bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
To translate or to develop a measure? The case of a new Arabic measure of organizational justice
Authors: Gadelrab Hesham F. , Alkhadher Othman
Published: February 2017

One of the most prominent and widely used self‐reporting scales for assessing organizational justice perceptions was developed by Colquitt (2001). This scale has been used internationally and has therefore been translated into several languages including Arabic. In a recent study, after conducting a careful review of organizational justice literature to ensure its relevance to Arabic culture, Alkhadher and Gadalreb () developed a new Arabic measure of organizational justice (AMOJ) perceptions and found evidence of a four‐factor scale structure. The purpose of this study is to compare the Arabic version of Colquitt's measure of organizational justice (AVCMOJ) with the AMOJ in terms of predictive power using various outcome measures used by Colquitt (2001). The two scales were administered to 781 Kuwaiti employees (47.6% males) from the public sector. A multiple‐sample confirmatory factor analysis supports the four‐dimensional structure for both AVCMOJ and AMOJ measures. Cronbach's alpha obtained for subscales was found to range between 0.72 and 0.85. The predictive power of the three AMOJ dimensions (distributional, procedural, and informational) was found to be higher than that of the AVCMOJ. The results of the present study raise issues of scale development against the translation of well‐developed scales. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.
Kinetics of cooking of unsoaked and presoaked split peas (Cajanus cajan)
Authors: Shinde Yogesh H. , Amogha V. , Pandit Aniruddha B. , Joshi Jyeshtharaj B.
Published: February 2017

Cooking methods used currently are about 10–15% thermally efficient. To develop better efficient methods of cooking, it is desirable to understand the kinetics of cooking. Experiments were performed with both unsoaked and presoaked split‐peas (commonly known as Dhal in India) at three different temperatures (90 °C, 94 °C, and 98 °C). It has been found that Dhal does not cook at 90 °C even after 120 min of cooking time. Pre‐soaking of Dhal does not found to reduce the time required for cooking. In the present work, the rate of water absorption and hardness of cooked Dhal grains were measured. Both the measurements were used for the estimation of cooking kinetics. The rate constants for cooking of unsoaked and presoaked Dhal were found to be ∼ 4 × 10−4 s−1 at 94 °C and ∼8 × 10−4 s−1 at 98 °C. Regime of operation for cooking of Dhal is found to be diffusion controlled based on swelling particle model of (Singhal et al., 2012).

Practical applications

About 40 % of the total energy consumed in the developing World (population more than 4 billion) is used for cooking. In developing countries, where 70 % of the population resides in rural areas, open pan cooking method (efficiency ∼15%) is still the most widely used. Pressure cooker development has improved the thermal efficiency to some extent. There is an urgent need to employ an energy efficient engineering solution for preparing hygienic, nutritious meals, which also has advantages of energy efficiency, ease of operation and efficient resource utilization. In order to design any efficient cooking device, kinetics of cooking for particular food material must be studied. Shinde et al., (2016), Joshi et al., (2012) have designed the energy efficient batch and continuous cookers. Presented work utilizes simple method for determining kinetics of spilt peas, which can be easily extended to obtain kinetics of any other food material.
Nurses can play an active role in the early diagnosis of exposure keratopathy in intensive care patients
Authors: Kocaçal Güler Elem , Eşer İsmet , Eğrilmez Sait
Published: February 2017

Aim

This study was conducted in order to determine nurses' ability to diagnose exposure keratopathy reliably in the early stage in intensive care patients.

Methods

This methodological and descriptive study was carried out between 2011 and 2012 in the Neurology and Anesthesiology and Reanimation Intensive Care Units of a teaching hospital in western Turkey. The sample consisted of 4354 ocular assessments in 156 corneas of 78 patients. A patient identification form and a fluorescein test patient tracking chart were used in the data collection. The corneas of the patients were checked by a fluorescein dye test by the same nurse and ophthalmologist.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 59 ± 15.5 years and 47.4% of them were female. The consistency between the nurse and the ophthalmologist was almost perfect in terms of determining the presence of exposure keratopathy, characteristics, and the grade of corneal staining. Exposure keratopathy was detected at a rate of 2% by the ophthalmologist. A significant relationship was found between the presence of lagophthalmos and the development of exposure keratopathy. A positive correlation was found between the grade of corneal staining and the degree of the eyelid position of the patients and the duration of mechanical ventilation therapy.

Conclusion

After eye care and assessment training, intensive care nurses can play an effective role in detecting early‐stage exposure keratopathy in intensive care patients.
Evaluation of endocervical curettage with conization in diagnosis of endocervical lesions
Authors: Suzuki Yukio , Cho Tamaki , Mogami Tae , Yokota Naho Ruiz , Matsunaga Tatsuya , Asai‐Sato Mikiko , Hirahara Fumiki , Nojima Masanori , Mori Mitsuru , Miyagi Etsuko
Published: February 2017

Aim

Endocervical curettage (ECC) at the time of conization has been reported to be effective for diagnosing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and/or early stage cervical cancer. We aimed to verify the accuracy of ECC with conization.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the records of 540 patients with suspected neoplastic cervical lesions who underwent conization at the Yokohama City University Hospital from January 2008 to December 2015. To validate the effectiveness of ECC for evaluating endocervical lesions, histopathologic findings from ECC samples were compared with those from endocervical specimens obtained by conization. In patients who subsequently underwent hysterectomy, specimens of residual endocervical stump lesions were compared with the specimens obtained by ECC.

Results

ECC was performed in 58.9% of patients who underwent conization. Positive findings were only observed in 7.9%, while negative findings were found in 67.3% of ECC samples; however, 24.8% of the samples were inadequate for diagnosis. None of the patients had an upgraded diagnosis according to ECC results. The sensitivity of ECC in predicting endocervical stump lesions that were identified by conization specimens was 25.0%, the specificity was 94.2% and the positive predictive value was 55.0% (κ = 0.238; P < 0.001). ECC samples yielded a sensitivity of 42.9%, a specificity of 83.9%, and positive predictive value of 54.5% (κ = 0.284; P = 0.053) in predicting residual endocervical lesions in the uterus.

Conclusions

As it offers low sensitivity and positive predictive value, ECC at the time of conization is of limited benefit for evaluating endocervical lesions.
Impact of risk factors for perinatal events in Japan: Introduction of a newly created perinatal event score
Authors: Matsuda Yoshio , Sasaki Kemal , Kakinuma Kaoru , Kakinuma Toshiyuki , Tagawa Miki , Imai Ken , Nonaka Hiroaki , Ohwada Michitaka , Satoh Shoji
Published: February 2017

Aim

A cohort study was performed to clarify the influence of risk factors on perinatal events (obstetric complications and/or perinatal deaths).

Methods

This cohort study reviewed 395 785 births from 2011 to 2013. Women with singleton pregnancies delivered after 22 weeks of gestation were included. The OR were determined on multivariate analysis. The perinatal event score (PES) for risk factors, which is the product of the OR of risk factors for obstetric complications, OR of risk factors for perinatal death, and OR of obstetric complications for perinatal death, was introduced to clarify the impact of each risk combination.

Results

There were 20 risk factors such as maternal age and medical complications relating to the 11 obstetric complications, including pregnancy‐induced hypertension and preterm labor. As a result, 77 combinations of risk factors and obstetric complications were found to be significant. Six obstetric complications such as preterm labor and cervical insufficiency were found to be related to perinatal death. Two factors were found to be directly related to perinatal death: age >40 years old (OR, 1.24; 95%CI: 1.11–1.39) and essential hypertension (OR, 1.56; 95%CI: 1.19–2.05). As a result, PES ranged from 1.07 (primipara for premature rupture of membrane) to 40.1 (essential hypertension for placental abruption), and high PES (≥8) was identified in 21 combinations of risk factors and obstetric complications.

Conclusion

This newly created score for perinatal events, PES, can be used as an indicator of the impact of risk factors on perinatal events.
Intracranial Posterior Circulation Large Artery Thrombi Visualized Using Susceptibility‐Weighted MRI
Authors: Wang Naidong , Hu Qimin , Wang Qiaoshu , Zhao Jinglong , Dedhia Nikita , Caplan Louis R.
Published: February 2017

PURPOSE

To identify thrombi in patients with posterior circulation large artery occlusion using susceptibility‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

METHODS

All patients hospitalized with intracranial posterior circulation occlusion from January 2003 to September 2013 were included. MRI and computed tomography angiography were reviewed to determine the presence of arterial occlusion and identify thrombi. Eighty‐one patients were analyzed to investigate susceptibility vessel sign (SVS) that was identified as blooming artifact (BA) on T2*‐weighted gradient echo imaging.

RESULTS

We identified 21 of 63 (33.3%) patients with BA in symptomatic patients, and 1 of 18 (5.6%) in the asymptomatic group with significant difference (P = .019). BAs were found in 6 of 10 (60.0%) patients with cardioembolism, 5 of 13 (38.5%) with dissection, 9 of 34 (26.5%) with large artery atherosclerotic disease, and 1 of 6 (16.7%) with undetermined cause.

CONCLUSION

Identifying SVS may be useful in exploring the fresh thrombi and the mechanism of posterior circulation stroke.
Social Psychology, Consumer Culture and Neoliberal Political Economy
Authors: McDonald Matthew , Gough Brendan , Wearing Stephen , Deville Adrian
Published: February 2017

Consumer culture and neoliberal political economy are often viewed by social psychologists as topics reserved for anthropologists, economists, political scientists and sociologists. This paper takes an alternative view arguing that social psychology needs to better understand these two intertwined institutions as they can both challenge and provide a number of important insights into social psychological theories of self‐identity and their related concepts. These include personality traits, self‐esteem, social comparisons, self‐enhancement, impression management, self‐regulation and social identity. To illustrate, we examine how elements of consumer culture and neoliberal political economy intersect with social psychological concepts of self‐identity through three main topics: ‘the commodification of self‐identity’, ‘social categories, culture and power relations’ and the ‘governing of self‐regulating consumers’. In conclusion, we recommend a decommodified approach to research with the aim of producing social psychological knowledge that avoids becoming enmeshed with consumer culture and neoliberalism.
Transobturator Tape Operation for the Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Postmenopausal Women Aged Over 65 Years
Authors: YASA Cenk , GUNGOR UGURLUCAN Funda , DURAL Ozlem , YUMRU Harika , GUNAYDIN Cansu , YALCIN Onay
Published: February 2017

Objective

We compared success rates and complication rates in women aged less then and equal to or more than 65 years who had undergone transobturator tape (TOT) surgery for stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study that included patients who underwent surgery to treat SUI. We separated patients into two groups according to age: younger than 65 years and equal to or older than 65 years. Exclusion criteria were patients with history of incontinence surgery, history of radical pelvic surgery, concomitant pelvic organ prolapse repair, detrusor overactivity, and less than 1 year of postoperative follow‐up. The surgical procedures and pre‐ and postoperative evaluations including urodynamics were performed in a tertiary center. The primary objective was to assess the success rate, patient‐reported satisfaction after surgery, and improvement in quality of life (QOL). The secondary outcome the assessment of complications.

Results

A total of 123 women, including 53 (43.1%) women aged less than 65 years, and 70 (56.9%) women aged 65 years and over with SUI who underwent TOT surgery between January 2004, and March 2013. After a median follow‐up of 52 (IQR 31) months for the older patients and 54 (IQR 42) months for younger patients, cure rates and patients satisfaction rates were similar in both group (82.9 vs. 81.1%, P = 0.81 and 87.2 vs. 88.6%, P = 0.79, respectively). The improvement in QOL, which was confirmed with changes in Kings Health Questionnaire (KHQ) scores, was similar in both the older and younger women −209.6 (IQR 420.9) vs. −191.1 (IQR 379.4), P = 0.62, respectively). Postoperative complications were similar in both age groups.

Conclusions

Transobturator tape surgery in the management of SUI is safe and efficient in improving QOL, has high success and patient satisfaction, and low postoperative morbidity rates even in women aged ≥65 years.
Optimal transport to cold chain in perishable hand‐picked agriculture
Authors: Manuel Devasia , Sowers Richard B.
Published: February 2017

We develop and analyze a model for scheduling transport for perishable products. Once the harvest is picked, its quality starts to deteriorate, eventually having no value. In hand‐picked crops, the rate of picking often varies during the day. One would like to transport the harvest to a cooling station (cold chain), but to do so according to an optimal policy. This optimal policy should reflect a trade‐off between the loss of quality and the rate of harvest, and the fact that only a finite number of transports can be scheduled. We model the harvest and loss of quality and arrive at a computationally solvable optimization problem.
Recent updates on electronic cigarette aerosol and inhaled nicotine effects on periodontal and pulmonary tissues
Authors: Javed F , Kellesarian SV , Sundar IK , Romanos GE , Rahman I
Published: February 2017

E‐cigarette‐derived inhaled nicotine may contribute to the pathogenesis of periodontal and pulmonary diseases in particular via lung inflammation, injurious, and dysregulated repair responses. Nicotine is shown to have antiproliferative properties and affects fibroblasts in vitro, which may interfere in tissue myofibroblast differentiation in e‐cig users. This will affect the ability to heal wounds by decreasing wound contraction. In periodontics, direct exposure to e‐vapor has been shown to produce harmful effects in periodontal ligament and gingival fibroblasts in culture. This is due to the generation of reactive oxygen species/aldehydes/carbonyls from e‐cig aerosol, leading to protein carbonylation of extracellular matrix and DNA adducts/damage. A limited number of studies regarding the effects of e‐cig in oral and lung health are available. However, no reports are available to directly link the deleterious effects on e‐cigs, inhaled nicotine, and flavorings aerosol on periodontal and pulmonary health in particular to identify the risk of oral diseases by e‐cigarettes and nicotine aerosols. This mini‐review summarizes the recent perspectives on e‐cigarettes including inhaled nicotine effects on several pathophysiological events, such as oxidative stress, DNA damage, innate host response, inflammation, cellular senescence, profibrogenic and dysregulated repair, leading to lung remodeling, oral submucous fibrosis, and periodontal diseases.
Topical tacrolimus, triamcinolone acetonide, and placebo in oral lichen planus: a pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: Siponen M , Huuskonen L , Kallio‐Pulkkinen S , Nieminen P , Salo T
Published: February 2017

Objective

To carry out a double‐blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) to compare the effectiveness of topical tacrolimus (TAC), triamcinolone acetonide (TRI), and placebo (PLA) in symptomatic oral lichen planus (OLP).

Subjects and Methods

A clinical score (CS, range 0–130) was developed to measure the clinical signs and symptoms of OLP. Twenty‐seven OLP patients with a CS of ≥20 were randomly allocated to receive 0.1% TAC ointment (n = 11), 0.1% TRI paste (n = 7), or Orabase® paste as PLA (n = 9) for 3 weeks. If the CS dropped ≥20% (interpreted as response), the patients continued the same medication for another 3 weeks. If the CS dropped <20% or increased (non‐response), the patients were switched to TAC for 6 weeks. A 6‐month follow‐up period ensued. The primary outcome variable was the change in CS from baseline to week 3. In primary outcome analysis, CS values between the treatment arms were compared.

Results

Tacrolimus and TRI were more effective (P = 0.012 and 0.031, respectively) than PLA in reducing the CS at week 3. No difference in the efficacy was noted between TAC and TRI (P = 0.997).

Conclusions

This pilot RCT provides evidence for the effectiveness of TAC and TRI over PLA in the management of OLP.
Modulation of host immune responses to Toxoplasma gondii by microRNAs
Authors: Cai Y. , Shen J.
Published: February 2017

To survive successfully, Toxoplasma counteracts the strictly regulated host innate response to downregulate inflammation that could be deleterious for the parasite. MicroRNAs are vital regulators of both innate and adaptive immunity, controlling the maintenance and development of immune progenitors as well as the differentiation and the functions of host mature immune cells. Thus, the complexity of mechanisms underlying the connection between Toxoplasma and host immunity has led to investigations of miRNAs as additional key molecular players. The knowledge acquired from these studies will be useful for aiding the discovery of new targets for diagnosis or therapeutic approaches for toxoplasmosis and insight into the interaction between host and parasite.
Influence of acute stress on response inhibition in healthy men: An ERP study
Authors: Dierolf Angelika Margarete , Fechtner Julia , Böhnke Robina , Wolf Oliver T. , Naumann Ewald
Published: February 2017

The current study investigated the influence of acute stress and the resulting cortisol increase on response inhibition and its underlying cortical processes, using EEG. Before and after an acute stressor or a control condition, 39 healthy men performed a go/no‐go task while ERPs (N2, P3), reaction times, errors, and salivary cortisol were measured. Acute stress impaired neither accuracy nor reaction times, but differentially affected the neural correlates of response inhibition; namely, stress led to enhanced amplitudes of the N2 difference waves (N2d, no‐go minus go), indicating enhanced response inhibition and conflict monitoring. Moreover, participants responding to the stressor with an acute substantial rise in cortisol (high cortisol responders) showed reduced amplitudes of the P3 of the difference waves (P3d, no‐go minus go) after the stressor, indicating an impaired evaluation and finalization of the inhibitory process. Our findings indicate that stress leads to a reallocation of cognitive resources to the neural subprocesses of inhibitory control, strengthening premotor response inhibition and the detection of response conflict, while concurrently diminishing the subsequent finalization process within the stream of processing.
Financial incentive does not affect P300 (in response to certain episodic and semantic probe stimuli) in the Complex Trial Protocol (CTP) version of the Concealed Information Test (CIT) in detection of malingering
Authors: Rosenfeld J. Peter , Labkovsky Elena , Davydova Elena , Ward Anne , Rosenfeld Lauren
Published: February 2017

Previous research indicated that the skin conductance response of the autonomic nervous system in the Concealed Information Test (CIT) is typically increased in subjects who are financially and otherwise incentivized to defeat the CIT (the paradoxical “motivational impairment” effect). This is not the case for RT‐based CITs, nor P300 tests based on the three‐stimulus protocol for detection of cognitive malingering (although these are not the same as CITs). The present report is the first attempt to study the effect of financial motivation on the P300‐based Complex Trial Protocol using both episodic and semantic memory probe and irrelevant stimuli. The Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) was used to validate behavioral differences between the two groups we created by offering one (paid) group but not another (unpaid) group a financial reward for beating our tests. Group behavioral differences on the TOMM did confirm group manipulations. Probe‐minus‐irrelevant P300 differences did not differ between groups, although as previously, semantic memory‐evoked P300s were larger than episodic memory‐evoked P300s.
Analgesia induced by self‐initiated electrotactile sensation is mediated by top‐down modulations
Authors: Zhao Ke , Tang Zhengyu , Wang Huiquan , Guo Yifei , Peng Weiwei , Hu Li
Published: February 2017

It is well known that sensory perception can be attenuated when sensory stimuli are controlled by self‐initiated actions. This phenomenon is explained by the consistency between forward models of anticipated action effects and actual sensory feedback. Specifically, the brain state related to the binding between motor processing and sensory perception would have inhibitory function by gating sensory information via top‐down control. Since the brain state could casually influence the perception of subsequent stimuli of different sensory modalities, we hypothesize that pain evoked by nociceptive stimuli following the self‐initiated tactile stimulation would be attenuated as compared to that following externally determined tactile stimulation. Here, we compared psychophysical and neurophysiological responses to identical nociceptive‐specific laser stimuli in two different conditions: self‐initiated tactile sensation condition (STS) and nonself‐initiated tactile sensation condition (N‐STS). We observed that pain intensity and unpleasantness, as well as laser‐evoked brain responses, were significantly reduced in the STS condition compared to the N‐STS condition. In addition, magnitudes of alpha and beta oscillations prior to laser onset were significantly larger in the STS condition than in the N‐STS condition. These results confirmed that pain perception and pain‐related brain responses were attenuated when the tactile stimulation was initiated by subjects’ voluntary actions, and exploited neural oscillations reflecting the binding between motor processing and sensory feedback. Thus, our study elaborated the understanding of underlying neural mechanisms related to top‐down modulations of the analgesic effect induced by self‐initiated tactile sensation, which provided theoretical basis to improve the analgesic effect in various clinical applications.
Immunity in Filarial Infections: Lessons from Animal Models and Human Studies
Authors: Kwarteng A. , Ahuno S. T.
Published: February 2017

Our understanding of immunity to filarial infection is enigmatic and continues to be passionately debated. The mechanisms whereby filarial nematodes are killed in vivo and how these parasites avoid these mechanisms are poorly understood. Although vaccination studies in permissive animals took off seven decades ago, the exact mechanisms driving protective immunity are extensively being investigated. Currently, little is known regarding the collective functions or counter‐regulatory mechanisms of the antibody isotypes in filarial infection with respect to protective immunity. Establishing the functional role of antibody isotypes and cytokines in the various infection phenotypes can contribute immensely to current knowledge in filarial immunology. This paper reviews insight into protective immunity in filarial infection with focus on humoral and cellular responses from animal models and human studies.
Diagnostic potential of interferon‐gamma release assay to detect latent tuberculosis infection in kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Edathodu Jameela , Varghese Bright , Alrajhi Abdulrahman A , Shoukri Mohammed , Nazmi Ahmad , Elgamal Hazem , Aleid Hassan , Alrabiah Fahad , Ashraff Attia , Mahmoud Ihab , Al‐Hajoj Sahal
Published: February 2017

Background

Latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (LTBI) is screened by using clinical assessment, tuberculin skin test (TST), chest radiography, and recently by interferon‐gamma release assays (IGRA). The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of QuantiFERON®‐TB Gold In‐Tube test (QFT) for diagnosing LTBI in patients planned for kidney transplantation.

Methods

All adult patients with end‐stage renal disease, evaluated for kidney transplantation in a referral center from August 2008 till May 2013, were enrolled, after consenting in a prospective, observational, non‐interventional study. LTBI diagnosis was conducted by TST, chest x‐ray, and clinical assessment, followed by IGRA by QFT.

Results

Overall, 278 patients were enrolled and kidney transplantation was performed in 173 patients. Contributed follow‐up was 836.5 patient‐years, and TB‐free transplant duration was 478.5 patient‐years. By standard methods, LTBI was diagnosed in 14 patients. Peri‐transplant chemoprophylaxis was given to 53 patients, which included recipients of organs from all deceased donors and living donors with LTBI. QFT was positive in 70 patients, negative in 200 patients, and indeterminate in 8 patients. The agreement between LTBI diagnosis using standard methods and IGRA by QFT was poor (kappa: 0.089+0.046, P‐value=.017). Twenty‐seven of the QFT‐positive patients were transplanted and only one was given isoniazid preventive therapy. None of the transplant recipients developed TB after a median follow‐up of 25 months (range 2‐58 months, mean 27 months).

Conclusions

The agreement of the QFT with standard diagnosis of LTBI in kidney transplant recipients was poor.
Pyrethroids and DDT tolerance of Anopheles gambiae s.l. from Sengerema District, an area of intensive pesticide usage in north‐western Tanzania
Authors: Philbert Anitha , Lyantagaye Sylvester Leonard , Pradel Gabriele , Ngwa Che Julius , Nkwengulila Gamba
Published: February 2017

Objective

To assess the susceptibility status of malaria vectors to pyrethroids and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), characterise the mechanisms underlying resistance and evaluate the role of agro‐chemical use in resistance selection among malaria vectors in Sengerema agro‐ecosystem zone, Tanzania.

Methods

Mosquito larvae were collected from farms and reared to obtain adults. The susceptibility status of An. gambiae s.l. was assessed using WHO bioassay tests to permethrin, deltamethrin, lambdacyhalothrin, etofenprox, cyfluthrin and DDT. Resistant specimens were screened for knock‐down resistance gene (kdr), followed by sequencing both Western and Eastern African variants. A gas chromatography–mass spectrophotometer (GC‐MS) was used to determine pesticide residues in soil and sediments from mosquitoes’ breeding habitats.

Results

Anopheles gambiae s.l. was resistant to all the insecticides tested. The population of Anopheles gambiae s.l was composed of Anopheles arabiensis by 91%. The East African kdr (L1014S) allele was found in 13 of 305 specimens that survived insecticide exposure, with an allele frequency from 0.9% to 50%. DDTs residues were found in soils at a concentration up to 9.90 ng/g (dry weight).

Conclusion

The observed high resistance levels of An. gambiae s.l., the detection of kdr mutations and pesticide residues in mosquito breeding habitats demonstrate vector resistance mediated by pesticide usage. An integrated intervention through collaboration of agricultural, livestock and vector control units is vital.
The Jeremy Lin Effect: Being an Asian Sport Psychology Consultant in a Black and White World
Authors: Yu Alexander Brian , Nguyen Thomas , Petrie Trent
Published: February 2017

As racially diverse, early-career sport psychology consultants (SPCs), we reflect on our experiences working with collegiate athletes and coaches whose racial/ethnic status were different from our own. Our reflections cover (a) the external effects of stereotypes, presence (and pernicious effects) of microaggressions, and strategies for effectively coping with such transgressions; (b) stereotype threat and how Jeremy Lin’s entry into the NBA affected our self-perceptions; and (c) a call to action to further promote a multicultural approach to sport psychology training, research, and practice. In sharing these thoughts, we hope to promote further dialogue in the emerging field of cultural sport psychology.
Sport Parent Perceptions of American Youth Football Costs, Benefits, and Safety
Authors: Romaine Andrew , DeFreese J.D. , Guskiewicz Kevin , Register-Mihalik Johna
Published: February 2017

As head injuries in American football have received increasing publicity, the safety of the sport has become a great concern for parents nationwide. The purpose of this study was to examine perceived safety concerns in youth football using Eccles’ expectancy-value model (Eccles et al., 1983). We hypothesized perceived safety concerns to moderate relationships between parent perceptions of parent cost/benefit, child cost/benefit, and child motivation and enjoyment outcomes for football. Youth football parents (N = 105, Mage = 42) completed valid and reliable online assessments of study variables. Regression analyses revealed child safety concerns (as rated by parents) to mediate, rather than moderate, the relationship between parent safety concerns and child cost perceptions (as rated by parents). Furthermore, safety concerns did not significantly associate with child achievement outcomes of motivation and enjoyment. Results provide valuable insight into parent and child attitudes toward youth football safety. Such knowledge may inform future educational interventions targeting sport safety promotion.
The Influence of Age, Sex and Body Mass Index on the Effectiveness of Brisk Walking for Obesity Management in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Mabire Leon , Mani Ramakrishnan , Liu Lizhou , Mulligan Hilda , Baxter David
Published: February 2017

Background:

Brisk walking is the most popular activity for obesity management for adults. We aimed to identify whether participant age, sex and body mass index (BMI) influenced the effectiveness of brisk walking.

Methods:

A search of 9 databases was conducted for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Two investigators selected RCTs reporting on change in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, fat mass, fat-free mass, and body fat percentage following a brisk walking intervention in obese adults.

Results:

Of the 5072 studies screened, 22 met the eligibility criteria. The pooled mean differences were: weight loss, –2.13 kg; BMI, –0.96 kg/m2; waist circumference, –2.83 cm; fat mass, –2.59 kg; fat-free mass, 0.29 kg; and body fat percentage, –1.38%. Meta-regression of baseline BMI showed no effect on changes.

Conclusions:

Brisk walking can create a clinically significant reduction in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and fat mass for obese men and women aged under 50 years. Obese women aged over 50 years can achieve modest losses, but gains in fat-free mass reduce overall change in body weight. Further research is required for men aged over 50 years and on the influence of BMI for all ages and sexes.
Using Social Network Analysis to Better Understand Compulsive Exercise Behavior Among a Sample of Sorority Members
Authors: Patterson Megan S. , Goodson Patricia
Published: February 2017

Background:

Compulsive exercise, a form of unhealthy exercise often associated with prioritizing exercise and feeling guilty when exercise is missed, is a common precursor to and symptom of eating disorders. College-aged women are at high risk of exercising compulsively compared with other groups. Social network analysis (SNA) is a theoretical perspective and methodology allowing researchers to observe the effects of relational dynamics on the behaviors of people.

Methods:

SNA was used to assess the relationship between compulsive exercise and body dissatisfaction, physical activity, and network variables. Descriptive statistics were conducted using SPSS, and quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) analyses were conducted using UCINET.

Results:

QAP regression analysis revealed a statistically significant model (R2 = .375, P < .0001) predicting compulsive exercise behavior. Physical activity, body dissatisfaction, and network variables were statistically significant predictor variables in the QAP regression model.

Discussion:

In our sample, women who are connected to “important” or “powerful” people in their network are likely to have higher compulsive exercise scores. This result provides healthcare practitioners key target points for intervention within similar groups of women. For scholars researching eating disorders and associated behaviors, this study supports looking into group dynamics and network structure in conjunction with body dissatisfaction and exercise frequency.
Effectiveness of Interventions for Promoting Objectively Measured Physical Activity of Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review
Authors: Alothman Shaima , Yahya Abdalghani , Rucker Jason , Kluding Patricia M.
Published: February 2017

Background:

Many people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are sedentary despite strong recommendations of regular physical activity (PA). Objective measures of PA provide accurate reflection of daily PA level. The purpose of this review was to analyze studies used pedometers or accelerometers to determine the outcome of interventions promoted daily PA in people with T2D.

Methods:

An electronic literature search was conducted using the PubMed and CINAHL databases (2000–2016), with search terms: sedentary, diabetes, pedometer, physical activity, and accelerometer. Only peer-reviewed, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that used objective measurement of daily PA level were included. All studies design, participant characteristics, intervention, and key findings were evaluated systematically and summarized.

Results:

A total of 15 RCTs were identified investigated objectively measured daily PA in people with T2D. A significant increase in PA was found following exercise consultation, behavioral/cognitive consultation, continuous glucose monitoring counseling, and motivational phone calls promoting PA. However, this increase in daily PA level was evident only during the intervention period.

Conclusions:

Our systematic review of the literature indicated that a variety of interventions approaches were effective in increasing PA temporarily during the intervention period. Interventions that use objective methods in measuring PA and have long term improvement in overall PA are needed.
A Preliminary Exploration of the Application of Self-Compassion Within the Context of Sport Injury
Authors: Huysmans Zenzi , Clement Damien
Published: February 2017

In a prospective study of collegiate athletes (N = 117), the application of self-compassion within the context of sport injury was explored. Previous literature indicated that self-compassion enhances adaptive coping and well-being and reduces anxiety in stress-provoking situations. This research suggested that it could potentially reduce the stress response and subsequent injury risk. Findings indicated that self-compassion may buffer the experience of somatic anxiety (rs = −.436, p < .01) and worry (rs = −.351, p < .01), and reduce the engagement of avoidance-focused coping strategies (rs = −.362, p < .01). There were no significant findings related to self-compassion and injury reduction. A challenge with this research is distinguishing the impact of resistance to self-compassion from the potential benefits that it may have on coping and appraisal of stress in sport. This research was a preliminary exploration of self-compassion within the context of responses to stress and subsequent injury risk. Results suggest that further investigation across different athletic populations, sports, and injury situations is warranted.
Exploring the Differences Between Staff and Girls’ Perceptions of Girls’ Motivation, Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness at an Afterschool Program
Authors: Dinkel Danae , Huberty Jennifer , Tibbits Melissa , Whitt-Glover Melicia
Published: February 2017

Girls are less active than boys and in need of physical activity (PA) interventions. The time directly following school may be a prime opportunity to increase PA, specifically in girls. Afterschool programs and the staff who serve as role models play a critical role in promoting girls’ PA. However, staff do not always provide the support necessary to encourage girls to be active. Studies are needed to explore afterschool program staff’s perceptions of girls’ motivation, as well as their provision of support for autonomy, competence, and relationships with girls (relatedness) to understand how to best promote PA. The purpose of this study was to explore staff and girls’ perceptions of girls’ motivation for PA. The secondary purpose was to explore staff and girls’ perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness support for PA. Interviews with staff (n = 45) and focus groups with girls (n = 88) occurred in 10 afterschool program sites. Half of staff compared with a majority of girls thought girls’ motivation was intrinsic and self-determined (e.g., participated for enjoyment). Three-fourths of staff reported attempting to gain girls’ input and a majority of girls felt they had autonomy to choose or input on the PA provided. Half of staff compared with a quarter of girls thought girls’ competence was negatively impacted by other children. Finally, staff and girls reported spending time together in sedentary pursuits. Efforts are needed to ensure staff: understand girls’ PA motivation, create an autonomy supportive environment, and engage girls in active pursuits.
Papers of note in
Science Translational Medicine
9
(375)
Authors: Ferrarelli Leslie K.
Published: February 2017

This week’s articles describe ways to treat arthritis caused by chikungunya virus, IDH-mutant cancers, and hypertension.
Calcineurin for T cell adhesion
Authors: Foley John F.
Published: February 2017

The phosphatase calcineurin not only activates transcription factors but also promotes T cell adhesion upon T cell activation.
Carbapenem MICs in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella Species Producing Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases in Critical Care Patients from 2001 to 2009
Authors: Johnson J. Kristie , Robinson Gwen L. , Pineles Lisa L. , Ajao Adebola O. , Zhao LiCheng , Albrecht Jennifer S. , Harris Anthony D. , Thom Kerri A. , Furuno Jon P.
Published: February 2017

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
strains are increasing in prevalence worldwide. Carbapenem antibiotics are used as a first line of therapy against ESBL-producing
Enterobacteriaceae
. We examined a cohort of critical care patients for gastrointestinal colonization with carbapenem-resistant ESBL-producing strains (CR-ESBL strains). We cultured samples from this cohort of patients for ESBL-producing
Klebsiella
spp. and
Escherichia coli
and then tested the first isolate from each patient for susceptibility to imipenem, doripenem, meropenem, and ertapenem. Multilocus sequence typing was performed on isolates that produced an ESBL and that were carbapenem resistant. Among all patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), 4% were positive for an ESBL-producing isolate and 0.64% were positive for a CR-ESBL strain on surveillance culture. Among the first ESBL-producing
E. coli
and
Klebsiella
isolates from the patients' surveillance cultures, 11.2% were carbapenem resistant. Sequence type 14 (ST14), ST15, ST42, and ST258 were the dominant sequence types detected in this cohort of patients, with ST15 and ST258 steadily increasing in prevalence from 2006 to 2009. Patients colonized by a CR-ESBL strain were significantly more likely to receive antipseudomonal and anti-methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(anti-MRSA) therapy prior to ICU admission than patients colonized by carbapenem-susceptible ESBL-producing strains. They were also significantly more likely to have received a cephalosporin or a carbapenem antibiotic than patients colonized by carbapenem-susceptible ESBL-producing strains. In conclusion, in a cohort of patients residing in intensive care units within the United States, we found that 10% of the isolates were resistant to at least one carbapenem antibiotic. The continued emergence of carbapenem-resistant ESBL-producing strains is of significant concern, as infections due to these organisms are notoriously difficult to treat.
Importance of Clonal Complex 258 and IncF
K2-like
Plasmids among a Global Collection of Klebsiella pneumoniae with
bla
KPC
Authors: Peirano Gisele , Bradford Patricia A. , Kazmierczak Krystyna M. , Chen Liang , Kreiswirth Barry N. , Pitout Johann D. D.
Published: February 2017

This study was designed to determine the global distribution of clonal complex (CC) 258 and IncFII
K2-like
plasmids with
bla
KPC
among 522 global
Klebsiella pneumoniae
carbapenemase (KPC)-producing
K. pneumoniae
isolates. CC258 (i.e., ST258 [clades I and II], ST11, ST340, and ST512) and ST147 were statistically associated with IncFII
K2-like
KPC-containing plasmids and may possess an epidemiological advantage over isolates that harbored non-IncF KPC-harboring plasmids.
Myeloid Cell-Specific Knockout of NFI-A Improves Sepsis Survival
Authors: McPeak Melissa B. , Youssef Dima , Williams Danielle A. , Pritchett Christopher , Yao Zhi Q. , McCall Charles E. , El Gazzar Mohamed
Published: February 2017

Myeloid progenitor-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) arise from myeloid progenitors and suppress both innate and adaptive immunity. MDSCs expand during the later phases of sepsis in mice, promote immunosuppression, and reduce survival. Here, we report that the myeloid differentiation-related transcription factor nuclear factor I-A (NFI-A) controls MDSC expansion during sepsis and impacts survival. Unlike MDSCs, myeloid cells with conditional deletion of theNfiagene normally differentiated into effector cells during sepsis, cleared infecting bacteria, and did not express immunosuppressive mediators. In contrast, ectopic expression of NFI-A in myeloid progenitors from NFI-A myeloid cell-deficient mice impeded myeloid cell maturation and promoted immune repressor function. Importantly, surviving septic mice with conditionally deficient NFI-A myeloid cells were able to respond to challenge with bacterial endotoxin by mounting an acute inflammatory response. Together, these results support the concept of NFI-A as a master molecular transcriptome switch that controls myeloid cell differentiation and maturation and that malfunction of this switch during sepsis promotes MDSC expansion that adversely impacts sepsis outcome.
Mucosal Antibodies to the C Terminus of Toxin A Prevent Colonization of Clostridium difficile
Authors: Hong Huynh A. , Hitri Krisztina , Hosseini Siamand , Kotowicz Natalia , Bryan Donna , Mawas Fatme , Wilkinson Anthony J. , van Broekhoven Annie , Kearsey Jonathan , Cutting Simon M.
Published: February 2017

Mucosal immunity is considered important for protection against
Clostridium difficile
infection (CDI). We show that in hamsters immunized with
Bacillus subtilis
spores expressing a carboxy-terminal segment (TcdA
26–39
) of
C. difficile
toxin A, no colonization occurs in protected animals when challenged with
C. difficile
strain 630. In contrast, animals immunized with toxoids showed no protection and remained fully colonized. Along with neutralizing toxins, antibodies to TcdA
26–39
(but not to toxoids), whether raised to the recombinant protein or to TcdA
26–39
expressed on the
B. subtilis
spore surface, cross-react with a number of seemingly unrelated proteins expressed on the vegetative cell surface or spore coat of
C. difficile
. These include two dehydrogenases, AdhE1 and LdhA, as well as the CdeC protein that is present on the spore. Anti-TcdA
26–39
mucosal antibodies obtained following immunization with recombinant
B. subtilis
spores were able to reduce the adhesion of
C. difficile
to mucus-producing intestinal cells. This cross-reaction is intriguing yet important since it illustrates the importance of mucosal immunity for complete protection against CDI.
A New Essential Cell Division Protein in Caulobacter crescentus
Authors: Osorio Aurora , Camarena Laura , Cevallos Miguel Angel , Poggio Sebastian
Published: February 2017

Bacterial cell division is a complex process that relies on a multiprotein complex composed of a core of widely conserved and generally essential proteins and on accessory proteins that vary in number and identity in different bacteria. The assembly of this complex and, particularly, the initiation of constriction are regulated processes that have come under intensive study. In this work, we characterize the function of DipI, a protein conserved in
Alphaproteobacteria
and
Betaproteobacteria
that is essential in
Caulobacter crescentus
. Our results show that DipI is a periplasmic protein that is recruited late to the division site and that it is required for the initiation of constriction. The recruitment of the conserved cell division proteins is not affected by the absence of DipI, but localization of DipI to the division site occurs only after a mature divisome has formed. Yeast two-hybrid analysis showed that DipI strongly interacts with the FtsQLB complex, which has been recently implicated in regulating constriction initiation. A possible role of DipI in this process is discussed.

IMPORTANCE
Bacterial cell division is a complex process for which most bacterial cells assemble a multiprotein complex that consists of conserved proteins and of accessory proteins that differ among bacterial groups. In this work, we describe a new cell division protein (DipI) present only in a group of bacteria but essential in
Caulobacter crescentus
. Cells devoid of DipI cannot constrict. Although a mature divisome is required for DipI recruitment, DipI is not needed for recruiting other division proteins. These results, together with the interaction of DipI with a protein complex that has been suggested to regulate cell wall synthesis during division, suggest that DipI may be part of the regulatory mechanism that controls constriction initiation.
Cervical spine arteriovenous fistula associated with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia
Authors: McGurgan Iain John , Lonergan Roisin , Killeen Ronan , McGuigan Christopher
Published: February 2017

Reported is a case of a man aged 55 years who presented with progressive spastic paraparesis. Examination demonstrated multiple cutaneous telangiectases. Subsequent development of upper limb weakness, acute urinary retention and eventual respiratory compromise resulted in the requirement for intensive care unit admission and mechanical ventilation. MRI spine revealed diffuse T2 hyperintensity in the cervical cord with enhancement and cord expansion. Immunomodulatory therapy for a presumed diagnosis of transverse myelitis yielded no response, so a vascular aetiology was suspected. Spinal angiography demonstrated an arteriovenous fistula involving the upper cervical cord. Endovascular embolisation was successfully performed and a marked clinical improvement was achieved. Cervical arteriovenous fistulas can cause progressive myelopathy, subarachnoid haemorrhage and brainstem dysfunction. Management typically comprises endovascular embolisation or surgical interruption. A clinical diagnosis of hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia was also made in this case, and spinal arteriovenous fistula formation has been associated with this condition.