bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional Significance of Elevated Mitral Gradients After Repair for Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation
Authors: Chan Kwan Leung , Chen Shin-Yee , Chan Vincent , Hay Karen , Mesana Thierry , Lam Buu Khanh
Published: September 2013

Background—

We have observed that elevated mitral gradients can develop in some patients after mitral valve repair for degenerative mitral regurgitation.

Methods and Results—

We screened 275 patients who had mitral valve repair involving >1 leaflet scallop between October 2001 and July 2010. Mitral valve hemodynamics were assessed at rest and at peak exercise using the cycle ergometer. B-type natriuretic peptide levels were measured at rest and after exercise. The patients also performed a 6-minute walk test and short-form 36-Item Health Survey questionnaire. We enrolled 110 patients, with resting mean mitral diastolic gradient of ≤3 mm Hg in 35 patients (group 1) and >3 mm Hg indicative of elevated mitral gradients in 75 patients (group 2). Posterior mitral leaflet plication (
P
=0.04) and the use of a complete mitral annuloplasty ring (
P
<0.0001) were associated with elevated mitral gradients. Group 2 patients had larger left atrial volume (
P
=0.02), higher mitral gradients at peak exercise and higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure at rest and at peak exercise, and lower exercise capacity (101±40 versus 122±51 W;
P
=0.02). Group 2 patients also had higher B-type natriuretic peptide levels and lower scores in 3 short-form 36-Item Health Survey health concepts. Multivariate regression analyses showed that mitral valve area was an independent predictor of maximum exercise capacity (
P
=0.003).

Conclusions—

After mitral valve repair for degenerative mitral regurgitation, elevated mitral gradients is not uncommon and is associated with worse intracardiac hemodynamics, higher B-type natriuretic peptide levels, lower exercise capacity, and poorer quality of life. Further refinement in the surgical technique may reduce the incidence of this complication.
MicroRNA-663 Regulates Human Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Switch and Vascular Neointimal Formation
Authors: Li Pan , Zhu Ni , Yi Bing , Wang Nadan , Chen Ming , You Xiaohua , Zhao Xianxian , Solomides Charalambos C. , Qin Yongwen , Sun Jianxin
Published: September 2013

Rationale:

Abnormal phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) is a hallmark of vascular disorders such as atherosclerosis and restenosis after angioplasty. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important regulators for VSMC function, and we recently identified miR-663 as critical for controlling human aortic smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Objective:

To investigate whether miR-663 plays a role in human VSMC phenotypic switch and the development of neointima formation.

Methods and Results:

By using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, we found that miR-663 was significantly downregulated in human aortic VSMCs on platelet-derived growth factor treatment, whereas expression was markedly increased during VSMC differentiation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that overexpression of miR-663 increased expression of VSMC differentiation marker genes, such as smooth muscle 22α, smooth muscle α-actin, calponin, and smooth muscle myosin heavy chain, and potently inhibited platelet-derived growth factor–induced VSMC proliferation and migration. We identified the transcription factor JunB and myosin light chain 9 as downstream targets of miR-663 in human VSMCs, because overexpression of miR-663 markedly inhibited expression of JunB and its downstream molecules, such as myosin light chain 9 and matrix metalloproteinase 9. Finally, we showed that adeno-miR-663 markedly suppressed the neointimal lesion formation by ≈50% in mice after vascular injury induced by carotid artery ligation, specifically via decreased JunB expression.

Conclusions:

These results indicate that miR-663 is a novel modulator of human VSMC phenotypic switch by targeting JunB/myosin light chain 9 expression. These findings suggest that targeting miR-663 or its specific downstream targets in human VSMCs may represent an attractive approach for the treatment of proliferative vascular diseases.
Relationship Between the Magnitude of Reduction in Mitral Regurgitation Severity and Left Ventricular and Left Atrial Reverse Remodeling After MitraClip Therapy
Authors: Grayburn Paul A. , Foster Elyse , Sangli Chithra , Weissman Neil J. , Massaro Joseph , Glower Donald G. , Feldman Ted , Mauri Laura
Published: September 2013

Background—

MitraClip has been shown to reduce mitral regurgitation (MR) severity safely but to a lesser degree than surgery. No data exist on the magnitude of MR reduction necessary to reverse left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) dilation in patients with severe MR. Therefore, an analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between MR reduction and LV and LA volumes after MitraClip therapy.

Methods and Results—

A total of 801 patients treated with MitraClip and 80 patients treated surgically were included. All patients had severe (3–4+) MR. MR severity, LV volumes at end-diastole and end-systole, and LA volumes were measured at baseline, discharge, 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year by an independent echocardiographic core laboratory. A linear repeated measures model was developed to determine the relationship between MR severity and time of measurement postindex procedure on longitudinal LV and LA volumes. Separate models were fit for functional MR and degenerative MR. In both degenerative and functional MR, reduction in LV volumes at end-diastole was associated with degree of residual MR at 12 months (
P
<0.0001). LV volumes at end-systole was significantly reduced in functional MR but not degenerative MR. LA volumes were significantly related to reduction of MR severity in both groups.

Conclusions—

Reduction of LV volumes at end-diastole and LA volumes, but not LV volumes at end-systole in degenerative MR, is consistent with correction of volume overload from primary MR. Reduction of all 3 measurements in functional MR demonstrates reverse remodeling when MR severity is reduced to either 1+ or 2+ by MitraClip therapy.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00209274.
Impaired Cholesterol Metabolism and Enhanced Atherosclerosis in Clock Mutant Mice
Authors: Pan Xiaoyue , Jiang Xian-Cheng , Hussain M. Mahmood
Published: September 2013

Background—

Clock is a key transcription factor that positively controls circadian regulation. However, its role in plasma cholesterol homeostasis and atherosclerosis has not been studied.

Methods and Results—

We show for the first time that dominant-negative Clock mutant protein (Clock
Δ19/Δ19
) enhances plasma cholesterol and atherosclerosis in 3 different mouse models. Detailed analyses revealed that
Clk

Δ19/Δ19

Apoe
−/−
mice display hypercholesterolemia resulting from the accumulation of apolipoprotein B48–containing cholesteryl ester–rich lipoproteins. Physiological studies showed that enhanced cholesterol absorption by the intestine contributes to hypercholesterolemia. Molecular studies indicated that the expression of Niemann Pick C1 Like 1, Acyl-CoA:Cholesterol acyltransferase 1, and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein in the intestines of
Clk

Δ19/Δ19

Apoe
−/−
mice was high and that enterocytes assembled and secreted more chylomicrons. Furthermore, we identified macrophage dysfunction as another potential cause of increased atherosclerosis in
Clk

Δ19/Δ19

Apoe
−/−
mice. Macrophages from
Clk

Δ19/Δ19

Apoe
−/−
mice expressed higher levels of scavenger receptors and took up more modified lipoproteins compared with
Apoe
−/−
mice, but they expressed low levels of ATP binding casette protein family A member 1 and were defective in cholesterol efflux. Molecular studies revealed that Clock regulates ATP binding casette protein family A member 1 expression in macrophages by modulating upstream transcription factor 2 expression.

Conclusions—

Clock
Δ19/Δ19
protein enhances atherosclerosis by increasing intestinal cholesterol absorption, augmenting uptake of modified lipoproteins by macrophages, and reducing cholesterol efflux from macrophages. These studies establish that circadian Clock activity is crucial in maintaining low plasma cholesterol levels and in reducing atherogenesis in mice.
Whose Jobs Are These? The Impact of the Proportion of Female Managers on the Number of New Management Jobs Filled by Women versus Men
Authors: Cohen Lisa E. , Broschak Joseph P.
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we examine the relationship between an organization’s proportion of female managers and the number of new management jobs initially filled by women versus men. We draw on theories of job differentiation, job change, and organizational demography to develop theory and predictions about this relationship and whether the relationship differs for jobs filled by female and male managers. Using data on a sample of New York City advertising agencies over a 13-year period, we find that the number of newly created jobs first filled by women increases with an agency’s proportion of female managers. In contrast, the effect of the proportion of female managers on the number of new management jobs filled by men is positive initially but plateaus and turns negative. In showing these influences on job creation, we highlight the dynamic and socially influenced nature of jobs themselves: new jobs are created regularly in firms and not merely as a response to technical and administrative imperatives. The results also point to another job-related process that differs between women and men and that could potentially aggravate, mitigate, or alleviate inequality: the creation of jobs. Thus this research contributes to literatures on demography, the organization of work, and inequality.
IGO membership, network convergence, and credible signaling in militarized disputes
Authors: Kinne Brandon J
Published: September 2013

Existing studies of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and militarized conflict focus on dyadic counts of shared IGO membership. However, dyadic approaches are inconsistent with the basic properties of IGOs. Because IGOs are multilateral organizations, shared membership necessarily involves ties to third parties. This article employs network analytics to develop a novel explanation of how third-party IGO ties reduce militarized conflict. The analysis first examines the ‘structural similarity’ of states, defined by the extent to which states share similar patterns of IGO membership with relevant third parties. High levels of structural similarity indicate that states interact with a common set of IGO collaborators. The analysis then shows that micro-level changes in IGO membership effect changes in structural similarity, leading to the macro-level phenomenon of ‘network convergence,’ wherein states increasingly collaborate with the same third parties over time. Substantively, convergence results in increased overlap and integration between states’ respective local networks of IGO partners. Because network convergence is costly, involving a combination of IGO-based accession, sovereignty, and alignment costs, it is unlikely to be pursued by purely exploitative state types. Consequently, convergence provides cooperative types with a mechanism for signaling a preference for cooperation over conflict. These credible signals in turn establish mutual trust among cooperators and effectively reduce the risk of militarized conflict. Extensive empirical analysis shows that, in fact, network convergence strongly correlates with a decline in militarized dispute initiations. The more that states collaborate with one another’s IGO partners, the less likely they are to fight.
Examining Teachers’ Decisions on Test-Type Assignment for Statewide Assessments
Authors: Cho Hyun-jeong , Kingston Neal
Published: September 2013

Recent studies have raised concerns about the vagueness of alternate assessment eligibility guidelines, specifically, that students with mild disabilities (SWMD) have been inappropriately assigned to alternate assessment–alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). In this study, special education teachers ( N = 317) were surveyed about SWMD in vignettes to explore (a) perceptions of the clarity of eligibility guidelines, (b) teachers’ test-type decisions, (c) factors considered when making test-type decisions, and (d) teachers’ priority rankings of these factors. Teachers’ test-type decisions varied by state, subjectivity, and noninstructional factors. Findings raise concerns about the inconsistency and lack of specificity of the current state guidelines, their vulnerability to subjective interpretation of eligibility, and states’ different alternate assessment systems. Directions for future research, implications of the current findings, and limitations are discussed.
Understanding and Reporting Qualitative Research
Authors: Koch Lynn C. , Niesz Tricia , McCarthy Henry
Published: September 2013

Qualitative research methodology is an often misunderstood and underutilized set of philosophies, approaches, and procedures that lends itself quite readily to the study of phenomena of substantial interest to rehabilitation researchers, research consumers, and individuals with disabilities. For that reason, we propose general guidelines for developing and preparing manuscripts to be submitted for journal publication. We discuss important elements to address in introducing the study, describing the research methods, presenting the findings, and discussing the findings. Throughout the article, we use examples from qualitative research articles to illustrate both the process and reporting of qualitative research.
Relations of Hedonic Hunger and Behavioral Change to Weight Loss Among Adults in a Behavioral Weight Loss Program Utilizing Meal-Replacement Products
Authors: Theim Kelly R. , Brown Joshua D. , Juarascio Adrienne S. , Malcolm Robert R. , O’Neil Patrick M.
Published: September 2013

Greater self-regulatory behavior usage is associated with greater weight loss within behavioral weight loss treatments. Hedonic hunger (i.e., susceptibility to environmental food cues) may impede successful behavior change and weight loss. Adult men and women ( N = 111, body mass index M ± SD = 35.89 ± 6.97 kg/m2) were assessed before and after a 15-week lifestyle change weight loss program with a partial meal-replacement diet. From pre- to post-treatment, reported weight control behavior usage improved and hedonic hunger decreased, and these changes were inversely related. Individuals with higher hedonic hunger scores at baseline showed the greatest weight loss. Similarly, participants with lower baseline use of weight control behaviors lost more weight, and increased weight control behavior usage was associated with greater weight loss—particularly among individuals with low baseline hedonic hunger. Further study is warranted regarding the significance of hedonic hunger in weight loss treatments.
Decisional Involvement
Authors: Bina Jamey S. , Schomburg Maria K. , Tippetts Lindsay A. , Scherb Cindy A. , Specht Janet K. , Schwichtenberg Tamara
Published: September 2013

Enhancing nurse involvement in decision-making is a starting point in addressing the nursing shortage, recruitment, and retention. The purpose of this descriptive comparative secondary data analysis was to describe the level of registered nurses’ actual and preferred decisional involvement (DI) in two studies carried out during 2004 and 2010 and to describe the difference in the levels of actual and preferred DI between the 2004 study ( N = 290) and the 2010 ( N = 111) study in a Midwestern medical center after a new shared governance structure was implemented. In the 2004 and 2010 studies, there were statistically significant differences between actual and preferred levels of DI. A statistically significant decrease in means occurred in actual and preferred DI in 2010 as compared with that in 2004. A concerted effort must be made by nursing leaders to enhance DI, offer adequate resources, promote learning and growth, and recognize nursing contributions within a shared governance.
Surgeon Experience and Complications with Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS)
Authors: Chia Stanley H. , Gross Neil D. , Richmon Jeremy D.
Published: September 2013

Objective

To investigate surgeon preferences for perioperative management of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) and explore the frequency of postoperative complications.

Study Design

Retrospective survey.

Setting

Multi‐institutional.

Subjects and Methods

An electronic survey was sent to over 300 TORS‐trained surgeons in the United States identified by Intuitive Surgical, Inc. Participation was voluntary and solicited by email invitations to participate 3 times over a 1‐month period.

Results

A total of 2015 procedures were reported by 45 respondent TORS‐trained surgeons: 67% academic, 33% nonacademic. A minority of TORS procedures (n = 214, 10.6%) were performed on previously irradiated patients. Neck dissections were performed concurrently (58%) or staged (42%). Fewer than 6% of TORS procedures required tracheotomy or reconstruction. Most surgeons (62%) initiated oral intake on postoperative day 0‐1. Of the patients who required readmission, bleeding (n = 62, 3.1%) was the most common cause followed by dehydration (n = 26, 1.3%). Other complications of surgery included tooth injury (n = 29, 1.4%), percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) dependency >6 months (n = 21, 1.0%), temporary hypoglossal nerve injury (n = 18, 0.9%), and lingual nerve injury (n = 11, 0.6%). A total of 6 deaths (0.3%) were reported within 30 days of TORS. All reported deaths were due to postoperative hemorrhage. The complication rate decreased significantly with higher surgeon case volume (>50 cases).

Conclusions

TORS is associated with a low major complication rate, early initiation of oral intake, and a low rate of long‐term PEG dependency. Postoperative hemorrhage was the most common cause of hospital readmission and postoperative mortality.
Clinical Assessment and Treatment of the Dysfunctional Larynx after Radiation
Authors: Allen Clint T. , Lee Chia‐Jung , Merati Albert L.
Published: September 2013

Objective

To review the pathophysiology of early and late radiation‐related tissue changes, methods to differentiate these changes from disease recurrence, and treatment of these changes in the irradiated larynx.

Data Sources

Peer‐reviewed publications.

Review Methods

PubMed database search.

Conclusions/Implications for Practice

Early and late radiation‐related changes in the larynx manifest variably between individual patients. Severe radiation‐related tissue changes in the larynx and recurrent malignancy share many clinical characteristics, and the presence of malignancy must be considered in these patients. Positron emission tomography may help select patients who need operative biopsy to rule out recurrence. In patients with a cancer‐free but dysfunctional larynx, both surgical and nonsurgical treatment options, including hyperbaric oxygen, are available for attempted salvage. Further investigation is needed before hyperbaric oxygen can be considered standard‐of‐care treatment for these patients.
Making space: Putting politics back where it belongs in the construction of city regions in the North of England
Authors: Rees James , Lord Alex
Published: September 2013

This article tackles a double orthodoxy that has emerged in the recent debate over city regions in the UK. The first, in the realm of policy and politics, held that city regions were the most appropriate scale at which to govern processes of economic development. The second, in the academic literature, posited that city-regional thinking was founded on purely economistic rationales and that there was a need to insert ‘more politics’ into analyses. A very real disjuncture emerged between the initial visualisation of extensive and ‘fuzzy’ city regions and institutional outcomes which often reflected older metropolitan geographies. Underpinning this was a profoundly political process of cross-boundary coalition building in which neighbouring local authorities formed uneasy partnerships in the hunt for resources and forms of ‘constrained autonomy’. The article draws attention to the relationships between two conceptions of ‘making space’: the process of visualising city-regional spaces, and the grounded and political process of carving out the space for city regions in the congested inter-scalar institutional landscape.
Vince Cable’s Business Bank: A broker’s viewpoint
Authors: Allen Graham
Published: September 2013

To address the difficulties businesses face with obtaining funds for investment, the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, announced the setting up of a Business Bank, and the Angel CoFund. The analysis in this article reveals that all is not as it would seem. Far from being a public sector intervention, the role of the bank is to encourage the development of private sector solutions. The Angel CoFund has had some successes but a company needs to ‘secure the interest’ of a first time investor. The article argues that German-style Sparkassen are needed: that is, regional banks that provide the seed money for SMEs to get off the ground and grow. Without something like this business growth in the UK will be wanting.
Physical activity maintenance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a qualitative study
Authors: Loeppenthin K , Esbensen BA , Ostergaard M , Jennum P , Thomsen T , Midtgaard J
Published: September 2013

Objective:

To describe the experience of physical activity maintenance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Design:

A qualitative salutogenic-oriented interview study.

Setting:

A rheumatology outpatient clinic.

Subjects:

A purposive sample of 16 physically active patients (mean age 50, range 37–67) diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis on average 21 years previously (range 4–46 years).

Methods:

In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide to illuminate how the phenomenon ‘physical activity maintenance’ was experienced by patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The interviews were analysed using systematic text condensation, inspired by Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological methodology.

Results:

The analysis revealed three categories: (1) knowing and enjoying the body; (2) responsibility and challenges; (3) autonomy and social belonging. On the basis of these categories, the essential meaning of the phenomenon of physical activity maintenance for patients with rheumatoid arthritis was summarized into ‘striving for a transparent body and participation’, pointing to experiences of sensations of wellbeing, liberation from restrictions and social participation on equal terms with non-arthritis populations.

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates that physical activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis may be understood as a resource to resist disability and to feel and stay healthy while creating and sustaining meaningfulness in life.
Comparison of computer tomographic volumetry versus nuclear split renal function to determine residual renal function after living kidney donation
Authors: Patankar Khalil , Low Ronny Su-Tong , Blakeway Darryn , Ferrari Paolo
Published: September 2013

Background

Living-donor kidney transplantation is an established practice. Traditionally a combination of renal scintigram and computed tomography (CT) is used to select the kidney that is to be harvested in each donor.

Purpose

To evaluate the ability of split renal volume (SRV) calculated from volumetric examination of CT images compared to nuclear split renal function (nSRF) derived from gamma camera scintigram to predict donor residual single kidney function after donor nephrectomy.

Material and Methods

This pilot study comprised a retrospective analysis of CT images and renal scintigrams from 12 subsequent live kidney donors who had at least 12 months post-donation renal function follow-up.

Results

nSRF derived from the renal scintigram, expressed as the right kidney’s function in percent of the total, was 50.2 ± 3.3 (range, 44.1–54.0%) and SRV estimated following analysis of CT imaging was 49.0 ± 2.9 (range, 46.4–52.3%). Although the correlation between nSRF and SRV was moderate (R = 0.46), there was 92% agreement on the dominant kidney if a difference of <2% in nSRF versus SRV was considered. Post-donation glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by CKD-EPI formula was 92 ± 10 mL/min/1.73m2 at 1 year and the correlation between estimated GFR (eGFR) at 1 year and extrapolated single kidney eGFR adjusted by nSRF (R2 = 0.69, P = 0.0007) or SRV (R2 = 0.74, P = 0.0003) was similar.

Conclusion

Calculation of SRV from pre-donation CT examination is a valid method to estimate nSRF with good concordance with nSRF determined by renal scintigram and could replace the latter in the assessment of potential kidney donors.
‘A Word Factory was wanted’: Organizational objectivity in the making of the Oxford English Dictionary
Authors: Kistner Kelly
Published: September 2013

In its application of the scientific methods, aims of comparative philology, and coordination among thousands of contributors spread around the globe, the production of the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was a remarkable organizational endeavor and an early model of large-scale collaborative knowledge production. Begun in 1857 and ending in 1928, the story of the dictionary’s making provides not only a glimpse into varied visions of intersubjective science at the time, but also the viable contingencies of their enactment. I argue that in order to smooth coordination among a heterogeneous set of actors, the organization of the dictionary’s production relied on standardized procedure and circuits of corroboration and deliberation. This set of strategies presents an organizational parallel to the procedural techniques and technologies increasingly called upon in the 19th century to mediate scientific observations and negate individual idiosyncrasies. However, the case also shows that appeals to impersonal procedure were rhetorically leveraged to establish legitimacy and attain resources. It can thus provide clues as to why a procedural sense of objectivity became elevated as an epistemic virtue and can also contribute to a more refined understanding of when and why appeals to impersonal procedure trump the trained judgment of expertise.
Planning to Avoid Risk or Planning for a Positive Life
Authors: Dickson Sophie R. , Polaschek Devon L. L.
Published: September 2013

Following release from prison, offenders face a variety of challenges reintegrating back into the community. As a result, many high-risk offenders fail quickly. Research has shown that good quality release plans—plans to address offenders’ basic needs in the community—are related to reduced rates of recidivism during this risky time. But what makes a good plan? The current study examines release plan valence: whether plans are approach-oriented or avoidance-oriented. Although it was hypothesized that approach plans would be related to better outcomes, the results showed no relationship between release plan valence and reoffending rates. These results indicate that planning for a positive life and plans for risk management are equally important in reducing risk in the community.
Exertional Heat Stroke Management Strategies in United States High School Football
Authors: Kerr Zachary Y. , Marshall Stephen W. , Comstock R. Dawn , Casa Douglas J.
Published: September 2013

Background:

The 5-year period of 2005-2009 saw more exertional heat stroke–related deaths in organized sports than any other 5-year period in the past 35 years. The risk of exertional heat stroke appears highest in football, particularly during the preseason.

Purpose:

To estimate the incidence of exertional heat stroke events and assess the utilization of exertional heat stroke management strategies during the 2011 preseason in United States high school football programs.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A self-administered online questionnaire addressing the incidence of exertional heat stroke events and utilization of exertional heat stroke management strategies (eg, removing athlete’s football equipment, calling Emergency Medical Services [EMS]) was completed in May to June 2012 by 1142 (18.0%) athletic trainers providing care to high school football athletes during the 2011 preseason.

Results:

Among all respondents, 20.3% reported treating at least 1 exertional heat stroke event. An average of 0.50 ± 1.37 preseason exertional heat stroke events were treated per program. Athletic trainers responding to exertional heat stroke reported using an average of 6.6 ± 1.8 management strategies. The most common management strategies were low-level therapeutic interventions such as removing the athlete’s football equipment (98.2%) and clothing (77.8%) and moving the athlete to a shaded area (91.6%). Few athletic trainers reported active management strategies such as calling EMS (29.3%) or using a rectal thermometer to check core body temperature (0.9%). Athletic trainers in states with mandated preseason heat acclimatization guidelines reported a higher utilization of management strategies such as cooling the athlete through air conditioning (90.1% vs 65.0%, respectively; P < .001), immersion in ice water (63.0% vs 45.4%, respectively; P = .01), or fans (54.3% vs 42.0%, respectively; P = .06) and monitoring the athlete’s temperature (60.5% vs 46.2%, respectively; P = .04).

Conclusion:

Preseason exertional heat stroke events, which are likely to be fatal if untreated, were reported by one fifth of all athletic trainers in high school football programs. The standard of care is (and should be) to treat proactively; therefore, treatment is not a perfect proxy for incidence. Nevertheless, there is an urgent need for improved education and awareness of exertional heat stroke in high school football. Areas of improvement include the greatly increased use of rectal thermometers and immersion in ice water.
Stable Surgical Repair With Accelerated Rehabilitation Versus Nonsurgical Treatment for Acute Achilles Tendon Ruptures
Authors: Olsson Nicklas , Silbernagel Karin Grävare , Eriksson Bengt I. , Sansone Mikael , Brorsson Annelie , Nilsson-Helander Katarina , Karlsson Jón
Published: September 2013

Background:

The optimal treatment for acute Achilles tendon ruptures is still a subject of debate. Early loading of the tendon is a factor that has been shown to be beneficial to recovery and to minimize complications. The main outcome of previous studies has been complications such as reruptures and deep infections, without focusing on the functional outcome relevant to the majority of patients who do not experience these complications.

Purpose:

To evaluate whether stable surgical repair and early loading of the tendon could improve patient-reported outcome and function after an acute Achilles tendon rupture.

Study Design:

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods:

A total of 100 patients (86 men, 14 women; mean age, 40 years) with an acute total Achilles tendon rupture were randomized to either surgical treatment, including an accelerated rehabilitation protocol, or nonsurgical treatment. The primary outcome was the Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS). The patients were evaluated at 3, 6, and 12 months for symptoms, physical activity level, and function.

Results:

There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of symptoms, physical activity level, or quality of life. There was a trend toward improved function in surgically treated patients; the results were significantly superior when assessed by the drop countermovement jump (95% CI, 0.03-0.15; P = .003) and hopping (95% CI, 0.01-0.33; P = .040). No reruptures occurred in the surgical group, while there were 5 in the nonsurgical group ( P = .06). There were 6 superficial infections in the surgically treated group; however, these superficial infections had no bearing on the final outcome. Symptoms, reduced quality of life, and functional deficits still existed 12 months after injury on the injured side in both groups.

Conclusion:

The results of the present study demonstrate that stable surgical repair with accelerated tendon loading could be performed in all (n = 49) patients without reruptures and major soft tissue–related complications. However, this treatment was not significantly superior to nonsurgical treatment in terms of functional results, physical activity, or quality of life.
Exploring Employment Preparation and Postschool Outcomes for Students With Mild Intellectual Disability
Authors: Joshi Gauri S. , Bouck Emily C. , Maeda Yukiko
Published: September 2013

Employment is an important postschool goal for students with mild intellectual disability; yet, results for this particular population are often not disaggregated from other disability categories. In this study, data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) were used to explore the extent to which students with mild intellectual disability participated in employment-related transition activities, the relationship between participation in these activities and school demographic variables, and the relationship between these activities and postschool employment outcomes. The results revealed three main findings: (a) the majority of students with mild intellectual disability participated in employment-related transition activities, (b) participation in employment-related transition activities differed by school demographics, and (c) postschool employment status was related to participation in employment-related transition activities while in school.
Experiences of Selected Emerging Adults With Emotional or Behavioral Difficulties in Higher Education
Authors: Stein Kathleen F.
Published: September 2013

Postsecondary education is an important component of career development and achievement. However, students with emotional or behavioral difficulties (EBDs) are less likely to attend a postsecondary institution than their nondisabled peers and peers with disabilities. This qualitative study explored the experiences of emerging adults diagnosed with an EBD who are working toward their academic goals in a postsecondary setting. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews and brief follow-up interviews with five participants, aged 18 to 25. Various themes emerged from the study, including salient aspects of living with an EBD, how having an EBD impacts their transition experiences at a postsecondary institution, the ability to achieve their goals, and how they are able to manage these challenges.
Using Video Modeling Delivered Through iPods to Teach Vocational Tasks to Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Kellems Ryan O. , Morningstar Mary E.
Published: September 2013

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using video modeling delivered through a portable media player (Apple video iPod) as a means of teaching job-related tasks to four young adults with autism spectrum disorders. The videos were enhanced by adding written instructions. Results indicated that using the iPod was associated with immediate and substantial gains in the percentage of steps completed correctly. All of the participants demonstrated maintenance of the acquired tasks. In addition, all four of the young adults were able to use the video iPod independently. Social validity data indicated that using an iPod was a socially acceptable and appropriate way to deliver a video modeling intervention in some community employment settings
The Relationships Among Perceived Peer Acceptance of Sexual Aggression, Punishment Certainty, and Sexually Aggressive Behavior
Authors: Strang Emily , Peterson Zoë D.
Published: September 2013

Researching the correlates of men’s sexually aggressive behavior (i.e., verbal coercion and rape) is critical to both understanding and preventing sexual aggression. This study examined 120 men who completed an anonymous online questionnaire. The study aimed to determine the relative importance of two potential correlates of men’s self-reported use of sexual aggression: (a) perceptions that male peers use and support sexual aggression and (b) perceptions of punishment likelihood associated with sexual aggression. Results revealed that perceptions of male friends’ acceptance of sexual aggression were strongly associated with individual men’s reports of using verbal coercion and rape. Perceptions of punishment likelihood were negatively correlated with verbal coercion but not with rape through intoxication and force. Implications for sexual aggression prevention are discussed.
Race and Context in the Criminal Labeling of Drunk Driving Offenders
Authors: Rousseau Danielle M. , Pezzullo Gerald P.
Published: September 2013

This research seeks to add a new dimension to the growing body of literature investigating disparities in sentencing outcomes. Our study used multilevel modeling techniques to incorporate legal and extralegal individual-level variables with macro-level data in an examination of the factors influencing the formal application of the criminal label when identical noncriminal sanctions are available. Results suggest that measures of police racial profiling are predictive of unfavorable plea outcomes and subsequent application of a criminal label. Findings indicated that the likelihood of receiving an unfavorable criminal plea bargain was greater for men, non-Whites, defendants with a prior arrest, defendants arrested in areas of low concentrated disadvantage, and defendants arrested in areas with high levels of racial profiling. In addition, both concentrated disadvantage and stop disparity conditioned the effect of race on plea outcome.
Estimating the Prevalence of Copycat Crime
Authors: Surette Ray
Published: September 2013

Commonly perceived as rare, copycat crime has not been sufficiently studied. In an effort to encourage research, this research note offers a refined estimate of the proportion of offenders and at-risk individuals who report personal copycat crime histories. An analysis of 10 estimates spanning 50 years of self-reported copycat crime prevalence among just under 1,500 respondents was conducted. Collectively, the 10 study estimates indicate that about one in four respondents reported personal copycat crime histories. A random effects model indicated that prevalence estimates vary significantly across studies but effect moderators were not able to be identified. Copycat crime was indicated as a characteristic of a substantial number of offenders and at-risk youth. Copycat crime is deserving of more serious research and a number of associated research questions await attention.
Soliciting Community Involvement and Support for Restorative Justice Through Community Service
Authors: Wood William R.
Published: September 2013

This research investigates how a juvenile court was able to solicit and sustain a high degree of community support or “buy-in” for its use of restorative community service and other restorative programs. The article investigates the determinants involved in achieving this support in the face of initial community opposition, including extensive use of community outreach and community involvement in youth service work. The article also investigates debates regarding the use of community service within restorative justice, and draws from the case study to suggest some of the possible benefits and limits of thinking of community service as restorative.
Health Problems and Marital Satisfaction Among Older Couples
Authors: Korporaal Marga , Broese van Groenou Marjolein I. , Tilburg Theo G. van
Published: September 2013

Objective: Older couples are likely to be confronted with health problems of both spouses and these health problems may negatively influence their marital satisfaction. The present study examined these possible negative effects using a dyadic perspective. Method: Data from 78 independently living older couples were analyzed using the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). Health problems were modeled as a latent factor of functional disability, the number of chronic diseases, and self-rated health. The couple’s health context, that is, similarity or dissimilarity, was examined with an actor–partner interaction variable. Results: For wives, spousal health problems were negatively associated with their marital satisfaction, but only under the condition that their own health was relatively good. For husbands, neither own nor spousal health problems were associated with their marital satisfaction. Discussion: Future research focusing on older couples needs to consider the couple’s health context next to health at the individual level.
Gender Differences in Disability-Free Life Expectancy at Old Ages in Bangladesh
Authors: Tareque Md. Ismail , Begum Sharifa , Saito Yasuhiko
Published: September 2013

Objective: We examined gender differences in the prevalence of disability and Disability-free Life Expectancy (DFLE) for Bangladeshi older adults. Method: We used data representing 4,189 elderly subjects aged 60 years and over from a nationally representative survey (Bangladesh’s Household Income and Expenditure Survey-2010). The Sullivan method was used to compute DFLE. Results: Eyesight disability is prevalent among 28.94 and 36.47 men and women, respectively, and is the most prevalent type of disability in Bangladesh. Women have each disability and at least one disability in significantly higher percentages than men. At all ages, and in both numbers and proportion, women have longer life expectancy but shorter DFLE than men. Discussion: Attention should be given to the elderly, with special care devoted to elderly women. The findings of the current study have important implications for risk of disability and the need for, and use of, long-term care services.
Challenging codes in ‘the happiest place on earth’
Authors: Bhimji Fazila
Published: September 2013

This article examines residents’ participation in local politics following the fatal shooting of two Latino men by the police in June 2012 in the city of Anaheim in Southern California. The shootings led to protests and conflicts with the police. Anaheim is the home of Disneyland. Once a suburban White town, it is now 53% Latino and about 15% Asian. The article explores the number of ways in which the residents of Anaheim attempt to ameliorate racial inequalities and make Anaheim a fairer place. The article discusses various modes of activism, including a community group comprising mothers, website activism, a Facebook group, a coalition aiming to ‘takebackanaheim’ and participation on individual levels. Recent scholarship on social movements has argued that there has been a shift towards a ‘post-material’ politics, marked by a diminished sense of the personal relevance of government and growing dissatisfaction with the working of democratic process. Empirical work in this context shows that for Anaheim residents, the issue of local government became very significant. Anaheim residents protested in fragmented and autonomous ways and used newer methods of activism, but they invoked shared ideologies about racial and economic inequalities as opposed to identity and personal politics.
Experiences of integrated assessment of climate impacts, adaptation and mitigation modelling in London and Durban
Authors: Walsh C L , Roberts D , Dawson R J , Hall J W , Nickson A , Hounsome R
Published: September 2013

The urgent need to reconfigure and transform urban areas to consume fewer resources, emit less pollution, minimize greenhouse gas production, protect natural ecosystems and increase the adaptive capacity to deal with climate risks is widely recognized. The implementation of improved sustainability measures in cities requires integrated thinking that encompasses a whole range of urban functions, often implying a major restructuring of urban energy systems, transport and the built environment, as well as a new approach to the planning and management of natural systems that service urban areas. Many local governments have a limited capacity to deal with such complex and interrelated problems, and this hampers their ability to deal with climate change. With these issues in mind, teams of scientists, practitioners and stakeholders in Durban (led by eThekwini Municipality) and London (led by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research) developed city-scale integrated assessment modelling tools that represent interactions between different urban functions and objectives by linking climate change issues to broader agendas such as spatial planning. This paper reviews each integrated assessment tool, and critically analyzes their effectiveness in terms of technical approach, extent to which they meet policy needs, role of stakeholders in model development and application, barriers to their uptake and the value of and effort required for integration. While these integrated assessment tools did not provide the detailed design information sought by some decision makers, importantly they have stimulated stakeholders to think strategically and hold cross-sectoral conversations around implementing sustainability measures. Despite the technical and institutional challenges associated with the development and uptake of an integrated assessment model, we conclude that they do contribute to the quest for urban sustainability.
Flood disaster vulnerability in informal settlements in Bursa, Turkey
Authors: Taş Murat , Taş Nilüfer , Durak Selen , Atanur Gül
Published: September 2013

In Turkey, as in many other nations, there have been many urban flood disasters in recent years, and the greatest impact has often been on informal settlements. This paper reports on interviews with households who were affected by two floods in 2010 in two settlements in Bursa. Interviewees discussed why they lived there, the main problems they experienced, the factors that increased flood damage, the measures they took after the floods to minimize future flood impacts, the costs they incurred and where responsibility for disaster mitigation/preparedness lay. The conclusions emphasize the need for far more attention to disaster risk reduction and to working with low-income communities to identify how best such disaster risk reduction can be planned and implemented.
Blood Pressure and Cognitive Function
Authors: Pase Matthew P. , Stough Con , Grima Natalie A. , Harris Elizabeth , Macpherson Helen , Scholey Andrew B. , Pipingas Andrew
Published: September 2013

Central (aortic) blood pressures differ from brachial pressures and may be more relevant to the study of cognitive function, given that blood is delivered to the brain through the central large arteries. Pulse-pressure amplification reflects the augmentation of blood pressure between the central and peripheral arteries, which diminishes with aging. We aimed to determine the association between central blood pressure and cognitive function in independently living adults aged 20 to 82 years ( N = 493). In adjusted regression models, higher central systolic pressure and higher central pulse pressure were each associated with poorer processing speed, Stroop processing, and recognition memory. Lower amplification was associated with poorer Stroop processing, working memory, and recognition memory. Higher brachial systolic pressure and brachial pulse pressure were both associated with poorer Stroop processing. In summary, central pressures and amplification were sensitive indicators of cognitive aging, predicting aspects of cognitive performance not predicted by brachial blood pressure.
Successful treatment of a mycophenolate mofetil-refractory proliferative lupus nephritis with Belimumab in a 19-year-old woman
Authors: Fließer EE , Korsten P , Koziolek MJ , Niewold TB , Patschan D , Müller GA , Patschan SA
Published: September 2013

We report the case of a 19-year-old woman with progressive proliferative lupus nephritis (LN) class III after induction and maintenance therapy with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). Despite a satisfying clinical improvement proteinuria progressed under this medication. We treated the patient with additional belimumab after discussing other options. Following treatment with belimumab, proteinuria rapidly improved to almost normal levels and clinical remission lasted. Belimumab might hold promise for this indication.