bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eldres erfaringer med regelmessig trening i gruppe: Fokusgruppeintervju med eldre over 80 år
Authors: Torjuul Kirsti , Birkenes Silje , Myren Gunn Eva S , Torvik Karin
Published: March 2015

Although physical exercise reduces risks of disease and improves older persons’ quality of life and daily functioning, people become less active with advancing age and few exercise regularly. The aim of the study was to illuminate older persons’ experiences of regularly exercising in groups. Three focus group interviews were conducted with 18 community-dwelling people aged 80 years and over. They were asked about their experiences of exercising regularly, changes in physical functioning and health, and the value of exercising in groups. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Three main themes and five subthemes were identified. The findings showed that exercising contributed to experiences of well-being, maintenance or improvement of physical functioning. Exercising in groups resulted in companionship, satisfaction, mutual support and encouragement. Self-efficacy was expressed in the interviews. Health personnel may enhance physical exercise in older people by combining activities that promote wellbeing, maintenance or improvement of physical functioning, and social contact. Self-efficacy can be enhanced by focusing on physical progress and coping experiences and reducing risks and discomfort while exercising.
Item Response Theory Models for Carry-Over Effect Across Different Scales
Authors: Jin Kuan-Yu , Wang Wen-Chung
Published: March 2015

It is common in educational and psychological tests or social surveys that the same statement is judged on multiple scales. These multiple responses are linked by the same statement, which may cause local dependence. Considering the way a statement is judged on multiple scales, a new class of item response theory (IRT) models is developed to account for the nonrecursive carry-over effect, in which a response can be affected only by its preceding response rather than by a subsequent response. The parameters of the models can be estimated with the freeware WinBUGS. Two simulation studies were conducted to evaluate the parameter recovery of the new models and the consequences of model misspecification. Results showed that the parameters of the new models were recovered fairly well; fitting unnecessarily complicated models to data that did not have the carry-over effect did little harm to parameter estimation; and ignoring the carry-over effect by fitting standard IRT models yielded biased estimates for the item parameters, the correlation between latent traits, and the test reliability. Two empirical examples with parallel design and sequential design are provided to demonstrate the implications and applications of the new models.
Don’t Tell Me Who I Can’t Love
Authors: Sinclair H. Colleen , Felmlee Diane , Sprecher Susan , Wright Brittany L.
Published: March 2015

In three studies, we examined the influence of social network reactions on feelings toward a romantic partner. Study 1 was a large survey (N = 858), Study 2 was a vignette design in which social network reactions were manipulated, and Study 3 was a laboratory-based, dating game experiment. We found extensive support for the social network effect, whereby relationship approval from family and friends leads individuals to feel more love, more committed, and more positive about a partner. We also examined whether psychological reactance moderated social network influence. Analyses revealed two types of reactance: defiant reactance (doing the opposite of that urged by others) and independent reactance (a desire to make free and independent decisions). Independent reactance but not defiant reactance interacted with network effects and buffered the effects of social adversity. Independent individuals appear capable of ignoring disapproving network opinions. Findings demonstrate a noteworthy interaction between individuals and their social environment.
Psy-Zing up the Mainstreaming of “Gangnam Style”
Authors: Park Michael K.
Published: March 2015

Through the media mania of Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” this paper examines the ideological implications of the video’s crossover appeal and its celebrated reception on U.S. national television. This paper analyzes whether the celebratory reception of “Gangnam Style” offer alternative discourses or reinforce ideological constructions of Asian masculinity. A critical decoding of the audiovisual text and Psy’s U.S. media appearances identifies the ideological implications that reflect the emasculation discourse that situates Asian masculinity as neo-minstrelsy. Psy’s television appearances indicate that his celebratory embrace is due in part because his image and physicality conform to racialized constructions in the larger body politic. This inquiry provides critical insight into how the popular embrace of audiovisual text reflects the emasculation discourse that defines Asian men.
Randomized Trial of Group Music Therapy With Chinese Prisoners
Authors: Chen Xi-Jing , Hannibal Niels , Gold Christian
Published: March 2015

This study investigated the effects of group music therapy on improving anxiety, depression, and self-esteem in Chinese prisoners. Two-hundred male prisoners were randomly assigned to music therapy ( n = 100) or standard care ( n = 100). The music therapy had 20 sessions of group therapy compared with standard care. Anxiety (State and Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI]), depression (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]), and self-esteem (Texas Social Behavior Inventory [TSBI], Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory [RSI]) were measured by standardized scales at baseline, mid-program, and post-program. Data were analyzed based on the intention to treat principle. Compared with standard care, anxiety and depression in the music therapy condition decreased significantly at mid-test and post-test; self-esteem improved significantly at mid-test (TSBI) and at post-test (TSBI, RSI). Improvements were greater in younger participants (STAI-Trait, RSI) and/or in those with a lower level of education (STAI-State, STAI-Trait). Group music therapy seems to be effective in improving anxiety, depression, and self-esteem and was shown to be most beneficial for prisoners of younger age or with lower education level.
Valorisation of biodiesel production wastes: Anaerobic digestion of residual Tetraselmis suecica biomass and co-digestion with glycerol
Authors: Santos-Ballardo David U , Font-Segura Xavier , Ferrer Antoni Sánchez , Barrena Raquel , Rossi Sergio , Valdez-Ortiz Angel
Published: March 2015

One of the principal opportunity areas in the development of the microalgal biodiesel industry is the energy recovery from the solid microalgal biomass residues to optimise the fuel production. This work reports the cumulative methane yields reached from the anaerobic digestion of the solid microalgal biomass residues using different types of inocula, reporting also the improvement of biogas production using the co-digestion of microalgal biomass with glycerol. Results demonstrate that the solid microalgal biomass residues showed better biogas production using a mesophilic inoculum, reaching almost two-fold higher methane production than under thermophilic conditions. Furthermore, the solid microalgal biomass residues methane production rate showed an increase from 173.78 ± 9.57 to 438.46 ± 40.50 mL of methane per gram of volatile solids, when the co-digestion with glycerol was performed. These results are crucial to improve the energy balance of the biodiesel production from Tetraselmis suecica, as well as proposing an alternative way to treat the wastes derived from the microalgae biodiesel production.
Neutral trade in time of war: The case of Sweden, 1838–1960
Authors: Hedberg Peter , Karlsson Lars
Published: March 2015

It is an established view that war aggravates economic growth due to the direct costs of war, and to the indirect costs incurred from naval warfare and economic blockades. In this article, however, we suggest that non-belligerent countries with access to open trade channels could maintain or expand their trade, even when world trade had declined. As a result, in addition to the advantages of evading the costs of war, non-belligerent countries may have experienced gains from trade during war periods. This contention is based on an examination of the wartime trade of non-belligerent Sweden during four European wars, c.1838–1960. We use interrupted time series analysis to estimate the impact of the wars on Swedish trade and real GDP growth, and we also measure the relative impact of the wars by comparing the Swedish experience to those of the belligerent countries.
Correlates of Female-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence in Kano, Northern Nigeria
Authors: Amole Taiwo G. , Bello Shehu , Odoh Chisom , Aliyu Muktar H. , Iliyasu Zubairu
Published: March 2015

Women are by no means the exclusive victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). This study assessed the lifetime prevalence and predictors of female-perpetrated IPV among public servants in Kano, Nigeria. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design and systematic sampling, pre-tested structured self-administered questionnaires were used to assess prevalence, types, and predictors of IPV among 302 married men. The lifetime prevalence of IPV was 66.8% ( n = 177; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [60.7, 72.4]). Of surveyed men who have ever experienced violence, 78.0% ( n = 138), 81.4% ( n = 144), and 16.4% ( n = 29) encountered physical assault, psychological aggression, and sexual coercion, respectively. After controlling for confounders, having ≥5 children, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) [95% CI] = 3.93 [1.16, 13.29], p = .027, and childhood experience of violence, aOR [95% CI] = 0.14 [0.05, 0.39], p = .0001, remained significant predictors of female-perpetrated IPV. In conclusion, female-perpetrated IPV is prevalent in northern Nigeria. Addressing IPV will require comprehensive violence prevention measures, including counseling and support for victims and exposed children.
The application of novel techniques for gas turbine inlet-cooling that improve both the power and efficiency of the modern commercial steam-air-cooled gas turbine combined cycle power plants in hot and humid climates
Authors: Bassily AM
Published: March 2015

Increasing ambient temperature significantly reduces the efficiency and power output of the combined cycle power plant. Gas turbine (GT) inlet-cooling decreases air temperature at the inlet of the air compressor; thus, reduces the work of the compressor and increases the mass flow rate and power output. The steam-cooled GT has a higher output per kg of inlet air than the air-cooled GT; therefore, for the same power output, the mass flow rate and as a consequence the cooling load is lower for the steam-cooled GT. Accordingly, the impact of applying GT inlet-cooling on the performance of the combined cycle is expected to be different for the steam-cooled GT from that for the air-cooled GT. For hot and humid climates, the typical GT inlet-cooling techniques of evaporative, inlet-fogging, and desiccant-cooling are not effective while absorption and refrigeration GT inlet-cooling systems consume significant amounts of energy, which influence the efficiency and power output. In this paper, novel GT inlet-cooling techniques that take advantages of the process air and exhaust heat energies are introduced. The commercial STAG 107H steam/air-cooled GT combined cycle with such innovative GT inlet-cooling systems are modeled. The effectiveness of the novel cooling techniques is compared with that of the available GT inlet-cooling systems of inlet-fogging, refrigeration, and absorption. The impacts of varying ambient temperature and relative humidity on the performance of the commercial combined cycle with the different GT inlet-cooling techniques are presented, compared, and the results are discussed. The results indicate that the introduced innovative techniques for GT inlet-cooling are the most suitable for hot and humid climates with improvements of up to 1.2 percentage point in the combined cycle efficiency and 1.4% in the power output when compared with the refrigeration and absorption GT inlet-cooling systems.
Effect of the absolute statistic on gene-sampling gene-set analysis methods
Authors: Nam Dougu
Published: March 2015

Gene-set enrichment analysis and its modified versions have commonly been used for identifying altered functions or pathways in disease from microarray data. In particular, the simple gene-sampling gene-set analysis methods have been heavily used for datasets with only a few sample replicates. The biggest problem with this approach is the highly inflated false-positive rate. In this paper, the effect of absolute gene statistic on gene-sampling gene-set analysis methods is systematically investigated. Thus far, the absolute gene statistic has merely been regarded as a supplementary method for capturing the bidirectional changes in each gene set. Here, it is shown that incorporating the absolute gene statistic in gene-sampling gene-set analysis substantially reduces the false-positive rate and improves the overall discriminatory ability. Its effect was investigated by power, false-positive rate, and receiver operating curve for a number of simulated and real datasets. The performances of gene-set analysis methods in one-tailed (genome-wide association study) and two-tailed (gene expression data) tests were also compared and discussed.
Callous-Unemotional Traits, Behavior Disorders, and the Student–Teacher Relationship in Elementary School Students
Authors: Crum Kathleen I. , Waschbusch Daniel A. , Willoughby Michael T.
Published: March 2015

Mental health research demonstrates that children with conduct problems (CP) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits differ in important ways from children with CP alone, including differences in primary caregiver attachment quality. This research suggests CU may also influence the quality of attachment between children with CP and their teachers. This study compared children with CP alone (CP), CU alone (CU), both CP and CU (CPCU), and neither CP nor CU (comparison) on measures of the student–teacher relationship (STR). Participants were 1,554 students from seven elementary schools. Teachers completed ratings of STR, behavior (CP, CU, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]), and impairment approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the start of the school year, and again 4 to 6 weeks before the school year’s end. Random intercept hierarchical linear models (HLMs) showed that (a) children with CPCU had the highest conflict and lowest closeness with teachers at the start of the school year and the greatest end-of- year impairment, (b) higher conflict and lower closeness with teachers at the school year’s start were associated with greater end-of-the-year impairment, (c) there was no interaction between group (CP, CU, CPCU, or comparison) and STR in predicting end-of-the-year outcomes, and (d) ADHD was robustly associated with end-of-the-year impairment.
Outcomes of a Stepcut Lengthening Calcaneal Osteotomy for Adult-Acquired Flatfoot Deformity
Authors: Demetracopoulos Constantine A. , Nair Pallavi , Malzberg Andrew , Deland Jonathan T.
Published: March 2015

Background:

Lateral column lengthening is used to correct abduction deformity at the midfoot and improve talar head coverage in patients with flatfoot deformity. It was our hypothesis that following a stepcut lengthening calcaneal osteotomy (SLCO), patients would have adequate correction of the deformity, a high union rate of the osteotomy, and improvement in clinical outcome scores.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed 37 consecutive patients who underwent SLCO for the treatment of stage IIB flatfoot deformity with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Deformity correction was assessed using preoperative and postoperative weight-bearing radiographs. Healing of the osteotomy was assessed by computed tomography. Clinical outcomes included the FAOS and SF-36 questionnaires. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare clinical outcome scores. An alpha level of .05 was deemed statistically significant.

Results:

Healing of the osteotomy occurred at a mean of 7.7 weeks postoperatively. The talonavicular (TN) coverage angle improved from 34.0 to 8.8 ( P < .001), the percentage of TN uncoverage improved from 40.9% to 17.7% ( P < .001), and the TN incongruency angle improved from 68.1 to 8.7 ( P < .001). In addition, there was an improvement in FAOS pain ( P < .001), daily activities ( P < .001), sport activities ( P = .006), and quality of life scores ( P < .001). Overall SF-36 scores also showed improvement postoperatively ( P < .001). There was no incidence of delayed union, nonunion, or graft collapse.

Conclusion:

Following SLCO, patients demonstrated excellent healing, good correction of the deformity, and improvement in clinical outcomes scores. The SLCO is an alternative to the Evans osteotomy for lateral column lengthening.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case review.
The Social Construction of a Gentrifying Neighborhood
Authors: Hwang Jackelyn
Published: March 2015

This study draws upon cognitive maps and interviews with 56 residents living in a gentrifying area to examine how residents socially construct neighborhoods. Most minority respondents, regardless of socioeconomic status and years of residency, defined their neighborhood as a large and inclusive spatial area, using a single name and conventional boundaries, invoking the area’s Black cultural history, and often directly responding to the alternative way residents defined their neighborhoods. Both long-term and newer White respondents defined their neighborhood as smaller spatial areas and used a variety of names and unconventional boundaries that excluded areas that they perceived to have lower socioeconomic status and more crime. The large and inclusive socially constructed neighborhood was eventually displaced. These findings shed light on how the internal narratives of neighborhood identity and boundaries are meaningfully tied to a broader structure of inequality and shape how neighborhood identities and boundaries change or remain.
Collateral Consequences of Juvenile Sex Offender Registration and Notification
Authors: Harris Andrew J. , Walfield Scott M. , Shields Ryan T. , Letourneau Elizabeth J.
Published: March 2015

Among many in the research, policy, and practice communities, the application of sex offender registration and notification (SORN) to juveniles who sexually offend (JSO) has raised ongoing concerns regarding the potential collateral impacts on youths’ social, mental health, and academic adjustment. To date, however, no published research has systematically examined these types of collateral consequences of juvenile SORN. Based on a survey of a national sample of treatment providers in the United States, this study investigates the perceived impact of registration and notification on JSO across five key domains: mental health, harassment and unfair treatment, school problems, living instability, and risk of reoffending. Results indicate that treatment providers overwhelmingly perceive negative consequences associated with registration with an incremental effect of notification indicating even greater concern across all five domains. Providers’ demographics, treatment modalities, and client profile did not influence their perceptions of the collateral consequences suggesting that provider concern about the potential harm of SORN applied to juveniles is robust. Policy implications are discussed.
Understanding honor in religious, cultural, and moral experience: Commentary on “Diasporic Virginities: Social Representations of Virginity and Constructions of Identity amongst British Arab Muslim Women” by Howarth, Caroline; Amer, Amena; and Sen, Ragini
Authors: Rasmussen Susan
Published: March 2015

An important and timely topic in the study of the connections and divergences between culture and religion is the construction of concepts of honor in moral experience, and how these are expressed symbolically and socially. How can a moral concept such as honor be a sign of distinction and belonging at once, and why does honor remain important in a diasporic community, though not identical in meanings to honor in some other “home” cultures? How does one decide which beliefs, practices, and institutions to call religious? Which ones to call cultural? In this commentary, I pursue these questions from ethnographic and cross-cultural comparative perspectives, inspired by post-structural interpretive anthropology of religion, semiology, and phenomenology. Culture, not solely theological doctrine or dogma, defines religion. It is important to ask how particular definitions emerge and come to objectify their referents. The elaboration of context is a central feature of interpretation; a religion may look very different from one society and culture to another, and it may also look very different within the same culture and society, from one context to another. Yet moral experience remains central. Those among the British Arab Muslim women studied by Howarth et al. who value virginity in their concept of honor are creatively re-enacting their cultural/ethnic identity through their choices in sexual mores. Honor, as expressed in virginity, is in effect performed in the Goffmanesque sense of presentation of self in everyday life.
Voices in between: Cultural interchange in dynamic psychotherapy
Authors: Mihalits Dominik S
Published: March 2015

Psychoanalytic Practice can be understood in the Discursive Genre, in which the dialogical language represents the psychotherapeutic practice. The utterances of the patient and the therapist can be conzeptualized as a system of “inner” and “outer” voices, which represent transference. In relation to the dialogical self framework of Hubert Hermans which focuses on the interplay of voices and I-positions we concentrate here on the borders of “inner” and “outer” voice systems of DS through a look at transference and countertransference processes, well known from the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud. Three levels of operation of the DS are analyzed—conscious, preconscious, and unconscious. Voices operating at preconscious and unconscious levels lead to an understanding of consciousness through therapy considered through the DS framework. Understanding the importance of unconscious and preconscious “inner” and “outer” voices might be one leading step into direction of consciousness by passing decisions of dominance, ambivalence, and development in psychotherapy to offer high levels of self-reflection on patients and their mental health.
Parent–teacher meetings as a unit of analysis for parent–teacher interactions
Authors: Gastaldi Francesca Giovanna Maria , Longobardi Claudio , Quaglia Rocco , Settanni Michele
Published: March 2015

The attempt to establish the decisive factors in psychological research, from an idiographic perspective, firstly involves examining the meanings entailed in this epistemological paradigm. Specifically, our work sets out to assess the possibilities of using this perspective with reference to parent–teacher relationships, as expressed through parent–teacher meetings. Said meetings present their own specific features which distinguish them from all the other kinds of meetings examined in literature (clinical, orientational, educational). Since many studies on this subject (parent–teacher communications; parent–teacher meetings, parent–teacher relationships) have focused mostly on the conversational aspects, it seemed time for a deeper theoretical and methodological examination of the specific characteristics of this instrument. Parent–teacher meetings have some particular features that make them a possible subject of idiographic analysis: firstly, it is a phenomenon that occurs at the dynamic meeting point between the life experiences of different individuals, brought together by their shared focus on the same matter of interest. Here we intend to describe, from a theoretical point of view, parent–teacher meetings as a relevant object of study and a possible context for future interventions.
CAISO, CAISO: Negotiating sex rights and nationalism in Trinidad and Tobago
Authors: Gosine Andil
Published: March 2015

This documentation of the early beginnings of the Trinidad and Tobago-based sexual rights organization CAISO reveals some of the strategies engaged by the organization in weighing local and global tensions in contemporary advocacy work. CAISO co-founder Colin Robinson is interviewed about the group’s approach toward achievement of sexual justice and the author draws on the extensive collection of blog posts members of the group have posted since they first formed.
‘Data.gov-in-a-box’
Authors: Birchall Clare
Published: March 2015

Given that the Obama administration still relies on many strategies we would think of as sitting on the side of secrecy, it seems that the only lasting transparency legacy of the Obama administration will be data-driven or e-transparency as exemplified by the web interface ‘ data.gov ’. As the data-driven transparency model is exported and assumes an ascendant position around the globe, it is imperative that we ask what kind of publics, subjects, and indeed, politics it will produce. Open government data is not just a matter concerning accountability but is seen as a necessary component of the new ‘data economy’. To participate and benefit from this info-capitalist-democracy, the data subject is called upon to be both auditor and entrepreneur. This article explores the implications of responsibilization, outsourcing, and commodification on the contract of representational democracy and asks if there are other forms of transparency that might better resist neoliberal formations and re-politicize the public sphere.
Tracing the sub-national effect of the OECD PISA: Integration into Canada’s decentralized education system
Authors: Morgan Clara
Published: March 2015

Although education scholars have examined the globalization effect of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and its impact in several countries, few have explored its effect at the sub-national level. Taking the Canadian federation as its case study, I argue that the PISA, as a universalizing project for education, is being uncritically replicated through the implementation of student assessments at the national level. By drawing on the policy studies and policy sociology literature, I find evidence of policy discursive practices and techniques, which led to the creation and replication of a PISA-modeled assessment sub-nationally in the form of the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program. Three key themes emerge that facilitate the modeling of universalizing educational projects such as the PISA by sub-national entities: (1) a preoccupation with the international benchmarking of student performance, (2) a shift away from a curriculum-based assessment to a competency-based one, and (3) the adoption of organizational systems and processes of assessment aligned with supranational assessment practices. I suggest that domestic conditions in the Canadian federation were conducive to the rapid integration of the PISA sub-nationally despite the decentralized structure of the Canadian elementary and secondary education system.
Mutuality
Authors: Arnould Eric J. , Rose Alexander S.
Published: March 2015

The recently introduced construct of consumer sharing is represented as a nonreciprocal, pro-social distribution of resources given without expectation of reciprocity (Belk, 2010, ‘Sharing’, Journal of Consumer Research 36: 715–34). The approach adopted rests on shaky ontological and epistemological grounds and reproduces an array of problematic modernist dichotomies (e.g., agency/structure, nurturing family/instrumental public, gift/market, and altruism/self-interest) that significantly constrain the analytical enterprise. This work redresses some of the conceptual problems in the current formulation. The critique highlights a focus on resource distribution based on a more holistic, socially grounded perspective on circulation. We offer the alternative concept of mutuality or generalized exchange and the metaphor of inclusion rather than exchange as central to this perspective. We argue this may provide a more sound basis for understanding alternative modes of circulation.
Use of Negative-Pressure Wound Dressings to Prevent Surgical Site Complications After Primary Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Gillespie Brigid M. , Rickard Claire M. , Thalib Lukman , Kang Evelyn , Finigan Tracey , Homer Allison , Lonie Gordon , Pitchford Don , Chaboyer Wendy
Published: March 2015

Purpose. Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is increasingly used for primary surgical incisions despite the paucity of evidence. Study objectives were to assess the use of NPWT on surgical sites to prevent infections and other wound complications after elective primary hip arthroplasty and to consider feasibility of a larger trial. Methods. A nonmasked, randomized controlled pilot trial. Patients were recruited preoperatively from the preadmission clinic of an Australian hospital during 2013-2014. Computer-generated randomization was performed with allocation concealed until completion of surgery. The intervention group received NPWT (PICO) while the control group received the standard care hydrocolloid, reinforced with 2 absorbent dressings. Patients were followed for 6 weeks for postoperative complications (infection, length of stay, readmission) and skin complications (bruising, seroma, hematoma, dehiscence). Feasibility end points included numbers recruited, randomized, and followed up; fidelity; and costs. Results. Of 77 people approached, 76 were recruited, and 70 were randomized. Of 35 in the negative-pressure group, 2 received the standard dressing. Attrition at 6 weeks exceeded 10% in both groups. Dressing costs were lower in the control group ($3.01/d vs $38.40/d); SSI incidence was 2/35 in the NPWT and 3/35 in the control group (intention to treat: risk ratio [RR] = 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.12-3.7; P = .65). NPWT patients experienced more postoperative wound complications (RR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.0-2.5; P = .04). Conclusion. A reduction of 3% in SSI incidence suggests that a definitive trial requires approximately 900 patients per group. Yet there is uncertainty around the benefit of NPWT after elective hip arthroplasty.
The NICE recommendation for drug-coated balloons and its global impact
Authors: Eccleshall Simon , Waliszewski M.
Published: March 2015

Objectives:

The clinical efficacy and safety of drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty in patients with coronary in-stent restenosis (ISR) has been demonstrated. The objective of this article is to provide comparative cost efficacy data for DCB angioplasty in various countries based on the original methodology of the Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme (MTEP) at the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 2010.

Study design:

Published and unpublished Health Technology Assessment (HTA) reports were evaluated for comparison in selected countries. Furthermore, a systematic review of economic evaluations of DCB angioplasty versus standard treatments (uncoated balloon angioplasty or drug-eluting stent implantations) was conducted.

Methods:

National cost efficacy data were evaluated using Markov state transition models which were adapted to fit each country’s device and procedure related costs. The clinical input for adverse events was defined with two relevant trials for in-stent restenosis of bare metal stents (BMS-ISR) and of drug-eluting stents (DES-ISR).

Results:

In the UK, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, Japan and Brazil, DCB angioplasty is cost-effective when compared with drug-eluting stents to treat either BMS-ISR or DES-ISR.

Conclusions:

DCB angioplasty ought to be the preferred treatment option for patients with BMS-ISR and DES-ISR from the payers’ point of view.
Comment: Emotional and Autonomic Arousal Constructs in Psychophysiological Research: Where Do We Go From Here?
Authors: Norman Greg J.
Published: March 2015

Picard, Fedor, and Ayzenberg (2016) provide a review of the existing literature on the relationship between electrodermal activity (EDA) and affective processes and present data from a number of studies suggesting strong lateralization in EDA reactivity to emotion. As the authors note, their manuscript extends previous work suggesting the concept of arousal is more complex than previously thought, and they provide a framework for interpreting such complexities within the context of a multiple arousal theory.
β2-Glycoprotein I/HLA class II complexes are novel autoantigens in antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Tanimura Kenji , Jin Hui , Suenaga Tadahiro , Morikami Satoko , Arase Noriko , Kishida Kazuki , Hirayasu Kouyuki , Kohyama Masako , Ebina Yasuhiko , Yasuda Shinsuke , Horita Tetsuya , Takasugi Kiyoshi , Ohmura Koichiro , Yamamoto Ken , Katayama Ichiro , Sasazuki Takehiko , Lanier Lewis L. , Atsumi Tatsuya , Yamada Hideto , Arase Hisashi
Published: March 2015

Key Points

β2GPI complexed with HLA class II molecules was found to be a target for autoantibodies in APS. More than 80% of patients with APS possess autoantibodies against β2GPI/HLA class II complexes.
Expression of multiple horizontally acquired genes is a hallmark of both vertebrate and invertebrate genomes
Authors: Crisp Alastair , Boschetti Chiara , Perry Malcolm , Tunnacliffe Alan , Micklem Gos
Published: March 2015

Background

A fundamental concept in biology is that heritable material, DNA, is passed from parent to offspring, a process called vertical gene transfer. An alternative mechanism of gene acquisition is through horizontal gene transfer (HGT), which involves movement of genetic material between different species. HGT is well-known in single-celled organisms such as bacteria, but its existence in higher organisms, including animals, is less well established, and is controversial in humans.

Results

We have taken advantage of the recent availability of a sufficient number of high-quality genomes and associated transcriptomes to carry out a detailed examination of HGT in 26 animal species (10 primates, 12 flies and four nematodes) and a simplified analysis in a further 14 vertebrates. Genome-wide comparative and phylogenetic analyses show that HGT in animals typically gives rise to tens or hundreds of active ‘foreign’ genes, largely concerned with metabolism. Our analyses suggest that while fruit flies and nematodes have continued to acquire foreign genes throughout their evolution, humans and other primates have gained relatively few since their common ancestor. We also resolve the controversy surrounding previous evidence of HGT in humans and provide at least 33 new examples of horizontally acquired genes.

Conclusions

We argue that HGT has occurred, and continues to occur, on a previously unsuspected scale in metazoans and is likely to have contributed to biochemical diversification during animal evolution.
The impact of different multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the X-band microwave absorption of their epoxy nanocomposites
Authors: Che Bien Dong , Nguyen Bao Quoc , Nguyen Le-Thu T , Nguyen Ha Tran , Nguyen Viet Quoc , Van Le Thang , Nguyen Nieu Huu
Published: March 2015

Background

Carbon nanotube (CNT) characteristics, besides the processing conditions, can change significantly the microwave absorption behavior of CNT/polymer composites. In this study, we investigated the influence of three commercial multi-walled CNT materials with various diameters and length-to-diameter aspect ratios on the X-band microwave absorption of epoxy nanocomposites with CNT contents from 0.125 to 2 wt%, prepared by two dispersion methods, i.e. in solution with surfactant-aiding and via ball-milling.

Results

The laser diffraction particle size and TEM analysis showed that both methods produced good dispersions at the microscopic level of CNTs. Both a high aspect ratio resulting in nanotube alignment trend and good infiltration of the matrix in the individual nanotubes, which was indicated by high Brookfield viscosities at low CNT contents of CNT/epoxy dispersions, are important factors to achieve composites with high microwave absorption characteristics. The multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) with the largest aspect ratio resulted in composites with the best X-band microwave absorption performance, which is considerably better than that of reported pristine CNT/polymer composites with similar or lower thicknesses and CNT loadings below 4 wt%.

Conclusions

A high aspect ratio of CNTs resulting in microscopic alignment trend of nanotubes as well as a good level of micro-scale CNT dispersion resulting from good CNT-matrix interactions are crucial to obtain effective microwave absorption performance. This study demonstrated that effective radar absorbing MWCNT/epoxy nanocomposites having small matching thicknesses of 2–3 mm and very low filler contents of 0.25-0.5 wt%, with microwave energy absorption in the X-band region above 90% and maximum absorption peak values above 97%, could be obtained via simple processing methods, which is promising for mass production in industrial applications.
Field-scale time-domain spectral induced polarization monitoring of geochemical changes induced by injected CO2 in a shallow aquifer
Authors: Doetsch Joseph , Fiandaca Gianluca , Auken Esben , Christiansen Anders Vest , Cahill Aaron Graham , Jakobsen Rasmus
Published: March 2015

Contamination of potable groundwater by leaking [Formula: see text] is a potential risk of carbon sequestration. With the help of a field experiment, we investigated whether surface monitoring of direct current (DC) electric resistivity and induced polarization (IP) could detect geochemical changes induced by [Formula: see text] in a shallow aquifer. For this purpose, we injected [Formula: see text] at depths of 5 and 10 m and monitored its migration using 320 electrodes on a [Formula: see text] surface grid. Measured resistances and IP decay curves found a clear signal associated with the injected [Formula: see text] and rebounded to preinjection values after the end of the injection. Full-decay 2D DC-IP inversion was used to invert for the subsurface distribution in Cole-Cole parameters and changes to these parameter fields over time. The time-lapse inversions found plumes of decreased resistivity and increased normalized chargeability. The two plumes were of different shapes, with the resistivity anomaly being larger. Comparison with measurements of electric conductivity and aluminum (Al) concentrations indicated that two geochemical processes were imaged. We interpreted the change in resistivity to be associated with the increase in free ions directly caused by the dissolution of [Formula: see text], whereas the change in normalized chargeability was most likely linked to persistent acidification and best indicated by Al concentrations. The results highlight the potential for monitoring of field scale geochemical changes by means of surface DC-IP measurements. Especially the different developments of the DC resistivity and normalized chargeability anomalies and the different associated geochemical processes highlight the added value of IP to resistivity monitoring.
Awareness of Breast Density and Its Impact on Breast Cancer Detection and Risk
Authors: Rhodes Deborah J. , Radecki Breitkopf Carmen , Ziegenfuss Jeanette Y. , Jenkins Sarah M. , Vachon Celine M.
Published: March 2015

Purpose

Legislation mandating disclosure of breast density (BD) information has passed in 21 states; however, actual awareness of BD and knowledge of its impact on breast cancer detection and risk are unknown.

Methods

We conducted a national cross-sectional survey administered in English and Spanish using a probability-based sample of screening-age women, with oversampling of Connecticut, the only state with BD legislation in effect for > 1 year before the survey.

Results

Of 2,311 women surveyed, 65% responded. Overall, 58% of women had heard of BD, 49% knew that BD affects breast cancer detection, and 53% knew that BD affects cancer risk. After multivariable adjustment, increased BD awareness was associated with white non-Hispanic race/ethnicity (Hispanic v white non-Hispanic: odds ratio [OR], 0.23; P < .001), household income (OR, 1.07 per category increase; P < .001), education (OR, 1.19 per category increase; P < .001), diagnostic evaluation after a mammogram (OR, 2.64; P < .001), and postmenopausal hormone therapy (OR, 1.69; P = .002). Knowledge of the masking effect of BD was associated with higher household income (OR, 1.10; P < .001), education (OR, 1.22; P = .01), prior breast biopsy (OR, 2.16; P < .001), and residing in Connecticut (Connecticut v other states: OR, 3.82; P = .003). Connecticut residents were also more likely to have discussed their BD with a health care provider (67% v 43% for residents of other US states; P = .001).

Conclusion

Disparities in BD awareness and knowledge exist by race/ethnicity, education, and income. BD legislation seems to be effective in increasing knowledge of BD impact on breast cancer detection. These findings support continued and targeted efforts to improve BD awareness and knowledge among women eligible for screening mammography.
Phase III Open-Label Randomized Study of Cytarabine in Combination With Amonafide L-Malate or Daunorubicin As Induction Therapy for Patients With Secondary Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Stone Richard M. , Mazzola Emanuele , Neuberg Donna , Allen Steven L. , Pigneux Arnaud , Stuart Robert K. , Wetzler Meir , Rizzieri David , Erba Harry P. , Damon Lloyd , Jang Jun-Ho , Tallman Martin S. , Warzocha Krzysztof , Masszi Tamás , Sekeres Mikkael A. , Egyed Miklos , Horst Heinz-August , Selleslag Dominik , Solomon Scott R. , Venugopal Parameswaran , Lundberg Ante S. , Powell Bayard
Published: March 2015

Purpose

Secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML), defined as AML arising after a prior myelodysplastic syndrome or after antineoplastic therapy, responds poorly to current therapies. It is often associated with adverse karyotypic abnormalities and overexpression of proteins that mediate drug resistance. We performed a phase III trial to determine whether induction therapy with cytarabine and amonafide L-malate, a DNA intercalator and non–ATP-dependent topoisomerase II inhibitor that evades drug resistance mechanisms, yielded a superior complete remission rate than standard therapy with cytarabine and daunorubicin in sAML.

Patients and Methods

Patients with previously untreated sAML were randomly assigned at a one-to-one ratio to cytarabine 200 mg/m2 continuous intravenous (IV) infusion once per day on days 1 to 7 plus either amonafide 600 mg/m2 IV over 4 hours on days 1 to 5 (A + C arm) or daunorubicin 45 mg/m2 IV over 30 minutes once per day on days 1 to 3 (D + C arm).

Results

The complete remission (CR) rate was 46% (99 of 216 patients) in A + C arm and 45% (97 of 217 patients) in D + C arm (P = .81). The 30- and 60-day mortality rates were 19% and 28% in A + C arm and 13% and 21% in D + C arm, respectively.

Conclusion

Induction treatment with A + C did not improve the CR rate compared with D + C in patients with sAML.
Nadir Testosterone Within First Year of Androgen-Deprivation Therapy (ADT) Predicts for Time to Castration-Resistant Progression: A Secondary Analysis of the PR-7 Trial of Intermittent Versus Continuous ADT
Authors: Klotz Laurence , O'Callaghan Chris , Ding Keyue , Toren Paul , Dearnaley David , Higano Celestia S. , Horwitz Eric , Malone Shawn , Goldenberg Larry , Gospodarowicz Mary , Crook Juanita M.
Published: March 2015

Purpose

Three small retrospective studies have suggested that patients undergoing continuous androgen deprivation (CAD) have superior survival and time to progression if lower castrate levels of testosterone (< 0.7 nmol/L) are achieved. Evidence from prospective large studies has been lacking.

Patients and Methods

The PR-7 study randomly assigned patients experiencing biochemical failure after radiation therapy or surgery plus radiation therapy to CAD or intermittent androgen deprivation. The relationship between testosterone levels in the first year and cause-specific survival (CSS) and time to androgen-independent progression in men in the CAD arm was evaluated using Cox regression.

Results

There was a significant difference in CSS (P = .015) and time to hormone resistance (P = .02) among those who had first-year minimum nadir testosterone ≤ 0.7, > 0.7 to ≤ 1.7, and ≥ 1.7 nmol/L. Patients with first-year nadir testosterone consistently > 0.7 nmol/L had significantly higher risks of dying as a result of disease (0.7 to 1.7 nmol/L: hazard ratio [HR], 2.08; 95% CI, 1.28 to 3.38; > 1.7 nmol/L: HR, 2.93; 95% CI, 0.70 to 12.30) and developing hormone resistance (0.7 to 1.7 nmol/L: HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.20 to 2.18; ≥ 1.7 nmol/L: HR, 1.90; 95% CI, 0.77 to 4.70). Maximum testosterone ≥ 1.7 nmol/L predicted for a higher risk of dying as a result of disease (P = .02).

Conclusion

Low nadir serum testosterone (ie, < 0.7 mmol/L) within the first year of androgen-deprivation therapy correlates with improved CSS and duration of response to androgen deprivation in men being treated for biochemical failure undergoing CAD.
Ventral Tegmental Area Neurotensin Signaling Links the Lateral Hypothalamus to Locomotor Activity and Striatal Dopamine Efflux in Male Mice
Authors: Patterson Christa M. , Wong Jenny-Marie T. , Leinninger Gina M. , Allison Margaret B. , Mabrouk Omar S. , Kasper Chelsea L. , Gonzalez Ian E. , Mackenzie Alexander , Jones Justin C. , Kennedy Robert T. , Myers Martin G.
Published: March 2015

Projections from the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) innervate components of the mesolimbic dopamine (MLDA) system, including the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), to modulate motivation appropriately for physiologic state. Neurotensin (NT)-containing LHA neurons respond to multiple homeostatic challenges and project to the VTA, suggesting that these neurons could link such signals to MLDA function. Indeed, we found that pharmacogenetic activation of LHA NT neurons promoted prolonged DA-dependent locomotor activity and NAc DA efflux, suggesting the importance of VTA neurotransmitter release by LHA NT neurons for the control of MLDA function. Using a microdialysis-mass spectrometry technique that we developed to detect endogenous NT in extracellular fluid in the mouse brain, we found that activation of LHA NT cells acutely increased the extracellular concentration of NT (a known activator of VTA DA cells) in the VTA. In contrast to the prolonged elevation of extracellular NAc DA, however, VTA NT concentrations rapidly returned to baseline. Intra-VTA infusion of NT receptor antagonist abrogated the ability of LHA NT cells to increase extracellular DA in the NAc, demonstrating that VTA NT promotes NAc DA release. Thus, transient LHA-derived NT release in the VTA couples LHA signaling to prolonged changes in DA efflux and MLDA function.