bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robot-assisted gait training is not superior to balance training for improving postural instability in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease: a single-blind randomized controlled trial
Authors: Picelli Alessandro , Melotti Camilla , Origano Francesca , Neri Roberta , Verzè Elisa , Gandolfi Marialuisa , Waldner Andreas , Smania Nicola
Published: August 2014

Objective:

The main aim was to compare robotic gait training vs. balance training for reducing postural instability in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The secondary aim was to compare their effects on the level of confidence during activities of daily living requiring balance, functional mobility and severity of disease.

Design:

Randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

University hospital.

Subjects:

A total of 66 patients with Parkinson’s disease at Hoehn and Yahr Stage 3.

Intervention:

After balanced randomization, all patients received 12, 45-minute treatment sessions, three days a week, for four consecutive weeks. A group underwent robot-assisted gait training with progressive gait speed increasing and body-weight support decreasing. The other group underwent balance training aimed at improving postural reactions (self and externally induced destabilization, coordination, locomotor dexterity exercises).

Main measures:

Patients were evaluated before, after and one month posttreatment. Main outcome measure: Berg Balance Scale. Secondary outcomes: Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale; Timed Up and Go Test; Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale.

Results:

No significant differences were found between the groups for the Berg Balance Scale either immediately after intervention (mean score in the robotic training group 51.58 ±3.94; mean score in the balance training group 51.15 ±3.46), or one-month follow-up (mean score in the robotic training group 51.03 ±4.63; mean score in the balance training group 50.97 ±4.28). Similar results were found for all the secondary outcome measures.

Conclusions:

Our findings indicate that robotic gait training is not superior to balance training for improving postural instability in patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease.
Receding horizon temporal logic control in dynamic environments
Authors: Ulusoy Alphan , Belta Calin
Published: August 2014

We present a receding horizon method for controlling an autonomous vehicle that must satisfy a rich mission specification over service requests occurring at the regions of a partitioned environment. The overall mission specification consists of a temporal logic statement over a set of static, a priori known requests, a regular expression over a set of dynamic requests that can be sensed only locally, and a servicing priority order over these dynamic requests. Our approach is based on two main steps. First, we construct an abstraction for the motion of the vehicle in the environment by using input–output linearization and assignment of vector fields to the regions in the partition. Second, a receding horizon controller computes local plans within the sensing range of the vehicle such that both local and global mission specifications are satisfied. We implement and evaluate our method through experiments and simulations consisting of a quadrotor performing a persistent surveillance task over a planar grid environment.
Noninvasive ventilation with complex critical care ventilator in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Zhang Jing , Wang Yan , Cao Jie , Chen Bao-yuan , Feng Jing
Published: August 2014

Objective

To compare the clinical effect of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV), delivered via critical care ventilator or miniventilator, in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).

Methods

Prospective comparison study. Patients with AECOPD underwent NIPPV via: miniventilator with BiLevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP; Group A); critical care ventilator with pressure support ventilation and positive end expiratory pressure (PSV + PEEP; Group B); critical care ventilator with pressure-synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (P-SIMV)+PSV + PEEP (Group C). Physiological parameters were recorded before, during and after ventilation.

Results

Patients in Group C ( n = 21) showed significantly better improvements in physiological parameters (compared with pretreatment values) than those in Group B ( n = 20) or Group A ( n = 22).

Conclusion

NIPPV delivered via critical care ventilator has a better treatment effect than miniventilator NIPPV in patients with AECOPD. The use of P-SIMV + PSV + PEEP mode provides a significantly better treatment effect than PSV + PEEP alone.
Translation and the representation of thought: The case of Herta Müller
Authors: Boase-Beier Jean
Published: August 2014

A number of recent studies consider how the style of a text is recreated by a translator, and what issues this raises for the study of the translated text and its reception, and for both stylistics and translation studies more generally. But the changes that translation makes to perspective and structures of narrative in the text have rarely been studied. In this article I suggest how one might consider changes of this nature that have come about when the works of the Nobel-Prize-winning German-Romanian writer Herta Müller were translated into English, and the possible effects of such changes on the construction of fictional minds by the English reader. These changes are of particular importance in this case because the novels deal with repression of various types – in the community and the family, by the state – and focus especially on the disjunction between thinking and speaking, and the uncertainty of what others are thinking. Considering how specific aspects of narrative perspective change when these novels are translated raises potentially interesting questions both for the study of translation and for the study of narrative.
Diabetes in Pregnancy Among First Nations Women
Authors: Oster Richard T. , Mayan Maria J. , Toth Ellen L.
Published: August 2014

We conducted a focused ethnography with 12 First Nations women who had had diabetes in pregnancy to understand their real-life experiences and find ways to improve care for those with diabetes in pregnancy. We carried out unstructured interviews that were recorded, transcribed, and subject to qualitative content analysis. The experience of diabetes in pregnancy is one wrought with difficulties but balanced to some degree by positive lifestyle changes. Having a strong support system (family, health care, cultural/community, and internal support) and the necessary resources (primarily awareness/education) allows women to take some control of their health. Efforts to improve pregnancy care for First Nations women should take a more patient-centered care approach and strive to enhance the support systems of these women, increase their sense of autonomy, and raise awareness of diabetes in pregnancy and its accompanying challenges.
Addressing Individual Perspectives in the Development of Schoolwide Rules
Authors: Valenti Michael W. , Kerr Mary Margaret
Published: August 2014

Consensus among the majority of staff is essential for the development and consistent implementation of the Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) framework. At the universal level, a shared vision reflects consensus regarding operational definitions of behaviors (rules) and consequences. Yet, decades of research indicate that educators possess idiosyncratic standards for student behaviors. Lengthy and often unproductive discussions can arise when discussing school rules with a large group of adults. To address situations where consensus is difficult to achieve, this article outlines a process that assesses and summarizes the views of all school-based staff and then facilitates discussions based on the aggregated data. To illustrate this approach, we include two case studies involving faculty members struggling to find consensus about their schoolwide rules and describe how agreement was achieved. Recommendations for SWPBIS coaches conclude the article.
“You don’t need to be mean. We’re friends, Right?”: Young Korean-American children’s conflicts and references to friendship
Authors: Kim Jinhee
Published: August 2014

In the eyes of adults, conflicts between children are often treated as problematic social interactions that should be prevented. This study describes how young Korean–American children’s conflict negotiation was a central part of their peer culture at a Korean heritage language school in the United States. Eleven young Korean–American children attending a Korean heritage language school, their guardians (mothers and grandmothers), two pre-kindergarten classroom teachers, and two school staff members at a Korean heritage language school were recruited as participants. Data were collected through participant observation, formal and informal interviews, and artifact collection during an academic year. The analysis showed that the heritage language school highly valued the traditional Korean culture in many different ways, and that the ways in which the young Korean–American children negotiated conflicts reflected the ideal of group harmony that is highly valued in the Korean cultural community. This study concludes with implications for early childhood educators working with young children from different cultural backgrounds.
Consumer Understanding of Calorie Labeling
Authors: Abel Michelle L. , Lee Katherine , Loglisci Ralph , Righter Allison , Hipper Thomas J. , Cheskin Lawrence J.
Published: August 2014

Objective. To assess caloric knowledge of participants and determine if an e-mail and/or text message intervention could increase knowledge of recommended daily caloric intake. Design. Randomized, control trial. Setting. Johns Hopkins Hospital Cobblestone Café. Participants. The 246 participants reported eating at the Café at least twice/week. Intervention(s). Participants randomized to control, e-mail, or text condition. The text and e-mail conditions received a message on four consecutive Mondays stating the recommended daily caloric intake. Main outcome measures. Knowledge of the government reference value of 2,000 calories. Analysis. Intention-to-treat analysis was conducted. Multivariate logistic regression examined the effectiveness of text and e-mail messaging for improving knowledge of the government calorie reference value. Results. Baseline awareness of the daily calorie reference value in study population was low. Participants in the text message condition were twice as likely to know the government calorie reference value compared to controls ( p = .047, odds ratio = 2.2, 95% confidence interval [1.01, 4.73]). No significant differences were found for the e-mail condition ( p = .5). Conclusions and implications. Many people do not know the daily recommended caloric intake. Public education on the government calorie reference value is necessary for menu-labeling interventions to be more effective. Weekly text messaging can serve as an effective modality for delivering calorie information and nutrition education.
Anatomy of a Format
Authors: Quail Christine
Published: August 2014

Standardized reality television formats proliferate across the globe. It is important to examine the production contexts and discourses of formatted programming, and in particular, reality TV formatting, to fully consider how national cultural expression is being reshaped due to changing economic, political, technological, and cultural demands. This article, first, investigates how concerns over formats are implicated in Canadian reality television. Specifically, the formatted reality program So You Think You Can Dance Canada will be analyzed. The article attempts to understand the production context of this program as a cultural product that has originated elsewhere but has been adapted to suit a local/national context. Second, the project aims to investigate how this show engages in discourses of nationhood, or, how Canadianness is discussed, represented, and performed on formatted TV through commercial nationalism. The article raises questions about the place of formats in Canadian television programming, policy, and culture.
Rasch Scaling of a Screening Instrument
Authors: Maurer K. , Häfner H.
Published: August 2014

The ERIraos Checklist (CL) is a screening instrument for assessing psychosis risk. Measuring CL data on a Rasch scale means that this scale locates individuals on a dimension of “proximity to psychosis onset” according to their current prodromal status. The probabilistic Rasch model leads to interval (difference) scales. The CL data from the German Research Network on Schizophrenia (GRNS) study were analyzed using the Rasch program Winsteps. All item measures based on data from different patient groups were consistent with the Rasch model. Examples demonstrate how item parameters were comparable in different subgroups and in patients in the early and late prodrome. The CL is a simple assessment tool fulfilling the requirements of a Rasch scale. This guarantees good psychometric properties, such as a high reliability and internal validity, and yields a measure of the construct “proximity to psychosis onset” on a difference scale.
Innovative surface modification of orthopaedic implants with positive effects on wettability and in vitro anti-corrosion performance
Authors: Mozafari M. , Salahinejad E. , Sharifi-Asl S. , Macdonald D. D. , Vashaee D. , Tayebi L.
Published: August 2014

In this work, sol–gel derived bioactive glass/zirconium titanate coatings were uniformly deposited on stainless steel orthopaedic implants, by using carboxymethyl cellulose as a particulate dispersant in the sol. The surface features, wetting, and in vitro electrochemical corrosion behaviour of the coated samples were evaluated. It was found that, by applying the coating on the substrate, the water contact angle was decreased, which is indicative of an improvement in the implant hydrophilicity. Also, the coating improved the corrosion resistance of the metallic implant, as realised by an increase in the corrosion potential and a decrease in the corrosion current density. Indeed, this coating acted as a physical protective barrier which retards the electrolyte access to the metal surface and thereby electrochemical processes.
Failure process analysis of plasma sprayed coatings under tip load based on acoustic emission signals
Authors: Song Y-N. , Xu B-S. , Wang H-D. , Liu M. , Zhu L-N.
Published: August 2014

A detector combining the surface indentation method and the acoustic emission (AE) technique was developed for evaluating the interfacial bonding strengths of sprayed coatings. In order to assure the reliability and accuracy of the detecting equipment, the coating failure process and mode were analysed based on AE signals during indentation test. As test objects, Al2O3 coating, Al2O3–40 wt-%TiO2 (AT40) coating and FeCrBSi coating with different microhardness were prepared by plasma spraying technique. The results indicated that the detector could effectively induce and define the cracking failure of coating and the measurement is simple and convenient. The failure process of ductile coating was basically very similar to that of brittle coating. The initial failures were both caused by crack initiation and propagation at the interfaces. Simultaneously, AE signals showed an obvious burst change. During the indentation tests, AE amplitude characterised the failure process accurately. The AE energy was more sensitive to coating fracture.
Preparation and characterisation of nanocrystalline cobalt–phosphorus coatings reinforced with carbon nanotubes
Authors: Edward Anand E. , Natarajan S.
Published: August 2014

Nanocrystalline cobalt–phosphorus–carbon nanotube (CNT) composite coatings on stainless steel substrates with various contents of phosphorus were prepared by a pulse electrodeposition technique involving cobalt plating bath dispersed with CNTs. Microhardness, potentiodynamic polarisation and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies were used to characterise Co–P and Co–P–CNT composite coatings. The microhardness of Co–P–CNT coatings is found higher than that of Co–P coating. With the increase in phosphorus content, the microhardness values for the heat treated coatings increased almost twice when compared to that of the as deposited coatings. The effects of various contents of phosphorus and CNTs on the corrosion resistance were investigated, and it was found that nanocrystalline Co–P composite coatings exhibit better corrosion resistance than Co–P–CNT coatings.
In adults with t(8;21)AML, posttransplant RUNX1/RUNX1T1-based MRD monitoring, rather than c-KIT mutations, allows further risk stratification
Authors: Wang Yu , Wu De-Pei , Liu Qi-Fa , Qin Ya-Zhen , Wang Jing-Bo , Xu Lan-Ping , Liu Yan-Rong , Zhu Hong-Hu , Chen Jia , Dai Min , Huang Xiao-Jun
Published: August 2014

Key Points

RUNX1/RUNX1T1-based MRD status at 1, 2, and 3 months after HSCT could discriminate patients at high risk of post-HSCT relapse. Rather than c-KIT mutations, MRD monitoring allows further rapid identification of patients at high risk of relapse after allo-HSCT.
Identification of structural determinants on tau protein essential for its pathological function: novel therapeutic target for tau immunotherapy in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Kontsekova Eva , Zilka Norbert , Kovacech Branislav , Skrabana Rostislav , Novak Michal
Published: August 2014

Introduction

Pathologically modified tau protein is the main feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related tauopathies. Therefore, immunotherapies that target mis-disordered tau represent a promising avenue for the disease-modifying treatment of AD. In this report, we present our discovery of (1) a novel target for tau immunotherapy; (2) monoclonal antibody DC8E8, which neutralizes this target; and (3) the results of efficacy studies of DC8E8 in a murine model of tauopathy.

Methods

In vitro tau oligomerisation assays were used for the selection of antibodies. The therapeutic efficacy of DC8E8 was evaluated in transgenic mice. The structure of the DC8E8 epitope was determined by X-ray crystallography.

Results

Screening of a panel of monoclonal antibodies for their inhibitory activity in an in vitro pathological tau–tau interaction assay yielded DC8E8, which reduced the amount of oligomeric tau by 84%. DC8E8 recognised all developmental stages of tau pathology in AD human brains, including pretangles and intra- and extracellular tangles. Treatment with DC8E8 in a mouse AD model expressing mis-disordered human tau significantly reduced the amount of insoluble oligomerised tau and the number of early and mature neurofibrillary tangles in the transgenic mouse brains. By using a panel of tau-derived peptides in a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we identified the tau domain essential for pathological tau–tau interaction, which is targeted by DC8E8. The antibody was capable of binding to four highly homologous and yet independent binding regions on tau, each of which is a separate epitope. The X-ray structure of the DC8E8 Fab apo form, solved at 3.0 Å, suggested that the four DC8E8 epitopes form protruding structures on the tau molecule. Finally, by kinetic measurements with surface plasmon resonance, we determined that antibody DC8E8 is highly discriminatory between pathological and physiological tau.

Conclusions

We have discovered defined determinants on mis-disordered truncated tau protein which are responsible for tau oligomerisation leading to neurofibrillary degeneration. Antibody DC8E8 reactive with these determinants is able to inhibit tau–tau interaction in vitro and in vivo. DC8E8 is able to discriminate between the healthy and diseased tau proteome, making its epitopes suitable targets, and DC8E8 a suitable candidate molecule, for AD immunotherapy.
First-in-man tau vaccine targeting structural determinants essential for pathological tau–tau interaction reduces tau oligomerisation and neurofibrillary degeneration in an Alzheimer’s disease model
Authors: Kontsekova Eva , Zilka Norbert , Kovacech Branislav , Novak Petr , Novak Michal
Published: August 2014

Introduction

We have identified structural determinants on tau protein that are essential for pathological tau–tau interaction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These regulatory domains, revealed by monoclonal antibody DC8E8, represent a novel target for tau-directed therapy. In order to validate this target, we have developed an active vaccine, AADvac1.

Methods

A tau peptide encompassing the epitope revealed by DC8E8 was selected for the development of an active vaccine targeting structural determinants on mis-disordered tau protein that are essential for pathological tau–tau interaction. The efficacy of the vaccine was tested in a transgenic rat model of human tauopathies. Toxicology and safety pharmacology studies were conducted under good laboratory practice conditions in multiple rodent and nonrodent species.

Results

We have administered the tau peptide vaccine to a rat model of AD to investigate whether the vaccine can improve its clinical, histopathological and biochemical AD phenotype. Our results show that vaccination induced a robust protective humoral immune response, with antibodies discriminating between pathological and physiological tau. Active immunotherapy reduced the levels of tau oligomers and the extent of neurofibrillary pathology in the brains of transgenic rats. Strikingly, immunotherapy has reduced AD-type hyperphosphorylation of tau by approximately 95%. Also, the tau peptide vaccine improved the clinical phenotype of transgenic animals. Toxicology and safety pharmacology studies showed an excellent safety and tolerability profile of the AADvac1 vaccine.

Conclusions

Active immunisation targeting crucial domains of Alzheimer tau eliminated tau aggregation and neurofibrillary pathology. Most importantly, the AD type of tau hyperphosphorylation was abolished by vaccination across a wide range of AD phospho-epitopes. Our results demonstrate that active immunisation led to elimination of all major hallmarks of neurofibrillary pathology, which was reflected by a profound improvement in the clinical presentation of transgenic rats. This makes the investigated tau peptide vaccine a highly promising candidate therapeutic for the disease-modifying treatment of AD. The tested vaccine displayed a highly favourable safety profile in preclinical toxicity studies, which opens up the possibility of using it for AD prophylaxis in the future. The vaccine has already entered phase I clinical trial under the name AADvac1.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials NCT01850238. Registered 7 May 2013.
Myogenic differentiation and reparative activity of stromal cells derived from pericardial adipose in comparison to subcutaneous origin
Authors: Wang Xiaoming , Zhang Hui , Nie Liangming , Xu Linhai , Chen Min , Ding Zhaoping
Published: August 2014

Introduction

Adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) are abundant and easy to obtain, but the diversity of differentiation potential from different locations may vary with the developmental origin of their mesenchymal compartment. We therefore aim to compare the myogenic differentiation and reparative activity of ADSCs derived from the pericardial tissue to ADSCs of subcutaneous origin.

Methods

Pericardial and inguinal adipose tissues from Wistar rats were surgically obtained, and the stromal fraction was isolated after enzymatic digestion. The phenotypic epitopes of the resultant two types of ADSCs were analyzed with flow cytometry, and the expression of transcriptional factors was analyzed with immunostaining. Furthermore, their potential toward adipogenic, osteogenic, and myogenic differentiation also was compared. Finally, the reparative activity and the resultant functional benefits were examined by allograft transplantation into an infarcted model in rats.

Results

ADSCs from two adipose sources showed identical morphology and growth curve at the initial stage, but inguinal ADSCs (ingADSCs) sustained significantly vigorous growth after 25 days of cultivation. Although both ADSCs shared similar immunophenotypes, the pericardial ADSCs (periADSC) intrinsically exhibited partial expression of transcription factors for cardiogenesis (such as GATA-4, Isl-1, Nkx 2.5, and MEF-2c) and more-efficient myogenic differentiation, but less competent for adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation. After in vivo transplantation, periADSCs exhibited significantly vigorous reparative activity evidenced by thickening of ventricular wall and pronounced vasculogenesis and myogenesis, although the majority of prelabeled cells disappeared 28 days after transplantation. The structural repair also translated into functional benefits of hearts after infarction.

Conclusions

Although two sources of ADSCs are phenotypically identical, pericADSCs constituted intrinsic properties toward myogenesis and vasculogenesis, and thus provided more potent reparative effects after transplantation; therefore, they represent an attractive candidate cell donor for cardiac therapy.
Carbonate karst reservoirs of the Tarim Basin, northwest China: Types, features, origins, and implications for hydrocarbon exploration
Authors: Zhao Wenzhi , Shen Anjiang , Qiao Zhanfeng , Zheng Jianfeng , Wang Xiaofang
Published: August 2014

Karst reservoirs are important exploration targets in marine carbonates of hydrocarbon-bearing basins around the world. In the Tarim Basin of northwest China, four types of carbonate karst reservoirs were delineated using data from more than 200 wells, including cores, thin sections, wireline logs, drilling logs, and production data; these were supplemented with seismic and other data. The four types of karst reservoirs described were all formed by meteoric water circulation but not limited in the vadose or phreatic zones, including buried tower karst, interlayer karst, overlying-aquiclude confining karst, and fault-related karst. Buried tower karst occurred in the carbonate successions underneath a regional unconformity (buried tower area), resembling the active karsting in the Guilin Region of South China. Interlayer karst developed during a relatively shorter exposure period compared with buried tower karst but is also situated on a paleouplift. Overlying-aquiclude confining karst is essentially a by-product and on the fringes of buried tower karst, and though it appears to be distributed evenly below a disconformity, it is not related to the disconformity in origin. Fault-related karst occurred in the carbonate succession of a high steep anticline with faults cutting through aquicludes and into the carbonates; dissolution is concentrated along faults and the crest of the anticline. We studied three previously undocumented types of karst and proved that karst reservoirs in the Tarim Basin occur not only in the carbonate succession under a regional unconformity, but also where no significant unconformity is recognized. Similar examples have been found in other basins of China and are expected to occur in other basins worldwide, particularly in areas of complex geologic history.
Duration of untreated psychosis as predictor of long-term outcome in schizophrenia: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Penttilä Matti , Jääskeläinen Erika , Hirvonen Noora , Isohanni Matti , Miettunen Jouko
Published: August 2014

Background

Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is one of the few potentially modifiable predictors of outcomes of schizophrenia. Long DUP as a predictor of poor short-term outcome has been addressed in previous meta-analyses, but the long-term effects of DUP remain unclear.

Aims

To analyse the associations between DUP and long-term outcomes of schizophrenia.

Method

A systematic literature search was performed using seven electronic databases and manual searches. Random effects weighted meta-analysis with correlation coefficients was used to pool the results.

Results

We identified 3493 unique publications, from which 33 samples met our predefined selection criteria. Long DUP correlated statistically significantly with poor general symptomatic outcome, more severe positive and negative symptoms, lesser likelihood of remission and poor social functioning and global outcome (correlations 0.13–0.18). Long DUP was not associated with employment, quality of life or hospital treatment.

Conclusions

The small but mostly consistent correlation between long DUP and poor outcome indicates that early intervention in psychosis may have at least subtle positive effects on the long-term course of illness.
School-based interventions targeting stigma of mental illness: systematic review
Authors: Mellor Catriona
Published: August 2014

Aims and method

To systematically review the published literature on the effectiveness of classroom-based interventions to tackle the stigma of mental illness in young people, and to identify any consistent elements within successful programmes.

Results

Seventeen studies were included in the analysis. A minority of studies reported a positive impact on stigma or knowledge outcomes at follow-up and there were considerable methodological shortcomings in the studies reviewed. These interventions varied substanitally in content and delivery. It was not possible to use this data to draw out what aspects make a successful intervention. There is currently no strong evidence to support previous conclusions that these types of intervention work for children and adolescents.

Clinical implications

When anti-stigma interventions for young people are rolled out in the future, it is important that the programme design and method of delivery have evidence to prove their effectiveness, and that the audience and setting are the most appropriate to target. There is a current lack of strong evidence to inform this.
Vertical Bargaining and Countervailing Power
Authors: Iozzi Alberto , Valletti Tommaso
Published: August 2014

We study a set of bilateral Nash bargaining problems between an upstream input supplier and several differentiated but competing retailers. If one bilateral bargain fails, the supplier can sell to the other retailers. We show that, in a disagreement, the other retailers' behavior has a dramatic impact on the supplier's outside options and, therefore, on input prices and welfare. We revisit the countervailing buyer power hypothesis and obtain results in stark contrast with previous findings, depending on the type of outside option. Our results apply, more generally, to the literature that incorporates negotiated input prices using bilateral Nash bargaining. (JEL C72, C78, D43, L13, L14, L81)
Selection into Trade and Wage Inequality
Authors: Sampson Thomas
Published: August 2014

This paper analyzes how intra-industry trade affects the wage distribution when both workers and firms are heterogeneous. Positive assortative matching between worker skill and firm technology generates an employer size-wage premium and an exporter wage premium. Fixed export costs cause the selection of advanced technology, high-skill firms into exporting, and trade shifts the firm technology distribution upwards. Consequently, trade increases skill demand and wage inequality in all countries, both on aggregate and within the upper tail of the wage distribution. This holds when firms receive random technology draws and when technology depends on firm-level R&D. (JEL F16, J23, J24, J31)
Inside the Refrigerator: Immigration Enforcement and Chilling Effects in Medicaid Participation
Authors: Watson Tara
Published: August 2014

“Chilling effects” are a popular explanation for low program take-up rates among immigrants, but the effects of an icy policy climate are inherently hard to measure. This paper finds robust evidence that heightened federal immigration enforcement reduces Medicaid participation among children of noncitizens, even when children are themselves citizens. The decline in immigrant Medicaid participation around the time of welfare reform is largely explained by a contemporaneous spike in enforcement activity. The results imply that safety net participation is influenced not only by program design, but also by a broader set of seemingly unrelated policy choices. (JEL I18, I38, J13, J15)
Recessions, Older Workers, and Longevity: How Long Are Recessions Good for Your Health?
Authors: Coile Courtney C. , Levine Phillip B. , McKnight Robin
Published: August 2014

Although past research has found that recessions reduce contemporaneous mortality, workers nearing retirement age may experience reduced longevity attributable to lengthy unemployment spells and lost health insurance at a particularly vulnerable time. To test this hypothesis, we generate age-specific cohort survival probabilities using 1965–2008 Vital Statistics mortality data and link them to labor market conditions at earlier ages. Our results indicate that experiencing a recession in one's late 50s reduces longevity. We also find that it leads to several years of reduced employment, health insurance coverage, and health care utilization, which may contribute to the lower long-term likelihood of survival. (JEL E32, I12, I13, J14, J26)
The Price of Inexactness: Convergence Properties of Relaxation Methods for Mathematical Programs with Complementarity Constraints Revisited
Authors: Kanzow Christian , Schwartz Alexandra
Published: August 2014

Mathematical programs with equilibrium (or complementarity) constraints, MPECs for short, form a difficult class of optimization problems. The feasible set has a very special structure and violates most of the standard constraint qualifications. Therefore, one typically applies specialized algorithms in order to solve MPECs. One prominent class of specialized algorithms is the relaxation (or regularization) methods. The first relaxation method for MPECs is due to Scholtes [35] [Scholtes S (2001) Convergence properties of a regularization scheme for mathematical programs with complementarity constraints. SIAM Journal on Optimization 11:918–936.], but in the meantime, there exists a number of different regularization schemes that try to relax the difficult constraints in different ways. Some of these more recent schemes have better theoretical properties than does the original method by Scholtes. Nevertheless, numerical experience shows that the Scholtes relaxation method is still among the fastest and most reliable ones. To give a possible explanation for this, we consider that, numerically, the regularized subproblems are not solved exactly. In this light, we analyze the convergence properties of a number of relaxation schemes and study the impact of inexactly solved subproblems on the kind of stationarity we can expect in a limit point. Surprisingly, it turns out that the inexact version of Scholtes' method has the same convergence properties as its exact counterpart, whereas most of the other relaxation schemes lose a lot of their original properties.
Pre-operative function, motivation and duration of symptoms predict sporting participation after total hip replacement
Authors: Ollivier M. , Frey S. , Parratte S. , Flecher X. , Argenson J. N.
Published: August 2014

There is little in the literature on the level of participation in sports which patients undertake after total hip replacement (THR). Our aims in this study were to determine first, the level of sporting activity, second, the predictive factors for returning to sporting activity, and third, the correlation between participation in sports and satisfaction after THR. We retrospectively identified 815 patients who had undergone THR between 1995 and 2005. All were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire regarding their sporting activity. A total of 571 patients (71%) met the inclusion criteria and completed the evaluation. At a mean follow-up of 9.8 years (sd 2.9), 366 patients (64%) returned to sporting activity as defined by a University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) score of > 5. The main reasons that patients had for refraining from sports were fear of dislocation (65; 31.6%), avoiding wear (52; 25.4%), and the recommendation of the surgeon (34; 16.6%). There was a significant relationship between higher post-operative participation in sport in those patients with a higher pre-operative Harris hip score (HHS) (p = 0.0074), motivation to participate in sporting activities (p = 0.00022) and a shorter duration of symptoms (p = 0.0034). Finally, there was a correlation between age (p = 0.00013), UCLA score (p = 0.012) and pre-operative HHS (p = 0.00091) and satisfaction.

In conclusion, we found that most patients participate in sporting activity after THR, regardless of the advice of their surgeon, and that there is a correlation between the level of participation and pre-operative function, motivation, duration of symptoms and post-operative satisfaction.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:1041–6
Herpes Zoster Caused by Zoster Vaccine in an Immunocompetent Patient; Restless Leg Syndrome Due to the Combination of Venlafaxine and Quetiapine; SSRIs and the Risk of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding; Minocycline-Induced Cutaneous Polyarteritis Nodosa
Authors: Mancano Michael A.
Published: August 2014

The purpose of this feature is to heighten awareness of specific adverse drug reactions (ADRs), discuss methods of prevention, and promote reporting of ADRs to the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) MEDWATCH program (800-FDA-1088). If you have reported an interesting, preventable ADR to MEDWATCH, please consider sharing the account with our readers.
Irinotecan and Carboplatin (IC) Regimen for Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Rutledge Matthew R. , Waddell J. Aubrey , Solimando Dominic A.
Published: August 2014

The complexity of cancer chemotherapy requires pharmacists be familiar with the complicated regimens and highly toxic agents used. This column reviews various issues related to preparation, dispensing, and administration of antineoplastic therapy, and the agents, both commercially available and investigational, used to treat malignant diseases.
Unique Collaboration between a Private College of Pharmacy and a Private Academic Health System
Authors: Metzger Nicole , Paciullo Christopher , Chesson Melissa , Jann Michael W. , Glascock Janice , Emamifar Amir , Matthews Hewitt W.
Published: August 2014

Advanced experiential education represents the culmination of a pharmacy student's training, where students can apply the knowledge they have learned in the classroom to real patients. Unfortunately, opportunities for students to provide the direct patient care recommended by pharmacy organizations and accrediting bodies are lacking. Additionally, academic health systems that can provide these experiences for students are experiencing hardships that have stalled the expansion of postgraduate training programs and services. Formal cooperation between unaffiliated colleges of pharmacies and academic health systems has the potential to increase the number of experiential students completing rotations in an academic environment, expand postgraduate education training programs, enhance the development of resident educators, increase research and scholarly opportunities, and expand clinical pharmacy services. This article describes the formation of a unique joint initiative between a private academic health system without a college of pharmacy and a private college of pharmacy without a hospital. The successful cultivation of the relationship has resulted in professional growth at both institutions and can be implemented at other sites around the country to synergize the efforts of academic health systems and colleges of pharmacy.
Implementation of Polymerase Chain Reaction to Rule Out Clostridium difficile Infection is Associated with Reduced Empiric Antibiotic Duration of Therapy
Authors: Peppard William J. , Ledeboer Nathan A.
Published: August 2014

Purpose

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test has higher sensitivity and a faster turnaround time than the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for identification of Clostridium difficile, although the clinical implications of these variables are not well described.

Methods

Inpatients with a negative EIA ( n = 79) or PCR ( n = 87) test were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were excluded if they had a positive EIA or PCR test during the same hospitalization or if they were currently receiving treatment for C. difficile infection (CDI) prior to admission. The primary outcome was empiric CDI antibiotic duration of therapy associated with each test method.

Results

Empiric CDI antibiotic duration of therapy was 2.31 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48–3.15) days for the EIA group and 0.88 (0.45–1.33) days for the PCR group ( P = .007). Number of diagnostic laboratory tests performed per patient were 2.73 (2.64–2.83) and 1.16 (1.04–1.28) tests, respectively ( P < .001).

Conclusion

Use of the PCR test to rule out CDI was associated with reduced duration of empiric CDI antibiotic therapy and fewer diagnostic laboratory tests performed per patient. When combined with fewer diagnostic laboratory tests performed per patient and shorter duration of contact isolation, the higher acquisition cost of the PCR test was offset, resulting in cost neutrality. These findings provide additional data to support the routine use of the PCR test.
Life in a Fishbowl: Accountability and Integrity in Pharmacy Leadership
Authors: Haumschild Ryan J. , Weber Robert J.
Published: August 2014

The Director's Forum is designed to guide pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems by providing practical information on various leadership topics. Pharmacists are bound to practice in the best interest of the patient and are obligated to act with integrity and in an ethical manner. Pharmacy directors and their leadership staff are additionally bound to manage their department with integrity. Staff often scrutinize the pharmacy director's actions, giving the director a feeling of “life in a fishbowl.” Every action of the leader is judged in the context of personal integrity or their individual commitment to moral, spiritual, and ethical values. The objective of this article is to describe how a pharmacy leader manages this responsibility. This article addresses the pharmacy leader's obligations to act with integrity, reviews key integrity concerns in pharmacy leadership, and provides guidance for leading and managing in the context of ethics and integrity. Pharmacy directors must always be aware that they are open to both department and public scrutiny if they do not conduct themselves in a professional manner. Being accountable for their actions and maintaining a high standard of integrity, leaders can keep the focus of their departments on the goal of patient-centered pharmacy services.
Pharmacy Technology: Are you an Enthusiast or a Luddite?
Authors: Felkey Bill G. , Fox Brent I.
Published: August 2014

Technology is here to stay in both our professional and personal lives. Our challenge is to make the appropriate selection and optimize the technologies that we use. This month, we address the pervasiveness of technology, especially in the pharmacy department's efforts to achieve its mission.
Core Concepts: Neonatal Neurological Examination
Authors: Khan Owais A. , Garcia-Sosa Rebecca , Hageman Joseph R. , Msall Michael , Kelley Kent R.
Published: August 2014

The neurological examination is an important tool in the evaluation of a newborn, helping to establish a diagnosis, and providing prognostic information. Neurological disorders may be apparent before birth or appear during the course of the neonatal period. The neonatal neurological examination varies by gestational age and state, which makes the examination a changing and dynamic process. This article reviews the essentials of the neonatal neurological examination, the presence of examination findings based on gestational age, normal and abnormal physical examination findings, and how the examination helps to identify various disorders.
Involving parents in the speech and language therapy of children with cochlear implants
Authors: Ronkainen Riitta , Tykkyläinen Tuula , Lonka Eila , Laakso Minna
Published: August 2014

This article examines the professional practices of a speech and language therapist in triadic interaction with children with cochlear implants and their parents. The study aims to provide a more detailed picture of three-party therapy interaction and to describe shifts in participation during the therapy process. Speech and language therapy sessions were video recorded and examined using conversation analysis. The focus of the analysis was on co-operation between the therapist, the parent and the child in triadic task sequences. The analyses showed how the participation and roles of the therapist and the parent changed during the therapy process. The participatory roles changed from therapist-driven task interaction to shared practices between the therapist and parent, and finally lead to parent-driven task interaction. The study reveals the real-life practices of speech and language therapy and introduces the ways in which parents are involved in therapy.
Verbal play as a discourse resource in the social interactions of older and younger communication pairs
Authors: Shune Samantha , Duff Melissa
Published: August 2014

Verbal play, or the playful manipulation of elements of language, is a pervasive component of social interaction, serving important interpersonal functions. We analyzed verbal play in the interactional discourse of ten healthy younger pairs and ten healthy older pairs as they completed a collaborative referencing task. A total of 1,893 verbal play episodes were coded. While there were no group differences in verbal play frequency, age-related differences in the quality and function of these episodes emerged. While older participants engaged in more complex, extended, and reciprocal episodes that supported the social nature of communicative interactions (e.g., teasing), younger participants were more likely to engage in verbal play episodes for the purpose of successful task completion. Despite these age-related variations in the deployment of verbal play, verbal play is a robust interactional discourse resource in healthy aging, highlighting an element of human cognition that does not appear to decline with age.
Particle size effects in granular soils under true triaxial conditions
Authors: XIAO Y. , LIU H. , CHEN Y. , ZHANG W.
Published: August 2014

The size effect theory was proposed by Frossard and co-workers for evaluating the shear strength of rockfill material. However, this theory has not been validated in a general stress path, in which the intermediate principal stress may be different from the minor principal stress. A series of true triaxial compression tests on rockfill material A (RFM-A, a small-sized particle) and rockfill material B (RFM-B, a larger-sized particle) were carried out to validate the size effect theory in the general stress state. It was found that the predictions by the size effect theory, based on the material constants from the strength data of RFM-A, were in good agreement with the strength data of RFM-B.