bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reliability and Validity of the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale among Migraine and Tension Type Headache in Iranian Patients
Authors: Zandifar Alireza , Asgari Fatemeh , Haghdoost Faraidoon , Masjedi Samaneh Sadat , Manouchehri Navid , Banihashemi Mahboobeh , Ghorbani Abbas , Najafi Mohammad Reza , Saadatnia Mohammad , Lipton Richard B.
Published: January 2014

Introduction. MIDAS is a valid and reliable short questionnaire for assessment of headache related disability. Linguistic validation of Persian MIDAS and assessment of psychometric properties between tension type headache (TTH) and migraine were the aims of this study.Methods. Patients with migraine or TTH were included. At the first visit, we administered a headache symptom questionnaire, MIDAS, and SF-36. Patients filled out MIDAS in second and third visit within three and eight weeks after base line visit. Internal consistency (Cronbachα) and test-retest reproducibility (Spearman correlation coefficient) were used to assess reliability. Convergent validity and MIDAS capability to differentiate between chronic and episodic headaches (migraine and TTH) were also assessed.Results. The 267 participants had episodic migraine (EM-64%), chronic migraine (CM-13.5%), episodic TTH (ETTH-13.5%), and chronic TTH (CTTH-9). Internal consistency reliability was 0.8 for the entire sample, 0.72 for TTH, and 0.82 for migraine. Test-retest reliability for all questions between visit 1 and visit 2 varied from 0.54 to 0.71. Convergent validity was assessed using SF-36 as an external referent. Patients with episodic headaches (EM and ETTH) had significantly lower MIDAS scores than chronic headaches (CM and CTTH).Conclusion. Persian MIDAS is a valid and reliable questionnaire for migraine and TTH that can differentiate between episodic headache and chronic headache.
Hydraulic Analysis of Water Distribution Network Using Shuffled Complex Evolution
Authors: Moosavian Naser , Jaefarzadeh Mohammad Reza
Published: January 2014

Hydraulic analysis of water distribution networks is an important problem in civil engineering. A widely used approach in steady-state analysis of water distribution networks is the global gradient algorithm (GGA). However, when the GGA is applied to solve these networks, zero flows cause a computation failure. On the other hand, there are different mathematical formulations for hydraulic analysis under pressure-driven demand and leakage simulation. This paper introduces an optimization model for the hydraulic analysis of water distribution networks using a metaheuristic method called shuffled complex evolution (SCE) algorithm. In this method, applying if-then rules in the optimization model is a simple way in handling pressure-driven demand and leakage simulation, and there is no need for an initial solution vector which must be chosen carefully in many other procedures if numerical convergence is to be achieved. The overall results indicate that the proposed method has the capability of handling various pipe networks problems without changing in model or mathematical formulation. Application of SCE in optimization model can lead to accurate solutions in pipes with zero flows. Finally, it can be concluded that the proposed method is a suitable alternative optimizer challenging other methods especially in terms of accuracy.
Antidiabetic and Antihyperlipidemic Effects of Clitocybe nuda on Glucose Transporter 4 and AMP‐Activated Protein Kinase Phosphorylation in High‐Fat‐Fed Mice
Authors: Chen Mei-Hsing , Lin Cheng-Hsiu , Shih Chun-Ching
Published: January 2014

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antihyperlipidemic and antihyperglycemic effects and mechanism of the extract of Clitocybe nuda (CNE), in high‐fat‐ (HF‐) fed mice. C57BL/6J was randomly divided into two groups: the control (CON) group was fed with a low‐fat diet, whereas the experimental group was fed with a HF diet for 8 weeks. Then, the HF group was subdivided into five groups and was given orally CNE (including C1: 0.2, C2: 0.5, and C3: 1.0 g/kg/day extracts) or rosiglitazone (Rosi) or vehicle for 4 weeks. CNE effectively prevented HF‐diet‐induced increases in the levels of blood glucose, triglyceride, insulin (P < 0.001, P < 0.01, P < 0.05, resp.) and attenuated insulin resistance. By treatment with CNE, body weight gain, weights of white adipose tissue (WAT) and hepatic triacylglycerol content were reduced; moreover, adipocytes in the visceral depots showed a reduction in size. By treatment with CNE, the protein contents of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) were significantly increased in C3‐treated group in the skeletal muscle. Furthermore, CNE reduces the hepatic expression of glucose‐6‐phosphatase (G6Pase) and glucose production. CNE significantly increases protein contents of phospho‐AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the skeletal muscle and adipose and liver tissues. Therefore, it is possible that the activation of AMPK by CNE leads to diminished gluconeogenesis in the liver and enhanced glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. It is shown that CNE exhibits hypolipidemic effect in HF‐fed mice by increasing ATGL expression, which is known to help triglyceride to hydrolyze. Moreover, antidiabetic properties of CNE occurred as a result of decreased hepatic glucose production via G6Pase downregulation and improved insulin sensitization. Thus, amelioration of diabetic and dyslipidemic states by CNE in HF‐fed mice occurred by regulation of GLUT4, G6Pase, ATGL, and AMPK phosphorylation.
Local Anesthesia at ST36 to Reveal Responding Brain Areas to deqi
Authors: Jin Ling-min , Qin Cai-juan , Lan Lei , Sun Jin-bo , Zeng Fang , Zhu Yuan-qiang , Yu Shu-guang , Yin Hai-yan , Tang Yong
Published: January 2014

Background. Development of non‐deqi control is still a challenge. This study aims to set up a potential approach to non‐deqi control by using lidocaine anesthesia at ST36. Methods. Forty healthy volunteers were recruited and they received two fMRI scans. One was accompanied with manual acupuncture at ST36 (DQ group), and another was associated with both local anesthesia and manual acupuncture at the same acupoint (LA group). Results. Comparing to DQ group, more than 90 percent deqi sensations were reduced by local anesthesia in LA group. The mainly activated regions in DQ group were bilateral IFG, S1, primary motor cortex, IPL, thalamus, insula, claustrum, cingulate gyrus, putamen, superior temporal gyrus, and cerebellum. Surprisingly only cerebellum showed significant activation in LA group. Compared to the two groups, bilateral S1, insula, ipsilateral IFG, IPL, claustrum, and contralateral ACC were remarkably activated. Conclusions. Local anesthesia at ST36 is able to block most of the deqi feelings and inhibit brain responses to deqi, which would be developed into a potential approach for non‐deqi control. Bilateral S1, insula, ipsilateral IFG, IPL, claustrum, and contralateral ACC might be the key brain regions responding to deqi.
BRCA2 Phosphorylated by PLK1 Moves to the Midbody to Regulate Cytokinesis Mediated by Nonmuscle Myosin IIC
Authors: Takaoka Miho , Saito Hiroko , Takenaka Katsuya , Miki Yoshio , Nakanishi Akira
Published: January 2014

Cytokinesis is the critical final step in cell division. BRCA2 disruption during cytokinesis is associated with chromosome instability, but mechanistic information is lacking that could be used to prevent cancer cell division. In this study, we report that BRCA2 phosphorylation by the mitotic polo-like kinase (PLK1) governs the localization of BRCA2 to the Flemming body at the central midbody, permitting an interaction with nonmuscle myosin IIC (NM-IIC). Formation of an NM-IIC ring-like structure at the Flemming body shows that the IIC-ring relies on its ATPase activity stimulated by interaction with BRCA2 and associated proteins. Notably, inhibiting this binding inactivated the ATPase activity, causing disassembly of the IIC-ring, defective formation of the midbody, and interruption of cytokinesis. An analysis of cancer-associated mutations in BRCA2 at the PLK1-binding site suggests that they may contribute to cytokinetic defects by altering BRCA2 localization. Our findings suggest that BRCA2-dependent IIC-ring formation is a critical step in proper formation of the midbody, offering an explanation for how chromosome instability may arise in breast cancer. Cancer Res; 74(5); 1518–28. ©2014 AACR.
Axon Guidance Factor SLIT2 Inhibits Neural Invasion and Metastasis in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Göhrig Andreas , Detjen Katharina M. , Hilfenhaus Georg , Körner Jan L. , Welzel Martina , Arsenic Ruza , Schmuck Rosa , Bahra Marcus , Wu Jane Y. , Wiedenmann Bertram , Fischer Christian
Published: January 2014

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) metastasizes by neural, vascular, and local invasion routes, which limit patient survival. In nerves and vessels, SLIT2 and its ROBO receptors constitute repellent guidance cues that also direct epithelial branching. Thus, the SLIT2–ROBO system may represent a key pinch point to regulate PDAC spread. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that escaping from repellent SLIT2–ROBO signaling is essential to enable PDAC cells to appropriate their local stromal infrastructure for dissemination. Through immunohistochemical analysis, we detected SLIT2 receptors ROBO1 and ROBO4 on epithelia, nerves, and vessels in healthy pancreas and PDAC specimens, respectively. SLIT2 mRNA expression was reduced in PDAC compared with nontransformed pancreatic tissues and cell lines, suggesting a reduction in SLIT2–ROBO pathway activity in PDAC. In support of this interpretation, restoring the SLIT2 expression in SLIT2-deficient PDAC cells inhibited their bidirectional chemoattraction with neural cells, and more specifically, impaired unidirectional PDAC cell navigation along outgrowing neurites in models of neural invasion. Restoring autocrine/paracrine SLIT2 signaling was also sufficient to inhibit the directed motility of PDAC cells, but not their random movement. Conversely, RNA interference–mediated silencing of ROBO1 stimulated the motility of SLIT2-competent PDAC cells. Furthermore, culture supernatants from SLIT2-competent PDAC cells impaired migration of endothelial cells (human umbilical vein endothelial cells), whereas an N-terminal SLIT2 cleavage fragment stimulated such migration. In vivo investigations of pancreatic tumors with restored SLIT2 expression demonstrated reduced invasion, metastasis, and vascularization, with opposing effects produced by ROBO1 silencing in tumor cells or sequestration of endogenous SLIT2. Analysis of clinical specimens of PDAC showed that those with low SLIT2 mRNA expression exhibited a higher incidence and a higher fraction of tumor-infiltrated lymph nodes. Taken together, our findings argue that disrupting SLIT2–ROBO signaling in PDAC may enhance metastasis and predispose PDAC cells to neural invasion. Cancer Res; 74(5); 1529–40. ©2014 AACR.
Chromosome 10, Frequently Lost in Human Melanoma, Encodes Multiple Tumor-Suppressive Functions
Authors: Kwong Lawrence N. , Chin Lynda
Published: January 2014

Although many DNA aberrations in melanoma have been well characterized, including focal amplification and deletions of oncogenes and tumor suppressors, broad regions of chromosomal gain and loss are less well understood. One possibility is that these broad events are a consequence of collateral damage from targeting single loci. Another possibility is that the loss of large regions permits the simultaneous repression of multiple tumor suppressors by broadly decreasing the resident gene dosage and expression. Here, we test this hypothesis in a targeted fashion using RNA interference to suppress multiple candidate residents in broad regions of loss. We find that loss of chromosome regions 6q, 10, and 11q21-ter is correlated with broadly decreased expression of most resident genes and that multiple resident genes impacted by broad regional loss of chromosome 10 are tumor suppressors capable of affecting tumor growth and/or invasion. We also provide additional functional support for Ablim1 as a novel tumor suppressor. Our results support the hypothesis that multiple cancer genes are targeted by regional chromosome copy number aberrations. Cancer Res; 74(6); 1814–21. ©2014 AACR.
Genetic and Phenotypic Diversity in Breast Tumor Metastases
Authors: Almendro Vanessa , Kim Hee Jung , Cheng Yu-Kang , Gönen Mithat , Itzkovitz Shalev , Argani Pedram , van Oudenaarden Alexander , Sukumar Saraswati , Michor Franziska , Polyak Kornelia
Published: January 2014

Metastatic disease is the main cause of cancer-related mortality due to almost universal therapeutic resistance. Despite its high clinical relevance, our knowledge of how cancer cell populations change during metastatic progression is limited. Here, we investigated intratumor genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity during metastatic progression of breast cancer. We analyzed cellular genotypes and phenotypes at the single cell level by performing immunoFISH in intact tissue sections of distant metastatic tumors from rapid autopsy cases and from primary tumors and matched lymph node metastases collected before systemic therapy. We calculated the Shannon index of intratumor diversity in all cancer cells and within phenotypically distinct cell populations. We found that the extent of intratumor genetic diversity was similar regardless of the chromosomal region analyzed, implying that it may reflect an inherent property of the tumors. We observed that genetic diversity was highest in distant metastases and was generally concordant across lesions within the same patient, whereas treatment-naïve primary tumors and matched lymph node metastases were frequently genetically more divergent. In contrast, cellular phenotypes were more discordant between distant metastases than primary tumors and matched lymph node metastases. Diversity for 8q24 was consistently higher in HER2+ tumors compared with other subtypes and in metastases of triple-negative tumors relative to primary sites. We conclude that our integrative method that couples ecologic models with experimental data in human tissue samples could be used for the improved prognostication of patients with cancer and for the design of more effective therapies for progressive disease.Cancer Res; 74(5); 1338–48. ©2014 AACR.
A Polysomnographic and Clinical Study of Sleep Disorders in Patients with Behçet and Neuro-Behçet Syndrome
Authors: Uygunoğlu Uğur , Benbir Gulcin , Saip Sabahattin , Kaynak Hakan , Siva Aksel
Published: January 2014

Brainstem is the most common site of involvement in neuro-Behçet syndrome (NBS). On the other hand, the critical importance of this anatomical region in the regulation of sleep has been disregarded in the literature. We aimed to investigate the microstructure of sleep in patients with Behçet syndrome (BS) and NBS. Patients were allocated to 2 groups: (1) BS without any neurological involvement and (2) NBS with brainstem lesions only. A control group was also enrolled in this study. The comparison of polysomnographic parameters between all patients (BS and NBS) with the control group showed that sleep onset was longer (p = 0.006), the duration of superficial NREM sleep stage (N2) was significantly longer (p = 0.018), and the respiratory disturbance index was significantly higher (p = 0.034) in patients. Sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome are more commonly observed in BS and NBS. Our findings emphasize the importance of questioning the quality of sleep and its disorders in patients with BS in order to better handle the common somatic complaints in these patients, such as fatigue or daytime sleepiness.
Prognostic Factors in Patients Presenting with Pleural Effusion Revealing Malignancy
Authors: Anevlavis Stavros , Kouliatsis George , Sotiriou Ioannis , Koukourakis Michael I. , Archontogeorgis Kostas , Karpathiou Georgia , Giatromanolaki Alexandra , Froudarakis Marios E.
Published: January 2014

Background: The survival of patients with malignant pleural effusion is considered generally poor. Most of the studies reporting results of prognostic factors are retrospective, using pleural thoracentesis for diagnosis. The objectives of our study were to reveal possible prognostic factors in patients initially presenting with undiagnosed pleural effusion proven to be malignant by diagnostic thoracoscopy. Methods: Ninety consecutive patients, 48 of whom were male (53%), with a median age of 69 years (range 37-93) and a performance status (PS) of 0/1 (63%) and with initially undiagnosed pleural effusion that was proven to be malignant by thoracoscopy were evaluated. Survival time was defined as the time from thoracoscopic diagnosis to death or the last follow-up. A regression analysis was used to determine significant clinical and biological prognostic factors. Results: Lung carcinoma (44.4%), breast carcinoma (24.4%), and mesothelioma (12.2%) were the most frequent tumors diagnosed. The median overall survival was 11 months (range 0.5-55). The survival of the patients was related to the following factors: histology of the primary tumor (p = 0.008), PS (p < 0.001), white blood cells (p = 0.018), and the blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (N/L) ratio (p = 0.002). Multiple regression showed PS, histology, and the N/L ratio. Conclusion: The factors affecting survival in our patients were PS, primary tumor histology, and the N/L ratio. These factors may help physicians select patients for treatment and/or interventional procedures.
Who Benefits Most from THC:CBD Spray? Learning from Clinical Experience
Authors: Koehler Jürgen
Published: January 2014

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) represent a diverse and heterogeneous population varying in terms of disease type, its severity and variable progression/time-course, and with regard to the wide range of presenting symptoms. Consequently, detailed experience with individual patients is important to provide examples of therapy to specific patient types. In this article, real-life data from clinical practice showing specific aspects relating to use of 9-delta-tetrahydocannabinol and cannabidiol (THC:CBD) oromucosal spray (Sativex®) in patients with moderate to severe spasticity resistant to usual therapy will be presented. Three common clinical scenarios will be considered: MS patients with resistance to usual spasticity therapies; patients with impairment in MS spasticity symptoms; MS patients with relevant impairment in quality of life/activities of daily living (QoL/ADL). These case reports highlight the diverse nature of the MS spasticity population and they show the possible usefulness of THC:CBD oromucosal spray in individual patients with moderate to severe spasticity resistant to existing therapies, within the frame of use approved after large clinical trial results. Perhaps the most important finding is the possibility of obtaining relevant improvements in QoL/ADL in some patients with resistant MS spasticity, allowing them to engage back in physical and social activities.
Caudal Cingulate Infarction Manifesting Astasia
Authors: Satow Takeshi , Komuro Taro , Kobayashi Akira
Published: January 2014

Introduction: Astasia is a rare presenting symptom of stroke, usually known as ‘thalamic astasia', induced by a lesion in the ventrolateral thalamus. We report a case of caudal cingulate infarction manifesting astasia. Case Presentation: A 58-year-old male presented with inability to sit, stand and walk (astasia). No apparent motor weakness was noticed in the extremities. MRI revealed cerebral infarction in the caudal cingulate gyrus, which was located between the vertical commissure anterior (VCA) line and vertical commissure posterior (VPC) line. His symptoms persisted for 1 year to a lesser degree. Conclusion: Lesions in the caudal cingulate gyrus can present with astasia. The responsible lesion is located in the cingulate gyrus between the VCA and VPC line, which might correspond to the caudal cingulate zone in humans. We should keep in mind that astasia can be a presenting symptom of stroke.
Effect of Microstimulation of the Superior Colliculus on Visual Space Attention
Authors: Gattass Ricardo , Desimone Robert
Published: January 2014

We investigated the effect of microstimulation of the superficial layers of the superior colliculus (SC) on the performance of animals in a peripheral detection paradigm while maintaining fixation. In a matching-to-sample paradigm, a sample stimulus was presented at one location followed by a brief test stimulus at that (relevant) location and a distractor at another (irrelevant) location. While maintaining fixation, the monkey indicated whether the sample and the test stimulus matched, ignoring the distractor. The relevant and irrelevant locations were switched from trial to trial. Cells in the superficial layers of SC gave enhanced responses when the attended test stimulus was inside the receptive field compared with when the (physically identical) distractor was inside the field. These effects were found only in an “automatic” attentional cueing paradigm, in which a peripheral stimulus explicitly cued the animal as to the relevant location in the receptive field. No attentional effects were found with block of trials. The transient enhancement to the attended stimulus was observed at the onset and not at the offset of the stimulus. Electrical stimulation at the site corresponding to the irrelevant distractor location in the SC causes it to gain control over attention, causing impaired performance of the task at the relevant location. Stimulation at unattended sites without the presence of a distractor stimulus causes little or no impairment in performance. The effect of stimulation decays with successive stimulations. The animals learn to ignore the stimulation unless the parameters of the task are varied.
A new genus with six new species of Typhlopolycystidinae Evdonin, 1977 (Platyhelminthes, Kalyptorhynchia, Polycystididae)
Authors: SCHOCKAERT ERNEST R. , MARTENS PAUL M. , REVIS NATHALIE , JANSSEN TOON , WILLEMS WIM , ARTOIS TOM J.
Published: January 2014

Five new species of the new taxon Brunetorhynchus n. gen. are described: B. deconincki n. sp., B. microstylis n. sp. and B. complicatus n. sp. are from the Mediterranean, B. canariensis n. sp. is from the Canary Island Lanzarote, B. cannoni n. sp. is from the Australian East coast and one species from the Galapagos, formerly described as Limipolycystis spec., is transferred to the new genus as B. dubius n. sp.. As in Limipolycystis, these species have a single stylet, (accessory stylet type II), an accessory secretion vesicle (type II) and a prostate vesicle (type III) in the male atrium, although the latter vesicle is absent in some species. Unlike the species of Limipolycystis, where the seminal receptacle is a sclerotized tubule, the species of the new taxon have a pear-shaped seminal receptacle on the oviduct.
Cnemaspis rammalensis sp. nov., Sri Lanka’s largest day-gecko (Sauria: Gekkonidae: Cnemaspis) from Rammalakanda Man and Biosphere Reserve in southern Sri Lanka
Authors: VIDANAPATHIRANA DULAN RANGA , RAJEEV M. D. GEHAN , WICKRAMASINGHE NETHU , FERNANDO SAMANTHA SURANJAN , WICKRAMASINGHE L. J. MENDIS
Published: January 2014

A new species of rock dwelling gecko belonging to the genus Cnemaspis is described from Sri Lanka based on a suite of morphological features. The species is the largest of its genus described from Sri Lanka so far (snout-vent length 52–54 mm) and is the second largest of the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka Biodiversity Hotspot. It may be diagnosed in details of both scalation (ventrals186–207; mid-subcaudals large; absence of precloacal pores; 15 femoral pores on each side; 22–23 and 23–25 subdigital lamellae on finger IV and on toe IV, respectively; smooth scales on tail dorsum) and colouration (five prominent trilobate shaped cream markings pointing towards head and extending from neck to vent).The species is found in a unique habitat in the Rammalakanda Forest, where it is threatened by deforestation.
Validity of Multiprocess IRT Models for Separating Content and Response Styles
Authors: Plieninger Hansjörg , Meiser Thorsten
Published: January 2014

Response styles, the tendency to respond to Likert-type items irrespective of content, are a widely known threat to the reliability and validity of self-report measures. However, it is still debated how to measure and control for response styles such as extreme responding. Recently, multiprocess item response theory models have been proposed that allow for separating multiple response processes in rating data. The rationale behind these models is to define process variables that capture psychologically meaningful aspects of the response process like, for example, content- and response style-related processes. The aim of the present research was to test the validity of this approach using two large data sets. In the first study, responses to a 7-point rating scale were disentangled, and it was shown that response style-related and content-related processes were selectively linked to extraneous criteria of response styles and content. The second study, using a 4-point rating scale, focused on a content-related criterion and revealed a substantial suppression effect of response style. The findings have implications for both basic and applied fields, namely, for modeling response styles and for the interpretation of rating data.
Toward Reconstructing the Narrative of Teacher Education
Authors: Bullough Robert V.
Published: January 2014

Drawing on insights from literary critic and theorist Kenneth Burke, this rhetorical analysis of Preparing Teachers (2010), a publication of the National Research Council, reveals then critiques’ key assumptions that are shaping policies and current reform efforts in teacher education, including changes in U.S. teacher accreditation. Connections are made between these assumptions and the development and influence of scientism in teacher education, and elements of an alternative future are explored.
Trench foot: a relatively rare condition in tropical countries – a case report
Authors: Kant Kumar Shashi , Agarwal Anil , Suri Tarun , Gupta Neeraj , Verma Indreshwar , Shaharyar Abbas
Published: January 2014

Trench foot is a relatively rare condition in tropical countries. We present here a case report of trench foot in a child who was put on hip spica for her hip ailment. Although rare, awareness on the part of the clinician can prevent this potentially serious condition and early diagnosis and treatment can prevent further consequences.
Do Spouses Coordinate Their Work Exits? A Combined Survey and Register Analysis From Norway
Authors: Syse Astri , Solem Per Erik , Ugreninov Elisabeth , Mykletun Reidar , Furunes Trude
Published: January 2014

Research on spouses’ joint work exits is scarce, although household factors such as spouses’ work status, marital quality, and caregiving burdens are likely to affect seniors’ work engagement. We therefore examine whether the work exit probability of one spouse affects that of the other. Discrete-time hazard regression analyses of survey data linked to later registry information including all gainfully employed married respondents aged 50–74 with a working spouse ( N = 1,764) were used to assess subsequent work exits. A spouse’s work exit is a strong predictor of a respondent’s work exit (hazard ratio 3.1, 95% confidence interval [2.5, 4.0]). Educational attainment, poor marital quality, and spouses’ health and care needs do not predict work exits. Surprisingly, no gender differences are observed. Research on larger survey samples to distinguish different work exit routes and reasons for spouses’ joint work exits appears warranted. To account for cultural and welfare state characteristics, cross-national studies ought to be undertaken.
A longitudinal perspective on the association between cognition and temperamental shyness
Authors: Wolfe Christy D. , Zhang Jing , Kim-Spoon Jungmeen , Bell Martha Ann
Published: January 2014

Moderate, yet relatively consistent, associations between cognitive performance and shyness have been reported throughout the child and adult literatures. The current study assessed longitudinal associations between cognition (i.e., executive functioning) and parent-report temperamental shyness from infancy to early childhood and used temporal order to explore directionality of the relations. Two hundred and eleven children contributed data at multiple ages (5 months, 10 months, 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years). The results indicated a complex pattern of association between cognition and shyness in early development and provided tentative support for both cognitive ability and temperament as causal agents at different developmental time points.
Language Trails: ‘Lekker’ and Its Pleasures
Authors: Mol Annemarie
Published: January 2014

This is an article about bodily pleasures, words and some of the relations between them. It is a turn in a conversation between the author (‘me’) and Marilyn Strathern (‘Strathern’). It talks theory, but not in general. Instead, this theory gets situated in traditions; specified; in relation to concerns; and exemplified with stories to do with the term lekker. This article is in English, but lekker is not an English term. It is Dutch. The stories come from long-term field work in various sites and situations close to home for the author, who is also Dutch. They were driven by a concern with fostering bodily pleasures in contexts such as nursing homes and dieting practices where nutrients and calories are granted more importance. The difficulties of translating lekker (tasty? pleasant? delicious? fun? nice?) are used as a set of intellectual resources. In contrast to Strathern, the author insists on the fleshy particularities of the practices where lekker is spoken. Along with Strathern, the author seeks to escape nature/culture divides. Inspired by Strathern, the author follows lekker around merographically – that is, along iterative trails and between sites and situations that are connected, but only partially so. In homage to Strathern, finally, the author plays with the question of who the collective subject of anthropological theory – we – might be, and who belongs to the others that form its object – they.
Social Theory after Strathern: An Introduction
Authors: Street Alice , Copeman Jacob
Published: January 2014

Taking its cue from the articles in this special issue, this introduction explores what value a critical engagement with Strathern’s work might have for the social sciences by setting such an engagement in motion. It argues that Strathern’s writings are a particularly fruitful starting point for reflecting on our assumptions about what exactly theory might be and how and where it may be made to travel. Through the juxtaposition of articles published in this special issue and Strathern’s writings on Melanesia it explores the theorization of power in the social sciences as one arena in which Strathernian strategies might be harnessed in order to reflect on and extend Euro-American concepts. It also takes Strathern’s own interest in gardening as a metaphoric base for generating novel topologies of subject and object, the particular and the general, and the concrete and the abstract. This introduction does not provide a primer for ‘Strathernian theory’. Instead it reviews some of the original strategies and techniques – differentiation, staging of analogy, surprise, bifurcation, the echo, and an unremitting focus on how we make our familiar categories of analysis known to ourselves – that Strathern has used to ‘garden’ her theory: it can be used, if you like, as a conceptual toolkit.
Melanesian Ethnography and the Comparative Project of Anthropology: Reflection on Strathern’s Analogical Approach
Authors: Hirsch Eric
Published: January 2014

Melanesian ethnography has been a substantial and enduring presence in Strathern’s comparative project of anthropology. The cornerstone of this project was The Gender of the Gift, where a model was established for demonstrating the analogies between Melanesian societies based on a system of common differences. The comparisons created in this work were centred on a real and radical divide between Melanesia and the West. Strathern’s subsequent comparative work has examined the debates surrounding new social and technological forms in the West (e.g. new genetic and reproductive technologies) through drawing analogies with Melanesian social forms; she has simultaneously highlighted the limits of these comparisons. Her intention in this comparative project has been to expand the range of concepts and language used to understand western social and technological innovations that potentially affect the world at large, so that debate is not simply circumscribed by western preoccupations and concerns. As mediated through the analysis of Strathern and the other Melanesian anthropologists she draws on, the voices and interests of non-westerners can potentially inform and even reform the grounds of such deliberations.
Analogic Return: The Reproductive Life of Conceptuality
Authors: Franklin Sarah
Published: January 2014

One of the most important lessons the work of Marilyn Strathern has taught us about knowledge practices is how they stand alone or intersect according to their context. In turn, this has helped us to develop a more dynamic account of knowledge formations as they both travel and stand still. Indeed it is the vacillation between movement and stasis that explains how essentialisms can either anchor cultural systems of thought or become unmoored – a process Strathern has tracked across both cultural and epistemological contexts. In this paper I use the biological sciences as a context in which to track the process by which analogies ‘travel back’ to remake both their object and its epistemology, or ‘habits of thought’. Indeed, context itself can change, and be changed by, what I am calling analogic return – something we might also consider in relation to scale or perception, or as one of the world-making practices out of which we constantly remake ourselves, now more literally than ever in the context of new genetic technologies and stem cell science.
Medial Opening Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy for Medial Compartment Overload/Arthritis in the Varus Knee
Authors: Bonasia Davide Edoardo , Dettoni Federico , Sito Gabriele , Blonna Davide , Marmotti Antongiulio , Bruzzone Matteo , Castoldi Filippo , Rossi Roberto
Published: January 2014

Background:

Medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO) is a widely accepted procedure for the treatment of medial compartment arthritis of the knee. Compared with closing wedge HTO, however, the outcomes of OWHTO reported in the literature are incomplete.

Purpose:

To identify the positive and negative prognostic factors related to the outcomes of OWHTO through an evaluation of midterm study results and survivorship analysis.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

From January 2001 to December 2009, a total of 141 consecutive OWHTOs were performed in 123 patients. Only patients with symptomatic medial knee overload/arthritis were included. The patients were evaluated preoperatively and at every follow-up visit with (1) the Knee Society score, (2) the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, (3) another self-evaluation scale, (4) long-leg radiographs, and (5) plain radiographs. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were investigated to find an association with the outcomes.

Results:

Of the 123 patients, 15 were lost to follow-up, and 24 were excluded from the study, leaving 84 patients (99 OWHTOs) for the present study. The mean age of the patients at the time of surgery was 54.5 ± 9.2 years. The mean follow-up was 51.5 ± 23.8 months. The Knee Society and WOMAC scores significantly improved after surgery ( P < .001). The variables significantly related to a poor outcome were (1) age >56 years ( P = .008) and (2) postoperative knee flexion <120° ( P < .001); the variables significantly related to a good outcome were (1) Ahlbäck grade 0 arthritis of the medial compartment ( P < .001) and (2) excellent preoperative Knee Society score ( P < .001). The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a survival rate of 98.7% at 5 years and 75.9% at 7.5 years.

Conclusion:

With correct indications, OWHTO is a reliable procedure for medial knee arthritis/overload. The outcomes reported are similar to those from other studies, although the variables related to outcomes are slightly different.
Should we blame the rich for clogging our landfills?
Authors: Trilnick Itai , Tal Alon
Published: January 2014

Conventional wisdom often holds that relatively high consumption levels among the affluent contributes to the generation of high volumes of municipal solid waste (MSW). Comparing data from different cities in Israel suggests otherwise. Regression analysis reveals that aggregate per capita waste outputs of cities are only vaguely correlated with their socio-economic indicators. In fact, the apparent ‘hedonic’ waste of the richest cities, compared with the average ones, accounts for only about 2% of the total waste production. Israel’s main economic area, the Tel Aviv district, produces a quarter more MSW per capita than other districts, suggesting a need for special attention by policy makers. A surprisingly strong predicator of MSW per capita is water consumption by municipalities, dedicated for public gardening. The trimmings of the municipal landscape constituting an unobserved fraction of total MSW data, are estimated to be responsible for 15% of Israel’s MSW, making it an additional target area for consideration and intervention.
Survey Regarding Provisions of a 3-Day Supply of an Antihypertensive
Authors: Seal David W. , Walton Je'Laune , Williams Sherifa , Wilson Robert , Smith-Benson Joshua
Published: January 2014

Objective:

To evaluate the provisions made by pharmacists when dispensing an emergency supply of an antihypertensive medication to patients in a community setting.

Participants:

Pharmacists and nonpharmacists (pharmacy technicians or interns) who were employed with community pharmacies and have witnessed or dispensed an emergency supply of an antihypertensive medication. Those who agreed to participate in this study via informed consent.

Intervention:

A short questionnaire was used to assess the provisions made by community pharmacists from the perspectives of both the pharmacists and the nonpharmacists.

Main outcome measures:

Availability of blood pressure machines, evaluation of blood pressure readings, and patient counseling sessions or assessments prior to dispensing the emergency supply of an antihypertensive were the major outcome measures.

Results

Among the participants, 92% of the pharmacists and 79% of the nonpharmacists reported they have witnessed or dispensed an emergency supply of an antihypertensive medication. Of those, 82% of the pharmacists and 78% of the nonpharmacists recognized there were blood pressure machines available. However, 78% of the pharmacists and 72% of the nonpharmacists acknowledged the patient’s blood pressure was not checked.

Conclusion/Implication:

This observational study demonstrates that provisions when dispensing an emergency supply of an antihypertensive medication are inconsistent. Further evaluation is warranted.
Safety and Efficacy of Corticosteroid Use in Neurologic Trauma
Authors: Han Zhe , Lat Ishaq , Pollard Sacha R.
Published: January 2014

Neurologic trauma, which consists of acute spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury, is a leading cause of death and disability. In recent years, there have been improvements in the early recognition and prompt resuscitation of patients with neurologic trauma. However, there remain few pharmacologic treatments to reduce its secondary complications. Corticosteroids have been used in patients with neurologic trauma for more than 5 decades. Traditionally, their use has been to improve motor and sensory recovery. However, recently their utility to prevent and manage trauma-related pneumonia has been investigated. Given these new investigations, the purpose of this review article is to provide a comprehensive overview of the history and available scientific evidence surrounding the use of corticosteroids in neurologic trauma and caution against the use of these agents to prevent hospital-acquired pneumonia in this patient population.
A Research Elective Course on Dietary Supplements to Engage Doctor of Pharmacy Students in Primary Literature Evaluation and Scholarly Activity
Authors: Islam Mohammed A. , Gunaseelan Simi , Khan Seher A.
Published: January 2014

Purpose:

To develop and implement a research elective course to enhance skills of pharmacy students on primary literature evaluation and evidence-based practice on dietary supplements and generate scholarly publications.

Methods:

A 2 credit hour independent research elective course was designed and implemented in the third-year doctor of pharmacy curriculum. The course involved student-led research activities that included formulating research project, reviewing of primary literature, collection and evaluation of data, and writing of review articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals. An online survey was administered to evaluate students’ perceptions of the course.

Results:

Students successfully completed the course. The course resulted in peer-reviewed publications through student–faculty collaboration. Pharmacy students enrolled in the elective course perceived that the course helped them enhance their analytical reasoning, critical thinking and drug-literature evaluation skills, gain evidence-based knowledge, and apply the knowledge into practice during their advanced pharmacy practice experiences community pharmacy rotations.

Conclusions:

The course provided opportunity to the pharmacy students to not only critically search and evaluate the literature but also publish in peer-reviewed journals. Other pharmacy schools/colleges can adopt this course model to create opportunities for student–faculty collaborations toward scholarly accomplishments.
Comparison of kinematic and kinetic parameters calculated using a cluster-based model and Vicon’s plug-in gait
Authors: Duffell Lynsey D , Hope Natalie , McGregor Alison H
Published: January 2014

Gait analysis is an important clinical tool. A variety of models are used for gait analysis, each yielding different results. Errors in model outputs can occur due to inaccurate marker placement and skin motion artefacts, which may be reduced using a cluster-based model. We aimed to compare a custom-made cluster model (ClusBB) with Vicon’s plug-in gait. A total of 21 healthy subjects wore marker sets for the ClusBB and plug-in gait models simultaneously while walking on a 6-m walkway. Marker and force plate data were captured synchronously and joint angles/moments were calculated using both models. There was good correlation between the models (coefficient of multiple correlations > 0.65) and good intra-session correlation for both models (coefficient of multiple correlations > 0.80). Inter-subject variability was high, ranging from 15° to 40° in the sagittal plane and 11° to 52° in the coronal and transverse planes. Intra-subject variability was small for both ClusBB and plug-in gait models. Inter-subject variance tended to be high in both models for knee abduction/adduction, but particularly so for plug-in gait, suggesting that a cluster-based model may reduce the variability. The inter-subject variance in out-of-sagittal plane data is of particular importance clinically, given the reliance on these datasets in clinical decision-making.
Trade union renewal and the challenges of representation: Strategies towards migrant and ethnic minority workers in the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom
Authors: Connolly Heather , Marino Stefania , Lucio Miguel Martínez
Published: January 2014

This article examines trade union responses to migration in the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. We explore how national regulatory structures and industrial relations traditions shape these responses, reflected in different ways of working with the state, employers, union members and the migrant worker community. We identify three main logics that inform trade union action: class, race/ethnicity and social rights; these are used implicitly or explicitly in building representative action. Our analysis shows how trade unions in each country tend to give priority to certain specific logics rather than others. Our findings also show how, in each country, trade union renewal in relation to migration implies engaging with new logics of actions which have not been part of the historical trade union approach. Hence the question of migration brings specific challenges for union identity and strategy. We argue for an approach that goes beyond assumptions of path dependency, and stress the complexity of representation and the challenge of balancing different interests and strategies in the process of social inclusion.
Landscape and forest exploitation at the ancient Neolithic site of La Draga (Banyoles, Spain)
Authors: Caruso Ferme Laura , Piqué i Huerta Raquel
Published: January 2014

This work is focused on the use of firewood by the first farming communities of the settlement of La Draga (Banyoles, Spain). The two occupation phases have been dated between 5324 and 4980 cal. bc. Charcoal remains are used to represent the vegetation landscape. The comparison of the charcoal analysis data with other archaeobotanical studies carried out at the site enables an appreciation of how wood resources were used and the impact of this use on the environment. A total of 22 taxa have been identified; riparian communities and oak forests were predominant in the surroundings and provided firewood as well as wood for other uses. Deciduous Quercus sp. and Laurus nobilis make up the largest part of the identified remains. Lakeside vegetation and the deciduous forests suffered the first impact of the farming communities. In the more recent phase, Buxus sempervirens was also used intensely. The importance of box may have been the result of the greater expansion of these taxa, as a result of the degradation of vegetation in the surroundings.
Smoking is not associated with autoantibody production in systemic lupus erythematosus patients, unaffected first-degree relatives, nor healthy controls
Authors: Young KA , Terrell DR , Guthridge JM , Kamen DL , Gilkeson GS , Karp DR , Ishimori ML , Weisman MH , Holers VM , Harley JB , Norris JM , James JA
Published: January 2014

Objective

The objective of this paper is to examine whether smoking is associated with autoantibody production in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, unaffected first-degree relatives (FDR) of individuals with SLE—a group at increased risk of developing SLE—or unaffected, unrelated controls.

Methods

Detailed demographic, environmental, clinical, and therapeutic information was collected by questionnaire on 1242 SLE patients, 981 FDRs, and 946 controls in the Lupus Family Registry and Repository; a blood sample was obtained. All sera were tested for multiple lupus autoantibodies by immunofluorescence and luminex bead-based assays. Generalized estimating equations, adjusting for age, gender, and ethnicity and accounting for correlation within families, were used to assess smoking status with the dichotomous outcome variables of positivity for SLE status, positivity of ANA by immunofluorescence (≥1:120), positivity for ≥1 autoantibody by the luminex assay, and positivity for each of the 11 autoantibodies.

Results

Current smoking was associated with being positive for ≥1 autoantibody (excluding ANA) (adjusted OR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.04-2.24) in our subjects with SLE. No association was observed in unaffected FDRs or healthy controls. Former smoking was associated with anti-Ro/SS-A60 in our unaffected FDRs. There was an increased association with anti-nRNP A seropositivity, as well as a decreased association with anti-nRNP 68 positivity, in current smokers in SLE subjects.

Conclusions

No clear association between smoking status and individual autoantibodies was detected in SLE patients, unaffected FDRs, nor healthy controls within this collection. The association of smoking with SLE may therefore manifest its risk through mechanisms outside of autoantibody production, at least for the specificities tested.