bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Team Leader Structuring for Team Effectiveness and Team Learning in Command-and-Control Teams
Authors: van der Haar Selma , Koeslag-Kreunen Mieke , Euwe Eline , Segers Mien
Published: February 2017

Due to their crucial and highly consequential task, it is of utmost importance to understand the levers leading to effectiveness of multidisciplinary emergency management command-and-control (EMCC) teams. We argue that the formal EMCC team leader needs to initiate structure in the team meetings to support organizing the work as well as facilitate team learning, especially the team learning process of constructive conflict. In a sample of 17 EMCC teams performing a realistic EMCC exercise, including one or two team meetings (28 in sum), we coded the team leader’s verbal structuring behaviors (1,704 events), rated constructive conflict by external experts, and rated team effectiveness by field experts. Results show that leaders of effective teams use structuring behaviors more often (except asking procedural questions) but decreasingly over time. They support constructive conflict by clarifying and by making summaries that conclude in a command or decision in a decreasing frequency over time.
Characteristics and damage mechanisms of bending fretting fatigue of materials
Authors: Chowdhury Mohammad Asaduzzaman , Kowser Md. Arefin , Zobaer Shah Quazi Md. , Das Suman
Published: February 2017

Fretting fatigue has attracted substantial research interest in recent decades owing to its relevance in a wide range of applications. This paper reviews previous studies and describes ongoing research. Particularly, only a few studies on bending fretting fatigue have been conducted. This review paper emphasizes the effect of bending fretting fatigue of different materials under different operating parameters. In addition, the damage mechanisms with respect to nature of failure of materials are also discussed. This paper can be used as a reference for design and development of modern technologies and selection of appropriate material in industries.
Influence of two administration rates of propofol at induction of anaesthesia on its relative potency in cats: a pilot study
Authors: Bauquier Sébastien H , Bayldon Wendy , Warne Leon N , Carter Jennifer E , Beths Thierry
Published: February 2017

Objectives

This was a randomised, blinded trial to investigate the influence of administration rate on the dose of propofol required for the orotracheal intubation of cats.

Methods

Twenty-four female domestic cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy were premedicated with oral tramadol (6 mg/kg) or intramuscular tramadol (4 mg/kg), and intramuscular dexmedetomidine (0.007 mg/kg). Oral or intramuscular (IM) tramadol was administered 60 or 30 mins prior to induction of anaesthesia, respectively. Dexmedetomidine was administered 30 mins prior to anaesthetic induction. Sedation scores were established prior to anaesthesia induction with propofol intravenously at 4 mg/kg/min (fast) or 1 mg/kg/min (slow) to effect until orotracheal intubation was achieved without coughing. If coughing occurred, the intubation process was paused for 15 s. Four groups were determined: IM tramadol/propofol fast (GIMF, n = 6); IM tramadol/propofol slow (GIMS, n = 6); oral tramadol/propofol fast (GOF, n = 6); oral tramadol/propofol slow (GOS, n = 6). The Shapiro–Wilk test was used to evaluate for normality of residuals. Sedation scores and propofol anaesthetic induction doses were compared between GIMF and GIMS groups, and between GOF and GOS groups using the Mann–Whitney test and the t-test, respectively ( P = 0.05). The presence of hypotension (mean arterial blood pressure <60 mmHg) or apnoea (no breathing for 30 s or more) within the first 15 mins postintubation was recorded.

Results

The median sedation scores for GIMF and GOF were not significantly different compared with those for GIMS ( P = 0.94) and GOS ( P = 0.70). However, the mean ± SD propofol anaesthetic induction doses were higher in GIMF (9.1 ± 1.8 mg/kg) and GOF (7.9 ± 1.7 mg/kg) than in GIMS (5.1 ± 1.5 mg/kg; P <0.01) and GOS (5.4 ± 0.3 mg/kg; P <0.01). No hypotension or apnoea were detected.

Conclusions and relevance

Using the slower anaesthetic induction rate resulted in an increase in propofol relative potency.
Experimental study and simulation analysis on friction behavior of a mechanical surface sliding on hard particles
Authors: Chang Jingjing , Wang Wei , Zhao Ming , Liu Kun
Published: February 2017

Considering the experimental research on a mechanical surface sliding on hard particles, a friction equipment has been designed and developed to study the frictional behavior between work piece surface and granular matter. Velocity, attack angle, surface morphology, and particle size are considered in our experiments. The measured shearing force and normal force, which are transmitted by the force chain, reveals the effect of these input parameters on force transmission behavior. Results show that a rougher surface and a smaller granular size decrease the measured forces. The effects of velocity and angle of attack are discussed as well. Force transmission is directly affected by the granule–granule contact in this friction pair. The friction coefficient is dependent on the friction angle of granules and may exceed 1 here. Based on the parameter selection of experiment, simulations have been conducted to verify the experimental results by discrete element method. In this article, the direct links between the experimental results and the optimization of granular lubrication are provided.
Cavitation erosion of a single bubble in water as a kind of dynamic damage
Authors: Cheng Feng , Ji Weixi
Published: February 2017

In this study, a rotating disk test rig was used for the cavitation test of the brass samples. A pit of single black dapple and a large pit of multiring black dapple were found on the sample surfaces after 30 h test. A cavitation model of the rotating disk test was further developed by applying a periodic water pressure into the Keller–Miksis equation, so as to obtain the bubble dynamic characteristics. A comparison with the available experimental results reveals that the velocity of the bubble wall is governed by the initial bubble radius, and the bubble collapsing mode has changed from single bubble compression with high velocity to multiple bubble compression, with a increase in the initial bubble radius. The results also show that the movement of the spherical bubble wall induces the formation of the micro-jet with high velocity, leading to cavitation erosion pits on the specimen surface in the rotating disk test, which are well verified by the present theoretical model as well as the available experimental results.
Ideology, agency, and imagination in multilingual families: An introduction
Authors: King Kendall , Lanza Elizabeth
Published: February 2017

Ideology, identity and agency are central concerns in the current study of multilingualism and transnational families as greater analytical attention is given to how multilingual families imagine and collectively construct themselves. This introduction reviews recent shifts in the study of multilingual families and discusses the four articles that comprise this thematic issue. Together, these four papers present new empirical data concerning a wide array of family language practices and policies, differing in noteworthy ways, and in particular in terms of contexts and languages studied. As demonstrated here, these articles critically analyze the everyday ways in which ideologies, identities, agency, and imagination are created and enacted among multilingual families in divergent contexts. These analyses provide important windows into how meaning is produced within particular places, activities, social relations, interactional histories, and cultural ideologies, and collectively, this body of work advances our understanding of language use and learning within multilingual families.
Building expectations: Imagining family language policy and heteroglossic social spaces
Authors: Purkarthofer Judith
Published: February 2017

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions:

The article examines the language expectations of three couples with different language backgrounds – each expecting their first child. The study addresses three related questions: In what ways are linguistic resources imagined by the future parents? What social spaces and relations do they envision themselves and their child moving in, and how is this relevant for their family language policy?

Design/methodology/approach:

Situated within an ethnographic framework, speaker-centred qualitative methods (language portraits, biographic narratives) are combined with the analysis of multimodal tasks to analyse the parents’ construction of spaces of interaction, drawing on Lefebvre’s triadic concept of the production of space.

Data and analysis:

Co-constructed narratives of the three couples were elicited; starting with individual language biographies, the couples then constructed their family’s future in the form of visual representations of the spaces that they are about to inhabit. Recordings and pictures of the constructions were analysed jointly to understand how parents assign relevancy to their language resources, social spaces and family language policies.

Findings/conclusions:

The analysis shows how the parents construct the child as a multilingual self in her/his own right, subject to a biography that will develop, and who is influenced but not controlled by the parents. The multimodal data provide a window into the negotiation of language policy between the future parents.

Originality:

The innovative character of this paper comes from its combination of speaker-centred biographical methods with the interactive construction of three-dimensional future family spaces. Methodologically, this contribution renders theories of the construction of social space relevant for research on family language policy and practices.

Significance/implications:

While the study deals with the very specific situation of approaching parenthood, the findings, together with its original methodology and analytical framework, shed light on the construction of family language policy as an on-going process, starting before birth.
Five ways BuzzFeed is preserving (or transforming) the journalistic field
Authors: Tandoc Edson C
Published: February 2017

Guided by field theory and the concept of journalistic boundary work, this study seeks to examine whether BuzzFeed, a new agent in the journalistic field, is participating in the preservation or transformation of the journalistic field. This is carried out by comparing its news outputs with those of The New York Times based on the markers – or boundaries – that defined traditional journalistic practice, particularly news values, topics, sources, formats, and norms. The analysis found that while news articles produced by BuzzFeed are exhibiting some departures from traditional journalistic practice, in general, BuzzFeed is playing by the rules, which might explain its legitimation as a recognized agent in the field.
How to author a picture gallery
Authors: Caple Helen , Knox John S
Published: February 2017

Picture galleries offer photojournalism an opportunity to shine. Despite the considerable technological advances of recent decades, picture galleries typically fail to realise their potential for storytelling; rather they present an incohesive series of image–caption complexes collected under a headline. Here, we offer a set of guidelines regarding the sourcing, selection and sequencing of compelling images coupled with agile writing of leads and captions that complement the kind of visual story being told. Such investment in the authoring of picture galleries creates opportunities to provide readers with an engaging and more memorable experience.
Increased circulating levels of musclin in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Chen Wen-Jia , Liu Yue , Sui Yu-Bin , Zhang Bo , Zhang Xiao-Hui , Yin Xin-Hua
Published: February 2017

Background:

Musclin is a newly identified skeletal muscle–derived secretory factor, which has been recently characterized as a stimulator that induces insulin resistance in mice. However, the pathophysiological role of musclin in humans remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to explore the potential correlations between musclin plasma levels and various metabolic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Materials and methods:

In this hospital-based study, plasma samples were collected from the enrolled individuals, including 38 newly diagnosed, treatment-naive type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and 41 age- and gender-matched control subjects. Plasma musclin levels were examined by radioimmunoassay.

Results:

Compared with the control group, musclin plasma levels were significantly higher in untreated type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Musclin levels in the plasma of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus patients were positively correlated with fasting plasma glucose, haemoglobin A1c, serum insulin, triglycerides and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the level of musclin was associated with the presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis yielded an area under the curve for musclin of 0.718 in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Conclusion:

The circulating concentration of musclin was significantly increased in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Our results suggest that musclin has a strong relationship with insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Serum uric acid to creatinine ratio: A predictor of incident chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with preserved kidney function
Authors: Gu Liubao , Huang Liji , Wu Haidi , Lou Qinglin , Bian Rongwen
Published: February 2017

Background:

Serum uric acid has shown to be a predictor of renal disease progression in most but not all studies. This study aims to test whether renal function-normalized serum uric acid is superior to serum uric acid as the predictor of incident chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Methods:

In this study, 1339 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate ⩾60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and normouricemia were included. Renal function-normalized serum uric acid was calculated using serum uric acid/creatinine. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the association between serum uric acid, renal function-normalized serum uric acid and incident chronic kidney disease.

Results:

In total, 74 (5.53%) patients developed to chronic kidney disease 3 or greater during a median follow-up of 4 years, with older ages, longer diabetes duration and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate at baseline. The decline rate of estimated glomerular filtration rate was positively correlated with serum uric acid/creatinine ( r = 0.219, p < 0.001), but not serum uric acid ( r = 0.005, p = 0.858). Moreover, multivariate analysis revealed that serum uric acid was not an independent risk factor for incident chronic kidney disease ( p = 0.055), whereas serum uric acid to creatinine ratio was significantly associated with incident chronic kidney disease independently of potential confounders including baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate.

Conclusion:

serum uric acid to creatinine ratio might be a better predictor of incident chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.
Clash of Urban Philosophies
Authors: Dory Jean
Published: February 2017

The conflicting urban philosophies of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs concerning the proposed Lower Manhattan Expressway (Lomex) remain pertinent today. Urban and transportation planners must balance top-down planning and citizen activism. Moses conceived and created most New York City public works. He presumed completion of his envisioned elevated highway across Lower Manhattan. Surprisingly, citizen groups led by Jacobs mobilized to stop it. This article presents Lomex from inception through the tumultuous political and personal battles of the 1960s until its demapping, focusing on the urban philosophies of Moses and Jacobs to highlight the need for today’s planners to combine them.
Prescribed distributed leadership in the era of accountability
Authors: Holloway Jessica , Nielsen Ann , Saltmarsh Sarah
Published: February 2017

Contemporary accountability frameworks position school leaders as being essential to improving school performance and driving innovation. Simultaneously, new accountability demands have forced the restructuring of school leadership, both in terms of form and function. In this paper, we look at the growing trend of distributed leadership among teachers who are tasked to assume leadership roles while maintaining their (sometimes reduced) teaching responsibilities. In the US, federally backed programs have incentivized schools to bolster teacher leadership opportunities, often predicated on claims of teacher empowerment and leadership democratization. Given the rise in distributed leadership as a prescribed local governance structure, we examined one popular distributed leadership model in the US to better understand how the teacher leaders are experiencing their dual roles and responsibilities. Drawing on focus group interviews with mentor teachers, we found tension between the teachers’ expectations with regard to increased collegiality and mentoring opportunities, and their actual experiences of bureaucratic control and finding that their expectations were unrealistic. We argue that prescribed, incentive-driven forms of distributed leadership can place teacher leaders in precarious positions that demand more of their time, while limiting their capacities to participate in the leadership practices they deem most valuable.
Models of health behaviour predict intention to use long-acting reversible contraception
Authors: Roderique-Davies Gareth , McKnight Christine , John Bev , Faulkner Susan , Lancastle Deborah
Published: February 2017

The aim of this study was to investigate women’s intention to use long-acting reversible contraception using two established models of health behaviour: the theory of planned behaviour and the health belief model. A questionnaire was completed by a convenience sample of 128 women attending a community sexual health clinic. The independent variables were constructs of theory of planned behaviour (attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control) and health belief model (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, health motivation and cues to action). The dependent variable was intention to use long-acting reversible contraception. The theory of planned behaviour and the health belief model accounted for 75% of the variance in intention to use. Perceived behavioural control, perceived barriers and health motivation predict the use of long-acting reversible contraception. Public health information for women considering using long-acting reversible contraception should be based around addressing the perceived barriers and promoting long-acting reversible contraception as a reliable contraceptive method.
Long-term follow-up of Dupuytren disease after injection of triamcinolone acetonide in Chinese patients in Taiwan
Authors: Yin C.-Y. , Yu H.-H. M. , Wang J.-P. , Huang Y.-C. , Huang T.-F. , Chang M.-C.
Published: February 2017

Injection of triamcinolone acetonide is a non-operative treatment for early-stage Dupuytren disease in Caucasians, but its effectiveness in non-Caucasians is unclear. We report averaged 5-year follow-up results of 37 patients (49 affected hands) with early-stage Dupuytren disease for patients in Taiwan (non-Caucasian) who received a single dose of 5 mg triamcinolone acetonide injection into nodules monthly for 3 months. Using ultrasound, we recorded no progression of sizes of the modules following injection after 6 months. After an average 5-year follow-up, two patients with three hands (6%) experienced reactivation of the treated nodules. None required surgical intervention. Ultrasound examination showed that sizes of the treated Dupuytren nodules decreased significantly by 40% 6 months after injection and 56% at the final follow-up. We conclude that in these Chinese patients in Taiwan with early Dupuytren nodules, triamcinolone acetonide injection was effective in reducing the size of the Dupuytren nodules and maintaining long-term durable control of the nodular growth.

Level of evidence: III
The incidence of flare reaction and short-term outcome following steroid injection in the shoulder
Authors: Fawi Hassan M. T. , Hossain Munier , Matthews Timothy J. W.
Published: February 2017

Background

To determine the short-term effects following corticosteroid injection into the shoulder.

Methods

Type-specific shoulder injection was administered, followed by physiotherapy 7 days to 10 days later. One hundred and sixteen adult patients were prospectively followed-up. The primary outcome was a visual analogue score (VAS) for pain. Scores were recorded immediately before injection, 30 minutes after, daily until day 7 and then at 6 weeks. Post injection pain was defined as an increase of 2 or more points in the VAS score after the injection. The secondary outcome was determined at 6 months as successful discharge or progression onto surgery.

Results

The VAS showed a significant reduction from the pre-injection score for all patients at day 1 and was maintained until week 6. Forty-one (35.3%) patients experienced post-injection pain. The mean duration of symptoms was 3.9 days. At 6 months, 81 (69.8%) patients were discharged successfully and, at a mean of 23.2 months, did not require re-referral; 29 (25%) had surgery; and six (5.2%) were referred for a spinal opinion.

Conclusions

One in three patients developed delayed post-injection pain. Flare phenomenon had no determinate effect on outcome. Patients’ pain response by 6 weeks is predictive of final outcome at 6 months and may help clinicians plan further treatment without delay.
A genealogy of critique: Fromparrhesiato prophecy
Authors: Boland Tom , Clogher Paul
Published: February 2017

This article addresses contemporary concerns about critique through an interpretation of the “writing prophets.” This approach draws on Foucauldian genealogy and suggests that alongside Greek parrhesia, Old Testament prophecy is a key forerunner of contemporary critical discourses. Our analysis draws upon Weber’s interpretative historical sociology and Gadamerian hermeneutics but shifts the emphasis from charisma to critique, through a direct engagement with prophetic texts. In particular, prophetic discourse claims to reveal injustice and idolatry and speaks from a position of transcendence within immanent historical moments. Prophets position their own era as a moment of crisis, and themselves as liminal figures, opposed to the delusion of others and “false prophets” which resonates with contemporary conceptions of “ideology.” Rather than focusing on historical individuals, we approach prophecy as a discourse, multiple and hybrid, discontinuous, and contradictory, yet constituting a distinctive precursor which informs contemporary critique.
The Anthropocene equation
Authors: Gaffney Owen , Steffen Will
Published: February 2017

The dominant external forces influencing the rate of change of the Earth System have been astronomical and geophysical during the planet’s 4.5-billion-year existence. In the last six decades, anthropogenic forcings have driven exceptionally rapid rates of change in the Earth System. This new regime can be represented by an ‘Anthropocene equation’, where other forcings tend to zero, and the rate of change under human influence can be estimated. Reducing the risk of leaving the glacial–interglacial limit cycle of the late Quaternary for an uncertain future will require, in the first instance, the rate of change of the Earth System to become approximately zero.
Aspirant candidate behaviour and progressive political ambition
Authors: Allen Peter , Cutts David
Published: February 2017

In this paper we take account of the role of aspirant candidate behaviour in progressive political ambition, specifically how some individuals signal their political ambition to political actors by approaching them to discuss running for office. We examine how the effect of this behaviour compares to the more prominently studied effect of elite recruitment. We conclude that signalling behaviour by an aspirant candidate has a substantial effect, particularly with regard to actually acting on initial considerations of whether to stand, and that elite recruitment makes a difference but only in conjunction with the aspirant candidate themselves signalling their ambition to political actors.
Crowd-Sourced Intelligence Agency: Prototyping counterveillance
Authors: Gradecki Jennifer , Curry Derek
Published: February 2017

This paper discusses how an interactive artwork, the Crowd-Sourced Intelligence Agency (CSIA), can contribute to discussions of Big Data intelligence analytics. The CSIA is a publicly accessible Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) system that was constructed using information gathered from technical manuals, research reports, academic papers, leaked documents, and Freedom of Information Act files. Using a visceral heuristic, the CSIA demonstrates how the statistical correlations made by automated classification systems are different from human judgment and can produce false-positives, as well as how the display of information through an interface can affect the judgment of an intelligence agent. The public has the right to ask questions about how a computer program determines if they are a threat to national security and to question the practicality of using statistical pattern recognition algorithms in place of human judgment. Currently, the public’s lack of access to both Big Data and the actual datasets intelligence agencies use to train their classification algorithms keeps the possibility of performing effective sous-dataveillance out of reach. Without this data, the results returned by the CSIA will not be identical to those of intelligence agencies. Because we have replicated how OSINT is processed, however, our results will resemble the type of results and mistakes made by OSINT systems. The CSIA takes some initial steps toward contributing to an informed public debate about large-scale monitoring of open source, social media data and provides a prototype for counterveillance and sousveillance tools for citizens.
Rethinking Social Cognition in Light of Psychosis: Reciprocal Implications for Cognition and Psychopathology
Authors: Bell Vaughan , Mills Kathryn L. , Modinos Gemma , Wilkinson Sam
Published: February 2017

The positive symptoms of psychosis largely involve the experience of illusory social actors, and yet our current measures of social cognition, at best, only weakly predict their presence. We review evidence to suggest that the range of current approaches in social cognition is not sufficient to explain the fundamentally social nature of these experiences. We argue that social agent representation is an important organizing principle for understanding social cognition and that alterations in social agent representation may be a factor in the formation of delusions and hallucination in psychosis. We evaluate the feasibility of this approach in light of clinical and nonclinical studies, developmental research, cognitive anthropology, and comparative psychology. We conclude with recommendations for empirical testing of specific hypotheses and how studies of social cognition could more fully capture the extent of social reasoning and experience in both psychosis and more prosaic mental states.
Youth Football Injuries: A Prospective Cohort
Authors: Peterson Andrew R. , Kruse Adam J. , Meester Scott M. , Olson Tyler S. , Riedle Benjamin N. , Slayman Tyler G. , Domeyer Todd J. , Cavanaugh Joseph E. , Smoot M. Kyle
Published: February 2017

Background:

There are approximately 2.8 million youth football players between the ages of 7 and 14 years in the United States. Rates of injury in this population are poorly described. Recent studies have reported injury rates between 2.3% and 30.4% per season and between 8.5 and 43 per 1000 exposures.

Hypothesis:

Youth flag football has a lower injury rate than youth tackle football. The concussion rates in flag football are lower than in tackle football.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Three large youth (grades 2-7) football leagues with a total of 3794 players were enrolled. Research personnel partnered with the leagues to provide electronic attendance and injury reporting systems. Researchers had access to deidentified player data and injury information. Injury rates for both the tackle and flag leagues were calculated and compared using Poisson regression with a log link. The probability an injury was severe and an injury resulted in a concussion were modeled using logistic regression. For these 2 responses, best subset model selection was performed, and the model with the minimum Akaike information criterion value was chosen as best. Kaplan-Meier curves were examined to compare time loss due to injury for various subgroups of the population. Finally, time loss was modeled using Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Results:

A total of 46,416 exposures and 128 injuries were reported. The mean age at injury was 10.64 years. The hazard ratio for tackle football (compared with flag football) was 0.45 (95% CI, 0.25-0.80; P = .0065). The rate of severe injuries per exposure for tackle football was 1.1 (95% CI, 0.33-3.4; P = .93) times that of the flag league. The rate for concussions in tackle football per exposure was 0.51 (95% CI, 0.16-1.7; P = .27) times that of the flag league.

Conclusion:

Injury is more likely to occur in youth flag football than in youth tackle football. Severe injuries and concussions were not significantly different between leagues. Concussion was more likely to occur during games than during practice. Players in the sixth or seventh grade were more likely to suffer a concussion than were younger players.
Take-up and variation of advice for new firm founders in different local contexts
Authors: Mole Kevin , Capelleras Joan-Lluís
Published: February 2017

Although business advice has been linked to entrepreneurial outcomes, it is subject to information asymmetries and market failure. We argue that the knowledge concerning from whom to take advice before starting a new firm is more easily accessed in areas with high start-up rates which therefore ameliorates market failure. The study is based on surveys of 599 new firm founders in England and 381 new firm founders in Catalonia. A series of probit and heteroskedastic probit models are employed to investigate not only the probability of taking advice but also the variance in that probability, which reflects uncertainty. Supporting our view, the findings show that the taking of advice in the places with higher start-up rates exhibit less variation compared to other localities. We also find differing effects of place on the take up and variation of private sector and public sector advice. Implications from the findings are discussed
Success of Intravitreal Ranibizumab for Myopic Choroidal Neovascularization After 2 Years of Treatment
Authors: Abadia Beatriz , Calvo Pilar , Ferreras Antonio , Lopez Gloria , Leciñena Jesús , Pablo Luis , Ruiz-Moreno Oscar
Published: February 2017

Purpose:

To analyze the anatomical and functional outcomes in patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to pathological myopia (PM).

Methods:

Retrospective review of the medical records of 40 patients with CNV secondary to PM treated exclusively with intravitreal ranibizumab 0.5 mg and at least 24 months of follow-up. The initial dose comprised 1 or 3 monthly injections followed by a pro re nata regimen. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT) measured with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), and ocular and systemic adverse event were recorded.

Results:

Mean patient age was 62.5 ± 12.5 years. The mean spherical equivalent refractive error was −12.3 ± 6.9 diopters, and a single intravitreal injection was initially performed in 72.5% of cases. Mean baseline BCVA was 0.33 ± 0.20 logMAR (Snellen equivalent, 20/60), and mean CRT by OCT was 340.65 ± 80 µm. Both BCVA and OCT revealed significant improvement compared to baseline at all established cutoff points ( P < .001). Final BCVA was 0.50 ± 0.3 logMAR (Snellen, 20/40), and final CRT was 255.69 ± 47.7 µm ( P < .001). The mean number of ranibizumab injections was 2.75 ± 1.97. No cases of endophthalmitis or retinal detachments were reported, and no serious adverse systemic events were identified.

Conclusion:

Excellent anatomical and functional outcomes were obtained after treatment with intravitreal ranibizumab for CNV secondary to PM.
PD1 blockade with pembrolizumab is highly effective in relapsed or refractory NK/T-cell lymphoma failing l-asparaginase
Authors: Kwong Yok-Lam , Chan Thomas S. Y. , Tan Daryl , Kim Seok Jin , Poon Li-Mei , Mow Benjamin , Khong Pek-Lan , Loong Florence , Au-Yeung Rex , Iqbal Jabed , Phipps Colin , Tse Eric
Published: February 2017

Key Points

NK/T-cell lymphomas failing L-asparaginse, generally fatal, showed a high CR rate to PD1 blockade with pembrolizumab. Comprehensive clinical, radiologic, pathologic, and molecular assessments showed different patterns of CRs and PRs.
Participatory epidemiology: the contribution of participatory research to epidemiology
Authors: Bach Mario , Jordan Susanne , Hartung Susanne , Santos-Hövener Claudia , Wright Michael T.
Published: February 2017

Background

Epidemiology has contributed in many ways to identifying various risk factors for disease and to promoting population health. However, there is a continuing debate about the ability of epidemiology not only to describe, but also to provide results which can be better translated into public health practice. It has been proposed that participatory research approaches be applied to epidemiology as a way to bridge this gap between description and action. A systematic account of what constitutes participatory epidemiology practice has, however, been lacking.

Methods

A scoping review was carried out focused on the question of what constitutes participatory approaches to epidemiology for the purpose of demonstrating their potential for advancing epidemiologic research. Relevant databases were searched, including both the published and non-published (grey) literature. The 102 identified sources were analyzed in terms of comparing common epidemiologic approaches to participatory counterparts regarding central aspects of the research process. Exemplary studies applying participatory approaches were examined more closely.

Results

A highly diverse, interdisciplinary body of literature was synthesized, resulting in a framework comprised of seven aspects of the research process: research goal, research question, population, context, data synthesis, research management, and dissemination of findings. The framework specifies how participatory approaches not only differ from, but also how they can enhance common approaches in epidemiology. Finally, recommendations for the further development of participatory approaches are given. These include: enhancing data collection, data analysis, and data validation; advancing capacity building for research at the local level; and developing data synthesis.

Conclusion

The proposed framework provides a basis for systematically developing the emergent science of participatory epidemiology.
Discussing Life-sustaining Therapy With Surrogate Decision Makers
Authors: Hwang David Y.
Published: February 2017

Clinicians caring for patients with severe stroke in intensive care units often grapple with requests from surrogate decision makers for life-prolonging treatment that members of the care team may believe to be futile. An example is a surrogate decision maker’s request to place a tracheostomy and feeding tube in a patient who, in the clinical judgment of the neurocritical care team, is very unlikely to recover interactive capacity. This article presents a case, discusses definitions of medical futility, and summarizes recommended steps for mediating conflict regarding potentially inappropriate treatment.
Diagnosis and Management of Transient Ischemic Attack
Authors: Coutts Shelagh B.
Published: February 2017

Purpose of Review: This article reviews the diagnosis, investigation, and recommended management after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) and discusses how to make an accurate diagnosis, including the diagnosis of mimics of TIAs.

Recent Findings: Up to a 10% risk of recurrent stroke exists after a TIA, and up to 80% of this risk is preventable with urgent assessment and treatment. Imaging of the brain and intracranial and extracranial blood vessels using CT, CT angiography, carotid Doppler ultrasound, and MRI is an important part of the diagnostic assessment. Treatment options include anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation, carotid revascularization for symptomatic carotid artery stenosis, antiplatelet therapy, and vascular risk factor reduction strategies.

Summary: TIA offers the greatest opportunity to prevent stroke that physicians encounter. A TIA should be treated as a medical emergency, as up to 80% of strokes after TIA are preventable.
Remote Evaluation of the Patient With Acute Stroke
Authors: Demaerschalk Bart M.
Published: February 2017

This article describes advances related to the successful remote evaluation of the patient with acute stroke. Telestroke is a connected care approach that brings expert stroke care to remote, neurologically underserved urban or rural locations. Recent findings reveal strong evidence showing that telestroke is equivalent to in-person care. Time is critical in treating patients with acute stroke, and telestroke networks must assure that technology improves—not delays—delivery of care. The stroke center and the spoke site must work collaboratively to develop and institute protocols and policies to ensure that eligible patients are identified, assessed, and treated swiftly. Adverse outcomes, such as intracranial hemorrhage and mortality, must be monitored to assess safety metrics. An additional goal of telestroke networks is to screen patients who might be candidates for potential endovascular or neurosurgical therapy and transfer these patients for these procedures.
Propulsion in hexapod locomotion: How do desert ants traverse slopes?
Authors: Wöhrl Toni , Reinhardt Lars , Blickhan Reinhard
Published: February 2017

The employment of an alternating tripod gait to traverse uneven terrains is a common characteristic shared among many hexapoda. Since this could be one specific cause for their ecological success, we examined the alternating tripod gait of the desert ant Cataglyphis fortis together with their ground reaction forces and weight-specific leg impulses for level locomotion and on moderate (±30°) and steep (±60°) slopes in order to understand mechanical functions of individual legs during inclined locomotion. Based on the experimental data, it was proposed that 1) the hind legs acted as the main brake (negative weight-specific impulse in the direction of progression) on both the moderate and steep downslopes while the front legs became the main motor (positive weight-specific impulse in the direction of progression) on the steep upslope. In both cases the primary motor or brake was found to be above the centre of mass. 2) Normalised double support durations were prolonged on steep slopes, which could enhance the effect of lateral shear loading between left and right legs with the presence of direction-dependent attachment structures. 3) The notable directional change in the lateral ground reaction forces between the moderate and steep slopes implied the utilisation of different coordination programs in the extensor-flexor system.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Differentatial Diagnosis of Pyogenic Spondylodiscitis and Tuberculous Spondylodiscitis
Authors: Frel Małgorzata , Białecki Jerzy , Wieczorek Janusz , Paluch Łukasz , Dąbrowska-Thing Agnieszka , Walecki Jerzy
Published: February 2017

Background: Infectious spondylodiscitis is characterized by the involvement of two adjacent vertebrae and the intervening disc. Incidence rate of the disease is estimated at 0.4–2 cases per 100000 per year. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common infectious agent causing pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Non-pyogenic infections of the spine are most frequently caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and fungi. Clinical symptoms are nonspecific. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can prevent unfavorable irreversible sequela for the patient. Significant developments in techniques of imaging of pathological tissues raised expectations among the clinicians regarding possibility to distinguish between tuberculous spondylodiscitis and pyogenic spondylodiscitis on MR images. The aim of this study was to identify and differentiate between features of tuberculous and pyogenic spondylodiscitis on MR images.

Material/Methods: We performed retrospective analysis of MR images obtained from 34 patients with confirmed spondylodiscitis (18 with pyogenic spondylodiscitis, and 16 with tuberculous spondylodiscitis). Data acquisition was performed using 1.5 T MRI scanners where images were obtained using similar protocols. T2 TIRM and T1-weighted images with and without contrast enhancement were subject to assessment in coronal, axial and sagittal planes.

Results: Characteristic features of pyogenic spondylodiscitis include: involvement of the lumbar spine, illdefined paraspinal abnormal contrast enhancement, diffuse/homogeneous contrast enhancement of vertebral bodies, low-grade destruction of vertebral bodies, hyperintense/homogeneous signal from the vertebral bodies on T2 TIRM images. Prevailing features of tuberculous spondylodiscitis included: involvement of the thoracic spine, involvement of 2 or more adjacent vertebral bodies, severe destruction of the vertebral body, focal/heterogeneous contrast enhancement of vertebral bodies, heterogeneous signal from the vertebral bodies on T2 TIRM images, well-defined paraspinal abnormal contrast enhancement, paraspinal and epidural abscesses, meningeal enhancement at the affected spine level.

Conclusions: Comparison of MR images of patients diagnosed with pyogenic spondylodiscitis and tuberculous spondylodiscitis allowed identification of individual characteristics for preliminary differentiation between TB and infectious spondylodiscitis and thereby enabling proper treatment.
Monitoring disease activity and severity in lupus
Authors: Khan Abidullah , Haider Iqbal , Ayub Maimoona , Khan Salman
Published: February 2017

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a relatively uncommon disease of young females in Pakistan. Usually, it has a relapsing-remitting course with variable severity and disease activity. Amongst the different clinical and laboratory parameters used to monitor disease activity in lupus, mean platelet volume (MPV) is a novel biomarker. Although MPV has been studied in other rheumatological conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, its role in adult SLE needs to be defined, especially in Pakistan. Methods: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of MPV as a biomarker of disease activity in SLE. This study included 25 patients with active SLE, and another 25 participants with stable, inactive lupus. MPV was measured in each group and compared using SPSS version 16. MPV was also correlated with SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Independent sample t-test and Pearson’s correlation tests were applied. Sensitivity and specificity of MPV were checked through ROC analysis. Results: The MPV of patients with active SLE (n=25, mean [M]=7.12, SD=1.01) was numerically lower than those in the inactive-SLE group (n=25, M= 10.12, SD=0.97), and this was statistically significant (P<0.001). MPV had an inverse relationship with both ESR (r=-0.93, P<0.001) and SLEDAI (r= -0.94, P<0.001). However, there was a strong positive correlation between ESR and SLEDAI (r=0.95, P<0.001). For MPV, a cutoff value of less than 8.5fl had a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 100% (P< 0.001). Conclusions: Higher disease activity in SLE is associated with a correspondingly low MPV.
Variation in rice root traits assessed by phenotyping under drip irrigation
Authors: Parthasarathi T. , Vanitha K. , Mohandass S. , Vered Eli , Meenakshi V.
Published: February 2017

Background: Roots are the key elements in water saving rice cultivation. So, the response of rice roots are to be phenotyped under varied drip irrigation treatments. Methods: This study describes an investigation on rice root phenotyping under drip irrigation treatments in split-split plot design. Two lateral spacing levels (0.8 and 1.2m), two depths of irrigation (5-10 and 15-20 cm) by solar powered and well operated irrigation were tested using TNRH 180, JKRH 3333 and ADT(R)45 rice genotypes during the summer season (2013 & 2014) in Coimbatore, India. Conventional aerobic irrigation was considered as control. Results and Discussion: An increased root length, root density (length and weight), root Adinosine Tri Phosphotase enzyme activity, root volume and filled grain percentage were favored in aerobic rice under the conditions of 0.8m lateral distance with 5-10cm depth of sub surface drip irrigation (SDI). Improved root characteristics were observed in JKRH 3333 rice hybrid, and root density and thickness favored the filled grains and yield increment in rice by drip irrigation. The 0.8m lateral distance laid out at 5-10cm depth SDI proliferated more roots at subsurface soil layer with significant yield increment in rice.
Revisiting olfactory receptors as putative drivers of cancer
Authors: Ranzani Marco , Iyer Vivek , Ibarra-Soria Ximena , Del Castillo Velasco-Herrera Martin , Garnett Mathew , Logan Darren , Adams David J.
Published: February 2017

Background: Olfactory receptors (ORs) recognize odorant molecules and activate a signal transduction pathway that ultimately leads to the perception of smell. This process also modulates the apoptotic cycle of olfactory sensory neurons in an olfactory receptor-specific manner. Recent reports indicate that some olfactory receptors are expressed in tissues other than the olfactory epithelium suggesting that they may have pleiotropic roles.

Methods: We investigated the expression of 301 olfactory receptor genes in a comprehensive panel of 968 cancer cell lines.

Results: Forty-nine per cent of cell lines show expression of at least one olfactory receptor gene. Some receptors display a broad pattern of expression across tumour types, while others were expressed in cell lines from a particular tissue. Additionally, most of the cancer cell lines expressing olfactory receptors express the effectors necessary for OR-mediated signal transduction. Remarkably, among cancer cell lines, OR2C3 is exclusively expressed in melanoma lines. We also confirmed the expression of OR2C3 in human melanomas, but not in normal melanocytes.

Conclusions: The pattern of OR2C3 expression is suggestive of a functional role in the development and/or progression of melanoma. Some olfactory receptors may contribute to tumorigenesis.
Ten Tips for Teachers on the Formation of Reading Competence by Younger Schoolchildren
Authors: Виноградова  , Vinogradova Natalya
Published: February 2017

The article considers the peculiarities of reading competence formation at lessons in primary school. The characteristics of different types of texts are given. According to the specificity of the content of school subjects the advice on the use of appropriate methods and techniques of formation by younger schoolboys of abilities to work with information and informative, instructive and reference texts is offered.