bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
International Perceptions of Relational Stalking
Authors: Scott Adrian J. , Rajakaruna Nikki , Sheridan Lorraine , Gavin Jeff
Published: November 2014

The present study examines the influence of prior relationship on perceptions of relational stalking in the context of both opposite- and same-sex scenarios using community samples from Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The study used a quasi-experimental 3 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 (prior relationship × perpetrator sex × target sex × participant sex × country) independent measures design. Participants comprised 2,160 members of the community, each receiving 1 of 12 versions of a hypothetical scenario and responding to scale items concerning the situation described. The findings support previous research, with scenarios involving a stranger (rather than an acquaintance or ex-partner), and scenarios involving a male perpetrator and a female target, being considered the most serious. The findings further indicate that female observers identify more closely with the role of the victim and male observers identify more closely with the role of the perpetrator, regardless of victim and perpetrator sex, and that differences in the findings across the three countries may be affected by location to a small but significant degree.
A Gender Comparison of Motivations for Physical Dating Violence Among College Students
Authors: Elmquist JoAnna , Wolford-Clevenger Caitlin , Zapor Heather , Febres Jeniimarie , Shorey Ryan C. , Hamel John , Stuart Gregory L.
Published: November 2014

There are limited empirical investigations that directly compare men and women’s motivations, or reasons, for perpetrating physical dating violence (DV). In an attempt to further understand whether men and women have similar or different motives for physical DV, the purpose of the current study was to conduct a gender comparison of motives in a sample of male ( n = 163) and female ( n = 319) college students. Motivations for physical DV were classified according to seven broad categories proposed by Langhinrichsen-Rohling and colleagues: (a) power/control, (b) self-defense, (c) expression of negative emotion (e.g., anger), (d) communication difficulties, (e) retaliation, (f) jealousy, and (g) other (e.g., because it was sexually arousing, the influence of alcohol, the influence of drugs). The prevalence of physical violence perpetration in the overall sample was 29.4%. Results indicated that communication difficulties and self-defense were among the most frequently endorsed motive categories for both male and female perpetrated DV. In addition, results demonstrated gender similarity in all of the examined motive categories. Research and clinical implications are discussed.
Ethnoracial Variation in Women’s Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Clark Hannah M. , Galano Maria M. , Grogan-Kaylor Andrew C. , Montalvo-Liendo Nora , Graham-Bermann Sandra A.
Published: November 2014

While intimate partner violence (IPV) has been acknowledged as a national public health concern, little research exists that directly assesses differential exposure to IPV for distinct ethnoracial groups. The current study compared the rate, severity, and type of IPV exposure across samples of White, African American, and Latina women ( N = 180). Participants reported rates of exposure to violence on measures of physical assault, psychological aggression, injury, and sexual coercion; each subscale contained items denoting both mild and severe levels of violence. Multiple regression analyses indicated that women’s frequency of exposure to sexual coercion, and severe and injurious violence significantly differed based on participants’ ethnoracial identification, such that Latina women experienced disproportionate levels of violence relative to White and African American peers. Mothers’ monthly income, level of education, general health, and relationship status also emerged as significant predictors of violence exposure. Results support the development of culturally sensitive adaptations of IPV interventions, targeting not only Latina populations but also women who are single, low-income, and educationally underserved.
Victims’ Responses to Stalking
Authors: Podaná Zuzana , Imríšková Romana
Published: November 2014

Fear for the stalking victim’s own safety or the safety of people close to them is of primary research interest due to the fact that fear is often required as a necessary condition for repetitive intrusive behavior to be defined as stalking. This study examines factors that increase levels of fear in stalking victims and analyzes their coping strategies, making use of data from a victimization survey among citizens of the Czech Republic ( N = 2,503). Overall, 147 stalking victims were identified in the sample. Results show that female victims, those stalked by male offenders, and victims pursued over a long period of time, are most fearful. Higher levels of fear are elicited by strangers as opposed to partners or acquaintances. Among stalking practices, only direct aggression is significantly associated with fear, whereas monitoring the victim (comprising typical stalking behavior such as following the victim) increases the perception of the seriousness of stalking, but does not influence the victim’s fear. In addition, three behavioral coping strategies have been identified: proactive behavior (47% of victims), avoidance (30%), and passivity (23%). The examination of the association between these coping strategies and victims’ fear reveals that female victims, whose behavior is proactive, express higher levels of fear than male victims and than those choosing avoidance or passivity strategies. Overall, the study confirms gender differences in both the level of fear and coping strategies, and lends further support to appeals for eliminating the fear requirement from the stalking definition.
Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence and Subsequent Police Reporting Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Adults in Colorado
Authors: Langenderfer-Magruder Lisa , Whitfield Darren L. , Walls N. Eugene , Kattari Shanna K. , Ramos Daniel
Published: November 2014

Research indicates that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals are at high risk of victimization by others and that transgender individuals may be at even higher risk than their cisgender LGBQ peers. In examining partner violence in particular, extant literature suggests that LGBTQ individuals are at equal or higher risk of partner violence victimization compared with their heterosexual peers. As opposed to sexual orientation, there is little research on gender identity and partner violence within the LGBTQ literature. In the current study, the authors investigated intimate partner violence (IPV) in a large sample of LGBTQ adults ( N = 1,139) to determine lifetime prevalence and police reporting in both cisgender and transgender individuals. Results show that more than one fifth of all participants ever experienced partner violence, with transgender participants demonstrating significantly higher rates than their cisgender peers. Implications focus on the use of inclusive language as well as future research and practice with LGBTQ IPV victims.
Addressing Language Variety in Educational Settings
Authors: Miciak Jeremy , Wilkinson Cheryl , Alexander Celeste , Reyes Pedro
Published: November 2014

Improving minority academic achievement is a primary goal for education policy makers. Despite resource allocations, gaps in minority accomplishments persist. Emerging research suggests language variety may hinder minority students, thereby slowing academic progress. This article synthesizes suggestions from a panel composed of experts in the field of language dialect education and findings from a literature review of best practices for addressing language variation in educational instruction. Unique findings from the research were presented to the Texas legislature to be used in shaping policy and practice for students who are standard English learners.
Supplier selection based on evidence theory and analytic network process
Authors: Zhang Xiaoge , Deng Yong , Chan Felix TS , Adamatzky Andrew , Mahadevan Sankaran
Published: November 2014

The supplier selection is a key component of the supply chain management. Existing methods for the supplier selection are based on analytic network process. They can handle the interdependence of decision attributes; however, these methods could not guarantee an optimal solution when given vague or incomplete input data. To deal with the uncertainties of input data, we propose methods combining analytic network process with Dempster–Shafer evidence theory. We demonstrate efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method in a numerical example. We demonstrate that the proposed method is flexible and effective in dealing with the supplier selection problem.
An innovative approach to cutting force modelling in diamond turning and its correlation analysis with tool wear
Authors: Sawangsri Worapong , Cheng Kai
Published: November 2014

In this article, a novel cutting force modelling approach is proposed by employing the specific cutting force and corresponding quantitative analysis on the dynamic cutting process in diamond turning so as to accurately represent the dynamic cutting behaviour including both amplitude and spatial aspects simultaneously. The specific cutting forces at the unit cutting length and area as the so-called amplitude aspect can provide insight into the micro cutting phenomena particularly in relation to the chip formation and size effects. The cutting forces are analysed against the dynamically varied cutting time interval, as the so-called spatial aspect using wavelet transform technique and standard deviation analysis can render their dynamic components to particularly represent dynamic effects of the cutting process and their correlation with tool wear. The cutting trials on titanium, silicon, and aluminium are carried out at a diamond turning test rig and supported with finite element analysis–based simulations, to further investigate the cutting force modelling and its correlation with the dynamic cutting process with a focus on the pressure distribution on the tool cutting edge, chip formation, and corresponding tool wear.
Tube bulge forming for one-piece fabrication of multi-joint head tubes for Ti-alloy-body bicycles
Authors: Lee Youngseon , Lim Jeongsuk , Yoon Eunyoo , Song Yonghyun , Kwon Yongnam , Moon Younghoon
Published: November 2014

The tube bulge forming process is a very effective means to manufacture a complex part as one piece, without the need for additional processes, such as welding and joining. Since one-piece components can endure higher applied loads, they should be considered in the design and manufacture of structural parts. The head tube of a bicycle is one such example, being a four-directional multi-joint component that is also subjected to the highest external load of all bicycle parts. A head tube is therefore ideally fabricated as a singular piece using a suitable process such as tube bulge forming. Commercial Ti-3Al-2.5V alloy tube was selected for this study, as it represents a standard material for Ti-alloy-body bicycles. Finite element simulation is used to predict defects resulting from inappropriate gas blowing conditions and to calculate the optimum forming conditions. Based on the results of finite element analysis and practical experiment, an optimized pressure curve for the bulging of a bicycle head tube is proposed. The effect of microstructural change by deformation is also investigated to predict possible defects in the large-scale deformation of bulged head tubes.
Investigation of micropolar fluid flow between a porous disk and a nonporous disk using efficient computational technique
Authors: Vatani M , Ghasemi SE , Ganji DD
Published: November 2014

In this paper, steady, laminar, incompressible, and two-dimensional micropolar flow between a porous disk and a nonporous disk is considered. By introducing suitable similarity transformations, the problem is reduced to a set of nonlinear boundary value problems. Optimal homotopy asymptotic method is employed to obtain the series solutions for velocity and microrotation distribution. The accuracy of results is examined by the fourth-order Runge–Kutta numerical method. The results are presented to study the velocity and rotation profiles for different physical parameters such as: Reynolds number, vortex viscosity parameter, spin gradient viscosity, and microinertia density parameter. As a result, the magnitude of the injection velocity has strong influence on the flow velocities and the microrotation.
An efficient phased mission reliability analysis method for systems with multiple failure modes
Authors: Chen J , Ma CB , Song D
Published: November 2014

Since the practical system in many real-world applications contains several different work stages and multiple failure modes it is a difficult task to analyze such system with the system state’s nonbinary characteristic. An efficient phased mission reliability analysis approach for systems with multiple failure modes is presented in this paper, which is called the extended multivalued decision diagram with multiple failure modes. To reduce the complexity and size of the model, the branch merging, nodes reduction, and phase fusion approaches are used and then an engineering case is given to validate the efficiency of model simplification. At end, the proposed method is illustrated and compared with the binary decision diagram approach through the example.
White men and weak masculinity: men in the public asylums in Victoria, Australia, and New Zealand, 1860s–1900s
Authors: Coleborne Catharine
Published: November 2014

This article reveals a set of formulations of masculine identity through the fragments of extant casebook evidence from nineteenth-century psychiatric institutions in Victoria, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand. It shows that some patterns in the identification of masculinity and insanity emerge, also highlighting the relevance of individual stories and ‘cases’ to fully understand how masculine identities were fashioned through medical institutional language.
Subjectivity in clinical practice: on the origins of psychiatric semiology in early French alienism
Authors: Huertas Rafael
Published: November 2014

The aim of this article is to contribute to the analysis of the origins of psychiatric semiology, which by emphasizing subjectivity in clinical practice, gave birth to psychopathology as the scientific and intellectual enterprise of alienism. In other words, beyond simple anatomical and clinical observation, there was an effort to ‘listen to’ and ‘read’ the patient’s delirium. In essence, the basic thesis which this short paper seeks to defend is that, despite a growing anatomical and clinical mind-set and a clear interest in physically locating mental illness within the body, during the Romantic period, psychiatry was able to construct a semiology largely based on the experience of the ego, on the inner world of the individual. This makes it possible to establish, from a clinical perspective, that the birth of alienism – of psychiatry – must be situated within the framework of a modernity in which the culture of subjectivity was one of its most characteristic features.
Nostalgia: a conceptual history
Authors: Fuentenebro de Diego Filiberto , Valiente Ots Carmen
Published: November 2014

The term nostalgia was first proposed in 1688 by Johannes Hofer as equivalent to the German term Heimweh. It referred to a state of moral pain associated with the forced separation from family and social environment. Consecutive clinical descriptions from the seventeenth century up to the present day have been subjected to the aetiopathogenic and clinical paradigms of each period. Golden-age descriptions of nostalgia that are of particular interest were derived from the observation of conscript soldiers in Napoleonic campaigns by authors such as Gerbois and Larrey. In 1909 Jaspers devoted his doctoral thesis to this topic ( Nostalgia und Verbrechen). From a cultural history point of view, it could be considered today as an example of ‘transient illness’. The nosological relay has taken place through clinical pictures such as the pathology associated with exile, forced displacements and psychosis of captivity.
The birth of schizophrenia or a very modern Bleuler: a close reading of Eugen Bleuler’s ‘Die Prognose der Dementia praecox’ and a re-consideration of his contribution to psychiatry
Authors: Maatz Anke , Hoff Paul
Published: November 2014

After Eugen Bleuler introduced ‘schizophrenia’ in 1908, the term was hotly debated but eventually led to the abandonment of Kraepelin’s previous term ‘dementia praecox’. Bleuler’s contribution has subsequently been interpreted in two main ways. One tradition holds that Bleuler merely renamed ‘dementia praecox’ while conceptually continuing the Kraepelinian tradition. The other, focusing on Bleuler’s characterization of ‘dementia praecox’ in terms of specific psychological alterations, accredits him with a genuine re-conceptualization. Based on a close reading of ‘Die Prognose der Dementia praecox’, the paper in which Bleuler first mentioned ‘schizophrenia’, we suggest a further interpretation of Bleuler’s contribution and argue that the main motive for his re-conceptualization is to be found in his rejection of Kraepelinian nosology.
The ten most important changes in psychiatry since World War II
Authors: Micale Mark S
Published: November 2014

Writing the recent history of a subject is notoriously difficult because of the lack of perspective and impartiality. One way to gain insight and understanding into the recent past of a discipline of knowledge is to consult directly the living practitioners who actually experienced first-hand the major changing circumstances in the discipline during the period under study. This article seeks to explore the most significant changes occurring in Western, and especially American, psychiatry from the end of World War II up to the present by interrogating a representative selection of psychiatrists and psychologists about the subject. Over a three-year period, the author surveyed approximately 200 mental health experts on their perceptions of change in the world of psychiatric theory and practice during this enormously eventful 70-year period. After presenting the survey results, the article then attempts to analyse the answers that the author did (and did not) obtain from his poll-taking subjects.
Religious and demographic indicators of music preference in a Turkish sample
Authors: Ok Üzeyir , Erdal Barış
Published: November 2014

The attitude of people with various religious and faith orientations towards music is likely to be influenced by the teaching of their religion and the way they hold their faith. In this study, the connections of music preference with religiosity and with the way faith was held by participants were surveyed. The sample consisted of 259 university students (140 men [54%] and 119 women [46%], Mage = 20.29 years). Participants listened to 10 pieces from different music genres. Next, their music preference was measured using music feeling scales and single-item music-liking questions. In addition, participants also completed the scales of religious attitude and faith development. Demographic variables included gender, age, income, residency type, and frequency of listening to music. Factor analyses determined 5 music types from 10 musical genres, including Western sophisticated (jazz and classical), Western energetic (rock and metal), Western pop, traditional (Turkish folk, Turkish classical, religious music), and melancholic-rebellious (arabesk and rap). It was found that religious attitude correlated positively with traditional music and negatively with some of the Western music, including rock-metal and jazz. It revealed no correlation with Western classical music. In contrast, faith development correlated positively with Western classical, jazz, and rock-metal music but negatively with religious music, Turkish folk, and arabesk music. It was found that religiosity had an effect on music preference. In terms of demographic variables, women tended to prefer pop and rock-metal more than men, and men tended to prefer Turkish folk, arabesk, and rap more than women. More sophisticated musical genres were favoured more by somewhat older participants. In addition, whereas Western classical, Turkish classical, and jazz music tended to be preferred by participants from urban areas, arabesk and rap music tended to be liked more by participants from rural areas.
Curbing conflicts of interest in UK building societies: Rogue building societies in the late 1950s and the Building Societies Acts of 1960, 1962 and 1986
Authors: Barnes Paul
Published: November 2014

This article examines some of the issues relating to, and cases of, the conflicts of interests involving directors of UK building societies during the late 1950s and how the issue of “undesirable lending” by societies was resolved by Parliament by means of the Building Societies Act 1960 and the introduction of accounting-based regulations and the concept of “special advances”. The article examines the effectiveness of these regulations both in terms of the cessation of these “rogue” societies and the ways in which others continued the practice either unnoticed or by circumventing the special advances’ regulations. The article also examines the deficiencies of mutuality (compared with profit-making entities) which it was considered at the time would lead to inefficiency and “managerial diversion”, the conversion of its power into personal gains of some form. Finally, it is shown how the problems of conflicts of interest ceased to be an issue as a result of deregulation in 1986.
The Creation of the European Social Work Research Association
Authors: Taylor Brian J. , Sharland Elaine
Published: November 2014

As the social work profession matures, the need for robust knowledge becomes more pressing. Greater coordination is required to develop the research community and an infrastructure to support this nationally and internationally. This article discusses the foundation, in 2014, of the European Social Work Research Association and its roots in the annual European Conference for Social Work Research series since 2011. Discussion focuses on the Association’s context and aims, its principles, developments, and future plans. The initial development of the Association has been very encouraging; it has attracted over 250 members in its initial months, including individuals from 19 of 28 European Union countries, and 3 of 23 European non-EU countries, as well as six countries outside Europe. Continuing efforts are required to encompass the diversity of practice, organization and research, and for the Association to be truly inclusive of social work research and researchers across the whole of Europe.
Newly produced T and B lymphocytes and T-cell receptor repertoire diversity are reduced in peripheral blood of fingolimod-treated multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Chiarini M , Sottini A , Bertoli D , Serana F , Caimi L , Rasia S , Capra R , Imberti L
Published: November 2014

Background:

Fingolimod inhibits lymphocyte egress from lymphoid tissues, thus altering the composition of the peripheral lymphocyte pool of multiple sclerosis patients.

Objective:

The objective of this paper is to evaluate whether fingolimod determines a decrease of newly produced T- and B-lymphocytes in the blood and a reduction in the T-cell receptor repertoire diversity that may affect immune surveillance.

Methods:

Blood samples were obtained from multiple sclerosis patients before fingolimod therapy initiation and then after six and 12 months. Newly produced T and B lymphocytes were measured by quantifying T-cell receptor excision circles and K-deleting recombination excision circles by real-time PCR, while recent thymic emigrants, naive CD8+ lymphocytes, immature and naive B cells were determined by immune phenotyping. T-cell receptor repertoire was analyzed by complementarity determining region 3 spectratyping.

Results:

Newly produced T and B lymphocytes were significantly reduced in peripheral blood of fingolimod-treated patients. The decrease was particularly evident in the T-cell compartment. T-cell repertoire restrictions, already present before therapy, significantly increased after 12 months of treatment.

Conclusions:

These results do not have direct clinical implications but they may be useful for further understanding the mode of action of this immunotherapy for multiple sclerosis patients.
Higher weight in adolescence and young adulthood is associated with an earlier age at multiple sclerosis onset
Authors: Kavak Katelyn S , Teter Barbara E , Hagemeier Jesper , Zakalik Karen , Weinstock-Guttman Bianca ,   on behalf of the New York State Multiple Sclerosis Consortium, Edwards Keith , Goodman Andrew , Gottesman Malcolm , Herbert Joseph , Kister Ilya , Jubelt Burk , Coyle Patricia , Krupp Lauren , Lenihan Michael , Gerber Allen , Perel Allan , Zivadinov Robert , Granger Carl
Published: November 2014

Background:

Growing evidence suggests an association between adolescent obesity and increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective:

The objective of this paper is to investigate whether weight or body mass index (BMI) in adolescence and young adulthood was associated with age at MS symptom onset.

Methods:

Our cohort is comprised of a sub-group of 184 women enrolled in the New York State MS Consortium registry. Individuals were asked to recall their weight at the time of first menstruation and at age 25. BMI was calculated accordingly for age 25. Regression analyses were carried out to investigate the association between weight or BMI and age at onset.

Results:

Weight at menarche was significantly related to younger age at symptom onset (β = −0.073, p = 0.001). These results were also found at age 25 for weight (β = −0.080, p < 0.001) and BMI (β = −0.448, p = 0.001). Significantly earlier disease onset (26.9 years ±9.9) was observed in individuals who were overweight at 25 compared to those who were not overweight (32.1 years ±9.2, p = 0.006).

Conclusions:

Women who reported higher weight in adolescence and BMI in early adulthood were younger at MS onset. Future research should investigate whether there is a causal link between body weight and MS, as prevention lifestyle and dietary interventions could be implemented.
Non-Gaussian diffusion MRI of gray matter is associated with cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Bester M , Jensen JH , Babb JS , Tabesh A , Miles L , Herbert J , Grossman RI , Inglese M
Published: November 2014

Background:

Non-Gaussian diffusion imaging by using diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) allows assessment of isotropic tissue as of gray matter (GM), an important limitation of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Objective:

In this study, we describe DKI and DTI metrics of GM in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and their association with cognitive deficits.

Methods:

Thirty-four patients with relapsing–remitting MS and 17 controls underwent MRI on a 3T scanner including a sequence for DKI with 30 diffusion directions and 3b values for each direction. Mean kurtosis (MK), mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy (FA) of cortical and subcortical GM were measured using histogram analysis. Spearman rank correlations were used to characterize associations among imaging measures and clinical/neuropsychological scores.

Results:

In cortical GM, a significant decrease of MK (0.68 vs. 0.73; p < 0.001) and increase of FA (0.16 vs. 0.13; p < 0.001) was found in patients compared to controls. Decreased cortical MK was correlated with poor performance on the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System test ( r = 0.66, p = 0.01).

Conclusion:

Mean kurtosis is sensitive to abnormality in GM of MS patients and can provide information that is complementary to that of conventional DTI-derived metrics. The association between MK and cognitive deficits suggests that DKI might serve as a clinically relevant biomarker for cortical injury.
Axonal conduction in multiple sclerosis: A combined magnetic resonance imaging and electrophysiological study of the medial longitudinal fasciculus
Authors: Wang Chenyu , Paling David , Chen Luke , Hatton Sean N , Lagopoulos Jim , Aw Swee T , Kiernan Matthew C , Barnett Michael H
Published: November 2014

Objective:

The objective of this paper is to inform the pathophysiology of medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF) axonal dysfunction in patients with internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO) due to multiple sclerosis (MS), and develop a composite structural-functional biomarker of axonal and myelin integrity in this tract.

Methods:

Eighteen patients with definite MS and clinically suspected INO underwent electrical vestibular stimulation and search-coil eye movement recording. Components of the electrically evoked vestibulo-ocular reflex (eVOR) were analyzed to probe the latency and fidelity of MLF axonal conduction. The MLF and T2-visible brainstem lesions were defined by high-resolution MRI. White matter integrity was determined by diffusion-weighted imaging metrics.

Results:

eVOR onset latency was positively correlated with MLF lesion length (left: r = 0.66, p = 0.004; right: r = 0.75, p = 0.001). The mean conduction velocity (±SD) within MLF lesions was estimated at 2.72 (±0.87) m/s. eVOR onset latency correlated with normalized axial diffusivity ( r = 0.66, p < 0.001) and fractional anisotropy ( r = 0.44, p = 0.02) after exclusion of cases with ipsilateral vestibular root entry zone lesions.

Conclusions:

Axonal conduction velocity through lesions involving the MLF was reduced below levels predicted for natively myelinated and remyelinated axons. Composite in vivo biomarkers enable delineation of axonal from myelin processes and may provide a crucial role in assessing efficacy of novel reparative therapies in MS.
A new risk variant for multiple sclerosis at the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus associates with intrathecal IgG, IgM index and oligoclonal bands
Authors: Delgado-García Mercedes , Matesanz Fuencisla , Alcina Antonio , Fedetz María , García-Sánchez María Isabel , Ruiz-Peña Juan Luis , Fernández Óscar , Pinto Medel María Jesús , Leyva Laura , Arnal Carmen , Delgado Concepción , López Guerrero José Antonio , González-Pérez Antonio , Sáez María E , Villar Luisa María , Álvarez-Cermeño José Carlos , Picón Carmen , Arroyo Rafael , Varadé Jezabel , Urcelay Elena , Izquierdo Guillermo , Lucas Miguel
Published: November 2014

Background:

Recent findings have shown a correlation between the intrathecal IgG index and variants at the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGHC) locus in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objectives:

The objective of this paper is to analyse the association of the locus with MS susceptibility and its relationship with intrathecal immunoglobulin (Ig) parameters.

Methods:

We genotyped the rs11621145 variant, located at the IGHC locus, in 2726 patients with MS and 2133 healthy controls. Associations of intrathecal IgG and IgM indexes with rs11621145 were analysed by linear regression analysis in 538 MS patients.

Results:

We found that rs11621145 showed statistically significant evidence for association with susceptibility to MS (odds ratio = 0.69, p = 1.053E-09), though validation of this result in additional cohorts would be desirable. We confirmed the association between the IgG index and the rs11621145 ( p = 6.85E-07, Beta = 0.207). Furthermore, rs11621145 was inversely correlated with IgM index ( p = 7.24E-04, Beta = -0.277), and therefore marks a decreased likelihood of presenting IgM oligoclonal bands (odds ratio = 0.38, p = 2.35E-06).

Conclusions:

Our results suggest that the polymorphism of the IGHC locus could be altering the switching of the Ig isotype in B cells and it may be interfering with T-dependent and T-independent antibody responses.
Cognitive impairment in paediatric multiple sclerosis patients is not related to cortical lesions
Authors: Rocca Maria A , De Meo Ermelinda , Amato Maria P , Copetti Massimiliano , Moiola Lucia , Ghezzi Angelo , Veggiotti Pierangelo , Capra Ruggero , Fiorino Agnese , Pippolo Lorena , Pera Maria C , Falini Andrea , Comi Giancarlo , Filippi Massimo
Published: November 2014

We investigated the contribution of cortical lesions to cognitive impairment in 41 paediatric MS patients. Thirteen (32%) paediatric MS patients were considered as cognitively impaired. T2-hyperintense and T1-hypointense white matter lesion volumes did not differ between cognitively impaired and cognitively preserved MS patients. Cortical lesions number, cortical lesions volume and grey matter volume did not differ between cognitively impaired and cognitively preserved patients, whereas white matter volume was significantly lower in cognitively impaired versus cognitively preserved MS patients ( p=0.01). Contrary to adult MS, cortical lesions do not seem to contribute to cognitive impairment in paediatric MS patients, which is likely driven by white matter damage.
Interpersonal violence and overweight in adolescents: The HUNT Study
Authors: Stensland Synne Øien , Thoresen Siri , Wentzel-Larsen Tore , Dyb Grete
Published: November 2014

Aims: Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents are major public health challenges associated with psychosocial adversity and unfavourable lifestyle. Exposure to interpersonal violence, such as sexual abuse, violence and bullying, could represent precursors, accelerating or sustaining factors. Methods: The Young-HUNT 3 study, 2006–2008, is a population-based, cross-sectional, cohort study of Norwegian youth that includes self-report data on exposure to interpersonal violence; pubertal status and timing; socioeconomic, psychosocial, and lifestyle factors; and clinical anthropometric measures. A cohort of 10,464 adolescents aged 12–20 years from Nord-Trøndelag County were invited to participate. Body mass index served as the outcome in the simple and multiple linear regression analyses. Results: The response rate was 72.3% (7564), and 49.9% (3777) of the respondents were girls. A robust and significant relationship between interpersonal violence and increased BMI for both genders was found. Importantly, interpersonal violence remained significantly correlated with higher BMI following adjustment for pubertal development, socioeconomic and psychosocial adversity and unfavourable lifestyle factors in both genders, although most evident in girls. Adjusted regression coefficients (95% confidence intervals) for the relationship between interpersonal violence and BMI were 0.33 (0.01, 0.65) for 1 type and 0.89 (0.37, 1.41) for 2 types, compared to no exposure in girls, and 0.40 (0.09, 0.71) for 1 type and 0.35 (−0.09, 0.79) for 2 types of interpersonal violence in boys. Conclusions: The empirical evidence of consistent associations between interpersonal violence, related psychosocial and lifestyle factors, and body fatness, indicates that these features play important roles for adolescents struggling with overweight.
Does use of computer technology for perinatal data collection influence data quality?
Authors: Craswell Alison , Moxham Lorna , Broadbent Marc
Published: November 2014

Population health data, collected worldwide in an effort to monitor mortality and morbidity of mothers and babies, namely, perinatal data, are mandated at a federal level within Australia. The data are used to monitor patterns in midwifery, obstetric and neonatal practice, health outcomes, used for research purposes, funding allocation and education. Accuracy in perinatal data is most often reported via quantitative validation studies of perinatal data collections both internationally and in Australia. These studies report varying levels of accuracy and suggest researchers need to be more aware of the quality of data they use. This article presents findings regarding issues of concern identified by midwives relating to their perceptions of how technology affects the accuracy of perinatal data records. Perinatal data records are perceived to be more complete when completed electronically. However, issues regarding system functionality, the inconsistent use of terminology, lack of data standards and the absence of clear, written records contribute to midwives’ perceptions of the negative influence of technology on the quality of perinatal data.
A feasibility study of conducting the Montreal Cognitive Assessment remotely in individuals with movement disorders
Authors: Abdolahi Amir , Bull Michael T , Darwin Kristin C , Venkataraman Venayak , Grana Matthew J , Dorsey E Ray , Biglan Kevin M
Published: November 2014

Remote assessments of individuals with a neurological disease via telemedicine have the potential to reduce some of the burdens associated with clinical care and research participation. We aim to evaluate the feasibility of conducting the Montreal Cognitive Assessment remotely in individuals with movement disorders. A pilot study derived from two telemedicine trials was conducted. In total, 17 individuals with movement disorders (8 with Parkinson disease and 9 with Huntington disease) had Montreal Cognitive Assessment examinations evaluated in-person and remotely via web-based video conferencing to primarily determine feasibility and potential barriers in its remote administration. Administering the Montreal Cognitive Assessment remotely in a sample of movement disorder patients with mild cognitive impairment is feasible, with only minor common complications associated with technology, including delayed sound and corrupted imaging for participants with low connection speeds. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment has the potential to be used in remote assessments of patients and research participants with movement disorders.
Fractured oversight: The ABCs of cultural heritage in Palestine after the Oslo Accords
Authors: Kersel Morag M.
Published: November 2014

Palestine is a state in limbo—they lack full formal recognition as a sovereign land but possess a unique nation-state status that incorporates elements of a unified national consciousness and basic civil institutions albeit with limited autonomy. Palestine’s ambiguous political status is starkly illustrated by its convoluted territorial control, and nowhere is this more clearly attested than in the jurisdiction of archaeological sites and the display of artifacts in museums. The legislative colonial legacies of the Ottoman, the British Mandate, the Jordanians, the Egyptians, Israeli military orders, and the 1995 Oslo II Accords, which carved the Occupied Territories into a complex mosaic of areas—A, B, and C— have resulted in fractured oversight of heritage sites and objects. A case study focused on Herodium provides a fascinating lens for examining the efficacy of law and the administration of archaeological and object management in a contested landscape.
An integrated framework of critical cultural competence and anti-oppressive practice for social justice social work research
Authors: Danso Ransford
Published: November 2014

Qualitative research continues to excite interest in social work inquiry spurring, in the process, a corresponding interest in social justice research. Yet, much remains to be done concerning the development of innovative frameworks for doing social justice social work research. Lack of effective research tools stymies social workers’ efforts at responding appropriately to the needs of culturally diverse service users and the structures that oppress them. This article introduces an integrated framework of critical cultural competence and anti-oppressive practice for doing qualitative social work research. Juxtaposing the cultural sensitivity powers of critical cultural competence with the social justice values of anti-oppressive practice enhances understanding of the salience of culture in human behavior, while promoting deeper appreciation of difference and the effects of oppression as experienced through social identities.
Social work and gender: An argument for practical accounts
Authors: Hicks Stephen
Published: November 2014

This article contributes to the debate on gender and social work by examining dominant approaches within the field. Anti-discriminatory, woman-centered and intersectional accounts are critiqued for reliance upon both reification and isolation of gender. Via examination of poststructural, queer and trans theories within social work, the author then presents accounts based upon structural/materialist, ethnomethodological and discursive theories, in order to open up debates about conceptualization of gender. These are used to suggest that social work should adopt a focus on gender as a practical accomplishment that occurs within various settings or contexts.
Reading between the lines: Infertility and current health insurance policies in the US
Authors: Richie Cristina
Published: November 2014

This article will examine current US health insurance policies for providing fertility services and Assisted Reproductive Technologies and analyze the open-ended policies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This state in particular will be discussed in depth, as there are virtually no limits on infertility provision or coverage. However, tightening up Massachusetts’s health insurance policies by putting parameters on provision and coverage of Assisted Reproductive Technologies will allow the infertile to continue to access paid-for treatment while ensuring that the goal of health insurance coverage—which I understand to be the provision of paid coverage to address medical conditions—is maintained.
Now You’ve Got the Shiveries
Authors: Andersen Joceline
Published: November 2014

The Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) or Whisper Community is an online group of people who create and share videos through YouTube videos that are intended to produce a relaxing shivering sensation for the viewer. ASMR relies primarily affective power of the whispered voice’s impression to create an intimate sonic space shared by the listener and the whisperer. The ASMR community struggles with popular perception of the transgressive nature of their shared pleasure, which by its public nature is what Berlant and Warner call “nonstandard intimacy.” In this paper, I investigate the ways in which the whisper works on the viewer through YouTube, drawing on sonic associations between private domestic space and care, as well as the problematic distance of the YouTube-mediated intimate experience that troubles the Whisper Community’s pursuit of pleasure.
Modified Approach for Robotic Retroauricular Thyroidectomy
Authors: Saeed Ahmad , Alsaleh Nuha , Moulthrop Thomas , Aslam Rizwan , Kandil Emad
Published: November 2014

Background. Recently, a single remote access retroauricular robotic technique has been described for thyroid lobectomy. We aimed to explore the feasibility and safety of modifying this novel approach using preclinical cadaver model followed by performing the same operation in a real patient. Methods. The modified retroauricular approach was performed by creating a working space between the 2 heads of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, instead of that anterior to muscle. This was performed to create a wider working space. Two operations were initially performed in human cadavers. Subsequently, robotic-assisted thyroid lobectomy was performed using this novel modified retroauricular approach. Results. Robotic-assisted hemithyroidectomy was performed successfully in 2 cadavers and subsequently in one patient using modified approach. The patient was discharged on the same day of surgery and had no complications. Conclusions. The modified retroauricular approach with creation of a working space between the 2 heads of sternocleidomastoid muscle is safe and feasible, and offers a wider working space for robotic thyroid surgery.
Current, new and future biological agents on the horizon for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases
Authors: Amiot Aurelien , Peyrin-Biroulet Laurent
Published: November 2014

Biological agents for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) targeting tumor necrosis factor (TNF) have changed the way to treat IBD refractory to standard medications and allowed us to reach new therapeutic goals such as mucosal healing and deep remission. A better understanding of the components of the pathological processes that are a hallmark of IBD has led to the development of a new family of biological agents in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Biosimilars, which are copy versions of currently licensed biological agents, will be soon available. The biosimilar of infliximab is as effective and as safe as its originator in rheumatologic conditions, while a new anti-TNF agent, namely golimumab, has been recently approved for refractory ulcerative colitis. Beyond TNF blockers, anti-adhesion molecules appear to be a potent drug class for IBD. Vedolizumab was recently approved for both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Numerous other compounds are in the pipeline. Ustekinumab looks very promising for Crohn’s disease. Smad7 antisense oligonucleotide might enrich our armamentarium if preliminary data are confirmed in upcoming clinical trials. Herein, we review the efficacy and safety of new and emerging biological agents that are currently investigated in IBD clinical trials.
Beneficial effect of the 5‐HT1A receptor agonist buspirone on esophageal dysfunction associated with systemic sclerosis: A pilot study
Authors: Karamanolis George P , Panopoulos Stylianos , Karlaftis Anastasios , Denaxas Konstantinos , Kamberoglou Dimitrios , Sfikakis Petros P , Ladas Spiros D
Published: November 2014

Background

Esophageal involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) carries significant morbidity and is empirically managed with domperidone, albeit with questionable efficacy. The oral 5‐HT1A receptor agonist buspirone may enhance esophageal peristalsis and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) function in healthy volunteers.

Aim

We aimed to test the hypothesis that buspirone may exert a beneficial acute effect on esophageal motor dysfunction in symptomatic patients with SSc.

Methods

Twenty consecutive patients with SSc reporting esophageal symptoms underwent high‐resolution manometry before and 30 minutes after administration of buspirone (10 mg). Ten other patients received domperidone (10 mg) and served as control group. Changes in LES resting and residual pressure, amplitude, duration, and velocity of distal esophageal body contractions were examined.

Results

Esophageal hypomotility and hypotensive LES was found in 63% and 67% of patients, respectively. Demographic and clinical characteristics, including baseline manometric parameters, were comparable between groups. Resting pressure of LES increased after buspirone from 9.42 ± 2.6 to 11.53 ± 3.4 mmHg (p  = 0.0002 by paired t ‐test), but not after domperidone; a trend for increase of amplitude of contractions was also observed after buspirone (p  = 0.09). Comparison of the individual changes revealed that buspirone was superior to domperidone in enhancing LES pressure ( + 2.11 ± 2.0 versus –0.45 ± 2.3 mmHg, p  = 0.006). No significant effects of either drug were noted on other examined parameters of esophageal function.

Conclusion

The beneficial acute effect of buspirone on impaired LES function associated with SSc suggests a role of 5‐HT1A receptor‐mediated interactions in these patients. Prospective studies to examine whether buspirone is of long‐term therapeutic value for SSc‐associated esophageal disease are warranted.