bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Scottish Patient Safety Fellowship programme 2008–2013
Authors: O’Connor Patricia , Fearfull Anne
Published: February 2015

Building improvement capacity and capability skills that enable staff to keep patients safe and improve care is essential to today’s health care environments. The Scottish Patient Safety Fellowship is an educational programme designed to build clinical leadership skills to build, improve and enhance patient care and the patient experience. The Scottish Patient Safety Fellowship is unique as it is an embedded component of the National Health Service Education for Scotland's (NES) capacity and capability plan for clinicians to be leading health care improvement. This research evaluation used mixed methods to examine the experience of the fellows in Cohorts 1–5 (2008–2013) ( n = 76), alongside the view of the fellows’ organisational sponsors – the chief executive officers ( n = 12) and the senior leaders ( n = 9) of the Scottish Patient Safety Fellowship Programme. This research was supported by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and NHS Education for Scotland.
Telestroke, tele-oncology and teledialysis: a systematic review to analyse the outcomes of active therapies delivered with telemedicine support
Authors: Jhaveri Divita , Larkins Sarah , Sabesan Sabe
Published: February 2015

Summary

We conducted a systematic review of studies involving telemedicine supervision of active treatment for rural patients in the fields of stroke, medical oncology and nephrology. Searches were performed on the MEDLINE, CINAHL and INFORMIT databases. A total of 521 articles were found, and an additional 42 articles were identified by searching the reference lists. After removing duplicates, screening the abstracts and assessing the full text of the articles, 14 articles remained. Nine concerned telestroke, two concerned tele-oncology and three concerned teledialysis. Most studies did not undertake randomisation, allocation concealment or selective outcome reporting making their risk of bias high. There were no randomised controlled trials and most sample sizes were small. Observational studies in telestroke showed favourable outcomes when comparing face-to-face and videoconferencing-assisted thrombolysis, with no significant differences between survival and intracerebral bleeds. Although tele-oncology has been used routinely for more than 20 years, there have been few formal studies. Home dialysis supervised through videoconferencing had similar patient outcomes compared to hospital dialysis. Telemedicine supervision of active treatment for rural patients appears promising, but more rigorous studies of effectiveness, feasibility and safety are required.
A national teleradiology programme in Mali: implementation and results
Authors: Sangaré Mohamed , Tanner Lydia , Voss Sarah , Laureys Francois , Hollow David , Touré Mahamadou
Published: February 2015

Summary

We reviewed the national teleradiology programme in Mali to establish whether it improved diagnosis for patients and improved the referring doctor's ability to give an accurate diagnosis. The teleradiology programme connected the University Hospital in Bamako to all seven regional hospitals in Mali and one private health clinic. The pilot phase began in 2005 in three hospitals. Initially the implementation involved connections via broadband, but subsequently satellite antennae were provided at three remote hospitals in the north. Between 2005 and 2013, X-ray and mammogram images from 5628 patients were read by teleradiology. Radiologists provided the sole diagnosis for 29% of cases (i.e. the referrer did not make a diagnosis) and altered the regional doctor's diagnosis in 12% of cases. The proportion of cases for which the regional doctor gave no diagnosis decreased from 93% to 24% over the same period, indicating an increase in the doctors' confidence and incentive to test their own diagnosis. The percentage of cases for which regional doctors made an inaccurate diagnosis decreased to 3% in 2013. Use of the teleradiology service varied widely between hospitals. Successful implementation depended on local ownership of a network, which was developed in close collaboration with hospital leadership, national radiologists and other healthcare personnel.
A randomized controlled trial on Stroke telerehabilitation: The effects on falls self-efficacy and satisfaction with care
Authors: Chumbler Neale R , Li Xinli , Quigley Patricia , Morey Miriam C , Rose Dorian , Griffiths Patricia , Sanford Jon , Hoenig Helen
Published: February 2015

Summary

We determined the effect of a multifaceted stroke telerehabilitation (STeleR) intervention on falls-related self-efficacy and satisfaction with care. We conducted a prospective, randomized, multisite, single-blinded trial in 52 veterans from three Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. Participants who experienced a stroke in the past 24 months were randomized to the STeleR intervention or usual care. Participants in the intervention arm were administered an exit interview to gather specific patient satisfaction data three months after their final outcome measure. The STeleR intervention consisted of three home visits, five telephone calls, and an in-home messaging device provided over three months to instruct patients in functionally based exercises and adaptive strategies. The outcome measures included Falls Efficacy Scale to measure fall-related self-efficacy and a Stroke-Specific Patient Satisfaction with Care (SSPSC) scale, a measure separated into two subscales (satisfaction with home care and satisfaction with hospital care) was employed to measure the participants’ satisfaction. At six months, compared with the usual care group, the STeleR group showed statistically significant improvements in one of the two SSPSC scales (satisfaction with hospital care, p = .029) and approached significance in the second SSPSC scale (satisfaction with home care, p = .077). There were no improvements in fall-related self-efficacy. Core concepts identified were: (a) beneficial impact of the trained assistant; (b) exercises helpful; (c) home use of technology. The STeleR intervention improved satisfaction with care, especially as it relates to care following their experience from the hospital. With the limited resources available for in-home rehabilitation for stroke survivors, STeleR (and especially its exercise components) can be a useful complement to traditional post-stroke rehabilitation.
Boycotting Israeli academia
Authors: Garasic Mirko D , Keinan Shay
Published: February 2015

In recent years, a campaign run by the BDS movement to boycott and silence Israeli academics has gained some support worldwide. Academics choosing to take part in the boycott are often accused to be moved by a new form of anti-Semitism – an allegation they fervently deny. A recent case in Australia saw Jake Lynch, a professor at the University of Sydney, taken to court and accused of breaching Australia's Racial Discrimination Act for rejecting an application from an Israeli academic for a visiting professor position. In this paper, we want to analyse such situations from a philosophical and legal perspective. We will argue that apart from being anti-scientific and counterproductive, such boycotts are also unlawful and – indeed – anti-Semitic. Boycott supporters often replace a person’s nationality with a person’s “institutional affiliation” to avoid being accused of racism and discrimination. We argue that this terminological disguise does not succeed in hiding the fact that often such boycotts illegitimately discriminate against individual Jews.
Mindful Facebooking: The moderating role of mindfulness on the relationship between social media use intensity at work and burnout
Authors: Charoensukmongkol Peerayuth
Published: February 2015

Research on the role of social media use in the workplace has gained more interest, yet little is known about personal characteristics that might influence the outcomes that employees experience when they use social media during work. This research aims to investigate the impact of the intensity of social media use at work on three aspects of burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment. Results from partial least squares regression found that mindfulness significantly mediated the relationship between the intensity of social media use at work on emotional exhaustion and lack of personal accomplishment. These findings suggest that using social media during work tends to increase burnout in employees who have a low level of mindfulness, but it lowers burnout in employees who have a high level of mindfulness.
‘A thing full of stories’: Traditional healers’ explanations of epilepsy and perspectives on collaboration with biomedical health care in Cape Town
Authors: Keikelame Mpoe Johannah , Swartz Leslie
Published: February 2015

The experience of epilepsy is profoundly culturally mediated and the meanings attributed to the condition can have a great impact on its social course. This qualitative study used Kleinman’s Explanatory Model framework to explore traditional healers’ perspectives on epilepsy in an urban township in Cape Town, South Africa. The healers who participated in the study were Xhosa-speaking, had experience caring for patients with epilepsy, and had not received any training on epilepsy. Six individual in-depth interviews and one focus group with nine traditional healers were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Traditional healers identified several different names referring to epilepsy. They explained epilepsy as a thing inside the body which is recognized by the way it presents itself during an epileptic seizure. According to these healers, epilepsy is difficult to understand because it is not easily detectable. Their biomedical explanations of the cause of epilepsy included, among others, lack of immunizations, child asphyxia, heredity, traumatic birth injuries and dehydration. These healers believed that epilepsy could be caused by amafufunyana (evil spirits) and that biomedical doctors could not treat the supernatural causes of epilepsy. However, the healers believed that western medicines, as well as traditional medicines, could be effective in treating the epileptic seizures. Traditional healers were supportive of collaboration with western-trained practitioners and highlighted that the strategy must have formal agreements in view of protection of intellectual property, accountability and respect of their indigenous knowledge. The findings suggest a need for interventions that promote cultural literacy among mental health practitioners. Research is urgently needed to assess the impact of such collaborations between biomedical services and traditional healers on epilepsy treatment and care.
Acetabular reconstruction with impaction bone grafting and cemented polyethylene socket in total hip revision arthroplasty
Authors: Kostensalo I. , Seppänen M. , Virolainen P. , Mokka J. , Koivisto M. , Mäkelä K. T.
Published: February 2015

Background and aims:

Bone deficiency in revision total hip arthroplasty is a challenge to the surgeon. One option for restoration of the bone stock is impaction bone grafting and use of a cemented socket. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mid-term clinical outcome of impaction bone grafting and cemented socket revisions.

Material and methods:

A total of 59 patients (60 hips) underwent revision arthroplasty with impaction bone grafting and application of a cemented socket on the acetabular side in the Turku University Hospital from 1999 to 2004. The study end-point was re-revision for any reason. The cumulative percentages for survival were followed and estimated with Kaplan–Meier curves. Associations between occurrence of re-revision and potential risk factors were analyzed with logistic regression. Results were quantified by odd ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The mean age of the patients was 69 years (33% male). A total of 3% of the patients had a class I Paprosky acetabular defect, 38% had class II, and 55% had class III.

Results:

The overall survival rate was 73%. The mean follow-up time was 7 years. The most common reason for re-revision was aseptic loosening of the acetabular component (13 patients, 81% of re-revisions). Cox’s regression analysis did not identify any risk factors for re-revision.

Conclusion:

Our results were inferior compared to some previous studies. Impaction bone grafting of acetabular defects in revision total hip arthroplasty may not always provide a reliable bone stock in long-term.
Computed tomography of the thorax for gastric cancer staging: is it necessary?
Authors: Chong C. S. , Ng Celene Wei-Qi , Shabbir A. , Kono K. , So J. B. Y.
Published: February 2015

Background:

The utility of computed tomography scans of the thorax, abdomen, and pelvis for gastric cancer staging has been recommended in many countries. However, the validity of the use of computed tomography thorax in gastric cancer staging has not been challenged.

Methods:

A retrospective review was conducted on our gastric cancer registry from 1998 till 2012 in the National University Hospital, Singapore. We performed computed tomography thorax only in selected cases. We defined isolated lung metastasis as the presence of suspicious findings on computed tomography thorax in the absence of metastasis elsewhere.

Results:

A total of 808 gastric cancer cases were reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 66 years (standard deviation 13.53), and 67% were male. In all, 238 patients (30%) had metastatic disease at presentation, and 1 (0.42%) had isolated lung metastasis. The most common site of metastasis was intra-abdominal (73.8%). Among the patients who underwent surgery, the overall distant recurrence rate was 30%, of which only 83 (30%) patients had lung metastasis and all had concurrent metastasis in an intra-abdominal site.

Conclusion:

The rarity of isolated lung metastasis in gastric cancer suggests the limited value of computed tomography thorax as a routine staging tool for gastric cancers.
Quality of Life after Ventral Hernia Repair with Endoscopic Component Separation Technique
Authors: Thomsen C. Ø. , Brøndum T. L. , Jørgensen L. N.
Published: February 2015

Background and Aims:

Large ventral hernias are often associated with physical, social, and health problems for the patient, and surgical repair remains a challenge. Open components separation has widely been applied to obtain closure of the midline and recently a minimally invasive technique has been introduced (endoscopic components separation). The effectiveness and safety of endoscopic components separation have been demonstrated in previous reports, whereas little is known about quality of life in these patients. With a focus on quality of life, we present the first patients from our center operated on with endoscopic components separation.

Material and Methods:

A total of 19 consecutive patients scheduled for open hernia repair with endoscopic components separation from October 2010 to June 2012 were included. All procedures included endoscopic components separation because of the hernia size. Demographic data, operative information, and postoperative complications were recorded. All patients completed two similar questionnaires regarding their function level, cosmetic satisfaction, analgesic medication, alcohol consumption, and self-estimated physical and mental health before and after the hernia repair. Patients were assessed as outpatient median 2 months and 16 months after operation for exclusion of hernia recurrence and completion of the postoperative questionnaire.

Results and Conclusions:

Operating room time was median 204 min and correlated significantly with the hernia size. A total of 21 postoperative complications occurred in 14 patients. The length of stay was median 6 days and correlated significantly with duration of the operation. Of these, 15 patients participated in late follow-up visit. Two patients experienced recurrent hernias. Postoperative function level, cosmetic satisfaction, and self-estimated physical and mental health improved significantly. Alcohol consumption was significantly reduced. Endoscopic components separation is a reliable method to repair large ventral hernias, although further studies are required to determine the exact benefits for endoscopic components separation hernia repair versus conventional hernia repair.
Occult pneumothoraces – red flag or red herring?
Authors: Nassimizadeh A , Taki H , Nassimizadeh M , Senanayake EL , Graham T , Porter K
Published: February 2015

Pneumothorax is a relatively common complication following blunt chest trauma; however, the investigation and management of these injuries remains a contentious issue. Occult pneumothoraces are those not diagnosed by conventional radiographic imaging, but by subsequent computed tomography. This review examines the current evidence base behind the investigation and management of this condition. An anteroposterior chest x-ray should not be underestimated in its ability to provide sufficient radiological information to instigate an initial management plan in the trauma setting. Ultrasound has a high diagnostic rate for pneumothoraces; however, it is subjected to influence from other injuries, whilst failing to address other important injuries in trauma patients requiring computed tomography imaging. It is therefore best used in situations where computed tomography is unavailable or contraindicated. In the management of occult pneumothoraces, there is little difference in patient outcome between those managed conservatively or with a prophylactic chest drain. Clinicians must be wary of recommendations which in this area are often based on inadequate study size and they should continue to provide the best individual care on a case-by-case basis. Observation alone in patients that are haemodynamically stable can be considered, with a view to drainage of the pneumothorax should the clinical status of the patient deteriorate.
Missed orthopaedic injuries in adult trauma patients at a major trauma centre
Authors: Roche Christopher D , McDonald Colin M , Liu Bruce , Razik Aisha , Bishop Tim
Published: February 2015

Introduction

Despite advances in trauma care, missed injury remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in trauma worldwide. In England, few have published their missed injury rates and there are no recent data for London. In 2010 London trauma networks were restructured and the impact on missed injury rates is not known. This study aimed to determine the incidence of missed orthopaedic injury for adult trauma patients at St George’s Hospital, London, and to analyse missed injuries and comment on risk factors.

Method

Trauma patients were recorded prospectively at the daily trauma meeting from July to September 2012. The researcher attended clinical activities and reviewed the patient notes and radiology reports daily whilst each patient was an inpatient until discharge. Missed injuries were defined as fractures or dislocations discovered more than 12 h after arrival in the emergency department. The notes for missed injury patients were reviewed again at six months. Missed injury details were recorded/analysed.

Results

Three hundred and forty three adult trauma patients were referred to trauma and orthopaedics in the three-month study period; 5 (1.5%) had a missed injury and 148 (43.1%) had an ISS>15. All missed injuries occurred in these major trauma patients, giving an incidence of 5/148 (3.4%). Four were extremity injuries and one was cervical. All missed injury patients had a GCS of 15/15, were admitted outside normal working hours, were direct admissions and had whole-body CT.

Conclusions

At 3.4% our missed injury incidence is comparable to those published from similar major trauma centres. This provides recent London data following the restructuring of trauma networks.
Different futures for different neighborhoods: The sustainability fix in Detroit
Authors: Montgomery Alesia F.
Published: February 2015

Growth elites use cultural workers (artists, clergy, intellectuals) to rebrand old industrial cities as ecological delights that bring the market, society, and nature into harmony. Cultural workers’ vision of transforming the industrial city into a green commons has deep historical roots and enduring appeal. The market appropriation of this utopian vision is at once a revalorization technique and a conflict suppression maneuver. Merging theorization of practice, black urban politics, and the sustainability fix, this study frames the volatile relation of growth elites and cultural workers in Detroit as sustainability was made to mean resource enclosures. Cultural workers used their ties across cities and countries to fight the fix. There is a conflict between economic and cultural capital to control the spirit of capitalism and its relations with society and nature.
Assessment of flamelet versus multi-zone combustion modeling approaches for stratified-charge compression ignition engines
Authors: Pal Pinaki , Keum SeungHwan , Im Hong G
Published: February 2015

The spray-interactive flamelet and extended multi-zone combustion models coupled with multi-dimensional computational fluid dynamics are applied to investigate the effects of charge stratification in a direct-injection compression ignition engine under low load conditions. A parametric study was carried out in order to compare the two approaches for early and late fuel injection timings. Comparison of numerical results with available experimental data shows that for early fuel injection, both models predict the auto-ignition and combustion characteristics with comparable fidelity. As the fuel injection timing is delayed, however, the spray-interactive flamelet model is found to capture the onset of combustion and subsequent heat release with greater accuracy. Further investigation reveals that the better performance of the spray-interactive flamelet model over a wider range of mixture-stratified conditions is mainly attributed to its ability to capture the diffusive transport resulting from small-scale mixing and turbulence–chemistry interaction, which becomes more important when significant mixture inhomogeneities exist in the engine cylinder.
Down the methodological rabbit hole: thinking diffractively with resistant data
Authors: Levy Gary , Halse Christine , Wright Jan
Published: February 2015

This article, part of a larger study, began with an inquiry into the ways a small group of preteen boys and girls with diagnosed eating disorders discussed their ideas and attitudes about healthy bodies in individual interviews. Despite applying some of the usual analytic procedures, the data yielded little of significance in relation to body and health discourses, or to gender differences. We therefore wondered whether our underlying epistemological lenses and methodological toolkit had prevented us from seeing and hearing what was happening with this particular cohort. By shifting from a predominantly feminist post-structuralist, socio-cultural approach to one more inflected with varieties of feminist post-humanism and post-qualitative thinking, the data came differently into focus, and invited closer consideration. Employing a diffractive analysis then allowed some fresh, unexpected salience in the data to become more apparent.
From justice in planning toward planning for justice: A capability approach
Authors: Basta Claudia
Published: February 2015

This article discusses the relevance of Rawls’ Theory and Sen’s Idea of justice to contemporary planning theory by drawing on the writings of the two philosophers. Besides providing a comprehensive account of what the two respective frameworks imply for the foundation of public planning and for the relevant evaluative practice, this article proposes an interpretation of these theories that overcomes their polarization into competitive frameworks. The main position of this article is that the notion of capabilities set forward by Sen is in fact an extension of, rather than in tension with, the notion of primary goods set forward by Rawls. By discussing a number of simple planning cases, this article concludes that by connecting the sphere of just principles with deliberation on the actions which can advance those principles, Rawlsian “justice in planning” provides the basis for Senian “planning for justice.”
Towards a model of teaching disciplinary boundaries – History with Literature and Literature with History: Theoretical implications
Authors: Schwieler Elias , Ekecrantz Stefan
Published: February 2015

In this article it is argued that students can gain a better understanding of both inter- and intra-disciplinary boundaries by inquiring into a single salient point where two disciplines may only partially intersect. Building on Marton's variation theory and Vygotsky's notion of articulation, a teaching model is presented and exemplified by disciplinary intersections regarding narration and narrativity in Literature and History. This is done specifically by investigating the theoretical implications of Shoshana Felman's notion of “key narratives” using William Faulkner's novel Absalom, Absalom!. The “key narrative” concept is adapted for the specific purpose of analyzing the practice of narratives in the disciplines Literature and History, respectively. It is suggested that Faulkner's novel seen as such a narrative explores pertinent questions concerning disciplinary boundaries for graduate and post-graduate students with a developed disciplinary identity in either of these disciplines.
Action research in nursing homes
Authors: Andersen John , Bilfeldt Annette
Published: February 2015

This article concerns the experiences gained from the action research project, Quality in Elder Care, involving social dimensions of quality in public elder care. The aim of the project was to improve the professional skills and engagement of the care workers and to improve the life quality and participation of the residents. Furthermore, the idea was that the project could strengthen a public and professional discourse about more democratic and inclusive alternatives (for staff as well as residents) to the currently growing bureaucracy and expansion of top-down control systems in elder care. The project was inspired by critical utopian action research with future workshops as an important methodological tool. The project followed the core characteristics of action research to be “a shared commitment to democratic social change”. The article discusses how the project contributed to changes in care quality in a joint effort between care workers, residents at the nursing home, and researchers. It concludes that the project led to empowerment of the residents and staff and played an important role in the development of democratic knowledge building about better quality and ethics in elder care.
Ethical and epistemic dilemmas in knowledge production: Addressing their intersection in collaborative, community-based research
Authors: Glass Ronald David , Newman Anne
Published: February 2015

Collaborative community-based research can bring a range of benefits to universities, communities, and the public more broadly. A distinct virtue of collaborative community-based research is that it makes the ethical–epistemic intersections and challenges in research a focal point of its methodology. This makes collaborative community-based research well positioned to address various forms of ‘epistemic injustice’ (Fricker, 2007) that demean certain people and groups as knowers and exclude them from knowledge production. In this article, we examine the ethical and epistemic advantages and challenges of collaborative community-based research in light of the concept of epistemic injustice. We argue that collaborative community-based research can help provide an institutional response to epistemic injustices often embedded within processes of knowledge production.
Activating the Negative Image
Authors: Gates Racquel
Published: February 2015

In this article, I propose that scholars should strategically embrace the designation of “negative” that has long been assigned to disreputable images of blackness. I argue that these negative images engage in excess in a way that is inversely proportionate to the lack of any such contemplations of identity in respectable media texts. Activating the definition of “negative” as “expressing or containing negation or denial” reveals the ways that disreputable images such as those found in reality television disrupt hegemonic norms of race, class, gender, and sexuality. Viewed from this perspective, television shows like Love and Hip Hop exemplify the intersectional marginalization of black women. If the current post-racial, colorblind moment is really a color-mute one (to quote Linda Williams)—where identity is seen but cannot be uttered—then the negative image functions as the repository for those identities, experiences, and feelings that have been discarded by respectable media.
Alteration of WWOX in human cancer, a clinical view
Authors: Baryła Izabela , Styczeń-Binkowska Ewa , Bednarek Andrzej K
Published: February 2015

WWOX gene is located in FRA16D, the highly affected chromosomal fragile site. Its tumor suppressor activity has been proposed on a basis of numerous genomic alterations reported in chromosome 16q23.3–24.1 locus. WWOX is affected in many cancers, showing as high as 80% loss of heterozygosity in breast tumors. Unlike most tumor suppressors impairing of both alleles of WWOX is very rare. Despite cellular and animal models information on a WWOX role in cancer tissue is limited and sometimes confusing. This review summarizes information on WWOX in human tumors.
Ethyl pyruvate attenuates murine allergic rhinitis partly by decreasing high mobility group box 1 release
Authors: Chen Shan , Wang Yanjun , Gong Guoqing , Chen Jianjun , Niu Yongzhi , Kong Weijia
Published: February 2015

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein, a pro-inﬂammatory DNA-binding protein, meditates inflammatory responses through Toll-like receptor-4 signals and amplifies allergic inflammation by interacting with the receptor for advanced glycation end products. Previous studies have shown that HMGB1 is elevated in the nasal lavage fluids (NLF) of children suffering from allergic rhinitis (AR) and is associated with the severity of this disease. Furthermore, HMGB1 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of lower airway allergic diseases, such as asthma. Ethyl pyruvate (EP) has proven to be an effective anti-inflammatory agent for numerous airway diseases. Moreover, EP can inhibit the secretion of HMGB1. However, few studies have examined the effect of EP on AR. We hypothesized that HMGB1 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AR and studied it using an AR mouse model. Forty BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: the control group, AR group, 50 mg/kg EP group, and 100 mg/kg EP group. The mice in the AR and EP administration groups received ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and challenge, whereas those in the control group were given sterile saline instead of OVA. The mice in the EP administration group were given an intraperitoneal injection of EP 30 min before each OVA treatment. The number of nasal rubbings and sneezes of each mouse was counted after final treatment. Hematoxylin–eosin staining, AB-PAS staining, interleukin-4 and 13 in NLF, IgE, and the protein expression of HMGB1 were measured. Various features of the allergic inﬂammation after OVA exposure, including airway eosinophilia, Th-2 cytokine production, total IgE, and goblet cell hyperplasia were significantly inhibited by treatment with EP and the expression and release of HMGB1 were reduced after EP administration in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that HMGB1 is a potential therapeutic target of AR and that EP attenuates AR by decreasing HMGB1 expression.
Healthy birth weight results in higher vitamin A storage in neonate piglets administered high-dose supplements
Authors: Heying Emily K , Hovel Elizabeth , Tanumihardjo Sherry A
Published: February 2015

A proposed intervention for newborn infants in countries with suspected vitamin A (VA) deficiency is to administer 50,000 IU retinyl palmitate at birth to reduce mortality risk. However, no studies have investigated birth weight effects. In this study, low birth weight (LBW; <1 kg, n = 18) and healthy birth weight (HBW) piglets (>1.5 kg, n = 18) from VA-depleted sows were dosed with 25,000 or 50,000 IU retinyl palmitate (26.2 or 52.4 µmol retinol equivalents) at birth to compare VA reserves. Blood was collected at varying times ( n = 3–5/time/dose), and piglets were killed at 12 or 24 h for blood, liver, kidneys, spleen, lungs, adrenal gland, and intestinal contents. HBW piglets had significantly higher birth, death, and organ weights than LBW ( P < 0.0001 for all). HBW and LBW piglets, which received VA, had higher liver and kidney VA concentrations (0.18 ± 0.09, 0.24 ± 0.10 µmol/g liver and 13.4 ± 4.1, 14.2 ± 4.5 nmol/g kidney, respectively) than controls ( n = 10) (0.051 ± 0.01 µmol/g liver and 1.01 ± 0.43 nmol/g kidney) ( P = 0.0061 and < 0.0001, respectively). Total liver (9.75 ± 5.16 µmol) and kidney retinol (204 ± 79.1 nmol) were higher in HBW than LBW piglets ( P < 0.0001). Extrahepatic tissues, except lung, had higher VA concentration than controls ( P < 0.0001). Serum retinol and ester concentrations were higher in treated than control piglets ( P = 0.0028, P < 0.0001, respectively), and significantly changed during the times sampled ( P = 0.022, P = 0.011, respectively). Peak serum retinyl ester concentrations, which occurred at 3 h, were higher in piglets that received 50,000 IU (4.2 ± 4.4 µmol/L) than 25,000 IU (2.7 ± 2.3 µmol/L) ( P = 0.031). Regardless of dose amount, HBW piglets stored more supplemental VA than LBW piglets when administered at birth.
Hypoxia promotes HO-8910PM ovarian cancer cell invasion via Snail-mediated MT1-MMP upregulation
Authors: Sun Lijun , Lin Ping , Qin Zhuo , Liu Yusi , Deng Li-Li , Lu Changlian
Published: February 2015

The molecular mechanisms of ovarian cancer cell invasion under hypoxia remain unclear. Here we employed a 3D collagen model and chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) invasion assay to explore the influence of hypoxia on ovarian cancer cell invasion. Hypoxia (both 1% O2 and CoCl2 150 and 250 µM) induced HO-8910PM ovarian cancer cell invasion in 3D collagen and collagenolysis determined by hydroxyproline. Pretreatment with a hypoxia inducible factor-1α inhibitor, YC-1, or MMP inhibitor, GM6001, significantly inhibited 3D collagen invasion and degradation and cell proliferation. Hypoxia stimulated both mRNA and protein expressions of membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) and promoted MT1-MMP translocation to the cell surface in an YC-1 sensitive manner. MT1-siRNA transfection inhibited hypoxia-induced invasion, proliferation, and collagen degradation of cells in 3D collagen. Hypoxia stimulated Snail mRNA and protein expression as well as translocation to nucleus in an YC-1 sensitive manner. Overexpression of Snail with a recombinant plasmid in HO-8910PM cells resulted in an enhanced invasion in 3D collagen. Transfection with Snail-specific siRNA significantly decreased MT1-MMP expression and 3D collagen invasion. Hypoxia-treated cells significantly broke the upper CAM surface of 11-day-old chick embryos and infiltrated interstitial tissue, completely blocked in the presence of YC-1 or GM6001, or after MT1-MMP siRNA or Snail siRNA transfection. Together, these data suggest that hypoxia promotes HO-8910PM ovarian cancer cell traffic through 3D matrix via Snail-mediated MT1-MMP upregulation, a possible molecular mechanism of ovarian cancer cell invasion under hypoxia.
Quantitative performance metrics for evaluation and comparison of middleware interoperability products
Authors: Diallo Saikou Y , Gore Ross J , Barraco Anthony , Padilla Jose J , Lynch Christopher
Published: February 2015

Interoperability in modeling and simulation is understood as the ability of simulations to exchange information and use the information exchanged. Several alternative models have been applied to support interoperability. The traditional approach has been to apply standards, such as the High-level Architecture, to create a federation and use a runtime infrastructure to physically connect simulations. Recently, there has been a move towards web-based standards to loosely couple simulations, and the future points to cloud-enabled interoperability services. Despite the existence of implementations of these models from industry, academia and government, very few performance metrics have been formulated to evaluate them.

In this paper, we propose quantitative performance metrics that includes a set of dependent and independent variables for implementations of interoperability models. We apply the metrics to a web-based infrastructure that uses web standards and a traditional runtime infrastructure. We analyze the results and discuss the tradeoffs that federation developers have to consider when selecting an implementation of an interoperability model.
Preventing Child Pedestrian Injury
Authors: Stevenson Mark , Sleet David , Ferguson Rennie
Published: February 2015

Each year, an estimated 270,000 pedestrians die from road traffic-related injuries, (worldwide) and children are among the most vulnerable. Child pedestrian injuries occur primarily in residential areas, often on the same street or in close proximity to the child’s home, and 90% of injured child pedestrians are unaccompanied by an adult at the time of the injury. The cause of these injuries is a complex combination of factors related not only to characteristics of the child but also the built environment, the road configuration, features of the motor vehicle that might reduce injury, and driver behavior. Accordingly, effective interventions must incorporate education, technology, and improved infrastructure. The medical practitioner can not only provide the necessary education but can also be a powerful voice for changes in pedestrian infrastructure that make walking safer. This article explores the current state of childhood pedestrian injuries using examples from the United States and Australia. Pedestrian interventions and the role that primary care and lifestyle practitioners play in promoting safe pedestrian behaviors among their patients and their families are discussed.
“It is Not an Era of Repose”: How the Legal System Personalizes Injustice and Sparks Protest
Authors: Farbman Daniel
Published: February 2015

In the last months of 2014, many Americans were reminded of the sad truth that policing can be brutal and that black bodies and black lives are often the targets of that brutality. In Staten Island and in Ferguson (and elsewhere), images of young black men killed by the police generated a thrum of anger. While there were people in the streets protesting the killing of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, these early protests were local, and the protestors were mostly committed activists or members of the impacted (largely black) community. The protests did not jump these limits to become national until the sympathetic bystanders saw that the officers in Missouri and New York were not indicted. Brutality was tragic, the failure to “do justice” was an outrage. This article places this observation in historical context by looking back at similar dynamics across the last two centuries. What emerges is a genealogy that links the swelling protests in 2014 to moments of broader outrage throughout the historical struggle for racial justice. Again and again, where allies stood on the sidelines silently condemning violence, it was the spectacle of the legal system – their legal system – acting unjustly that sparked action.
Predicting thermal performance of fired clay bricks lightened by adding organic matter: Improvement of brick geometry
Authors: Aouba Laila , Coutand Marie , Perrin Bernard , Lemercier Hervé
Published: February 2015

Fired clay masonry bricks adapt to a variety of constraints during use. Through their mass, these products provide thermal inertia and thus a good indoor climate. Thanks to their thermal insulation properties, they help to minimize heating and cooling costs. The brick industry allows different by-products to be added into the clay mixture at the beginning of the industrial cycle, and the incorporation of organic matter improves thermal insulation while reducing the weight of the bricks. This article presents an experimental and numerical method for determining the thermal resistance of fired clay bricks containing residue of wheat straw. As their thermal conductivity reaches a value 35% lower than that of clay without organic matter, the thermal transmittance of such bricks can be improved by more than 20% relative to existing values.
Theorizing the enactment of mediatized environmental conflict
Authors: Hutchins Brett , Lester Libby
Published: February 2015

Contemporary ‘mediatized environmental conflict’ involves complex interactions between (i) activist strategies and campaigns, (ii) journalism practices and news reporting, (iii) formal politics and decision-making processes, and (iv) industry activities and trade. This article theorizes how these interactions occur, drawing on evidence produced by a nine-year period of investigation into environmental media practices, content and technologies. Indicative of power dynamics in a globalized world, mediatized environmental conflict is enacted by the events and negotiations that occur at the ‘switching points’ between the four identified spheres of action. The conflicting messages, representations, debates, and practices that dynamically constitute these switching points are how environmental conflicts are contested, bringing together interlocking networks of media, political, and economic power. These networks traverse the local, national, and transnational in varying degrees depending on the particular issue or site in question. The groups and decision-makers who exercise greatest influence in the midst of conflict are those able to determine what is made visible to opponents and wider publics, meaning that both ‘mediated visibility’ and ‘invisibility’ are important strategic resources in battles over the environment conducted in media saturated social worlds.
Actinic keratoses
Authors: Simon Chantal , Ward Veronica
Published: February 2015

Actinic keratoses (AKs) are areas of epithelial dysplasia usually caused by cumulative sun exposure. They tend to affect older people with fair skin types. Around one-in-five people aged over 60 in the UK has at least one AK, so they are commonly seen in primary care, either noticed incidentally when patients present with other problems, or because patients present with skin lesions. AKs are important as they indicate increased risk of sun-related skin cancer, and because a small proportion of AKs progress to invasive squamous cell cancers. This article aims to describe the clinical features of AKs and summarise the management options in primary care.
Abuse-deterrent formulations: transitioning the pharmaceutical market to improve public health and safety
Authors: Simon Kyle , Worthy Stacey L. , Barnes Michael C. , Tarbell Benjamin
Published: February 2015

This article evaluates abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs) as a method to reduce prescription drug abuse while ensuring access to vital medications for individuals with legitimate need; assesses the pros and cons of ADFs and the current state of ADF adoption in the market; and develops policy recommendations to transition the market to ADFs. Although abuse-deterrent technology is still in its nascent stages, ADFs have been proven to reduce prescription drug abuse and its consequences, and even an incremental reduction in abuse can have a significant impact on the nation by reducing the costly social, physical, mental, and public health problems resulting from abuse. Federal ADF policy does not reflect the urgency of the prescription drug abuse epidemic and does not go far enough toward changing the status quo. Policies must be implemented to encourage innovation and a market shift toward ADFs by ensuring any generic medication that references a branded ADF demonstrates that it does not have abuse-deterrent properties inferior to the branded ADF product. Policies must also require federal prescription drug benefit plans to cover ADFs to ensure consumers have access to such medications.
Encephalocraniocutaneous Lipomatosis
Authors: Naous Amal , Shatila Abdel Rahman , Naja Zeina , Naja Ahmad Salaheddine , Rajab Mariam
Published: February 2015

Encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis or Haberland syndrome is a rare, congenital neurocutaneous syndrome. It is characterized by unilateral lipomatous hamartomata of the scalp, eyelid, and outer globe of the eye and ipsilateral neurologic malformations. We describe the first case from Lebanon, an infant with classical encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis characterized by nevus psiloliparus, unilateral right facial and frontal–temporal subcutaneous lipomas, alopecia, ocular coloboma, aniridia and eyelid nodular tags, ventriculomegaly with intracranial and intraspinal lipomas, and tethered spinal cord. We report this case of rare association between encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis and tethered spinal cord syndrome and stress on the importance of spinal cord evaluation in encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis.
The Just-Noticeable Difference in Speech-to-Noise Ratio
Authors: McShefferty David , Whitmer William M. , Akeroyd Michael A.
Published: February 2015

Just-noticeable differences (JNDs) have been measured for various features of sounds, but despite its importance to communication, there is no benchmark for what is a just-noticeable—and possibly meaningful—difference in speech-to-noise ratio (SNR). SNR plays a crucial role in speech communication for normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners. Difficulty hearing speech in background noise—a poor SNR—often leads to dissatisfaction with hearing-assistance devices. While such devices attempt through various strategies to address this problem, it is not currently known how much improvement in SNR is needed to provide a noticeable benefit. To investigate what is a noticeable benefit, we measured the JND in SNR for both normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners. Here, we report the SNR JNDs of 69 participants of varying hearing ability, estimated using either an adaptive or fixed-level procedure. The task was to judge which of the two intervals containing a sentence in speech-spectrum noise presented over headphones was clearer. The level of each interval was roved to reduce the influence of absolute level cues. The results of both procedures showed an average SNR JND of 3 dB that was independent of hearing ability. Further experiments using a subset of normal-hearing listeners showed that level roving does elevate threshold. These results suggest that noise reduction schemes may need to achieve a benefit greater than 3 dB to be reliably discriminable.