bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brain Abscesses in Children
Authors: Canpolat Mehmet , Ceylan Ozgur , Per Huseyin , Koc Gonca , Tumturk Abdulfettah , Kumandas Sefer , Patiroglu Turkan , Doganay Selim , Gumus Hakan , Unal Ekrem , Kose Mehmet , Gorkem Sureyya Burcu , Kurtsoy Ali , Ozturk Mustafa Kursat
Published: September 2014

Childhood brain abscesses are a rare and potentially life-threatening condition requiring urgent diagnosis and treatment. This retrospective study analyzed the clinical and radiologic findings of 24 (7 girl, 17 boys) cases with brain abscess. Mean age was 92.98 ± 68.04 months. The most common presenting symptoms were nausea-vomiting (45.8%) and headache (41.7%). Brain abscess was most commonly located in the frontal region. Diffusion restriction was determined in 78.4% of lesions. The mean apparent diffusion coefficient value in these lesions was 0.511 ± 0.23 × 10–3 mm2/s. Cultures were sterile in 40% of cases. Antimicrobial therapy was given to only 16.7% of cases. Predisposing factors were identified in 91.6% of cases (congenital heart disease in 20.8% and immunosuppression in 20.8%). Mortality level was 12.5%. In conclusion, immunocompromised states, and congenital heart disease have become an important predisposing factor for brain abscesses. Effective and prompt management should ensure better outcome in childhood.
Organizing a Coincidence
Authors: George Douglas
Published: September 2014

This study examines the activities of a local group of Critical Mass (cycling) enthusiasts to inquire into the aspirations for their participation. The research employs a multimethod, ethnographic approach to explicate the identity work associated with the enthusiasts’ involvement in the phenomenon and local activism. Drawing from sociological perspectives on identity convergence and identity formation processes, the analysis finds that the core group of participants assume heavy leadership roles in Critical Mass in part to enhance their personal identity as political activists. The article also details the form and function of Critical Mass as a type of cultural movement to contextualize the analysis. The article seeks to contribute to the literature on identity convergence, suggesting some collective action participants seek opportunities to enact and affirm collective identities important to their personal self-conception. Implications of the research for the study of identity formation processes within the context of cultural movements are discussed.
The Role, Measurement, and Impact of Volunteerism in Hospitals
Authors: Hotchkiss Renee Brent , Unruh Lynn , Fottler Myron D.
Published: September 2014

Volunteer programs are expected to positively impact the organizations in which they exist. This article reviews the literature on volunteerism, including what volunteers do, how their contributions can be measured, and the financial- and quality-related outcomes of volunteer programs. The focus is on volunteerism in health care settings, particularly hospitals. The article summarizes the existing theoretical and empirical literature concerning the roles of volunteers, the economic value of volunteers, cost–benefit analysis of volunteer labor, and the impact of volunteers on quality and patient satisfaction. The review indicates that the use of volunteers offers significant cost savings to hospitals and may positively impact profit margins. Volunteers are also likely to enhance quality indicators such as patient satisfaction and safety. Implications of these findings for management and future research are discussed.
Dynamic features of planetary gear train with tooth errors
Authors: Chen Zaigang , Shao Yimin
Published: September 2014

As one of the inherited displacement excitation sources which are related to the gear vibration and noise problems, gear transmission error always consists of two parts: gear tooth geometric error and tooth elastic deformation under transmitted load. The gear tooth geometric errors were directly employed as the displacement excitations in previous papers, which are not accurate. In this paper, a new method is developed to transform the gear tooth errors (TEs) to be the appropriate dynamic excitations through the mesh stiffness and the unloaded static transmission error (USTE), where the obtained displacement excitation curves, namely the USTE curves, are very different from the TE curves. Incorporation of the proposed model into the dynamic model of a planetary gear train enables the investigation of the TE effect on the dynamic excitations and vibrations. Two groups of TEs with different amplitudes are employed in the case studies. The results verify that the micro-scale TEs influence not only the dynamic displacement excitation, but also the total mesh stiffness and the planetary gear vibrations greatly.
Biomechanical behavior of pericardial human tissue: A constitutive formulation
Authors: Pavan Piero G , Pachera Paola , Tiengo Cesare , Natali Arturo N
Published: September 2014

This work aims to present a constitutive model suitable to interpret the biomechanical response of human pericardial tissues. The model is consistent with the need of describing large strains, anisotropy, almost incompressibility, and time-dependent effects. Attention is given to human pericardial tissue because of the increased interest in its application as a substitute in reconstructive surgery. Specific, even limited, experimental investigation has been performed on human samples taken from surgical grafts in order to verify the capability of the constitutive model in supplying a correct description of tissue mechanical response. Experimental data include uni-axial tensile tests and stress relaxation tests up to 300 s, developed along different directions of the tissue. The grafts tested show different mechanical characteristics for what concern the level of anisotropy of the tissue. The constitutive model proposed shows to adapt to the different configurations of the human pericardium grafts, as emerged by experimental data considered, and it is capable to describe the variability of the mechanical characteristics.
Workplace training in Germany and its impact on subjective job security: Short- or long-term returns?
Authors: Kohlrausch Bettina , Rasner Anika
Published: September 2014

Based on data from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) study, this article analyses the effects of workplace training in Germany on subjective job security. Using fixed-effects models, this article tests whether workplace training has positive effects on perceived job security, and if so, whether the returns are of a short- or long-term nature. The results confirm a positive effect of workplace training on perceived job security, not only in the short term but in the long term as well. The inclusion of interaction terms for different levels of education shows that low-educated individuals benefit most from participation in workplace training. The immediate effect on subjective job security is strongest, and the post-training effect is most sustained for this group compared to those with higher levels of education. Lower-educated employees often lack access to workplace training, however. The authors conclude that workplace training has the potential to be a mutually beneficial investment for both employers and employees. More targeted policy incentives should aim at enhancing access to workplace training, most importantly for the low-educated, as for them training might be an effective means for improved employment prospects.
Immunologic derangement preceding clinical autoimmunity
Authors: Dellavance A , Coelho Andrade LE
Published: September 2014

Autoantibodies are valuable markers for the recognition of autoimmune diseases. Over the last 25 years, several investigators have consistently shown that autoantibodies precede the clinical onset of cognate diseases by years or decades. This phenomenon, regularly observed in the natural history of autoimmune diseases, indicates that autoimmunity develops through successive stages across a variable period of time until the characteristic manifestations of disease are clinically apparent. Recent evidence indicates that the pre-clinical stages of autoimmune diseases involve a series of immunologic derangements and that this process is dynamic and progressive. During the years preceding clinical disease onset, there is progressive intensification in the humoral autoimmune response, characterized by increases in autoantibody titer, avidity, number of immunoglobulin isotypes, and spread of epitopes and of autoantigens targeted. This scenario is reminiscent of cancer processes that develop slowly by means of progressive stages, and may be interrupted by early detection and therapeutic intervention. Therefore, it might be reasoned that early intervention may be more effective in reverting the less firmly established autoimmune abnormalities at the pre-clinical stage of autoimmunity. With the continuous progress in novel immunologic therapeutic strategies, one can envision the possibility that early intervention at pre-clinical stages may lead to prevention of overt disease development and even cure of the autoimmune disorder.
What do we know about the cardiac valve lesion in the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)?
Authors: Amigo M-C
Published: September 2014

Heart valve disease (HVD) is the most common cardiac manifestation in the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Valve lesions should be described according to the established definition. HVD is progressive despite anticoagulant/antiplatelet treatments. Around 4–6% of patients with HVD in APS will require valve replacement surgery, which is considered a very high risk procedure in APS. Unfortunately, no recommendations regarding medical treatment of antiphospholipid antibodies-associated HVD can be made at this moment. There are evidence-based data and strong pathophysiologic rationale for considering HVD as a manifestation of APS. Thus, HVD should be included as a criterion of definite APS.
Patients with longstanding primary antiphospholipid syndrome: retrospective analysis of organ damage and mortality
Authors: Dall’Ara F , Reggia R , Taraborelli M , Andreoli L , Taglietti M , Frassi M , Franceschini F , Tincani A
Published: September 2014

Objective

To assess the prevalence of disease- and therapy-related complications and of the organ damage after a follow-up of 15 years or more in patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS).

Methods

Medical records of patients prospectively followed in our centre for at least 15 years were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

Thirty-five Caucasian patients (33 female, two male) with diagnosis of PAPS followed from 1984 to 2013 with a mean age at onset of 32 years (SD 8.17) and a median follow-up of 20.5 years (range 15–30) were included. The occurrence of systemic autoimmune disease was observed in 14% of patients. Haemorrhagic, infective and neoplastic events were recorded in 34%, 6% and 9% respectively. Organ damage was present in 20% of patients at the end of the follow-up (17% neurological and 3% renal) and was significantly associated with the occurrence of thrombotic events ( p: 0.027), particularly arterial ( p < 0.001). A 48-year-old patient died from sepsis.

Conclusion

During long-term follow-up of PAPS systemic autoimmunity is not unexpected. Organ damage progresses in a significant proportion of patients especially if they have suffered previous arterial events. Our study clearly shows the possible evolution of the disease and of organ damage, suggesting that optimal therapy and optimal prophylaxis of each PAPS patient should be carefully identified and strictly applied.
Antiphospholipid scoring: significance in diagnosis and prognosis
Authors: Oku K , Amengual O , Atsumi T
Published: September 2014

Recently our group introduced the “antiphospholipid score” (aPL-S), a quantitative marker that represents aPL profile. We have validated its efficacy for the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and predictive value for thrombosis. The study comprised two independent sets of patients with autoimmune diseases. In the first set of patients ( n = 233), the aPL-S was established by analyzing aPL profiles. In the second set of patients ( n = 411), the predictive value of the aPL-S for thrombosis was evaluated. To define aPL-S, we calculated the relative risks (approximated by odds ratios (ORs)) of having APS manifestations (thrombosis and/or pregnancy morbidity) for each of the aPL tests and devised an original formula in which aPL-S was determined by OR: aPL-S = 5 × exp ([OR] −5)/4. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed a hyperbolic pattern and the area under the ROC curve value was 0.752 (0.686 for revised Sapporo criteria), implying that aPL-S is a potential quantitative marker for APS diagnosis. The OR for thrombosis in patients with a high aPL-S (≥30) was 5.27 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.32–11.95, p < 0.0001). By multivariate analysis, an aPL-S of ≥30 appeared to be an independent risk factor for thrombosis (hazard ratio 3.144 (95% CI 1.383–7.150), p = 0.006). The aPL-S is a useful quantitative index for diagnosing APS and may be a predictive marker for thrombosis in autoimmune diseases.
Children born to SLE and APS mothers
Authors: Nalli C , Iodice A , Andreoli L , Lojacono A , Motta M , Fazzi E , Tincani A
Published: September 2014

Background

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) are autoimmune diseases that affect women of childbearing age. Pregnancies in these patients carry several complications such as prematurity. Maternal IgG antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) can cross the placenta but they don’t generally cause any neonatal thrombotic event. Because of the incompleteness of the fetal blood-brain barrier, aPL could theoretically reach the fetal brain. Whether this can have an effect on brain development is still under investigation. Some studies performed in children of patients with SLE and/or APS showed an increased number of learning disabilities without impairment in intelligence level.

Objectives

The objectives of this article are to evaluate the neurodevelopment outcome in 30 children (median age 9 years) born to mothers with SLE and/or APS with IgG anti-beta2-glycoprotein I during the third trimester of pregnancy and found positive for the same antibodies at birth.

Methods

A neurological physical exam was performed in all children. We submitted some questionnaires to the mothers: the Child Behavior CheckList (CBCL) and a homemade set of questions obtained by a team composed of rheumatologists and pediatric neurologists. Intellectual functioning was determined by the Wechsler scale for corrected age.

Results

In all children neurological physical exam and intelligence levels were found to be normal but mild behavior disorders and history of neurological manifestations were shown in three children.

Conclusions

Offspring of patients with SLE and/or APS are generally healthy. We and others observed the occurrence of minor neurological disorders that might be related to maternal disease or to prematurity. The limited number of the available data on this sensitive issue supports the need for further studies.
Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome: task force report summary
Authors: Cervera R , Rodríguez-Pintó I ,   G Espinosa on behalf of the Task Force on Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Published: September 2014

The Task Force on Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome (CAPS) aimed to assess the current knowledge on pathogenesis, clinical and laboratory features, diagnosis and classification, precipitating factors and treatment of CAPS. This article summarizes the main aspects of its final report.
The dual role of innate immunity in antiphospholipid syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Salem D , Subang R , Laplante P , Levine JS , Rauch J
Published: September 2014

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), as a primary disease or a secondary syndrome in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is characterized by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) and a clinical event. It is likely that both genetic and environmental factors lead to the development of aPL and progression to disease. However, the precise mechanisms are not known. We hypothesize that innate immune activation plays a dual role in APS and SLE, both in the production of aPL (i.e. “initiation” phase) and in the development of a clinical event (i.e. “effector” phase). We have shown that mice immunized with certain phospholipid-binding proteins (e.g. β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI)), plus a concomitant trigger of innate immunity (e.g. a toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) ligand), produce a strong β2GPI-reactive T cell response, resulting in high levels of aPL as well as other SLE autoantibodies. We propose that β2GPI, through its interaction with apoptotic cells, permits B cell epitope spread to multiple SLE autoantibodies. Innate immune activation is also implicated in a murine model of aPL-enhanced thrombus formation. This dual role of innate immune activation provides new insight into the mechanisms involved in the initiation of aPL and other SLE-related autoantibodies, as well as the development of aPL-mediated disease.
The genotyping of Infectious bronchitis virus in Taiwan by a multiplex amplification refractory mutation system reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction
Authors: Huang Shr-Wei , Ho Chia-Fang , Chan Kun-Wei , Cheng Min-Chung , Shien Jui-Hung , Liu Hung-Jen , Wang Chi-Young
Published: September 2014

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV; Avian coronavirus) causes acute respiratory and reproductive and urogenital diseases in chickens. Following sequence alignment of IBV strains, a combination of selective primer sets was designed to individually amplify the IBV wild-type and vaccine strains using a multiplex amplification refractory mutation system reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (ARMS RT-PCR) approach. This system was shown to discriminate the IBV wild-type and vaccine strains. Moreover, an ARMS real-time RT-PCR (ARMS qRT-PCR) was combined with a high-resolution analysis (HRMA) to establish a melt curve analysis program. The specificity of the ARMS RT-PCR and the ARMS qRT-PCR was verified using unrelated avian viruses. Different melting temperatures and distinct normalized and shifted melting curve patterns for the IBV Mass, IBV H120, IBV TW-I, and IBV TW-II strains were detected. The new assays were used on samples of lung and trachea as well as virus from allantoic fluid and cell culture. In addition to being able to detect the presence of IBV vaccine and wild-type strains by ARMS RT-PCR, the IBV Mass, IBV H120, IBV TW-I, and IBV TW-II strains were distinguished using ARMS qRT-PCR by their melting temperatures and by HRMA. These approaches have acceptable sensitivities and specificities and therefore should be able to serve as options when carrying out differential diagnosis of IBV in Taiwan and China.
“I Am a Waste of Breath, of Space, of Time”
Authors: Bates Carolina Figueras
Published: September 2014

According to recent research on eating disorders, heavy users of pro-anorexia (pro-ana) sites show higher levels of disordered eating and more severe impairment of quality of life than non-heavy users. A better understanding of how pro-ana members self-present in the virtual world could shed some light on these offline behaviors. Through discourse analysis, I examined the metaphors the members of a pro-ana group invoked in their personal profiles on a popular social networking site, to talk about the self. I applied the Metaphor Identification Procedure to 757 text profiles. I identified four key metaphorical constructions in pro-ana members’ self-descriptions: self as space, self as weight, perfecting the self, and the social self. These four main metaphors represented discourse strategies, both to create a collective pro-ana identity and to enact an individual identity as pro-ana. In this article, I discuss the implications of these findings for the treatment of eating disorders.
Neuroscientific Insights Into Management Development
Authors: McDonald Paul , Tang Yi-Yuan
Published: September 2014

Research from the interdisciplinary field of social cognitive neuroscience provides insights as to how managers learn and develop, resulting in theoretical propositions and practical implications. Third-generation management development is applied as a conceptual framework for the organization and presentation of relevant evidence from the neuroscience literature. Neuroscience offers potential to theoretically advance our understanding of management development as well as practically enhance managerial capacity to (a) reflect with a deeper sense of self-awareness, (b) analyze with greater balance across hard and soft data, (c) position organizations within broader perspectives, (d) collaborate interpersonally by establishing relationships that engender egalitarianism and trust, and (e) enact change in a nonlinear manner. Ten propositions are developed linking neurological processes to management development. Practical implications are suggested as well as research considerations for future integration between neuroscience and management development.
Challenges in exascale radio astronomy: Can the SKA ride the technology wave?
Authors: Vermij Erik , Fiorin Leandro , Jongerius Rik , Hagleitner Christoph , Bertels Koen
Published: September 2014

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be the most sensitive radio telescope in the world. This unprecedented sensitivity will be achieved by combining and analyzing signals from 262,144 antennas and 350 dishes at a raw datarate of petabits per second. The processing pipeline to create useful astronomical data will require hundreds of peta-operations per second, at a very limited power budget. We analyze the compute, memory and bandwidth requirements for the key algorithms used in the SKA. By studying their implementation on existing platforms, we show that most algorithms have properties that map inefficiently on current hardware, such as a low compute–bandwidth ratio and complex arithmetic. In addition, we estimate the power breakdown on CPUs and GPUs, analyze the cache behavior on CPUs, and discuss possible improvements. This work is complemented with an analysis of supercomputer trends, which demonstrates that current efforts to use commercial off-the-shelf accelerators results in a two to three times smaller improvement in compute capabilities and power efficiency than custom built machines. We conclude that waiting for new technology to arrive will not give us the instruments currently planned in 2018: one or two orders of magnitude better power efficiency and compute capabilities are required. Novel hardware and system architectures, to match the needs and features of this unique project, must be developed.
Moving beyond the ‘official story’: when ‘others’ meet in a qualitative interview
Authors: Roer-Strier Dorit , Sands Roberta G
Published: September 2014

This article examines the qualitative interview as a site for meetings between interviewers and interviewees from groups that are in conflict. It shows how interviewees who initially resisted participation and voiced what one called the ‘official story’ of her group moved beyond this position enabling the encounter to become a meaningful experience for both parties. This critical case analysis is based on three interviews from three different studies and follow-up interviews with interviewers and interviewees. The paper describes six phases of the encounters found in all the interviews (on guard, the ‘official story’, expert position, confrontation, looking for common grounds, and beyond the ‘official story’) and explores the conditions that brought about bidirectional communication and intimacy. The findings are discussed in light of current debates around reflexivity, positionality, and power relations in qualitative interviewing. The article highlights the importance of the historical and political contexts.
Same rights for everybody? On secularism, modest establishment and same-sex marriage
Authors: Dabelsteen Hans Bruun
Published: September 2014

This article seeks to map the current discussion of secularism and propose two conceptual expansions. The first is to include modest establishment in a framework of secularism defendable by political liberalism, and the second is to consider secularism in close connection to a theory of peoplehood. This understanding is illustrated by a reconstruction of Danish secularism and a recent case of Danish legislation allowing same-sex church marriage. Here, attention will be given to how questions of basic liberal principles in relation to religion spilled over into questions of peoplehood.
Mermaid (A/Be)musings From/on/Into/Through the In-Between
Authors: Mantas Kathy , Miezitis Solveiga
Published: September 2014

In this article, we take a retrospective look at a prior collaboration that involved the process of making art together, dialogue, and sharing stories of experience. More specifically, we share with you some of the storied text fragments that were elicited when we looked again, and together, at our very first co-created hybrid image. By putting forward our cultural storied texts, we—two women academics who identify with the experience of being an immigrant—wish to contribute to ongoing discussions on the value of fostering the cultural imagination through artful community-based approaches that invite the creation of our images and incite the telling of our stories, in our own voices. As well, we hope to illustrate how the stories that surfaced from/on/into/through our re-engagement with our co-created image of a mermaid helped us come to deeper understandings of our cultural hybridity, characterized primarily by living, learning, and knowing in spaces of in-betweenness.
Experimental Robotic Pulmonary Lobectomy With the TELELAP/ALFX System in the Ovine Model
Authors: Lococo Achille , Larocca Valentina , Marino Francesco , De Filippis Antonio Fabilian , Cesario Alfredo , Lococo Filippo
Published: September 2014

A new robotic telesurgical device (TELELAP/ALFX) is used for the first time to execute an anatomical pulmonary resection (lobectomy) plus mediastinal lymph node dissection in the ovine model. This integrated operative system has 2 innovative peculiarities: ( a) tactile perception (engineered to give the operator a tactile feedback similar to that experienced when handling thoracoscopy instruments) and ( b) eye-tracking (immediate synchronization of the surgeon’s eyes movements with that of the robotic camera). Herein, we report a lower right pulmonary lobectomy under complete robotic assistance (TELELAP/ALFX). Standard endoscopic staplers were used in all the major maneuvers (bronchial as well as vascular resections and fissural completion) introduced through a utility 4-cm-sized incision. The specimen was placed in an endoscopic retrieval bag and removed through a service minithoracotomy. With the limitations because of interspecies differences in anatomical landmarks, a mediastinal lymph nodal dissection was also completed. The operative time was acceptable (~180 minutes) with blood loss of 100 mL. In conclusion, according to this first all experimental experience we may deem the TELELAP/ALFX system completely apt to perform major anatomic pulmonary resections and the regulatory process to run trials in humans are under way.
BAX326 (RIXUBIS): a novel recombinant factor IX for the control and prevention of bleeding episodes in adults and children with hemophilia B
Authors: Windyga Jerzy , Solano Trujillo Maria Helena , Hafeman Andrea E.
Published: September 2014

Hemophilia B management has improved considerably since the introduction of high-purity plasma-derived factor IX (pdFIX) products in the early 1990s. Recombinant FIX (rFIX) was introduced more recently and has potential safety advantages over the older blood-based products. Until recently, only one such product, nonacog alfa (BeneFIX®, Pfizer, Inc.), has been available. However, a new rFIX product, BAX326 (RIXUBIS, Baxter Healthcare Corp.), has now been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. BAX326 undergoes rigorous virus elimination and purification steps during manufacture, and has low activated FIX activity, which confers low thrombogenic potential in humans. Preclinical studies showed promising pharmacokinetic and safety profiles, and these early findings have since been expanded in a series of prospective, multicenter, clinical studies. Foremost among these is a pivotal phase I/III study of BAX326 and its use in routine prophylaxis or on-demand treatment in patients aged 12–65 years with severe (FIX level <1%) or moderately severe (FIX level ≤2%) hemophilia B. This study confirmed the pharmacokinetic equivalence of BAX326 and nonacog alfa, and showed a significant reduction in annualized bleeding rate with BAX326 prophylaxis compared with on-demand treatment (79% versus historic controls; p < 0.001). The hemostatic efficacy of BAX326 was rated as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ in 96% of bleeds. BAX326 was also associated with statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in physical health-related quality of life. Results are similarly encouraging in a pediatric study in children aged up to 12 years and in a study in hemophilia B patients undergoing surgery. A further study showed safe transition, with no inhibitor formation in any patient, from treatment with a pdFIX product to BAX326. Overall, the safety profile of BAX326 in clinical trials has been strong, with no inhibitor or specific antibody formation, thrombosis, or treatment-related serious adverse events or anaphylaxis.
Preventing Symptoms of Depression by Teaching Adolescents That People Can Change
Authors: Miu Adriana Sum , Yeager David Scott
Published: September 2014

The transition to high school coincides with an increase in the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Could this be due in part to increasing beliefs about the fixedness of personal traits at a time of frequent social setbacks? And could teaching adolescents that people can change help prevent the increase in depressive symptoms? A longitudinal intervention experiment involved three independent samples of students entering high school ( N = 599). A brief self-administered reading and writing activity taught an incremental theory of personality—the belief that people’s socially relevant characteristics have the potential to change. The intervention reduced the incidence of clinically significant levels of self-reported depressive symptoms 9 months postintervention by nearly 40% among adolescents assigned to the intervention condition, compared with control participants. Analyses of symptom clusters, measures of self-esteem, and measures of natural language use explored the outcomes that did and did not show treatment effects. Moderation analyses confirmed theoretical expectations. Among adolescents assigned to the control condition, those who endorsed more of an entity theory of personality—believing people cannot change—showed greater increases in depressive symptoms during the year. The effect of this risk factor was eliminated by the intervention.
Immunomodulatory effects of Ziziphora tenuior L. extract on the dendritic cells
Authors: Azadmehr Abbas , latifi Robabeh , Mosalla Sahar , Hajiaghaee Reza , Shahnazi Mojtaba
Published: September 2014

Background

Ziziphora tenuior L. (Kakuti in Persian) is used in traditional medicine for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders as carminative and analgesic plant. The other usages of this plant are included treatment of diarrhea and nausea. Therefore in the present study we evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of the ethanolic extract of this plant on the dendritic cells (DCs).

Results

Ziziphora tenuior L. extract significantly (p = 0.002) increased the level of surface expression of CD40 as an important co-stimulatory marker on DCs compared to the control. However this extract did not change CD86 and MHC-II molecules, so it could promote DCs phenotypic maturation. Treatment of DCs with the extract resulted in slightly increased of the production of (IL-12); however, this change was not significant. In addition, the ability of treated DCs to stimulate allogenic T cells proliferation and cytokines secretion was examined in the co-cuture of these cells with T cells in mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). Z. tenuior L. at the 100 μg/ml concentration inhibited the proliferation of allogenic T cells and also significantly (P < 0.001) increased the level of IL-10. Moreover, the extract at 10–100 μg/ml concentration caused slightly increase in IFN-γ production and decreased IL-4 cytokines but these changes were not significant.

Conclusions

These findings indicated that Z. tenuior L. extract can modulate immune response by induction of CD40 expression on DCs and cytokine production; whereas it can inhibit T cell stimulating activity of DCs in high concentration. These findings possibly in part explain the traditional use of this plant in treatment of immune-mediated disorders. However future studies are needed.
A technique to eliminate the azimuth ambiguity in single-well imaging
Authors: Zhang Yi-de , Hu Hengshan
Published: September 2014

Single-well imaging has been a technique increasingly used in the detection of near-borehole geologic structures. The azimuth of a geologic structure, however, cannot be uniquely determined with acoustic signals recorded in the borehole alone, due to the azimuth ambiguity existing in current imaging techniques. We eliminated such ambiguity by revealing the relevant acoustic principle underlying the P-wave reflection behavior. When a P-wave excited by a transducer in the logging tool impinges upon a planar interface, the P-wave reflection coefficient (RC) of the displacement is opposite in sign to that of the normal stress or fluid pressure, regardless of the incident angle and the parameters of the media on the two sides. The derived relation about signs of RCs was validated by finite-difference solutions for reflected waves from a near-borehole plane fault. With this newly discovered reflection principle, one can eliminate the azimuth ambiguity of any interface outside a borehole by checking if the waveforms of pressure and the displacement component are both changed in polarity after reflection. Furthermore, because the pressure and displacement are observable quantities and the waveform of the acoustic source is known in acoustic logging, it is convenient to implement the data acquisition for this technique, which is a major advantage over other techniques. We expounded and exemplified our new technique by numerical simulation.
Point-source radiation in attenuative anisotropic media
Authors: Shekar Bharath , Tsvankin Ilya
Published: September 2014

Important insights into point-source radiation in attenuative anisotropic media can be gained by applying asymptotic methods. Analytic description of point-source radiation can help in the interpretation of the amplitude-variation-with-offset response and physical-modeling data. We derive the asymptotic Green’s function in homogeneous, attenuative, arbitrarily anisotropic media using the steepest-descent method. The saddle-point condition helps describe the behavior of the slowness and group-velocity vectors of the far-field P-wave. Numerical results from the asymptotic analysis compare well with those obtained by the ray-perturbation method for P-waves in transversely isotropic media.
Does the Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Measured Concurrently With First Trimester Biochemical Screening Tests Predict Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Occurring After 20 Weeks Gestation?
Authors: Ong Gregory S. Y. , Hadlow Narelle C. , Brown Suzanne J. , Lim Ee Mun , Walsh John P.
Published: September 2014

Context:

Maternal hypothyroidism in early pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes, but not consistently across studies. First trimester screening for chromosomal anomalies is routine in many centers and provides an opportunity to test thyroid function.

Objective:

To determine if thyroid function tests performed with first trimester screening predicts adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Design, Participants and Setting:

A cohort study of 2411 women in Western Australia with singleton pregnancies attending first trimester screening between 9 and 14 weeks gestation.

Outcome Measures:

We evaluated the association between TSH, free T4, free T3, thyroid antibodies, free beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-hCG) and pregnancy associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) with a composite of adverse pregnancy events as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included placenta previa, placental abruption, pre-eclampsia, pregnancy loss after 20 weeks gestation, threatened preterm labor, preterm birth, small size for gestational age, neonatal death, and birth defects.

Results:

TSH exceeded the 97.5th percentile for the first trimester (2.15 mU/L) in 133 (5.5%) women, including 22 (1%) with TSH above the nonpregnant reference range (4 mU/L) and 5 (0.2%) above 10 mU/L. Adverse outcomes occurred in 327 women (15%). TSH and free T4 did not differ significantly between women with or without adverse pregnancy events. On the multivariate analysis, neither maternal TSH >2.15 mU/L nor TSH as a continuous variable predicted primary or secondary outcomes.

Conclusion:

Testing maternal TSH as part of first trimester screening does not predict adverse pregnancy outcomes. This may be because in the community setting, mainly mild abnormalities in thyroid function are detected.
Exogenous Kisspeptin Administration as a Probe of GnRH Neuronal Function in Patients With Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism
Authors: Chan Yee-Ming , Lippincott Margaret F. , Butler James P. , Sidhoum Valerie F. , Li Cindy X. , Plummer Lacey , Seminara Stephanie B.
Published: September 2014

Context:

Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) results from defective synthesis, secretion, or action of GnRH. Kisspeptin is a potent stimulus for GnRH secretion.

Objective:

We probed the functional capacity of the GnRH neuronal network in patients with IHH.

Participants:

Eleven subjects with congenital IHH (9 men and 2 women) and one male subject who underwent reversal of IHH were studied. Six of the twelve subjects had an identified genetic cause of their IHH: KAL1 (n = 1), FGFR1 (n = 3), PROKR2 (n = 1), GNRHR (n = 1).

Intervention:

Subjects underwent q10 min blood sampling to measure GnRH-induced LH secretion at baseline and in response to intravenous boluses of kisspeptin (0.24 nmol/kg) and GnRH (75 ng/kg) both pre- and post-six days of treatment with exogenous GnRH (25 ng/kg sc every 2 h).

Results:

All subjects with abiding IHH failed to demonstrate a GnRH-induced LH response to exogenous kisspeptin. In contrast, the subject who achieved reversal of his hypogonadotropism demonstrated a robust response to kisspeptin.

Conclusions:

The functional capacity of the GnRH neuronal network in IHH patients is impaired, as evidenced by their inability to respond to the same dose of kisspeptin that effects a robust GnRH-induced LH response in healthy men and luteal-phase women. This impairment is observed across a range of genotypes, suggesting that it reflects a fundamental property of GnRH neuronal networks that have not been properly engaged during pubertal development. In contrast, a patient who had experienced reversal of his hypogonadotropism responded to exogenous kisspeptin.
Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin Gene Expression and Insulin Resistance
Authors: Winters Stephen J. , Gogineni Jyothi , Karegar Marjan , Scoggins Charles , Wunderlich Chris A. , Baumgartner Richard , Ghooray Dushan T.
Published: September 2014

Context:

The plasma level of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), a glycoprotein produced by hepatocytes, is subject to genetic, hormonal, metabolic, and nutritional regulation, and is a marker for the development of the metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

Objective:

Because the mechanism for these associations is unclear, and no studies of SHBG gene expression in humans have been published, SHBG mRNA was measured in human liver samples and related to anthropometric data.

Setting:

Inpatients at a private, nonprofit, university-associated hospital were studied.

Participants:

Subjects were fifty five adult men and women undergoing hepatic resection as treatment for cancer.

Main Outcome Measures:

Main outcome measures were SHBG mRNA and serum SHBG levels.

Results:

SHBG mRNA was a strong predictor of serum SHBG with higher levels of the mRNA and protein in women than in men. The relationship between SHBG mRNA and circulating SHBG differed in males and females consistent with a sex difference in post-transcriptional regulation. A strong positive correlation was found between the level of the mRNA for the transcription factor HNF4α and SHBG mRNA. Insulin resistance (IR), assessed by homeostatis model assessment, was related inversely to SHBG mRNA and to HNF4α mRNA as well as to circulating SHBG levels. These mRNAs, as well as serum SHBG, were higher when the hepatic triglyceride concentration was low, and decreased with increasing body mass index but were unrelated to age.

Conclusions:

Fat accumulation in liver and IR are important determinants of SHBG gene expression and thereby circulating SHBG levels that are perhaps mediated through effects on the transcription factor HNF4α. These findings provide a potential mechanism to explain why low SHBG predicts the development of type 2 diabetes.
‘System reform is the new modernisation’
Authors: Cowper Andy , Bell Andy
Published: September 2014

You love it. We love it. They love it. Yes, it's the NHS Confederation Conference 2005 in Birmingham
Increasing numbers of children and young people self-harm
Authors: Lepkowska Dorothy
Published: September 2014

The number of children and young people who self-harm has risen over the last few years, and increasingly younger children are affected. Dorothy Lepkowska looks at the importance of information and communication in addressing the issue.
Responding to the needs of adolescents with asthma
Authors: McMurray Ann , Wark Susan
Published: September 2014

School nurses can play an important role in the delivery of care and education to children and young people with asthma. This article looks at a number of areas or issues that may be of particular concern when caring for adolescents with asthma, including: medication adherence, exercise, asthma reviews, smoking, career choices and transition to adult services.
Helping ostomists to regain a healthy lifestyle after recovery from surgery
Authors: Beckford Blake , Clifford Scott
Published: September 2014

An altered body structure and fatigue are just a few of the issues ostomists have to learn to deal with in the recovery period after surgery. There are a number of studies documenting the benefits of exercise in general; however, there is a dearth of information available on the types of exercises ostomists should pursue and how the exercises should be performed. Through the lead author's personal experience, this article describes some tried and tested methods of basic exercise that ostomists can pursue, and dispels any myths with regard to ostomists developing fit and healthy physiques as well as training with weights.
Expression of macrophage elastase (MMP12) in rat tail intervertebral disc and growth plate after asymmetric loading
Authors: Vasiliadis E. S. , Kaspiris A. , Grivas T. B. , Khaldi L. , Lamprou M. , Pneumaticos S. G. , Nikolopoulos K. , Korres D. S. , Papadimitriou E.
Published: September 2014

Objectives

The aim of this study was to examine whether asymmetric loading influences macrophage elastase (MMP12) expression in different parts of a rat tail intervertebral disc and growth plate and if MMP12 expression is correlated with the severity of the deformity.

Methods

A wedge deformity between the ninth and tenth tail vertebrae was produced with an Ilizarov-type mini external fixator in 45 female Wistar rats, matched for their age and weight. Three groups were created according to the degree of deformity (10°, 30° and 50°). A total of 30 discs and vertebrae were evaluated immunohistochemically for immunolocalisation of MMP12 expression, and 15 discs were analysed by western blot and zymography in order to detect pro- and active MMP12.

Results

No MMP12 expression was detected in the nucleus pulposus. Expression of MMP12 in the annulus progressively increased from group I to groups II and III, mainly at the concave side. Many growth plate chondrocytes expressed MMP12 in the control group, less in group I and rare in groups II and III. Changes in cell phenotype and reduction of cell number were observed, together with disorganisation of matrix microstructure similar to disc degeneration. ProMMP12 was detected at the area of 54 kDa and active MMP12 at 22 kDa.

Conclusions

Expression of MMP12 after application of asymmetric loading in a rat tail increased in the intervertebral disc but decreased in the growth plate and correlated with the degree of the deformity and the side of the wedged disc. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2014;3:273–9.
Intergenerational heritage language practices: A case study of Spanish-speaking families in Britain
Authors: Tyrrell Naomi , Guijarro-Fuentes Pedro , Blandon Claudia
Published: September 2014

This paper analyses data from a multiple-method study exploring intergenerational heritage language practices in Spanish-speaking families in Britain. The paper harnesses interdisciplinary perspectives (human geography, childhood studies and socio-linguistics) to explore families' accounts of their intergenerational language practices within the home specifically, due to the dearth of work in this area in Britain. There is an urgent need to examine the multiple intersections between language, home and identity, particularly from intergenerational and/or life course perspectives. Currently, little is known about the ways in which members of migrant families evaluate their heritage language practices socially and linguistically in the home in European contexts, or how their heritage language practices are informed by their identities (often multiple) in European migrant-receiving countries. Specifically, the paper explores: the comparative geographical patterns of Spanish in Britain, using data from Census 2011; how and why children's and parents' heritage language practices differ in the home space (and beyond); and the ways in which these practices are rooted in senses of identity and belonging.
Changing argument structure in (heritage) Pennsylvania German
Authors: Stolberg Doris
Published: September 2014

By way of migration, large numbers of German-speaking settlers arrived in Pennsylvania between roughly 1700 and 1750. Pennsylvania German, as a distinct variety, developed through levelling processes from L1 varieties of these migrants who came mainly from the southwestern regions of the German speaking area. Pennsylvania German is still spoken today by specific religious groups (primarily Amish and Menonnite groups) for many of whom it is an identity marker. My paper focuses on those Pennsylvania Germans who are not part of these religious groups but have the same migration history. Due to their being closer to the cultural values of American mainstream society, they were integrated into it, and during the 20th century their use of Pennsylvania German was continually diminishing. A revival of this heritage language has occurred over the past c. three decades, including language courses offered at community colleges, public libraries, etc., where ethnic Pennsylvania Germans wish to (re-)learn the language of their grandparents.

Written Pennsylvania German data from four points in time between the 1860s and the 1990s were analysed in this study. Based on these linguistic analyses, differences between the data sets are shown that point towards a diachronic change in the language contact situation of Pennsylvania German speakers. Sociolinguistic and extralinguistic factors are considered that influence the role of PG and make their speakers heritage speakers much in the sense of recent immigrant heritage speakers, although delayed by 200 years.