bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Children With Heart Murmurs
Authors: Etoom Yousef , Ratnapalan Savithiri
Published: May 2013

Cardiac murmurs can be a source of anxiety for both physicians and parents until serious cardiac disorders are excluded. The innocent cardiac murmur is still the most common finding in healthy children and can usually be diagnosed through obtaining a complete history and performing a complete physical examination. However, a cardiac murmur may be the first sign of a structural cardiac disease and should not be ignored. Referral to a pediatric cardiologist for further evaluation is required when murmur assessment is not clear and diagnostic uncertainty is present. Educating and reassuring parents remains an important aspect of this evaluation. This article discusses features of innocent and pathological murmurs and provides an approach to cardiac murmurs in children.
Understanding health sociologically
Authors: McDaniel Susan A
Published: May 2013

Sociology of health and illness has been enlivened with increased understanding of the complex roles, social factors and structures play in individual and societal health and well-being. New insights are simultaneously empirical and conceptual, leading to innovative approaches to analysis, as well as new conceptual frameworks. Three examples are: the social gradient of health, the population health perspective and the saliency of social fabric to both individual and societal well-being. Nonetheless, puzzles remain such as how social inequalities get under the skin, why socioeconomic improvements do not always yield life expectancy gains, and how to reduce health disparities and inequalities.
An agent-based parallel geo-simulation of urban mobility during city-scale evacuation
Authors: Zia Kashif , Farrahi Katayoun , Riener Andreas , Ferscha Alois
Published: May 2013

The simulation of urban mobility is a modeling challenge due to the complexity and scale. The complexity in modeling a social agent is due to three reasons: (i) the agent is behaviorally complex itself due to several interrelated/overlapping modeling aspects; (ii) the setting in which a social agent operates usually demands a multi-resolution approach; and (iii) the consideration of real spatial and population data is the underpinning that has to be realized. In this paper, we propose an agent-based parallel geo-simulation framework of urban mobility based on necessary modeling aspects. The aspect-oriented modeling paradigm relates the models vertically as well as horizontally and highlights the situations requiring multi-resolution interfacing. The framework takes into consideration the importance of technological footprints embedded with social behavior along with essential space and mobility features keeping focus on the importance of the city-scale scenario. We have used a real, high-quality raster map of a medium-sized city in central Europe converting it into a cellular automata (CA). The fine-grained CA readily supports pedestrian mobility and can easily be extended to support other mobility modes. The urban mobility simulation is performed on a real parallel and distributed hardware platform using a CA compatible software platform. Considering city-wide mobility in an emergency scenario, an analysis of the simulation efficiency and agent behavioral response is presented.
The Political Issue of the Ascension of Isaiah: A Response to Enrico Norelli
Authors: Knight Jonathan
Published: May 2013

Enrico Norelli argued in 2003 that the references to martyrdom in the Ascension of Isaiah are symbolic rather than actual. This article challenges his reliance on the Mishnah in support of the assertion that Isaiah dies as a martyr in the contest between true and false prophecy in the second-century church. It argues that the progress of thought in chs. 1–5 suggests that martyrdom is more obviously an actual and recent feature of the authors’ experience than a merely symbolic entity. The martyrdom of Ignatius is further considered in this context. This result is the insistence that the Ascension of Isaiah has a strong ‘political’ dimension in both of its halves. Such evidence must be inserted into the evaluation of the emerging Christian movement, not least in its response to both Jews and the Romans as factors external to, yet bearing on, the church, at the time of writing.
Facilitators and barriers to the provision of therapeutic interventions by school psychologists
Authors: Atkinson Cathy , Squires Garry , Bragg Joanna , Muscutt Janet , Wasilewski David
Published: May 2013

There is growing concern internationally about the prevalence of mental health problems among school-aged children and their access to specialist services. School psychologists (SPs) may be one group of professionals well-positioned to support the well-being of children and young people, due to their position as applied psychologists working within educational settings and their capability to deliver therapeutic interventions. This research considers findings from a large scale, United Kingdom (UK)-wide survey of the views of SPs ( N = 455) about facilitators and barriers to the provision of therapeutic interventions to children and young people. Principal Components Analyses of ranked questionnaire responses yielded three components: The role of the SP; training and practice; and support and psychology service context. Quantitative findings were then triangulated, using qualitative responses from the survey. Greater direction and clarification of the role of the SP as a provider of therapeutic interventions is recommended, particularly given the diverse roles undertaken by SPs and competing demands, particularly from assessment activities.
Aging Population in a Regional Economy
Authors: Kim Tae-Jeong , Hewings Geoffrey J. D.
Published: May 2013

This article seeks to examine the effects of the aging population in Illinois with inclusion of the household’s heterogeneity across migration status and investment in human capital. By adopting a stylized Mincer wage regression, the article shows that there are significant gaps in returns to education between migration statuses in Illinois; further, there exist significant relationships between a resident’s demographics and the probability of in- and out-migration to/from Illinois. Using a two-sector Overlapping Generations (OLG) model incorporated with the household’s heterogeneity over migration status, this article projects the economic growth of Illinois in the future. This article also shows that the effects of the government’s immigration policy that aims at replacing low-productive international immigrants with native and relatively high-productive unemployed individuals who have been unemployed, are very limited in terms of per capita income, welfare, and aggregate productivity. On the contrary, a tax and transfer policy inducing international immigrants to invest more in their education works relatively better under the demographic changes facing Illinois over the next three decades.
Helping persons with Usher syndrome type II adapt to deafblindness: An intervention program centered on managing personal goals
Authors: Côté Lise , Dubé Micheline , St-Onge Myreille , Beauregard Line
Published: May 2013

Difficulties adapting to changes in Usher syndrome type II leading to deafblindness are well known. One of the factors that may affect the adaptation process is the ability to redirect one’s life and set new goals for oneself. This article presents the results of a group intervention program centered on managing personal goals. The results of a double-multivariate repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) point to a significant partial effect on the variable “meaning of life,” while no significant change was found for the feeling of “serenity,” “self-determination,” and the “ability to set, plan, and pursue a goal.” The results of this pilot project warrant continuing the research since the intervention seems to have a positive impact on psychological well-being.
What verbal orientation information do blind and partially sighted people need to find their way around? A study of everyday navigation strategies in people with impaired vision
Authors: Fryer Louise , Freeman Jonathan , Pring Linda
Published: May 2013

For wayfinding at museums, galleries, and heritage sites, the majority of people who are blind or partially sighted favour verbal directions over tactile maps. Those who provide such directions are usually fully sighted. Can we assume that details considered important by those with vision are equally helpful to those without? This article presents a study comparing descriptions of familiar routes recalled by fully sighted, partially sighted, and blind participants, highlighting the differences in navigation strategies. All participants cited landmarks, but those with impaired vision also detailed significantly more objects, or ‘milestones’, en route. In the absence of such milestones, they relied on metrics that were often environmental or body-based. Distances were precisely specified, rather than ‘vague’. Landmarks and milestones were accessed multimodally by blind and partially sighted participants, or a combination of landmarks and milestones were sought for corroboration. In contrast, fully sighted participants reported predominantly unimodal information, that is, visual. The findings may have practical implications for improving the type of verbal orientation information provided to assist blind or partially sighted people.
Ziya Gökalp’s adaptation of Emile Durkheim’s sociology in his formulation of the modern Turkish nation
Authors: Nefes Türkay Salim
Published: May 2013

Although Emile Durkheim’s sociology was used by the Turkish state elite in the early 20th century, no comprehensive literature delineating its influence on Turkish politics exists. This article attempts to fill this lacuna by analysing how Ziya Gökalp, the founding father of Turkish sociology and a prominent politician of the early 20th century, adapted Durkheimian sociology to explain and respond to the sociopolitical problems of the period. It relies on a comparative reading of the works of Gökalp and Durkheim, along with related academic literature. The present study proposes that: (1) Gökalp’s culture–civilization distinction is the foundation of his attempt to provide a basis for social unity in Turkey; and (2) Durkheim’s theoretical claims regarding magic and religion in particular, and his view on the relationship between social constraints and individual agencies in general, are intrinsic to the culture–civilization duality. This article concludes that the sociology of Ziya Gökalp is less original than has been suggested in the literature.
What do patients with advanced incurable cancer want from the management of their pain? A qualitative study
Authors: Gibbins Jane , Bhatia Rebecca , Forbes Karen , Reid Colette M
Published: May 2013

Background:

Pain is one of the most frequent symptoms among patients with metastatic cancer, yet little is known about what patients with advanced cancer want from the management of their pain. Measuring the effectiveness of the management of pain is challenging as it is a subjective phenomenon and a multifaceted process. Determining how we currently define whether a patient with pain due to advanced cancer has controlled pain (or not) is important, particularly from the patient’s perspective.

Aim:

To explore how patients with advanced cancer describe the control of pain and what they want from management of this pain.

Design:

Qualitative study using face-to-face interviews. Data were analysed using a constant comparison approach.

Setting/participants:

Purposive sample of patients with advanced cancer known to palliative care services.

Results:

Twelve interviews took place until saturation of data was achieved. Four themes emerged: maintaining role, self and independence; compromising/modifying expectations; role of healthcare professionals; and meaning of pain in context of advanced cancer.

Conclusion:

Patients determined whether their pain was ‘controlled’ by whether or not they were able to perform activities or tasks and maintain relationships with family or friends, which determined themselves as individuals. Numerical rating scales did not appear to be useful for patients in measuring whether they are able to perform these activities or maintain a sense of control and independence. Individualised goal/task/role/activity setting for patients with advanced cancer pain may be useful to allow patients themselves to determine what they want from the ‘management’ of their pain.
A multicenter survey of Hispanic caregiver preferences for patient decision control in the United States and Latin America
Authors: Yennurajalingam Sriram , Noguera Antonio , Parsons Henrique Afonseca , Torres-Vigil Isabel , Duarte Eva Rosina , Palma Alejandra , Bunge Sofia , Palmer J Lynn , Delgado-Guay Marvin Omar , Bruera Eduardo
Published: May 2013

Background:

Understanding family caregivers’ decisional role preferences is important for communication, quality of care, and patient and family satisfaction. The family caregiver has an important role in a patient’s decisional role preferences. There are limited studies on family caregivers’ preferences of the patient’s decision control at the end of life among Hispanics.

Aims:

To identify Hispanic caregivers’ preferences of the decision control of patients with advanced cancer and to compare the preferences of caregivers in Hispanic Latin American and Hispanic American caregivers.

Design:

We surveyed patients and their family caregivers referred to outpatient palliative care clinics in the United States, Chile, Argentina, and Guatemala. Caregiver preferences of patient’s decision control were evaluated using the Control Preference Scale. Caregivers’ and patients’ sociodemographic variables, patient performance status, and Hispanic American patient acculturation level were also collected.

Participants:

A total of 387 caregivers were surveyed: 100 (26%) in Chile, 99 (26%) in Argentina, 97 (25%) in Guatemala, and 91 (24%) in the United States. The median age was 56 years, and 59% were female.

Results:

Caregiver preference of patient’s decision control was passive, shared, and active for 10 (11%), 45 (52%), and 32 (37%) Hispanic American caregivers and 54 (19%), 178 (62%), and 55 (19%) Hispanic Latin American caregivers ( p = 0.0023), respectively. Caregiver acculturation level did not affect the preferences of the Hispanic American sample ( p = 0.60).

Conclusions:

Most Hispanic family caregivers preferred the patient to make shared decisions. Hispanic Latin American caregivers more frequently preferred patients to assume a passive decisional role. Acculturation did not influence the preferences of Hispanic American caregivers.
Exploring factors and caregiver outcomes associated with feelings of preparedness for caregiving in family caregivers in palliative care: A correlational, cross-sectional study
Authors: Henriksson Anette , Årestedt Kristofer
Published: May 2013

Background:

Family caregivers in palliative care often report feeling insufficiently prepared to handle the caregiver role. Preparedness has been confirmed as a variable that may actually protect family caregiver well-being. Preparedness refers to how ready family caregivers perceive they are for the tasks and demands in the caregiving role.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with preparedness and to further investigate whether preparedness is associated with caregiver outcomes.

Design:

This was a correlational study using a cross-sectional design.

Setting/participants:

The study took place in three specialist palliative care units and one haematology unit. A total of 125 family caregivers of patients with life-threatening illness participated.

Result:

Preparedness was significantly associated with higher levels of hope and reward and with a lower level of anxiety. In contrast, preparedness was not associated with depression or health. Being female and cohabiting with the patient were significantly associated with a higher level of preparedness. The relationship to the patient was significantly associated with preparedness, while social support, place of care, time since diagnosis and age of the patients showed no association.

Conclusion:

Feelings of preparedness seem to be important for how family caregivers experience the unique situation when caring for a patient who is severely ill and close to death. Our findings support the inclusion of preparedness in support models for family caregivers in palliative care. Psycho-educational interventions could preferably be designed aiming to increase family caregiver’s preparedness to care, including practical care, communication and emotional support.
Descriptive Epidemiology of Femoroacetabular Impingement
Authors: Clohisy John C. , Baca Geneva , Beaulé Paul E. , Kim Young-Jo , Larson Christopher M. , Millis Michael B. , Podeszwa David A. , Schoenecker Perry L. , Sierra Rafael J. , Sink Ernest L. , Sucato Daniel J. , Trousdale Robert T. , Zaltz Ira ,   ANCHOR Study Group
Published: May 2013

Background:

Symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is associated with hip pain, functional limitations, and secondary osteoarthritis. There is limited information from large patient cohorts defining the specific population affected by FAI. Establishing a large cohort will facilitate the identification of “at-risk” patients and will provide a population for ongoing clinical research initiatives. The authors have therefore established a multicenter, prospective, longitudinal cohort of patients undergoing surgery for symptomatic FAI.

Purpose:

To report the clinical epidemiology, disease characteristics, and contemporary surgical treatment trends in North America for patients with symptomatic FAI.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Upon approval of the institutional review boards at 8 institutions, 12 surgeons enrolled consecutive patients undergoing surgical intervention for symptomatic FAI. Patient demographics, physical examination data, radiographic data, diagnoses, operative data, and standardized patient-reported outcome measures were collected. The first 1130 cases are summarized in this study.

Results:

A total of 1076 consecutive patients (1130 hips) were enrolled; 55% (n = 622) were female, and 45% (n = 508) were male, with an average age of 28.4 years and average body mass index (BMI) of 25.1. Demographics revealed that 88% of patients who were predominantly treated for FAI were white, 19% reported a family history of hip surgery, 47.6% of hips had a diagnosis of cam FAI, 44.5% had combined cam/pincer FAI, and 7.9% had pincer FAI. Preoperative clinical scores (pain, function, activity level, and overall health) indicated a major dysfunction related to the hip. Surgical interventions were arthroscopic surgery (50.4%), surgical dislocation (34.4%), reverse periacetabular osteotomy (9.4%), limited open osteochondroplasty with arthroscopic surgery (5.8%), and limited open by itself (1.5%). More than 90% of the hips were noted to have labral and articular cartilage abnormalities at surgery; femoral head-neck osteochondroplasty was performed in 91.6% of the surgical procedures, acetabular rim osteoplasty in 36.7%, labral repair in 47.8%, labral debridement in 16.3%, and acetabular chondroplasty in 40.1%.

Conclusion:

This multicenter, prospective, longitudinal cohort is one of the largest FAI cohorts to date. In this cohort, FAI occurred predominantly in young, white patients with a normal BMI, and there were more female than male patients. The disease pattern of cam FAI was most common. Contemporary treatment was predominantly arthroscopic followed by surgical hip dislocation.
Connecting interdisciplinary dots: Songbirds, ‘white rats’ and human exceptionalism
Authors: Taylor Hollis
Published: May 2013

In this article I investigate how and why birdsong is regularly excluded from definitions of music. I argue that to claim human exceptionalism for this capacity is highly premature, since so few avian species have been investigated in any depth. A catalogue of objections to the contention that birdsong is music suggests numerous intra- and inter-disciplinary ‘disconnects’. I note that the default yardstick of Western art music is pervasive and that many researchers cling to the nature/culture divide despite recent activity framing natureculture as a continuum. I conclude by suggesting that the time has come to abandon our uncritical preference for human capacities and open ourselves (and our respective disciplines) to the possibility of creativity and agency in nonhuman others.
In the (bleary) eye of the tiger: An anthropological journey into jungle backyards
Authors: Jaclin David
Published: May 2013

North America shelters a growing population of so-called ‘exotic animals’. If the phenomenon is not recent, it now fuels a considerable black market. Jungle backyards compose a non-negligible (yet often neglected) part of some modern ecological landscapes. This article explores problematical situations emerging from these shared humanimal lives. It presents the first results of a multi-species ethnography and examines the prevalence of what I call beastness – an antique commerce amid humans and animals that reveals not only utilitarian purposes, but also relational entanglements. Such a commerce feeds a sizeable economy and exerts major selective pressures (both biological and cultural) on organisms and their environment. For instance, there are more captive tigers living in the state of Texas alone than wild specimens running free anywhere else on the planet. From a strictly statistical point of view, the average tiger is no longer the tiger we imagine. Not wild anymore but neither quite domesticated, some animals – pioneers, in a sense – shuffle traditional taxonomical and ontological conceptions. Through biographical material, I reflect on adaptive responses as well as on zoological potentialities developed by this always-evolving bestiary. Providing serious case studies to further debates dealing with bio–eco–conservation, I discuss the influence of informational and communicational processes crystallized by some of our contemporary crossed becomings.
The Quantitative Effect of Serum Albumin, Serum Urea, and Valproic Acid on Unbound Phenytoin Concentrations in Children
Authors: Heine Rob ter , van Maarseveen Erik M. , van der Westerlaken Monique M. L. , Braun Kees P. J. , Koudijs Suzanne M. , Berg Maarten J. ten , Malingré Mirte M.
Published: May 2013

Dosing of phenytoin is difficult in children because of its variable pharmacokinetics and protein binding. Possible covariates for this protein binding have mostly been univariately investigated in small, and often adult, adult populations. We conducted a study to identify and quantify these covariates in children. We extracted data on serum phenytoin concentrations, albumin, triglycerides, urea, total bilirubin and creatinine concentrations and data on coadministration of valproic acid or carbamazepine in 186 children. Using nonlinear mixed effects modeling the effects of covariates on the unbound phenytoin fraction were investigated. Serum albumin, serum urea concentrations, and concomitant valproic acid use significantly influenced the unbound phenytoin fraction. For clinical practice, we recommend that unbound phenytoin concentrations are measured routinely. However, if this is impossible, we suggest to use our model to calculate the unbound concentration. In selected children, close treatment monitoring and dose reductions should be considered to prevent toxicity.
Worldwide Dietary Therapies for Adults With Epilepsy and Other Disorders
Authors: Cervenka Mackenzie C. , Henry Bobbie , Nathan Janak , Wood Susan , Volek Jeff S.
Published: May 2013

During the 3rd International Symposium on Dietary Therapies held in Chicago, Illinois, there was a first-ever, half-day session devoted to the management of adults with epilepsy and other disorders with dietary treatments. Speakers from 3 different continents shared their successes, challenges, and future directions in their management of these patients. Diets used to treat adults included the classic ketogenic diet, the modified Atkins diet, and a low glycemic index treatment. The utility of dietary therapies was demonstrated not only in patients with epilepsy but also patients with propriospinal myoclonus, astrocytoma, type 2 diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia, and metabolic disorder. The session provided evidence that dietary therapies are safe and effective in adults.
Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation
Authors: Delaney Meghan , Ballen Karen K.
Published: May 2013

The use of umbilical cord blood (UCB) as a stem cell donor source has dramatically increased over the last 2 decades. Patients undergoing UCB transplantation share medical management issues with patients receiving a hematopoietic stem cell transplantion using adult donor sources (peripheral blood stem cells or bone marrow stem cells) and may also have more complex medical issues that appear to be related to delayed immune recovery from UCB-derived stem cells. The interface with critical care providers is likely to occur in the transplant and posttransplant setting. Patients may experience UCB infusion reactions that range from mild to rarely severe. Following transplant, patients are transfusion dependent for long periods due to the prolonged engraftment of UCB cells. They are at high risk of infection, particularly viral. Once engrafted, UCB transplant patients have a lower rate of graft versus host disease compared to other donor sources. Some of the other complications that are seen in patients undergoing UCB transplant are posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, and posterior reversible encephalopathy will also be discussed.
Metaphyseal bone formation induced by a new injectable β-TCP-based bone substitute: A controlled study in rabbits
Authors: Krause Matthias , Oheim Ralf , Catala-Lehnen Philip , Pestka Jan M , Hoffmann Christiane , Huebner Wolf , Peters Fabian , Barvencik Florian , Amling Michael
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Adequate filling of bone defects still poses a challenge in every day clinical work. As many bone defects are irregularly shaped the need for appropriate scaffolds reaching the complete defect surface are great. The purpose of this pre-clinical pilot study was to investigate the handling, biocompatibility, biodegradation and osteoconductivity of a new pasty bone substitute (pure phase β-TCP, hyaluronic acid, methylcellulose) in bone tissue.

Methods

In an unilateral tibial defect model the peri-implant and bone tissue response to the new pasty bone substitute was tested in New Zealand white rabbits for up to 24 weeks compared to empty controls. Analysis included HR-pQCT scans, histomorphometric evaluation and quantification of vascularization of un-decalcified histological slices.

Results

After 1 week the experimental group presented significantly higher new bone volume fraction ( p = 0.021) primarily consisting of immature bone matrix and higher vessel density compared to controls ( p = 0.013). After 4 weeks bone formation was not significantly different to controls but was distributed more evenly throughout the defect. Bone matrix was now mineralized and trabeculae were thicker than in controls ( p = 0.002) indicating faster intramedullary bone maturation. Controls presented extensive periosteal bone formation, major fibrous tissue influx and high vascularization. After 12 and 24 weeks there was no new bone detectable. There were no severe signs of inflammation at all time points.

Conclusion

The substitute showed an early induction of bone formation. It promoted accelerated intramedullary bone repair and maturation and prevented periosteal bone formation indicating its potential use for reconstructive surgery of bone defects.
The Ancestral Logic of Politics
Authors: Petersen Michael Bang , Sznycer Daniel , Sell Aaron , Cosmides Leda , Tooby John
Published: May 2013

Over human evolutionary history, upper-body strength has been a major component of fighting ability. Evolutionary models of animal conflict predict that actors with greater fighting ability will more actively attempt to acquire or defend resources than less formidable contestants will. Here, we applied these models to political decision making about redistribution of income and wealth among modern humans. In studies conducted in Argentina, Denmark, and the United States, men with greater upper-body strength more strongly endorsed the self-beneficial position: Among men of lower socioeconomic status (SES), strength predicted increased support for redistribution; among men of higher SES, strength predicted increased opposition to redistribution. Because personal upper-body strength is irrelevant to payoffs from economic policies in modern mass democracies, the continuing role of strength suggests that modern political decision making is shaped by an evolved psychology designed for small-scale groups.
Physical and Biological Constraints Govern Perceived Animacy of Scrambled Human Forms
Authors: Thurman Steven M. , Lu Hongjing
Published: May 2013

Point-light animations of biological motion are perceived quickly and spontaneously, giving rise to an irresistible sensation of animacy. However, the mechanisms that support judgments of animacy based on biological motion remain unclear. The current study demonstrates that animacy ratings increase when a spatially scrambled animation of human walking maintains consistency with two fundamental constraints: the direction of gravity and congruency between the directions of intrinsic and extrinsic motion. Furthermore, using a reverse-correlation method, we show that observers employ structural templates, or form-based “priors,” reflecting the prototypical mammalian body plan when attributing animacy to scrambled human forms. These findings reveal that perception of animacy in scrambled biological motion involves not only analysis of local intrinsic motion, but also its congruency with global extrinsic motion and global spatial structure. Thus, they suggest a strong influence of prior knowledge about characteristic features of creatures in the natural environment.
Improving the social cognitive deficits of schizophrenia: a community trial of Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT)
Authors: Parker Stephen , Foley Sharon , Walker Philippa , Dark Frances
Published: May 2013

Objective:

Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) is a Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy (CBT) informed group therapy with an emerging evidence base in addressing the social cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia. This paper evaluates the application of this therapy within a community public mental health setting in Australia.

Method:

A mixed methods approach to the evaluation was undertaken, including survey data and thematic analysis.

Results:

Considerable challenges were met in the trial of SCIT in this ‘real-world’ setting. The qualitative data suggested that at least a subset of participants viewed the program as valuable and relevant to their needs.

Conclusions:

Further research is required to realise the benefits of SCIT found in research settings, in the real world of public community psychiatric practice.
Alcohol Injection for Morton’s Neuroma
Authors: Gurdezi Sabahat , White Thomas , Ramesh Palanisamy
Published: May 2013

Background:

Although many treatment modalities are available for Morton’s neuroma (MN), studies looking at the long-term effectiveness of most forms of treatment are scarce. The injection of MN with alcohol has gained popularity over the past 10 years with widespread media coverage. Many surgeons have anecdotally questioned the long-term effectiveness of this treatment. We reviewed a cohort of patients at an average 5-year follow-up to assess the medium-term results of alcohol injection.

Methods:

We used the modified Johnson score and visual analogue scales to assess 45 of the original cohort of patients with an average follow-up of 61 months (range, 33-73 months). Any complications from the procedure were also noted.

Results:

Our results indicated that by 5 years, 16 of 45 patients had undergone surgical treatment and a further 13 patients had return of symptoms. Only 29% (13/45) remained symptom free. The visual analog scale and modified Johnson scores showed statistically significant deterioration in patients’ symptoms at 5 years following alcohol injection.

Conclusion:

Injection with alcohol sclerosant for MN has been marketed as a definitive management option comparable to surgical excision. Our investigation illustrated that although short-term results are encouraging, alcohol injection does not offer permanent resolution of symptoms for most patients and can be associated with considerable morbidity. Our investigation provides the only long-term data for alcohol injection treatment of MN.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, prospective case series.
Comparison of Gait After Total Ankle Arthroplasty and Ankle Arthrodesis
Authors: Flavin Robert , Coleman Scott C. , Tenenbaum Shay , Brodsky James W.
Published: May 2013

Background:

Prior studies reported improved gait after total ankle arthroplasty and better parameters of gait than those reported in earlier studies of patients after ankle arthrodesis. However, there are very limited data prospectively evaluating the effects on gait after ankle arthroplasty compared with ankle arthrodesis. Controversy remains regarding the relative advantages and disadvantages of these 2 treatments and especially the differences in function between them.

Methods:

We performed a prospective study involving 28 patients with posttraumatic and primary ankle osteoarthritis and a control group of 14 normal volunteers. We compared gait in 14 patients who had undergone ankle arthrodesis with the gait of 14 patients who had ankle arthroplasty preoperatively and at 1 year postoperatively. Three-dimensional gait analysis was performed with a 12-camera digital-motion capture system. Temporospatial measurements included stride length and cadence. The kinematic parameters that were measured included the sagittal plane range of motion of the ankle and the coronal plane range of motion of the ankle. Double force plates were used to collect kinetic parameters such as ankle coronal and plantar flexion–dorsiflexion moments and sagittal plane ankle power. Center of pressure (CoP) and its progression in gait cycle were calculated.

Results:

Baseline parameters showed comparability among the treatment and control groups. Temporospatial analysis, using time as the main effect, showed that compared with ankle arthrodesis, patients with total ankle arthroplasty had higher walking velocity attributable to both increases in stride length and cadence as well as more normalized first and second rockers of the gait cycle. Kinematic analysis, using time and intervention as the main effects, showed that patients who had ankle arthroplasty had better sagittal dorsiflexion ( P = .001), whereas those undergoing ankle arthrodesis had better coronal plane eversion ( P = .01). Neither ankle arthrodesis nor arthroplasty altered the CoP progression during stance phase. Total ankle arthroplasty produced a more symmetrical vertical ground reaction force curve, which was closer to that of the controls than was the curve of the ankle arthrodesis group.

Conclusions:

Patients in both the arthrodesis and arthroplasty groups had significant improvements in various parameters of gait when compared with their own preoperative function. Neither group functioned as well as the normal control subjects. Neither group was superior in every parameter of gait at 1 year postoperatively. However, the data suggest that the major parameters of gait after ankle arthrodesis in deformed ankle arthritis are comparable to gait function after total ankle arthroplasty in nondeformed ankle arthritis.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, prospective comparative study.
Characteristics of Patients With Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome
Authors: Davis Daniel E. , Raikin Steven , Garras David N. , Vitanzo Peter , Labrador Hallie , Espandar Ramin
Published: May 2013

Background:

Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) is a condition that causes reversible ischemia and lower extremity pain during exercise. To date there are few large studies examining the characteristics of patients with CECS. This study aimed to present these characteristics by examining the largest published series of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of the disorder.

Methods:

An IRB-approved, retrospective review was undertaken of patients with a suspected diagnosis of CECS undergoing pre- and postexercise compartment pressure testing between 2000 and 2012. Patients were evaluated for gender, age, duration of symptoms, pain level, specific compartments involved, compartment pressure measurements, and participation and type of athletics.

Results:

Two-hundred twenty-six patients (393 legs) underwent compartment pressure testing. A diagnosis of CECS was made in 153 (67.7%) patients and 250 (63.6%) legs with elevated compartment measurements; average age of the patients was 24 years (range, 13-69 years). Female patients accounted for 92 (60.1%) of those with elevated pressures. Anterior and lateral compartment pressures were elevated most frequently, with 200 (42.5%) and 167 (35.5%) compartments, respectively. One hundred forty-one (92.2%) patients reported participation in sports, with running being the most common individual sport and soccer being the most common team sport. Duration of pain prior to diagnosis averaged 28 months.

Conclusion:

Although there is ample literature pertaining to the diagnostic criteria and treatment algorithm of the condition, few papers have described the type of patient most likely to develop CECS. This is the largest study to date to evaluate the type of patient likely to present with chronic exertional compartment syndrome.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, retrospective review.
Therapeutic Effect of Probiotic Dahi on Plasma, Aortic, and Hepatic Lipid Profile of Hypercholesterolemic Rats
Authors: Mohania Dheeraj , Kansal Vinod Kumar , Shah Dilip , Nagpal Ravinder , Kumar Manoj , Gautam Sanjeev Kumar , Singh Birbal , Behare Pradip Vishnu
Published: May 2013

This study examined the effects of probiotic dahi prepared by Lactobacillus plantarum Lp9 and dahi culture in buffalo milk on lowering cholesterol in rats fed a hypercholesterolemic basal diet. Male Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups and fed with probiotic dahi, dahi, or buffalo milk for 120 days. Following the consumption of supplements (probiotic dahi, dahi or buffalo milk), the animals were fed a basal hypercholesterolemic diet. Plasma total cholesterol and triglycerides (TAGs) were decreased by 35% and 72% in rats fed with probiotic dahi group, while cholesterol levels increased by 70% and TAGs increased by 97% in buffalo milk and 59% in dahi fed groups. Supplementation of probiotic dahi further lowered plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) + very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)- cholesterol by 59%, while it elevated plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol by 116%. As a result, atherogenic index, the ratio of HDL to LDL + VLDL was markedly improved. Deposition of cholesterol and TAGs in liver and aorta were significantly reduced in rats fed with probiotic dahi. These observations suggest that probiotic dahi may have therapeutic potential to decrease plasma, hepatic and aortic lipid profile, and attenuate diet-induced hypercholesterolemia.
Mixed Taxation and Transboundary Externalities
Authors: Aronsson Thomas , Persson Lars , Sjögren Tomas
Published: May 2013

This article concerns income taxation and commodity taxation in a multijurisdiction framework with transboundary environmental damage. The decision problem facing the government in each such jurisdiction is represented by a two-type model (with asymmetric information between the government and the private sector). We show how the possibility to influence the world market producer price adds mechanisms of relevance for redistribution and externality correction which, in turn, affect the domestic use of taxation. Finally, with the noncooperative Nash equilibrium as a reference case, we consider the welfare effects of policy coordination.
The Architectures of Media Power
Authors: Rodgers Scott
Published: May 2013

This article considers the relation of the newsroom and the city as a lens into the more general relation of production spaces and mediated publics. Leading theoretically from Lee and LiPuma’s notion of “cultures of circulation,” and drawing on an ethnography of the Toronto Star, the article focuses on how media forms circulate and are enacted through particular practices and material settings. With its attention to the urban milieus and orientations of media organizations, this article exhibits both affinities with and also differences to current interests in the urban architectures of media, which describe and theorize how media get “built into” the urban experience more generally. In looking at editing practices situated in the newsroom, an emphasis is placed on the phenomenological appearance of media forms both as objects for material assembly as well as more abstracted subjects of reflexivity, anticipation, and purposiveness. Although this is explored with detailed attention to the settings of the newsroom and the city, the article seeks to also provide insight into the more general question of how publicness is materially shaped and sited.
‘I don’t know what I am doing!’: Surfacing struggles of managerial identity work
Authors: Hay Amanda
Published: May 2013

Recent work contends that management education provides an important space for managers’ identity work. However, it is also recognised that much of what is currently offered constrains rather than enables managers’ identity work. Against this background, I present material which provides important practical possibilities to managers for more realistic and helpful forms of identity work, and theoretically, also add to the development of a more nuanced understanding of managerial identity work processes. Drawing on interviews with a range of managers, I offer rare empirical evidence, which illustrates the ordinarily suppressed emotional struggles of the mismatch between social identities of manager and self-identities. In this way, I contribute to current theoretical offerings to demonstrate the centrality of emotions to processes of becoming. In turn, I propose that exploration of these emotions offers management educators important possibilities for facilitating managers’ identity work.
Erosion resistance of surface engineered 6000 series aluminium alloy
Authors: Algahtani Ali , Neville Anne , Shrestha Suman , Liskiewicz Tomasz
Published: May 2013

Aluminium and its alloys are widely used in a wide variety of applications. Aluminium’s main advantages include: lightness, high specific strength, high thermal and electrical conductivities, good formability, excellent machinability, diversity of aluminium alloys, extensive range of forming and processing options (e.g. rolling, extrusions, stampings, forgings and castings) and suitability for a diverse range of joining techniques, surface treatments and recyclability. A number of surface treatment technologies are available which produce thicker oxide coating layers that can be used to combat corrosion and wear of aluminium alloys under aggressive environments, such as in petroleum extraction environments. Coating processes for surface modification of aluminium alloys include plasma electrolytic oxidation, plasma-sprayed ceramic and hard anodising. In this article, erosive wear characteristics of coatings produced using the aforesaid three processes are compared with each other and benchmarked against the uncoated aluminium substrate. This article investigates the extent of erosion resistance, in particular impingement due to sand loading, of these coatings taking into consideration the effect of material properties such as adhesion, ductility and roughness.
The physical anthropometry, lifestyle habits and blood pressure of people presenting with a first clinical demyelinating event compared to controls: The Ausimmune study
Authors: Ponsonby Anne-Louise , Lucas Robyn M , Dear Keith , van der Mei Ingrid , Taylor Bruce , Chapman Caron , Coulthard Alan , Dwyer Terence , Kilpatrick Trevor J , McMichael Anthony J , Pender Michael P , Valery Patricia C , Williams David
Published: May 2013

Introduction:

Lifestyle factors prior to a first clinical demyelinating event (FCD), a disorder often preceding the development of clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS), have not previously been examined in detail. Past tobacco smoking has been consistently associated with MS.

Methods:

This was a multicentre incident case-control study. Cases ( n = 282) were aged 18–59 years with an FCD and resident within one of four Australian centres (from latitudes 27°S to 43°S), from 1 November 2003 to 31 December 2006. Controls ( n = 558) were matched to cases on age, sex and study region, without CNS demyelination. Exposures measured included current and past tobacco and marijuana, alcohol and beverage use, physical activity patterns, blood pressure and physical anthropometry.

Results:

A history of smoking ever was associated with FCD risk (AOR 1.89 (95%CL 1.82, 3.52)). Marijuana use was not associated with FCD risk after adjusting for confounders such as smoking ever but the estimates were imprecise because of a low prevalence of use. Alcohol consumption was common and not associated with FCD risk. No case-control differences in blood pressure or physical anthropometry were observed.

Conclusions:

Past tobacco smoking was positively associated with a risk of FCD but most other lifestyle factors were not. Prevention efforts against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease by increasing physical activity and reducing obesity are unlikely to alter MS incidence, and more targeted campaigns will be required.
Frames of mental illness in the Yoruba genre of Nigerian movies: Implications for orthodox mental health care
Authors: Atilola Olayinka , Olayiwola Funmilayo
Published: May 2013

This study examines the modes of framing mental illness in the Yoruba genre of Nigerian movies. All Yoruba films on display in a convenient sample of movie rental shops in Ibadan (Nigeria) were sampled for content. Of the 103 films studied, 27 (26.2%) contained scenes depicting mental illness. Psychotic symptoms were the most commonly depicted, while effective treatments were mostly depicted as taking place in unorthodox settings. The most commonly depicted aetiology of mental illness was sorcery and enchantment by witches and wizards, as well as other supernatural forces. Scenes of mental illness are common in Nigerian movies and these depictions—though reflecting the popular explanatory models of Yoruba-speaking Nigerians about mental illness— may impede utilization of mental health care services and ongoing efforts to reduce psychiatry stigma in this region. Efforts to reduce stigma and improve service utilization should engage the film industry.
Home interiors, national identity and curatorial practice in the art photography of Simryn Gill
Authors: Brickell Katherine
Published: May 2013

In cultural geography, connections between home, identity, and multi-scalar notions of belonging are well established. Intersections between interior design and national identity are linked likewise to a broader material and symbolic politics of dwelling. Through an interview with the artist, alongside analysis of two exhibits focused on the domestic landscapes of Malaysia (‘Dalam’, 2001) and Australia (‘Inland’, 2009) – the paper explores ideas about nationalism invested in the art photography of Simryn Gill. By exploring the intimate politics inherent within the creation, curatorship, and review of her work, the home emerges as an ambiguous and incomplete referent of both nationalism and self.
“The Death of Data?”
Authors: Denzin Norman K.
Published: May 2013

The reader is asked to imagine a world without data, a world without method, a world without a hegemonic politics of evidence., a world where no one counts, a world without end.