bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detrusor Morpho-functional Correlations in Obstruction due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
Authors: Zucconelli R. , Sacchi G.
Published: October 2018

This study was aimed at checking out a possible connection between detrusor primary lesions and clinical and urodynamic data in patients with cervico-prostatic obstruction. 40 patients were evaluated, of whom 32 had symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia and 8 were controls. A biopsy of the right side wall of the bladder was carried out. The lesions found (muscular hypertropy, fibroelastosis, alteration of the nerve fibres) in relation to their gravity, correlated to the presumable date when symptoms started and to three data from urodynamic evaluation (significant residual p.m., degree of obstruction according to Schafer's chart, presence of detrusor-motor instability). The interference of physiological ageing on results is not underestimated, but this correlation exists. However, the lack of fine quantitative evaluations of follow-up on the possible reversibility of the same lesions after removal of the obstruction, make it impossible at this stage to state how close the correlation is.
Role of PSA on Diagnosis and Clinical Stadiation of Prostatic Cancer
Authors: D'Amico A. , Comunale L. , Pianon R. , Curti P. , Beltrami P. , Tallarigo C.
Published: October 2018

The Authors review the literature and summarize the role of the PSA in early diagnosis, screening and clinical staging of prostatic carcinoma. Both advantages and limits of the test are emphasized. In spite of its limited sensitivity (57%) and low positive predictive value (49%) in early diagnosis of prostate cancer, the marker has an overall diagnostic efficiency of 64-70% and provides better detection rates of the tumor than digital rectal examination (DRE) and transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS). In screening studies, additional advantages of PSA in comparison with the other tests, are objectivity and better patient acceptance. Combination of PSA with DRE and TRUS provides the best results in early diagnosis of prostate cancer. The highest detection rates are observed with a positive DRE and high levels of PSA. The main controversies concern the group of patients with negative DRE and intermediate levels of PSA (4,1-10 ng/ml; Hybritech); in these cases other parameters, such as PSA density and/or PSA velocity, can be useful. The relationship between serie levels of the marker and age of the patients can also increase the diagnostic accuracy of the test. A screening programme in subjects at risk for prostate cancer (because of age, family history and race) may be founded on the association of PSA and DRE, using TRUS only when both PSA and DRE are positive or dubious. Lastly the Authors emphasize the importance of PSA in the clinical staging of the prostatic carcinoma, especially as predictor of bone metastases.
Transurethral Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia by Means of Neodym-YAG Laser. Preliminary Report
Authors: Szemes Z. , Magasi P. , Juhász J. , Albert I.
Published: October 2018

The Authors are the first in Hungary to report on laser therapy in BPH according to their experience gained in connection with 5 cases. They have verified that operations performed by means of the Nd-YAG laser and specific (SideFire) laser thread may offer a beneficial choice in the initial phase of BPH.
Clinical Usefulness of Prostate Specific Antigen and Prostate Specific Antigen Density to Distinguish Benign from Malignant Prostate Diseases
Authors: Terrone C. , Vestita E. , Formigoni A. , Rossetti S. Rocca , Aimo G.
Published: October 2018

The possibility of distinguishing prostate cancer from BPH with the prostate specific antigen (PSA) determination is particularly poor when PSA levels are between 4.1 and 10 ng/ml. In these cases the quotient of serum PSA and prostate volume, defined as prostate specific antigen density (PSAD), seems to enhance the accuracy of PSA alone. In this study we evaluated retrospectively the preoperative PSA levels in 139 patients with BPH and in 26 patients with prostate cancer who underwent surgical treatment at our Department. We calculated the prostate volume with the following formula: length x width x depth x 0.52. The three dimensions were obtained from the surgical specimen in the patients with prostate cancer and using transrectal ultrasound in the cases of BPH. In patients with a serum PSA level of 4.1 to 10 ng/ml, PSA alone was not able to distinguish benign from malignant prostate disease; the PSAD values, on the contrary, provided a statistically significant (p < 0.003) stratification between BPH and prostate cancer (mean PSAD of 0.0088 and 0.191 respectively). Only 6% of patients with BPH had a PSAD greater than 0.15 compared to 76% of patients with prostate cancer. These results suggest the usefulness of PSAD in predicting the presence of prostate cancer in patients with intermediate levels of serum PSA.
Premature Ejaculation: Our Experience
Authors: Piediferro G. , Russo A. , Orimi A. , Luciano G.
Published: October 2018

Over a 10-year period the Authors have studied 103 patients with premature primitive ejaculation treated with Metoclopramide, Fluoxetine and/or sexual techniques (squeeze, stop and start, positional techniques). Best results were achievied with an association of Fluoxetine and sexual therapy (77.33%). Fluoxetine (serotonergic) seems to be more effective than Metoclopramide (antidopaminergic).
Rationalisation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Choices in Prostatic Hypertrophy
Authors: Monaco C. , Olivo G. , Lotto A.
Published: October 2018

In order to control health care costs, urologists are being urged to review diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. A review was made of some diagnostic choices and alternative therapies for benign prostatic hypertrophy, which is the most frequently encountered pathology in clinical practice. Despite the numerous methods in being, transurethral resection of the prostate is still the gold standard in the treatment of this pathology at an acceptable cost-benefit ratio.
Clinical Experiment Comparing 3 Pharmacological Treatments of Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy: Terazosin Vs. Finasteride Vs. Terazosin + Finasteride
Authors: Comeri G.
Published: October 2018

The tone of the smooth prostate muscle and the presence of hyperplastic tissue represent the dynamic and passive components respectively of the obstructive symptomatology present in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The contractile properties are mediated primarily by the alpha-1 type adrenergic receptors, which are found in great numbers in the stroma of the gland and in the prostatic capsule. The use of Terazosin, a selective alpha-1 blocker, has proved to be effective in the improvement of BPH symptoms associated with the hypertone of the smooth muscle. The assumption that androgens play an important role in hypertrophy of the prostate has introduced drugs into the treatment which are capable of blocking the synthesis and the action of testosterone and, in particular, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Finasteride is an inhibitor of 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme inside the prostatic epithelial cells which converts the testosterone into DHT. A multicentre study has therefore been carried out aimed at assessing, after 9 months treatment, the efficacy and tolerability of three pharmacological treatments: Terazosin, Finasteride and a combination of the two, in 146 patients with symptomatic BPH. Results of the study indicate that the drugs were well tolerated and that the efficacy in resolving the obstructive symptomatology was particularly accentuated and rapid in the groups treated with Terazosin, the action of which, in this respect, has proved to be more significant than that of Finasteride.
Role of Bilateral Pelvic Lymphadenectomy in Prostatic Cancer
Authors: Fandella A. , Maccatrozzo L. , Merlo F. , Faggiano L. , Cecchin P. , Tuccitto G. , Mangano M. , Cicerello E. , Anselmo G.
Published: October 2018

Objectives: to identify a group of patients with prostate cancer for whom open staging pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) could be superfluous. Methods: the medical records of all patients presenting with prostate cancer from January 1992 to December 1996 were reviewed. A total of 118 patients with clinically localized disease were selected to undergo radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) preceded by open PLND. Final nodal status was correlated with the value of the preoperative serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentration, clinical stage (TNM), and grading (by OMS) to evaluate the predictivity of nodal involvement. We identified 3 groups: PSA <10 ng/ml, T1–2, G1-2, = 1st very low risk, PSA 10 −15, T1-2 - G1-2 = 2nd low risk, PSA <15 T3 or G3 or PSA >15 every T and G = 3rd high risk. Results: overall, only 21 patients (18%) had lymph node metastases. Lymph node involvement was significantly correlated with elevated serum PSA values, high grading, and advanced clinical stage. 35 patients belonged to the first 2 groups, presenting with low PSA and favorable clinical stage and grade, none with lymph node involvement. These patients could have avoided PLND with a very low risk of missing something. Conclusions: open staging PLND may no longer be justified on a routine basis in patients undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy.
Imaging as Back-Up in the Management of Bladder Cancer
Authors: Vincenzi L.
Published: October 2018

All imaging techniques provide a valid back-up during diagnosis. The accuracy of CT and MRI in staging and follow-up is considered and their relative incapacity in differentiating between superficial and deep muscular invasion of the bladder and between benign and malignant lymphadenopathy. Encouraging results have been obtained by applying the PET to lymph node staging.
Treatment of Urinary Incontinence with Ams 800 Artificial Urinary Sphincter: Long-Term Results
Authors: Diana M. , Schettini M. , Gallucci M.
Published: October 2018

Introduction of the AMS 800 artificial urinary sphincter has revolutionized the treatment of urinary incontinence due to pure sphincteric incompetence. From April 1989 to October 1997, 52 patients (42 men and 3 women) underwent implantation of the AMS 800 artificial sphincter. Mean patient age was 69.5 years. They were suffering from urinary incontinence caused by sphincteric damage, always of iatrogenic origin. Follow-up was 5 to 110 months (mean 35 months). Full continence was regained in 35 patients. Seven patients with successful implantation died because of other problems. Follow-up was not available for 2 patients. Explantation was performed 8 times (5 periprosthetic infections, 1 urethral necrosis, 2 urethral erosion). The AMS 800 artificial urinaly sphincter is the most efficacious treatment currently available for urinary incontinence due to pure sphincteric incompetence. Implantation is associated with 2 notable complications: surgical and mechanical.
Surgical Reconstruction for Major Renal Trauma: Follow-Up Results
Authors: di Stefano C. , Incarbone G.P. , Arena F. , Calbiani G. , Ugolotti G. , Cortellini P.
Published: October 2018

The management of major renal trauma is still controversial and there are few studies about preservation of renal function after surgical reconstruction. We report our results on 10 patients who underwent renal reconstruction and quantitative assessment of differential renal function by radionuclide scintigraphy (99m-TC DMSA); mean follow-up was 6.6 years. Function was 25% or more in 9 reconstructed kidneys: this value is considered an adequate preservation of renal function. We consider reconstructive surgery an appropriate method to manage major renal injuries.
Urine Protein Electrophoresis of End-Stage Diabetic Nephropathy Patients on Dialysis Using Room Temperature Precipitation Technique
Authors: Mukhtar A.
Published: October 2018

Proteinuria is one of the markers of renal diseases. Its quantitative measurement alone has limited diagnostic conclusions. Electrophoresis procedures have been applied for further differentiation. To determine the extent of precipitated proteinuria as a diagnostic and clinical marker tool, I have used the precipitated urine proteins without any chemical or heat for protein precipitation utilizing a new feasible and practicable approach. Two samples of urine (5 c.c. each) after 24 hours of dialysis were collected from 10 end-stage renal failure diabetic nephropathy patients (Salmaniya Medical Center) and 5 normal healthy persons without any history of renal and diabetic involvement. The samples were dried at room temperature without adding any chemical for 24 hours and precipitated urine was diluted in distilled water. They were run on Beckman apparatus Paragon Electropheresis System and scanned for electrophoresis bands for the following proteins in BDF hospital: albumin, alpha 1, alpha 2, beta, and gamma. The pattern of electrophoresis graph and bands were different in the urine of patients compared to the urine of healthy persons. There were alterations in alpha 1 and 2 proteins in the urine of patients with ESRF. This technique illustrates a feasible approach to estimate the protein alteration in ESRF of diabetic nephropathy patients and to develop a marker for clinical development of diabetic nephropathy patients, that could be used as a tool for further studies with, for example, diabetic nephropathy patients without ESRF and diabetic patients without nephropathy of both IDDM and NIDDM.
Penile Strangulation by a Metallic Ring: Clinical Case and Literature Review
Authors: Liguori G. , Trombetta C. , De Giorgi G. , Siracusano S. , Raber M. , Buttazzi L. , Belgrano E.
Published: October 2018

The use of metallic and non-metallic objects on the penis for erotic pleasure is not rare. Sometimes penile strangulation can occur, but prompt attention and careful management can lead to full recovery. Penile strangulation, if unrelieved, may lead to penile engorgement, ulceration, necrosis of the spongiosum and cavernous tissue, urinary extravation and even gangrene. We report on a case of a young man who presented with a metal ring jammed around the penis. Metallic objects cause less severe injuries than non-metallic ones, but they are difficult to remove. In these cases a metal cutter, saw, heavy drill hammer and chisel can be used. It is easier to remove non-metallic objects but injuries are severe. The choice of method for removing an object depends upon its type, size, how long it has been in place and availability of equipment.
Apoptosis in Immortalised Prostatic Stromal Cells Influenced by Soluble Factors of Epithelial Origin
Authors: De Angeli S. , Buoro S. , Gatto C. , Bredariol S. , Fandella A. , Drago G.L. , Anselmo G. , Palù G.
Published: October 2018

Much experimental evidence shows that stroma-epithelium interactions in prostatic tissue are responsible for the growth, differentiation and secretory activity of this gland through the production of inductive and inhibiting factors. Tenniswood in particular has suggested the presence of a regulating mechanism based on the balancing of inductive stimuli. Previous research showed that the human prostatic epithelial line U285 we isolated reduces stromal growth through diffusible factors, which are associated with morphological and phenotypic changes. By studying the interactions of the epithelial line U285 and its supranatan with an immortalised human prostatic stromal line U763, the capacity of the epithelial line, and in particular its supranatan, to induce apoptosis in the stromal line was highlighted.
Preparing Pre-Service Special Education Teachers to Facilitate Parent Involvement, Knowledge, and Advocacy: Considerations for Curriculum
Authors: Strassfeld Natasha M.
Published: October 2018

More than 40 years after passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), some special education teacher preparation programs offer limited coursework on parent involvement, advocacy, or home–school collaboration. For pre-service special education teachers and/or novice special education teachers working with students with disabilities and their parents in practice, prior parent involvement coursework often enhances knowledge and abilities to provide resources, advocacy support, and insight. Yet, for this to occur in practice, special education teacher preparation program faculty should continue to consider how curriculum that instructs and provides resources regarding home–school collaboration, advocacy, conflict resolution, and federal legislation and programmatic support can enhance parent involvement. Therefore, this article examines IDEA parent involvement provisions, IDEA-mandated and federally funded conflict resolution options, and Parent Training and Information Centers that provide parents resources and support. Also, this article offers suggestions for teacher preparation faculty developing or refining parent involvement curricula.
HRM and the health of hospitals
Authors: Wilkinson Adrian , Muurlink Olav , Awan Nabil , Townsend Keith
Published: October 2018

While there is a plethora of research on people management and high-commitment management, most are focused on commercial enterprises. Even the high-commitment management literature on commercial organisations argues that we need to move beyond the confines of financial performance. There are relatively few studies of high-commitment management which focus on hospitals. This is despite the fact that human resources are a major cost and source of performance leverage in hospitals.
Experimental and numerical analysis of the unsteady influence of the inlet guide vanes on cavitation performance of an axial pump
Authors: Guo Zhiwei , Pan Jingye , Qian Zhongdong , Ji Bin
Published: October 2018

The effect of the inlet guide vanes on cavitation performance of an axial pump is investigated to assess the mechanism for cavitation in pumps and improve their cavitation performance. The effect of inlet guide vane angles on cavitation performance was assessed experimentally, and computational fluid dynamics was used to analyze the inner flow field of the axial pump and to probe the cavitation mechanism. The simulation results agree qualitatively with the experimental data, showing that cavitation performance is improved with positive inlet guide vane angles but hampered with negative ones. The cavitation performance itself is controlled by the cavitation volume, which first expands circumferentially when the net positive suction head decreases from a certain large value and then develops toward the axis radially after the net positive suction head reaches a certain value. This is when the cavitation performance deteriorates. Comparing cavitation volume for the critical net positive suction head as determined by two different methods, the method based on efficiency drop (NPSHeff.,1%) is found to be more suitable than that based on head drop (NPSHhead.,3%). Furthermore, the distribution of swirl is shown to be closely related to the distribution of cavitation, a feature that may be used to predict cavitation along the impeller.
Demographic and epidemic transitions in peri-urban areas of Colombia: a multilevel study of malaria in the Amazonian city of San José del Guaviare
Authors: Feged-Rivadeneira Alejandro , Del Cairo Carlos , Vargas William
Published: October 2018

Migration to urban centres is among the most important forces in contemporary urban studies. In this paper, we study how the demography and epidemic profile of a community are altered when they transition from living in nomadic conditions in a forested environment to a peri-urban settlement in a city of the Amazon basin. We analyse demographic and epidemic data with a multilevel model to understand individual and community-level effects in terms of the risk of malarial infection. We show that malaria becomes endemic when the population settles in the peri-urban area of the city. We also show that the reproductive rate of women in the group increases as they become sedentary, and that while individual fertility rates have no effect on risk of contracting malaria, population-level fertility rates are associated with malaria endemicity.
Long-Term Memory for Haptically Explored Objects: Fidelity, Durability, Incidental Encoding, and Cross-Modal Transfer
Authors: Hutmacher Fabian , Kuhbandner Christof
Published: October 2018

The question of how many of our perceptual experiences are stored in long-term memory has received considerable attention. The present study examined long-term memory for haptic experiences. Blindfolded participants haptically explored 168 everyday objects (e.g., a pen) for 10 s each. In a blindfolded memory test, they indicated which of two objects from the same basic-level category (e.g., two different pens) had been touched before. As shown in Experiment 1 ( N = 26), memory was nearly perfect when tested immediately after exploration (94%) and still high when tested after 1 week (85%). As shown in Experiment 2 ( N = 43), when participants explored the objects without the intention to memorize them, memory in a 1-week delayed surprise test was still high (79%), even when assessed with a cross-modal visual memory test (73%). These results indicate that detailed, durable, long-term memory representations are stored as a natural product of haptic perception.
Effects of Message Variation and Communication Tools Choices on Consumer Response
Authors: Hongcharu Boonchai
Published: October 2018

In the midst of budget constraints, marketers need to plan their choices of messages and communication tools appropriately and efficiently. As studies exploring both factors and their interactions are rare, this study uses the advertising, sales promotion and public relations messages of a retail outlet, to study the effects of two different types of message variation: cosmetic and substantive and three choices of communication tools on consumer response on the messages and on the brand. An experiment of 198 subjects under six conditions reveals significant main effects and an interaction for consumer response on the messages. However, only message variation significantly affects consumer response on the brand. Customers generally seek for the types of messages and communication tools that can increase the amount of information and perceived value to make an informed purchase decision. Discussions of the results and implications for marketing communications are provided.
Dual loss of USP10 and p14ARF protein expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with small intestinal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Song Joon Seon , Yi Joo Mi , Cho Hanbyoul , Choi Chel Hun , Park Yoonho , Chung Eun Joo , Song Jaewhan , Chung Joon-Yong , Hong Seung-Mo
Published: October 2018

Oncogene-induced senescence occurs following oncogene activation in normal cells and is considered as a critical tumor-suppressing mechanism. Ubiquitin-specific protease 10 (USP10) has been reported to play a vital role in oncogene-induced senescence via the deubiquitination-dependent stabilization of p14ARF. However, knowledge of the clinical significance of USP10 and p14ARF expression in patients with small intestinal adenocarcinoma is limited. To study the clinical significance of USP10 and p14ARF expression, we performed immunohistochemistry for USP10 and p14ARF on 195 surgically resected small intestinal adenocarcinoma specimens. Furthermore, we performed methylation analysis on five small intestinal adenocarcinoma samples and matched adjacent normal intestinal tissue samples. UPS10 ( p = 0.023) and p14ARF ( p = 0.007) expression were significantly decreased in adenocarcinoma in comparison with normal tissue. The loss of USP10 was observed in 124/194 (63.9%) of small intestinal adenocarcinoma samples and was correlated with a higher pT stage ( p = 0.044), lymphatic invasion ( p = 0.033), and the absence of sporadic adenoma ( p = 0.024) and peritumoral dysplasia ( p = 0.019). p14ARF expression was downregulated in 75/195 (38.5%) of small intestinal adenocarcinoma samples and was associated with vascular ( p = 0.011) and lymphatic ( p = 0.013) invasions. The loss of USP10 expression was associated with the loss of p14ARF expression ( r = 0.342, p < 0.001). Multivariate survival analysis revealed that the combined loss of USP10 and p14ARF expression could be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in small intestinal adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, the aberrant hypermethylation of the USP10 and p14ARF promoter could be a key mechanism for the downregulation of USP10 and p14ARF proteins in small intestinal adenocarcinoma. These findings suggest that the dual loss of USP10 and p14ARF could be used as a prognostic indicator of small intestinal adenocarcinoma.
Global financial reporting convergence: A study of the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards by the Swedish accountancy profession
Authors: Jansson Andreas
Published: October 2018

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is a financial reporting standard for listed corporations in more than half of the world’s countries. This wide adoption combined with its influence on accounting in countries that have not formally adopted it makes IFRS a remarkable case of far-reaching convergence. This paper develops a framework that integrates institutional theory and political economy and employs a discourse analytical approach to address the issue of why the Swedish accountancy profession came to accept and adopt IFRS. The analysis covers the professional debates regarding the measurement of the value of assets and liabilities in the main professional journal over the nearly two decades in which IFRS was gradually integrated into the local accounting standards on a voluntary basis prior to its formal adoption. The analysis emphasizes the combination of a pervasive international development discourse that stresses the significance of financial markets developing into a sense of inevitability and an elite portion of the accountancy profession with a vested interest in change. IFRS can be seen as a strategic professionalization project for the elite members of the accountancy profession which, combined with financial interests, led to its endorsement of the changes and alignment with forces of financialization.
After the First Review: A Trembling Poem
Authors: Szwabowski Oskar , Szczepaniak Colette , Wężniejewska Paulina , Pławski Marcin
Published: October 2018

This poem shows the experiences of collective writing.
Tools for managing feline problem behaviours: Environmental and behavioural modification
Authors: Halls Vicky
Published: October 2018

Practical relevance:

Problem feline behaviour can be managed successfully by early diagnosis and intervention, good first-aid advice in veterinary practice and then, if necessary, a referral to a suitably qualified behaviourist for those cases that are complex. There are a number of tools available to assist in the resolution of problem feline behaviour and this article will cover environmental modification and behavioural modification.

Clinical challenges:

Problem feline behaviours are not uncommon and the veterinary team often have to rely on their own knowledge to assist clients if a specialist behaviourist is not available.

Evidence base:

There is a lack of evidence-based information regarding how best to work-up and treat cases of problem feline behaviour in practice; therefore, some recommendations within this article are based on the author’s experience of treating cases in a cat-specific behaviour referral practice over the past 20 years. However, there is evidence available regarding how best to enrich a cat’s environment and how to ensure a cat’s environmental needs are met.

Audience:

Any veterinarians, veterinary nurses or technicians who are involved in the diagnosis or treatment of problem feline behaviour in practice would benefit from understanding the principles of environmental and behavioural modification.
Should we talk about the weather? How party competition and coalition participation influence parties’ attention to economic issues
Authors: Goldring Edward , Park Brandon Beomseob , Williams Laron K
Published: October 2018

Media narratives of political campaigns paint a complex picture of parties carefully selecting communication strategies in response to the current social and economic climate as well as the strategic choices made by rival parties. Current empirical efforts based on simple ordinary least squares, however, fail to honor those complexities. We argue that ignoring the spatial and temporal dynamics at play produces misleading inferences about parties’ behavior. In an application of German parties’ attention to economic issues in official communications, we demonstrate that once scholars test the theories with a method that honors the inherent complexity of the process, the inferences about parties’ degree of responsiveness change. Indeed, proper specification of the model shows that scholars who ignore spatial dependence tend to overstate the degree to which parties are responsive to changing conditions (such as public opinion or economic indicators) and understate the role of other constraints. Most notably, we find that parties have varying levels of path dependence, parties emulate the strategies used by ideological neighbors, and coalition partners appear to coordinate their strategies. These findings have implications for understanding variation in parties’ messaging strategies and how voters perceive parties’ positions.
Touchscreen travelers: Hands, bodies, agency, and mobile game players
Authors: Anderson Sky LaRell
Published: October 2018

Unlike traditional games that anchor players to a controller in a designated gaming space, mobile games invite haptic interfaces wherein players may touch, hold, play, move, sit, and otherwise reconfigure their bodies through various spaces and times. I call this characteristic mobile gaming’s corporeal agency, and while mobile games include many limitations to player agency, the increased freedom of bodies to traverse time and space merits discussion and analysis. This study focuses on interviews conducted with mobile game players, and those interviews reveal that mobile games invite behaviors conducive to a corporeal agency that break away from traditional conceptions of gaming time and space. I argue that mobile gaming bodies demonstrate a more fluid relationship with touch, space, time, and physicality than traditional forms of gaming, allowing players to move their fingers, hands, and bodies through time and space while performing the corporeal task of gaming. The analysis consists of sections dedicated to three primary elements of mobile gaming’s corporeal agency: physicality, temporality, and spatiality.
The implication of school culture on building a cohesive pluralistic society: Evidence from Lebanon
Authors: Baytiyeh Hoda
Published: October 2018

Pluralistic societies are generally characterised by weak national cohesiveness, increasing the risk of political tension and violent conflict; for communities from diverse religious or ethnic backgrounds, peaceful coexistence alone is insufficient to build the social cohesion needed for sustainable development and lasting peace. As an effective environment for advancing intercultural dialogue, mutual understanding and positive interaction through active participation in learning activities, schools can form a part of a comprehensive strategy to enhance social cohesion in pluralistic societies. Using Lebanon as a case study, this article shows how decades of political and socioeconomic injustice in combination with poor education policies have perpetuated the dominance of a monocultural school climate, leaving Lebanese society divided and vulnerable to violence and conflict. Although education reforms have focused on nation building and nationalism, these have failed to promote a multicultural school climate, social cohesion or national identity. Educating students in this climate has prevented intercultural interaction and dialogue, instead reinforcing intragroup solidarity and intergroup competition and leading in turn to poor social cohesion.
Patient engagement in research related to dementia: A scoping review
Authors: Bethell Jennifer , Commisso Elana , Rostad Hanne Marie , Puts Martine , Babineau Jessica , Grinbergs-Saull Anna , Wighton Mary Beth , Hammel John , Doyle Elizabeth , Nadeau Sacha , McGilton Katherine S
Published: October 2018

Patient ‘engagement’ or ‘involvement’ in health research broadly refers to including people with lived experience (i.e. individuals with personal experience of a health issue and their friends, family and caregivers or carers) in the research process. Although previous reviews have systematically summarized approaches to patient engagement in research, it is unclear whether and how engagement activities have been implemented or adapted for research related to dementia. We conducted a scoping review to describe the extent and nature of patient engagement approaches that have been used to involve persons with dementia and their care partners in research. We then summarized the reported barriers, enablers, and impacts of this engagement. Fifty-four research articles were included in the review and almost all were published after 2010. Persons with dementia and their care partners have been engaged in diverse phases of the research process. The majority of engagement involved both persons with dementia and care partners. Barriers and enablers to engagement included those identified for general patient engagement in research, but some more specific to engaging persons with dementia and their care partners were also reported. Very few studies assessed the impact of patient engagement. While the arguments for patient engagement in research are compelling, research to demonstrate the impact – on the research process and outcomes as well as on persons with dementia, care partners, researchers, research institutions and society – is still needed.
Reflections on PPI from the ‘Action on Living Well: Asking You’ advisory network of people with dementia and carers as part of the IDEAL study
Authors: Litherland Rachael , Burton Julia , Cheeseman Monica , Campbell Dianne , Hawkins Maureen , Hawkins Tom , Oliver Keith , Scott David , Ward Jane , Nelis Sharon M , Quinn Catherine , Victor Christina , Clare Linda
Published: October 2018

This article describes the work of the ‘Action on Living Well: Asking You’ group – an involvement group of people with dementia and carers attached to the IDEAL research study. The article describes the work of the group, the methods that have helped them to stay involved and people’s perspectives on their experiences of being involved and the impact it has had, for themselves and others. The article has been written following a reflective piece of work with the ‘Action on Living Well: Asking You’ group to review and remember the work of the past four years. An accompanying film brings to life the work and activities of the group, available at www.idealproject.org.uk/mclass/
An intervention to improve sleep for people living with dementia: Reflections on the development and co-production of DREAMS:START (Dementia RElAted Manual for Sleep: STrAtegies for RelaTives)
Authors: Rapaport Penny , Webster Lucy , Horsley Rossana , Kyle Simon D , Kinnunen Kirsi M , Hallam Brendan , Pickett James , Cooper Claudia , Espie Colin A , Livingston Gill
Published: October 2018

Many people living with dementia experience sleep disturbances yet there are currently no known effective, safe and acceptable treatments. Working with those affected by dementia to co-produce interventions is increasingly promoted to ensure that approaches are fit for purpose and meet the specific needs of target groups. Our aim here is to outline and reflect upon the co-production of Dementia RElAted Manual for Sleep; STrAtegies for RelaTives (DREAMS:START), an intervention to improve sleep for people living with dementia. Our co-production team brought together experts in the development and testing of manualised interventions in dementia care and cognitive behavioural interventions for sleep disorders, with Alzheimer’s Society research network volunteers (ASRNVs) whose lives had been affected by dementia. Here we present the process of intervention development. We worked with (ASRNVs) at each stage of the process bringing together ‘experts by training’ and ‘experts by experience’. (ASRNVs)shared their experiences of sleep disturbances in dementia and how they had managed these difficulties, as well as suggestions for how to overcome barriers to putting the intervention into practice; making (DREAMS:START) more accessible and usable for those in need. In this paper we discuss both the benefits and challenges to this process and what we can learn for future work. Collaborating with ‘experts by experience’ caring for a relative with sleep difficulties helped us to develop a complex intervention in an accessible and engaging way which we have tested and found to be feasible and acceptable in a randomised controlled trial.
Subjects of Technology: An Auto-Archeology of Attention Deficit Disorder in Neoliberal Time(s)
Authors: Hanan Joshua S.
Published: October 2018

This essay (re)presents my own experiences living with attention deficit disorder (ADD) as a child and adult to provide a radically historical, contextual, and critical autoethnographic conceptualization of this “learning disability.” Specifically, by building upon Ragan Fox’s “auto-archeological” method, a critical perspective that “unite[s] autoethnography and Foucault’s theories of discourse,” I draw upon institutional artifacts, psychiatric diagnoses, and interviews with close family members to show that ADD is a “technology of the self” that economizes the body in accordance with a distinctly neoliberal temporality. This temporalizing process, I show, is reinforced by a range of other neoliberal technologies of selfhood and ultimately cultivates the very “deficit framework” that ADD diagnoses are aimed at healing. The conclusion questions the legitimacy of ADD outside of the various technological interfaces that make the disability visible as a public problem and considers the intimate connections between neoliberalism, ableism, and the contemporary university.
The Role of FTO Genotype in the Association Between FTO Gene Expression and Anthropometric Measures in Obese and Overweight Adolescent Boys
Authors: Doaei Saeid , Kalantari Naser , Keshavarz Mohammadi Nastaran , Izadi Pantea , Gholamalizadeh Maryam , Eini-Zinab Hassan , Salonurmi Tuire , Mosavi Jarrahi Alireza , Rafieifar Shahram , Najafi Rahim , Sadeghypor Mahnaz , Azizi Tabesh Ghasem , Goodarzi Mark O.
Published: October 2018

The role of FTO genotype in the effect of FTO gene expression level on change in body mass index and body composition has not been studied. This study aimed to investigate the role of FTO genotype in the association between change in the expression level of the FTO gene with changes in anthropometric measurements in obese and overweight adolescent boys. Eighty-four boys aged 12 to 16 years participated in this longitudinal study. A bioimpedance analyzer (BIA) was used to estimate percentage of body fat (%body fat) and percentage of skeletal muscle (%skeletal muscle). The FTO gene expression level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was assessed using quantitative Real Time PCR (qPCR). The DNA samples were genotyped for the FTO gene polymorphisms by DNA sequencing. All measurements were performed at baseline and after intervention. A significant association was observed between the level of gene expression and %skeletal muscle. The gene expression fold change was significantly associated with change in %skeletal muscle in AA or AG genotype carriers (β = 0.34, p = .02). No significant association was detected between the change in FTO gene expression with change in anthropometric indices in GG genotype carriers. In conclusion, the association between FTO gene expression and body composition can be influenced by FTO genotype. Future studies are required to assess the interactions between FTO genotype, FTO gene expression in different tissues, and body composition.
Three-dimensional trajectory tracking control of an underactuated autonomous underwater vehicle based on ocean current observer
Authors: Liang Xiao , Qu Xingru , Hou Yuanhang , Ma Qiang
Published: October 2018

This article presents a design method for the three-dimensional trajectory tracking control of an underactuated autonomous underwater vehicle with unknown current disturbances. To simplify the complexity of the controller and avoid the singular problem induced by initial state constraints, a novel nonlinear backstepping technique based on virtual control variables is employed to design the kinematics and dynamics controllers. The control law is developed by building virtual errors, which can solve the problem of differential explosion in the traditional backstepping. Specifically, an ocean current observer based on the kinematics model is proposed to estimate unknown current disturbances, where the estimation is integrated into the autonomous underwater vehicle kinematics and dynamics equations. The convergence of tracking errors and system stability are proven by using Lyapunov stable theory. Finally, the simulation studies were provided to illustrate the effectiveness and good performance of the above trajectory tracking strategy.
Nurse education in the British armed forces
Authors: Carter Major Chris , Finnegan Alan P
Published: October 2018

Defence nurses form the largest registered specialty in the UK defence medical services. Once qualified, defence nurses maintain and develop their nursing and clinical skills in appropriate healthcare settings, and can be deployed in operational environments such as Afghanistan. Workforce planning and staffing establishment levels are defined to meet the needs of British armed forces, allies and, potentially, local populations. Since the workforce is geographically dispersed, deployed or undertaking non-clinical duties, there are constraints on nurses' attempts to maintain basic skills and access continuing professional development. This article explores the concept and the developing role of defence nurse lecturers in improving educational support for defence nurses.
Development of an Ex Vivo Murine Osteochondral Repair Model
Authors: van Schaik Thomas J. A. , Gaul Florian , Dorthé Erik W. , Lee Emily E. , Grogan Shawn P. , D’Lima Darryl D.
Published: October 2018

Objective

Mouse models are commonly used in research applications due to the relatively low cost, highly characterized strains, as well as the availability of many genetically modified phenotypes. In this study, we characterized an ex vivo murine osteochondral repair model using human infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) progenitor cells.

Design

Femurs from euthanized mice were removed and clamped in a custom multidirectional vise to create cylindrical osteochondral defects 0.5 mm in diameter and 0.5 mm deep in both condyles. The IPFP contains progenitors that are a promising cell source for the repair of osteochondral defects. For proof of concept, human IPFP-derived progenitor cells, from osteoarthritic (OA) patients, cultured as pellets, were implanted into the defects and cultured in serum-free medium with TGFβ3 for 3 weeks and then processed for histology and immunostaining.

Results

The custom multidirectional vise enabled reproducible creation of osteochondral defects in murine femoral condyles. Implantation of IPFP-derived progenitor cells led to development of cartilaginous tissue with Safranin O staining and deposition of collagen type II in the extracellular matrix.

Conclusions

We showed feasibility in creating ex vivo osteochondral defects and demonstrated the regenerative potential of OA human IPFP-derived progenitors in mouse femurs. The murine model can be used to study the effects of aging and OA on tissue regeneration and to explore molecular mechanisms of cartilage repair using genetically modified mice.
Visual figures of musical form between musicological examination and auditory perception based on Morgan’s analysis of the “Tristan” Prelude
Authors: Rudolph Pascal , Küssner Mats B.
Published: October 2018

While Wagner and his music have been studied extensively from musicological and music-theoretical perspectives, recent scientific approaches shed light on perceptual processes implicated in the experience of Wagner’s music, yielding important insights into the (re)cognition of musical form. Since findings from such studies are mainly discussed within the realm of music psychology and rarely find their way (back) into musicological discourses, the starting point of the present study is a specific interpretation of form in the “Tristan” Prelude (Prelude to Tristan und Isolde) with a view to engaging in an exchange between music-theoretical and cognitive approaches (such as the theory of conceptual metaphor and image schema theory) to Wagner’s music. In his article “Circular form in the ‘Tristan’ Prelude”, Robert P. Morgan developed a new music-analytical approach to studying form in Wagner’s music, proposing that the musical form of the Prelude can be understood as a circle. Morgan provides an empirically-tractable hypothesis which was tested in a listening study with 45 participants to investigate the extent to which Morgan’s analytical shape is audibly perceived. Contrary to Morgan’s circular interpretation of form in the “Tristan” Prelude, the findings of our study suggest the primacy of a different visual figure, the spiral. However, recourse to the analytic discourse suggests that the spiral can be understood as a further development of Morgan’s figure of thought, synthesizing representations of the Prelude's repetition and development by capturing its unique coincidence of both linearity and circularity. This approach to understanding the “Tristan” Prelude demonstrates how applying music-theoretical and cognitive science approaches gives rise to a fruitful dialogue for both disciplines.
Pupillometry Reveals That Context Benefit in Speech Perception Can Be Disrupted by Later-Occurring Sounds, Especially in Listeners With Cochlear Implants
Authors: Winn Matthew B. , Moore Ashley N.
Published: October 2018

Contextual cues can be used to improve speech recognition, especially for people with hearing impairment. However, previous work has suggested that when the auditory signal is degraded, context might be used more slowly than when the signal is clear. This potentially puts the hearing-impaired listener in a dilemma of continuing to process the last sentence when the next sentence has already begun. This study measured the time course of the benefit of context using pupillary responses to high- and low-context sentences that were followed by silence or various auditory distractors (babble noise, ignored digits, or attended digits). Participants were listeners with cochlear implants or normal hearing using a 12-channel noise vocoder. Context-related differences in pupil dilation were greater for normal hearing than for cochlear implant listeners, even when scaled for differences in pupil reactivity. The benefit of context was systematically reduced for both groups by the presence of the later-occurring sounds, including virtually complete negation when sentences were followed by another attended utterance. These results challenge how we interpret the benefit of context in experiments that present just one utterance at a time. If a listener uses context to “repair” part of a sentence, and later-occurring auditory stimuli interfere with that repair process, the benefit of context might not survive outside the idealized laboratory or clinical environment. Elevated listening effort in hearing-impaired listeners might therefore result not just from poor auditory encoding but also inefficient use of context and prolonged processing of misperceived utterances competing with perception of incoming speech.