bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decidualization is Impaired in Endometrial Stromal Cells from Uterine Rudiments in Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome
Authors: Brucker Sara Y. , Eisenbeis Simone , König Juliana , Lamy Melanie , Salker Madhuri S. , Zeng Ni , Seeger Harald , Henes Melanie , Schöller Dorit , Schönfisch Birgitt , Staebler Annette , Taran Florin-Andrei , Wallwiener Diethelm , Rall Katharina
Published: March 2017

Background/Aims: Uterine rudiments from patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKHS) contain all tissues typically found in the uterus. Endometrium from the rudiments predominantly exhibits basalis-like features, and endometrial proliferative capacity in patients’ epithelium and stroma is significantly lower. Methods: This single-center, prospective study conducted at a major German university hospital compared in-vitro decidualization in cultured ESCs from MRKHS patients and hysterectomy controls. Primary ESC cultures were established from both sources. Hormone-induced prolactin and IGFBP-1 secretion served as a measure of their ability to undergo decidualization in response to hormonal stimulation. Expression levels of 8 key marker genes of decidualization were also determined. Results: At day 9, mean secretion of prolactin and IGFBP-1 was significantly reduced by 89.0% and 99.5%, respectively, in MRKHS ESCs vs. hysterectomy controls, both indicating impaired decidualization of MRKHS ESCs. Key decidual markers confirmed impaired decidualization in MRKHS patients. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the ESCs from MRKHS patients lack hormone responsiveness as a potential sign of dysfunctional hormone receptor function, which may also play a role in the onset of MRKHS. Further studies are needed to corroborate our findings, directly address receptor function, and elucidate the role of other potential determinants of uterine development and adult function.
Role of Protease-Activated Receptor 2 in Regulating Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis
Authors: Wang Yongjun , He Yanfa , Wang Mingzheng , Lv Pei , Liu Jianzhen , Wang Junxia
Published: March 2017

Background /Aims: The underlying mechanisms leading to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) are lacking. In this report, we examined the role of protease-activated receptors (PARs) subtype PAR2 and its downstream signals in regulating the pathophysiological process of FSGS. Methods: Nephropathy was induced by intravenous injections of adriamycin (ADR) in rats to study FSGS. Western Blot analysis and ELISA were employed to determine the protein expression levels of PAR2 and its downstream signal pathways as well as the levels of PICs. Results: In ADR rats, expression of PAR2, PKCε and PKA was amplified and this was accompanied with increases of pro-inflammatory cytokines (PICs) including IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. Inhibition of PAR2 signal by systemic administration of FSLLRY-NH2 (FSL) attenuated amplification of PICs. Notably, FSL further influenced key molecular mediators during development of FSGS. i.e., it specifically restored the impaired nephrin and attenuated the exaggerated transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), caspase-9 and desmin thereby improving worsened renal functions and glomerular injury. Consistent with this, in cultured podocytes FSL also largely restored downregulation of nephrin and attenuated amplifications of caspase-9 and desmin induced by TGF-β1. Conclusions: Results of this study suggest that PAR2 plays an important role in mediating renal injury induced by glomerulosclerosis. Inhibition of PAR2 signal pathway has a protective effect on FSGS mainly via PIC and TGF-β1 mechanisms. Targeting one or more of these signaling molecules may present new opportunities for treatment and management of FSGS observed in patients.
Serial Measurement of High-Sensitivity Troponin I and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the EXAMINE Trial (Examination of Cardiovascular Outcomes With Alogliptin Versus Standard of Care)
Authors: Cavender Matthew A. , White William B. , Jarolim Petr , Bakris George L. , Cushman William C. , Kupfer Stuart , Gao Qi , Mehta Cyrus R. , Zannad Faiez , Cannon Christopher P. , Morrow David A.
Published: March 2017

Background:

We aimed to describe the relationship between changes in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hsTnI) and cardiovascular outcomes.

Methods:

The EXAMINE trial (Examination of Cardiovascular Outcomes With Alogliptin Versus Standard of Care) was a phase IIIb clinical outcomes trial designed to evaluate the cardiovascular safety of alogliptin, a nonselective dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, glycohemoglobin between 6.5% and 11% (or between 7% and 11% if they were on insulin), and a recent acute coronary syndrome (between 15 and 90 days before randomization) were eligible for the trial. hsTnI was measured using the Abbott ARCHITECT assay at baseline and 6 months in patients randomized in the EXAMINE trial. This analysis was restricted to patients randomized ≥30 days after qualifying acute coronary syndrome to mitigate the potential for persistent hsTnI elevation after acute coronary syndrome (n=3808). The primary end point of the trial was cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Cardiovascular death or heart failure was a prespecified, adjudicated secondary end point.

Results:

At baseline, hsTnI was detectable (≥1.9 ng/L) in 93% of patients and >99
th
percentile upper reference limit in 16%. There was a strong relationship between increasing hsTnI, both at baseline and 6 months, and the incidence of cardiovascular events through 24 months (
P
<0.001 for each). Patients with undetectable hsTnI at baseline and 6 months were at the lowest risk of future cardiovascular events. Stable patients with hsTnI ≥99th percentile upper reference limit at 6 months were at increased risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke compared with patients with hsTnI <99 percentile upper reference limit irrespective of whether hsTnI was newly elevated (28.1% versus 8.8%; adjusted hazard ratio, 2.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.64–4.28;
P
<0.001) or persistently so (22.5% versus 8.8%; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.90; 95% confidence interval, 1.33–2.70;
P
<0.001). Alogliptin neither increased nor decreased the risk of cardiovascular events compared with placebo in patients with high baseline hsTnI (22.3% versus 23.0%; hazard ratio, 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.60–1.25;
P
=0.44).

Conclusions:

Serial assessment of hsTnI revealed a substantial proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without clinically recognized events had dynamic or persistently elevated values and were at high risk of recurrent events. hsTnI may have a role in personalizing preventive strategies in patients with diabetes mellitus based on risk.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00968708.
Dynamic Arterial Compression in Pediatric Vertebral Arterial Dissection
Authors: Rollins Nancy , Braga Bruno , Hogge Amy , Beavers Stefanie , Dowling Michael
Published: March 2017

Background and Purpose—

The pathogenesis of spontaneous pediatric vertebral artery dissections (VAD) is poorly understood but most often involves the V3 segment where C1 rotates on C2. We studied children with VAD with provocative digital catheter angiography and found an association between VAD and rotational compression.

Methods—

Seven boys (12 months to 9 years; median 4 years) presented over 38 consecutive months with V3 VAD and underwent digital catheter angiography with provocative passive bilateral neck rotation.

Results—

VAD were bilateral in 2 patients and unilateral in 5. Provocative digital catheter angiography showed dynamic V3 compression in 6 of 9 dissections, most pronounced or seen only with head rotation to the contralateral side. Two patients had VAD without dynamic compression; both returned 4 months later with a new dissection in a previously normal VA and worsening VAD in 1 patient each. Dynamic compression was also seen in 2 nondissected VA. Surgical management was C1/2 posterior fusion in 5 of 7 patients; 1 underwent unilateral C2 decompression with recurrent VAD and was subsequently fused.

Conclusions—

The association of dynamic VA compression and VAD at the same level suggests that the compression may contribute to the VAD. However, as dynamic compression was observed in nondissected VA and some VAD were not associated with dynamic compression, VAD may be multifactorial.
Bursaphelenchus crenati Rühm, 1956 (Tylenchina: Aphelenchoididae), a nematode associated with the Greater ash bark beetle, Hylesinus crenatus Fabricius, in dying ash, Fraxinus excelsior L., in Europe
Authors: Gu Jianfeng , Tomalak Marek , He Jie , Fang Yiwu
Published: March 2017

New morphological, molecular and bionomic data are added to update the description of Bursaphelenchus crenati. The nematode was isolated from larval galleries and adults of the Greater ash bark beetle, Hylesinus crenatus Fabricius, present in bark of older trees of European ash, Fraxinus excelsior L., in Poland. Detailed female and male morphology are documented in this paper and compared with the original description. From ITS1/2, partial 28S D2-D3 and partial 18S sequences, ITS-RFLP patterns and morphological analysis, B. crenati is suggested to be temporarily placed into the sexdentati group, close to B. andrassyi, B. vallesianus, B. sexdentati, B. pinophilus, B. poligraphi, B. fuchsi, B. incurvus, B. piniperdae, and B. pityogeni. However, B. crenati can be distinguished from these species by the strongly ventrally curved body and the presence of three incisures in the lateral fields.
Is the Idea of ‘Musical Emotion’ Present in Classical Antiquity?
Authors: Kramarz Andreas
Published: March 2017

This article investigates to what degree the concept of ‘musical emotion,’ a term coined by contemporary psychology, can be traced in antiquity. Hence, it is necessary to begin by clearly defining ‘music’ and ‘emotion,’ in both ancient and modern understandings. The distinctions between ‘musically induced emotions’ and ‘musical emotions’ strictly speaking, and between the ‘referentialist’ and ‘absolutist’ (or ‘cognitivist’) school in music psychology structure the question. While most ancient theorists believe that the impact of music on the passions (παθήµατα) is of pedagogical or therapeutical relevance as it is able to create ethos in the human soul throughmimēsis, others, similar to the cognitivists, limit its effect to (aesthetic) pleasure. Emotions unique to music are not explicitly discussed by the ancient theorists, although an indirect acknowledgment possibly exists in form of metaphorical descriptions of musical experiences, a certain notion of specifically musical pleasure, and the idea of music’s magical power.
Beenken, L. (2017) Austropuccinia: a new genus name for the myrtle rust Puccinia psidii placed within the redefined family Sphaerophragmiaceae (Pucciniales) Phytotaxa 297 (1): 053–061.
Authors: BEENKEN LUDWIG
Published: March 2017

N/A
The Jamaican endemic Exostema orbiculatum belongs to Erithalis (Rubiaceae)
Authors: FRANCK ALAN R. , LEWIS PATRICK A. , OBERLI ANDREAS , HAYNES-SUTTON ANN , ROSE PHILIP E . , CAMPBELL KERON C. ST. E.
Published: March 2017

Exostema orbiculatum is transferred to the genus Erithalis based on morphology and ITS sequences, resulting in the new combination Erithalis orbiculata. This species, endemic to west-central Jamaica, is unique in Erithalis for its sessile, orbicular leaves, acuminately spinescent stipules, and sessile inflorescence and flowers.
A new combination in Tulista, T. kingiana (Asphodeloideae, Xanthorrhoeaceae / Alooideae, Asphodelaceae)
Authors: SMITH GIDEON F. , FIGUEIREDO ESTRELA , MOLTENO STEVEN
Published: March 2017

Phylogenetic studies in the Xanthorrhoeaceae subfam. Asphodeloideae (alternatively Asphodelaceae subfam. Alooideae) (Treutlein et al. 2003a, b; Grace et al. 2013; Manning et al. 2014) indicated that the genus Haworthia Duval (1809: 7) sensu lato should be split into three genera. The three haworthioid genera established and widely accepted for the three groups of species are: Haworthia sensu stricto, Haworthiopsis Rowley (2013: 4), and Tulista Rafinesque (1840: 137). In terms of number of species, Tulista is the smallest of the three genera and is widely considered to include five species. For four of these, T. marginata (Lamarck 1783: 89) Rowley (2013: 6), T. minima (Aiton 1789: 468) Boatwright & Manning in Manning et al. (2014: 70), T. opalina (Hayashi 2001: 17) Breuer (2016: 7), and T. pumila (Linnaeus 1753: 322) Rowley (2013: 6), combinations have been validly published. However, for the fifth species, Haworthia kingiana Von Poellnitz (1937: 203), a valid combination has yet to be published in Tulista. We do so here.
Ligularia phoenicochaeta (Franchet) Liu (1987) is a later isonym of L. phoenicochaeta (Franchet) Handel-Mazzetti (1925)
Authors: WANG LONG , REN CHEN , YANG QIN-ER
Published: March 2017

Senecio phoenicochaetus Franchet (1892: 295; “phaenicochaetus”) was described on the basis of two collections, J.M. Delavay 2191 (P) and J.M. Delavay 2473 (A, K, P), from Lijiang, northwestern Yunnan, China. It was recognized as a distinct species either in Cremanthodium Bentham (1873: 37) (Good 1929, Handel-Mazzetti 1936, Hu 1966, Wu 1984, Min 2014) or in Ligularia Cassini (1816: 198) (Handel-Mazzetti 1925, Liu 1987, 1989, Chen & Li 1994, Liu & Illarionova 2011) by all the later authors but Kitamura (1939), who treated it as Senecillis phoenicochaeta (Franchet) Kitamura (1939: 87; “phaenicochaeta”). Senecillis Gaertner (1791: 453), however, was later sunk as a section of Ligularia, i.e. L. sect. Senecillis (Gaertner) Kitamura (1942: 187).
Characterization of Extreme Storm Events Using a Numerical Model–Based Precipitation Maximization Procedure in the Feather, Yuba, and American River Watersheds in California
Authors: Ohara Noriaki , Kavvas M. Levent , Anderson Michael L. , Chen Z. Q. , Ishida Kei
Published: March 2017

Improvements on nonhydrostatic atmospheric models such as MM5 in the last few decades have enhanced our understanding of the precipitation mechanism affected by topography and nonlinear dynamics of the atmosphere. This study addresses the use of such a regional atmospheric model to estimate physical maximum precipitation rates for the next generation of flood management strategies under evolving climate conditions. First, 48 significant historical storm events were selected based on the continuous reconstructed precipitation conditions on the Feather, Yuba, and American River watersheds in California. Then, the boundary conditions of the numerical atmospheric model were modified with the fully saturated atmospheric layers (100% relative humidity) to generate the atmospheric conditions that maximize the precipitation over the three watersheds. Surprisingly, maximizing the atmospheric moisture supply at the model boundary does not always increase the precipitation in the watersheds of interest. A rain-shadow effect of the topography seemed to be intensified by the abundance of the atmospheric moisture in some cases. Consequently, although the linkage between the precipitable water in the atmosphere and the ground precipitation is generally proportional, the alignment of the topography and the wind field can modulate their relationship. Finally, a methodology to maximize the steady-state precipitation rate was discussed to characterize the conceptual continuous heavy storm event in the Feather, Yuba, and American River basins.
Improving Polarimetric C-Band Radar Rainfall Estimation with Two-Dimensional Video Disdrometer Observations in Eastern China
Authors: Chen Gang , Zhao Kun , Zhang Guifu , Huang Hao , Liu Su , Wen Long , Yang Zhonglin , Yang Zhengwei , Xu Lili , Zhu Wenjian
Published: March 2017

In this study, the capability of using a C-band polarimetric Doppler radar and a two-dimensional video disdrometer (2DVD) to estimate monsoon-influenced summer rainfall during the Observation, Prediction and Analysis of Severe Convection of China (OPACC) field campaign in 2014 and 2015 in eastern China is investigated. Three different rainfall R estimators, for reflectivity at horizontal polarization [R(Zh)], for reflectivity at horizontal polarization and differential reflectivity factor [R(Zh, Zdr)], and for specific differential phase [R(KDP)], are derived from 2-yr 2DVD observations of summer precipitation systems. The radar-estimated rainfall is compared to gauge observations from eight rainfall episodes. Results show that the two polarimetric estimators, R(Zh, Zdr) and R(KDP), perform better than the traditional Zh–R relation [i.e., R(Zh)]. The KDP-based estimator [i.e., R(KDP)] produces the best rainfall accumulations. The radar rainfall estimators perform differently across the three organized convective systems (mei-yu rainband, typhoon rainband, and squall line). Estimator R(Zh) overestimates rainfall in the mei-yu rainband and squall line, and R(Zh, Zdr) mitigates the overestimation in the mei-yu rainband but has a large bias in the squall line. QPE from R(KDP) is the most accurate among the three estimators, but it possesses a relatively large bias for the squall line compared to the mei-yu case. The high variability of drop size distribution (DSD) related to the precipitation microphysics in different types of rain is largely responsible for the case-dependent QPE performance using any single radar rainfall estimator. The squall line has a distinct ice-phase process with a large mean size of raindrops, while the mei-yu rainband and typhoon rainband are composed of smaller raindrops. Based on the statistical QPE error in the ZH–ZDR space, a new composite rainfall estimator is constructed by combining R(Zh), R(Zh, Zdr), and R(KDP) and is proven to outperform any single rainfall estimator.
How Organizational Structure Affects Ecological Responsiveness
Authors: Pérez-Valls Miguel , Céspedes-Lorente José , Martínez-del-Río Javier , Antolín-López Raquel
Published: March 2017

In this article, we analyze the relationship between the main dimensions of organizational structure (i.e., formalization, centralization, and complexity) and ecological responsiveness in a sample of 109 firms in the European air passenger transport industry. Broadly confirming our hypotheses, the results show that high formalization of routine tasks favors ecological responsiveness. Structures characterized by high decentralization and low complexity also favor ecological responsiveness. Furthermore, decentralization has a significant, positive relationship with ecological responsiveness among firms with low vertical complexity. Overall, the results indicate that organizational structure plays a major role in ecological responsiveness.
When too many are not enough: Human resource slack and performance at the Dutch East India Company (1700–1795)
Authors: Sgourev Stoyan V , van Lent Wim
Published: March 2017

Slack is an elusive concept in organizational research, with studies documenting a variety of relationships between slack and firm performance. We advocate treating slack not as a resource, but as a practice – a sequence of events and responses over time. A longitudinal analysis of the Dutch East India Company (1700–1795) highlights the use of slack as a response to a resource constraint (the shortage of skilled labor). After documenting the negative performance effects of skill shortage, we identify a trade-off in the use of human resource slack (number of sailors above what is operationally required), in which slack enhanced operational reliability, but reduced efficiency. Derived from a historical context, this trade-off has contemporary relevance and is helpful in reconciling contradictory evidence on slack.
A Review of the Dall’Olmo Survey of Meteors, Meteor Showers and Meteorites in the Middle Ages from Medieval European Sources
Authors: Usó María José Martínez , Castillo Francisco J. Marco
Published: March 2017

It is a long time since the last comprehensive compilation of meteoric observations from medieval European sources was published. Since then, the advances in information technology, search engines and, above all, the emergence and development of the Internet have facilitated the access to and search for these records for scholars, making their work easier and even avoiding the need to go to libraries that keep the documents. In this paper, we have significantly enlarged the list of reports of medieval European meteoric events, using mainly the current classical sources and also other local documents previously not considered by the authors that have dealt with this issue.
Sustainability analysis of observed climate change adaptation strategies in maize farming in Benin, West Africa
Authors: Yegbemey Rosaine N , Yegbemey Evince O , Yabi Jacob A
Published: March 2017

The aim of this article was to analyse possible relationships between observed climate change adaptations as developed by farmers and the sustainability level of their production systems. The sustainability levels were measured through a participatory indicators-based approach. A tri-variate Tobit regression model including the observed climate change adaptations as explanatory variables was specified to analyse the main drivers of the measured sustainability levels. Data collection was conducted by survey methods on 336 maize producers randomly sampled and interviewed based on a questionnaire in North Benin. The results highlighted that farmers’ socio-economic characteristics such as contact with extension services, organization membership, access to credit, farm size and observed climate change adaptations such as on-farm diversification, land use changes and other adaptations were found to be the major driving forces underlying the sustainability level of maize farming systems. Among the observed climate change adaptations, on-farm diversification and land use change strategies were found to be sustainable options, whereas other adaptations such as change of activity (e.g. on-farm to off-farm activity), migration to another agro-ecological zone, prayers and access to credit appeared to be unsustainable options.
“Just Talking about Life”: Using Oral Histories of the Civil Rights Movement to Encourage Classroom Dialogue on Race
Authors: Johnson Melencia M. , Mason Philip B.
Published: March 2017

Students in mixed race classrooms often find it difficult to discuss race. Using an assignment where students must have a conversation with someone who lived during the Civil Rights Movement (CRM) brings an element of oral history into the discussion of race and ethnicity. Students are able to discuss race using a historical lens from the perspective of their conversation partner rather than their own. Sharing opinions and observations from an oral history advantageously allows students the ability to distance themselves from the emotionally charged subject. The discussion ultimately leads to comments regarding the current racial climate in the United States. This article highlights students’ experiences talking with an elder about race, having a conversation about race in a mixed race classroom, and the role of this assignment.
Developing E-Government Coursework through the NASPAA Competencies Framework
Authors: McQuiston James M , Manoharan Aroon P
Published: March 2017

Information technology (IT) is often less emphasized in coursework related to public administration education, despite the growing need for technological capabilities in those joining the public sector workforce. This coupled with a lesser emphasis on e-government/IT skills by accreditation standards adds to the widening gap between theory and practice in the field. This study examines the emphasis placed on e-government/IT concepts in Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Public Policy (MPP) programs, either through complete course offerings or through related courses such as public management, strategic planning, performance measurement and organization theory. Based on a content analysis of their syllabi, the paper analyzes the extent to which the IT/e-government courses in MPA/Master of Public Policy programs address the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration competency standards, and further discuss the orientation of the courses with two of the competencies: management and policy. Specifically, are e-government/IT courses more management-oriented or policy-oriented? Do public management, strategic planning, performance measurement, and organization theory courses address IT concerns?
“Good landscapes be but lies”
Authors: McCray Brigitte N.
Published: March 2017

Many of W. H. Auden’s poems written between 1939 and 1944 explored the Second World War, but only at a distance. After his experience in the Morale Division of the United States Strategic Bombing Survey, however, his poems started to more fully examine the effects of the War. Auden’s grief over the War’s destruction would find voice in poems that are haunted by ghostly figures he encountered. Ruined places contain experience and memory. Auden’s postwar placed-based poems develop his theory of haunted places. There, Auden lived with the dead, and those figures showed him that both sin and love reside in the same space, thus offering hope for the future.
Helena’s Witness
Authors: Kanary Jonathan
Published: March 2017

Scholars have criticized Evelyn Waugh’s novel Helena as flawed and uneven—an unfortunate subjection of his artistic gifts to the perceived demands of his faith. It is often read as a fictional work of apologetics, straightforwardly defending the empirical truth of Christianity. In fact, however, Waugh deliberately allows questions to arise regarding his key claims, and especially his heroine’s “invention” of the True Cross. Though the novel does contain apologetic elements, it is really a story about faith, about bearing witness: a saint’s story. And the faith it depicts not only allows for but actively embraces both skepticism and doubt.
Cochrane Corner: Extracts from The Cochrane Library: Intranasal Steroids for Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Orlandi Richard , Hopkins Clair , Philpott Carl , Rosenfeld Richard M.
Published: March 2017

The Cochrane Corner is a section in the journal that highlights systematic reviews relevant to otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, with invited commentary to aid clinical decision making. This installment features a pair of related Cochrane Reviews on intranasal steroids for chronic rhinosinusitis, which identify low‐ to moderate‐quality evidence for a beneficial effect on overall symptoms, nasal congestion, and rhinorrhea. There is no evidence, however, to suggest superiority of any particular steroid preparation or drug delivery system. The related expert commentary should help clinicians make the best treatment decisions based on the studies and outcomes identified in these Cochrane Reviews.
Clinical Practice Guideline: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (Update) Executive Summary
Authors: Bhattacharyya Neil , Gubbels Samuel P. , Schwartz Seth R. , Edlow Jonathan A. , El‐Kashlan Hussam , Fife Terry , Holmberg Janene M. , Mahoney Kathryn , Hollingsworth Deena B. , Roberts Richard , Seidman Michael D. , Prasaad Steiner Robert W. , Tsai Do Betty , Voelker Courtney C. J. , Waguespack Richard W. , Corrigan Maureen D.
Published: March 2017

The American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation has published a supplement to this issue of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery featuring the “Clinical Practice Guideline: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (Update).” To assist in implementing the guideline recommendations, this article summarizes the rationale, purpose, and key action statements. The 14 recommendations developed emphasize diagnostic accuracy and efficiency, reducing the inappropriate use of vestibular suppressant medications, decreasing the inappropriate use of ancillary testing, and increasing the appropriate therapeutic repositioning maneuvers. An updated guideline is needed due to new clinical trials, new systematic reviews, and the lack of consumer participation in the initial guideline development group.
A randomised controlled trial of a web-based multi-modal therapy program to improve executive functioning in children and adolescents with acquired brain injury
Authors: Piovesana Adina , Ross Stephanie , Lloyd Owen , Whittingham Koa , Ziviani Jenny , Ware Robert S , McKinlay Lynne , Boyd Roslyn N
Published: March 2017

Objective:

To examine the efficacy of a multi-modal web-based therapy program, Move it to improve it (Mitii™) delivered at home to improve Executive Functioning (EF) in children with an acquired brain injury (ABI).

Design:

Randomised Waitlist controlled trial.

Setting:

Home environment.

Participants:

Sixty children with an ABI were matched in pairs by age and intelligence quotient then randomised to either 20-weeks of Mitii™ training or 20 weeks of Care As Usual (waitlist control; n=30; 17 males; mean age=11y, 11m (±2y, 6m); Full Scale IQ=76.24±17.84). Fifty-eight children completed baseline assessments (32 males; mean age=11.87±2.47; Full Scale IQ=75.21±16.76).

Main Measures:

Executive functioning was assessed on four domains: attentional control, cognitive flexibility, goal setting, and information processing using subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), Delis-Kaplan Executive Functioning System (D-KEFS), Comprehensive Trail Making Test (CTMT), Tower of London (TOL), and Test of Everyday Attention for Children (Tea-Ch). Executive functioning performance in everyday life was assessed via parent questionnaire (Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning; BRIEF).

Results:

No differences were observed at baseline measures. Groups were compared at 20-weeks using linear regression with no significant differences found between groups on all measures of EF. Out of a potential total dose of 60 hours, children in the Mitii™ group completed a mean of 17 hours of Mitii™ intervention.

Conclusion:

Results indicate no additional benefit to receiving Mitii™ compared to standard care. Mitii™, in its current form, was not shown to improve EF in children with ABI.
Shifting Sands
Authors: Atkinson V. Sue
Published: March 2017

This essay examines print literature targeting American mothers of infants from the turn of the twentieth century through the 1950s, analyzing text excerpts from “baby books” spanning six decades and providing background illuminating those texts and their authors. Books authored by Benjamin Spock, Arnold Gesell, and John B. Watson are reviewed, along with work of less well-known but widely read authors Emmett Holt, Herman Bundesen, and others. Changes in recommended feeding and toilet-training practices, sleeping arrangements, and behavioral expectations of babies, as well as the variation in style and tone of the experts’ advice are traced through the period studied. Parent advice publications grew in popularity as changing family structures removed traditional sources of information and support for mothers, and the public came to highly regard scientific information and seek expert guidance in aspects of their lives previously governed by traditional wisdom. Included are publications of the federal Children’s Bureau and discussion of that agency’s role in advising parents through printed literature. Findings from this review assert that despite the advice-givers’ presentation of their recommendations as universal and scientific, their writings more accurately serve as a chronicle of changing patterns of beliefs and attitudes of middle-class society rather than an empirical body of knowledge about infant growth and development.
Protein Requirements of the Critically Ill Pediatric Patient
Authors: Coss‐Bu Jorge A. , Hamilton‐Reeves Jill , Patel Jayshil J. , Morris Claudia R. , Hurt Ryan T.
Published: March 2017

This article includes a review of protein needs in children during health and illness, as well as a detailed discussion of protein metabolism, including nitrogen balance during critical illness, and assessment and prescription/delivery of protein to critically ill children. The determination of protein requirements in children has been difficult and challenging. The protein needs in healthy children should be based on the amount needed to ensure adequate growth during infancy and childhood. Compared with adults, children require a continuous supply of nutrients to maintain growth. The protein requirement is expressed in average requirements and dietary reference intake, which represents values that cover the needs of 97.5% of the population. Critically ill children have an increased protein turnover due to an increase in whole‐body protein synthesis and breakdown with protein degradation leading to loss of lean body mass (LBM) and development of growth failure, malnutrition, and worse clinical outcomes. The results of protein balance studies in critically ill children indicate higher protein needs, with infants and younger children requiring higher intakes per body weight compared with older children. Monitoring the side effects of increased protein intake should be performed. Recent studies found a survival benefit in critically ill children who received a higher percentage of prescribed energy and protein goal by the enteral route. Future randomized studies should evaluate the effect of protein dosing in different age groups on patient outcomes, including LBM, muscle structure and function, duration of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, and mortality.
How Many Nonprotein Calories Does a Critically Ill Patient Require? A Case for Hypocaloric Nutrition in the Critically Ill Patient
Authors: Rugeles Saúl J. , Ochoa Gautier Juan B. , Dickerson Roland N. , Coss‐Bu Jorge A. , Wernerman Jan , Paddon‐Jones Douglas
Published: March 2017

Calculation of energy and protein doses for critically ill patients is still a matter of controversy. For more than 40 years of nutrition support, the total amount of nutrients to be delivered to these patients has been calculated based on expert recommendations, and this calculation is based on the administration of nonprotein calories in one attempt to ameliorate catabolic response and avoid the weight loss. New evidence suggests protein delivery is the most important intervention to improve clinical and metabolic outcomes. This article describes the metabolic rationale and the new evidence supporting a change in the approach of metabolic support of the critically ill, proposing a physiological‐based intervention supported by the recognition of ancillary characteristics of the metabolic response to trauma and injury. A moderate dose of calories around 15 kcal/kg/d with a delivery of protein of 1.5 g/kg/d appears to be the new recommendation for many hypercatabolic patients in the first week following injury.
Capabilities and Choices of Vulnerable, Long-Term Unemployed Individuals
Authors: Beck Vanessa
Published: March 2017

This article discusses the issue of choice as it applies to long-term unemployed and vulnerable individuals. It argues that the combination of poor employment opportunities, requirements, compulsions and sanctions has not merely reduced available choice for individuals with multiple barriers to re-/join the labour market but has also resulted in curtailed decision-making abilities when it comes to their pathways into employment. The outcomes can include protective resistance as a response to the extent of regulation, which may undermine engagement in job search and related activities. Despite attempts by benevolent staff in a charity to provide support and enhance capabilities that result in the overcoming of protective resistance, they operate within a broader institutional framework of choice as set by government policy. The end result is compulsion, not choice.
Evaluation of a fuel-efficient urban delivery vehicle
Authors: Midgley William JB , Cebon David
Published: March 2017

A novel fuel-efficient articulated urban delivery vehicle is developed and tested. The vehicle has a path-following steering system on the semitrailer which improves its manoeuvrability in narrow city streets. This enables the payload to be increased from 39.4 m3 of freight on a conventional rigid delivery vehicle to 84.2 m3 on this articulated counterpart, leading directly to up to 33% fuel saving per unit of freight task. The vehicle is also equipped with a hydraulic regenerative braking system which stores energy in hydraulic accumulators during braking events and releases this energy back to accelerate the vehicle in subsequent motion. The design of this system and the field testing programme are described. The experimental tests are used to determine the hydraulic losses and to validate a mathematical model of the vehicle and the regenerative braking system. Finally, the validated mathematical model is used to perform a parametric study for the vehicle operating in various standard driving cycles. It is found that operating the regenerative braking system with an engine stop–start system and optimized accumulator precharge pressures can reduce the fuel consumption by 9–18% in comparison with that of the baseline vehicle, depending on the driving cycle. When combined with the performance improvements due to the trailer steering system and additional payload, this gives an overall reduction in the fuel consumption of 35–42%.
Ambiguous subjects: Obstetric violence, assemblage and South African birth narratives
Authors: Chadwick Rachelle
Published: March 2017

Obstetric violence is gaining recognition as a worldwide problem manifesting in a range of geopolitical contexts. While global public health attention is turning to this issue, there has been a lack of theoretical engagement by feminist psychologists with the phenomenon of obstetric violence. This paper contributes to the literature on obstetric violence via a feminist social constructionist analysis of “marginalized” and low-income South African women’s narratives of giving birth in public sector obstetric contexts. Drawing on interviews conducted in 2012 with 35 black, low-income women living in Cape Town, South Africa, the analysis focuses on obstetric violence as a relational, disciplinary, and productive process that has implications for the construction of women’s subjectivities and agency during childbirth. The findings focus on relational constructions of violence and agency in women’s narratives, including (a) the performance of docility as an act of ambiguous agency and (2) resistant bodies and modes of discipline. Framed within a Foucauldian approach to power and using the concept of assemblage, I argue that obstetric violence needs to be conceptualized as more than isolated acts involving individual perpetrators and victims. Instead, the analysis shows that obstetric violence functions as a mode of discipline embedded in normative relations of class, gender, race, and medical power.
Book Review: Nicole Coviello and Helena Yli-Renko (Eds), Handbook of Measures for International Entrepreneurship Research
Authors: Shankar Raj K.
Published: March 2017

Nicole Coviello and Helena Yli-Renko (Eds), Handbook of Measures for International Entrepreneurship Research, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2016, 656 pp.
Book Review: David B. Audretsch, Christopher S. Hayter and Albert N. Link (Eds), Concise Guide to Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation
Authors: Shankar Raj K.
Published: March 2017

David B. Audretsch, Christopher S. Hayter and Albert N. Link (Eds), Concise Guide to Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2015, 288 pp.
Crystal-Storing Histiocytosis: Report of a Rare Case Presenting With Pathological Fracture of Femur. Is There More to the Entity?
Authors: Uthamalingam Preithy , Mehta Sangita
Published: March 2017

Crystal-storing histiocytosis (CSH) is a rare histiocytic lesion, most often described in association with lymphoid malignancies, especially plasma cell myeloma or lymphomas associated with monoclonal gammopathy. A few cases have also been described in patients without an underlying lymphoid/plasmacytic neoplasm. The histiocytes are characterized by intralysosomal accumulation of crystals composed of whole or part of the immunoglobulin molecule. The pathobiology is largely unclear. It is a rare phenomenon and the available literature is restricted to case reports and a few case series. We present a case of a 70-year-old gentleman who presented with pathological fracture of left neck of femur secondary to CSH, a presentation so far unreported in the literature. Because of associated clinical features, a plasma cell dyscrasia was suspected and the workup, including bone marrow biopsy, yielded a diagnosis of plasma cell myeloma. Histological examination of the excised femoral head showed near complete replacement of the marrow spaces with sheets of histocytes rich in intracytoplasmic crystals and only occasional plasma cells. The peculiar presentation with pathological fracture of femur in the index case and predominant tumefactive lesions in the cases in the literature might suggest a possible neoplastic origin of this lesion.
Thermal morphing anisogrid smart space structures part 2: Ranking of geometric parameter importance, trust region optimization, and performance evaluation
Authors: Phoenix Austin A , Borggaard Jeff , Tarazaga Pablo A
Published: March 2017

As future space mission structures are required to achieve more with scarcer resources, new structural configurations and modeling capabilities will be needed to meet the next generation space structural challenges. A paradigm shift is required away from the current structures that are static, heavy, and stiff, to innovative lightweight structures that meet requirements by intelligently adapting to the environment. As the complexity of these intelligent structures increases, the computational cost of the modeling and optimization efforts become increasingly demanding. Novel methods that identify and reduce the number of parameters to only those most critical considerably reduce these complex problems, allowing highly iterative evaluations and in-depth optimization efforts to be computationally feasible. This parameter ranking methodology will be demonstrated on the optimization of the thermal morphing anisogrid boom. The proposed novel morphing structure provides high precision morphing through the use of thermal strain as the sole actuation mechanism. The morphing concept uses the helical members in the anisogrid structure to provide complex constrained actuations that can achieve the six degree of freedom morphing capability. This structure provides a unique potential to develop an integrated structural morphing system, where the adaptive morphing capability is integrated directly into the primary structure. To identify parameters of interest, the Q-DEIM model reduction algorithm is implemented to rank the model parameters based on their impact on the morphing performance. This parameter ranking method provides insight into the system and enables the optimal allocation of computational and engineering resources to the most critical areas of the system for optimization. The methodology, in conjunction with a singular value decomposition (SVD), provides a ranking and identifies parameters of relative importance. The SVD is used to truncate the nine parameters problem at two locations, generating a five parameter optimization problem and a three parameter optimization problem. To evaluate the ranking, a parameter sweep in conjunction with a simple minimum cost function search algorithm will compare all 120 five parameter ranking orders to the Q-DEIM ranking. This reduced parameter set significantly reduces the parameter complexity and the computational cost of the model optimization. This paper will present the methodology to define the resulting performance of the optimal thermal morphing anisogrid structure, minimum morphing control, and the systems frequency response capability as a function of available power.
The conundrum of feline trichomonosis: the more we learn the ‘trickier’ it gets
Authors: Gookin Jody L , Hanrahan Katherine , Levy Michael G
Published: March 2017

Practical relevance:

Trichomonosis of the large intestine of the cat was described as a cause of chronic diarrhea over 20 years ago. The trichomonad was identified as Tritrichomonas foetus, with a genotype that is distinct from venereal T foetus of cattle.

Clinical challenges:

Despite multiple means for diagnosis of the infection, including light microscopy, protozoal culture and PCR amplification using species-specific primers, tests with even greater sensitivity are needed. Feline trichomonosis is resistant to all commonly used antiprotozoal drugs. Ronidazole is currently the only drug demonstrated to be effective in eliminating the infection from cats; however, this drug has a narrow safety margin and clinical resistance is increasingly recognized. The more we learn about trichomonosis in cats, the more complicated and controversial the infection has become, ranging from what we should call the organism to whether we should even bother trying to treat it.

Global importance:

Feline trichomonosis is recognized to occur worldwide and is regarded as one of the most common infectious causes of colitis in the domestic cat. The infection is widespread in catteries and shelters; and, while remission of diarrhea may occur over time, persistence of the infection is common.

Evidence base:

This review provides a comprehensive examination of what is currently known about feline trichomonosis and pinpoints areas, based on the authors’ opinion, where further research is needed.
Experimental investigation of interfacial crack arrest in sandwich beams subjected to fatigue loading using a novel crack arresting device
Authors: Martakos G , Andreasen JH , Berggreen C , Thomsen OT
Published: March 2017

A recently proposed face-sheet–core interface crack arresting device is implemented in sandwich beams and tested using the Sandwich Tear Test configuration. Fatigue loading conditions are applied to propagate the crack and determine the effect of the crack stopper on the fatigue growth rate and arrest of the crack. Digital image correlation is used through the duration of the fatigue experiment to track the strain evolution as the crack tip advances. The measured strains are related to crack tip propagation, arrest, and re-initiation of the crack. A finite element model is used to calculate the energy release rate, mode mixity and to simulate crack propagation and arrest of the crack. Finally, the effectiveness of the crack arresting device is demonstrated on composite sandwich beams subjected to fatigue loading conditions.
Dealing with third-party complaints on a men’s relationship-counselling helpline
Authors: Feo Rebecca , LeCouteur Amanda
Published: March 2017

This article examines how third-party complaints were responded to by counsellors on a men’s relationship-counselling helpline. Much prior conversation analytic research has shown that third-party complaints in institutional settings are embedded in other activities and treated as secondary to the main interactional business. As such, complaints are routinely responded to with a shift to a new, institutionally relevant activity (e.g. the reason for the call/visit). In the context examined here, however, the third-party complaints constituted callers’ reasons for call. We show that, as in many other institutional contexts, counsellors do not, commonly, affiliate with callers’ complaints in the sense of displaying a similar stance towards a described third party. However, unlike in other settings that have been examined, counsellors’ responses did not result in an immediate shift away from callers’ complaints. This was primarily because, following counsellors’ non-affiliative responses, callers regularly engaged in work to pursue affiliation.