bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interaction analysis and optimal design of composite action of plastered straw bale
Authors: Adedeji A.A.
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the effects of cement‐ and earth‐plastered straw bale walls against the appropriate vertical loads.

Design/methodology/approach

The effects of contact between two common types of plasters and the stacked straw bale by the optimal design analysis have been assessed in this work with the use of finite element method.

Findings

Cement‐ and earth‐plastered straw bale walls have shown adequate resistance against the appropriate vertical loads and showed that the earth‐plaster can bear higher stress than the cement plastered straw bale. There is the implication that the collapse or response of the earth‐straw bale wall will be significantly higher compared to that of cement‐straw bale wall.

Practical implications

The stress stability obtained of the analytical walls is adequate after using the best fit variables for the wall height and thickness.

Originality/value

The paper shows that the allowable stresses of 70.14 kN/m2 for cement plastered straw bale wall and 73.14 kN/m2 for earth‐plastered straw bale wall are higher than the calculated stress values using SAP2000 of 18.836 and 64.2 kN/m2 for cement plastered straw bale wall, respectively.
On the use of the plane wave based method for vibro‐acoustic problems
Authors: Essahbi Soufien , Perry‐Debain Emmanuel , Haddar Mohamed , Hammami Lotfi , Ben Tahar Mabrouk
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the extension of plane wave based method.

Design/methodology/approach

The mixed functional are discretized using enriched finite elements. The fluid is discretized by enriched acoustic element, the structure by enriched structural finite element and the interface fluid‐structure by fluid‐structure interaction element.

Findings

Results obtained show the potentialities of the proposed method to solve a much larger class of wave problems in mid‐ and high‐frequency ranges.

Originality/value

The plane wave based method has previously been applied successfully to finite element and boundary element models for the Helmholtz equation and elastodynamic problems. This paper describes the extension of this method to the vibro‐acoustic problem.
Wave propagation in transversely isotropic generalized thermoelastic half‐space with voids under initial stress
Authors: Kumar Rajneesh , Kumar Rajeev
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the wave propagation in transversely isotropic generalized thermoelastic half‐space with voids under initial stress.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyze the wave propagation and reflection of plane waves incident at the stress free, thermally insulated or isothermal surface of a homogeneous, transversely isotropic generalized thermoelastic half‐space with voids. The graphical representation is given for amplitude ratios of various reflected waves to that of incident waves for different direction of propagation. The phase velocities and attenuation coefficients of plane waves are also computed and presented graphically for various incident angles.

Findings

The phase velocities and attenuation coefficients of these plane waves are computed along various direction of wave propagation and the reflection characteristics of these waves, stress free, thermally insulated or isothermal boundary conditions are considered. The amplitude ratios of various reflected waves to that of incident waves have been obtained numerically.

Originality/value

Wave propagation in an elastic medium is of great practical importance. Since valuable organic and inorganic deposits beneath the earth surface are difficult to detect by drilling randomly, wave propagation is the simplest and most economic technique and does not require any drilling through the earth. Almost all the oil companies rely on seismic interpretation for selecting the sites for exploratory oil wells because seismic wave methods have higher accuracy, higher resolution and are more economical, compared to drilling, which is expensive and time consuming. The study described in this paper would be very useful for those involved in signal processing, sound system and wireless communication.
Nonlinear modeling and simulation of spur gear with defected bearings
Authors: Taoufik Khabou Mohamed , Hentati Taissir , Slim Abbes Mohamed , Chaari Fakher , Haddar Mohamed
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to present a theoretical model to simulate the dynamic behavior of a spur gear, taking into account its ball bearings defects.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model is based on the implicit Newmark‐β with Newton‐Raphson numerical integration technique in order to analyze the impact of the worn bearings on the non linear dynamic behavior of one stage spur gear transmission system.

Findings

The dynamic behavior of spur gear is studied taking into account ball bearings defects thanks to the proposed model.

Originality/value

A new numerical model is proposed to simulate the dynamic behavior of rotating spur gear system taking into account both waviness and backlash defects.
Preserving privacy on the searchable internet
Authors: Ma Ruxia , Meng Xiaofeng , Wang Zhongyuan
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The Web is the largest repository of information. Personal information is usually scattered on various pages of different websites. Search engines have made it easier to find personal information. An attacker may collect a user's scattered information together via search engines, and infer some privacy information. The authors call this kind of privacy attack “Privacy Inference Attack via Search Engines”. The purpose of this paper is to provide a user‐side automatic detection service for detecting the privacy leakage before publishing personal information.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors propose a user‐side automatic detection service. In the user‐side service, the authors construct a user information correlation (UICA) graph to model the association between user information returned by search engines. The privacy inference attack is mapped into a decision problem of searching a privacy inferring path with the maximal probability in the UICA graph and it is proved that it is a nondeterministic polynomial time (NP)‐complete problem by a two‐step reduction. A Privacy Leakage Detection Probability (PLD‐Probability) algorithm is proposed to find the privacy inferring path: it combines two significant factors which can influence the vertexes' probability in the UICA graph and uses greedy algorithm to find the privacy inferring path.

Findings

The authors reveal that privacy inferring attack via search engines is very serious in real life. In this paper, a user‐side automatic detection service is proposed to detect the risk of privacy inferring. The authors make three kinds of experiments to evaluate the seriousness of privacy leakage problem and the performance of methods proposed in this paper. The results show that the algorithm for the service is reasonable and effective.

Originality/value

The paper introduces a new family of privacy attacks on the Web: privacy inferring attack via search engines and presents a privacy inferring model to describe the process and principles of personal privacy inferring attack via search engines. A user‐side automatic detection service is proposed to detect the privacy inference before publishing personal information. In this user‐side service, the authors propose a Privacy Leakage Detection Probability (PLD‐Probability) algorithm. Extensive experiments show these methods are reasonable and effective.
As you like it: adopting a patient‐led approach to psychological treatments
Authors: Carey Timothy A.
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to look at the design and delivery of psychological treatments offered by the UK National Health Service (NHS) and in particular, ask how much treatment is enough, or who should decide when the patient has had enough treatment.

Design/methodology/approach

The data reported in this section were collected during routine clinical practice in the NHS in Scotland.

Findings

It was found that treatments could be redesigned so that important therapeutic information is provided in time frames that match patient preferences, leading to more efficient and effective services.

Originality/value

Clinicians, predominantly, determine the design and delivery of treatment programmes, whereas the paper suggests that programmes should be focused on the patient and their needs.
Complete mental health recovery: bridging mental illness with positive mental health
Authors: Provencher Helene L. , Keyes Corey L.M.
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose that the study, and the promotion, of recovery can be augmented by adopting the model of mental health as a complete state.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review of the last two decades was undertaken and pathways to complete mental health in recovery are proposed.

Findings

More work is needed to further develop interventions oriented towards the promotion of positive mental health in recovery, targeting the enhancement of positive emotions towards life and a sense of fulfillment in private and social life. Positive mental health also deserves more research attention to assess the full range of recovery outcomes related to the restoration and optimization processes. A better understanding of individual and environmental factors facilitating or hindering the achievement of complete mental health in recovery is warranted as well.

Originality/value

Unlike previous conceptions, the model presented in the paper proposes to redefine recovery from the complete view of mental health and introduces positive mental health as an additional outcome of recovery.
Emotional and antisocial outcomes of bullying and victimization at school: a follow‐up from childhood to adolescence
Authors: Lösel Friedrich , Bender Doris
Published: November 2014

Purpose

Although school bullying is an important social problem, its long‐term relation to mental health and behavioural outcomes is rarely investigated. The purpose of this paper is to address the relation between bullying in childhood and behavioural and emotional problems in adolescence.

Design/methodology/approach

Bullying and victimization were assessed in a sample of 557 German children (mean age 9 years). Nearly five years later anxious, depressive, delinquent, aggressive and other outcomes were assessed via self‐ and mother‐reports. Data analyses contained bivariate correlations and hierarchical regressions in which family and individual risk factors (measured two years before bullying/victimization) were controlled.

Findings

It was found that there were mostly small, but highly significant correlations between bullying perpetration and later antisocial behaviour. Among girls, bullying also predicted later symptoms of anxiety, depression and social withdrawal. The same was the case for victimization. Victimized girls also showed more antisocial outcomes. When controlling for other risk factors, bullying perpetration remained as a predictor of externalizing problems, however, there were no significant relations between victimization and internalizing or externalizing outcomes.

Originality/value

This paper presents longitudinal data on a large sample from a country under‐represented in the English‐language literature on bullying, also its findings reveal that bullying perpetration is a highly significant predictor of later antisocial and delinquent outcomes in adolescence.
Young adult problem behaviour outcomes of adolescent bullying
Authors: Renae McGee Tara , Scott James G. , McGrath John J. , Williams Gail M. , O'Callaghan Michael , Bor William , Najman Jake M.
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on the association between bullying victimisation and various internalizing and externalizing behaviours including anxiety and depression, somatic problems, withdrawn behaviour, aggressive and delinquent behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this research come from the Mater‐University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy and its Outcomes (MUSP) a prospective cohort study of mothers and their children which began in Brisbane in 1981, assessing the impact of experiences of being bullied at 14 years of age and YASR outcomes at 21 years of age. Brisbane is the capital city of the State of Queensland, Australia. The site for the research was the Brisbane Mater Misericordiae Mothers' Hospital (MMH), which is one of the two major obstetric units in Brisbane. In effect all pregnant women attending a publicly‐funded obstetrical service over a three‐year period were recruited to the study (about 50 percent of women attend public obstetrical services in Queensland).

Findings

The authors find that: first, there is no association between the experience of being bullied and young adult anxiety and depression, as well as some other outcomes (withdrawn, intrusive behaviour); second, for both males and females, there are increased rates of attention problems for those children who have been bullied; and third, males and females respond somewhat differently to being bullied, with males reporting more aggressive behaviour and females reporting more somatic problems.

Originality/value

Overall, the findings suggest that the likely impact of being bullied may not be widespread across mental health domains, and that the impact may differ somewhat depending upon whether the person bullied is a male or female.
Longitudinal study of the relationship between victimization and later emotional problems among Japanese junior high school students
Authors: Nishino Yasuyo , Ujiie Tatsuo , Ninomiya Katsumi , Igarashi Atsushi , Inoue Hiromitsu , Yamamoto Chika
Published: November 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report an investigation of the relationships between victimization and later emotional problems among Japanese junior high school students. The effects of psychosocial risk factors and their role as predictors of the relationship between victimization and later emotional problems were also examined over time.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors' first concern was to determine whether victimization is, indeed, related to emotional problems during junior high school. The authors' second concern was to determine how long victimization or risk factors will be associated with emotional problems. The third concern was to determine whether there is a gender difference in the relationship between victimization and emotional problems. Emotional problems were assessed using self‐report questionnaire measures of depression and low self‐worth. This article used eight‐months interval data collections; September 2002 (Time 1), May 2003 (Time 2), January 2004 (Time 3), and September 2004 (Time 4).

Findings

The results section is organized into three parts. The first part presents correlation coefficients for each of the variables. The second part examines whether the experience being bullied is related to four risk factors, depression and low self‐worth. The third part examines whether risk factors and victimization are related to depression and low self‐worth over time. In each part the authors also examined whether results vary depending on gender.

Originality/value

The paper usefully shows that victimization at Time 1 predicted later depression at Times 2 and 3 for boys, but not for girls. Victimization at Time 1 also predicted later depression for boys after controlling for other Time 1 risk factors. Early victimization may be a unique predictor of later depression for boys, but not for girls.
Song structure, not high‐frequency song content, determines high‐frequency auditory sensitivity in nine species of New World sparrows (Passeriformes: Emberizidae)
Authors: Vélez Alejandro , Gall Megan D. , Fu Jianing , Lucas Jeffrey R.
Published: November 2014

The evolution of vocal signals can be constrained by a host of factors including habitat effects on sound propagation, morphology of sound‐producing structures and phylogenetic relationships among species. Here, we asked whether auditory sensitivity over a broad range of frequencies correlates with the spectral content of conspecific vocalizations, or whether it is constrained by the overall structure of vocalizations, habitat effects on sound propagation or relatedness among species.

We studied nine New World sparrows (Passeriformes: Emberizidae) including three open‐habitat species, three scrub‐like habitat species and three forest species. For each habitat, one species had pure‐trilled songs, another had tonal songs and another had complex songs with tones, trills and amplitude‐modulated buzzes.

As predicted by the acoustic adaptation hypothesis, song spectral properties (specifically frequency and entropy) had the highest values in open‐habitat species and the lowest values in forest species.

Based on our results from song analyses, and the sender–receiver matching hypothesis, we predicted that open‐habitat species would be more sensitive to high‐frequency sounds compared to forest species. Contrary to this prediction, habitat and high‐frequency song content had little effect on audiogram shape. Song type, however, had a strong effect, with species that produce complex songs showing higher sensitivity to high‐frequency sounds than all other species.

Our results suggest that the use of song frequency by receivers depends on song structure and not necessarily on song spectral content. Therefore, our current understanding of how signal‐processing mechanisms should match signal properties appears to be too simple. When thinking about the evolution of signal‐processing mechanisms, the multidimensionality of signals, and how the different dimensions can interact, should be considered.
Range expansion in asexual dandelions: selection for general‐purpose genotypes?
Authors: Oplaat Carla , Verhoeven Koen J. F.
Published: November 2014

Phenotypic plasticity and broad ecological tolerance are hypothesized as important traits in the range expansion of asexual species, because individual asexual lineages have to face spatial and temporal environmental variation with limited opportunity for genetic adaptation. The hypothesis that asexual lineages are general‐purpose genotypes (GPG) has been previously tested, with mixed results, in species that have both sexual and asexual variants. Such comparisons can be confounded with intraspecific ploidy level differences that are often observed between the two reproductive types.

Avoiding the confounding effects of ploidy differences, we test whether northward range expansion selects for a GPG strategy in asexual lineages of the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), a species that shows geographic parthenogenesis. We compared the biomass of asexual lineages that were collected along a geographic transect from close to the asexuals’ area of origin (central Europe, where asexuals descend from sexual ancestors in mixed populations) towards their northern distribution edge (Northern Europe, where only asexual lineages occur) in three different experimental environments: optimal, drought and shaded conditions.

The geometric mean performance across test environments did not differ significantly between plants from different regions along the transect. However, southern lineages typically showed larger differences in biomass between different test environments, mainly caused by a relatively high performance in the optimal environment. Northern and mid‐latitude lineages showed more even performance across the different environments.

Synthesis. Our results suggest that phenotypic plasticity is important in the asexual range expansion of Taraxacum officinale and that range shifting in this species is accompanied by a change in phenotypic plasticity strategy from lineages with high ability to increase biomass in optimal growing conditions (master‐of‐some strategy) to lineages that maintain more constant performance in different environments (GPG or jack‐of‐all‐trades strategy) from core to range edge.
Ambulatory Electrocardiographic Monitoring between Artifacts and Misinterpretation, Management Errors of Commission and Errors of Omission
Authors: El‐Sherif Nabil , Turitto Gioia
Published: November 2014

Background

The aim of the study is to contrast the role of conventional ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring (AEM) artifacts with a less emphasized problem with potentially more serious implications, that is, the failure to recognize, and therefore misinterpret, a genuine arrhythmia episode in the AEM recording.

Methods

The study material included 500 Holter recordings and 500 recordings from the cardiac telemetry unit.

Results

Electrocardiographic (ECG) artifacts were more common in telemetry recordings (5.6%) compared to Holter recordings (4%) for a total of 4.8%. There were 35 examples of misinterpretation of AEM recordings (3.5%). These were significantly more common in telemetry recordings (2.6%) compared to Holter recordings (0.9%). The most common ECG artifacts were examples of pseudo ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT). The majority of misinterpretation (26 of 35 examples) were fast supraventricular tachyarrhythmias with aberrant QRS (including six examples of atrial flutter with periods of 1:1 atrioventricular conduction) that were misdiagnosed as ventricular VT. Other examples were misinterpretation of arrhythmic episodes consistent with sick sinus syndrome, pacemaker malfunction, and long QT syndrome. Only 5 of 48 examples of AEM artifacts resulted in management errors of commission or errors of omission compared to all 35 examples of misinterpretation.

Conclusions

Compared to conventional artifacts in AEM, misinterpretation of nonartifactual arrhythmic episodes consistently resulted in management errors. Misinterpretation was significantly more common with telemetry recordings compared to Holter ECG. This highlights the need for more appropriate training of the entire clinical team in charge of the management of the cardiac telemetry unit.
Scatter of orthopaedic research: can orthopods stay up‐to‐date with research?
Authors: Wijenayake Lahann , Conroy Sophie , Turner Douglas , Thorning Sarah , Glasziou Paul
Published: November 2014

Background

The volume of orthopaedic literature is increasing exponentially, becoming more widely scattered among journals. The rate of increase in orthopaedics is greater than other specialties. We aimed to identify the number of different journals an orthopaedic surgeon would need to read to stay up‐to‐date with current evidence.

Method

We searched PubMed for all orthopaedic‐related systematic reviews (SR) and randomized controlled trials (RCT) published in 2011 using MESH (Medical Subject Headings) terms. The search was based on the Australian Orthopaedic Association syllabus of March 2011. The results of the search were exported to EndNote, then Microsoft Excel. We then calculated the least number of journals needed to read 25%, 50% and 100% of the articles. This was done separately for SRs and RCTs.

Results

We found 1400 orthopaedic RCTs spread over 392 journals. Ten journals contained 25% of the articles, 36 journals contained 50% and 114 journals contained 75%. Three hundred journals contained three or fewer RCTs. We found 354 orthopaedic‐relevant SRs spread over 152 journals. Six journals contained 25% of the articles, 23 journals contained 50% and 63 journals contained 75%. Ninety‐three journals contained only one SR.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate the vast scatter of orthopaedic research. Four orthopaedic RCTs are published every day. To read even 25% of the new RCTs and SRs published in orthopaedics, a surgeon would require a subscription to 13 different journals monthly, a costly and time‐consuming endeavour.
Partnership funding in flood risk management: new localism debate and policy in England
Authors: Thaler Thomas , Priest Sally
Published: November 2014

The new flood risk policy discussion in England has started to redefine national policy regarding flood and coastal risk management. The key issue in the new policy agenda is to encourage the responsibilities of local authorities in flood risk management, which involve defining local strategies to manage local risks. This downscaling process in flood risk management has a series of consequences in the development of new governance structures and institutions as well as new working relations and intervention strategies. Nevertheless, the main problem is the gap between the downscaling of responsibility and the transfer of resources; in particular the question concerning funding and social capacity. In this way, the focus of policy discussion refers to two main aspects: (a) the equitable sharing of risk‐burdens between public authorities, private companies and individuals and (b) how to encourage government agencies and nongovernment agents to take over responsibility for certain tasks from central government. The aim of this paper is to discuss the new funding regime for English flood risk management policy under the new policy paradigm.
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells in hypertrophic discoid lupus erythematosus: an objective evaluation of their diagnostic value
Authors: Walsh Noreen M. , Lai Jonathan , Hanly John G. , Green Peter J. , Bosisio Francesca , Garcias‐Ladaria Juan , Cerroni Lorenzo
Published: November 2014

Background

Hypertrophic discoid lupus erythematosus (HDLE), a rare variant of lupus skin disease, is difficult to distinguish from squamous neoplasms and certain dermatoses microscopically. Recently, recognition of the pathogenetic significance of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCS) in cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE) and of their patterns of distribution in different manifestations of the disease prompted us to study their diagnostic value in the context of HDLE.

Methods

Using immunohistochemistry (CD123) to label the cells, we examined their quantities and patterns of distribution in 27 tissue samples of HDLE from nine patients compared with 39 inflammatory and neoplastic control samples from 36 patients.

Results

Using three parameters pertaining to PDCs: (i) their representation of 10% or more of the inflammatory infiltrate, (ii) their arrangement in clusters of 10 cells or more and (iii) their presence at the dermoepidermal junction, we found them to have significant diagnostic value, with accuracies of 77%, 74% and 71%, respectively.

Conclusions

This study supports the careful descriptive observations of previous authors in the field. It also lends validity to the diagnostic step of mapping, immunohistochemically, the density and distribution of PDCs in suspected cases of HDLE.
Evaluating protected area effectiveness using bird lists in the Australian Wet Tropics
Authors: Barnes Megan , Szabo Judit K. , Morris William K. , Possingham Hugh
Published: November 2014

Aim

Protected areas underpin many global conservation efforts. However, it is often unclear whether they are effective in maintaining their biodiversity values, both absolutely, and also relative to other conservation actions or land uses. Longitudinal population data are critical for determining protected area performance robustly, but such data are rare. As such, there is often insufficient information with which to make adequate, informed decisions for policy and management. Conversely, informally collected data, such as species lists, are common, especially for birds, and they are often the only source of historical data. The aim of this study was to use list data to evaluate the contribution of protected areas to the conservation of endemic birds.

Location

Wet Tropics bioregion of Queensland, Australia.

Methods

We used a list‐length analysis (LLA), a recently developed approach. We estimate trends in species populations with a Bayesian logistic regression to infer bird presence from non‐standardized volunteer‐collected bird surveys from the New Atlas of Australian Birds that were conducted both inside and outside protected areas.

Results

Overall, the prevalence of the majority of wet tropics endemics (18 of 21) has been stable since 1998. Sixteen species were more likely to be found within protected areas, two were more likely to be recorded outside, and three showed little difference. However, there was no difference in trends in prevalence between protected and unprotected areas for all but one endemic species.

Main conclusions

Where formal data collection is too expensive or time consuming, it may still be possible to inform decision‐making when citizen‐collected species list data are available. In the Wet Tropics, our results suggest that for the majority of the species, protected areas may contain better habitat than unprotected areas, but that birds inside protected areas are not significantly better off through time than birds outside protected areas, as long as forest outside protected areas remains intact.
Ruptured Aneurysm of Anterior Mitral Leaflet in Aortic Valve Infective Endocarditis
Authors: Zegrí Isabel , Moñivas Vanessa , Mingo Susana , Garcia‐Montero Carlos , Cavero Miguel A.
Published: November 2014

Mini‐Abstract

We report the case of a 71‐year‐old man admitted with acute heart failure and suspicion of infective endocarditis (IE). Three‐dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) showed ruptured aneurysm of anterior mitral leaflet (AAML) in scallop A2 with severe mitral regurgitation and perforation of right and noncoronary aortic cusps with severe aortic regurgitation. TEE is more sensitive than transthoracic echocardiography for the diagnosis of AAML and 3DTEE provides further morphological information as well about the relationship with adjacent structures. This information has important implications for medical and surgical purposes.
More than seizures: improving the lives of people with refractory epilepsy
Authors: Mula M. , Cock H. R.
Published: November 2014

As captured by the proposed new definition, epilepsy is increasingly recognized as a disorder characterized not only by an enduring predisposition to recurrent seizures but explicitly also by the neurobiological, cognitive, psychological and social consequences of this condition. Further, both in the estimated 15 million people worldwide who have ongoing seizures despite optimal management and in a substantial proportion of those in remission, the consequences and comorbidities of epilepsy are the major determinants of quality of life. These include mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, dose related and longer term effects of antiepileptic drugs, including on prenatal development and bone health, and neurobehavioural effects. Whilst separating those that are part of an underlying condition or have unrelated contributors from those that are potentially remediable can be difficult, given the range of tools now available to assist with screening and management there is no excuse for not at least trying as part of standard care for people with epilepsy. Managing epilepsy well is about much more than controlling seizures and this needs to be recognized in planning and delivering services, as well as in prioritizing research.
Identification of two p23 co‐chaperone isoforms in Leishmania braziliensis exhibiting similar structures and Hsp90 interaction properties despite divergent stabilities
Authors: Batista Fernanda A.H. , Almeida Glessler S. , Seraphim Thiago V. , Silva Kelly P. , Murta Silvane M.F. , Barbosa Leandro R.S. , Borges Júlio C.
Published: November 2014

The small acidic protein called p23 acts as a co‐chaperone for heat‐shock protein of 90 kDa (Hsp90) during its ATPase cycle. p23 proteins inhibit Hsp90 ATPase activity and show intrinsic chaperone activity. A search for p23 in protozoa, especially trypanosomatids, led us to identify two putative proteins in the Leishmania braziliensis genome that share approximately 30% identity with each other and with the human p23. To understand the presence of two p23 isoforms in trypanosomatids, we obtained the recombinant p23 proteins of L. braziliensis (named Lbp23A and Lbp23B) and performed structural and functional studies. The recombinant proteins share similar solution structures; however, temperature‐ and chemical‐induced unfolding experiments showed that Lbp23A is more stable than Lbp23B, suggesting that they may have different functions. Lbp23B prevented the temperature‐induced aggregation of malic dehydrogenase more efficiently than did Lbp23A, whereas the two proteins had equivalent efficiencies with respect to preventing the temperature‐induced aggregation of luciferase. Both proteins interacted with L. braziliensis Hsp90 (LbHsp90) and inhibited its ATPase activity, although their efficiencies differed. In vivo identification studies suggested that both proteins are present in L. braziliensis cells grown under different conditions, although Lbp23B may undergo post‐translation modifications. Interaction studies indicated that both Lbp23 proteins interact with LbHsp90. Taken together, our data suggest that the two protozoa p23 isoforms act similarly when regulating Hsp90 function. However, they also have some differences, indicating that the L. braziliensis Hsp90 machine has features providing an opportunity for novel forms of selective inhibition of protozoan Hsp90.
Regenerative endodontic treatment of an immature tooth with a necrotic pulp and apical periodontitis using platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA): a case report
Authors: Sachdeva G. S. , Sachdeva L. T. , Goel M. , Bala S.
Published: November 2014

Aim

To report the successful clinical and radiographic outcome of a regenerative endodontic treatment.

A 16‐year‐old male patient presented with a discoloured, maxillary left lateral incisor with a necrotic pulp. Radiographic examination revealed an incompletely developed root with an open apex. Under local anaesthesia and rubber dam isolation, an access cavity was prepared and the necrotic pulpal remnants were removed. The canal was disinfected without mechanical instrumentation with 5.25% NaOCl solution and dried with sterile paper points. A triple antibiotic (metronidazole, ciprofloxacin and minocycline) mixed with distilled water was packed in the canal and left for 28 days. Ten millimetres of whole blood was drawn by venipuncture from the patients antecubital vein for preparation of platelet‐rich plasma (PRP). After removal of the antibiotic mixture, the PRP was injected into the canal space up to the cementoenamel junction level. Three millimetres of white MTA was placed directly over the PRP clot. Two days later, the tooth was restored with permanent filling materials. The patient was recalled for 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months clinical/radiographic follow‐up. A 3‐year follow‐up radiograph revealed resolution of the periapical lesion, increased thickening of the root walls, further root development and continued apical closure of the root apex. The tooth was not responsive to cold tests; however, sensitivity tests with an electric pulp tester (EPT) elicited a delayed positive response.

Key learning points

Regeneration is a viable treatment modality that allows continued root development of immature teeth with open apices and necrotic pulps.

Platelet‐rich plasma appears to be a suitable scaffold for regeneration of vital tissues in teeth with a necrotic pulps and an associated periapical lesion.

Regenerative endodontic procedures may offer an effective treatment option to save teeth with compromised structural integrity.
TIA Triage in Emergency Department Using Acute MRI (TIA-TEAM): A Feasibility and Safety Study
Authors: Vora Nirali , Tung Christie E. , Mlynash Michael , Garcia Madelleine , Kemp Stephanie , Kleinman Jonathan , Zaharchuk Greg , Albers Gregory , Olivot Jean-Marc
Published: November 2014

Background

Positive diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) on MRI is associated with increased recurrent stroke risk in TIA patients. Acute MRI aids in TIA risk stratification and diagnosis.

Aim

To evaluate the feasibility and safety of TIA triage directly from the emergency department (ED) with acute MRI and neurological consultation.

Methods

Consecutive ED TIA patients assessed by a neurologist underwent acute MRI/MRA of head/neck per protocol and were hospitalized if positive DWI, symptomatic vessel stenosis, or per clinical judgment. Stroke neurologist adjudicated the final TIA diagnosis as definite, possible, or not a cerebrovascular event. Stroke recurrence rates were calculated at 7, 90, 365 days and compared with predicted stroke rates derived from historical DWI and ABCD2 score data.

Results

One hundred twenty-nine enrolled patients had a mean age of 69 years (±17) and median ABCD2 score of 3 (interquartile range [IQR] 3–4). During triage, 112 (87%) patients underwent acute MRI after a median of 16 h (IQR 10–23) from symptom onset. No patients experienced a recurrent event before imaging. Twenty-four (21%) had positive DWI and 8 (7%) had symptomatic vessel stenosis. Of the total cohort, 83 (64%) were discharged and 46 (36%) were hospitalized. By one-year follow-up, one patient in each group had experienced a stroke. Of 92 patients with MRI and index cerebrovascular event, recurrent stroke rates were 1·1% at 7 and 90 days. These were similar to predicted recurrence rates.

Conclusion

TIA triage in the ED using a protocol with neurological consultation and acute MRI is feasible and safe. The majority of patients were discharged without hospitalization and rates of recurrent stroke were not higher than predicted.
Why closing the Aboriginal health gap is so elusive
Authors: Gracey M.
Published: November 2014

A wide gap persists between the health of Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal Australians despite a recent Federal government commitment to close the gap by 2030. The complex underlying factors include socioeconomic and environmental disadvantage, inadequate education, underemployment, racial prejudice, high‐risk health‐related behaviours and limited access to clinical services and health promotion programmes. Over recent decades some aspects of Aboriginal health have deteriorated badly, largely from a surge in chronic ‘lifestyle’ diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular and kidney disorders plus the effects of tobacco smoking, alcohol and drug abuse and high rates of violence and trauma. To correct these inequities will require improving many social and environmental factors. These include education, living conditions, vocational training, employment, closer cooperation between government and non‐government agencies, access to affordable and nutritious fresh food, with better access to high‐quality medical treatment, health promotion and disease prevention programmes. Indigenous people must be encouraged to become more involved in activities to improve their health and have more responsibility for the decision‐making processes this will entail. Governments must support these changes to help close the Aboriginal health gap.
Evangelism and Popular Culture
Authors: Währisch‐Oblau Claudia
Published: November 2014

This article reports on the work and the deliberations of the United Evangelical Mission's Working Group on Evangelism and Popular Culture. Working with rough heuristic categories, the group identifies Protestantism's discomfort with popular cultural expressions and finds it rooted in Protestant history and modernist cultural theory. Using a postmodernist approach that looks at ways of meaning making in popular culture, the group calls for theological discernment and the identification of the work of the Holy Spirit within popular cultural expressions. Following J. K. A. Smith, liturgies are identified as shaping human identities. Secular, thick liturgies are often far more influential than Christian thin practices. Popular culture is a mirror of groundbreaking social change, but classical Protestant churches still follow the organizational principles of the 19th century. The group argues that to evangelize within popular culture, these churches will have to change their shape and structures, becoming missional but not consumer‐driven.
The Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today's World
Authors: Bevans Stephen
Published: November 2014

Pope Francis's Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium has much to teach both Catholics and other Christians about the way the gospel needs to be proclaimed in today's world. This article first outlines five implications of the document for gospel preaching: the embodiment of the gospel in the church, a message of joy, a message of mercy and tenderness, a contextualized message, and a message in solidarity with the poor. It then sketches four prospects of these implications in terms of the church. The message calls for a church of “missionary disciples,” a church that is “poor and for the poor,” a de‐clericalized church, and a church of dialogue.
Expressions of Evangelism in Latin America
Authors: Alfaro Rubén (Tito) Paredes
Published: November 2014

The purpose of this article is to explore the expressions of evangelism that are emerging in Latin America within the Evangelical‐Pentecostal context of the continent. We will do this by approaching our subject from the perspective of change, religious mutation and transformational change: we will first refer to the shift in evangelism and mission perspective in Latin America. We will explore the shift in numerical growth, then will deal with the shift in the concept and praxis of evangelism. This will be followed by a discussion on the shift from Western forms in church liturgy, music and hymnology to more contextual and indigenous expressions. Finally, I will refer to the shift toward holistic practices in times of turmoil and violence.
Assessing Christianity in Africa's Transforming Context
Authors: Daughrity Dyron B.
Published: November 2014

The dramatic shift in the demographics of African Christianity in the last century necessitates new analysis of its present shape, multivalent relationship to its colonial past, relationship to the African Indigenous Churches, and likely major contribution to the shape and leadership of Christianity in the future.
Species richness and areas of endemism of oryzomyine rodents (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae) in South America: an ndm/vndm approach
Authors: do Prado Joyce R. , Brennand Pamella G. G. , Godoy Leandro P. , Libardi Gustavo S. , de Abreu‐Júnior Edson F. , Roth Paulo R. O. , Chiquito Elisandra A. , Percequillo Alexandre R.
Published: November 2014

Aim

To infer areas of endemism for the tribe Oryzomyini in South America by employing a database of species richness and geographical distribution, and to compare these results with areas of endemism and species richness proposed in the literature for other taxa.

Location

We analysed specimens of the tribe Oryzomyini distributed throughout South and Central America, which are housed in European, North and South American museums and collections.

Methods

We analysed 2768 occurrence records for 102 species of the tribe Oryzomyini using the ndm/vndm algorithm and three different grid sizes to assess the possible effects of grid cell area on the results.

Results

Using the overlap of consensus areas in South America, we identified three generalized areas of endemism for the Oryzomyini: north‐western South America (NWSA), eastern South American (ESA), and northern South America (NSA); we also identified the Galápagos archipelago (GA) as an area of endemism.

Main conclusions

Areas of endemism detected in the continental portion of South America include its three main mountain chains: the Andes Cordillera, the Guyanan Shields, and an area east of the Brazilian Shield named Serra do Mar. Each of these regions encompasses many different types of vegetation, and the species richness and composition of the areas of endemism of the tribe are directly related to this environmental diversity. Different grid sizes affected the distributional heterogeneity of the consensus areas. The smallest grid cell size identified mainly Andean areas, which contain a higher number of more exclusive species in a small area along a steep elevational gradient. In contrast, the largest grid size identified areas of endemism along an environmental gradient that co‐varied with latitude and longitude. The identified areas of endemism are corroborated by previous studies on other taxa.
Feasibility and Efficacy of Percutaneously Delivered Leadless Cardiac Pacing in an In Vivo Ovine Model
Authors: KORUTH JACOB S. , RIPPY MARIAN K. , KHAIRKHAHAN ALEXANDER , LIGON DAVID A. , HUBBARD CHRISTOPHER A. , GOAR FREDERICK ST. , LEE RANDALL , RIBEIRO LEONARDO , MILLER MARC , DUKKIPATI SRINIVAS , NEUZIL PETR , REDDY VIVEK Y.
Published: November 2014

Preclinical Feasibility of a Leadless Pacemaker

Introduction

In this in vivo ovine study, we describe the course of pacing and sensing parameters during follow‐up as well as the gross and histopathological features at the implant site of the recently described leadless cardiac pacemaker (LCP).

Methods and Results

All sheep underwent LCP implantation in the right ventricular (RV) apex. Serial pacing/sensing thresholds were assessed. In the first cohort, 11 animals were followed up for a period of 3 months, followed by necropsy. In the second cohort, 7 additional sheep were followed for a period of up to 18 months. Mean pacing and sensing thresholds in the 3‐month cohort were 1.0 ± 0.5 V and 9.0 ± 3.7 mV at implant, and 0.7 ± 0.2 V and 8.1 ± 3.9 mV at 90 days, respectively. At necropsy at 3 months, all devices were securely implanted at the RV apex without extrusion of helix beyond the RV wall. Besides endocardial reactive changes in the RV apex surrounding the distal portion of the LCP, there were no other grossly visible abnormalities. In the second cohort (7 sheep), mean pacing and sensing thresholds were 1.0 ± 0.5 V and 9.9 ± 3.8 mV at implant, and 0.86 ± 0.4 V and 4.25 ± 1 mV, respectively, at 18 months of follow‐up.

Conclusion

We demonstrate that after implantation of the LCP, pacing/sensing parameters remain adequate up to 18 months in follow‐up. In addition, pathological changes at the implant site and within the RV are limited in severity at 90 days, supporting the efficacy and safety of this novel approach to pacing.
Restructuring Care for Older Adults Undergoing Surgery: Preliminary Data from the Co‐Management of Older Operative Patients En Route Across Treatment Environments (CO‐OPERATE) Model of Care
Authors: Walke Lisa M. , Rosenthal Ronnie A. , Trentalange Mark , Perkal Melissa F. , Maiaroto Maria , Jeffery Sean M. , Marottoli Richard A.
Published: November 2014

Surgery is common in older adults, so geriatric and surgical providers need to develop expertise in the care of older adults undergoing surgery. The Co‐management of Older Operative Patients En Route Across Treatment Environments (CO‐OPERATE) program is a clinical and educational collaboration between geriatrics and several surgical specialties at Veterans Affairs Health Care Connecticut. Individuals in CO‐OPERATE are co‐managed during the pre‐, peri‐, and postoperative periods. General surgery, urology, vascular surgery, orthopedics, cardiothoracic surgery and neurosurgery all participate in the program, with geriatrics expertise provided by a geriatrician, geriatric nurse practitioner and a geriatric clinical pharmacist. In the initial 3 years, there were 211 CO‐OPERATE participants; 31% were evaluated preoperatively, and 62% of the individuals seen preoperatively were seen in clinic. There was a median of three recommendations per consultation. At discharge, 56% returned to the community. Individuals seen preoperatively were more likely to return to the community (63%) than those seen after surgery (50%, P = .10). Geriatrics co‐management with a variety of surgical specialties is feasible and may be associated with higher rates of discharge back to the community.