bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognostic value of primary gross tumor volume and standardized uptake value of 18F-FDG in PET/CT for distant metastasis in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Jin Ya-Nan , Yao Ji-Jin , Wang Si-Yang , Zhang Wang-Jian , Zhou Guan-Qun , Zhang Fan , Cheng Zhi-Bin , Ma Jun , Mo Hao-Yuan , Sun Ying
Published: July 2017

Distant metastasis has become the predominant model of treatment failures in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Effort should therefore be made to stratify locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients into different groups based on the risk of metastasis to improve prognosis and tailor individualized treatments. This study aims to assess the value of primary gross tumor volume and the maximum standardized uptake value for predicting distant metastasis–free survival of patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. A total of 294 locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who were identified from prospectively maintained database and underwent fluor-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging before treatment were included. The maximum standardized uptake value was recorded for the primary tumor (SUVmax-P) and neck lymph nodes (SUVmax-N). Computed tomography-derived primary gross tumor volume was measured using the summation-of-area technique. At 5 years, the distant metastasis–free survival rate was 83.7%. The cut-off of the SUVmax-P, SUVmax-N, and primary gross tumor volume for distant metastasis–free survival was 8.95, 5.75, and 31.3 mL, respectively, by receiver operating characteristic curve. In univariate analysis, only SUVmax-N (hazard ratio: 7.01; 95% confidence interval: 1.70–28.87; p < 0.01) and clinical stage (hazard ratio: 3.03; 95% confidence interval: 1.67–5.47; p = 0.007) were confirmed as independent predictors of distant metastasis–free survival. A prognostic model was derived by SUVmax-N and clinical stage: low risk (SUVmax-N < 5.75 regardless of clinical stage), medium risk (stage III and SUVmax-N ≥ 5.75), and high risk (stage IV and SUVmax-N ≥ 5.75). Multivariate analysis revealed that SUVmax-N and the prognostic model remained independent prognostic factors for distant metastasis–free survival (p = 0.023 and p < 0.001, respectively), but the clinical stage became insignificant (p = 0.133). Furthermore, the adjusted hazard ratios for the prognostic model were higher than SUVmax-N (hazard ratio = 6.27 vs 5.21, respectively). In summary, compared with SUVmax-P, SUVmax-N may be a better predictor of distant metastasis–free survival for patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Combining SUVmax-N with clinical stage gives a more precise picture in predicting distant metastasis.
National Exchange Agencies in the Process towards a European Space for Higher Education
Authors: Haug Guy
Published: July 2017

This article tries to outline how and to what extent academic exchanges sponsored by national governments and agencies fit within the changing context of international academic mobility. The issue will be viewed mainly from the perspective of Europe; some aspects concern the whole of Europe, while others refer more specifically to those countries which are, or will soon be, members of the European Union.

The main thrust of this paper is to underline the growing tension between nationally based educational systems, including national exchange agencies, and the growing awareness of the need for a more compatible and understandable higher education system in Europe, both for internal reasons and in order to strengthen European competitiveness in world markets.

The picture of European exchange agencies outlined below is based mainly on data provided in ACA's publication Profile of the ACA Member Organisations1 and on information taken from their own Web sites. Observations about the changing role of national agencies in the internationalisation process are also based on the case studies and conclusions in the book National Policies for the Internationalisation of Higher Education in Europe, published by the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education.2
Evaluating a Transnational University Quality Assessment Project in Turkey
Authors: Billing David , Thomas Harold
Published: July 2017

This article evaluates a pilot project aimed at establishing the feasibility of introducing a quality assessment system into Turkish universities. We report on the methodology adopted during the project and we analyse the experience of participants. The project was based on the approach adopted in the United Kingdom in which teaching and research are assessed separately. During the project, questionnaires were issued to staff in universities being assessed, to members of the assessment teams, and to the UK consultants; who acted as advisers and chaired the teaching assessment panels. We report and analyse feedback from these questionnaires and from evaluative workshops. These evaluations by participants provide a valuable insight into the conduct of an international programme and should be of interest to others involved in similar projects. The experience suggests that whilst the intended learning outcomes were largely achieved, certain operational difficulties were encountered along the way.
Implementing Internationalisation: The Practical Application of the Fractal Process Model
Authors: Rudzki Romuald E. J.
Published: July 2017

The paper is concerned with the application of internationalisation theory to the practical issues of undertaking international activity, from the level of the individual, through the department, faculty, and university levels, up to and including the governmental and intergovernmental levels. This fractal process model has widespread use and is a powerful methodological and analytical tool for understanding how internationalisation can be undertaken.
Experimental Studies of the Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT)
Authors: Herdelin Andrea C. , Scott Diane L.
Published: July 2017

The effectiveness of the Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) versus standard inpatient/outpatient treatment was investigated through a meta-analysis. The study included 19 peer-reviewed published articles describing controlled, randomized experiments comparing PACT to standard treatment of individuals with severe mental illness. Treatment was found to have a significant relationship with effectiveness on each of the following six indicators: number of hospital admissions, length of hospital stay, social functioning, symptomatology, patient satisfaction, and cost. The use of PACT was associated with fewer admissions, shorter length of stay, higher social functioning, lower symptomatology, greater patient satisfaction, and lower cost. These findings were challenged, however, by the confounding effect of attrition and the small amount of total variance explained in the effectiveness indicators by the PACT intervention. Future replication studies of PACT using larger sample sizes and standardized measures of benefits and costs appear necessary to justify major shifts in mental health and vocational rehabilitation services and funding policies.
A Non-Invasive Technique for Age at Death Determination
Authors: Lynnerup Niels , Thomsen Inge , Frohlich Bruno
Published: July 2017

Several methods for age at death determination of human skeletal remains have been developed. These methods have, especially in combination, proved to be useful in making individual identification of skeletal material in forensic cases.

This study is based on the known correlation between actual age and structural changes in trabecular bone tissue. Using X-rays taken from live individuals, it provides a useful non-invasive ageing technique for the forensic examiner.

An initial pilot study defined five phases of age-related changes in the trabecular tissue of the proximal end of the femur. A total of 60 X-rays, randomly selected, and covering an age span from 14 years to 94 years, were subsequently scored in blind trials.

The results demonstrate a clear relationship between age and changes in the trabecular structures. Based on this relationship it is possible to obtain an age estimate by identification of one of the five phases. An exact age determination of a single individual was not possible, but could be approximated to within 20 years.

In forensic cases, however, where the removal of soft tissue is not always possible, this method can contribute to the final age determination when used in conjunction with other well-known methods, and thereby strengthen the final age estimate.
A Puzzle of Skeletal Remains: How Forensic Science and Medicine Succeeded in Unravelling a Complex and Controversial Murder Case
Authors: Kashyap V K , Kulasekharan R. A. , Pillay V V , Patnaik V P
Published: July 2017

A case is presented where skeletal remains recovered from a remote, wooded area in Karnataka State of South India, which posed difficulties in identification were eventually successfully tackled by systematic forensic methods. Though most of these constituted well-established conventional techniques, the case can yet be considered as a fairly complex one beguiling some of the Scientific Investigators involved.
A Proven Case of False Confession: Psychological Aspects of the Coerced-Compliant Type
Authors: Gudjonsson Gisli H. , MaCkeith James A. C.
Published: July 2017

This paper describes the case of a 17-year-old youth who falsely confessed to two murders during police interrogation while not legally represented. He again confessed during a second interview in the presence of a duty solicitor, and later made further misleading admissions to prison staff and another inmate while at the beginning of his remand. The confession elicited by the police appeared very detailed and apparently convincing. The confession subsequently by chance proved to be false. It appears to have resulted from persistent pressure and psychological manipulation of a man who was at the time distressed and susceptible to interrogative pressure. Following the withdrawal of the charges by the prosecution and the conviction of somebody else for the offence, a detailed psychological assessment indicated a clear improvement in the man's ability to assert himself and to cope with interrogative pressure. The youth was of average intelligence, suffered from no mental illness and his personality was not obviously abnormal.
Estimating Stature from the Length of the Lumbar Part of the Spine in Japanese
Authors: Terazawa K. , Akabane H. , Gotouda H. , Mizukami K. , Nagao M. , Takatori T.
Published: July 2017

In order to estimate the stature from the length of the lumbar part of spine (LLPS), studies were made on Japanese males (n=42) and females (n=29) autopsied in our laboratory during 1984–1987. Somatometry was performed on the stature and LLPS in centimetres, the latter being measured from the upper edge of the first lumbar vertebral body, to the promontorium, along the anterior surface of the spine. LLPS were 19.9 ± 1.19 cm in males and 18.6 ± 0.84 cm in females (mean ± S.D.). The regression equations calculated were as follows: stature in males = LLPS × 3.23 + 101.7; stature in females = LLPS × 2.31 + 110.8. The standard errors of estimate were 6.16 cm in males and 4.05 cm in females. This method is useful for estimating the stature of severely burned or mutilated bodies which have no limbs.
Medicare and Medicaid Fraud and Abuse
Authors: Dimond Kendra , Short Larri
Published: July 2017

The government's focus on health care fraud has been felt strongly in the home care industry. Several antifraud initiatives have targeted home health agencies, hospices, and durable medical equipment suppliers. The assault is expected to continue. Providers must be aware of their regulatory environment and their vulnerabilities and must prepare to defend themselves in the event of an audit or investigation. Awareness of new laws and regulations that change the rules or magnify the penalties for noncompliance can be crucial.
OBRA/COBRA and Other Dangerous Reptiles
Authors: Geldart Michael D.D.
Published: July 2017

A review of the OBRA/COBRA laws indicates a clear trend-the laws governing health care are undergoing significant changes. This trend, coupled with the incredible complexity of the laws governing health care delivery and payment for services, provides a fertile area in which unsuspecting providers may get “bitten.” This article will explore and summarize significant health care portions of the federal legislation commonly referred to as OBRA/COBRA.
Two Approaches to Developing a Computer-Based Patient Record for Home Health Care
Authors: Mallard Catherine O. , Mitchell Ruth D.
Published: July 2017

The use of a computer-based patient record is a relatively new phenomenon in home health care. The strategic decisions that underlie an agency's development of an electronic record system are key to the successful implementation of a point-of-care system. The article describes two approaches taken within a large urban home health agency to develop a computer-based patient record, one integrating a state-of-the-art pen-based computer system into a legacy mainframe system, and the other creating an entirely new information system to run in a client-server environment on laptop computers.
Home Health Care Mergers and Acquisitions
Authors: Indest George F. , Kowalczyk Laura P.
Published: July 2017

This article provides a general overview of mergers and acquisitions in relation to home health providers. It emphasizes issues relevant to the home health care industry. Mergers and acquisitions generally take the form of one of three types of purchases: asset purchase, stock purchase, or merger. This article discusses each form of purchase, addressing the advantages and disadvantages of each for the buyer and the seller, and provides guidance to the home health care prof essional in determining the most beneficial form of purchase depending on individual circumstances. Basic considerations in the choice of type of transaction and issues to resolve in drafting the agreement are also discussed.
Health Care Quality Improvement Act and the National Practitioner Data Bank
Authors: Broder Arthur I.
Published: July 2017

1986 the US Congress enacted the halth Care Quality Improvement Act CQIA). The intent of this legislation is to improve the quality of medical are by encouraging health care actitioners to identify and discipline abose who engage in unprof essional havior, and to restrict those who had en disciplined from moving without closure of previous damaging or competent performance. The HCQIA to established the National actitioner Data Bank, an information aringhouse to collect and release statain information related to the prof essional competence and conduct health care practitioners.
Health and subjectivity
Authors: van Hooft Stan
Published: July 2017

This paper is an exploration of health as a state of subjectivity rather than as an observable condition of the body. Subjectivity is analysed as involving a pre-intentional conative dimension distinct from the biological and pragmatic dimensions of living. Using some concepts from Levinas to articulate this conative dimension, I argue that what Levinas describes as ‘love of life’– an inchoate feeling that the living of life is enjoyment and nourishment – is the pre-articulated experience of health. Health in this sense is when things go well with us in the conative mode of our subjectivity. Moreover, health in this sense is foundational to our very being as subjectivity. A professional concern for health must be sensitive to all modes of subjectivity in which health is experienced.
The quest for natural communication: technology, language and deafness
Authors: Yardley Lucy
Published: July 2017

This paper examines the ‘natural/artificial’ dichotomy in the context of health-related technology, illustrated here by the issue of communication with deaf people. Since representation and technology form an intrinsic part of human ‘nature’ and human lives, the distinction between the ‘natural’ and the ‘artificial’ is problematic if intended as a reference to specific characteristics of human bodies, capabilities or activities (e.g. the use of prostheses or sign language for communication). Instead, this dichotomy serves as a linguistic device employed in order to justify preferred (‘natural/ normal/healthy’) forms of life. The diverse ways in which the concept ‘natural’ has been linked with spoken and sign language and the use of auditory aids can hence be shown to be equivocal and contradictory; for example, promotion of spoken language as more ‘natural’ than sign language is associated paradoxically with the implantation in deaf children of electronic aural prostheses.
Client-centred practice: an interactional case study of dietary counselling
Authors: Tapsell Linda
Published: July 2017

It is likely that a contemporary interest in more effective medical communication saw the emergence of ‘client-centred practice’ espoused in western medicine today. As ideology, however, the notion of client-centred practice is open to critique, and indeed Armstrong (1984) argues that current practices may simply be an artefact of changes in perception. At the core of this dilemma lies the imperative nature of medical discourse in negotiating treatment plans. This paper takes a particular empirical view and examines one way in which client-centred practice may be operationalized through talk itself. In this case we examine instances of dietary counselling in the context of a teaching clinic. If client-centredness were to achieve the aims of client participation in decision-making, then agreements on dietary change would provide the evidence of how this might be so. Methods of conversation analysis were applied to extracts of interviews involving student dietitians who had been trained to work in a client-centred fashion. The perspective display series identified by Maynard (1991) in paediatric consultations provided a focal point for this analysis. Observed studentdriven interviews were of specific interest because it would be all the more difficult for clients to disagree with proposals in this context. Analytical findings displayed a preponderance of perspective invitations resulting in agreed dietary changes. This agreement was strong where there was also evidence of active client participation in the decision-making process. Deviant case analysis found that where strong agreement failed to occur, the practitioner tended to foreclose on changes without a fuller exploration of the client opinion. While this may well reflect the constraints of the teaching clinic context, it does suggest that a client-centred approach may appear to operate at a superficial level if it is not adequately followed through in subsequent turns at talk.
Illness as moral occasion: restoring agency to ill people
Authors: Frank Arthur W.
Published: July 2017

While both medical sociology and clinical ethics have tended to ignore the moral dimensions of illness, some ethicists have called attention to how serious illness creates a moral imperative for the ill person to ‘rise to the occasion’. First-person narratives of illness experience delimit the ‘potential consciousness’ of illness as a moral occasion. Narratives by Tim Brookes, Anatole Broyard, Kat Duff and Terry Tempest Williams present different dimensions of the attempt to be what Brookes calls ‘successfully ill’. The conclusion considers the difficulty that biomedicine has recognizing the moral life of ill persons.
The body and the digital archive: the Visible Human Project and the computerization of medicine
Authors: Waldby Catherine
Published: July 2017

This paper addresses itself to some biopolitical issues raised by the computerization of medicine. It is now widely accepted in cultural studies and the sociology of medicine that the computer offers a conceptual model to medicine for the organization of human bodies, and that bodies are increasingly understood as forms of digital archive. However this paper uses one recent development in medical computer imaging, the Visible Human Project, to argue that the computerization of medicine also involves a material reorganization of at least some bodies, a reorganization which reveals a biopolitical hierarchy of more and less valuable bodies within the framework of high-technology medicine.
Drug use among the young homeless: coping through self-medication
Authors: Klee Hilary , Reid Paul
Published: July 2017

Research has shown that illicit drug use is now a common feature of homelessness. A main aim of the study was to examine the role that drugs played in the lives of young homeless people. Two hundred young homeless drug users (aged 14–25 years) were interviewed. Respondents reported a variety of health problems. Respiratory infections, aching limbs and weight loss were the most common, but of greater concern was mental health and 82% reported psychological symptoms: depression, sometimes severe and often chronic, anxiety and aggression. A very high proportion (43%) had attempted suicide, mostly through drug overdose. Three-quarters of the sample said they used drugs to self-medicate their symptoms. Drug use is one form of stress management that is widely adopted by many people, whether homeless or not, but the particular nature of the stressors endemic in the homeless lifestyle leads to a much increased vulnerability to such selfmedication when other coping strategies fail.
Surveillance, knowledge and risk: the embodied experience of cervical screening
Authors: Howson Alexandra
Published: July 2017

Risk and surveillance have emerged as two prominent themes concerning the substantive topic of public health and prevention. While these themes have largely been addressed as discrete issues within the sociology of health and illness, of late there has been a concerted effort to address the relationship between the two. This paper examines an aspect of prevention which is often implicitly identified in terms of both risk and surveillance; that of cervical screening in Britain. First I discuss how risk and surveillance have been brought together in the sociology of health and illness and outline some limitations in their application to substantive topics such as prevention. Second, I introduce cervical screening and proceed with a discussion of textual and interview data which throws light on the status of risk in cervical screening as both an objective and subjective category.
Nationalism, Political Community and the Representation of Society
Authors: Calhoun Craig
Published: July 2017

Discussion of political and legal citizenship requires attention to social solidarity. Current approaches to citizenship, however, tend to proceed on abstract bases, neglecting this sociological dimension. This is partly because a tacit understanding of what constitutes a `society' has been developed through implicit reliance on the idea of `nation'. Issues of social belonging are addressed more directly in communitarian and multiculturalist discourses. Too often, however, different modes of solidarity and participation are confused. Scale is often neglected. The model of `nation' again prefigures the ways in which membership and difference are constructed. The present paper suggests the value of maintaining a distinction among relational networks, cultural or legal categories, and discursive publics. The first constitute community in a sense quite different from either of the second and third. Categories, however, are increasingly prominent in largescale social life. But the idea of the public is crucial to conceptualizing democratic participation.
Experimental investigation of steel-concrete composite beams with different degrees of shear connection under monotonic and fatigue loads
Authors: Wang Bing , Huang Qiao , Liu Xiaoling , Li Wenxian
Published: July 2017

Steel-concrete composite beams have been extensively used in buildings and bridges in recent years to combine these two construction materials. The behavioral characteristics of steel-concrete composite beams are related to the degree of shear connection. In this article, eight steel-concrete composite beams were investigated to examine the effects of different degrees of shear connection on the static and fatigue performances of the beams. First, the ultimate capacity, ductility coefficient, failure modes, strain distribution at the midspan section, and relative slip distribution of the steel-concrete composite beams under monotonic loads were investigated with different shear connection degrees. The effect of the shear connection degree on the fatigue life, failure mode, and other mechanical properties under fatigue loading was studied. The results show that all mechanical properties of the steel-concrete composite beams under monotonic and fatigue loads decrease with a decrease in shear connection degree, and their failure modes change with the decreasing shear connection degree. Second, based on the experimental results, the fatigue life of composite beams was analyzed and predicted under different assumptions of failure modes according to EC4, AASHTO, and the Chinese code. The result shows that different failure modes should be considered according to different shear connection degrees in the fatigue design of composite beams. Finally, the issues on the difference between static and fatigue capacities with different shear connection degrees and the critical point of the failure mode were discussed.
Stuttering in Children: An Overview
Authors: Starkweather G. Woodruff
Published: July 2017

Stuttering is defined and distinguished from normal disruptions of speech rhythm. The variable “fluency” is defined as the rate, continuity, and ease of speech production. Its development in normal children is reviewed. Some of the unanswered questions about stuttering are then described—the distribution of stuttering behaviors according to linguistic, situational, and temporal factors, and the sex ratio—and research topics are suggested. Differences between stuttering and nonstuttering children are described. The problem of childhood stuttering is then conceptualized by a “demands and capacities” model, and ideas for research are presented. The options for treatment are then described as ways of increasing the child's capacities for fluency or decreasing the demands for fluency. Direct and indirect treatment approaches for modifying both stuttering behaviors and general speech behaviors are mentioned.
Evaluating Stuttering Problems In Children
Authors: Riley Glyndon D. , Riley Jeanna
Published: July 2017

This article describes an evaluation approach which deals with the problems of predicting which young stutterers are likely to outgrow their problem without treatment. Procedures are also described to evaluate the communication environment, the child's attitude, and any concomitant speech and language disorders. Treatment approaches implied by this evaluation process are noted.
A Survey of Early Legal Cases in Music Education
Authors: Perrine William M.
Published: July 2017

Legal cases involving music education offer a view of particular controversies at a given historical moment. I surveyed eight court cases drawn from the LexisNexis database to assess the content of legal disputes within the context of the development of music education as a curricular subject in the United States prior to 1940. Each of these cases reached the highest appellate court in the jurisdiction in which it was filed. I then grouped cases into three categories: challenges to music’s status as a curricular subject within the public schools, challenges to the legality of using taxpayer funds to support music programs, and contract disputes. Conclusions suggest that when legal controversies arose, the courts supported the inclusion of music education within the curriculum by affirming the legal authority of school districts to offer quality competent instruction in this area.
Rhythm through Experience
Authors: Jacobi Bonnie Schaffhauser
Published: July 2017

This article provides a historical context for Placido de Montoliu’s Eurhythmics instruction at Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania, between 1913–1922 and 1930–1931, and it highlights pedagogical and philosophical principles that shaped his approach. The research is based on noncirculating, historical documents at the Bryn Mawr College Library Archives. Examples include Placido de Montoliu’s class schedule, contracts, letters, catalogues, student records, photographs, newspaper clippings, and alumni newsletters. Also referenced are Montoliu’s two essays, “The Meaning of Eurhythmics” and “Concepts of Time, Measure and Rhythm,” written in 1931 for Overtones, at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where Montoliu taught between 1925–1940.

In an earlier article the author established Montoliu as one of the first of Dalcroze’s students to bring Eurhythmics instruction to America and the first to integrate Eurhythmics fully into an American college curriculum. The present study centers on Montoliu’s assertions that rhythm should be the basis for a child’s first music learning experience and that it should be taught through aural and kinesthetic experience, as opposed to learning through written notation. Montoliu sought to create the “condition” of rhythm in his students through exercises in movement. Within his curriculum, he integrated hearing, singing, reading, coordination, and response. Hand-held percussion instruments were used to simulate ensemble experience, and children were invited to direct the group. Instruction culminated in semiannual demonstrations before the community. Equally important to the development of the child’s coordination and muscle control was cultivation of her artistic temperament. He also placed value on student attention, effort, seriousness, concentration, and interest in Eurhythmics.
A School Counseling Conference Focused on the Emerging Latino/a Population
Authors: Delgado-Romero Edward A. , Matthews Paul H. , Paisley Pamela O.
Published: July 2017

The state of Georgia has experienced dramatic growth in the Latino/a population during the past decade, with a third of the new Latino/a population younger than the age of 18. Consequently, school systems were not prepared for the challenges posed by a Spanish-speaking immigrant population. The authors organized an interdisciplinary conference to holistically address the issues facing school counselors in their work with the emerging Latino/a population. Implications for other states dealing with an emerging Latino/a population are discussed.
Community Commitment and Activist Scholarship
Authors: Urrieta Luis , Méndez Benavídez Lina R.
Published: July 2017

In this study, we explored 12 Chicana/o Professors of Education's sense making about their role in the academy in terms of community commitments, activist scholarship, and practices of consciousness. Consciously exercising their agency, for these Chicana/o professors was not only in reaction to White dominance in the academy, but also in proactive, enduring ways through day-to-day practices. Practices of consciousness sought to subvert and challenge the White-stream norms and practices of higher education.
The Representation of Curanderismo in Selected Mexican American Works
Authors: Pabón Melissa
Published: July 2017

Curanderismo, a Mexican folk practice, is a prevalent subject in Mexican American literature. Because much of the presence of curanderismo in Mexican American literature is only explored in ethnographic studies, the purpose of this study is to examine the artistic representation of curanderismo in the novels Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya; So Far From God by Ana Castillo; and Massacre of the Dreamers: Essays on Xicanisma, also by Ana Castillo.
Balancing School With the Call to Community Service
Authors: Peña Milagros , Hernandez Edwin I. , Sotello Viernes Turner Caroline , Dirks Danielle
Published: July 2017

Hispanic seminary students in American theological schools face considerable challenges as they work to pursue their degrees. Many balance service to the ministry and community involvement with the rigors of academia. Cultural barriers leave students pulled between two worlds. Focus groups of Hispanic seminary students and data drawn from the Latino/a Seminary Student Survey were used to develop suggestions in providing more supportive and culturally sensitive curricula to attract and retain Hispanic students.
Preparing Latinos/as for a Flat World
Authors: Sullivan Leila González
Published: July 2017

Thomas Friedman's 2006 book, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, has caused both dialogue and controversy. This article explores implications of Friedman's ideas for the education of Latinos/as in American community colleges. A review of current literature addresses Hispanic demographics, workforce projections, the role of community colleges in workforce education, access and success issues, and strategies for serving Latinos/as effectively. Federal, state, and institutional policy changes are proposed.
Latinos in Science
Authors: Rochin Refugio I. , Mello Stephen F.
Published: July 2017

In U.S. coverage of leadership in science and engineering (S&E), Latinos are generally dismissed from consideration. The pipeline metaphor tends to ignore advances made by Latinos in completing doctoral degrees in S&E. New data suggest a better metaphor, the pyramid of higher education, for understanding the progress of Latinos in S&E. Questions addressed include, what fields are pursued? What is the citizenship of Latino doctorates? What are the baccalaureate origins of Latina/o doctorates? What roles do community colleges and Hispanic-serving institutions play in serving Latinas/os?

Resumen: En los Estados Unidos de América cuando se habla del liderazgo en ciencia e ingeniería (C & I) generalmente no se incluyen individuos latinos. La metáfora de una tubería tiende a ignorar los avances hechos por latinos que han terminado doctorados en C & I. Nueva información sugiere una metáfora superior para entender el progreso de Latinos en C & I: la pirámide de educación superior. Se añaden estas preguntas: ¿Cuáles son los campos que se estudian? ¿Cuál es la ciudadanía de doctores Latinos? ¿Cuáles son los orígenes de pre-grado de doctores latina/os? ¿Qué papeles juegan las preparatorias y las instituciones que sirven poblaciones hispanas cuando le dan servicio a latina/os?
Emofilia associata a dissecazione carotidea spontanea
Authors: Gatti A. , Cheldi A. , Castellani G. , Passerini D.
Published: July 2017

Si presenta il caso di un paziente emofilico, che ha presentato dissecazione carotidea spontanea, sintomatica per cefalea e sindrome di Horner. Vengono descritti i reperti neuroradiologici, sottolineando l'importanza della risonanza magnetica e dell'angio-RM quali metodiche sensibili e non invasive nella diagnosi e nel controllo di dissecazione carotidea, se effettuate nelle prime settimane dall'evento.
Report of the Evaluation of the Occupational Health Service of Goodwill Industries of Dallas, Texas
Authors: DuRain Helen M.
Published: July 2017

The Goodwill Industries of Dallas consists of three buildings housing the main retail store, plant, offices and commercial service division. There are six retail stores in outlying areas. The main building houses a retail store, supply room, transportation dispatch room, offices, kitchen, cafeteria, recreation area, chapel, print shop, plant facilities and the health clinic. Currently there are about 500 employees. The following study was conducted for the purpose of improving health service to these employees.
A Realistic Method of Health Hazard Appraisal for the Occupational Health Nurse
Authors: Murphy Denise C.
Published: July 2017

The author assumed responsibility or an ongoing factory health maintenance program which consisted primarily of periodic blood and urine sampling and analysis. To supplement the limited information obtained from these laboratory analyses, the author began gathering personal health history information from each worker through a standardized questionnaire. It was during the review of one completed questionnaires that one need for a description of the workforce as a group became evident. To do this, a new approach — one different from the traditional nursing approach of individualized assessment — was tried.

An epidemiological study was deigned which yielded information on the demographic profile of the workforce, as well as the relationships between three agents of exposure (chemicals, ethanol, and cigarettes) and laboratory parameters.

The procurement of this data proved to be of value in several ways: One identification of high risk groups or particular diseases, the assessment of existing and future health problems, and in the planning for the health care of the group.

The increased value of the data obtained by utilization of the epidemiological method allows the occupational health nurse in the workplace setting to improve the delivery of health services to those under her care.
Formal thought disorder in people at ultra-high risk of psychosis
Authors: Demjaha Arsime , Weinstein Sara , Stahl Daniel , Day Fern , Valmaggia Lucia , Rutigliano Grazia , De Micheli Andrea , Fusar-Poli Paolo , McGuire Philip
Published: July 2017

Background

Formal thought disorder is a cardinal feature of psychosis. However, the extent to which formal thought disorder is evident in ultra-high-risk individuals and whether it is linked to the progression to psychosis remains unclear.

Aims

Examine the severity of formal thought disorder in ultra-high-risk participants and its association with future psychosis.

Method

The Thought and Language Index (TLI) was used to assess 24 ultra-high-risk participants, 16 people with first-episode psychosis and 13 healthy controls. Ultra-high-risk individuals were followed up for a mean duration of 7 years (s.d.=1.5) to determine the relationship between formal thought disorder at baseline and transition to psychosis.

Results

TLI scores were significantly greater in the ultra-high-risk group compared with the healthy control group (effect size (ES)=1.2), but lower than in people with first-episode psychosis (ES=0.8). Total and negative TLI scores were higher in ultra-high-risk individuals who developed psychosis, but this was not significant. Combining negative TLI scores with attenuated psychotic symptoms and basic symptoms predicted transition to psychosis (P=0.04; ES=1.04).

Conclusions

TLI is beneficial in evaluating formal thought disorder in ultra-high-risk participants, and complements existing instruments for the evaluation of psychopathology in this group.
Human TTBK1, TTBK2 and MARK1 kinase toxicity inDrosophila melanogasteris exacerbated by co-expression of human Tau
Authors: Fernius Josefin , Starkenberg Annika , Pokrzywa Malgorzata , Thor Stefan
Published: July 2017

Tau protein is involved in numerous human neurodegenerative diseases, and Tau hyper-phosphorylation has been linked to Tau aggregation and toxicity. Previous studies have addressed toxicity and phospho-biology of human Tau (hTau) in Drosophila melanogaster. However, hTau transgenes have most often been randomly inserted in the genome, thus making it difficult to compare between different hTau isoforms and phospho-mutants. In addition, many studies have expressed hTau also in mitotic cells, causing non-physiological toxic effects. Here, we overcome these confounds by integrating UAS-hTau isoform transgenes into specific genomic loci, and express hTau post-mitotically in the Drosophila nervous system. Lifespan and locomotor analyses show that all six of the hTau isoforms elicit similar toxicity in flies, although hTau2N3R showed somewhat elevated toxicity. To determine if Tau phosphorylation is responsible for toxicity, we analyzed the effects of co-expressing hTau isoforms together with Tau-kinases, focusing on TTBK1, TTBK2 and MARK1. We observed toxicity when expressing each of the three kinases alone, or in combination. Kinase toxicity was enhanced by hTau co-expression, with strongest co-toxicity for TTBK1. Mutagenesis and phosphorylation analysis indicates that hTau-MARK1 combinatorial toxicity may be due to direct phosphorylation of hTau, while hTau-TTBK1/2 combinatorial toxicity may result from independent toxicity mechanisms.
Establishment of a retinal hypoxia organ culture model
Authors: Schnichels S. , Blak M. , Hurst J. , Dorfi T. , Bartz-Schmidt K. U. , Ziemssen F. , Spitzer M. S. , Schultheiss M.
Published: July 2017

Hypoxia plays an important role in several retinal diseases, especially in central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). Although CRAO has been known for over a hundred years, no cure or sufficient treatment is available. Potential therapies are being evaluated in several in vivo models or primary cultures. However, in vivo models or primary cultures are very time-consuming, expensive, and furthermore several therapies or agents cannot be tested. Therefore, we aimed to develop a standardized organotypic ex vivo retinal hypoxia model. A chamber was developed in which rat retinal explants were incubated for different hypoxia durations. Afterwards, the retinas were adjusted to normal air and incubated for 24, 48 or 72 h under standard conditions. To analyze the retinal explants, and in particular the retinal ganglion cells (RGC) immunohistology, western blot and optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements were performed. To compare our model to a standardized degeneration model, additional retinal explants were treated with 0.5 and 1 mM glutamate. Depending on hypoxia duration and incubation time, the amount of RGCs decreased and accordingly, the amount of TUNEL-positive RGCs increased. Furthermore, β-III-tubulin expression and retinal thickness significantly decreased with longer-lasting hypoxia. The reduction of RGCs induced by 75 min of hypoxia was comparable to the one of 1 mM glutamate treatment after 24 h (20.27% versus 19.69%) and 48 h (13.41% versus 14.41%) of incubation. We successfully established a cheap, standardized, easy-to-use organotypic culture model for retinal hypoxia. We selected 75 min of hypoxia for further studies, as approximately 50% of the RGC died compared to the control group after 48 h.
Outcomes following revision surgery performed for adverse reactions to metal debris in non-metal-on-metal hip arthroplasty patients
Authors: Matharu G. S. , Judge A. , Murray D. W. , Pandit H. G.
Published: July 2017

Objectives

Few studies have assessed outcomes following non-metal-on-metal hip arthroplasty (non-MoMHA) revision surgery performed for adverse reactions to metal debris (ARMD). We assessed outcomes following non-MoMHA revision surgery performed for ARMD, and identified predictors of re-revision.

Methods

We performed a retrospective observational study using data from the National Joint Registry for England and Wales. All non-MoMHAs undergoing revision surgery for ARMD between 2008 and 2014 were included (185 hips in 185 patients). Outcome measures following ARMD revision were intra-operative complications, mortality and re-revision surgery. Predictors of re-revision were identified using Cox regression.

Results

Intra-operative complications occurred in 6.0% (n = 11) of the 185 cases. The cumulative four-year patient survival rate was 98.2% (95% CI 92.9 to 99.5). Re-revision surgery was performed in 13.5% (n = 25) of hips at a mean time of 1.2 years (0.1 to 3.1 years) following ARMD revision. Infection (32%; n = 8), dislocation/subluxation (24%; n = 6), and aseptic loosening (24%; n = 6) were the most common re-revision indications. The cumulative four-year implant survival rate was 83.8% (95% CI 76.7 to 88.9). Multivariable analysis identified three predictors of re-revision: multiple revision indications (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.78; 95% CI 1.03 to 7.49; p = 0.043); selective component revisions (HR = 5.76; 95% CI 1.28 to 25.9; p = 0.022); and ceramic-on-polyethylene revision bearings (HR = 3.08; 95% CI 1.01 to 9.36; p = 0.047).

Conclusions

Non-MoMHAs revised for ARMD have a high short-term risk of re-revision, with important predictors of future re-revision including selective component revision, multiple revision indications, and ceramic-on-polyethylene revision bearings. Our findings may help counsel patients about the risks of ARMD revision, and guide reconstructive decisions. Future studies attempting to validate the predictors identified should also assess the effects of implant design (metallurgy and modularity), given that this was an important study limitation potentially influencing the reported prognostic factors. Cite this article: G. S. Matharu, A. Judge, D. W. Murray, H. G. Pandit. Outcomes following revision surgery performed for adverse reactions to metal debris in non-metal-on-metal hip arthroplasty patients: Analysis of 185 revisions from the National Joint Registry for England and Wales. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:405–413. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.67.BJR-2017-0017.R2.
Effective numerical model for flow boiling of a nanofluid
Authors: Shetty Anurag Alam , Ghosh Pradyumna , Mondal S. S. , Patra. Nirupama  S. , Singh R. S.
Published: July 2017

Flow boiling of Al2O3-Water nanofluid has been investigated numerically using the Eulerian multiphase model in ANSYS FLUENT. The physical properties have been computed using the two phase mixture model. In the Eulerian multiphase model, Rensselaer Polytechnic Initiative (RPI) nucleate boiling model has been used for modeling boiling. Axial vapor fraction has been computed in case of flow boiling of water and heat transfer coefficient has been computed in case of flow boiling of Al2O3-Water nanofluid. The numerical results obtained were in good agreement with experimental results. The RPI model predicts the heat transfer characteristics quickly.
An international survey on anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) testing in daily clinical practice
Authors: Damoiseaux Jan , Heijnen Ingmar , Van Campenhout Christel , Eriksson Catharina , Fabien Nicole , Herold Manfred , van der Molen Renate G. , Egner William , Patel Dina , Plaza-Lopez Aresio , Radice Antonella , de Sousa Marie José Rego , Viander Markku , Shoenfeld Yehuda
Published: July 2017

Background:

Detection of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) is important for the diagnosis of the ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV). For AAV, especially ANCA directed against myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proteinase 3 (PR3) are most relevant. ANCA with less well-defined specificities may, however, also be detected in other inflammatory and non-inflammatory conditions.

Methods:

A questionnaire, initiated by the European Autoimmunity Standardisation Initiative (EASI), was used to gather information on methods and testing algorithms used for ANCA in clinical laboratories of 12 European countries (EASI survey).

Results:

Four hundred and twenty-nine responses were included in the EASI survey analysis which revealed differences within countries and between countries. Laboratories overall were poor in adherence to international consensus on ANCA testing. Substantial variation was observed with respect to the use of ANCA indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) in the algorithm, application of distinct methods for MPO- and PR3-ANCA, the daily availability of new ANCA results, and interpretation of test results.

Conclusions:

Awareness of these differences may stimulate further harmonization and standardization of ANCA testing. This may be promoted by an update of the international ANCA consensus and the introduction of international standards.
The Western Zhou cemetery at Dahekou in Yicheng County, Shanxi
Authors: Joint Archaeological Team Of Shanxi
Published: July 2017

Since 2007, the excavations to the Dahekou Cemetery of the Western Zhou Dynasty located in Yicheng County, Shanxi Province have found over 600 burials and 20 chariot-and-horse pits, over 300 burials of which have been excavated. All of these burials were vertical shaft pit tombs in rectangular plan, most of which had waist pits containing dogs, some of which even had recesses on the walls. The burial furniture assemblages were single coffin, one outer coffin and one inner coffin or one outer coffin and two inner coffins. Most of the tomb occupants were in extended supine position; the grave goods of large