bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of nephrotoxic effects of aristolochic acid on zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae
Authors: Wang X , Liu K-C , Sun G-J , Han L-W , Wang R-C , Peng W-B , Sun C , Hsiao C-D , Zhang Y , Hou H-R
Published: November 2015

To analyze the toxic effects of aristolochic acid (AA) on developed kidneys in zebrafish larvae, zebrafish at 3 days postfertilization were treated with various concentrations of AA for 24 h before the status of kidney injury was investigated from several points of view. It was found that 21% of the larvae treated with 10 µmoL/L AA exhibited evident periocular edema. When the concentrations of AA were increased to 20 and 40 µmoL/L, defect in the cardiovascular system characterized by slow heart beat and blood flow was seen coupled with periocular edema. Creatinine in the whole larval tissue determined by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry exhibited dramatic increase in the treated groups in a dose-dependent manner within a certain range of doses. Several evident protein bands were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in supernatant of the treated larvae, indicating leakage of glomerular filtration barrier. Results of quantitative polymerase chain reaction show that the messenger RNA expression of nephrin in the 20 and 40 µmoL/L AA-treated groups decreased to 0.58 ± 0.062 and 0.37 ± 0.075-folds of the control, respectively. Kidney damage was further confirmed by the histological changes in paraffin sections of treated larvae, for example, cystic glomeruli and disorganized epithelia cells of pronephric tubules. Our results revealed that AA exerted toxic effects on developed kidney of zebrafish larvae in a dose-dependent manner and podocyte dysfunction may be involved in the kidney injury and proteinuria.
Secondhand smoke induces hepatic apoptosis and fibrosis in hamster fetus
Authors: Huang Chien-Wei , Horng Chi-Ting , Huang Chih-Yang , Cho Ta-Hsiung , Tsai Yi-Chang , Chen Li-Jeng , Hsu Tsai-Ching , Tzang Bor-Show
Published: November 2015

Secondhand smoke (SHS) is an important health issue worldwide. Inhaling SHS during pregnancy could cause abnormalities in the internal tissues of newborns, which may then impair fetal development and even cause severe intrauterine damage and perinatal death. However, the understanding of cytopathic mechanisms of SHS by maternal passive smoking on fetus liver during pregnancy is still limited. This study analyzed the effects of high-dose SHS (SHSH) on fetus liver using a maternal passive smoking animal model. Experiments showed that hepatic matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling-positive cells were significantly increased in livers from fetuses of hamsters treated with SHSH. Similarly, expressions of both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic molecules were significantly higher in livers from fetuses of hamsters exposed to SHSH. Additionally, significantly increased inflammatory proteins, including transforming growth factor β, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and interleukin 1β, and fibrotic signaling molecules, including phosphorylated Smad2/3, SP1, and α-smooth muscle actin, were observed in the fetus livers from hamsters treated with SHSH. This study revealed that SHSH not only increased apoptosis through intrinsic and extrinsic pathways in the livers of fetuses from hamsters exposed to SHSH but also augmented hepatic fibrosis via Smad2/3 signaling.
Diagnostic accuracy of silica clotting time method for lupus anticoagulant in a clinical population with various symptoms of antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Averina M , Johannesen S , Brox J
Published: November 2015

Introduction: Correct interpretation of lupus anticoagulant (LA) tests is crucial for diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). This study assessed diagnostic accuracy of the SCT method in a clinical population with various symptoms of APS. Material and methods: Altogether 60 APS patients were consecutively recruited from a relevant clinical population. All cases had stable positivity of at least one of the reference tests (two other LA methods; anticardiolipin- and anti-β2-glycoprotein-I antibodies). Controls ( n = 62) with negative reference tests were also consecutively recruited from the same clinical population. Results and conclusions: Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis for the SCT test to identify the APS cases showed area under the curve of 0.82 (95% CI 0.75–0.90). The positive cut-off defined by a non-parametric method (99 percentile in a healthy population) had specificity of 92%, but low sensitivity of 53%. The optimal cut-off corresponded to the 97.5 percentile (67% sensitivity and 92% specificity). Combined sensitivity of the positive diluted Russell Viper Venom time (dRVVT) and SCT tests was 73%, while specificity remained 92%. The sensitivity of the SCT method varied in different clinical subgroups and was highest in patients with rheumatic diseases and in patients with triple positivity of three reference methods.
‘A guy in my position is a government target … You got to be extra, extra careful’: Participation and strategies in crime talk in The Sopranos
Authors: Statham Simon
Published: November 2015

This article reflects the trend within the stylistics of drama towards the analysis of film and television discourse by examining dialogue from HBO’s popular organised crime drama The Sopranos. A major theme of the series focuses on the consistent attempts of the authorities to bring Soprano gang members to justice for their crimes. To gather evidence, investigators rely on electronic surveillance and surreptitious listening devices worn by collaborating witnesses who agree to testify for the government against their former associates. FBI agents are additional participants in recorded conversations and they perform a range of discourse roles in these encounters. Cooperating witnesses employ a range of conversational strategies to accommodate FBI ‘eavesdroppers’, whilst the major criminal characters adopt tactics of conversational vigilance in their ‘crime talk’. Gangsters exercise a level of caution in their interactions which has important implications for conversational cooperation. This article will use Goffman’s (1981) participation framework to analyse how recorded crime talk is affected by the presence of investigating authorities and cooperating witnesses. The divergent conversational intentions of targets and cooperators also affect adherence to Grice’s (1975) conversational maxims. These seminal models will be applied to selective dialogue extracts from The Sopranos in order to demonstrate that criminal topics of conversation can have a significant effect on the structure and strategies of interactions in a television drama. Characters employ conversational caution when addressing incriminating acts which they consider it unwise to discuss explicitly. In many cases the external television audience is accommodated by being shown these crimes whilst internal overhearers are frustrated by the tactical vigilance adopted in characters’ talk.
Factors Affecting Health-Related Quality of Life in Children Undergoing Curative Treatment for Cancer
Authors: Momani Tha’er G. , Hathaway Donna K. , Mandrell Belinda N.
Published: November 2015

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important measure to evaluate a child’s reported treatment experience. Although there are numerous studies of HRQoL in children undergoing curative cancer treatment, there is limited literature on factors that influence this. Objective: To review published studies that describe the HRQoL and associated factors in children undergoing curative cancer treatment. Method: Full-text publications in English from January 2005 to March 2013 were searched in PubMed, PsychINFO, and CINAHL for children ≤18 years of age undergoing curative cancer treatment. HRQoL-associated factors were categorized as cancer diagnosis, treatment, child, family, and community. Results: Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. The most frequently used generic and cancer-specific instruments were PedsQL (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory) Generic and PedsQL Cancer, respectively. Cancer diagnosis and treatment were the most frequently identified variables; fewer studies measured family and community domains. Gender, treatment intensity, type of cancer treatments, time in treatment, and cancer diagnosis were correlated with HRQoL. Conclusion: Our study highlights the need to develop interventions based on diagnosis and treatment regimen to improve the HRQoL in children undergoing curative cancer treatment.
Worth the Risk? Muddled Relationships in Community-Based Participatory Research
Authors: Mayan Maria J. , Daum Christine H.
Published: November 2015

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a collaborative research approach that has two purposes: (a) to generate knowledge about and (b) to take action to improve the lives of people facing health, social, economic, political, and environmental inequities. The foundation of all CBPR projects is its partnership—its cooperative relationship between community members, service providers, program planners, policy makers, and academics. It is with people—and through relationships—that partnerships are built and sustained. Although relationships between academics and community members are critical to creating knowledge and change, they are overlooked in the literature. We often hear about CBPR “gone wrong,” when tensions and conflicts arise because relationship boundaries become blurred. Our purpose is to expose the muddled relationships that can be created between academics and community members in CBPR projects. Drawing upon our experiences presented in a series of vignettes, we consider the nature of these relationships. We explore whether we conduct, in CBPR, good research at the expense of muddling relationships. Despite the potential for muddled relationships, we believe that CBPR is the best approach for research aimed at achieving a more equitable and just society.
Comparative Cognitive Profile of Second-Generation Antidepressants in Elderly Nursing Home Residents With Depression
Authors: Bali Vishal , Johnson Michael L. , Chen Hua , Fleming Marc L. , Holmes Holly M. , Aparasu Rajender R.
Published: November 2015

Background: Past literature suggests that the use of second-generation antidepressants improves cognition in depressed elderly patients. Objective: This study assessed the comparative cognitive profile of commonly used second-generation antidepressant classes in elderly residents with depression. Methods: A multiple propensity score adjusted retrospective cohort study was conducted using 2007-2010 Medicare Part D claims and Minimum Data Set (MDS). Elderly nursing home residents (65 years or older) with depression using a new prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and tetracyclics constituted the study cohort. The outcome of interest was cognition, measured using the MDS Cognition Scale. Cognition was measured at each quarterly assessment after antidepressant initiation for a maximum of 1 year. The propensity score–adjusted repeated-measures mixed model was used to evaluate the comparative profile of SSRIs, SNRIs, and tetracyclics with respect to cognition. Results: The study cohort comprised 1518 elderly nursing home residents. Of these, 1081 received SSRIs (71.21%), 320 received tetracyclics (21.08%), and 117 received SNRIs (7.71%). The propensity score–adjusted repeated-measures mixed model did not show any statistically significant difference in cognition with the use of SSRIs (β = −0.14; 95% CI = −0.53, 0.25) or tetracyclics (β = −0.36; 95% CI = −0.80, 0.08) when compared with SNRIs, after controlling for other factors. Conclusions: The cognitive effect of SSRIs, SNRIs, and tetracyclics was similar in elderly nursing home residents with depression. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term cognitive effects of second-generation antidepressants in this vulnerable population.
Gynecomastia With Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia and Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Associated With Invasive Breast Carcinoma in a Male Patient on Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Coyne John D.
Published: November 2015

Breast carcinoma in males is rare although a 4-fold increased incidence is reported in HIV-infected men. Herein we report a case of invasive breast carcinoma in a HIV-positive man on antiretroviral therapy. The carcinoma was associated with features of florid gynecomastia, atypical ductal hyperplasia, ductal carcinoma in situ, and columnar cell change. This combination of morphological changes has not previously been reported in the context of male breast carcinoma and their etiopathological associations are discussed.
Use of the Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventories for Primary Care with Medical Outpatients
Authors: Beck Aaron T. , Steer Robert A. , Ball Roberta , Ciervo Carman A. , Kabat Mark
Published: November 2015

The effectiveness of the Beck Anxiety (BAI-PC) and Depression (BDI-PC) Inventories for Primary Care for discriminating 56 primary care patients with and without revised, third edition Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-III-R) diagnosed anxiety and mood disorders was studied. The Anxiety and Mood modules from the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD) were used to establish diagnoses. The coefficient alphas for the BAI-PC and BDI-PC were, respectively, .90 and .88. A BAI-PC cutoff score of 5 and above yielded the highest clinical efficiency (82%) with 85% sensitivity and 81% specificity for identifying patients with and without panic, generalized anxiety, or both disorders, whereas a BDI-PC cutoff score of 6 and above afforded the highest clinical efficiency (92%) with 83% sensitivity and 95% specificity for detecting patients with and without major depressive disorders. The use of these instruments to screen primary care patients before conducting extensive diagnostic evaluations with them was discussed.
Estimating Full Scale IQ While Minimizing the Effects of Practice
Authors: Axelrod Bradley N. , Brines Brooke , Rapport Lisa J.
Published: November 2015

The present study attempted to ascertain the best estimate of true Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) when confronted with an individual who recently had been administered the WAIS-R. Sixty-five college undergraduate participants were administered the WAIS-R twice within 14 days. WAIS-R summary scores, factor scores, and short-form estimates obtained from the second assessment were compared to FSIQ at the first evaluation. The results indicated that Verbal IQ, the Verbal Comprehension factor score, and subtracting 6 points from the current FSIQ are the least affected by repeat assessment and the most accurate estimates of FSIQ at the first evaluation. Use of these estimates of FSIQ are encouraged when evaluating an individual who has been administered the WAIS-R in the recent past.
MMPI and Rorschach Characteristics of Individuals Approved for Gender Reassignment Surgery
Authors: Caron Gregory R. , Archer Robert P.
Published: November 2015

Results of past empirical studies utilizing the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Rorschach Inkblot Test (Rorschach) have tended to be equivocal regarding the level and nature of psychopathology associated with samples of individuals requesting gender reassignment surgery. The present study compared the MMPI-2 basic scale T scores from a gender reassignment applicant sample (56 male-to-female transsexuals and 56 female-to-male transsexuals) to T scores obtained from a general psychiatric adult inpatient sample ( n = 112) and T scores obtained from a normal adult sample ( n = 112). The comparison groups were matched to the gender reassignment sample on the variables of biological gender and age. Rorschach data obtained from the gender reassignment sample were also compared to frequency data reported by Exner for normal, character disorder, and schizophrenic adults. Apart from a clinical range elevation on Scale 5, the gender reassignment candidates produced a normal range mean MMPI-2 profile. In contrast, the Rorschach findings suggested that reassignment candidates produce a high frequency of invalid protocols and manifest various psychological problems that are characteristic of individuals with personality disorders. These findings are discussed in terms of salient methodological and theoretical issues as well as promising directions for future research.
The Construct Validity of the Hooper Visual Organization Test
Authors: Johnstone Brick , Wilhelm Karen L.
Published: November 2015

Although the Hooper Visual Organization Test (VOT) is commonly described as a measure of “visual-spatial integration,” face validity suggests it measures global visual-spatial intelligence similar to the revised edition of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R) performance IQ (PIQ) subtests. The present study investigated the construct validity of the VOT by comparing it to conceptually similar and dissimilar cognitive abilities in a principal components factor analysis of 240 participants with cognitive impairment. Results indicated that the VOT falls within a global visual-spatial factor and shares the following variance with the other tests that loaded on this factor: WAIS-R PIQ subtests, 12% to 23%; Category Test, 11%; the revised edition of the Wechsler Memory Scale Visual Reproduction I subtest, 10%; and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, 9%. Previous studies, current results, and face validity suggest the VOT is best considered a measure of global visual-spatial intelligence. Clinical implications are discussed.
The Detection of Faking Good on the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4
Authors: Bagby R. Michael , Pajouhandeh Parnian
Published: November 2015

The aim of this study was to examine the ability of the fake good indicators on the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 (PDQ-4) for DSMIV Axis II disorders to assess fake good responding. A sample of 99 university students completed the PDQ-4 under respond honestly and fake good instructions. Participants were able to significantly alter their clinical profiles. However, although the two validity scales on the PDQ-4 differed significantly under the instructional set, the overall classification rates of these scales were too low to warrant use in a clinical setting.
Approaches to Improving Cardiac Structure and Function During and After an Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Kloner Robert A. , Dai Wangde , Hale Sharon L. , Shi Jianru
Published: November 2015

While progress has been made in improving survival following myocardial infarction, this injury remains a major source of mortality and morbidity despite modern reperfusion therapy. While one approach has been to develop therapies to reduce lethal myocardial cell reperfusion injury, this concept has not translated to the clinics, and several recent negative clinical trials raise the question of whether reperfusion injury is important in humans undergoing reperfusion for acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. Therapy aimed at reducing myocardial cell death while the myocytes are still ischemic is more likely to further reduce myocardial infarct size. Developing new therapies to further reduce left ventricular remodeling after the acute event is another approach to preserving structure and function of the heart after infarction. Such therapy may include chronic administration of pharmacologic agents and/or therapies developed from the field of regenerative cardiology, including cellular or non-cellular materials such as extracellular matrix. The optimal therapy will be to administer agents that both reduce myocardial infarct size in the acute phase of infarction as well as reduce adverse left ventricular remodeling during the chronic or healing phase of myocardial infarction. Such a dual approach will help optimize the preservation of both cardiac structure and function.
Inhibition of Atherosclerosis Progression, Intimal Hyperplasia, and Oxidative Stress by Simvastatin and Ivabradine May Reduce Thoracic Aorta’s Stiffness in Hypercholesterolemic Rabbits
Authors: Koniari Ioanna , Mavrilas Dimosthenis , Apostolakis Efstratios , Papadimitriou Evangelia , Papadaki Helen , Papalois Apostolos , Poimenidi Evangelia , Xanthopoulou Ioanna , Hahalis George , Alexopoulos Dimitrios
Published: November 2015

Aims:

This study aims to evaluate atherosclerosis, oxidative stress, and arterial stiffness attenuation by simvastatin and ivabradine in hyperlipidemic rabbits.

Methods and Results:

Forty rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups: atherogenic diet (group C), atherogenic diet plus simvastatin (group S), atherogenic diet plus ivabradine (group I), and atherogenic diet plus simvastatin and ivabradine (group S + I). After 9 weeks, rabbits were euthanized and descending aortas excised for mechanical testing. Atherogenic diet induced the development of significant atherosclerotic lesions in group C animals but in none of groups S, I, and S + I. RAM-11 and HHF-35–positive cells were significantly reduced in groups S, I, and S + I compared with group C ( P < .001). A significant neointimal hyperplasia and intima–media ratio reduction was demonstrated in groups S ( P = .015 and P < .001), I ( P = .021 and P < .001), and S + I ( P = .019 and P < .001) compared with group C. Protein nitrotyrosine levels were significantly decreased in group S compared with group C ( P = .009), and reactive oxygen species levels were decreased in group I compared with group C ( P = .011). Aortic stiffness was significantly reduced in groups S, I, and S + I compared with group C ( P = .003, P = .011, and P = .029).

Conclusion:

Simvastatin and ivabradine significantly inhibited intimal hyperplasia and oxidative stress contributing to aortic stiffness reduction in hyperlipidemic rabbits.
Using Political Efficacy Messages to Increase Climate Activism
Authors: Feldman Lauren , Hart P. Sol
Published: November 2015

Using an online experiment with a national sample, this study tests the effects of political efficacy messages on two types of climate-related political participation via the discrete emotions of hope, fear, and anger and compares these effects across ideological groups. Relative to a message that discusses only negative climate impacts, messages that emphasize the internal, external, or response efficacy of political actions to address climate change are found to influence hope and fear but not anger, and these effects vary by political ideology. Furthermore, exposure to efficacy information indirectly increases participation via hope—even, in some cases, among conservatives.
Impact of the Cincinnati Aligning Forces for Quality Multi-Payer Patient Centered Medical Home Pilot on Health Care Quality, Utilization, and Costs
Authors: Rosenthal Meredith B. , Alidina Shehnaz , Friedberg Mark W. , Singer Sara J. , Eastman Diana , Li Zhonghe , Schneider Eric C.
Published: November 2015

To evaluate the potential for a patient-centered medical home initiative to reduce utilization and cost while improving quality, we examined a natural experiment involving 11 primary care practices in Cincinnati, Ohio, that participated in the Aligning Forces for Quality Multi-Payer Patient Centered Medical Home pilot. Our research design involved difference-in-difference analyses, comparing changes in utilization, costs, and quality between patients attributed to pilot practices compared with those attributed to a matched comparison cohort after 2 years of active engagement by the practices. The Cincinnati pilot was associated with a reduction of ambulatory care–sensitive emergency department visits of approximately 0.7 per 1,000 member months or approximately 22.6% ( p = .01). While there was a reduction in total costs of care of $7,679 per 1,000 member months, the difference did not reach statistical significance. After 2 years of the pilot, lipid testing in diabetics had increased by 2.7 percentage points (a 3.3% improvement; p < .0001). Patient-centered medical homes have the potential to improve the quality of care and reduce emergency department use but expectations for cost control in a relatively short time horizon and absent other changes may be unrealistic.
Negotiating Peril
Authors: Burnett Camille , Schminkey Donna , Milburn Juliane , Kastello Jennifer , Bullock Linda , Campbell Jacquelyn , Sharps Phyllis
Published: November 2015

This qualitative study of 10 rural women examines their lived experience of intimate partner violence during pregnancy and the first 2 postpartum years. In-depth interviews occurred during pregnancy and 4 times postpartum. A Heideggerian approach revealed “negotiating peril” as the overarching theme; sub-themes were unstable environment, adaptive calibration, primacy of motherhood, and numb acceptance. Some incremental shifts in severity of abusive situations were observed. Results elucidate the ambivalence with which these women view institutions that are designed to help them. Findings highlight factors that may explain why interventions designed to help often do not appear efficacious in facilitating complete termination of an abusive situation.
Research Design for Mixed Methods
Authors: Turner Scott F. , Cardinal Laura B. , Burton Richard M.
Published: November 2015

All methods individually are flawed, but these limitations can be mitigated through mixed methods research, which combines methodologies to provide better answers to our research questions. In this study, we develop a research design framework for mixed methods work that is based on the principles of triangulation. Core elements for the research design framework include theoretical purpose, i.e., theory development and/or theory testing; and methodological purpose, i.e., prioritizing generalizability, precision in control and measurement, and authenticity of context. From this foundation, we consider how the multiple methodologies are linked together to accomplish the theoretical purpose, focusing on three types of linking processes: convergent triangulation, holistic triangulation, and convergent and holistic triangulation. We then consider the implications of these linking processes for the theory at hand, taking into account the following theoretical attributes: generality/specificity, simplicity/complexity, and accuracy/inaccuracy. Based on this research design framework, we develop a roadmap that can serve as a design guide for organizational scholars conducting mixed methods research studies.
Feminist struggle over urban safety and the politics of space
Authors: Listerborn Carina
Published: November 2015

This article explores safety and politics of space in two ways. First, it reviews research on women’s fear and calls for safer cities, identifying four contradictions in the geography of fear discourse. Second, it elaborates on how including various forms of fear may repoliticize the contemporary depoliticized and co-opted safety discussion by focusing on sexist and racist threats rather than exclusively on the white middle classes. Here, threats to veiled Muslim women and their experiences in public spaces are, in particular, emphasized as exemplifying fears that are neglected in the safety debate. The article concludes that, rather than the whole safety issue being dismissed as ‘neoliberal’, there is an urgent need to strengthen the analysis of power and illuminate experiences of pain and fear in sexist and racist violence.
Children’s body image and social comparisons with peers and the media
Authors: Tatangelo Gemma L , Ricciardelli Lina A
Published: November 2015

Social comparisons are related to the development of body dissatisfaction among adolescents and adults, yet this relationship remains relatively unexamined among children. This study examines children’s peer and media-related social comparisons, and how this impacts on their body image. Children aged 8–10 years completed interviews (17 girls and 19 boys in individual interviews, and 16 girls and 16 boys in focus groups). Analyses revealed that appearance-related comparisons were more common among girls, whereas sports/ability-related comparisons were more common for boys. In addition, boys viewed media comparisons as inspiring, whereas girls reported negative emotions. Implications for future research and prevention programmes are discussed.
Examining the psychometric properties of the Chinese Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory for patients suffering from chronic diseases
Authors: Cheng Christopher HK , Ho Samuel MY , Rochelle Tina L
Published: November 2015

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory among Hong Kong chronic disease patients. Using a cross-sectional design and multistage stratification sampling, 265 chronic disease patients were recruited from a selection of non-governmental organizations and patient self-help groups across Hong Kong. The Chinese Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory total scale and subscales showed satisfactory internal consistency, reliability and concurrent validity. The factor structure of the Chinese Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory fit well with a higher-order intrapersonal factor (self, spiritual and life orientation) and a first-order interpersonal factor. The Chinese Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory was predictive of hope and positive coping but negatively predictive of anxiety. The five Chinese Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory subscales can help practitioners identify meaningful health outcomes for Chinese chronic disease patients.
Disentangling the effects of long-term language contact and individual bilingualism: The case of monophthongs in Welsh and English
Authors: Mayr Robert , Morris Jonathan , Mennen Ineke , Williams Daniel
Published: November 2015

Aims and objectives:

This study investigates the effects of individual bilingualism and long-term language contact on monophthongal vowel productions in English and Welsh.

Design:

To this end, we recorded the Welsh and English vowel productions of two sets of Welsh-English bilinguals differing in home language use, as well as the English vowel productions of English monolinguals.

Data and analysis:

The data were analysed acoustically, with a focus on spectral and temporal properties. Comparisons were then made within each language and cross-linguistically.

Findings:

The results of a cross-linguistic acoustic comparison revealed a high degree of convergence in the monophthong systems of Welsh and English, but also some language-specific categories. Interestingly, at the individual level we found no effect of linguistic experience on vowel production: the two sets of bilinguals and the English monolinguals did not differ in their realisation of English vowels, and the two sets of bilinguals did not differ in their realisation of Welsh vowels.

Originality:

This is one of few studies to examine the effect of linguistic background on variation in Welsh and English bilingual speech, and the first to compare the speech of Welsh-English bilinguals and English monolinguals. More specifically, it investigates the extent to which a speaker’s home language can affect phonetic variation in a close-knit community of speakers and in a situation characterised by long-term language contact.

Implications:

The findings demonstrate pervasive phonetic convergence in a language contact situation with a historical substrate. They also indicate that a homogeneous peer group with shared values can override the effects of individual linguistic experience.
Democratic policing, community policing and the fallacy of conflation in international police development missions
Authors: Shilston Timothy
Published: November 2015

In international police development missions it has become common practice to regard ‘community policing’ as a synonym for ‘democratic policing’. It is argued here that democratic policing is the parent concept and that community policing is simply one among a range of possible manifestations of some, but by no means all, of the democratic policing ideals (in so far as they can be identified). To conflate the two, or even to recognise the difference yet accord equal status, is a category error. The result yields two corrosive products: incomplete application of democratic policing in every case, and cultural inappropriateness in some.
Social media and citizen engagement: A meta-analytic review
Authors: Skoric Marko M , Zhu Qinfeng , Goh Debbie , Pang Natalie
Published: November 2015

This meta-analytic study reviews empirical research published from 2007 to 2013 with an aim of providing robust conclusions about the relationship between social media use and citizen engagement. It includes 22 studies that used self-reported measures of social media use and participation, with a total of 116 relationships/effects. The results suggest that social media use generally has a positive relationship with engagement and its three sub-categories, that is, social capital, civic engagement, and political participation. More specifically, we find small-to-medium size positive relationships between expressive, informational, and relational uses of social media and the above indicators of citizen engagement. For identity- and entertainment-oriented uses of social media, our analyses find little evidence supporting their relationship with citizen engagement.
Schoolification or early years democracy? A cross-curricular perspective from Denmark and England
Authors: Brogaard Clausen Sigrid
Published: November 2015

International comparisons strongly influence national policy agendas in the early years. However, an appreciation of details and national context and differences is imperative to promote democracy. From the perspective of a Danish social pedagogue1 lecturing in Early Childhood Studies in England, the author presents a cross-national comparison to elicit parallels and differences in discourses of democracy and schoolification within early years curriculum policies in England and Denmark. An initial discussion of democracy and schoolification leads to a consideration of the differing welfare contexts and quality assurance processes that inform the curriculum frameworks. The influence of schoolification is exemplified in a detailed analysis of the raised expectations with regard to language assessment in England and Denmark. This discussion reveals the tensions between local democratic participation in early years communities and policy agendas that emphasize preparation for school. The article explores how the limitations of a schoolification discourse, which is already dominant in England and becoming more prevalent in Denmark, potentially displacing children, parents and professionals as democratic stakeholders. The conclusion takes the form of an invitation to the early years community, locally, nationally and internationally, to find ways of developing resilience to the pressure of a neo-liberal accountability culture and external governance.
Apostasy in Islam and identity cards in Malaysia
Authors: Majid Abdul , Yogamalar Sri , French Juliana A , Bakar Seira SA
Published: November 2015

Shakespeare’s Juliet may declaim she would love Romeo by whatever name he is identified; to her, he is the ‘rose’ that would smell just as sweet regardless of his name. The Malaysian Court of Appeal would disagree vehemently with Juliet; for the court, the individual’s name in her National Registration Identity Card (‘NRIC’) is everything; the individual herself does not exist for purposes of legal proceedings if identified by other than her NRIC name, even if the person is before the court. In Anne Theresa de Souza v Majlis Agama Islam, Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor & Ors and other appeals [2010] 3 MLJ 748, the court dismissed the appellant’s attempt to record her abjuration of Islam in her NRIC on this technical ground without considering its merits. This paper respectfully argues that the court erred both in law and procedure in arriving at this decision.
Regression models for structural health monitoring of welded bridge joints based on temperature, traffic and strain measurements
Authors: Farreras-Alcover Isaac , Chryssanthopoulos Marios K , Andersen Jacob Egede
Published: November 2015

A modelling platform based on regression analysis is developed as a novel approach to structural health monitoring of welded joints of orthotropic bridge steel decks. Monitoring outcomes from the Great Belt Bridge (Denmark) are used to develop regression models following a weighted least squares approach to characterize the normal correlation pattern between environmental conditions (daily-averaged pavement temperatures), operational loads (daily-aggregated heavy traffic counts) and a strain-based performance indicator. The developed models can be used within a structural health monitoring–based asset management framework for performance assessment (i.e. diagnosis of structural performance changes) and performance prediction (i.e. prognosis of structural performance leading to service life estimates). The main novelty of the work presented consists of the development of an algorithm based on statistical control charts related to the prediction bands of the regression models. The algorithm enables the interpretation of new monitoring data and the identification of potentially abnormal behaviours via outlier detection, as part of an envisaged ‘real-time’ performance assessment application. The proposed approach to outlier detection through structural health monitoring is finally illustrated considering actual monitoring outcomes from the bridge. This highlights the applicability of the developed modelling platform and contributes to bridging the gap between monitoring data and monitoring-based information that can lead to more effective asset management decisions.
A Chinese Decoction, Kuan-Sin-Yin, Improves Autonomic Function and Cancer-Related Symptoms of Metastatic Colon Cancer
Authors: Chien Tsai-Ju , Liu Chia-Yu , Ko Pin-Hao , Hsu Chung-Hua
Published: November 2015

Background

Kuan-Sin-Yin (KSY) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoction, which has been shown to have cytostatic effects on cancer cells and involved in the TCM theory of promoting yin-yang balance.Sonce many cancer patients suffer from autonomic dysfunction (AD), which correspond to yin-yang imbalance in TCM. The aim of this study is to evaluate the possible effect of KSY in metastatic colon cancer (mCRC) patients with AD.

Methods

We conducted a single-group experiment. Total 52 qualified patients were enrolled. Participants took the KSY daily for 2 weeks. The primary outcome was KSY efficacy as reflected in the heart rate variability (HRV) and electrical conductivity (µA) over 12 meridian points. Autonomic function was examined before and after the KSY intervention. The vagal and sympathetic tone were recorded by HRV; 12 meridian energies were measured using a meridian energy analysis device. Secondary outcomes were cancer-related symptoms and patient quality of life (QoL).

Results

The results showed that the KSY intervention improved AD via increasing the vagal tone (HF: P = .041), but not the sympathetic tone (LF: P = .154); total autonomic activity was significantly enhanced (HRV activity: P = .013). Intriguingly, energy increased more over the yin meridian (P = .010) than over the yang meridian (P = .015). Cancer-related symptoms and QoL were significantly improved (P < .05).

Conclusion

The safety and effectiveness of KSY in improving AD in mCRC patients are through regulating the vagal-sympathetic dynamic balance, which correspond to the TCM yin-yang concept of energy.
Positionality at the Center
Authors: Vanner Catherine
Published: November 2015

As a Western feminist supporting and researching gender equality in education in postcolonial contexts, I often wonder: Am I doing more harm than good? The privilege of my social location means that my efforts to support education in postcolonial contexts risk being patronizing, insulting, threatening, imperialist, and recolonizing. Yet neglecting and ignoring postcolonial contexts similarly reflects and reproduces a privileged position. I provide a tentative framework designed to address positionality, power, and privilege while creating an ethical research process for working in a postcolonial context. Beginning with an identification of positionality, the objectives of research, and guiding theoretical frameworks to situate the research in relation to the participants and context, I proceed to establish a methodology designed to minimize the negative effects of power and maximize participants’ empowerment. I position myself as a bricoleur, layering feminist standpoint theory and postcolonial theory, and propose the collaborative data collection and analysis techniques, with particular attention to ethical and cultural sensitivity, using a social constructivist approach to grounded theory. This article highlights the need for Western researchers to reflect upon the power dynamics of their research in postcolonial contexts and develop a strategy for conducting empowering research that prevents the misrepresentation and exploitation of participants. Observations from my doctoral thesis data collection provide examples of how these concepts were operationalized in practice as well as reflections on the disconnect between theorizing and conducting ethical research in postcolonial contexts.
Activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in human neutrophils by Helicobacter pylori infection
Authors: Pérez-Figueroa Erandi , Torres Javier , Sánchez-Zauco Norma , Contreras-Ramos Alejandra , Alvarez-Arellano Lourdes , Maldonado-Bernal Carmen
Published: November 2015

TLRs and NLRs participate in the immune system recognition of Helicobacter pylori. However, little is known about the mechanisms leading to inflammasome activation by H. pylori and if NLRs in neutrophils are involved in the process. We studied how NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome components are involved in IL-1β maturation in human neutrophils in response to the infection and if they are dependent on T4SS (type IV secretion system) and TLRs. Human neutrophils were cultured and infected with the 26695 or the VirD4− H. pylori strains; the IL-1β concentration was analyzed by ELISA, and we also evaluated the activation of TLRs 2 and 4. The infection of neutrophils with both strains of H. pylori induced production of IL-1β and expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome components such as apoptosis-associated speck-like protein with CARD domain and NLRP3 protein. The infection also increased the activity of caspase-1, which is required for the maturation of IL-1β. Our study shows, for the first time, that H. pylori infection induces the expression and activation of components of NLRP3 inflammasomes in human neutrophils and that the activation is independent of a functional T4SS and TLR2 and TLR4.
The role of viral infections in exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma
Authors: Hewitt Richard , Farne Hugo , Ritchie Andrew , Luke Emma , Johnston Sebastian L. , Mallia Patrick
Published: November 2015

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are major causes of global morbidity and mortality worldwide. The clinical course of both asthma and COPD are punctuated by the occurrence of exacerbations, acute events characterized by increased symptoms and airflow obstruction. Exacerbations contribute most of the morbidity, mortality and excess healthcare costs associated with both asthma and COPD. COPD and asthma exacerbations are frequently associated with respiratory virus infections and this has led to an intense research focus into the mechanisms of virus-induced exacerbations over the past decade. Current therapies are effective in reducing chronic symptoms but are less effective in preventing exacerbations, particularly in COPD. Understanding the mechanisms of virus-induced exacerbation will lead to the development of new targeted therapies that can reduce the burden of virus-induced exacerbations. In this review we discuss current knowledge of virus-induced exacerbations of asthma and COPD with a particular focus on mechanisms, human studies, virus–bacteria interactions and therapeutic advances.
Ustekinumab for the treatment of Crohn’s disease: can it find its niche?
Authors: Simon Ebby G. , Ghosh Subrata , Iacucci Marietta , Moran Gordon W.
Published: November 2015

Crohn’s disease is an immune-mediated disease that results in panenteric chronic inflammation in genetically predisposed individuals exposed to an appropriate environment. The past two decades have witnessed the emergence of an important class of drugs known as anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) agents in the treatment of Crohn’s disease. Unfortunately, the utility of these agents have been hampered by primary and secondary nonresponse in a significant proportion of patients. Ustekinumab, a monoclonal antibody to the p40 subunit of interleukin (IL) 12 and 23, is a novel pharmacotherapy for this patient cohort that offers an out-of-class option. It is approved for use in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and has now been evaluated in phase II trials for moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease. We here review the published literature and describe a potential clinical role for its use in this disease cohort.
The optimal management of headaches in children and adolescents
Authors: Kacperski Joanne , Kabbouche Marielle A. , O’Brien Hope L. , Weberding Jessica L.
Published: November 2015

The recognition of the diagnosis of migraine in children is increasing. Early and aggressive treatment of migraine in this population with the use of over-the-counter medications has proven effective. The off-label use of many migraine-specific medications is often accepted in the absence of sufficient evidenced-based trials. Mild to severe cases of migraine should be treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, with triptans used in moderate to severe headaches unresponsive to over-the-counter therapy. Rescue medication including dihydroergotamine [DHE] should be used for status migrainosus, preferably in the hospital setting. Antiemetics that have antidopaminergic properties can be helpful in patients with associated symptoms of nausea and vomiting through their action on central migraine generation. Furthermore, patients and families should be educated on nonpharmacologic management such as lifestyle modification and avoidance of triggers that can prevent episodic migraine.
Outcome and periprocedural time management in referred versus directly admitted stroke patients treated with thrombectomy
Authors: Weber Ralph , Reimann Gernot , Weimar Christian , Winkler Angela , Berger Klaus , Nordmeyer Hannes , Hadisurya Jeffrie , Brassel Friedhelm , Kitzrow Martin , Krogias Christos , Weber Werner , Busch Elmar W. , Eyding Jens ,   on behalf of the Neurovascular Net Ruhr
Published: November 2015

Background:

After thrombectomy has shown to be effective in acute stroke patients with large vessel occlusion, the potential benefit of secondary referral for such an intervention needs to be validated.

Aims:

We aimed to compare consecutive stoke patients directly admitted and treated with thrombectomy at a neurointerventional centre with patients secondarily referred for such a procedure from hospitals with a stroke unit.

Methods:

Periprocedure times and mortality in 300 patients primarily treated in eight neurointerventional centres were compared with 343 patients referred from nine other hospitals in a prospective multicentre study of a German neurovascular network. Data on functional outcome at 3 months was available in 430 (76.4%) patients.

Results:

In-hospital mortality (14.8% versus 11.7%, p = 0.26) and 3 months mortality (21.9% versus 24.1%, p = 0.53) were not statistically different in both patient groups despite a significant shorter symptom to groin puncture time in directly admitted patients, which was mainly caused by a longer interfacility transfer time. We found a nonsignificant trend for better functional outcome at 3 months in directly admitted patients (modified Rankin Scale 0–2, 44.0% versus 35.7%, p = 0.08).

Conclusions:

Our results show that a drip-and-ship thrombectomy concept can be effectively organized in a metropolitan stroke network. Every effort should be made to speed up the emergency interfacility transfer to a neurointerventional centre in stroke patients eligible for thrombectomy after initial brain imaging.