bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Gene Expression Profiling and Chromosome 3 Analysis by Fluorescent in situ Hybridization and Multiplex Ligation Probe Amplification in Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy Specimens of Uveal Melanoma
Authors: Klufas Michael A. , Richter Elizabeth , Itty Sujit , Moreno Christian , McCannel Colin A. , McCannel Tara A.
Published: June 2017

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to assess the concordance between results of DecisionDx-UM specific gene expression profiling (GEP) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for chromosome 3 analysis, and between DecisionDx-UM GEP and multiplex ligation probe amplification (MLPA) in uveal melanoma undergoing intraoperative fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) for metastatic prognostication during brachytherapy. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients diagnosed with posterior uveal melanoma who underwent intraoperative FNAB prior to placement of an iodine-125 radioactive plaque between 2012 and 2014. Two cohorts of patients were identified: Cohort 1 - tumors in which both GEP and FISH results were obtained, and Cohort 2 - tumors in which both GEP and MLPA results were obtained. Results: Forty-four patients were identified for Cohort 1. FISH and GEP results were discordant in 7 tumors (15.9%). Forty-three patients were identified for Cohort 2. MLPA and GEP were discordant in 7 tumors (16.3%). Conclusions: Discordance between GEP and chromosome 3 status by FISH and MLPA occurred in our series at a rate of 15.9 and 16.3%, respectively. Caution must be advised when counseling a patient with a good-prognosis GEP “Class 1” result that the uveal tumor may actually harbor monosomy 3, which is associated with a poor prognosis for metastasis in nearly 20% of the patients.
Hemodialysis and Kidney Transplantation as Predisposing Conditions to Onychomycosis
Authors: Filho Antonio M.S. , Ventura Carlucci G. , Criado Paulo R. , Del Negro Gilda B. , Freitas Roseli S. , Luiz Olinda C. , Giudice Mauro C. , Neto Elias D. , Benard Gil
Published: June 2017

Background/Aim: Onychomycosis (OM) is one of the commonest superficial fungal infections. Patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) treatment and kidney transplant recipients (KTR) are considered at risk of contracting fungal infections, but the few published data do not reach the conclusion of whether they are predisposed to OM. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and etiology of OM in these patients and to determine the antifungal susceptibility profile of the isolated fungal species. Methods: We recruited 149 HD patients, 187 KTR, and a control group comprising 174 patients attending an internal medicine service with other diseases than renal diseases. All patients underwent an examination of all toenails to check for the presence of OM. Antifungal susceptibility tests were performed following the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations. Results: The prevalence rates of OM in HD patients (23.4%) and KTR (23.0%) were significantly higher than those in age- and sex-matched control groups (13.2%). In HD patients, OM was associated with diabetes but not with the duration of dialysis. In KTR, OM was more prevalent in those without diabetes and likely also in those using mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine but was not associated with the duration of transplantation. Trichophyton rubrum was the most prevalent species (45.9%) followed by T. mentagrophytes (24.5%) and Candida parapsilosis (18.0%). Fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, and terbinafine were all efficient against the isolates of dermatophyte, with terbinafine showing the lowest and fluconazole the highest minimal inhibitory concentrations. All isolates of C. parapsilosis were sensitive to the antifungals according to the CLSI criteria. Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of OM in HD and KTR patients and suggest that these conditions should be considered a risk factor of OM. All 4 antifungals evaluated in the study showed good in vitro activity against the etiologic agents.
Prediction of Time to Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Using Bone Scan Index in Men with Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer
Authors: Miyoshi Yasuhide , Yoneyama Shuko , Kawahara Takashi , Hattori Yusuke , Teranishi Jun-ichi , Ohta Jun-ichi , Takebayashi Shigeo , Yokomizo Yumiko , Hayashi Narihiko , Uemura Hiroji
Published: June 2017

Introduction: We evaluated bone scan index (BSI) as a predictive biomarker for time to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Materials and Methods: We identified 85 consecutive mHSPC patients treated with first-line androgen deprivation therapy. We analyzed the correlations between time to CRPC and clinicopathological characteristics, including age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, Gleason score, clinical TNM stage, hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, and BSI. Results: The median BSI was 2.7%. Progression to CRPC occurred in 55 (64.7%) patients and the median time to CRPC was 12.9 months. In multivariate analysis, 3 significant risk factors for time to CRPC were identified: age (>73 vs. ≤73 years; hazard ratio [HR] 0.53), p = 0.038, PSA level (>270 vs. ≤270 ng/mL; HR 0.53, p = 0.038), and BSI (>2.7 vs. ≤2.7%; HR 2.97, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Age, PSA level, and BSI were found to be significant predictive factors for time to CRPC in patients with mHSPC.
Major Contribution of Genomic Copy Number Variation in Syndromic Congenital Heart Disease: The Use of MLPA as the First Genetic Test
Authors: Monteiro Rejane A.C. , de Freitas Mariana L. , Vianna Gabrielle S. , de Oliveira Valdirene T. , Pietra Rafaella X. , Ferreira Luana C.A. , Rocha Patrícia P.O. , da S. Gonçalves Michele , da C. César Giovana , de S. Lima Joziele , Medeiros Paula F.V. , Mazzeu Juliana F. , Jehee Fernanda S.
Published: June 2017

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital disorder among live births. When associated with extracardiac abnormalities, it is characterized as a syndromic heart disease (syndromic CHD) and corresponds to 25% of all liveborn infants with a heart defect. The etiology in about 65% of the cases still remains unknown, and in about 35% of the patients, it is associated with genetic factors. In the present study, MLPA and SNP-array techniques were used to investigate a group of 47 patients with syndromic CHD. In total, 16 defects (34%) were identified, of which 12 (25.5%) were classified as pathogenic or probably pathogenic. The most frequent abnormalities were 22q11.2 deletion (22q11.2 deletion syndrome) and 7q11.23 deletion (Williams-Beuren syndrome). We also show that rarer malformations may be associated with syndromic CHD, such as 14q32.33 deletion as well as 17q25.3, 15q11.2 (BP1-BP2), 22q13.31, and 12p13.31 (SLC2A3) duplications. The present study demonstrates that CNVs are important causal factors and should be studied in patients with syndromic CHD. Furthermore, the use of MLPA as a first screening test was appropriate, as this less expensive technology detected 11 of the 12 pathogenic abnormalities (91.6%).
Defining Prolonged Dwell Time: When Are Advanced Inferior Vena Cava Filter Retrieval Techniques Necessary?
Authors: Desai Kush R. , Laws James L. , Salem Riad , Mouli Samdeep K. , Errea Martin F. , Karp Jennifer K. , Yang Yihe , Ryu Robert K. , Lewandowski Robert J.
Published: June 2017

Background—

Despite growth in placement of retrievable inferior vena cava filters, retrieval rates remain low. Filters with extended implantation times present a challenge to retrieval, where standard techniques often fail. The development of advanced retrieval techniques has positively impacted retrieval of retrievable inferior vena cava filters with prolonged dwell times; however, there is no precise definition of the time point when advanced techniques become necessary. We aim to define prolonged retrievable inferior vena cava filters dwell time by determining the inflection point when the risk of standard retrieval technique failure increases significantly, necessitating advanced retrieval techniques to maintain overall technical success of retrieval.

Methods and Results—

From January 2009 to April 2015, 762 retrieval procedures were identified from a prospectively acquired database. We assessed patient age/sex, filter dwell time, procedural technical success, the use of advanced techniques, and procedure-related adverse events. Overall retrieval success rate was 98% (n=745). When standard retrieval techniques failed, advanced techniques were used; this was necessary 18% of the time (n=138). Logistic regression identified that dwell time was the only risk factor for failure of standard retrieval technique (odds ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.05–1.10;
P
<0.001). Spline function regression analysis demonstrated that if dwell time exceeded 7 months, the risk of standard technique failure was 40.9%. Adverse events occurred at a rate of 2% (n=18; 15 minor and 3 major).

Conclusions—

The necessity of advanced techniques to maintain technical success of retrieval increases with dwell time. Patients with retrievable inferior vena cava filters in place beyond 7 months may benefit from referral to centers with expertise in advanced filter retrieval.
Dynamin-Related Protein 1 Inhibition Attenuates Cardiovascular Calcification in the Presence of Oxidative Stress
Authors: Rogers Maximillian A. , Maldonado Natalia , Hutcheson Joshua D. , Goettsch Claudia , Goto Shinji , Yamada Iwao , Faits Tyler , Sesaki Hiromi , Aikawa Masanori , Aikawa Elena
Published: June 2017

Rationale:

Mitochondrial changes occur during cell differentiation and cardiovascular disease. DRP1 (dynamin-related protein 1) is a key regulator of mitochondrial fission. We hypothesized that DRP1 plays a role in cardiovascular calcification, a process involving cell differentiation and a major clinical problem with high unmet needs.

Objective:

To examine the effects of osteogenic promoting conditions on DRP1 and whether DRP1 inhibition alters the development of cardiovascular calcification.

Methods and Results:

DRP1 was enriched in calcified regions of human carotid arteries, examined by immunohistochemistry. Osteogenic differentiation of primary human vascular smooth muscle cells increased
DRP1
expression. DRP1 inhibition in human smooth muscle cells undergoing osteogenic differentiation attenuated matrix mineralization, cytoskeletal rearrangement, mitochondrial dysfunction, and reduced type 1 collagen secretion and alkaline phosphatase activity. DRP1 protein was observed in calcified human aortic valves, and
DRP1
RNA interference reduced primary human valve interstitial cell calcification. Mice heterozygous for
Drp1
deletion did not exhibit altered vascular pathology in a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 gain-of-function atherosclerosis model. However, when mineralization was induced via oxidative stress, DRP1 inhibition attenuated mouse and human smooth muscle cell calcification. Femur bone density was unchanged in mice heterozygous for
Drp1
deletion, and DRP1 inhibition attenuated oxidative stress–mediated dysfunction in human bone osteoblasts.

Conclusions:

We demonstrate a new function of DRP1 in regulating collagen secretion and cardiovascular calcification, a novel area of exploration for the potential development of new therapies to modify cellular fibrocalcific response in cardiovascular diseases. Our data also support a role of mitochondrial dynamics in regulating oxidative stress–mediated arterial calcium accrual and bone loss.
From Son of Man to Son of Adam—the Prophet Ezekiel in Targum Jonathan
Authors: Damsma Alinda
Published: June 2017

The ubiquitous vocative expression ‮בן־אדם‬‎ (literally ‘son of man’) in the Book of Ezekiel seems to underscore the prophet’s status as a mere mortal. In contrast to the other ancient versions, Targum Jonathan to the Prophets interprets the word ‮אדם‬‎ as a proper noun, and renders the phrase accordingly as ‮בר אדם‬‎ ‘son of Adam’. This translation runs counter to the Targum’s conventional practice of rendering ‮בן־אדם‬‎ with ‮בר אנש(א)‬‎. In the absence of a satisfactory grammatical explanation for the divergent rendering, this article examines the possibility that the Targumist’s eschewal of ‮בר אנשא‬‎ was motivated by doctrinal concerns. On the strength of the findings it is argued that ‮בר אדם‬‎ was a clever and subtle alternative for ‮בר אנשא‬‎ because, depending on the context, the latter phrase could evoke associations with the Danielic Son of Man figure and the Son of Man Christology.
New genus of Cladocera of subfamily Aloninae (Anomopoda: Chydoridae) from the Mekong River
Authors: SINEV ARTEM Y. , TIANG-NGA SUPATRA , SANOAMUANG LA-ORSRI
Published: June 2017

A rheophylous cladoceran, Rheoalona mekongensis sp. nov., gen. nov. (Anomopoda: Chydoridae: Aloninae) is described from the Mekong River, South-East Asia. Rheoalona gen. nov. belongs to the Coronatella-branch of Aloninae, it differs from Karualona Dumont & Silva-Briano, 2000 in absence of seta 1 of IDL of thoracic limb I and by particularly strong lateral setae of postabdomen; from Anthalona Van Damme, Sinev & Dumont, 2011 in a wide connection between major head pores, lack of cosmaria, and two-flaming torch setae of limb IV; and from Coronatella Dybowski & Grochowski, 1894 in two major head pores, very small elementary denticles of postabdomen, and a very small basal spine of postabdominal claw. R. mekongensis sp. nov. is specially adapted for dwelling in the upper layer of fine sediments of turbid rivers. Our finding stress the importance of sampling in riverine habitats for the full inventories of the cladoceran fauna.
Two new endemic cave-living moths from Hawai‘i Island: a new species of
Pseudoschrankia (Erebidae), and a new species of Mestolobes Crambidae)
Authors: MEDEIROS MATTHEW J , HOWARTH FRANCIS G
Published: June 2017

Two new endemic Hawaiian Lepidoptera species are herein described; both are associated with caves. The new species, Pseudoschrankia nohoana sp. nov. and Mestolobes olali sp. nov., have been found exclusively in caves or cave entrances on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, although neither species appears to possess any specializations for living in caves.
A controlled trial of trauma-focused therapy versus problem-solving in Islamic children affected by civil conflict and disaster in Aceh, Indonesia
Authors: Dawson Katie , Joscelyne Amy , Meijer Catherine , Steel Zachary , Silove Derrick , Bryant Richard A
Published: June 2017

Objective:

To evaluate the relative efficacies of trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy and problem-solving therapy in treating post-traumatic stress disorder in children affected by civil conflict in Aceh, Indonesia.

Method:

A controlled trial of children with post-traumatic stress disorder ( N = 64) randomized children to either five individual weekly sessions of trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy or problem-solving therapy provided by lay-counselors who were provided with brief training. Children were assessed by blind independent assessors at pretreatment, posttreatment and 3-month follow-up on post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anger, as well as caregiver ratings of the child’s post-traumatic stress disorder levels.

Results:

Intent-to-treat analyses indicated no significant linear time × treatment condition interaction effects for post-traumatic stress disorder at follow-up ( t(129.05) = −0.55, p = 0.58), indicating the two conditions did not differ. Across both conditions, there were significant reductions in post-traumatic stress disorder on self-reported ( t(131.26) = −9.26, p < 0.001) and caregiver-reported ( t(170.65) = 3.53, p = 0.001) measures and anger ( t(127.66) = −7.14, p < 0.001). Across both conditions, there was a large effect size for self-reported post-traumatic stress disorder (cognitive behavior therapy: 3.73, 95% confidence interval = [2.75, 3.97]; problem-solving: 2.68, 95% confidence interval = [2.07, 3.29]).

Conclusions:

These findings suggest that trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy and problem-solving approaches are comparably successful in reducing post-traumatic stress disorder and anger in treating mental health in children in a post-conflict setting. This pattern may reflect the benefits of non-specific therapy effects or gains associated with trauma-focused or problem-solving approaches.
Conceptualizing the African child as orphan and vulnerable: A label in need of redefinition?
Authors: Lombe Margaret , Mabikke Harriet , Enelamah Ngozi Victoria , Chu Yoosun
Published: June 2017

Despite the decline in AIDS-related deaths worldwide, the consequence of the disease continues to be felt. This is exemplified in the unprecedented numbers of adult deaths and inability of the extended family to cope. These factors have impacted the welfare of children negatively. Focusing specifically on sub-Saharan Africa, a region severely struck by the pandemic, we examine the effects of the label ‘Orphan and Vulnerable Children’ (OVC), which has been utilized to identify children affected by HIV/AIDS, on the welfare of the affected children. Implications for policy, practice, and scholarship are suggested.
Beyond Auditory Sensory Processing Deficits: Lexical Tone Perception Deficits in Chinese Children With Developmental Dyslexia
Authors: Tong Xiuhong , Tong Xiuli , King Yiu Fung
Published: June 2017

Increasing evidence suggests that children with developmental dyslexia exhibit a deficit not only at the segmental level of phonological processing but also, by extension, at the suprasegmental level. However, it remains unclear whether such a suprasegmental phonological processing deficit is due to a difficulty in processing acoustic cues of speech rhythm, such as rise time and intensity. This study set out to investigate to what extent suprasegmental phonological processing (i.e., Cantonese lexical tone perception) and rise time sensitivity could distinguish Chinese children with dyslexia from typically developing children. Sixteen children with dyslexia and 44 age-matched controls were administered a Cantonese lexical tone perception task, psychoacoustic tasks, a nonverbal reasoning ability task, and word reading and dictation tasks. Children with dyslexia performed worse than controls on Cantonese lexical tone perception, rise time, and intensity. Furthermore, Cantonese lexical tone perception appeared to be a stable indicator that distinguishes children with dyslexia from controls, even after controlling for basic auditory processing skills. These findings suggest that suprasegmental phonological processing (i.e., lexical tone perception) is a potential factor that accounts for reading difficulty in Chinese.
Just Ask Me: Convergent Validity of Self-Reported Measures of Music Participation
Authors: Elpus Kenneth
Published: June 2017

The purpose of this study was to determine the convergent validity of self-reported and objective measures of school music ensemble participation. Self-reported survey responses to a question about high school music ensemble participation and administrative data in the form of high school transcript-indicated ensemble enrollments were compared across N = 62,110 observations. Cohen’s kappa (κ) showed substantial agreement between self-reports and the administrative data. Evidence from the study suggests that self-reports are a valid measure of music ensemble participation, suitable for use in social scientific music education research.
Effect of the Earned Income Tax Credit on Hospital Admissions for Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma, 1995-2013
Authors: Klevens Joanne , Schmidt Brian , Luo Feijun , Xu Likang , Ports Katie A. , Lee Rosalyn D.
Published: June 2017

Objectives:

Policies that increase household income, such as the earned income tax credit (EITC), have shown reductions on risk factors for child maltreatment (ie, poverty, maternal stress, depression), but evidence is lacking on whether the EITC actually reduces child maltreatment. We examined whether states’ EITCs are associated with state rates of hospital admissions for abusive head trauma among children aged <2 years.

Methods:

We conducted difference-in-difference analyses (ie, pre- and postdifferences in intervention vs control groups) of annual rates of states’ hospital admissions attributed to abusive head trauma among children aged <2 years (ie, using aggregate data). We conducted analyses in 14 states with, and 13 states without, an EITC from 1995 to 2013, differentiating refundable EITCs (ie, tax filer gets money even if taxes are not owed) from nonrefundable EITCs (ie, tax filer gets credit only for any tax owed), controlling for state rates of child poverty, unemployment, high school graduation, and percentage of non-Latino white people.

Results:

A refundable EITC was associated with a decrease of 3.1 abusive head trauma admissions per 100 000 population in children aged <2 years after controlling for confounders ( P = .08), but a nonrefundable EITC was not associated with a decrease ( P = .49). Tax refunds ranged from $108 to $1014 and $165 to $1648 for a single parent working full-time at minimum wage with 1 child or 2 children, respectively.

Conclusions:

Our findings with others suggest that policies such as the EITC that increase household income may prevent serious abusive head trauma.
“I’m Not Fragile. I’m Not Limited”: Career Aspirations of Youth With Perinatally Acquired HIV
Authors: Fair Cynthia D. , Rupp Sophie , Mitchell Joanna , Gatto Amy
Published: June 2017

Although children born with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) are now living into adulthood, little is known about their transition into the workforce and the ways they develop career aspirations. In this phenomenological study, 35 youth with PHIV (mean age 20.7) completed semistructured interviews regarding their career aspirations which were transcribed and coded for emergent themes using grounded theory. Approximately half of the participants were employed at the time of the interview. Sixteen participants aspired to work in helping professions. Others sought employment in the arts or business sector. Participants indicated that parents/guardians and medical providers were generally supportive of their career interests. Providers and social workers often helped them find jobs and construct resumes. Thirteen participants indicated that their HIV status had little impact on their career aspirations. Others believed HIV-related challenges related to transmission, physical difficulties, and emotional turmoil limited their ability to pursue certain careers. Several felt inspired to fight against HIV-related stigma/discrimination. It is important to encourage youth with PHIV to prepare for their future by routinely holding conversations regarding their career goals.
Assessing the public transport service to urban parks on the basis of spatial accessibility for citizens in the compact megacity of Shanghai, China
Authors: Liang Huilin , Zhang Qingping
Published: June 2017

Urban parks and public transport are indispensable elements of a compact megacity for their environmental and social values. However, few measures of urban park accessibility have considered the public transport travel mode. Based on the framework of geographic information systems (GIS) network analysis, this study proposes an innovative method to incorporate public transport travel mode into urban park accessibility evaluations. Taking Shanghai, China, as the study area, we measured home to park and park from home travel times on multi-modal transport networks, calculated the accessibilities by multiple equations, and compared accessibilities for different districts. These methods extend current accessibility measures by calculating accessibility at a realistic level, and provide a measure of public transport service for urban parks. The results for Shanghai show that approximately 99.95% of home to park routes might include public transport. The distribution of home to park public transport accessibility of the city was uneven. The patches with best accessibility tend to be distributed in the built-up area in the city centre. Public transport access to urban parks is inhomogeneous for different districts, because of urban park locations, road network characteristics, and uneven public transport supply. The distribution of park from home public transport accessibility has no significant correlation with district development stage. Public transport service in Shanghai takes no account of the factors of park star rating or size. Positive actions are required to improve the equity of public transport access to the important public health resources of urban parks.
Telecommuting and sustainable travel: Reduction of overall travel time, increases in non-motorised travel and congestion relief?
Authors: Lachapelle Ugo , Tanguay Georges A , Neumark-Gaudet Léa
Published: June 2017

Existing research has concluded that shares of telecommuting are low but stable, increase with distance from the workplace and that telecommuting may reduce commuting-related travel. Its effect on work and non-work travel are subject to rebound effects and, thus, still debated. Additionally, telecommuting does not necessarily occur entirely at home. The paper studies telecommuting’s potential as a sustainable mobility tool in Canada to reduce overall travel time and peak hour travel, and to increase non-motorised travel. Do types of telecommuting arrangements have varying relationships with these studied travel patterns? Using time use data from the 2005 Canadian General Social Survey, studied outcomes are regressed on telecommuting arrangements (all day home working, part-day home working and a combination of other locations and home and/or workplace) and other personal characteristics. Depending on telecommuting arrangements and travel outcomes, results vary. Working from home is associated with decreases in overall travel time by 14 minutes and increases in odds of non-motorised travel by 77%. Other forms of telecommuting yield different results. Telecommuters may be more likely to avoid peak hours when they do take trips. Types of telecommuting arrangements have different impacts on sustainable travel outcomes that should be considered depending on policy priorities.
Financialising space through transferable development rights: Urban renewal, Taipei style
Authors: Yang Daniel You-Ren , Chang Jung-Che
Published: June 2017

This research investigated the uneven geography of gentrification and the derived community-based conflicts in Taipei’s urban renewal after 2006, which has chiefly been boosted by transferable development rights (TDR). In this context, we argue that TDR has developed a monetary function, and we introduce the notion of strategic monopoly rent to reconceptualise TDR. Accordingly, we propose an institutionalised rent gap model from the perspective of investigating the institutional increase and social dispossession of the rent gap, which have been boosted by the financialised TDR and strategically structured by the state and developers under the regulation of property rights exchange. This system appreciates the potential ground rent and depreciates the building value institutionally – a practice not related to the actual occurrence of its physical deterioration. Landowners are either encouraged or coerced to participate in the distribution of the enlarged rent gap. Two forms of the social dispossession of ground rent have occurred, including the dispossession of the landowners as a whole by the developer and the dispossession of one landowner by another. We argue that the gentrification system has produced the mal-effects of surging housing prices, enclosure, dispossession, displacement and social antagonism.
Revisiting Trade Unions’ Response to New Public Management: A Case From Zambia
Authors: Madimutsa Clever , Pretorius Leon G.
Published: June 2017

This article discusses the strategic responses by public-sector unions to new public management (NPM) reforms in Zambia. The article is based on a qualitative research methodology focusing on the Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia. The study shows that public-sector workers in developing countries are more vulnerable to the effects of externally imposed NPM reforms, which include job cuts. However, the implementation of these reforms faces opposition especially from trade unions. In line with the assumptions of strategic choice theory, union responses to NPM reforms are strategic. Despite the high vulnerability of public workers in developing countries, their unions use strategies that can also be observed in developed countries to mitigate the negative consequences of NPM reforms on the public sector. These strategies follow a three-stage process, namely, opposing the reforms, negotiating for favorable reform measures, and shifting from centralized structures to networks.
A Network Model of Negative Campaigning: The Structure and Determinants of Negative Campaigning in Multiparty Systems
Authors: Song Hyunjin , Nyhuis Dominic , Boomgaarden Hajo
Published: June 2017

Scholarly attention to the nature and extent of negative campaigning in nonmajoritarian multiparty systems is steadily growing. While prior studies have made commendable progress in outlining the conditions and consequences of negative campaigning, they have typically disregarded the complex interdependencies of multiactor communication environments. The present study focuses on network-structural determinants of negative campaigning. It does so by relying on unique data from the 2013 Austrian federal election and using exponential random graph models to investigate patterns of mediated negative campaigning. We find that—above and beyond common determinants of negative campaigning—indicators of network structure are important predictors of campaign communication. This suggests that network models are crucial for accurately representing campaign communication patterns in multiparty systems.
The City as a Space of Plastic Happening: From Grand Proposals to Exceptional Gestures in the Art of the 1970s in Zagreb
Authors: Bago Ivana
Published: June 2017

In the period of the late 1960s and early 1970s, a number of Zagreb-based artists, critics, and curators advocated the idea that art should leave the museum and engage in a direct encounter with the city and its inhabitants. Starting with the 1971 Zagreb Salon and its “Proposal” section titled The City as a Space of Plastic Happening, art took to the streets in a series of exhibition projects at the same time as Yugoslav students did so in protests that began in June 1968 in Belgrade, and continued in other cities, including Zagreb, where they were then followed by their ideological antagonist, the “Croatian Spring” movement in 1971. The notion of plasticity was a central discursive tool in the critical and theoretical accounts of the time, and the city was both the stage and target of the artistic gestures of “plastic” transformation. The article reads these projects and the discourses surrounding them as critiques of the Yugoslav socialist city, and by metonymical extension, of the failure of the Yugoslav state to live up to its promise of a just socialist society.
Has government been mediatized? A UK perspective
Authors: Garland Ruth , Tambini Damian , Couldry Nick
Published: June 2017

There has been little empirical research to date on the consequences of mass media change for the processes of government in the United Kingdom, despite a well-documented concern since the 1990s with ‘political spin’. Studies have focussed largely on the relative agenda setting power of political and media actors in relation to political campaigning rather than the actual everyday workings of public bureaucracies, although UK case studies suggest that the mass media have influenced policy development in certain key areas. The study of government’s relations with media from within is a small but growing sub-field where scholars have used a combination of methods to identify ways in which central bureaucracies and executive agencies adapt to the media. We present the results of a preliminary study involving in-depth interviews with serving civil servants, together with archival analysis, to suggest that media impacts are increasingly becoming institutionalized and normalized within state bureaucracies: a process we identify as mediatization. A specific finding is a shift in the relationship between government, media and citizens whereby social media is enabling governments to become news providers, bypassing the ‘prism of the media’ and going direct to citizens.
‘They are your testimony’: Professionals, clients and the creation of client capture during professional career progression
Authors: Gustafsson Stefanie , Swart Juani , Kinnie Nick
Published: June 2017

The relationship between professionals and clients has received considerable interest, more recently through the concept of client capture. However, little is known to date about the mechanisms through which professionals become captured by their clients. Drawing on 50 interviews investigating the promotion of lawyers to partnership in seven UK law firms, we contribute to existing understanding by exploring the creation of client capture during professional career progression. We propose that by bestowing clients with influence over who gets promoted to partnership, lawyers lose professional independence in defining the future of their firm. In addition, we illustrate how lawyers make themselves indirectly dependent on their clients by perceiving partnership as influential to client work. By doing so, they rely on their clients to legitimize partnership as the ideal career path. Based on our findings, we argue that career progression acts as an enabling mechanism for the creation of client capture as, by succumbing to the desire to advance their careers, professionals also become prone to client capture. We discuss the implications of our findings for professional–client relations and client capture, professional careers and the changing nature of professional work.
Preoperative 18F‐FDG‐PET/CT vs Contrast‐Enhanced CT to Identify Regional Nodal Metastasis among Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Cho Joshua K. , Ow Thomas J. , Lee Andrew Y. , Smith Richard V. , Schlecht Nicolas F. , Schiff Bradley A. , Tassler Andrew B. , Lin Juan , Moadel Renee M. , Valdivia Ana , Abraham Tony , Gulko Edwin , Neimark Matthew , Ustun Berrin , Bello Jacqueline A. , Shifteh Keivan
Published: June 2017

Objective

Our objective was to compare the accuracy of preoperative positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) and contrast‐enhanced CT (CECT) in detecting cervical nodal metastases in patients treated with neck dissection and to scrutinize the ability of each modality to determine nodal stage.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York.

Subjects and Methods

Patients who underwent neck dissection at our institution for primary treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and had received preoperative PET/CT and CECT were included in this study. Imaging studies were reinterpreted by 3 specialists within the field and compared for interreader agreement. Concordance between radiology and histopathology was measured using neck levels and sides, along with patient nodal stage. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and agreement coefficients were calculated.

Results

Seventy‐three patients were included in the study. Sensitivity was 0.69 and 0.94 (level and side) for PET/CT vs 0.53 and 0.66 for CECT (P =. 056, P =. 001). Specificity was 0.86 and 0.56 for PET/CT vs 0.91 and 0.76 for CECT (P =. 014, P =. 024). No significant difference was found in overall accuracy (P =. 33, P =. 88). The overall agreement percentages between N stage called by imaging modality and pathology were 52% and 55% for PET/CT and CECT, respectively.

Conclusion

No significant difference in sensitivity was found between PET/CT and CECT. CECT was found to have superior specificity compared with PET/CT. The information gleaned from each modality in the pretreatment evaluation of HNSCC appears to be complementary.
Solitary thymic metastasis of breast cancer 13 years after surgery
Authors: Fukunaga Akira , Sasamura Yuji , Takada Akio , Murakami Yoshihiro , Abe Hirotake , Miyasaka Mamoru
Published: June 2017

A 59-year-old woman was noted to have an anterior mediastinal mass on computed tomography at a regular follow-up 13 years after initial surgery for left breast cancer. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an anterior mediastinal mass. A total thymectomy with excision of surrounding lymphoid tissue was performed. Pathological examination of the resected tumor confirmed the diagnosis of thymic metastasis from breast cancer. The patient has been alive for 6 years after thymectomy. Metastases to the thymus are rare, but long-term survival can be expected with appropriate treatment.
Posterior mediastinal Müllerian cyst: a rare cause of pain in a young woman
Authors: Weedle Rebecca , Conway Keith , Saftic Igor , Soo Alan
Published: June 2017

Thoracic pain in a young woman carries a wide differential diagnosis. We present the case of a 37-year-old woman who presented with thoracic pain due to a posterior mediastinal Müllerian cyst. Excision was performed by left uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. This is the first report to describe thoracic pain that resolved with excision of the cyst.
Migration of contraceptive implant into the left pulmonary arterial system
Authors: Kew Ee Phui , Senanayake Eshan , Djearaman Madava , Bishay Ehab
Published: June 2017

An 18-year-old woman had an etonogestrel implant inserted into her left upper arm 2 years earlier for menorrhagia. Her symptoms were not well controlled and she requested the implant to be removed. However, clinicians were unable to locate the implant on her left arm. Computed tomography showed that the implant had migrated to a sub-lobar branch of the left lower lobe pulmonary artery. The long-term effect of leaving an etonogestrel implant in the pulmonary arterial system is unknown. This report adds to the small body of evidence on intravascular migration of a subdermally placed contraceptive implant.
Masculinities, Remittances and Failure
Authors: Maycock Matthew
Published: June 2017

Migration from Nepal to India, a major issue in contemporary Nepal, has a wide range of consequences, including significant implications for the performance of masculinity. Remittances, and the associated pressures to send or bring money home, form a central part of the gendering of such migration, but many men are unable to remit to the levels expected of them. Consequently, this overshadows the cost/benefit analysis of migration for many families and brings into question the extent to which migration remains a viable income diversification strategy. The article, based on a multi-methods approach within an ethnographic framework, examines the potential range of effects that migration trajectories may have on males that migrate and are then finding themselves under pressure to remit and perform locally specific forms of masculinity.
Demonetisation and Remonetisation in India
Authors: Midthanpally Raja Shekhar
Published: June 2017

The recent demonetisation in India is an issue of potentially wider relevance that requires further analysis. This brief article places the current evidence into a wider context, indicates how the process has been managed so far and then raises some searching questions concerning the role of the Indian state. Particularly, to what extent can this kind of measure be seen as evidence of responsible governance in the wider context of ‘Modinomics’, relating to claims that government should be less of a spender than an enabler? Wider elements of epistemology, asking how we know what we think we know about India’s black economy and informal sector are also gaining prominence in such endeavours.
Low plasma PDGF-BB levels are associated with estradiol in postmenopausal osteoporosis
Authors: Tang Lanhua , Xia Zhuying , Luo Zhongwei , Long Haitao , Zhu Yong , Zhao Shushan
Published: June 2017

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the association between low plasma Platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) levels and oestradiol in Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP).

Methods

This prospective study measured plasma PDGF-BB and oestradiol levels in outpatients who were admitted to our hospital. Participants were screened and then allocated to three groups: normal young women, postmenopausal control, and PMOP. Additionally, Sprague–Dawley rats underwent either sham surgery or bilateral ovariectomy (OVX), and were divided into the following groups: sham, OVX, OVX + oestradiol, and OVX + PDGF-BB. Plasma oestradiol and PDGF-BB levels were measured using commercially available ELISA kits.

Results

A total of 121 participants, including 69 normal young women, 28 patients with primary PMOP, and 24 age-matched postmenopausal women were enrolled. Plasma oestradiol and PDGF-BB levels were lower in postmenopausal women, especially in PMOP ( P < 0.01). Pearson correlations analysis showed that PDGF-BB levels were positively correlated with oestradiol levels and inversely correlated with age ( P < 0.01). The OVX rat model showed that oestradiol replacement increased plasma PDGF-BB levels, while PDGF-BB systematic treatment had no effect on plasma oestradiol levels.

Conclusions

Plasma PDGF-BB levels are maintained by oestrogen in normal young women and play a major role in PMOP.
Esophageal foreign bodies in adults with different durations of time from ingestion to effective treatment
Authors: Zhang Xiaowen , Jiang Yan , Fu Tao , Zhang Xiaoheng , Li Na , Tu Chunmei
Published: June 2017

Objective

This study was performed to identify the differences in clinical characteristics, operative methods, complications, and postoperative hospitalization stays for adults with esophageal foreign bodies with different durations of time from ingestion to effective treatment.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 221 patients with a diagnosis of a foreign body in the esophagus, confirmed by rigid esophagoscopy, flexible esophagoscopy, or surgery. The differences between the two groups (Group A, ≤24 hours from ingestion to effective treatment; Group B, >24 hours from ingestion to effective treatment) were analyzed.

Results

Sharp foreign bodies comprised the majority of objects in the two groups, including jujube pits, bones (excluding fish bones), fish bones, dentures, and seafood shells. Foreign bodies located in the upper esophagus were more commonly observed in Group A than B. Significant differences were observed in the complication rate and length of postoperative hospitalization stays. Adults with esophageal foreign bodies had a high complication rate.

Conclusions

Rigid esophagoscopy can be used to remove sharp and bulky foreign bodies if more effective methods are unavailable. Effective treatment within 24 hours resulted in fewer complications and shorter postoperative hospitalization stays.
Research in the precaution of recombinant human erythropoietin to steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the rat femoral head
Authors: Jiang Lu-yong , Yu Xiao , Pang Qing-jiang
Published: June 2017

Objective

To elucidate the effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) on steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head in rats.

Methods

Twenty-four adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups of eight rats each. The rats in the positive control group were injected with dexamethasone at 1 mg/kg twice a week for 5 weeks. The rats in the negative control group were injected with sodium chloride alone. The rats in the experimental group were injected with dexamethasone at 1 mg/kg twice a week for 5 weeks and rHuEPO (500 u/d/kg) daily for 5 weeks. The femoral head on one side was examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining, and that on the other side was examined by CD31 staining of the capillaries.

Results

Hematoxylin and eosin staining in the positive control group showed that the bony trabeculae had become obviously narrow and sparse with discontinuity of the integrity. The integrity of the trabeculae was better in the experimental group than positive control group. The CD31 expression was lower in the positive control group than in the other two groups.

Conclusion

rHuEPO can effectively prevent osteocyte apoptosis, delaying or decreasing osteonecrosis of the femoral head.
Epileptic seizures with reversible lesions in bilateral frontoparietal lobes: A case report and literature review
Authors: Sun Lichao , Zhu Zhanpeng , Wang Guangming , Lin Weihong
Published: June 2017

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended for patients with epileptic seizures to rule out an underlying focal lesion. However, the radiological characteristics of epilepsy are not well elucidated. Transient periictal MRI abnormality (TPMA) refers to reversible MRI signal changes observed in epileptic patients. A 32-year-old man presented with a 2-week history of epileptic seizures, which initially manifested as focal aware seizures and progressed to a generalized tonic-clonic seizure on the third day. Electroencephalography showed sharp waves, sharp and slow wave complexes, and irregular δ waves over bilateral temporal lobes. After admission, brain MRI showed abnormal signals in the bilateral frontoparietal lobes. He was administered oral oxcarbazepine (75  mg twice daily). During follow-up he was seizure-free; the abnormal MRI signals persisted at 2 weeks, but were completely resolved at 4 months. The possibility of TPMA should be considered in patients with epileptic disorders, and differentiated from a potential epileptogenic lesion.
A saprophytic fungus (Sepedonium) associated with fatal pneumonia in a patient undergoing stem cell transplantation
Authors: Arellano-Galindo José , Eugenio Vázquez-Meraz , Elva Jiménez-Hernández , Jesús Reséndiz-Sánchez , María de los Ángeles Martínez-Rivera , Rodolfo Norberto Jiménez-Juárez , Juan Xicohtencatl-Cortes , Sara A. Ochoa , Ariadna Cruz-Córdoba
Published: June 2017

Sepedonium sp . is a saprophytic fungus that inhabits soil and plant material. Few cases of infection with this fungus have been reported. We describe a case of a child who received haploidentical stem cell transplantation. The patient developed Sepedonium sp . infection after graft failure accompanied by cytomegalovirus infection. This was associated with two genotypes corresponding to a gB1 and gB3 mixture, which suggested involvement of two strains. Throughout the clinical course, immunosuppression and subsequent development of the fungal infection was observed. Our findings add to the available evidence regarding the potential for acquisition of fungal infection from the environment in patients at high risk because of immunosuppression. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of Sepedonium sp . infection following graft failure accompanied by previous cytomegalovirus infection in a patient with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.