bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Textile Waste Lifecycle
Authors: Domina Tanya , Koch Kathy
Published: June 2014

With growing attention to environmental responsibility towards solid waste management, the textile and apparel industry has expanded its efforts to reduce disposal of post-producer textile waste in landfills. At the same time, finding alternative methods for the disposal of post-consumer textile waste is assuming greater importance. This exploratory research presents a model of the textile waste lifecycle. The model is intended to better explain events associated with the production and disposal of post-producer and post-consumer textile waste. Furthermore, the textile waste lifecycle model reflects the growing interdependence between the consumer and the textile and apparel industry in the disposal of textile waste in an environmentally responsible manner. The model may also encourage dialogue among textile and clothing professionals to stimulate the kinds of proaction necessary to further reduce textile disposal in landfills and to generate new or expanded recycling options. Suggestions for further research are provided.
Cultural Authentication Refined: The Case of the Hawaiian Holokuū
Authors: Arthur Linda Boynton
Published: June 2014

In this paper, the concept of cultural authentication, a theoretical construct to investigate assimilation of : material culture, is refined. The concept was originally introduced by Erekosima. In subsequent years, Eicher and Erekosima proposed four progressive levels of cultural authentication: (1) selection, (2) characterization, (3) incorporation, and (4) transformation. These stages were proposed as occurring in a fixed order.

The holokū, an 1820 adaptation of western dress, is definitive of Hawaiian ethnicity. In this case study, selection was followed by transformation, then incorporation, and finally, characterization. While the concept of cultural authentication was useful for analysis of cultural diffusion of the holokū, the fixed order of the stages of cultural authentication is problematic. When an indigenous culture adopts and incorporates a western item, it is culturally authentic by virtue of its embeddedness. Cultural authenticity of an item is not reduced should the stages occur in a different order than that proposed by Eicher and Erekosima.
Quantifying Surface Roughness of Carpets by Fractal Dimension
Authors: Bugao Xu
Published: June 2014

Surface roughness of carpets refers to the degree of irregularity in the terrain of a carpet surface, and reflects the severity of appearance change with wear, such as pilling, untwisting, tuft matting and crushing. An irregular, rough surface can be represented by a fractal function, and quantified by its fractal dimension. This study used a specially-developed imaging system, including a CCD camera, a frame grabber and a computer, as an analytical tool for capturing and processing carpet images. The study applied the fractal dimension to quantifying surface roughness of carpets, and to analyzing appearance loss in carpets owing to mechanical wear. One algorithm for computing fractal dimensions, "reticular cell counting ", was illustrated. It was found from a trial test that the fractal dimension of a carpet surface corresponds to a visual assessment of the surface wear, and a change in fractal dimensions consistently indicates a change in carpet appearance. Hence, a fractal dimension can be used as an effective descriptor of carpet roughness.
The Macro-Micro Interface in the Construction of Individual Fashion Forms and Meanings
Authors: Hamilton Jean A.
Published: June 2014

This paper is written in response to Kaiser, Nagasawa, and Hutton's (1995) reliance on symbolic interactionism in an effort to develop a bridge between micro and macro level phenomena to explain how individual fashion consumers come to accept new appearance styles and attach meaning to them. By examining the macro-micro distinction in the social sciences suggested by Ritzer (1990), I argue that symbolic interactionism cannot possibly facilitate these goals. I then use Ritzer to develop a heuristic model of macro-micro level phenomena that influence the way fashion consumers attach meaning to fashion forms and appearances. My primary concern in this paper is with macro-level phenomena, which includes cultural-system arbiters that, in turn, influence fashion-system arbiters. I argue that these two categories of macro-level phenomena then influence micro-level phenomena, including the negotiation of meanings among individuals, although influence between macro and micro levels is not unidirectional, and the more micro-level phenomenon of self-negotiation is a process whereby individuals ascribe meaning to fashion. Finally, I call for the systematic exploration of levels of analysis in assessing existing fashion theory to discover areas of scholarship that remain neglected.
Fashioning Theory: A Critical Discussion of the Symbolic Interactionist Theory of Fashion
Authors: Pannabecker Rachel K.
Published: June 2014

This essay responds to the symbolic interactionist theory of fashion by Kaiser, Nagasawa, and Hutton in terms of fashion history research, theory construction, and interdisciplinary investigation of fashionable behavior. Concerns regarding assumptions about past fashion and theoretical premises are analyzed, even as the provocative questions that the theory poses for studying fashion in its contexts are affirmed.
Quantifying the quiet epidemic
Authors: Wilson Duncan
Published: June 2014

During the late 20th century numerical rating scales became central to the diagnosis of dementia and helped transform attitudes about its causes and prevalence. Concentrating largely on the development and use of the Blessed Dementia Scale, I argue that rating scales served professional ends during the 1960s and 1970s. They helped old age psychiatrists establish jurisdiction over conditions such as dementia and present their field as a vital component of the welfare state, where they argued that ‘reliable modes of diagnosis’ were vital to the allocation of resources. I show how these arguments appealed to politicians, funding bodies and patient groups, who agreed that dementia was a distinct disease and claimed research on its causes and prevention should be designated ‘top priority’. But I also show that worries about the replacement of clinical acumen with technical and depersonalized methods, which could conceivably be applied by anyone, led psychiatrists to stress that rating scales had their limits and could be used only by trained experts.
Development of a novel low-temperature deposition machine using screw extrusion to fabricate poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) acid scaffolds
Authors: Liu Changyong , Li Yu , Zhang Lei , Mi Shengli , Xu Yuanyuan , Sun Wei
Published: June 2014

Scaffolds are of great importance to the success of tissue engineering. Poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) acid is one of the most commonly used biopolymers. This study develops a novel low-temperature deposition machine using screw extrusion to fabricate poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) acid scaffolds. The screw extrusion process of poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) acid is analysed, and the relationship between flow rate and processing parameters is examined. This relationship provides guidelines for optimizing the processing parameters. The major components and design strategy of the fabrication system are introduced. Measures are proposed to control the leakage of materials, and optimal processing parameters are determined. The machine is also equipped with a double-screw extrusion nozzle system; preliminary results demonstrate its capacity to fabricate gradient scaffolds. Porous structure characterization using mercury porosimetry demonstrates that the fabrication system is able to fabricate poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) acid scaffolds that are both macroporous and microporous.
Electron microscopic examination of effects of bogma raki and walnut on cochlea
Authors: Cevik C , Ozler GS , Arli C , Tatar I , Sargon MF , Zeren C , Yonden Z , Akoglu E
Published: June 2014

Illegal alcohol beverages known as bogma raki in our country are consumed widely in our region. The studies investigating the relationship between alcohol consumption and hearing ability report different results. In this study, we aimed to investigate the toxic effects of bogma raki that contains neurotoxic substances on cochlea by electron microscopy. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first in the literature. A total of 48 Wistar male albino rats (aged 12–16 weeks and weighing 200–240 g) were used in the study. The rats were divided into 4 groups with 12 animals in each group. The groups include control, bogma raki, walnut, and walnut + bogma raki groups. Bogma raki (30% v/v, 9.2 ml kg−1 day−1) is added to drinking water of rats in bogma raki group ( n = 12) for 4 weeks. Walnut group rats ( n = 12) are fed with standard rat food and walnut without limitation (10 g kg−1 day−1). Bogma raki + walnut group rats ( n = 12) are fed with standard rat food and walnut and bogma raki is added to drinking water. The cochleas were dissected and removed en bloc and examined by electron microscopy. Perineuronal oedema around neurons of spiral ganglion and hairy cells of organ of Corti were present in the bogma raki group, walnut group and bogma raki + walnut group under electron microscopic examination. Comparing these three groups, there were no differences in the ultrastructural pathological changes. In the ultrastructural examination of the myelinated axons forming cochlear nerve, no ultrastructural pathology was detected in all the groups.
Aspartame induces angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo models
Authors: Yesildal F , Aydin FN , Deveci S , Tekin S , Aydin I , Mammadov R , Fermanli O , Avcu F , Acikel CH , Ozgurtas T
Published: June 2014

Angiogenesis is the process of generating new blood vessels from preexisting vessels and is considered essential in many pathological conditions. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effect of aspartame on angiogenesis in vivo chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and wound-healing models as well as in vitro 2,3-bis-2 H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) and tube formation assays. In CAM assay, aspartame increased angiogenesis in a concentration-dependent manner. Compared with the control group, aspartame has significantly increased vessel proliferation ( p < 0.001). In addition, in vivo rat model of skin wound-healing study showed that aspartame group had better healing than control group, and this was statistically significant at p < 0.05. There was a slight proliferative effect of aspartame on human umbilical vein endothelial cells on XTT assay in vitro, but it was not statistically significant; and there was no antiangiogenic effect of aspartame on tube formation assay in vitro. These results provide evidence that aspartame induces angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo; so regular use may have undesirable effect on susceptible cases.
Zingiberene attenuates hydrogen peroxide-induced toxicity in neuronal cells
Authors: Togar B , Türkez H , Stefano AD , Tatar A , Cetin D
Published: June 2014

In this experimental design, we explored the neuroprotective potential of zingiberene (ZGB), a monocyclic sesquiterpene, in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced toxicity in newborn rat cerebral cortex cell cultures for the first time. The rats were exposed to H2O2 for 6 h to determine the oxidative stress levels. To evaluate cell viability, both 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and lactate dehydrogenase assays were carried out. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidative stress (TOS) parameters were used to evaluate oxidative changes. Besides determining 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) levels in vitro, single-cell gel electrophoresis was also performed to measure the resistance of neuronal DNA to H2O2- exposed rats. Our results showed that survival and TAC levels of the cells decreased, while TOS, 8-OH-dG levels and the mean values of the total scores of cells showing DNA damage increased in the H2O2 alone-treated cultures. But pretreatment of ZGB suppressed the cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and oxidative stress that were increased by H2O2. Based on these observations, it is suggested that the sesquiterpene ZGB can be used as a novel and natural potential therapeutic in counteracting oxidative damages in the field of neurodegenerative disorders.
Unemployment in military spouses: An examination of the latent and manifest benefits, quality of life, and psychological wellbeing
Authors: Trewick Nicole , Muller Juanita
Published: June 2014

The aim of the current study was to explore employment, latent and manifest benefits (LAMB), wellbeing, and quality of life (QoL) in military spouses. Australian military spouses (286 females, 3 males, mean age = 29.07, SD = 6.19, age range: 19–50) were contacted through social networking to complete an online questionnaire. Results confirmed that unemployed spouses had reduced access to LAMB, higher levels of distress, and poorer QoL than spouses who were employed. Furthermore, the relationship between employment and wellbeing, and employment and QoL was partially mediated by access to LAMB. Financial income was found to be the most important contributor to wellbeing, and status was found to be the most important contributor of QoL. Overall, findings have implications for military outcomes such as retention and readiness, as spouse employment is a significant factor of their wellbeing and QoL which can, in turn, affect the military member.
Revised expected outcomes: Essential for attracting Tasmanian students to careers in agricultural science
Authors: Turner Lydia R , Hawkins Cherie
Published: June 2014

This research qualitatively explores the career choices of Tasmanian university students currently studying a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree. Essential contributors to students choosing agricultural science as their preferred university course were interventions in key decision-making years that revised expectations around what a career in agriculture could involve. Effective interventions included exposure to information through advisory roles, and exposure to holistic experiences of farm businesses. The choice to study agricultural science was consistently influenced by expected job security and flexibility, and for many students also relied on the realisation that existing skills could be used, goals fulfilled and/or interests pursued through this career path. Our paper describes how interventions that revise expected outcomes about a career in agriculture can overcome the barriers of previous negative learning experiences, the negative public image of agriculture, and the widespread misperception that only a low level of ability is required to pursue this career path.
Career development in higher education through group mentoring: A case study of desirable attributes and perceptions of a current programme
Authors: Johns Raechel , McNamara Justine
Published: June 2014

Although group mentoring is not widely utilised in higher education settings, it has been viewed as successfully helping the research careers of academics (Walkington, Vanderheide, & Hughes, 2008). This paper explores the results of a qualitative and quantitative study about perceptions of one university-based group mentoring programme. The results enable an understanding of challenges that might exist in attracting potential participants to a group mentoring programme. Results indicate that organisations implementing a group mentoring programme need to make sure goals and outcomes of the programme are properly communicated, and that these also need to align with academics’ priorities for career development.
Evidence-Based Practice Projects in Pediatric Oncology Nursing
Authors: Rodgers Cheryl , Withycombe Janice S. , Hockenberry Marilyn J.
Published: June 2014

This introduction article discusses the history and importance of evidence-based practice, along with describing the process that 6 nurse-led teams completed for the systematic reviews listed in this journal issue.
The Relationship Between Hate Groups and Far-Right Ideological Violence
Authors: Adamczyk Amy , Gruenewald Jeff , Chermak Steven M. , Freilich Joshua D.
Published: June 2014

This study examines whether the presence of hate groups increases the likelihood of serious ideologically motivated violence committed by far-rightists. While hate crime research has generally focused on a single state or made comparisons across several states, we seek to examine this relationship within the context of U.S. counties. A smaller unit of analysis allows for the simultaneous consideration of several social processes operating at the community level, which might also influence ideologically motivated offending by far-right extremists. We test the relationship using data from the Extremist Crime Database (ECDB) for the dependent measure, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for the hate groups measure, and various other sources for additional variables. We find that the existence of a hate group in a county is significantly related to the occurrence of far-right ideologically motivated violence.
Social Information-Processing Skills and Aggression
Authors: Terzian Mary A. , Li Jilan , Fraser Mark W. , Day Steven H. , Rose Roderick A.
Published: June 2014

This article describes the findings from an efficacy trial of a school-based, universal prevention program designed to reduce aggressive behavior of by strengthening emotion regulation and social information-processing (SIP) skills. Three cohorts of third graders ( N = 479) participated in this study. The first cohort participated in the Making Choices (MC) program, a second cohort participated in the Making Choices Plus (MC+) program, and a third (lagged) cohort received the standard health education curriculum. Pretest to posttest changes suggest both programs were associated with reduced levels of aggression and improved SIP skills. Gender-moderating effects were observed—boys displayed significant reductions in aggressive behavior and significant increases in positive social goals, whereas girls’ aggressive behaviors and social goals showed no significant changes.
Heart Remodeling and Ischemia–Reperfusion Arrhythmias Linked to Myocardial Vitamin D Receptors Deficiency in Obstructive Nephropathy Are Reversed by Paricalcitol
Authors: Diez Emiliano Raúl , Altamirano Liliana Berta , García Isabel Mercedes , Mazzei Luciana , Prado Natalia Jorgelina , Fornes Miguel Walter , Carrión Fernando Darío Cuello , Zumino Amira Zulma Ponce , Ferder León , Manucha Walter
Published: June 2014

Cardiovascular disease is often associated with chronic kidney disease and vice versa; myocardial vitamin D receptors (VDRs) are among the probable links between the 2 disorders. The vitamin D receptor activator paricalcitol protects against some renal and cardiovascular complications. However, the structural and electrophysiological effects of myocardial vitamin D receptor modification and its impact on the response to ischemia–reperfusion are currently unknown. This work attempted to determine whether obstructive nephropathy induced myocardial changes (in rats) linked to vitamin D receptor deficiency and to ventricular arrhythmias in Langendorff-perfused hearts. Unilateral ureteral-obstructed and Sham-operated rats were treated with either paricalcitol (30 ng/kg/d intraperitoneal) or vehicle for 15 days. In 5 hearts from each group, we found that obstructed rats showed a reduction in VDRs and an increase in angiotensin II type 1 receptor expression (messenger RNA and protein), suffered fibrosis (determined by Masson trichrome stain) and myofibril reduction with an increase in mitochondrial size, and had dilated crests (determined by electron microscopy). These changes were reversed by paricalcitol. In 8 additional hearts per group, we found that obstructed rats showed a higher incidence of ventricular fibrillation during reperfusion (after 10 minutes of regional ischemia) than did those treated with paricalcitol. The action potential duration was prolonged throughout the experiment in paricalcitol-treated rats. We conclude that the reduction in myocardial vitamin D receptor expression in obstructed rats might be related to myocardial remodeling associated with an increase in arrhythmogenesis and that paricalcitol protects against these changes by restoring myocardial vitamin D receptor levels and prolonging action potentials.
Parents’ Perceptions of the Severity of Their Child’s Autistic Behaviors and Differences in Parental Stress, Family Functioning, and Social Support
Authors: Kissel Susan D. , Nelson W. Michael
Published: June 2014

The current study was designed to examine differences in parental stress, family functioning, and social supports among parents’ perceptions of the severity of their child’s autistic behaviors and a control group. To evaluate such differences, parental perceptions of children with autism and with typically developing children were compared. Parents of children with more severe autistic behaviors reported higher levels of parental stress and poorer ratings of their personal functioning in the family than parents of children with less severe autistic behaviors and typically developing children. The groups did not differ on the parents’ report of the functioning of the family unit or on perceived helpfulness of family social support. More research is needed on this topic.
Longevity and mortality of cats attending primary care veterinary practices in England
Authors: O’Neill Dan G , Church David B , McGreevy Paul D , Thomson Peter C , Brodbelt David C
Published: June 2014

Enhanced knowledge on longevity and mortality in cats should support improved breeding, husbandry, clinical care and disease prevention strategies. The VetCompass research database of primary care veterinary practice data offers an extensive resource of clinical health information on companion animals in the UK. This study aimed to characterise longevity and mortality in cats, and to identify important demographic risk factors for compromised longevity. Crossbred cats were hypothesised to live longer than purebred cats. Descriptive statistics were used to characterise the deceased cats. Multivariable linear regression methods investigated risk factor association with longevity in cats that died at or after 5 years of age. From 118,016 cats attending 90 practices in England, 4009 cats with confirmed deaths were randomly selected for detailed study. Demographic characterisation showed that 3660 (91.7%) were crossbred, 2009 (50.7%) were female and 2599 (64.8%) were neutered. The most frequently attributed causes of mortality in cats of all ages were trauma (12.2%), renal disorder (12.1%), non-specific illness (11.2%), neoplasia (10.8%) and mass lesion disorders (10.2%). Overall, the median longevity was 14.0 years (interquartile range [IQR] 9.0–17.0; range 0.0–26.7). Crossbred cats had a higher median longevity than purebred cats (median [IQR] 14.0 years [9.1–17.0] vs 12.5 years [6.1–16.4]; P <0.001), but individual purebred cat breeds varied substantially in longevity. In cats dying at or after 5 years (n = 3360), being crossbred, having a lower bodyweight, and being neutered and non-insured were associated with increased longevity. This study described longevity in cats and identified important causes of mortality and breed-related associations with compromised longevity.
Comparing Cognition, Mealtime Performance, and Nutritional Status in People With Dementia With or Without Ideational Apraxia
Authors: Wu Hua-Shan , Lin Li-Chan
Published: June 2014

Objective:

To describe the prevalence rate of ideational apraxia (IA) affecting self-feeding in people with dementia, confirm the stage of dementia at which IA most commonly occurs, and compare mealtime performance and nutritional status between people with dementia (PWD) with and without IA.

Method:

A cross-sectional design with between-subject comparison was used. Among the 395 potential participants recruited from dementia special care units at nine long-term care facilities in central and northern Taiwan, 98 met the operational definition of IA and were included in the PWD with IA group. From the remaining pool, 98 participants, matched for age and sex with the PWD with IA group, were randomly allocated to the PWD without IA group. Eating Behavior Scale (EBS) scores, food intake, total eating time, meal assistance, body mass index, Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA), and Mini-Mental State Examination scores were collected.

Results:

The prevalence rate of IA affecting self-feeding in our study population of PWD was 24.8%. PWD with IA had significantly lower EBS scores, had more food intake ( p < .001), spent more time being fed by caregivers, needed more verbal and feeding assistance, and had lower MNA scores than PWD without IA. Decline in the self-feeding ability of PWD affected by IA most commonly occurred in the severe stage of dementia.

Conclusion:

When dementia progresses to the late stage, staff should pay special attention to residents’ mealtime performance and nutritional status. For PWD with IA, reassigning staff at mealtimes based on eating ability and providing memory training are recommended.
Effect of Atorvastatin on Wound Healing in Rats
Authors: Suzuki-Banhesse Vanessa Ferraz , Azevedo Flávia Figueiredo , Araujo Eliana Pereira , do Amaral Maria Esméria Corezola , Caricilli Andrea Moro , Saad Mario Jose Abdalla , Lima Maria Helena Melo
Published: June 2014

Skin-wound healing is a complex and dynamic biological process involving inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Recent studies have shown that statins are new therapeutical options because of their actions, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, on vasodilation, endothelial dysfunction and neoangiogenesis, which are independent of their lipid-lowering action. Our aim was to investigate the effect of atorvastatin on tissue repair after acute injury in healthy animals. Rats were divided into four groups: placebo-treated (P), topical atorvastatin-treated (AT), oral atorvastatin-treated (AO), topical and oral atorvastatin-treated (ATO). Under anesthesia, rats were wounded with an 8-mm punch in the dorsal region. Lesions were photographed on Days 0, 1, 3, 7, 10, 12, and 14 post-injury and samples taken on Days 1, 3, 7, and 14 for protein-expression analysis of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), interleukin (IL)-10, IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Upon macroscopic examination, we observed significant reductions of lesion areas in groups AT, AO, and ATO compared to the P group. Additionally, AT and AO groups showed increased expression of IRS-1, PI3K, Akt, GSK-3, and IL-10 on Days 1 and 3 when compared with the P group. All atorvastatin-treated groups showed higher expression of IRS-1, PI3K, Akt, GSK-3, IL-10, eNOS, VEGF, and ERK on Day 7. On Days 1, 3, and 7, all atorvastatin-treated groups showed lower expression of IL-6 and TNF-α when compared with the P group. We conclude that atorvastatin accelerated tissue repair of acute lesions in rats and modulated expressions of proteins and cytokines associated with cell-growth pathways.
The effects of similarity, parasocial identification, and source credibility in obesity public service announcements on diet and exercise self-efficacy
Authors: Phua Joe
Published: June 2014

This study examined the effect of the audience’s similarity to, and parasocial identification with, spokespersons in obesity public service announcements, on perceived source credibility, and diet and exercise self-efficacy. The results ( N = 200) indicated that perceived similarity to the spokesperson was significantly associated with three dimensions of source credibility (competence, trustworthiness, and goodwill), each of which in turn influenced parasocial identification with the spokesperson. Parasocial identification also exerted a positive impact on the audiences’ diet and exercise self-efficacy. Additionally, significant differences were found between overweight viewers and non-overweight viewers on perceived similarity, parasocial identification with the spokesperson, and source credibility.
The digital divide has grown old: Determinants of a digital divide among seniors
Authors: Friemel Thomas N
Published: June 2014

The diffusion of the Internet is reaching a level between 80% and 90% in Western societies. Yet, while the digital divide is closing for young cohorts, it is still an issue when comparing various generations. This study focuses specifically on the so-called ‘grey divide’, a divide among seniors of age 65+ years. Based on a representative survey in Switzerland ( N = 1105), it is found that Internet use is strongly skewed in this age group leading to a partial exclusion of the old seniors (70+). Logistic regression shows that gender differences in usage disappear if controlled for education, income, technical interest, pre-retirement computer use and marital status. Furthermore, the social context appears to have a manifold influence on Internet use. Encouragement by family and friends is a strong predictor for Internet use, and private learning settings are preferred over professional courses. Implications for digital inequality initiatives and further research are discussed.
Optimal target range for blood glucose in hyperglycaemic patients in a neurocritical care unit
Authors: Guo Yi-Jing , Zhou Yi , Zhang Sheng-Yi , Wei Qiong , Huang Yan , Xia Wen-Qing , Wang Shao-Hua
Published: June 2014

Background:

Hyperglycaemia is common among patients with critical neurological injury, even if they have no history of diabetes. The optimal target range for normalizing their blood glucose is unknown.

Methods:

Retrospective data were extracted from 890 hyperglycaemic individuals (glucose > 200 mg/dL) admitted to neuroscience critical care unit (NCCU) and these patients were divided into two groups: intensive glucose control group with target glucose of < 140 mg/dL achieved and moderate control with glucose levels 140-180 mg/dL. The groups were also stratified according to the hyperglycaemia type (pre-existing diabetes or stress-related). We defined the primary endpoint as death from any cause during NCCU admission.

Results:

In NCCU, tighter control of blood glucose at ≤ 140 mg/dL was associated with increased, mortality of individuals with pre-existing diabetes compared with moderate control [29 of 310 patients (9.4%) vs 15 of 304 patients (4.9%), p = 0.034]. Patient age [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05–1.19; p < 0.001], level of glycated haemoglobin (adjusted OR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.04–1.48; p = 0.017) and hypoglycaemia (adjusted OR = 10.3; 95% CI = 2.92–36.6; p < 0.001) were positively associated with higher mortality. Death rate was lower among stress-related hyperglycaemic patients with tighter glucose controlled at ≤ 140 mg/dL [6 of 140 patients (4.3%) vs 15 of 136 patients (11.0%), p = 0.035].

Conclusion:

A differential association is evident between glucose levels and mortality in diabetes and stress-related hyperglycaemia patients. However, given the observational nature of our work, no clinical recommendations can be given and prospective studies are required to further investigate these findings.
Anxious Displacements
Authors: Cavalcante Andre
Published: June 2014

On popular television, parenting narratives have emerged as a dominant representational paradigm in depicting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) subjectivities as “normal.” However, I argue that the work of normalization in TV programs also operates on figures and relationships related to gay parents. I identify this secondary process as “anxious displacement” in which figures and relationships circulating around gay parents are overloaded with negatively codified social differences and symbolic excesses. This study examines the cultural work of anxious displacement in Modern Family and The New Normal by interrogating how racial excess, cultural capital, queerness, and the extreme are displaced onto characters in the gay parents’ immediate world. Ultimately, anxious displacement instantiates gay parenting as culturally intelligible and legitimate, and in doing so, reproduces potential normative liabilities by reinscribing hierarchies of personhood. At the same time, anxious displacement validates gay parenting, undermines homophobia, and affirms gay masculinities.
A Case Series of a Behavioral Activation−Enhanced Smoking Cessation Program for Inpatient Substance Users With Elevated Depressive Symptoms
Authors: Banducci Anne N. , Long Katherine E. , MacPherson Laura
Published: June 2014

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the world and represents a critical public health problem. Smokers with substance use disorders and depressive symptoms have particular difficulties quitting smoking and represent an underserved population. The current study utilized a novel behavioral activation (BA)−enhanced smoking cessation treatment with three clients in residential substance use treatment who had elevated depressive symptoms. We present detailed descriptions of the treatment they received and the challenges they faced. Our clients, who received five individual BA-enhanced smoking cessation sessions and two follow-up booster sessions, benefited significantly from the BA treatment. Over an 8-week follow-up period, they did not relapse to smoking and experienced significant decreases in depressive symptoms. This suggests BA may be a beneficial treatment strategy for this particularly challenging population.
Surgical Resident Evaluations of Portable Laparoscopic Box Trainers Incorporated Into a Simulation-Based Minimally Invasive Surgery Curriculum
Authors: Zapf Matthew A. C. , Ujiki Michael B.
Published: June 2014

Introduction. Box trainers have been shown to be an effective tool for teaching laparoscopic skills; however, residents are challenged to find practice time. Portable trainers theoretically allow for extended hands on practice out of the hospital. We aimed to report resident experience with laparoscopic home box trainers. Methods. Over 2 years, all residents rotating through a minimally invasive service were given a portable trainer and access to a surgical simulation lab for practice. Each trainer contained a collapsible frame, a webcam with USB port, trocars, and laparoscopic instruments (needle driver, shears, Maryland and straight dissecting graspers) as well as Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery skills testing materials. Residents were asked to log hours, usages, and their experience anonymously. Results. Twenty-three residents received a portable trainer. Fifty percent of the participants found the trainer useful or very useful, 25% said it was not useful, and 25% did not access the trainer. Those that used the trainer during their rotation did so 3.1 ± 3.0 times for 2.9 ± 3.0 hours/week. After completing their rotation, 5 of 12 residents used their trainer for an average of 10.2 ± 9.4 hours. Forty-two percent of the responders liked the accessibility of the home box trainers, while 25% criticized the camera–computer interface. Conclusions. Portable box trainers are useful and can effectively supplement a laboratory-based surgical simulation curriculum; however, personal possession of a portable simulator does not result in voluntarily long-term practice.
Assessment of seismic collapse uncertainties of steel moment-resisting frames by means of single-degree-of-freedom systems
Authors: Torabian Shayan , Taghikhany Touraj
Published: June 2014

The collapse evaluations presented to date are of various approximations, such as significant degrees of uncertainty in ground motion characterization and structural collapse modeling. Accordingly, determining the variance of collapse capacity has an important role in evaluation of the seismic risk of structures. However, its process includes time-consuming steps, for example, incremental dynamic analysis and nonlinear dynamic collapse analyses of the archetype models. In order to save time and preserve accuracy, this study attempts to assess the seismic collapse uncertainty of single-degree-of-freedom systems for evaluating the same uncertainties in steel moment frames. A combination of extended incremental dynamic analysis and Latin hypercube sampling method was utilized to study the epistemic and aleatory effects on multi-story steel moment frames (3-, 5-, 8- and 15-story frames) as well as single-degree-of-freedom models. The results indicated that due to aleatory and epistemic uncertainties, the variance of collapse capacity in three-, five- and eight-story frames was close to the results of single-degree-of-freedom systems in which P-Δ effects were assumed as small, whereas the variance of collapse capacity of a 15-story frame ( T1>2 s) was compatible with the results of single-degree-of-freedom systems when P-Δ effects were considered large.
Get Up, Stand Up
Authors: Knight Andrew P. , Baer Markus
Published: June 2014

Non-sedentary work configurations, which encourage standing rather than sitting in the course of work, are becoming increasingly prevalent in organizations. In this article, we build and test theory about how non-sedentary arrangements influence interpersonal processes in groups performing knowledge work—tasks that require groups to combine information to develop creative ideas and solve problems. We propose that a non-sedentary workspace increases group arousal, while at the same time decreasing group idea territoriality, both of which result in better information elaboration and, indirectly, better group performance. The results of an experimental study of 54 groups engaged in a creative task provide support for this dual pathway model and underscore the important role of the physical space in which a group works as a contextual input to group processes and outcomes.
Social Work Practice With Local Communities in Developing Countries
Authors: Pawar Manohar
Published: June 2014

The article discusses some features of social work, broad community practice trends, and imperatives for political engagement in local communities in developing countries. Drawing on secondary data and the author’s observations and research on community development in developing countries, it addresses an important question: Do social workers practice in local communities generally, and particularly through political engagement? The analysis shows broad community practice trends in developing countries and argues that social workers and their profession are almost absent in local communities, and when they are so engaged, most of them do not engage politically. In view of local communities’ contexts and people’s deprived conditions, the imperatives for social workers to engage politically in community practice are discussed. These are as follows: adhering to values/principles-based social work practice with communities, making an entry and gaining acceptance, awareness-raising and capacity building, challenging exploitative and oppressive community power structures, and ensuring sustainable community development. In conclusion, it is argued that to effectively address these imperatives, social work may need to alter its non-political and non-religious neutral stand, where appropriate. In many situations, social workers need to focus on the profession’s fundamental values and principles and actively engage with local politics and power structures so as to improve the living conditions of people and local communities in developing countries.
Reflective Questioning in Management Education
Authors: van Seggelen-Damen Inge C. M. , Romme A. Georges L.
Published: June 2014

Reflective questioning is a critical activity in management learning and education. This article describes research on the nature of reflective questioning in groups of management students working on final MSc projects. Drawing on content analysis of recorded meetings, we identify the following key dimensions of reflective questioning: provocation, need for cognition, epistemology, locus of cognition, logic, heuristics, level of abstraction, and cognitive complexity. The data suggest that individual reflection by students and collective reflection in group meetings are highly complementary in management education. In particular, individual reflection by students combined with meetings that support and provoke collective reflection may create substantial synergies between individual and collective learning. We also discuss the implications of these findings for management education.
Sustainability and Food & Nutrition Security
Authors: Prosperi Paolo , Allen Thomas , Padilla Martine , Peri Iuri , Cogill Bruce
Published: June 2014

Recurrent food crises and climate change, along with habitat loss and micronutrient deficiencies, are global issues of critical importance that have pushed food security and environmental sustainability to the top of the political agenda. Analyses of the dynamic linkages between food consumption patterns and environmental concerns have recently received considerable attention from the international and scientific community. Using the lens of a broad sustainability approach, this conceptual article aims at developing a multidimensional framework to evaluate the sustainability of food systems and diets, applicable to countries of the Mediterranean region. Derived from natural disaster and sustainability sciences, a vulnerability approach, enhanced by inputs from the resilience literature, has been adapted to analyze the main issues related to food and nutrition security. Through causal factor analysis, the resulting conceptual framework improves the design of information systems or metrics assessing the interrelated environmental, economic, social, and health dynamics of food systems.
Dimensional Analysis of Psychosocial Barriers to Prevention of Early Childhood Caries Among Recent Immigrants
Authors: Perez Arnaldo , Amin Maryam
Published: June 2014

The objective of this article is to define the underlying dimensions of psychosocial barriers to obtaining and providing dental care for young children among recent immigrants. Fifteen focus groups were conducted with 99 primary caregivers from African, South Asian, and Chinese recent immigrants. A secondary analysis of identified barriers using dimensional analysis methodology was performed to determine dimensions and properties of barriers. The analysis continued until irreducible properties were found or emerging dimensions were not relevant to the study. Identified dimensions were associated with barriers and individuals. Type, number, level, objectiveness, nature, and impact were barrier-related; awareness and controllability were individual-related dimensions. Type refers to barriers themselves. Number and level indicate the amount and location of barriers, respectively. Objectiveness refers to the extent that perceived barrier reflects reality and nature indicates its intrinsic characteristic. Impact concerns behaviors, goals, and outcomes compromised by barriers. Awareness alludes to the extent that individuals are aware of the barriers and controllability explains how much control people perceive to have over barriers. Identified dimensions are useful for better understanding and addressing existing barriers to children’s optimal oral health.
Evolving use of new oral anticoagulants for treatment of venous thromboembolism
Authors: Yeh Calvin H. , Gross Peter L. , Weitz Jeffrey I.
Published: June 2014

The new oral anticoagulants (NOACs), which include dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban, are poised to replace warfarin for treatment of the majority of patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE). With a rapid onset of action and the capacity to be administered in fixed doses without routine coagulation monitoring, NOACs streamline VTE treatment. In phase 3 trials in patients with acute symptomatic VTE, NOACs have been shown to be noninferior to conventional anticoagulant therapy for prevention of recurrence and are associated with less bleeding. Rivaroxaban and dabigatran are already licensed for VTE treatment in the United States, and apixaban and edoxaban are under regulatory consideration for this indication. As the number of approved drugs increases, clinicians will need to choose the right anticoagulant for the right VTE patient. To help with this decision, this review (1) compares the pharmacologic profiles of the NOACs, (2) outlines the unique design features of the phase 3 trials that evaluated the NOACs for VTE treatment, (3) reviews the results of these trials highlighting similarities and differences in the findings, (4) provides perspective about which VTE patients should receive conventional treatment or are candidates for NOACs, and (5) offers suggestions about how to choose among the NOACs.
Impact of iron overload and potential benefit from iron chelation in low-risk myelodysplastic syndrome
Authors: Shenoy Niraj , Vallumsetla Nishanth , Rachmilewitz Eliezer , Verma Amit , Ginzburg Yelena
Published: June 2014

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are a group of heterogeneous clonal bone marrow disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, peripheral blood cytopenias, and potential for malignant transformation. Lower/intermediate-risk MDSs are associated with longer survival and high red blood cell (RBC) transfusion requirements resulting in secondary iron overload. Recent data suggest that markers of iron overload portend a relatively poor prognosis, and retrospective analysis demonstrates that iron chelation therapy is associated with prolonged survival in transfusion-dependent MDS patients. New data provide concrete evidence of iron’s adverse effects on erythroid precursors in vitro and in vivo. Renewed interest in the iron field was heralded by the discovery of hepcidin, the main serum peptide hormone negative regulator of body iron. Evidence from β-thalassemia suggests that regulation of hepcidin by erythropoiesis dominates regulation by iron. Because iron overload develops in some MDS patients who do not require RBC transfusions, the suppressive effect of ineffective erythropoiesis on hepcidin may also play a role in iron overload. We anticipate that additional novel tools for measuring iron overload and a molecular-mechanism–driven description of MDS subtypes will provide a deeper understanding of how iron metabolism and erythropoiesis intersect in MDSs and improve clinical management of this patient population.
Interleukin-17 cytokine signalling in patients with asthma
Authors: Lindén Anders , Dahlén Barbro
Published: June 2014

Asthma remains a global health problem and, therefore, more effective pharmacotherapy is needed. This is particularly true for chronic and severe asthma. In these clinical phenotypes, chronic inflammation involving neutrophils is likely to play a pathogenic role, making it interesting to target cytokine signalling involved in the accumulation of neutrophils. Therefore, it is of interest that the archetype T-helper 17 cell cytokine interleukin (IL)-17A, perhaps also IL-17F, controls neutrophil accumulation, mucus secretion, macrophage mobilisation and smooth muscle reactivity in various experimental airway models. However, much less is known about the involvement of signallingviaIL-17 cytokines in humans with asthma. Existing evidence suggests that these cytokines are released from several types of immune cells in asthma and, for IL-17A, there is a local increase associated with disease severity, with the mobilisation of neutrophils and smooth muscle cells locally in the airways. Even though the causative role of IL-17 cytokines remains unclear, there is potential for clinical utility in targeting IL-17A specifically in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma and high reversibility. There is a need for new and well-powered clinical investigations of signallingviaIL-17 cytokines in this clinical phenotype.