly M.
Published: April 2015

Worms of different sizes extend burrows through muddy sediments by fracture, applying dorso-ventral forces that are amplified at the crack tip. Smaller worms displace sediments less than larger worms, and therefore are limited in how much force they can apply to burrow walls. We hypothesized that small worms would exhibit a transition in burrowing mechanics, specifically a lower limit in body size for the ability to burrow by fracture, corresponding with an ontogenetic transition in muscle morphology. Kinematics of burrowing in a mud analog, external morphology and muscle arrangement were examined in juveniles and adults of the small polychaete, Capitella sp. We found that it moves by peristalsis, and no obvious differences were observed among worms of different sizes; even very small juveniles were able to burrow through a clear mud analog by fracture. Interestingly, we found that in addition to longitudinal and circular muscles needed for peristaltic movements, left- and right-handed helical muscles wrap around the thorax of worms of all sizes. We suggest that in small worms helical muscles may function to supplement forces generated by longitudinal muscles and to maintain hydrostatic pressure, enabling higher forces to be exerted on the crack wall. Further research is needed, however, to determine whether surficial sediments inhabited by small worms fail by fracture or plastically deform under forces of the magnitudes applied by Capitella sp.