bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determination of national midwifery ethical values and ethical codes
Authors: Ergin Ayla , Özcan Müesser , Acar Zeynep , Ersoy Nermin , Karahan Nazan
Published: March 2013

It is important to define and practice ethical rules and codes for professionalisation. Several national and international associations have determined midwifery ethical codes. In Turkey, ethical rules and codes that would facilitate midwifery becoming professionalised have not yet been determined. This study was planned to contribute to the professionalisation of midwifery by determining national ethical values and codes. A total of 1067 Turkish midwives completed the survey. The most prevalent values of Turkish midwives were care for mother–child health, responsibility and professional adequacy. The preferred professional codes chosen by Turkish midwives were absence of conflicts of interest, respect for privacy, avoidance of deception, reporting of faulty practices, consideration of mothers and newborns as separate beings and prevention of harm. In conclusion, cultural values, beliefs and expectations of society cannot be underestimated, although the international professional values and codes of ethics contribute significantly to professionalisation of the midwifery profession.
Association of Inadequately Iodized Salt Use With Underweight Among Young Children in India
Authors: Kumar Santosh , Berkman Lisa F.
Published: March 2013

This article explores the association between use of inadequately iodized cooking salt and underweight among young children in India. Considerable variation was found in the use of non-iodized salt (0 parts per million) across regions, economic status, and social groups. Results show that economic status and social affiliation of the households were the important predictors of non-iodized salt usage. Moreover, results from the multinomial logit model show that use of inadequately iodized salt is significantly associated with lower weight-for-age Z score, after adjusting for potential confounding variables. Nonuse of adequately iodized (15+ parts per million) salt is statistically associated with moderate underweight (relative risk ratio [RRR] = 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07-1.11) and with severe underweight (RRR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.15-1.21). Concerted effort is needed to correct the inequity in the access to iodized salt to improve the nutritional status of children in India.
Access to Assessment? Legal and Practical Issues Regarding Psychoeducational Assessment in Children With Sensory Disabilities
Authors: Lund Emily M. , Miller Katie B. , Ganz Jennifer B.
Published: March 2013

The need to provide valid and unbiased psychoeducational assessments to children from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds has been a prominent legal and judicial discussion in the context of the special education law; however, the question of how to provide biased and unbiased psychoeducational assessments to children with visual or hearing impairment has not been well addressed. This article discusses the case law and mandates surrounding unbiased psychoeducational assessment and how they might apply to students with sensory disabilities. This article focuses on issues related to assessment of children who are deaf or blind or have hearing impairment or visual impairment, including the inaccessibility of commonly used intelligence and achievement tests and the legal implications thereof, and provides recommendations for best practice in assessing students with sensory disabilities.
Highly Specific Structural Plasticity of Inhibitory Circuits in the Adult Neocortex
Authors: Chen Jerry L. , Nedivi Elly
Published: March 2013

Inhibitory neurons are known to play a vital role in defining the window for critical period plasticity during development, and it is increasingly apparent that they continue to exert powerful control over experience-dependent cortical plasticity in adulthood. Recent in vivo imaging studies demonstrate that long-term plasticity of inhibitory circuits is manifested at an anatomical level. Changes in sensory experience drive structural remodeling in inhibitory interneurons in a cell-type and circuit-specific manner. Inhibitory synapse formation and elimination can occur with a great deal of spatial and temporal precision and are locally coordinated with excitatory synaptic changes on the same neuron. We suggest that the specificity of inhibitory synapse dynamics may serve to differentially modulate activity across the dendritic arbor, to selectively tune parts of a local circuit, or potentially discriminate between activities in distinct local circuits. We further review evidence suggesting that inhibitory circuit structural changes instruct excitatory/inhibitory balance while enabling functional reorganization to occur through Hebbian forms of plasticity.
Constituting Public Engagement
Authors: Davies Sarah R.
Published: March 2013

This article uses data from two U.K. studies in order to explore the meanings attached to public engagement. It focuses on two issues of importance to contemporary discussions of science communication: the degree to which there has been a smooth transition, in practice, from models of public understanding of science to those of public engagement with science and technology (PEST), and the histories, or genealogies, of such models. Data from two qualitative studies—a case study of one of the United Kingdom’ssix Beacons for Public Engagement and a study of contract research staff—are used to characterize the ways in which U.K. academic communities understand PEST. It is argued that engagement is construed as multiple, relational, and outcomes oriented, with seven key outcomes ranging from better research to empowered individuals. These differences are traced to personal and professional backgrounds, suggesting that multiple and overlapping meanings around PEST are derived from particular histories that have been brought together, through the rubric of public engagement, in assemblages such as the Beacons.
Personal, Reflective Writing
Authors: Lawrence Holly
Published: March 2013

The use of personal, reflective writing exercises is well documented in the disciplines of composition and management, and each discipline has been highly influential in establishing pedagogical practices in the business communication classroom. However, we see little evidence of the pedagogical practice, the use of personal reflective writing exercises, in the teaching of business communication. This article looks at pedagogy and theory that informs the use of personal, reflective writing exercises in composition and management and suggests the relevance of these same practices in business communication classrooms today. Building on relevant pedagogical theory and practice, the author also makes the claim that personal reflective writing exercises can make students better writers and more effective managers and leaders. The article concludes with sample exercises that readers might try in their own business communication classrooms.
Working Memory Screening, School Context, and Socioeconomic Status
Authors: Engel de Abreu Pascale M. J. , Nikaedo Carolina , Abreu Neander , Tourinho Carlos J. , Miranda Mônica C. , Bueno Orlando F. A. , Martin Romain
Published: March 2013

Objective: The study explores the psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Working Memory Rating Scale (WMRS-Br) in a population of 355 young children from diverse socioeconomic status and schooling backgrounds. Method: Public and private school teachers completed the WMRS-Br and children were assessed on a range of objective cognitive measures of fluid intelligence, working memory, and attention. Results: Reliability and validity of the WMRS-Br were excellent across the public and private school sample. The WMRS-Br manifested substantial links with objective measures of working memory and medium links with selective attention, switching, and interference suppression. Confirmatory factor analyses suggest that a shorter version of the scale provides an adequate fit to the data. Conclusion: The WMRS-Br represents a valid screening tool in a Latin American context that has the potential to improve the early detection of working memory deficits in children growing up in poverty.
An Open-Label, Randomized Trial of Methylphenidate and Atomoxetine Treatment in Adults With ADHD
Authors: Ni Hsing-Chang , Lin Yu-Ju , Gau Susan Shur-Fen , Huang Hui-Chun , Yang Li-Kuang
Published: March 2013

Objective: To directly compare the efficacy of methylphenidate and atomoxetine in improving symptoms, social functions, and quality of life among adults with ADHD. Method: This was an 8-to-10-week, open-label, head-to-head, randomized clinical trial with two treatment arms: immediate-release methylphenidate (IR-methylphenidate; n = 31) and atomoxetine once daily ( n = 32). The outcome measures included ADHD symptom severity, quality of life, and functional impairments. Results: We found a significant reduction in overall ADHD symptoms and improvement in social functions and quality of life for both groups at Weeks 4 to 5 and Weeks 8 to 10. There was no significant difference in the slope of improvements over time except that atomoxetine was superior to IR-methylphenidate in reducing hyperactive/impulsive symptoms at Weeks 4 to 5. There was no significant group difference in the rates of adverse effects. Conclusion: Both IR-methylphenidate and atomoxetine are well tolerated and efficacious in ethnic Chinese adults with ADHD.
Malnutrition and Obesity in Children With ADHD
Authors: Güngör Serdal , Celiloğlu Özgü Suna , Raif Sabiha Güngör , Özcan Özlem Özel , Selimoğlu Mukadder Ayşe
Published: March 2013

Objective: Low threshold of dissatisfaction and frustration in child and adolescent patients with ADHD lead to changes in dietary pattern with contribution to the development of obesity and other nutritional disorders. Methods: A total of 362 patients with the diagnosis of ADHD and 390 children without any chronic disease were included to the study. We evaluated the anthropometric measurements for all cases. Results: The overweight/obese cases according to weight for height (WFH) and body mass index scores were more likely in ADHD cases than control group. Malnourished cases according to WFH were more common in ADHD cases. Patients with weight standard deviation scores between <−2 and >2 were significantly higher in ADHD cases than the control group patients. Conclusion: Frequency of malnutrition and overweight/obese patients was found higher in ADHD cases compared with control group, and this situation suggested that ADHD is a risk factor for the development of eating disorders.
The Impact of Early Classroom Inattention on Phonological Processing and Word-Reading Development
Authors: Dittman Cassandra K.
Published: March 2013

Objective: The present study investigated the longitudinal relationships between inattention, phonological processing and word reading across the first 2 years of formal reading instruction. Method: In all, 136 school entrants were administered measures of letter knowledge, phonological awareness, phonological memory, rapid naming, and word reading at the start and end of their 1st year of school, and the end of their 2nd year, while teachers completed rating scales of inattention. Results: School entry inattentiveness predicted unique variance in word reading at the end of first grade, after controlling for verbal ability, letter knowledge, and phonological processing. End-of-first-grade inattention predicted a small but significant amount of unique variance in second-grade word reading and word-reading efficiency. Inattention, however, was not a reliable predictor of phonological processing in either first or second grade. Conclusion: Early classroom inattentiveness influences learning to read independent of critical developmental precursors of word-reading development.
Homicide Against or by the Elderly in Chicago 1965-2000
Authors: Block Carolyn Rebecca
Published: March 2013

Typical circumstances under which the elderly are killed not only differ from typical circumstances under which children or younger adults are killed, but also vary depending on the victim’s gender and age group (ages 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, and 85 or older). Similarly, the typical circumstances under which the elderly commit homicide not only differ from typical circumstances for other offenders, but vary according to the offender’s gender and age group. In analysis of victim-level and offender-level versions of the Chicago Homicide Data set, we describe trends over time and situational patterns in homicides of the elderly or by the elderly.
Perioperative Imaging in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Authors: Fonseca Brian M.
Published: March 2013

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a constellation of left-sided congenital heart defects that result in variable hypoplasia of the left ventricle, left ventricular outflow tract, and aorta. Perioperative imaging with echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and cardiac catheterization is vital for diagnosis, surgical planning, prognosis, and postoperative management.
Micro-abrasion study of some dental restorative materials and enamel
Authors: Peña A , Gallardo EA , Morán A , Bravo JA , Vite M
Published: March 2013

Inside the mouth, tooth wear is a very complex phenomenon that occurs due to physiological, pathological, oral hygiene and orthodontics causes. Abrasion is a type of tooth wear, which causes severe damage compared to attrition, abfraction and erosion wear modes that occur simultaneously; principally on occlusal area during close phase of mastication process when abrasive particles from different sources are located between tooth and tooth or tooth and dental composite contact, designated as three-body abrasion wear in Tribology. ‘In vitro’ wear tests were carried out for three different dental composite restorative base resins, using the Micro-scale TE 66 wear test machine that offers the possibility to reproduce micro-abrasive wear (three-body rolling wear). Two different slurries were used; distillate water and artificial saliva containing SiC abrasive particles, F 1200 4 µm. Three dental composites materials and human enamel were tested at 0.25 N load applied, 0.1 m/s speed ball, 7.98 m sliding distance and 22% of volume containing SiC, at room temperature. Lost volume and wear coefficient, k, were calculated. Scanning electron microscopic and atomic force microscopic images were obtained and wear scars were analysed in order to identify wear mechanisms, such as ploughing, cutting and microcraking. Also, brittle delamination was found only for human enamel.
“The trauma experienced by generations past having an effect in their descendants”: Narrative and historical trauma among Inuit in Nunavut, Canada
Authors: Crawford Allison
Published: March 2013

“ Sivulirijat aksururnaqtukkuurnikugijangat aktuiniqaqsimaninga kinguvaanginnut” translates as “the trauma experienced by generations past having an effect in their descendants.” The legacy of the history of colonialism is starting to take narrative shape as Inuit give voice to the past and its manifestations in the present through public commissions such as the federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Inuit-led Qikiqtani Truth Commission. However, an examination of other discursive contexts reveals a collective narrative of the colonial past that is at times silent, incomplete or seemingly inconsistent. Reading the political narrative through the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, and the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut since its formation on April 1, 1999, exposes an almost complete silence about this history. Oral histories, an important form for the preservation and transmission of traditional cultural knowledge, do narrate aspects of this experience of contact, but in accounts that can appear highly individual, fragmented, even contradictory. In contrast, one domain that does seem to register and engage with the impacts of this history of colonialism is Inuit art, specifically visual art and film. In some cases these artistic narratives pre-date the historical trauma narratives of the commissions, which began with the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) in the mid-1990s. This paper examines these narrative alternatives for recounting historic trauma in Nunavut, while also considering the implications of understanding historical trauma as narrative.
Introducing LAPPS (Liverpool Anticipatory Procedural Pain Score)
Authors: Craske Jennie , Dooley Fran , Griffiths Linda , McArthur Liz , White Elvina , Cunliffe Mary
Published: March 2013

Removal of chest drains is a painful procedure and distresses patients, parents and nurses. To identify problems and improve management we developed a concerted approach to both assessment and treatment using audit. An initial prospective audit of post-op cardiac children undergoing chest drain +/− pacing wire removal was undertaken. A clinical tool was developed, to assess children before procedures and provide a treatment plan aimed at reducing pain and distress. The tool incorporated the intensity of the procedure, the child’s usual response to procedures and previous experience. The treatment protocol included drug and non-drug therapies. The initial audit of 91 children confirmed that pain and distress were problems. It highlighted inconsistencies in management as a common feature. Following introduction of the LAPPS tool and treatment protocol, a second audit of 72 children was undertaken. Although only 46 per cent of pathways were satisfactorily completed, the percentage of patients described as ‘inconsolable, screaming and withdrawn’ reduced from 29 per cent to 9 per cent. Introduction of the LAPPS assessment tool and treatment protocol reduced pain and distress during removal of chest drains. Research is needed to test the psychometrics of the tool and the effectiveness of the treatment protocol prior to wider use.
Perceived health among the medically hospitalized elderly: A one-year follow-up study
Authors: Helvik Anne-Sofie , Engedal Knut , Selbæk Geir
Published: March 2013

Aim: To examine perceived health of elderly medically hospitalized patients 1 year after hospitalization, and to explore factors associated with the perceived health at follow-up. Methods: A one-year follow-up study included 363 (175 men) elderly previously medical inpatients with age range 65–98 (mean 80.2, SD 7.5) years. Information was collected at baseline and follow-up, where perceived health – the dependent variable – was measured by one self-report item. The independent variables were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Lawton and Brody’s scales for physical self-maintenance and performance of the instrumental activities of daily living (PSMS and I-ADL). Results: The proportion of elderly people assessing their health as good at baseline was 43.3% ( n = 157) and at 12 months 41.3% ( n = 150). Of those with poor health at baseline, 34% ( n = 70) experienced good health at 12 months. In the analysis controlling for physical health, perceived health, physical and instrumental functioning, and depression at baseline, an increase in the level of physical and instrumental functioning and reduced symptom level of depression were independently associated with good perceived health at 12 months. Conclusions: Improvement in performing the activities of daily living and a reduction of depressive symptoms are important factors for the perception of health one year after hospitalization. The rehabilitation of medically ill elderly patients could be the means of achieving this improvement.
Patient education – Which parts of the content predict impact on coping skills?
Authors: Nossum Randi , Rise Marit B. , Steinsbekk Aslak
Published: March 2013

Aims: Studies investigating the effect of patient education usually evaluate whole educational programmes. The aim of this study was to describe the content of several locally developed educational programmes and investigate which parts predicted improved coping skills in the participants. Method: A prospective observational study investigating the content of several educational programmes and the participants’ coping skills 4 months afterwards. Results: The content of 35 different educational programmes was described. The programmes lasted on average 12 hours. The main focus was increased knowledge about the disease and improved coping skills. Programmes developed locally and tailored to the specific participant group in collaboration between services users and health professionals led to improved coping skills. The participants’ level of activity was the strongest predictor for improved coping skills (adjOR = 4.1 (95% CI 1.5–11.2) p = 0.007). Conclusions: The group process during patient education might be more important for improving coping skills than the content of the programme. Future patient education programmes should focus on group processes and improving participants’ activity.
Challenging stereotypes and legitimating fat: An analysis of obese people’s views on news media reporting guidelines and promoting body diversity
Authors: Holland Kate , Blood R. Warwick , Thomas Samantha L. , Lewis Sophie
Published: March 2013

This article contributes to scholarship on the cultural politics of obesity by providing insights into how people considered ‘obese’ think news media reporting should be improved and their views on ideas such as reporting guidelines and promoting body diversity. A thematic analysis of interview data identified the following themes: ‘Challenging stereotypes’, ‘The limits of news’, ‘Individual responsibility’ and ‘Legitimating fat’. These themes capture the divergence in views and reflect differences in how people construct obesity and conceive the influences of media on audiences. Situated in the context of the contested science and news frames surrounding obesity, the analysis also engages with wider debates about the potentially unintended consequences of seeking to challenge stigma. We conclude that media and policy discourses need to reflect a diversity of ways of framing obesity if the views of obese people are to be included.
‘You can do it from your sofa’: The increasing popularity of the internet as a working site among male sex workers in Melbourne
Authors: McLean Andrew
Published: March 2013

Drawing on qualitative interview data, this article observes the current structure of the Melbourne-based male sex industry, taking into account the unpopularity of traditional sex work ‘venues’ such as the street, print advertising, brothels and agencies. In recent years, the internet has arisen as a viable alternative to these sites. Motivations for the pursuit of internet-based work are numerous and include perceptions of greater ease, convenience and accessibility; anonymity, autonomy and safety, but, above all, the potential for more lucrative returns. The article also highlights the seemingly large numbers of men using dating websites who are casually propositioned online and may consent to such proposals, suggesting further research is required to ascertain the characteristics and experiences of those involved in informal sex work activity.
Dementia and the biopolitics of the biopic: From Iris to The Iron Lady
Authors: Wearing Sadie
Published: March 2013

This article considers the question of embodiment through a comparative analysis of two ‘biopics’, Iris (2001) and The Iron Lady (2011), which both feature eponymous characters that have, or had, dementia. Embodiment draws our attention to the representation of the body in the films themselves, and to the socially significant ‘feelings’ or affects that circulate within and are reproduced around them. Shame, disgust and aversion are socially devastating affects conventionally associated with stigmatised bodies including those of the cognitively impaired but attention to the ‘feeling tone’ (Ngai, 2005) in these films demonstrates that a more varied range of affects and embodied social knowledge is produced. Embodiment is thus a starting point to explore what is at stake in these films both in their authorisation of particular versions of public lives and for their significance for the cultural politics of representation in the context of explorations of personhood and dementia.
Embodiment and dementia: Exploring critical narratives of selfhood, surveillance, and dementia care
Authors: Kontos Pia , Martin Wendy
Published: March 2013

In the last decade there has been a notable increase in efforts to expand understandings of dementia by incorporating the body and theorizing its interrelationship with the larger social order. This emerging subfield of dementia studies puts the body and embodied practices at the center of explorations of how dementia is represented and/or experienced. This shift towards a greater recognition of the way that humans are embodied has expanded the horizon of dementia studies, providing the intellectual and narrative resources to examine experiences of dementia, and their interconnections with history, culture, power, and discourse. Our aim in this paper is to critically explore and review dimensions of this expanding research and literature, specifically in relation to three key narratives: (1) rethinking selfhood: exploring embodied dimensions; (2) surveillance, discipline, and the body in dementia and dementia care; and (3) embodied innovations in dementia care practice. We argue that this literature collectively destabilizes dementia as a taken-for-granted category and has generated critical texts on the interrelationship between the body and social and political processes in the production and expression of dementia.
Effects of Infant Simulators on Urban, Minority, Middle School Students
Authors: Somers Cheryl L.
Published: March 2013

An experiential approach to preventing teen pregnancy, “Baby Think It Over” is a popular option in schools. The current study used an experimental design and a 1-year longitudinal follow-up with 93 experimental group and 92 control group male and female, primarily African American and Mexican American, low–socioeconomic status students from two middle schools in a large, urban district in the Midwest (mean age = 13.24 years, range = 12-15 years). The program was evaluated for a wide array of outcomes, including sexual behavior, contraceptive use, realism about parenting responsibilities, personal intentions to avoid teenage pregnancy, self-efficacy to avoid sexual risk taking and pregnancy, sexual attitudes, plans for pregnancy, and actual pregnancy rates. The program successfully increased the Baby Think It Over group’s sense of realism regarding lack of readiness to be a teenage parent, although no behaviors were changed. Differences emerged by demographic subgroup. All results are discussed in light of several contexts that must be considered, including the need to examine both costs and benefits of this type of program. This has direct implication for organizational policies regarding the intervention selection and application.
Primary Repair of Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysm Secondary to Kinking and Cystic Medial Degeneration
Authors: Nenezic Dragoslav , Tanaskovic Slobodan , Radak Djordje , Babic Srdjan , Gajin Predrag
Published: March 2013

Introduction:

In this report, we aim to present a very rare case of internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysm secondary to kinking and cystic medial degeneration.

Case report:

A 66-year-old female patient was admitted to our institution for multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography of supra-aortic trunks. On admission, she complained of occasional dizziness; 2 months earlier ascending aorta reconstruction was done for aneurysmal disease. Color Doppler ultrasonography and MDCT arteriography revealed significant right ICA kinking associated with large aneurysm, 24.6 × 24.5 mm2 in diameter. Aneurysm resection was done followed by ICA reconstruction by end-to-end anastomosis. Pathohistological findings of aneurysmal sac revealed cystical medial degeneration with inflammatory infiltrate mostly consisting of lymphocytes and fibrovascular proliferation.

Conclusion:

This is the first case that describes mutual contribution of cystic medial degeneration and ICA kinking in carotid aneurysm disease etiology successfully treated by aneurysm resection.
Somatosensory-Related Limitations for Bimanual Coordination After Stroke
Authors: Torre Kjerstin , Hammami Nadhir , Metrot Julien , van Dokkum Liesjet , Coroian Flavia , Mottet Denis , Amri Mohamed , Laffont Isabelle
Published: March 2013

Background. Bimanual coordinated movements may be impaired after stroke, so an assessment of causes is necessary to optimize rehabilitation strategies. Objective. We assessed the role of afference-based sources of coordination, including phase entrainment and error correction based on visual and somatosensory feedback. Methods. In all, 10 persons with unilateral chronic stroke and 8 age-matched controls participated in a kinesthetic tracking protocol, in which the hemiparetic upper limb was passively driven by the machine. The task consisted of matching the trajectory of the driven limb as accurately as possible with the freely moving limb in 2 conditions: eyes closed and eyes open. We analyzed the continuous relative phase (CRP), the mean absolute difference between positions (ADP) between the positions of the 2 limbs, and the jerk of the matching limb. Results. Coordination instability (CRP standard deviation) and mean ADP were significantly higher for patients with eyes closed, compared with patients with eyes open, controls with eyes closed, and controls with eyes open. Moreover, the jerk was higher for the nonparetic limb of patients than for the control group. Thus, the nonparetic limb did not produce optimally smooth movements even as the motor-driven paretic limb did. Conclusion. Besides deficits caused by interhemispheric competition and motor execution of the paretic limb, somatosensory feedback is a limiting factor in bimanual coordination after stroke. The findings have clinical implications pertaining to the design and individualization of efficient bimanual movement therapy.
Modelling unmanned surface vehicle patrol mission with Coalition Battle Management Language (C-BML)
Authors: Ünal Ömer , Topçu Okan
Published: March 2013

Today, many military software intensive systems such as command and control systems, military simulations and decision support systems require the same military knowledge found in the operation plans and orders, which are mostly imported to the system in an application specific form. Due to the increased need for interoperability among those systems, many domain specific languages arise in order to formalize the inputs and outputs to obtain machine processable knowledge. A major domain specific language is the Coalition Battle Management Language (C-BML), which is currently under development. In this work, a scenario is developed and a coalition combat organization that has unmanned surface vehicle (USV) units under its command is created for fighting piracy. The orders and reports related to the patrol mission for the USVs are set up and modelled using C-BML. In order to model the orders, functional and temporal analyses of the actions in the orders are performed. The representativeness of the military orders, reports and requests in the scope of the scenario domain in C-BML is examined. Discussions about the expressiveness of C-BML are offered from a C-BML adopter perspective. Furthermore, we anticipate that this study will serve as a guideline for further C-BML studies.
Santarus, Inc. v. Par Pharmaceutical, Inc.: Is there a new written description requirement for negative limitations?
Authors: Rein Frederick H , Crystal Joseph B
Published: March 2013

In Santarus, Inc. et al. v. Par Pharmaceutical, Inc., 694 F.3d 1344 (Fed. Cir. 2012), the Federal Circuit addressed the written description requirement for patent claims containing a negative limitation (i.e., “wherein the composition contains no sucralfate”). This case report presents the context surrounding that issue including the concern by one Federal Circuit judge that a new written description requirement was created for negative claim limitations that would “taint large numbers of issued patents.”
What is Worth Defending in Sociology Today? Presentism, Historical Vision and the Uses of Sociology
Authors: Inglis David
Published: March 2013

In recent years, sociology in Britain – and in national contexts influenced by British sociology – has been diagnosed by various parties as suffering from a wide range of ailments. These forms of self-criticism become ever more acute in terms of their potential effects as huge transformations in university funding regimes are brought to bear on the social sciences. But none of these critiques engages satisfactorily with what is a much more foundational and serious set of problems, namely the very nature of sociology itself as a historically-situated form of knowledge production. Sociology claims to know the world around it, but in Britain today much sociology seriously fails in this regard, because it operates with radically curtailed understandings of the long-term historical forces which made the social conditions it purports to analyse. A sophisticated understanding of the contemporary world is made possible only by an equally sophisticated understanding of very long-term historical processes, precisely the sort of vision that mainstream British sociology has lacked for at least the last two decades. This paper identifies the reasons for the development of this situation and the consequences it has for the nature of sociology’s knowledge production, for its self-understanding, for its claims to comprehend the contemporary world, and for its apparent social ‘usefulness’. A markedly more self-aware and historically-sensitive sociology is proposed as the answer to the pressing question of what aspects of sociology should be defended in the turbulent context of British higher education today.
A TLR4-interacting SPA4 peptide inhibits LPS-induced lung inflammation
Authors: Ramani Vijay , Madhusoodhanan Rakhesh , Kosanke Stanley , Awasthi Shanjana
Published: March 2013

The interaction between surfactant protein-A (SP-A) and TLR4 is important for host defense. We have recently identified an SPA4 peptide region from the interface of SP-A–TLR4 complex. Here, we studied the involvement of the SPA4 peptide region in SP-A–TLR4 interaction using a two-hybrid system, and biological effects of SPA4 peptide in cell systems and a mouse model. HEK293 cells were transfected with plasmid DNAs encoding SP-A or a SP-A-mutant lacking SPA4 peptide region and TLR4. Luciferase activity was measured as the end-point of SP-A–TLR4 interaction. NF-κB activity was also assessed simultaneously. Next, the dendritic cells or mice were challenged with Escherichia coli-derived LPS and treated with SPA4 peptide. Endotoxic shock-like symptoms and inflammatory parameters (TNF-α, NF-κB, leukocyte influx) were assessed. Our results reveal that the SPA4 peptide region contributes to the SP-A–TLR4 interaction and inhibits the LPS-induced NF-κB activity and TNF-α. We also observed that the SPA4 peptide inhibits LPS-induced expression of TNF-α, nuclear localization of NF-κB-p65 and cell influx, and alleviates the endotoxic shock-like symptoms in a mouse model. Our results suggest that the anti-inflammatory activity of the SPA4 peptide through its binding to TLR4 can be of therapeutic benefit.
Proteolytic cleavage of the long pentraxin PTX3 in the airways of cystic fibrosis patients
Authors: Hamon Yveline , Jaillon Sébastien , Person Christine , Giniès Jean-Louis , Garo Erwan , Bottazzi Barbara , Ghamrawi Sarah , Urban Thierry , Subra Jean-François , Bouchara Jean-Philippe , Mantovani Alberto , Jeannin Pascale , Delneste Yves
Published: March 2013

The prototypic long pentraxin PTX3, a soluble pattern recognition receptor, plays an important role in innate defense against selected pathogens by favoring their elimination and the initiation of protective responses. PTX3 has notably beneficial effects in mice infected with Aspergillus fumigatus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Cystic fibrosis (CF), a severe inherited autosomal recessive disease, is characterized by recurrent lung infections, especially by these two pathogens. We thus hypothesized that the status of PTX3 may be altered in CF patients. Level and integrity of PTX3 were analyzed in the sputum samples from 51 CF patients and 7 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The levels of PTX3 were increased in serums from CF patients, but low in their respiratory secretions. PTX3 concentrations in sputum samples were dramatically lower in CF patients than in COPD patients. The low concentration of PTX3 resulted from a proteolysis cleavage by elastase and A. fumigatus proteases. Interestingly, the N-ter domain of PTX3, involved in protection against A. fumigatus, is preferentially degraded by these proteases. These results indicate that the selective proteolysis of PTX3 in the CF lung may explain, in part, the recurrent lung infections by PTX3-sensitive pathogens in CF patients.
CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide-induced TLR9 activation regulates macrophage TREM-1 expression and shedding
Authors: Molad Yair , Pokroy-Shapira Elisheva , Carmon Vered
Published: March 2013

CpG-oligonucleotide (ODN)-induced TLR9 activation exerts anti-inflammatory effects. TREM-1 is a DAP12-associated receptor, which is up-regulated in response to LPS-mediated TLR4 activation, and plays an essential role in innate immune response by augmenting the production of pro-inflammatory chemokines and cytokines. TREM-1 up-regulation resulted in a grave outcome in animal models, and in patients with sepsis and rheumatoid arthritis, while its soluble form (sTREM-1) exerted anti-inflammatory effects. We hypothesized that CpG-ODN regulates membrane TREM-1 expression and sTREM-1 shedding. The effect of CpG-ODN-induced TLR9 activation on TREM-1 expression and shedding was studied in mouse peritoneal macrophages and the mouse macrophage cell line RAW 264.7. While TREM-1 expression was not altered by CpG-ODN alone, stimulation with both LPS and CpG-ODN significantly abrogated TREM-1 LPS-induced up-regulation. Moreover, CpG-ODN-induced TLR9 activation either alone or in combination with LPS resulted in a significant increase of supernatant sTREM-1. The release of sTREM-1 was correlated positively with MMP-9 activity and was inhibited by chloroquine. These results suggest (i) a novel CpG-ODN-induced TLR9 pathway for the regulation of macrophage TREM-1 expression and MMP-9-mediated TREM-1 shedding; and (ii) a novel mechanism for an anti-inflammatory effect of CpG-ODN through abrogation of LPS-induced membrane TREM-1 up-regulation and increased MMP-9-mediated TREM-1 shedding.
Exercise testing in hypertensive patients for assessing the cardiovascular protective potential of antihypertensive drugs
Authors: Brunel Patrick , Baschiera Fabio , Cifkova Renata
Published: March 2013

Exercise testing is an established noninvasive tool in cardiology used to diagnose and guide treatment in individuals with suspected or confirmed coronary artery disease. Owing to the wealth of information it provides, exercise testing is also being utilized to evaluate prehypertensive stages, characterize hypertension, assess tolerance to exercise and the efficacy of antihypertensive therapies, and predict target organ damage and cardiovascular risk. The literature on exercise tolerance tests is relatively limited since these studies are difficult to conduct although they represent a valuable test for evaluating the benefits of antihypertensive therapies beyond their blood-pressure-lowering efficacy at rest or during exercise. Such a setting can be immensely useful for the evaluation and for the differentiation of treatments, especially in patients with evident rises in systolic blood pressure and with concomitant diseases, who are at higher risk of stroke. Exercise-induced increase in systolic blood pressure from rest to peak exercise should therefore be used as the primary efficacy variable. There is growing evidence that central pressure is a better predictor for cardiovascular risk than peripheral blood pressure, since this variable takes into account the overall effect of vascular aging and increased arterial stiffness that age and other concomitant diseases may induce. It is also important to include central aortic blood pressure and biomarkers of hypertension and cardiac disease in the overall assessment.
How Can Global Rates of Exclusive Breastfeeding for the First 6 Months Be Enhanced?
Authors: Gupta Arun , Dadhich J. P. , Suri Shoba
Published: March 2013

Optimal infant and young child feeding practices, especially exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, not only save lives of children younger than 5 years but also improve children’s quality of life. In spite of the proven benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for up to 6 months, and repeated emphasis on this critical intervention, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding among children younger than 6 months is a dismal 37% globally, and it has been stagnant since the 1990s. Globally, there is much interest in enhancing this practice to accelerate the progress on child survival, as the UN Secretary General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health calls for increasing numbers to 21.9 million infants who are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life, by 2015, in 49 least developed countries. This is a welcome step forward, but knowledge of how to increase exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months is either lacking or is inadequate among policy and program managers. This article identifies 7 strategies that could achieve increased rates of exclusive breastfeeding, provides guidance on prioritization, and explains why these require multisectoral and systematic action.
The Preoperative Neurological Evaluation
Authors: Probasco John , Sahin Bogachan , Tran Tung , Chung Tae Hwan , Rosenthal Liana Shapiro , Mari Zoltan , Levy Michael
Published: March 2013

Neurological diseases are prevalent in the general population, and the neurohospitalist has an important role to play in the preoperative planning for patients with and at risk for developing neurological disease. The neurohospitalist can provide patients and their families as well as anesthesiologists, surgeons, hospitalists, and other providers guidance in particular to the patient’s neurological disease and those he or she is at risk for. Here we present considerations and guidance for the neurohospitalist providing preoperative consultation for the neurological patient with or at risk of disturbances of consciousness, cerebrovascular and carotid disease, epilepsy, neuromuscular disease, and Parkinson disease.
Clinical management of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Delgado-Valverde Mercedes , Sojo-Dorado Jesús , Pascual Álvaro , Rodríguez-Baño Jesús
Published: March 2013

Enterobacteriaceae showing resistance to cephalosporins due to extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) or plasmid-mediated AmpC enzymes, and those producing carbapenemases have spread worldwide during the last decades. Many of these isolates are also resistant to other first-line agents such as fluoroquinolones or aminoglycosides, leaving few available options for therapy. Thus, older drugs such as colistin and fosfomycin are being increasingly used. Infections caused by these bacteria are associated with increased morbidity and mortality compared with those caused by their susceptible counterparts. Most of the evidence supporting the present recommendations is from in vitro data, animal studies, and observational studies. While carbapenems are considered the drugs of choice for ESBL and AmpC producers, recent data suggest that certain alternatives may be suitable for some types of infections. Combined therapy seems superior to monotherapy in the treatment of invasive infections caused by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Optimization of dosage according to pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics data is important for the treatment of infections caused by isolates with borderline minimum inhibitory concentration due to low-level resistance mechanisms. The increasing frequency and the rapid spread of multidrug resistance among the Enterobacteriaceae is a true and complex public health problem.
New agents for the treatment of hepatitis C in patients co-infected with HIV
Authors: Munteanu Daniela I. , Rockstroh Jürgen K.
Published: March 2013

Pilot trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of the first licensed hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitors (PIs), boceprevir (BOC) and telaprevir (TVR), for the treatment of genotype 1 infection in HCV/HIV co-infected patients revealed similar results as in HCV mono-infected patients. HCV liver disease progresses more rapidly in co-infected patients, particularly with advanced immunodeficiency. Therefore, HCV treatment in HIV is of great importance. However, dual therapy with pegylated interferon (PegIFN) and ribavirin (RBV) has been associated with lower cure rates and increased toxicities in co-infected subjects, thereby limiting overall HCV therapy uptake. The availability of HCV PIs opens new perspectives for HCV cure in co-infected patients, with a 70% sustained virologic response (SVR) rate in HCV treatment-naïve patients. Despite these impressive advances, the use of the new treatment options has been low, reflecting the complex issues with modern triple HCV therapy. Indeed pill burden, adverse events (AEs), drug–drug interactions (DDIs) and high costs complicate HCV therapy in HIV. So far, studies have shown no tolerability differences in mono- and co-infected patients with the early stages of liver fibrosis. Regarding DDIs between HVC PIs and antiretroviral drugs, TVR can be safely administered with efavirenz (with dose adjustment of TVR), etravirine (ETR), rilpivirine, boosted atazanavir (ATV/r) and raltegravir (RAL), while BOC can be safely administered with ETR, RAL and potentially ATV/r for treatment-naïve patients under careful monitoring. Currently, the great number of HCV molecules under development is promising substantially improved treatment paradigms with shorter treatment durations, fewer AEs, less DDIs, once-daily administration and even interferon-free regimens. The decision to treat now with the available HCV PIs or defer therapy until the second generation of HCV direct acting antivirals become available should be based on liver fibrosis staging and fibrosis progression during follow up. More data are urgently needed regarding the efficacy of triple therapy in HIV/HCV co-infected patients who previously failed PegIFN/RBV therapy as well as in patients with more advanced fibrosis stages.
Newly Developed Synbiotics and the Chemotherapy-Damaged Gut
Authors: Wang Hanru , Bastian Susan E. P. , Howarth Gordon S.
Published: March 2013

Mucositis is a common side-effect of cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Features of mucositis include erythema, ulceration, and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract accompanied by clinical symptoms of abdominal pain and digestive disturbances. New treatment strategies are required. Experimental evidence is accumulating showing therapeutic promise for new nutraceutical agents including probiotic bacteria, probiotic-derived factors, prebiotics, and plant extracts. However, the targeted development of new combinations of these agents (synbiotics) to combat mucositis remains largely unexplored. The current review addresses the potential for these nutraceutical agents to reduce the severity of chemotherapy-damaged mucositis by strategically aligning their underlying mechanism of action with features of mucositis pathogenesis. The potential for certain plant extracts to act as prebiotics, in combination with probiotics or their derived factors, is further investigated. These unique synbiotic formulations could form the basis of a new naturally sourced adjunctive approach to cancer chemotherapy.