bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seasonal Difference in Postthyroidectomy Hypocalcemia
Authors: Mascarella Marco A. , Forest Véronique‐Isabelle , Nhan Carol , Leboeuf Rébecca , Tamilia Michael , Mlynarek Alex M. , Payne Richard J
Published: November 2015

Objective

Hypocalcemia following thyroidectomy often prolongs hospital stay and is potentially life‐threatening. The objective of this study is to determine whether the season when thyroidectomy is performed is associated with postoperative hypocalcemia.

Study Design

Retrospective case series of patients undergoing thyroid surgery from 2009 to 2015.

Setting

Tertiary care academic institution in Montreal, Canada.

Subjects and Methods

A consecutive sample of 823 patients undergoing thyroidectomy by a single high‐volume otolaryngologist for a suspected or confirmed thyroid malignancy. Patient demographics, procedure type, calcium and vitamin D supplementation, and seasonal rate of hypocalcemia postthyroidectomy were calculated and compared.

Results

Average seasonal rates of postthyroidectomy hypocalcemia in the winter, spring, summer, and autumn were, respectively, 8.3% (8 of 216), 7.3% (12 of 165), 1.5% (3 of 201), and 3.5% (8 of 228; P <. 005). Patients operated in the winter were 5.6 times more likely to develop hypocalcemia as compared with those in the summer (P <. 01; 95% confidence interval: 1.7‐18.7). In a multiple regression analysis factoring in season when surgery was performed, procedure type, and preoperative vitamin D/calcium supplementation, surgery occurring in the winter predicted a hypocalcemia event (correlation coefficient [SE]: 0.72 [0.024], P =. 026; 0.006 [0.025], P =. 81; 0.004 [0.019], P =. 82, respectively).

Conclusion

In this study, patients undergoing thyroidectomy in the winter months were more likely to develop postoperative hypocalcemia when compared with those operated in the summer. Further studies are needed to understand the role of vitamin D in the observed seasonal difference in hypocalcemia rates.
The effects of language on English language learners’ music preferences
Authors: Gosselin Pei-Ying Lin
Published: November 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of songs in different languages on English language learners’ (ELLs) music preferences. The participants ( N=62) were Chinese graduate students from a state university in the Midwestern United States. The survey contained nine excerpts from popular songs in three languages: Chinese (the most familiar language), English (second most familiar language), and German (unfamiliar language). The song examples had fast tempos and were sung by male singers. The participants rated their preferences on a Likert-type scale, identified whether they wanted to own the music or not, and indicated which of the musical characteristics — melody, rhythm, voices, lyrics, and others — they liked the most. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to analyze for music preferences. Results indicate that: (1) participants preferred the songs in English significantly more than those in German; (2) no significant preference was found between songs in English and Chinese, and songs in Chinese and German; (3) language did not affect the participants’ desire to own the music, and they reported a low desire to own the music in any of the languages. The results suggest that when comparing the songs in English and German, participants preferred the more familiar language. However, the fast tempo popular songs chosen for this study may not represent the most popular style of contemporary Chinese popular music.
Library anxiety among non-native speakers of English
Authors: Sinnasamy Janaki , Karim Noor Harun Abdul
Published: November 2015

This paper attempts to highlight the factors causing anxiety among non-native speakers of English when using academic library resources, services and facilities. This is crucial now that academic libraries worldwide are increasingly building up their collections of electronic journals and databases, which are predominantly in the English language. Findings from studies among non-native speakers of English reveal that they are susceptible to anxiety factors, which are rarely reported in studies in the native English-speaking countries. Some of these barriers include: insufficient resources, language, retrieval, lack of library skills, technology, network, environment and services, computer and physical comfort, and emotional barriers. A search was conducted to analyze the literature published in Library and Information Science Abstracts ( LISA) from 1986 until 2014 using the keyword ‘library anxiety’. The sample selected was limited to literature on non-native speakers of English. The distinct anxiety-causing factors typically reported in these studies are recommended to be included in the library anxiety measure for future research.
A review of the peri-operative risk stratification assessment tools used for the prediction of cardiovascular complications in non-cardiac surgery
Authors: Magapu Pradeep , Haskard Dorian , Fisher Michael
Published: November 2015

The development of atherosclerosis is a complex process that involves several inflammatory mechanisms. The evolution of a fatty streak to a mature occlusive atheromatous plaque occurs over several decades. However, during acute plaque rupture, to a varying degree, these same inflammatory systems are involved.

Evidence exists that suggests a relationship between the activated inflammatory pathways; in the setting of lower respiratory tract or urinary tract infections and cardiac events such as unstable angina or myocardial infarctions.

Peripheral vascular disease patients demonstrate atheromatous disease throughout their arterial tree, with coronary artery involvement in a significant proportion of individuals. The stress that a surgical intervention creates may be the catalyst for an acute coronary syndrome through the activation of these inflammatory pathways. Individual responses to the surgical insult are unpredictable and the extent to which the inflammatory mechanisms are stimulated is variable. The measurements of inflammatory biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein, have been associated with adverse short- and long-term mortality in patients who experience an acute coronary syndrome.

This review article looks at the previous assessment tools that have been developed over time to try and predict the peri-operative risk of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery, based on traditional patient parameters. We also explore the use of bio-markers in addition to these characteristics and how future work is being developed to look at the potential use of these to improve individual risk profiles.
Tell me Dave: Context-sensitive grounding of natural language to manipulation instructions
Authors: Misra Dipendra K. , Sung Jaeyong , Lee Kevin , Saxena Ashutosh
Published: November 2015

It is important for a robot to be able to interpret natural language commands given by a human. In this paper, we consider performing a sequence of mobile manipulation tasks with instructions described in natural language. Given a new environment, even a simple task such as boiling water would be performed quite differently depending on the presence, location and state of the objects. We start by collecting a dataset of task descriptions in free-form natural language and the corresponding grounded task-logs of the tasks performed in an online robot simulator. We then build a library of verb–environment instructions that represents the possible instructions for each verb in that environment, these may or may not be valid for a different environment and task context. We present a model that takes into account the variations in natural language and ambiguities in grounding them to robotic instructions with appropriate environment context and task constraints. Our model also handles incomplete or noisy natural language instructions. It is based on an energy function that encodes such properties in a form isomorphic to a conditional random field. We evaluate our model on tasks given in a robotic simulator and show that it successfully outperforms the state of the art with 61.8% accuracy. We also demonstrate a grounded robotic instruction sequence on a PR2 robot using the Learning from Demonstration approach.
The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Recidivism in a Sample of Juvenile Offenders in Community-Based Treatment
Authors: Wolff Kevin T. , Baglivio Michael T. , Piquero Alex R.
Published: November 2015

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been identified as a key risk factor for a range of negative life outcomes, including delinquency. Much less is known about how exposure to negative experiences relates to continued offending among juvenile offenders. In this study, we examine the effect of ACEs on recidivism in a large sample of previously referred youth from the State of Florida who were followed for 1 year after participation in community-based treatment. Results from a series of Cox hazard models suggest that ACEs increase the risk of subsequent arrest, with a higher prevalence of ACEs leading to a shorter time to recidivism. The relationship between ACEs and recidivism held quite well in demographic-specific analyses. Implications for empirical research on the long-term effects of traumatic childhood events and juvenile justice policy are discussed.
A review of the current and potential oxygen delivery systems and techniques utilized in cluster headache attacks
Authors: Oude Nijhuis Jerome C , Haane Danielle YP , Koehler Peter J
Published: November 2015

Background

Despite oxygen therapy being one of the foremost acute treatments for cluster headache (CH) attacks, little is known about the different techniques and systems.

Objectives

In this review we will examine the efficacy of the standard non-rebreather mask (NRM) with room temperature oxygen in relieving pain in CH, and try to compare it with the diversity of other oxygen gas conditions and interfaces like partial rebreathers, simple masks, nasal cannulas, tusk masks, demand valve oxygen, hyperbaric and cooled oxygen.

Method

We searched non-structured Pubmed, Medline, the Cochrane online database and instruction protocols from various oxygen delivery devices.

Conclusions and implications

Interfaces like demand valves and tusk masks are already proving to be superior or at least similar to the standard NRM in terms of fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2), though the demand valve only showed better results than the NRM in a single study in only four participants. Furthermore, new research shows how lower temperatures of the gas may be an essential part of effective pain relief and hyperbaric treatments show potential in preventing night time attacks.
Hypoechogenicity of brainstem raphe nuclei is associated with increased attack frequency in episodic migraine
Authors: Ayzenberg Ilya , Nastos Ilias , Strassburger-Krogias Katrin , Obermann Mark , Gold Ralf , Krogias Christos
Published: November 2015

Introduction

Reduced echogenicity of the brainstem raphe nuclei (BRN) was demonstrated in major depression, possibly indicating serotonergic dysfunction. Postulating that migraine may constitute a “chronic low serotonin syndrome,” we aimed to evaluate the echogenicity of midbrain structures, including serotonergic BRN in episodic migraine.

Methods

Transcranial sonography was performed in 39 patients with episodic migraine (median age 35, interquartile range (IQR): 27–47 years; 27 women) and 35 controls (median age 31, IQR: 29–47 years; 19 women). Individuals with concomitant depression were excluded. Echogenicity of BRN, substantia nigra (SN) and third ventricle width was evaluated according to an internationally established examination protocol.

Results

Hypoechogenicity of BRN was depicted in 23.1% of migraine patients and 20% of controls, showing no significant difference. Migraine patients with hypoechogenic BRN had significantly higher attack frequency (median 3, IQR 2–5 vs. 1.5, IQR 1–2 days/month; p = 0.029) and a trend toward earlier disease manifestation. The rate of hyperechogenic SN and width of the third ventricle were similar between both groups. We did not observe any differences between migraine patients with and without aura.

Conclusion

Sonographic findings did not differ between migraine patients and controls. Hypoechogenic BRN correlated to a higher migraine attack frequency, probably indicating more severe disease activity.
Is Hip Abduction Strength Asymmetry Present in Female Runners in the Early Stages of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome?
Authors: Plastaras Christopher , McCormick Zack , Nguyen Cayli , Rho Monica , Nack Susan Hillary , Roth Dan , Casey Ellen , Carneiro Kevin , Cucchiara Andrew , Press Joel , McLean Jim , Caldera Franklin
Published: November 2015

Background:

The current literature indicates that hip abduction weakness in female patients is associated with ipsilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) as part of the weaker hip abductor complex. Thus, it has been suggested that clinicians should consider screening female athletes for hip strength asymmetry to identify those at risk of developing PFPS to prevent the condition. However, no study to date has demonstrated that hip strength asymmetry exists in the early stages of PFPS.

Purpose:

To determine whether hip abduction strength asymmetry exists in female runners with early unilateral PFPS, defined as symptoms of PFPS not significant enough to cause patients to seek medical attention or prevent them from running at least 10 miles per week.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

This study consisted of 21 female runners (mean age, 30.5 years; range, 18-45 years) with early unilateral PFPS, who had not yet sought medical care and who were able to run at least 10 miles per week, and 36 healthy controls comparably balanced for age, height, weight, and weekly running mileage (mean, 18.5 mi/wk). Study volunteers were recruited using flyers and from various local running events in the metropolitan area. Bilateral hip abduction strength in both a neutral and extended hip position was measured using a handheld dynamometer in each participant by an examiner blinded to group assignment.

Results:

Patients with early unilateral PFPS demonstrated no significant side-to-side difference in hip abduction strength, according to the Hip Strength Asymmetry Index, in both a neutral (mean, 83.5 ± 10.2; P = .2272) and extended hip position (mean, 96.3 ± 21.9; P = .6671) compared with controls (mean, 87.0 ± 8.3 [ P = .2272] and 96.6 ± 16.2 [ P = .6671], respectively). Hip abduction strength of the affected limb in patients with early unilateral PFPS (mean, 9.9 ± 2.2; P = .0305) was significantly stronger than that of the weaker limb of control participants (mean, 8.9 ± 1.4; P = .0305) when testing strength in a neutral hip position; however, no significant difference was found when testing the hip in an extended position (mean, 7.0 ± 1.4 [ P = .1406] and 6.6 ± 1.5 [ P =.1406], respectively).

Conclusion:

The study data show that early stages of unilateral PFPS in female runners is not associated with hip abduction strength asymmetry and that hip abduction strength tested in neutral is significantly greater in the affected limb in the early stages of PFPS compared with the unaffected limb. However, when tested in extension, no difference exists. Further studies investigating the early stages of PFPS are warranted.

Clinical Relevance:

Unlike patients with PFPS seeking medical care, early PFPS does not appear to be significantly associated with hip abduction strength asymmetry.
Feature-based adaptive numerical control programming method for the environment of changing manufacturing resources
Authors: Liu Changqing , Li Yingguang , Gao Xin
Published: November 2015

Manufacturing environment is always changing due to unexpected reasons, including urgent job insertion, unavailability of machine tools, and changes of production planning, which has imposed significant challenges for numerical control programming, as numerical control programs are always not available any more for changed manufacturing resources. Traditional numerical control programming mode cannot adapt to the new manufacturing environment, and this problem becomes especially pressing for large manufacturing enterprises with production characteristics of small batches and large varieties. In order to address this issue, a feature-based adaptive numerical control programming method for changing manufacturing environment is proposed. A framework including preprocess module and postprocess module is constructed, and the flexibility of the numerical control program is realized through the function separation of the two modules. A feature-based information model including geometric and process information is established for flexible numerical control program generation when manufacturing resources are changed. About 75% numerical control programming work which is manufacturing resource free is done by preprocess module, and the rest is done by postprocess module for changing manufacturing environment. The implementation of the prototype system for the numerical control programming of a typical aircraft structural part shows the feasibility of the proposed method.
Back to grass roots: Peak union councils and community campaigning
Authors: Barnes Alison , Balnave Nikola
Published: November 2015

Peak union bodies in Australia have a long and influential history, and most recently have developed an approach to union revitalisation based on community-based campaigning strategies. In responding to labour market changes, declining union membership and hostile governments and employers, peak union bodies have developed new ways to strengthen the collective ability of their affiliated unions to successfully represent members at the workplace level. They have embraced local-level strategies that tap into community concerns and are aimed at capacity building across the labour movement. The resulting grass-roots organisations have the potential to shape both the workplace and the public domain. We explore one example of this approach: the establishment of Local Union Community Councils by Unions NSW. We argue that although peak bodies are well placed to spearhead community campaigning, the grass-roots councils being created will need to progress through several stages of development, if they are to become self-sustaining organisations, contributing effectively over the long term to community mobilisation and stronger, more coordinated union campaigns.
Union responses to regulatory change: Strategies of protective layering
Authors: Kaine Sarah , Brigden Cathy
Published: November 2015

Changes to the Australian regulatory landscape over the past three decades of global liberalisation created regulatory uncertainty for unions. Coupled with membership decline and internal restructuring through union amalgamations, they prompted an important reorientation by unions (back) to the workplace, and precipitated different strategic decisions and organising challenges. However, the proliferation of fragmented employment relationships rendered workplace-centred organising an insufficient response. As a result, some unions experimented with ways of supplementing existing legal frameworks by other regulatory initiatives, through campaigns that resulted in the layering of regulation. In this article, we examine attempts by three unions – covering garment workers, road transport workers and aged care workers – to address the needs of members in garment homeworking, road transport and aged care in a contested regulatory environment.
Student and Faculty Reflections of the Hidden Curriculum
Authors: Bandini Julia , Mitchell Christine , Epstein-Peterson Zachary D. , Amobi Ada , Cahill Jonathan , Peteet John , Balboni Tracy , Balboni Michael J.
Published: November 2015

The hidden curriculum, or the socialization process of medical training, plays a crucial role in the development of physicians, as they navigate the clinical learning environment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine medical faculty and students’ perceptions of psychological, moral, and spiritual challenges during medical training in caring for critically ill patients. Focus groups were conducted with 25 Harvard Medical School (HMS) students, and interviews were conducted with 8 HMS faculty members. Five major themes emerged as important in shaping students’ medical training experiences. First, students and faculty discussed the overall significance of the hidden curriculum in terms of the hierarchy of medicine, behavioral modeling, and the value placed on research versus clinical work. Second, respondents articulated values modeled in medicine. Third, students and faculty reflected on changes in student development during their training, particularly in terms of changes in empathy and compassion. Fourth, respondents discussed challenges faced in medical school including professional clinical education and the psychosocial aspects of medical training. Finally, students and faculty articulated a number of coping mechanisms to mitigate these challenges including reflection, prayer, repression, support systems, creative outlets, exercise, and separation from one’s work. The results from this study suggest the significance of the hidden curriculum on medical students throughout their training, as they learn to navigate challenging and emotional experiences. Furthermore, these results emphasize an increased focus toward the effect of the hidden curriculum on students’ development in medical school, particularly noting the ways in which self-reflection may benefit students.
The Working Alliance in Career Counseling
Authors: Whiston Susan C. , Rossier Jérôme , Barón Paola M. Hernandez
Published: November 2015

The research related to the working alliance in career counseling is reviewed in this article. This review indicates that the working alliance does typically increase over the course of career counseling. Furthermore in career counseling, most of the correlations between the working alliance and various outcome measures were significant and hovered around .30, which is consistent with findings related to the correlation between the working alliance and the outcome in psychotherapy. In terms of factors that predict the working alliance’s contribution to career counseling outcome, there is a lack of studies and more research is needed in this area. This article also provides suggestions for practice in career counseling and recommendations for future research.
A Comparison of Strengths and Interests Protocols in Career Assessment and Counseling
Authors: Owens Rhea L. , Motl Thomas C. , Krieshok Thomas S.
Published: November 2015

This study examined the relative performance of three career counseling protocols: a strengths-based protocol, an interest-based protocol, and a protocol that combined strengths and interests. Outcome measures included career exploration, occupational engagement, career decision self-efficacy, hope, positive and negative affect, and life satisfaction pre- and post-intervention. The participants consisted of 82 undergraduate students enrolled in a career and life-planning course. Each participant received a career counseling intervention and a Strong Interest Inventory (SII), StrengthsFinder, or both the SII and StrengthsFinder interpretation. While all three groups showed significant gains from pretest to posttest on most outcomes, results suggest the interests protocol (IP) was the most effective approach when considering the conservation of resources. However, results also merit further exploration of the combined protocol (CP; strengths plus interests) given the greatest gains were achieved by this approach on all but one construct, though not significantly different from the IP. Implications are discussed.
Stereotype Threat and Women’s Science Motivation
Authors: Deemer Eric D. , Lin Chaihua , Soto Cristina
Published: November 2015

Threatening stereotypes have been theorized as having negative consequences for domain identification among members of the stigmatized groups. The present research tested this disidentification hypothesis among college women ( N = 650) in academic majors that should be vulnerable (i.e., science and engineering) and immune (e.g., humanities and education) to these theorized effects. Results of structural equation modeling analyses were consistent with theoretical expectations, as stereotype threat was negatively and indirectly associated with the adoption of self- and task-approach achievement goals through its relationship with science identity for science and engineering majors but not women in nonstereotyped majors. For the latter group, stereotype threat bypassed science identity and was instead both directly and indirectly related to approach motivation. Implications for academic/career motivation, science identity, and career counseling intervention are discussed.
Work–Family Role Conflict and Well-Being Among Women and Men
Authors: Kulik Liat , Shilo-Levin Sagit , Liberman Gabriel
Published: November 2015

The main goal of the present study was to examine gender differences in the variables that explain the experience of role conflict and well-being among Jewish working mothers versus working fathers in Israel ( n = 611). The unique contribution of the study lies in its integrative approach to examining the experience of two types of role conflict: work interferes with family (WIF) and family interferes with work (FIW). The explanatory variables included sense of overload, perceived social support, and gender role ideology. The findings revealed that for women, both FIW and WIF conflict correlated negatively with well-being, whereas for men, a negative correlation with well-being was found only in the case of FIW conflict. Contrary to expectations, social support contributed more to mitigating negative affect among men than among women. On the whole, the findings highlight the changes that men have experienced in the work–family system.
Is the Sun Shining? A Qualitative Study on the Presence of Sunshine Laws in the College and University Journalism Curriculum
Authors: Shemberger Melony
Published: November 2015

This case study focusing on journalism curriculum in Tennessee sheds light on the obstacles that journalism schools face in efforts to include more instruction of sunshine laws into courses. Journalists use these laws to gather information to write their stories, either by attending public meetings or by filing open records requests. This study identified three issues—curriculum structure, faculty background, and ongoing sunshine law developments—as emergent themes that may pose similar concerns for journalism educators elsewhere. Pedagogical recommendations also are offered.
Domestic Violence and Private Family Court Proceedings
Authors: Macdonald Gillian S.
Published: November 2015

Despite improved understanding regarding domestic violence, child welfare and child contact, and related policy developments, problems persist regarding how the family courts deal with fathers’ violence in contested contact/residence cases. In the study reported here, analysis was undertaken of welfare reports prepared for the courts in such cases to investigate how and to what extent issues of domestic violence and children’s perspectives on these issues were taken into account when making recommendations to the courts. Analysis found that despite evidence of domestic violence and child welfare concerns, contact with fathers was viewed as desirable and inevitable in the vast majority of cases.
The Nerd and His Discontent
Authors: Almog Ran , Kaplan Danny
Published: November 2015

This article explores the worldview of the “seduction community” operating within the homosocial spaces of North-American “Guyland.” This community provides seduction workshops catering mainly to men stereotyped as nerds who are situated at the bottom of the social–sexual hierarchy despite their privileged position in the postindustrial workplace. Based on content analysis of the community’s self-help literature, the article argues that the community offers a “geeky” solution to the dilemmas of young masculinity and fosters a pickup model based on gaming logic. Courtship is construed as a standardized, rule-governed social skill and is characterized by hyperconsumerism and objectification of women. As part of his self-empowerment, the pickup artist adopts an avatar persona and employs teasing and make-believe techniques. As trainees aim to accomplish control over self and others in compliance with hegemonic masculinity, the strict reliance on gaming logic culminates in the dehumanization of all parties and suspends moral considerations.
Bodily Intra-actions with Biometric Devices
Authors: Gardner Paula , Jenkins Barbara
Published: November 2015

We investigated the interface between biomedia and humans by inviting participants to interact with biometric devices that measured and visualized their body data. At first, they struggled with the alienating and disembodying nature of the devices and the constrained, reductionist representation of data. Through their bodily interactions with these devices, however, participants reframed the data and inserted their bodies into the process of data collection. Drawing on the ideas of Bergson, Grosz, Merleau-Ponty and Bachelard, we argue that by working with their subjectivity in a mediated process of becoming, participants ‘filled in the intervals’ of the visual representations of their bodies to interpret them in ways that marked the duration and meaning of their selves. We conclude that even when presented with artificial representations, individuals convert the representation of the data into narratives inspired by their embodied experience, and the ‘virtual’ pasts of their own lives.
Body Modification and Trans Men
Authors: Bishop Katelynn
Published: November 2015

Through an empirical analysis of YouTube videos, blogs, and interviews, this article explores how partners experience intimacy and desire in relation to trans men’s body modifications. Building on Salamon’s conception of trans bodies as emerging within relations of desire, I argue that partners’ experiences of trans men’s bodies are crucially shaped by their intimate bonds with trans men as people, rather than reducible to generic parts. Partners continue to experience trans men as essentially the same people through gender transition, despite fears that testosterone might alter their personalities. Their intimate bonds with trans men also open up space for new relations of desire to emerge, including attraction to bodily changes they might otherwise find unattractive. These partnerships work to expand ideas about which bodies can be desired as male or masculine, and undercut the literalness of sexual identity labels. Thus, the lived realities of gender transition, as they materialize within this context, challenge hegemonic conceptions of gender, sexuality, and desire.
A randomised controlled trial of two supervised exercise regimens and their impact on inflammatory burden in patients with intermittent claudication
Authors: Delaney CL , Spark JI
Published: November 2015

Objective

This study assesses the impact of treadmill-based SET alone or in combination with resistance training on systemic inflammatory response, in patients with intermittent claudication (IC).

Methods

Thirty-five patients with IC were randomised to 12 weeks of treadmill-only SET (Group 1) or a combination of treadmill and lower-limb resistance SET (Group 2). A panel of pro- and anti-inflammatory markers were assessed before, during and after the SET.

Results

Over the duration of SET, homocysteine increased within Group 1 (12.0–15.5 µmol/L, p = 0.003) but not Group 2, (13.7–14.7 µmol/) while neutrophil elastase (NE) increased within Group 2 (174.5–238.2 ng/mL, p = 0.007) but not Group 1 (300.8–312.0 ng/mL). In both groups NE increased following acute exercise at the start of the SET. Differences in cytokine expression was evident between the two groups (in Group 1, pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-12 and interferon-gamma decreased following an acute bout of exercise at the end of SET, where as in Group 2 pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and 8 were seen to increase after an acute bout of exercise at the end of SET).

Conclusion

SET in patients with IC influences the complex immune-modulatory state of atherosclerosis through inflammatory pathways that induce both pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive responses.
Social Construction as Fantasy: Reconsidering Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann’s The Social Construction of Reality after 50 Years
Authors: Sica Alan
Published: November 2015

Ever since Berger and Luckmann published their treatment of the sociology of knowledge in 1966, older versions of the subfield have languished, been forgotten, or misrepresented, as if The Social Construction of Reality ( SCR) eliminated the need to study its predecessors in Wissenssoziologie. By considering Berger’s subsequent statements about the book, along with remarks recently made by Luckmann, and then returning to the text itself, this article shows that some of the main suppositions on which SCR rests are foreign to the sociology of knowledge in its original forms, and that a number of these premises do not seem as plausible in today’s social world as they may have in the early 1960s when their authors formulated them. The unintended scholarly results of SCR’s surprising publishing success are evaluated.
Peripheral blood antigen presenting cell responses in otitis-prone and non-otitis-prone infants
Authors: Surendran Naveen , Nicolosi Ted , Kaur Ravinder , Pichichero Michael E
Published: November 2015

Stringently defined otitis-prone (sOP) children represent a new classification of the otitis-prone condition. Previous studies showed dysfunction in Ab, B-cell memory and T-cell memory responses. We sought to determine whether there are defects in numbers, phenotype and/or function of professional APC in the peripheral blood of sOP infants. APC phenotypic counts, MHC II expression and intracellular cytokine levels were determined in response to TLR7/8 (R848) stimulation by flow cytometry. Innate immune mRNA expression was measured using RT-PCR and cytokines were measured using Luminex technology. Significant ( P < 0.05) increases in the phenotypic counts of monocytes and conventional dendritic cells but not plasmacytoid DCs were observed in sOP compared with non-otitis-prone (NOP) age-matched infants. No significant differences in APC activation or function were observed. Expression of various TLRs, intracellular signaling molecules and downstream cytokines was also not found to be significantly different between sOP and NOP infants. Higher numbers of APCs in sOP infants suggest the possibility of a persistent mucosal inflammatory status. Transcriptional and cytokine profiles of PBMCs among sOP infants suggest their systemic innate responses are not different compared to NOP infants.
Own Variety Bias
Authors: Sloos Marjoleine , García Andrea Ariza
Published: November 2015

In a language identification task, native Belgian French and native Swiss French speakers identified French from France as their own variety. However, Canadian French was not subject to this bias. Canadian and French listeners didn’t claim a different variety as their own.
Give It a Tug and Feel It Grow: Extending Body Perception Through the Universal Nature of Illusory Finger Stretching
Authors: Newport Roger , Auty Kelly , Carey Mark , Greenfield Katie , Howard Ellen M. , Ratcliffe Natasha , Thair Hayley , Themelis Kristy
Published: November 2015

If British teenage boy asks you to pull his finger, it is usually an indication that he simultaneously wishes to break wind. If you were to tell him that you could pull his finger and stretch it to twice its length, you might expect a similarly irreverent response yet when we pulled the fingers of nearly 600 children and adolescents, 93% reported the illusion of stretching. Grossly distorted body representations need not be the preserve of clinical disorders and can reliably be induced in healthy participants across all ages.
Mortality and complications following surgery for diverticulitis: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Haas Jason M , Singh Maharaj , Vakil Nimish
Published: November 2015

Background

The surgical treatment of diverticulitis is in a state of evolution. Clinicians across many disciplines need to counsel patients regarding surgical choices.

Objectives

A systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted to determine the mortality and complication rates following surgery for diverticulitis in both the emergent and elective setting.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) for relevant articles published from 1980 to 2012. The primary outcome of interest was the point estimate of mortality, following surgery for diverticulitis.

Results

Of the 289 citations reviewed, we included 59 studies. Overall, the point estimate for mortality was 3.05%, with a 95% confidence intereval (CI) of 1.73–5.32 and p  < 0.001. Mortality following emergent surgery was 10.64% (95% CI 7.95–14.11; p  < 0.001), versus 0.50% (95% CI 0.46–0.54; p  < 0.001) following elective operations. A laparoscopic approach had an estimated mortality of 0.75% (95% CI 0.35–1.58; p  < 0.001), compared to an open surgical approach, which had a mortality of 4.69% (95% CI 2.29–9.36, p  < 0.001). The mortality following a resection with primary anastomosis was 1.96% (95% CI 1.22–3.13; p  < 0.001) and for the Hartmann’s procedure was 14.18% (95% CI 9.83–20.03; p  < 0.001). A comparative analysis found that the risk of post‐operative mortality was significantly higher following emergent surgery, compared to elective surgery (odds ratio (OR): 6.12 with 95% CI 1.62–23.10; p  = 0.008; Q  = 2.56, p  = 0.46 and I2  = 0); the open approach, compared to a laparoscopic approach (OR: 36.43 with 95% CI 9.94–133.6; p  = 0.13; and Q  = 2.79, p  = 0.25 and I 2  = 28.26); and for Hartmann’s procedure, compared to primary anastomosis without diversion (OR: 25.45 with 95% CI 15.13–42.81, p  < 0.001; and Q  = 23.34, p  = 0.14 and I 2  = 27.16). The overall reported post‐operative complication rate was 32.64% (95% CI 27.43–38.32; p  < 0.00). The overall surgical and medical complication rates were 18.96% and 13.93%, respectively.

Conclusions

Urgent surgical treatment of diverticulitis has a significant complication rate. Even elective surgery has a significant complication rate that needs to be considered when doing the clinical decision‐making for recurrent diverticulitis.
Evaluating Problems With Footwear in the Geriatric Population
Authors: Ikpeze Tochukwu C. , Omar Adan , Elfar John H.
Published: November 2015

Foot pathologies are common in nearly 80% of all elderly patients, and studies have indicated inappropriate footwear as one of the major underlying cause. It has been postulated that ill-fitting shoe wear affects plantar pressure, thus exacerbating weak balance. Complications arising from foot pathologies, which include difficulty in maintaining balance, have increased the risk of falls that can result in fractures and other serious injuries. The link between footwear and the onset or progression of certain foot pathologies has emphasized the need to explore and promote preventative measures to combat the issue. Wider and higher toe boxed shoes, along with sneakers, are examples of footwear documented to evenly distribute plantar pressure, increase comfort, and facilitate appropriate balance and gait. Ultimately, the use of appropriate footwear can help to better stabilize the foot, thus reducing the risk of sustaining debilitating physical injuries known to drastically decrease the quality of life among the geriatric population.
What Drives Systemic Mental Health Advocates? Goals, Strategies, and Values of Australian Consumer and Carer Advocacy Organizations
Authors: Gee Alison , McGarty Craig , Banfield Michelle
Published: November 2015

The consumer participation movement has growing international recognition in policy and research. Focusing on the collective context, this research systematically examines how two advocacy organizations in the Australian mental health sector are organized and motivated to advance the cause. Qualitative studies analyzed 17 strategic communication documents and nine interviews with members and staff to identify major themes relating to goals, activities, and values driving advocates and their organizations. Five major focus issues were identified: building consumer and carer participation, voice and recognition for consumers and carers, influencing and improving mental health systems, effective collaboration and partnerships, and building organizational strength. Findings demonstrate what drives consumer and carer advocates and their organizations to contribute to an organized, strong, and unified movement. While they focus on cementing genuine and effective consumer participation in health service and policy, they highly value partnerships based on mutual respect to improve mental health systems and outcomes.
The Modalities of Nonadherence to Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy and the Associated Factors Related to Patients’ Sociodemographic Characteristics and Their Caregiving Perceptions in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)
Authors: Guira Oumar , Kaboré Delwendé S. R. , Dao Ginette , Zagré Nicaise , Zohoncon Théodora M. , Pietra Virginio , Drabo Joseph Y. , Simporé Jacques
Published: November 2015

Background:

The authors studied the modalities of nonadherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and its sociodemographic associated factors and those in relation to caregiving perception in Ouagadougou.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was performed from December 2013 to February 2014 in 2 health centers. Adults receiving HAART for at least 3 months were included. Adherence was studied according to the quantitative, qualitative, and global criteria. Factors associated with nonadherence were analyzed with chi-square and Fisher tests. A logistic regression model was applied for multivariate analysis.

Results:

The authors studied 152 patients: mean age 40.7 ± 7.8 years and sex ratio 0.34. Frequencies were 7.2% for self-reported quantitative, 20.4% for calculated quantitative, 31.6% for qualitative, and 38.2% for global nonadherence. Married status ( P = .02), patient’s dissatisfaction regarding clinical monitoring ( P = .01), and therapeutic education ( P = .03) were associated with nonadherence. In multivariate analysis, married status remains associated (odds ratio = 7.00, 95% confidence interval = 1.89-25.8, P = .0004).

Conclusion:

Nonadherence to HAART needs to be correctly managed during HIV/AIDS monitoring.
Evaluation of the Impact of a Student Pharmacist–Supported Program to Improve Hospital-Based Quality Measures
Authors: Bergman Brandon , Wrin Justin , Kaakeh Yaman
Published: November 2015

Background. Although previous studies have demonstrated positive impact of student pharmacists on clinical interventions, no published studies to date have demonstrated the specific impact of student pharmacists on improving National Hospital Inpatient Quality Measures (NHIQM). Objective. To evaluate the impact of a student pharmacist–supported program targeted at improving the venous thromboembolism (VTE) quality measures set forth by the NHIQM. Methods. Retrospective review of VTE quality measure compliance at a community nonteaching hospital. During this time, student pharmacists supported a VTE prophylaxis program that evaluated admitted patients for chemical or mechanical prophylaxis needs. Compliance to VTE quality measures were also evaluated by a trained medical data abstractor based on criteria given by the Joint Commission. Results. Four major NHIQM criteria for VTE were selected for evaluation. National and state averages were compared to the overall hospital averages across various timeframes. The student-supported program demonstrated consistently high performance for the VTE-1 and VTE-5 measures. Conclusion. Student pharmacists have opportunities in improving inpatient quality measures and can play a significant role in patient care through thorough evaluation and intervention.
Identification of the meiotic toolkit in diatoms and exploration of meiosis-specific SPO11 and RAD51 homologs in the sexual species Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata and Seminavis robusta
Authors: Patil Shrikant , Moeys Sara , von Dassow Peter , Huysman Marie J. J. , Mapleson Daniel , De Veylder Lieven , Sanges Remo , Vyverman Wim , Montresor Marina , Ferrante Maria Immacolata
Published: November 2015

Background

Sexual reproduction is an obligate phase in the life cycle of most eukaryotes. Meiosis varies among organisms, which is reflected by the variability of the gene set associated to the process. Diatoms are unicellular organisms that belong to the stramenopile clade and have unique life cycles that can include a sexual phase.

Results

The exploration of five diatom genomes and one diatom transcriptome led to the identification of 42 genes potentially involved in meiosis. While these include the majority of known meiosis-related genes, several meiosis-specific genes, including DMC1, could not be identified. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses supported gene identification and revealed ancestral loss and recent expansion in the RAD51 family in diatoms. The two sexual species Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata and Seminavis robusta were used to explore the expression of meiosis-related genes: RAD21, SPO11-2, RAD51-A, RAD51-B and RAD51-C were upregulated during meiosis, whereas other paralogs in these families showed no differential expression patterns, suggesting that they may play a role during vegetative divisions. An almost identical toolkit is shared among Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries and Fragilariopsis cylindrus, as well as two species for which sex has not been observed, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Thalassiosira pseudonana, suggesting that these two may retain a facultative sexual phase.

Conclusions

Our results reveal the conserved meiotic toolkit in six diatom species and indicate that Stramenopiles share major modifications of canonical meiosis processes ancestral to eukaryotes, with important divergences in each Kingdom.
The Effect of Kinin B1 Receptor on Chronic Itching Sensitization
Authors: Liu Yuying , Liu Jianhua , Li Mengran , Dai Sailin , Liang Jiexian , Ji Wenjin
Published: November 2015

Background

Altered kallikrein-related peptidase activity and bradykinin are associated with skin disorders in humans and mice under chronic inflammation conditions. The bradykinin B1 receptor (B1R), also known as one of the G-protein-coupled receptor family and usually absent in intact tissues and upregulated during tissue injury, is responsible for vasodilation, capillary permeability, nociceptor sensitization, and pain; it is indispensable for physiopathological progress in chronic inflammation conditions, but its roles and effectors in the itching sensation of the allergic contact dermatitis model are poorly defined.

Results

We focused on incurable itching in a diphenylcyclopropenone (DCP) chronic inflammation experimental model. Preventive treatment with the B1R antagonist R892 significantly suppressed spontaneous scratching, while the B2R selective antagonist did not. B1R expression in the skin tissues of this model was detected using a quantitative, real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry; B1R mRNA and protein levels were increased compared with a sham-treated control group. A higher B1R IHC staining signal was observed in the keratinocytes in DCP-treated mice compared with a vehicle-treated group, so we studied the B1R function when superimposed on a protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) background, establishing B1R as a pivotal mediator of PAR2 function in HaCaT cell lines.

Conclusion

Our data provide evidence that B1R facilitates the chronic itching sensation related to keratinocytes in a DCP-treated chronic inflammation experimental model.