bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patency rate and quality of life after ultrasound-accelerated catheter-directed thrombolysis for deep vein thrombosis
Authors: Gombert Alexander , Gombert Ricarda , Barbati Mohammad E. , Bruners Philipp , Keszei Andras , Wittens Cees , Jalaie Houman , Grommes Jochen
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Studies on ultrasound-accelerated, catheter-directed thrombolysis of acute deep vein thrombosis emphasize good patency rates and low complication rates. Therefore, we analyzed quality of life besides technical success and patency in our patients after ultrasound-accelerated, catheter-directed thrombolysis.

Methods

Between 2009 and 2014, 42 patients suffering from iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis received ultrasound-accelerated, catheter-directed thrombolysis. Follow-up included clinical exanimation and ultrasound. Thirty patients (36 interventions), mean age 41.3 years (range 19–71 years), 56.6% women (17/30), completed the surveys. Five different scores were used to assess the quality of life and symptoms of postthrombotic syndrome: SF36, Euro-QOL 5D, PDI, VEINES-QOL/Sym, and the Villalta score.

Results

Mean therapy duration of ultrasound-accelerated, catheter-directed thrombolysis was 76.4 h and therapeutic success could be reported in 80.5% (29/36). Successful ultrasound-accelerated, catheter-directed thrombolysis was followed by stent angioplasty in 58.3% (21/36) procedures. Overall complication rate was 19.44%, mainly formed by minor bleedings. Mean follow-up was 38.5 months. The primary patency rate was 63.8%, the assisted-primary and the secondary patency rate were 80.5%. We observed an improved quality of life in our patients’ cohort compared to patients suffering from postthrombotic syndrome.

Conclusion

Although ultrasound-accelerated, catheter-directed thrombolysis is feasible with good patency rates, further prospective randomized trials are necessary to evaluate the value of thrombus removal in iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis in comparison to conservative treatment.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa endophthalmitis caused by accidental iatrogenic ocular injury with a hypodermic needle
Authors: Lu Cheng-wei , Hao Ji-long , Liu Xiu-fen , Liang Ling-ling , Zhou Dan-dan
Published: March 2017

Iatrogenic traumatic endophthalmitis is a rare but serious ocular infection that can lead to severe vision loss. A 44-year-old man presented with pain and decreased vision in the right eye 4 hours after injury with a hypodermic needle during irrigation of his eye. Slit-lamp examination revealed a penetrating corneal puncture and iris hole in the right eye. Twenty hours later, his visual acuity had decreased to hand motion, and severe fibrinoid uveitis was noted. He immediately underwent irrigation of the anterior chamber and intravitreal antibiotic injection. The right eye became painful again, and emergent vitrectomy combined with lensectomy was performed along with intravitreal antibiotic administration. The patient remained stable during the 2-month follow-up. Standard practice should be adopted when irrigating the eye to prevent this type of injury, and emergent surgical intervention is very important to preserve visual function.
Azacitidine-induced acute lung injury in a patient with therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome
Authors: Makita Shinichi , Munakata Wataru , Watabe Daisuke , Maeshima Akiko Miyagi , Taniguchi Hirokazu , Toyoda Kosuke , Yamauchi Nobuhiko , Fukuhara Suguru , Maruyama Dai , Kobayashi Yukio , Tobinai Kensei
Published: March 2017

Azacitidine is a first-in-class demethylating agent, and it is widely used globally as a first-line treatment for higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Here, we report the case of a patient with MDS who suffered from a rare adverse event, an acute lung injury (ALI), which was suspected to have been caused by azacitidine and was successfully treated with corticosteroids. As it is a rare, but critical, adverse event, clinicians should consider ALI as one of the differential diagnoses in cases where 1) pneumonia and fever of unknown etiology arise in MDS patients treated with azacitidine, 2) antimicrobial agents are not effective, and 3) microbiological tests produce negative results.
Freedom, part-time pirates, and poo police: Regulating the heterotopic space of the recreational boat
Authors: Grant-Smith Deanna , Mayes Robyn
Published: March 2017

At all levels of governance from international convention to local policy, the regulation of pollution from boats and ships has been steeped in conflict and subject to resistance. Recreational boaters, in particular, are often highly resistant to attempts to regulate their boating activity, particularly on environmental grounds. Such ongoing resistance poses a significant policy compliance challenge. This paper seeks to shed light on this complex, ongoing and broader field of opposition to environmental management by way of a case study analysis of resistance to on-board sewage regulations on the part of recreational boaters in Queensland, Australia. This resistance on the part of ‘everyday’ citizens is examined through the lens of heterotopia. In consequence, the paper can contribute to understandings more broadly of problems beleaguering environmental policy while also attending to the deeply implicated social roles of recreational boating spaces; namely as heterotopias of compensation and/or illusion. It also highlights how these heterotopic positionings are intensified by the scatological orientation of the policy under study.
‘People like me don’t have much of a chance in life’: comparing the locus of control of young people in foster care with that of adoptees, children from disadvantaged backgrounds and children in the general population
Authors: Wijedasa Dinithi
Published: March 2017

There is a paucity of research on the locus of control of children and young people growing up in foster care in England. Based on secondary analyses of data from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE), this article explores the locus of control of fostered young people during adolescence compared to those in adoptive care, those growing up in disadvantaged circumstances and young people in the general population. As the questions asked of the young people in the LSYPE did not form part of a standardised locus of control scale, the dimensionality of the items was first verified through a principal components analysis (PCA). The fostered young people scored significantly higher on external locus of control items compared to those in adopted and general population groups, and were similar to young people in the disadvantaged group. Reasons for the high external scores in the fostered group and implications for policy and practice are discussed.
A Theory of Resonance
Authors: McDonnell Terence E. , Bail Christopher A. , Tavory Iddo
Published: March 2017

The metaphor of resonance often describes the fit between a message and an audience’s worldviews. Yet scholars have largely ignored the cognitive processes audiences use to interpret messages and interactions that determine why certain messages and other cultural objects appeal to some but not others. Drawing on pragmatism, we argue that resonance occurs as cultural objects help people puzzle through practical challenges they face or construct. We discuss how cognitive distance and the process of emotional reasoning shape the likelihood of cultural resonance. We argue resonance is an emergent process structured by interactions between individuals that shape each other’s interpretation of cultural objects, diffuse objects through interactional circuits, and create opportunities for resonance among people facing similarly shaped problems. Our approach thus identifies new processes at micro, meso, and macro levels of analysis that shape resonance and describes the pathways that might allow resonance to crystallize into broader mobilization and social change.
Differences in Prevalence of Muscle Wasting in Patients Receiving Peritoneal Dialysis per Dual‐Energy X‐Ray Absorptiometry Due to Variation in Guideline Definitions of Sarcopenia
Authors: Hung Rachel , Wong Bethany , Goldet Gabrielle , Davenport Andrew
Published: March 2017

Background: Muscle wasting is associated with increased risk for mortality. There is no agreed universal definition for muscle wasting (sarcopenia), and we wished to determine whether using different criteria altered the prevalence in patients treated by peritoneal dialysis. Methods: We measured lean body and appendicular lean mass indices in 325 outpatients by dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry, comparing muscle mass with that used to define muscle wasting (sarcopenia) by various clinical guideline publications. Results: Lean body and appendicular lean mass indices did not differ by sex: female, 17.7 ± 4.6 kg/m2; male, 17.4 ± 4.3; female, 6.9 (5.6–8.5) kg/m2; male, 6.7 (5.3–8.3), respectively. Depending on the criteria, the prevalence of muscle wasting varied from 2.2%–31.3% for women and 25.1%–75.6% for men. Male patients were older (58.3 ± 16 vs 53.4 ± 15.7 years). Criteria based on cutoffs derived from young healthy patients gave the higher prevalence rates. The prevalence of muscle wasting was not associated with dialysis adequacy, estimated protein intake, duration of dialysis treatment, comorbidity, diabetes, or ethnicity. The prevalence of sarcopenic obesity was low (<5% females, 7% males). Conclusion: We found that the prevalence varied markedly depending on the cutoff criteria used to define muscle wasting. Very few patients had sarcopenic obesity. The higher prevalence for males requires further study but was not associated with dialysis treatment. Our study highlights the need for agreed criteria to define pathologic muscle wasting from that which is age associated to allow for interventional screening programs.
Effects of a Flexibility/Support Intervention on Work Performance: Evidence From the Work, Family, and Health Network
Authors: Bray Jeremy W. , Hinde Jesse M. , Kaiser David J. , Mills Michael J. , Karuntzos Georgia T. , Genadek Katie R. , Kelly Erin L. , Kossek Ellen E. , Hurtado David A.
Published: March 2017

Purpose:

To estimate the effects of a workplace initiative to reduce work–family conflict on employee performance.

Design:

A group-randomized multisite controlled experimental study with longitudinal follow-up.

Setting:

An information technology firm.

Participants:

Employees randomized to the intervention (n = 348) and control condition (n = 345).

Intervention:

An intervention, “Start. Transform. Achieve. Results.” to enhance employees’ control over their work time, to increase supervisors’ support for this change, and to increase employees’ and supervisors’ focus on results.

Methods:

We estimated the effect of the intervention on 9 self-reported employee performance measures using a difference-in-differences approach with generalized linear mixed models. Performance measures included actual and expected hours worked, absenteeism, and presenteeism.

Results:

This study found little evidence that an intervention targeting work–family conflict affected employee performance. The only significant effect of the intervention was an approximately 1-hour reduction in expected work hours. After Bonferroni correction, the intervention effect is marginally insignificant at 6 months and marginally significant at 12 and 18 months.

Conclusion:

The intervention reduced expected working time by 1 hour per week; effects on most other employee self-reported performance measures were statistically insignificant. When coupled with the other positive wellness and firm outcomes, this intervention may be useful for improving employee perceptions of increased access to personal time or personal wellness without sacrificing performance. The null effects on performance provide countervailing evidence to recent negative press on work–family and flex work initiatives.
Creating safer health systems: Lessons from other sectors and an account of an application in the Safer Clinical Systems programme
Authors: Spurgeon Peter , Flanagan Hugh , Cooke Matthew , Sujan Mark , Cross Stephen , Jarvis Rose
Published: March 2017

Despite well meaning initiatives over decades, the percentage of inpatients suffering adverse events remains constant in most advanced health systems. The notion of incident reporting as used in other safety critical industries has proved far less effective in healthcare. This article describes a new patient safety paradigm in the search for improved patient safety in healthcare. Underpinned by a holistic use of human factors the Safer Clinical Systems programme involves a proactive, risk-based approach seeking to eliminate or control risk before it is converted to patient harm. The tools and techniques applied by healthcare professional in real-life settings are described along with the outcomes of a significant reduction in risk and improvement in safety culture as measured by the Safety Culture Index. The challenges of applying the approach are discussed but it is argued that important progress could be made if a critical mass of healthcare staff were helped to acquire skills in human factors.
Terrorism and Stock Market Linkages: An Empirical Study from a Front-line State
Authors: Arif Imtiaz , Suleman Tahir
Published: March 2017

This article investigates the impact of prolonged terrorist activities on stock prices of different sectors listed in the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) by using the newly developed terrorism impact factor index with lingering effect (TIFL) and monthly time series data from 2002 (January) to 2011 (December). Johansen and Juselius (JJ) cointegration revealed a long-run relationship between terrorism and stock price. Normalized cointegration vectors are used to test the effect of terrorism on stock price. Results demonstrate a significantly mixed positive and negative impact of prolonged terrorism on stock prices of different sectors and show that the market has not become insensitive to the prolonged terrorist attacks.
Work–family Conflict, Family–work Conflict and Intention to Leave the Organization: Evidences Across Five Industry Sectors in India
Authors: Aboobaker Nimitha , Edward Manoj , Pramatha K.P.
Published: March 2017

With the attrition rates across different industry sectors likely to rise to up to a global high of 20 per cent by 2017 in India, organizations are finding it harder to understand its antecedents and thus devise and employ new strategies aimed at retaining their employees. Very few studies have tried to understand the dynamics of work–family conflict and its relationship with turnover intention in a collectivistic society like India. This research study is aimed at understanding the strength of relationship between employees’ work–family conflict and family–work conflict and their intention to leave the organization. The total 150 sample respondents comprised of 30 employees each from five different industry sectors—banking, IT (software development), IT-enabled services, insurance and telecom. Data were collected using Carlson’s measure of work–family conflict and Mobley’s turnover intention scale. Results revealed that time-based and strain-based conflict showed the highest correlations with turnover intention, with variations across different industry sectors. Multiple regression model predicted R square of 0.403, explaining 40.3 per cent of variance in turnover intention (dependent variable), by work–family conflict and family–work conflict (independent variables). Family–work conflict contributed more to turnover intention, than work–family conflict. Interesting relationships between different demographic factors and variables under study are discussed.
We’re Just Playing
Authors: Cook Mike P. , Gremo Matthew , Morgan Ryan
Published: March 2017

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to explored the use of a tabletop role-playing game in middle school ELA classrooms to examine students’ (n=36) abilities to interact with and make meaning from a traditional classroom text (Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game”).

Background.Gaming continues to soar in popularity, both inside and outside of schools. As such, it is important to continue looking for pedagogically beneficial ways to incorporate gaming into classroom spaces, specifically English Language Arts and Literacy classrooms.

Aim. In this article, we describe the game used for this study was modified from the Pathfinder system and designed to pair with Connell’s short story. We also discuss our qualitative approach to data analysis, and the three themes that emerged. First, students made gaming decisions based on their knowledge of the story. Second, students experienced the narrative through the lens of their characters. And third, students engaged in meaningful collaboration throughout gameplay.

Conclusion. The findings support ongoing calls to look for pedagogically beneficial ways to incorporate gaming into ELA and Literacy classroom spaces.
From Feeling Broken to Looking Beyond Broken: Palestinian Mothers’ Experiences of Having a Child With Spina Bifida
Authors: Nahal Maha Sudki Hmeidan , Wigert Helena , Imam Asma , Axelsson Åsa B.
Published: March 2017

Spina bifida (SB) is the second most common birth defect worldwide. Mothers of children with SB face extraordinary challenges due to the complicated conditions and disability of their children. Little is known about the impact of these challenges on the mothers’ well-being, particularly in Middle Eastern culture, where chronic illness and disability are perceived as a stigma, and care of disabled children has traditionally been the responsibility of the mother. The aim of this study was to illuminate mothers’ lived experience of having a child with SB in Palestine. Twenty Arab-Muslim mothers living in Palestine were purposefully recruited from several rehabilitation centers in Palestine and were interviewed in 2014. The transcribed interviews were analyzed according to phenomenological hermeneutics. The mothers’ experiences were described in the main theme: From feeling broken to looking beyond broken. Four themes were interwoven: living with constant anxiety, living with uncertainty, living with a burden, and living with a difficult life situation. These findings highlight the burden and resilience of the Arab-Muslim Palestinian mothers while striving to maintain the well-being of the whole family as well as facilitating the child’s welfare.
What Matters to the Girls? Norwegian Girls’ Experiences of Digital Competences in Mainstream Blogging
Authors: Dmitrow-Devold Karolina
Published: March 2017

This article seeks to identify the digital competences experienced as meaningful by teenage girls, who blog within the mainstream blog community in Norway. Previous work has mostly had its basis in the artefacts produced by girls rather than in their stories of participation, and has discussed digital competences in abstract or normative terms. This study focuses on girls’ perspectives, identifies concrete digital competences they experienced as meaningful, and a range of complex, even contradictory meanings they attributed to the competences, depending on their blogging-related goals and the femininity norms of their community of practice. The study documents how the girls’ digital practices changed over time. While some of these modifications align with what is considered beneficial, others can be viewed as problematic or gendered.
Intrathyroidal Parathyroid Cyst: An Unusual Neck Mass
Authors: Ahmad Maswood M , Almohaya Mohammed , Almalki Mussa H , Aljohani Naji
Published: March 2017

Parathyroid cyst (PC) is a very rare condition. A case of intrathyroidal PC is being reported here in a 53-year-old woman who presented to the endocrine clinic with slowly progressive painless left anterior neck swelling for 1 year with no symptoms of thyroid or parathyroid dysfunction and no compressive symptoms. Ultrasound of the thyroid showed a well-defined cystic lesion measuring 4.7 × 3.6 cm in maximum diameter with internal echoes within the cyst located in the left lobe of the thyroid gland. Fine needle aspiration revealed colorless clear fluid with a high concentration of parathyroid hormone. The patient underwent left hemithyroidectomy at her request. Histopathology revealed parathyroid tissue with unilocular cyst and thyroid tissue with goitrous changes. She was in remission, and there was no evidence of thyroid or parathyroid dysfunction after surgery.
Impact sound insulation of cross-laminated timber/massive wood floor constructions: Collection of laboratory measurements and result evaluation
Authors: Homb Anders , Guigou-Carter Catherine , Rabold Andreas
Published: March 2017

Wooden building systems, including cross-laminated timber elements, are becoming more common. The last few years have seen new developments and documentation of innovative types of cross-laminated timber floor assemblies. Regarding impact sound associated to walking persons, running or jumping children, such floor assemblies can be regarded as a weak part. So far, there are no reliable standardized calculation models available, for prediction of impact sound in the entire frequency range. Therefore the design is always based upon previous experiences and available measurements. This article presents the results of a number of well controlled sound insulation measurements of cross-laminated timber/massive wood floor constructions conducted in laboratories. The collection of data and results analysis highlight some basic phenomena. For instance, how structural differences related to the grouping of the constructions change the frequency distribution of the impact sound level and the single number quantities. Another significant result is the influence of the dynamic stiffness of the resilient interlayer of floating floor systems and the mass per unit area of the floors. Based on this analysis, the aim is to identify similarities and carry out simplifications. The data will be further processed and used in the development of prediction models and optimization process of cross-laminated timber floor assemblies.
An excessive risk of suicide may no longer be a reality for multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Kalson-Ray Shoshannah , Edan Gilles , Leray Emmanuelle ,   for the SURVIMUS Study Group
Published: March 2017

Background:

Few recent studies have shown that there is no longer an increased risk of suicide in patients affected with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objectives:

To describe suicide cases within a large French MS cohort and assess whether MS patients are at a higher risk of suicide compared with the general population.

Methods:

Data derives from a study on long-term mortality of 27,603 prevalent cases from 15 MS specialist centres. Of 1,569 deceased MS patients (5.7%) on 1 January 2010, 47 were suicides.

Results:

The mean time between MS clinical onset and death was 13.5 years (standard deviation (SD): 9.3 years; none within the first 3 years) and was significantly shorter than for MS patients who had died from other causes (mean = 21.4 (SD = 11.6), p < 0.0001). Age at death was also lower (46.3 vs 56.7). The standardized mortality rates were around 1 in several sensitivity analyses, reflecting no excess mortality in MS compared with general population.

Conclusion:

Our findings indicate that an excess suicide risk may no longer be true for MS patients and highlight the changing profile of cases, occurring later in the disease course. Further studies in population-based registries are needed to confirm and explain these potential changes (e.g. treatments’ impact?).
Minority governments and legislative reliability
Authors: Klüver Heike , Zubek Radoslaw
Published: March 2017

When are minority cabinets effective? We study the extent to which minority cabinets demonstrate legislative reliability, that is, introduce to parliament the bills they have announced in their legislative agendas. We test hypotheses drawn from two theories of minority government effectiveness: the positional agenda power theory which emphasizes the central location of the minority cabinet in the policy space and the ideological proximity theory which stresses the importance of the ideological closeness of opposition parties to the government. In an analysis of over 1600 bills announced by Danish and Swedish minority cabinets in 19 legislative agendas published between 1998 and 2012, we find more support, overall, for the ideological proximity than for the positional agenda power model.
Photography, care and the visual economy of Gambian transatlantic kinship relations
Authors: Kea Pamela
Published: March 2017

This article examines transnational kinship relations between Gambian parents in the UK and their children and carers in The Gambia, with a focus on the production, exchange and reception of photographs. Many Gambian migrant parents in the UK take their children to The Gambia to be cared for by extended family members. Mirroring the mobility of Gambian migrants and their children as they travel between the UK and The Gambia, photographs document changing family structures and relations. It is argued that domestic photography provides an insight into the representational politics, values and aesthetics of Gambian transatlantic kinship relations. Further, the concept of the moral economy supports a hermeneutics of Gambian family photographic practice and develops our understanding of the visual economy of transnational kinship relations in a number of ways: it draws attention to the way in which the value attributed to a photograph is rooted in shared moral and cultural codes of care within transnational relations of inequality and power; it helps us to interpret Gambians’ responses to and treatment of family photographs; and it highlights the importance attributed to portrait photography and the staging, setting and aesthetics of photographic content within a Gambian imaginary.
Implicit Theory of Writing Ability: Relationship to Metacognitive Strategy Knowledge and Strategy Use in Academic Writing
Authors: Karlen Yves , Compagnoni Miriam
Published: March 2017

Implicit theories about the nature of human attributes as either malleable or fixed influence how people perceive knowledge and approach different tasks. Two studies explored the relationship between implicit theory of writing ability, metacognitive strategy knowledge (MSK), and strategy use in the context of academic writing. The pre-study with N = 51 university students revealed a significant correlation between students’ implicit theories and their MSK. Self-reported quality and diversity of strategy use, assessed by open-ended questions, were not significantly associated with students’ implicit theories. Expanding strategy use measures, study 2 ( N = 133) found significant correlations between a more malleable theory and more frequent use of metacognitive strategies. Confirming the results of the pre-study, the results of study 2 showed that a more malleable theory of writing ability was directly associated with higher MSK. In sum, the results illustrate the importance of linking implicit theories to self-regulated learning.
Using Digital Storytelling to Teach Psychology: A Preliminary Investigation
Authors: Sheafer Vicki
Published: March 2017

Digital storytelling is a technology application that has emerged as a powerful teaching and learning tool that engages both teachers and students. Digital storytelling allows students to become creative storytellers through selecting a topic, conducting research, writing a script, and developing the story. However, the use of digital storytelling is absent from the teaching of psychology literature. This preliminary investigation was based on Wann’s 1993 study, in which he had students in a social psychology class select a classic experiment from a list, develop a script, and perform the play in class. I modified his technique such that students, instead of performing plays, used digital storytelling. Students completed a multiple-choice pretest and posttest to assess their knowledge about the experiments chosen. They also completed an assignment evaluation survey. The results demonstrated that students’ knowledge about their classic experiment and the classic experiments of their classmates increased significantly. The evaluation survey showed that the students believed that the assignment was enjoyable, an interesting learning experience, hard work, and fun.
Experimental and theoretical investigation of hollow polyester fibers effect on impact behavior of composites
Authors: Nasr-Isfahani Mohammad , Tehran M Amani , Latifi Masoud , Halvaei Mana , Warnet Laurent
Published: March 2017

In this paper, the effect of utilizing hollow polyester fibers as reinforcement in composite material in comparison with solids is investigated. The three-point bending impact test is carried out to study the impact behavior and mode of failure of composites. After that, the finite element method is used for theoretical investigation and modeling the behavior of two different reinforced composites during impact tests. It was found that the fiber–matrix interface failure is the most dominant mode of failure and the crack was initiated at the middle of the bottom surface of composites. It was also found that the impact resistance of the hollow fiber composite is more than the others. Theoretical results showed good correlation with experimental results as well. The stress distribution and the maximum value of strain energy density was found as two factors which lead to improvement in the impact behavior of hollow fiber composites.
All-carbon cord-yarn supercapacitor
Authors: Huang Yuxiang , Chen Jonathan Y
Published: March 2017

Flexible solid-state yarn supercapacitors were fabricated using commercial carbon fiber and activated carbon fiber. Two methods of yarn construction were studied. One was twisting carbon fiber and activated carbon fiber together (plied yarn), and the other was wrapping activated carbon fiber on carbon fiber (wrapped yarn). Electrochemical measurements in terms of cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge (GC) and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were conducted. The result revealed that the cord-yarn structure performed better than the core-spun yarn structure, by showing a specific length capacitance of 82 mF cm−1 at 2 mVs−1. It also exhibited a high specific length energy density of 20.4 μW h cm−1 at a power density of 60 μW cm−1. There was little capacitance reduction when the cord-yarn supercapacitor was bent or crumpled, showing an excellent mechanical flexibility.
Improving Family Communication
Authors: Medrano Vilma , Bonilla Gladys , Hernández Ericka , Romanjek Mariana Harnecker , Gómez Adriana , Hernández Jasón , Reyes Marcela Ríos , Lindenberg Cathy Strachan
Published: March 2017

Introduction:

TeenSmart International harnesses the power and flexibility of technology to empower youth to take personal responsibility for their health and lifestyle choices. Access to the Internet via mobile phones is often cheaper than paying to connect to a wired broadband service, and in rural areas, mobile networks may be the only means of accessing the Internet. This study assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of “cues to action” or brief motivating cell phone text messages to improve adolescent family communication and relationships.

Method:

A quasi-experimental design using a voluntary sample of 100 Nicaraguan youth at high risk for poor family communication participated. Pre- and posttest quantitative measures using Student t statistical analysis, a focus group, and a participant testimony provided the evaluation evidence.

Results:

Findings suggest that there are economic and motivational barriers to the use of text messages, but when barriers are eliminated, the behavioral results are positive. Youth who received two weekly text messages over a 6-month period demonstrated statistically significant improvements in family communication perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors, strengthening their family communications and relationships.

Conclusion:

Brief and personalized text messaging “cues to action” may be a cost-effective intervention to improve adolescent healthy lifestyle behaviors.
A Short and Distinct Time Window for Recovery of Arm Motor Control Early After Stroke Revealed With a Global Measure of Trajectory Kinematics
Authors: Cortes Juan C. , Goldsmith Jeff , Harran Michelle D. , Xu Jing , Kim Nathan , Schambra Heidi M. , Luft Andreas R. , Celnik Pablo , Krakauer John W. , Kitago Tomoko
Published: March 2017

Background. Studies demonstrate that most arm motor recovery occurs within three months after stroke, when measured with standard clinical scales. Improvements on these measures, however, reflect a combination of recovery in motor control, increases in strength, and acquisition of compensatory strategies. Objective. To isolate and characterize the time course of recovery of arm motor control over the first year poststroke. Methods. Longitudinal study of 18 participants with acute ischemic stroke. Motor control was evaluated using a global kinematic measure derived from a 2-dimensional reaching task designed to minimize the need for antigravity strength and prevent compensation. Arm impairment was evaluated with the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the upper extremity (FMA-UE), activity limitation with the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), and strength with biceps dynamometry. Assessments were conducted at: 1.5, 5, 14, 27, and 54 weeks poststroke. Results. Motor control in the paretic arm improved up to week 5, with no further improvement beyond this time point. In contrast, improvements in the FMA-UE, ARAT, and biceps dynamometry continued beyond 5 weeks, with a similar magnitude of improvement between weeks 5 and 54 as the one observed between weeks 1.5 and 5. Conclusions. Recovery after stroke plateaued much earlier for arm motor control, isolated with a global kinematic measure, compared to motor function assessed with clinical scales. This dissociation between the time courses of kinematic and clinical measures of recovery may be due to the contribution of strength improvement to the latter. Novel interventions, focused on the first month poststroke, will be required to exploit the narrower window of spontaneous recovery for motor control.
A novel algorithm to mitigate the effect of clipping in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing underwater communication acoustic sensor system
Authors: Wu Jinqiu , Ma Xuefei , Yin Yanling , Babar Zeeshan
Published: March 2017

Distinctive features of underwater communication channel pose significant challenges to effective underwater acoustic communication. Due to bandwidth limitation, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing is widely used for its high spectrum efficiency. However, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing also has its shortcomings, one of which is the relatively high peak-to-average power ratio, which leads to saturation in the power amplifier and consequent distortion of the signal. Clipping is the most commonly used method to address the high peak-to-average power ratio; however, it introduces additional noise resulting in degradation of the system’s performance. This article proposes a compressed sensing technique for mitigation of the clipping noise, which exploits pilot and data tones instead of reserved tones, thus making it distinct from the previous works and improves data rate. Moreover, in contrast with previous works, the channel is also estimated using compressed sensing technique, which provides more accurate channel characteristics for estimating the clipping noise than traditional methods like least square or minimum mean squared error. The better performance of the proposed Iterative compressed sensing algorithm is proved in simulations as well as in a pool experiment using acoustic wave sensors.
Importance of Large, Old Primary Forest Trees in Nest-Site Selection by the Northern Mealy Amazon (Amazona guatemalae)
Authors: De Labra-Hernández Miguel Ángel , Renton Katherine
Published: March 2017

The increasing conversion of primary tropical moist forest to secondary forest may have consequences for threatened, large-bodied cavity-nesters, such as the Northern Mealy Amazon ( Amazona guatemalae). We determined availability and characteristics of tree-cavities in 24 1-ha survey plots in Los Chimalapas, southeast Mexico, with 9 plots in evergreen forest, 7 in riparian, and 8 in secondary forest. We compared these with 40 parrot nest-trees to determine whether parrots select cavities with specific characteristics for nesting. Over half of Northern Mealy Amazon nests occurred in live trees of Terminalia amazonia (32.5%) and Dialium guianense (20%). Compared with available cavities, the Northern Mealy Amazon selected nest-cavities in significantly larger trees, at a greater height above the ground, with larger internal diameter, and greater depth. In particular, internal diameter and cavity depth predicted whether a cavity was selected as a nest-site by parrots. We found a low density of 2.3 available cavities/ha in the study site, although only 1.6 cavities/ha had characteristics suitable for use as nest-sites by parrots. Cavities in secondary forest occurred in smaller trees, at a lower height, and with shallower depth, where only 0.75 cavities/ha were suitable for nesting by parrots. Our results demonstrate that the Northern Mealy Amazon requires nest-cavities in large, old trees able to form large cavities, the majority of which occur in primary forest. The low density of suitable nest-sites for parrots in secondary forest suggests that increased degradation of primary tropical moist forest may have long-term implications for reproduction of this threatened species.
Land Trafficking, Migration, and Conservation in the “No-Man’s Land” of Northeastern Peru
Authors: Shanee Noga , Shanee Sam
Published: March 2017

Peru and especially its northeastern regions are considered a global conservation priority because of high biodiversity and the acute threats they face. Despite the Peruvian state’s declared intention to end forest loss, deforestation is on the rise. This is in part due to rural–rural and urban–rural migration to forest frontier zones. This migration is often organized and led by land traffickers. In this article, we use ethnographic methods and case studies to identify major land trafficking types, the interactions between traffickers and local communities, and conservation initiatives as well as authorities’ capacity to respond to this illicit practice. Land trafficking exists at different scales and can be highly lucrative. Loopholes in Peruvian laws, conflicting policies, and institutional inefficiencies impede effective confrontation of land trafficking and in some cases even encourage it. Corruption plays an essential role in facilitating this trade. Although local people are often aware of the problems related to land trafficking, their ability to control it is greatly impeded by social factors and by the dangers of confronting organized criminals. Land trafficking is seldom studied but has great environmental and social implications and must be addressed both on academic and practical levels in order to confront biodiversity loss related to migration to forest frontiers.
Simple Silica Column–Based Method to Quantify Inorganic Polyphosphates in Cartilage and Other Tissues
Authors: Lee Whitaik David , Gawri Rahul , Shiba Toshikazu , Ji Ae-Ri , Stanford William L. , Kandel Rita A.
Published: March 2017

Objective. Inorganic polyphosphates (polyP) play a multitude of roles in mammalian biology. PolyP research is hindered by the lack of a simple and sensitive quantification method. The aim of this study was to develop a robust method for quantifying the low levels of polyP in mammalian tissue such as cartilage, which is rich in macromolecules that interfere with its determination. Design. Native and in vitro formed tissues were digested with proteinase K to release sequestrated polyP. The tissue digest was loaded on to silica spin columns, followed by elution of bound polyP and various treatments were assessed to minimize non-polyP fluorescence. The eluent was then quantified for polyP content using fluorometry based on DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) fluorescence shift occurring with polyP. Results. Proteinase K pretreatment reduced the inhibitory effect of proteins on polyP recovery. The eluent was contaminated with nucleic acids and glycosaminoglycans, which cause extraneous fluorescence signals. These were then effectively eliminated by nucleases treatment and addition of concentrated Tris buffer. PolyP levels were quantified and recovery ratio determined using samples spiked with a known amount of polyP. This silica spin column method was able to recover at least 80% of initially loaded polyP, and detect as little as 10−10 mol. Conclusions. This sensitive, reproducible, easy to do method of quantifying polyP will be a useful tool for investigation of polyP biology in mammalian cells and tissues. Although the protocol was developed for mammalian tissues, this method should be able to quantify polyP in most biological sources, including fluid samples such as blood and serum.
Introduction to Special Theme Veillance and transparency: A critical examination of mutual watching in the post-Snowden, Big Data era
Authors: Bakir Vian , Feilzer Martina , McStay Andrew
Published: March 2017

Introducing the Special Theme on Veillance and Transparency: A Critical Examination of Mutual Watching in the Post-Snowden, Big Data Era, this article presents a series of provocations and practices on veillance and transparency in the context of Big Data in a post-Snowden period. In introducing the theoretical and empirical research papers, artistic, activist and educational provocations and commentaries in this Special Theme, it highlights three central debates. Firstly, concerning theory/practice, it queries how useful theories of veillance and transparency are in explaining mutual watching in the post-Snowden, Big Data era. Secondly, it presents a range of questions concerning norms, ethics, regulation, resistance and social change around veillance and transparency. Thirdly, it interrogates the upsurge in veillance and transparency discourses and practices post-Snowden, and asks whether they are adequate to the task of educating and engaging people on abstract and secretive surveillance practices, as well as on the possibilities and pitfalls of sousveillance.
Adaptation of the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model to Needle Sharing Behaviors and Hepatitis C Risk
Authors: Robinson William T.
Published: March 2017

The current study adapts the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model of health behavior to injection drug using risk behaviors and risk for Hepatitis C (HCV). Briefly, this model postulates that prevention behaviors are directly influenced by an individual’s knowledge about a disease, their motivation to avoid the disease and their skills and capacity to engage in prevention behaviors, while information and motivation also directly influence behavioral skills. Scales for HCV information, motivation and behavioral skills were included in the New Orleans arm of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) of Injection Drug Use study. A structural equation model was tested on a sample of 108 current injection drug users recruited in December 2012. Results showed good fit of the IMB model. Although participants had high levels of information and knowledge about HCV transmission, information was not found to relate to either behavioral skills or needle sharing. Higher levels of skills were directly related to lower levels of needle sharing. In addition, motivation had an indirect effect on needle sharing that was mediated through skills. Many approaches to HIV and HCV prevention focus on increasing awareness and information about HIV and risk behaviors. This model, however, appears to indicate that increasing awareness may not be as effective as interventions or programs that increase behavioral skills or motivation coupled with skills building. Although some HIV/STD prevention interventions, such as motivational interviews do attempt to capitalize on this relationship, more efforts should be made to incorporate this important link into high impact prevention programs.
Antimicrobial peptide levels are linked to airway inflammation, bacterial colonisation and exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Persson Louise J.P , Aanerud Marianne , Hardie Jon A. , Miodini Nilsen Roy , Bakke Per S. , Eagan Tomas M. , Hiemstra Pieter S.
Published: March 2017

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are effectors of host defence against infection, inflammation and wound repair. We aimed to study AMP levels in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and during acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD), and to examine their relation to clinical parameters and inflammatory markers.

The 3-year Bergen COPD Cohort Study included 433 COPD patients and 325 controls. Induced sputum was obtained and analysed for levels of the AMPs human cathelicidin (hCAP18/LL-37) and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), and for the inflammatory markers interleukin (IL)-8, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) using immunoassays. Systemic hCAP18/LL-37 and vitamin D levels were also studied. Treating AMPs as response variables, non-parametric tests were applied for univariate comparison, and linear regression to obtain adjusted estimates. The risk of AECOPD was assessed by Cox proportional-hazard regression.

Sputum AMP levels were higher in patients with stable COPD (n=215) compared to controls (n=45), and further changed during AECOPD (n=56), with increased hCAP18/LL-37 and decreased SLPI levels. Plasma hCAP18/LL-37 levels showed a similar pattern. In stable COPD, high sputum hCAP18/LL-37 levels were associated with increased risk of AECOPD, non-typeableHaemophilus influenzaecolonisation, higher age, ex-smoking and higher levels of inflammatory markers.

Altered levels of selected AMPs are linked to airway inflammation, infection and AECOPD, suggesting a role for these peptides in airway defence mechanisms in COPD.