bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What efficacy measures are clinically relevant and should be used in Cochrane Reviews of acute migraine trials? A viewpoint
Authors: Tfelt-Hansen Peer
Published: August 2014

Background

Cochrane Reviews are methodologically of high quality but the clinical relevance of analysed efficacy measures (EMs) should also be assessed.

Methods

The clinical relevance of EMs used in one systematic Cochrane review of oral zolmitriptan for migraine headache was evaluated.

Results

The following EMs were used: pain free at two hours (30%), headache relief at two hours (60%), sustained pain free for 24 hours (19%) and sustained headache relief for 24 hours (39%). These EMs were also used in four other Cochrane reviews of acute migraine treatment. Of these EMs sustained headache relief for 24 h is not judged clinically relevant.

Conclusion

Pain free and sustained pain free are clinically relevant, but the responses are rather low, demonstrating that there is a need for improvement of acute drug treatment in migraine.
Medical Resident Choices of Electronic Drug Information Resources
Authors: Hughes Gregory J. , Patel Priti , Mason Christopher
Published: August 2014

Objective:

To determine medical residents’ day-to-day use of drug information resources since their choices of these resources, when faced with common questions, are unknown.

Methods:

An online survey including simulated drug information questions was administered to 146 medical residents in the Department of General Internal Medicine during July 2012. Residents were given a wide range of choices in drug information resources to answer these questions and were instructed to select what they would choose in actual practice. A score was assigned to each resource corresponding to a “best,” “intermediate,” or “not good” choice.

Results:

Seventy-three respondents completed the survey and results were analyzed for statistical significance. Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported receiving no formal training regarding drug information. Statistical analyses revealed there were no significant differences in performance based on postgraduate year ( P = .43) or extent of prior training ( P = .45). Individual question responses revealed a generally infrequent selection of “best” choices. Less than 10% of the respondents chose the “best” answer for drug information questions related to drug interactions, herbal supplements, adverse events, and medication identification.

Conclusion:

Further training in drug information resource selection is warranted in the medical residency program to increase the frequency of use of higher quality resources.
Regression modeling of welded joint quality in gas metal arc welding process using acoustic and electrical signals
Authors: Shahabi Hamid , Kolahan Farhad
Published: August 2014

In any welding process, the quality of joints is significantly affected by the bead geometry as well as the presence of welding defects. One promising approach is to utilize the features of the welding signals such as voltage, current and sound to monitor and predict the quality of the welded joints. In this work, for gas metal arc welding, a regression modeling has been proposed to predict two main weld quality measures, namely, welding defects and bead shape factor. The proposed approach is based on the features of welding electrical and sound signals. The weld quality characteristics are defined in terms of weld defects (discontinuity, lack of fusion and overlap) as well as weld shape factor. These measures are modeled using statistical parameters of weld sound and electrical signals. To develop the models, 13 statistical parameters of the signals have been employed. To gather the required data, a total of 57 experiments have been performed based on the optimal determinant method (D-optimal) of design of experiments approach. The curvilinear function has proved to have the best fit for the process under consideration. The proposed models are validated through further experiments. Comparisons between the experimental measurements and the predicted values indicate that the developed models are quite accurate in predicting the actual welding process in terms of the two main weld quality indices. The proposed approach may be used to adjust the input parameters in such a way that the desired bead geometry is obtained while the welding defects are minimized.
Robust speed synchronization control for clutchless automated manual transmission systems in electric vehicles
Authors: Zhu Xiaoyuan , Zhang Hui , Xi Junqiang , Wang Junmin , Fang Zongde
Published: August 2014

This paper is concerned with the speed synchronization optimal controller design problem for clutchless automated manual transmission systems in electric vehicles. It is well known that speed synchronization is one of the main challenges in a transmission system. In electric vehicles, clutchless automated manual transmission systems are regarded as promising transmission devices and are generally required to have high-precision speed synchronization capabilities. In order to satisfy this requirement, a robust optimal speed synchronization control scheme is proposed in this paper. The control law consists of preview control, integral control, and state-feedback control. Using an augmentation method, the proposed controller design problem is transformed into a state-feedback design problem for the augmented system first. As the external input is involved in the augmented system, the H∞ control scheme is employed to minimize the effect of disturbance on the controlled output. In addition, to ensure tradeoff between the transient response and the maximal control effort, the linear quadratic cost function and the pole placement technique are also adopted in the design. Finally, the controller gains are calculated by solving the linear matrix inequality. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed control approach.
A novel approach to utilize waste carbon as reinforcement in thermoset composite
Authors: Ojha Shakuntala , Acharya SK , Raghavendra G
Published: August 2014

Carbon black is produced from waste wood apple shell (WAS) material using pyrolysis at various carbonization temperatures (400 ℃ and 600 ℃) and used as reinforcement in thermoset polymer composite. The composites were prepared at 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt% filler loadings. The characterization of shell particles has been done through proximate, ultimate, and energy dispersive spectroscopy analyses. Tensile, flexural, and hardness tests were performed at different filler loadings. The results indicated that the strength of the polymer composite increased as filler loading increased to some extent and hardness property of the carbon black composite gives better result as compared to neat polymer composite. However, the filler–matrix bonding from tensile and flexural load was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy.
Efficacy and safety of creatine supplementation in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial
Authors: Hayashi A P , Solis M Y , Sapienza M T , Otaduy M C G , de Sá Pinto A L , Silva C A , Sallum A M E , Pereira R M R , Gualano B
Published: August 2014

Introduction

Creatine supplementation has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological therapeutic strategy to counteract muscle dysfunction and low lean mass in a variety of conditions, including in pediatric and rheumatic diseases. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of creatine supplementation in childhood systemic lupus erythematosus (C-SLE).

Methods

C-SLE patients with mild disease activity ( n = 15) received placebo or creatine supplementation in a randomized fashion using a crossover, double-blind, repeated-measures design. The participants were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks in each arm, interspersed by an eight-week washout period. The primary outcomes were muscle function, as assessed by a battery of tests including one-maximum repetition (1-RM) tests, the timed-up-and-go test, the timed-stands test, and the handgrip test. Secondary outcomes included body composition, biochemical markers of bone remodeling, aerobic conditioning, quality of life, and physical capacity. Possible differences in dietary intake were assessed by three 24-hour dietary recalls. Muscle phosphorylcreatine content was measured through phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31 P-MRS). The safety of the intervention was assessed by laboratory parameters, and kidney function was measured by 51Cr-EDTA clearance. Additionally, self-reported adverse events were recorded throughout the trial.

Results

Intramuscular phosphorylcreatine content was not significantly different between creatine and placebo before or after the intervention (creatine-Pre: 20.5 ± 2.6, Post: 20.4 ± 4.1, placebo-Pre: 19.8 ± 2.0; Post: 20.2 ± 3.2 mmol/kg wet muscle; p = 0.70 for interaction between conditions). In addition, probably as a consequence of the lack of change in intramuscular phosphorylcreatine content, there were no significant changes between placebo and creatine for any muscle function and aerobic conditioning parameters, lean mass, fat mass, bone mass, and quality of life scores ( p > 0.05). The 51Cr-EDTA clearance was not altered by creatine supplementation and no side effects were noticed.

Conclusion

A 12-week creatine supplementation protocol at 0.1 g/kg/d is well tolerated and free of adverse effects but did not affect intramuscular phosphorylcreatine, muscle function, free-fat mass or quality of life in non-active C-SLE patients.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov number: NCT01217320.
Middle-Class and Slum-Based Collective Action in Bangalore
Authors: Kamath Lalitha , Vijayabaskar M.
Published: August 2014

This article contributes to further our understanding of factors shaping collective action in urban India. Based primarily on fieldwork conducted in slums and middle-class neighbourhoods in Bangalore, the article strengthens the case against a dualistic reading of collective action by identifying some important convergences between actions of middle-class and slum-based associations. It argues that new urban governance initiatives have been worked by slum-based associations to make claims in ways that are reminiscent of the ‘insurgent citizenship’ observed among middle-class associations. The article also highlights how slum-based mobilizations are driven not merely by patron–client political networks or the politics of stealth, but also inspired from larger identity-based movements. Middle-class associations, on the other hand, reveal increasingly deeper engagement with formal politics, a realm that the ‘new politics’ had not earlier engaged with.
An evaluation of the independence of the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales
Authors: Williams Bob , Speak Barry , Hay Paula , Muncer Steven J
Published: August 2014

Objective:

In this study the independence of the scales/items in the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) was empirically investigated.

Method:

Parallel analysis using random column permutation and bootstrapping were used to compare the factor structure, intercorrelations and Cronbach’s alpha from the original HoNOS study and also recently collected HoNOS ratings. Random permutation ensures that the data has the same distributions as the data it is based on, but that the variables are now independent.

Results:

It is shown that both of the real HoNOS data sets are significantly different to the independent items data in many ways. An examination of fit statistics from confirmatory factor analysis is also used to show that the independence model is a very poor fit to the data.

Conclusions:

It is clear that the 12 HoNOS scales are unlikely to be independent. There is a need for more research to clarify the appropriate structure of HoNOS, and also to consider whether some of the items need either replacing or augmenting.
Madness at the movies: prioritised movies for self-directed learning by medical students
Authors: Wilson Nick , Heath Deb , Heath Tim , Gallagher Peter , Huthwaite Mark
Published: August 2014

Objective:

We aimed to systematically compile a list of 10 movies to facilitate self-directed learning in psychiatry by medical students.

Method:

The selected areas were those of the top five mental health conditions from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. The search strategy for movies covered an extensive range of sources (published literature and websites), followed by closer examination and critical viewing of a sample.

Results:

Out of a total of 503 potential movies that were identified, 23 were selected for viewing and more detailed critique. The final top 10 were: for depressive and anxiety disorders: Ordinary People (1980), Silver Linings Playbook (2012); for illicit drug use: Trainspotting (1996), Winter’s Bone (2010), Rachel Getting Married (2008), Half Nelson (2006); for alcohol use disorders: Another Year (2010), Passion Fish (1992); and for schizophrenia: The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2006), and An Angel at My Table (1990).

Conclusions:

The final selection of 10 movies all appeared to have relatively high entertainment value together with rich content in terms of psychiatric themes. Further research could evaluate the extent to which medical students actually watch such movies, by assessing the level of withdrawals from a medical school library and surveying student responses.
Foot-and-mouth disease in Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus)
Authors: Officer Kirsty , Lan Nguyen Thi , Wicker Leanne , Hoa Nguyen Thi , Weegenaar Annemarie , Robinson Jill , Ryoji Yamaguchi , Loukopoulos Panayiotis
Published: August 2014

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious, debilitating, and globally significant viral disease typically affecting cloven-hoofed hosts. The diagnosis of FMD in bears in Vietnam is described. The current study describes a confirmed case of FMD in a bear species, and the clinical signs compatible with FMD in a Malayan sun bear. Thirteen Asiatic black bears ( Ursus thibetanus) and 1 Malayan sun bear ( Helarctos malayanus) were apparently affected. In August 2011, an adult bear became lethargic, and developed footpad vesicles. Over 15 days, 14 out of 17 bears developed similar signs; the remaining 3 co-housed bears and another 57 resident bears did not. All affected bears developed vesicles on all footpads, and most were lethargic for 24–48 hr. Nasal and oral lesions were noted in 6 and 3 cases, respectively. Within 1 month, all looked normal. Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, classified as serotype O, and isolated by virus isolation techniques. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated clustering of 3 bear isolates, in a branch distinct from other FMDV type O isolates. The outbreak likely occurred due to indirect contact with livestock, and was facilitated by the high density of captive bears. It showed that Asiatic black bears are capable of contracting FMDV and developing clinical disease, and that the virus spreads easily between bears in close contact.
Validating the Psychological Climate Scale in Voluntary Child Welfare
Authors: Zeitlin Wendy , Claiborne Nancy , Lawrence Catherine K. , Auerbach Charles
Published: August 2014

Objective: Organizational climate has emerged as an important factor in understanding and addressing the complexities of providing services in child welfare. This research examines the psychometric properties of each of the dimensions of Parker and colleagues’ Psychological Climate Survey in a sample of voluntary child welfare workers. Methods: Confirmatory factor analysis was utilized to analyze data on 640 child welfare workers providing services directly to children and families. Results: Strong models were developed for each dimension. Each validated model was more parsimonious than in the original instrument but supported the theoretical underpinnings of each. Discussion and Applications to Social Work: Psychological climate in voluntary child welfare agencies can be assessed along each of four dimensions identified by Parker and colleagues: job, role, organization, and supervision. Those wishing to examine psychological climate in voluntary child welfare settings should consider using the models identified in the current research.
Prognostic Value of Computed Tomography Classification Systems for Intra-articular Calcaneus Fractures
Authors: Swords Michael P. , Alton Timothy B. , Holt Sarah , Sangeorzan Bruce J. , Shank John R. , Benirschke Stephen K.
Published: August 2014

Background:

There are several published computed tomography (CT) classification systems for calcaneus fractures, each validated by a different standard. The goal of this study was to measure which system would best predict clinical outcomes as measured by a widely used and validated musculoskeletal health status questionnaire.

Methods:

Forty-nine patients with isolated intra-articular joint depression calcaneus fractures more than 2 years after treatment were identified. All had preoperative CT studies and were treated with open reduction and plate fixation using a lateral extensile approach. Four different blinded reviewers classified injuries according to the CT classification systems of Crosby and Fitzgibbons, Eastwood, and Sanders. Functional outcomes evaluated with a Musculoskeletal Functional Assessment (MFA). The mean follow-up was 4.3 years.

Results:

The mean MFA score was 15.7 (SD = 11.6), which is not significantly different from published values for midfoot injuries, hindfoot injuries, or both, 1 year after injury (mean = 22.1, SD = 18.4). The classification systems of Crosby and Fitzgibbons, Eastwood, and Sanders, the number of fragments of the posterior facet, and payer status were not significantly associated with outcome as determined by the MFA. The Sanders classification trended toward significance. Anterior process comminution and surgeon’s overall impression of severity were significantly associated with functional outcome.

Conclusions:

The amount of anterior process comminution was an important determinant of functional outcome with increasing anterior process comminution significantly associated with worsened functional outcome ( P = .04). In addition, the surgeon’s overall impression of severity of injury was predictive of functional outcome ( P = .02), as determined by MFA.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, comparative series.
Writing Visually Through (Methodological) Events and Cartography
Authors: Ulmer Jasmine B. , Koro-Ljungberg Mirka
Published: August 2014

This article explores visual forms of writing through cartography and methodological events. As re-envisioned writing practices and textual methodologies potentially push boundaries of qualitative research, these new lines of inquiry also may respond to persisting educational challenges that confine occupational job design and career pathways in education. Various related and unrelated inquiries, representations, and practices set in motion a series of methodological events related to writing, analysis, and our researcher selves. In this article, career pathways provide one topical example that is used to focus our writing and cartographies, but we also imagine broader methodological mappings that extend beyond data on teacher career pathways. We therefore propose that writing visually through cartography may help scholars avoid recycling research and retracing existing educational policies. Furthermore, we propose that uncertain textual authority and non-linear textuality may manifest as productive analytical and methodological space within a Deleuzian installation of visual writings.
Adult-onset vanishing white matter disease as differential diagnosis of primary progressive multiple sclerosis: A case report
Authors: Herwerth Marina , Schwaiger Benedikt J , Kreiser Kornelia , Hemmer Bernhard , Ilg Rüdiger
Published: August 2014

We report the case of a 42-year-old woman with a slowly progressive cerebellar syndrome. In contrast to a relatively mild clinical presentation, the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed extensive leukencephalopathy with cystic degeneration. Initially primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) was suspected. Additional diffusion-weighted imaging revealed restricted diffusion in the white matter lesions with a reduced apparent diffusion coefficient. Genetic testing showed vanishing white matter disease (VWM) with c.260C>T EIF2B3 mutation. In conclusion, in cases with relatively mild symptoms and extensive white matter lesions, adult-onset VWM should be considered as differential diagnosis of PPMS and diffusion-weighted imaging may be helpful to identify suspected cases.
Social construction, evolution and cultural universals
Authors: Franks Bradley
Published: August 2014

This paper discusses the connection between social constructionism and universals in the generation of mind. It proposes a new concept of Cultural Construction, distinct from social construction, and suggests that the latter succumbs to a Paradox of Sociality in which a socially constructed mind is non-social. Cultural construction avoids this paradox, and is best explained by an approach that roots learning in flexible evolutionary dispositions to possess culture. It also offers a novel perspective on traditional and more recent social constructionist accounts of psychological universals (e.g. omniculture) and has different implications for the prospects of reducing conflict in inter-cultural encounters.
Memories under construction: Writing, narratives and dialogues
Authors: Cabillas María
Published: August 2014

This paper examines the role of writing in the context of the narrative construction of our memories, proposing this as the dialogical reconstruction of our past into our present. To do this, we will draw from Cultural Psychology, and from Narrative Psychology, focusing on the relationship between writing and narrative in the representation of autobiographical memory. The narrative representations of our memory convey specific images of our former self, affects associated to them, meanings, and interpretations that organise our subjective contents into versions of what happened and what it meant. Bearing on this, we will analyse Childhood (1984), the autobiography of the French writer N. Sarraute, to discuss the dynamics of this process exploring how memory mobilises different narrative versions, and can provoke tensions related to individual and sociocultural factors. Our focus will be on the participation of writing in this process, proposing that it acts both as the mediator of the dialogical negotiation of tensions and as the space where the narrative dynamics of memory take place. Narratives are presented as the organisation of this tension that results in the representations of autobiographical memories which, we propose, are to be seen as under construction.
Exploring tension and contradictions in youth’s activity of painting graffiti
Authors: Hedegaard Mariane
Published: August 2014

Graffiti as writing and painting with spray cans in public spaces was recognised as a special youth movement in the 1960s and 1970s in New York City. From there, it spread to other metropolitan cities around the world. Through graffiti activity, young people positioned themselves in a youth movement that violates public spaces. This article focuses on the contradictions and tensions of being part of an illegal subculture and being recognised as painting art. The tensions will be analysed from the perspective of societal conditions as well as painters’ experiences, drawing on literature about graffiti and an interview project with graffiti painters in Denmark. Psychological aspects of the young person’s engagement are analysed using concepts from Vygotsky’s theory of creativity and art. The analyses contribute to understanding what graffiti activity means for a group of young persons in their change of position from childhood to young adulthood, and to a differentiation of Vygotsky’s theory of art.
Conceptualizing the mediating role of power asymmetries in research communication: A social representations approach
Authors: Kadianaki Irini
Published: August 2014

While the issue of power within the research relationship has been evoking constructive discussions for over two decades in qualitative research, existing approaches fail to understand power both as macro-socially determined and interpersonally negotiated in the micro-space of research communication. In this article, I use ideas from Social Representations Theory (SRT) to conceptualize the macro-social conditions that give meaning to power asymmetries expressed through the identities in the micro-space of the research relationship and to examine how these identities and their power asymmetries mediate research communication. Three instances of research between a local researcher and immigrant participants are analyzed. Analysis shows that the identities of a Greek researcher and immigrant participants introduce power asymmetries in the research communication due to the meanings they carry in the Greek social context. These asymmetries mediate communication by evoking reflection, challenge, resistance and reversal of positions. It is suggested that this double micro and macro focus achieved through SRT contributes to qualitative methodology by inviting important questions regarding data construction (under which identities are data constructed, how are they constructed and why are they constructed in such a way) and by advancing an epistemologically reflective stance to research. Further, the present approach contributes to SRT by advancing a power-inclusive understanding of interpersonal dynamics, which is considered underdeveloped by SR theorists.
Knitting meaning: Understanding the origin, the history, and the preservation of a traditional cultural practice of the Arhuaca indigenous community
Authors: Rodríguez-Burgos Lilian Patricia , Díaz-Posada Leidy Evelyn , Rodríguez-Castro Jennifer , Izquierdo-Martínez Dwrya Elena , Nassar-Pinzón Camila
Published: August 2014

The main objective of this study is to understand the origin, history, and meaning that lie behind the practice of knitting mochilas, which is a daily activity of women, both young and old in the Arhuaca community. This study has been designed as qualitative and narrative in nature and is based upon an analysis of three specific cases, whose participants are young indigenous women from the Arhuaca community of the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta (Colombia). The results showed how there are aspects related to personal identity, in both historical and contemporary ways that are linked to culture, origin of the mochila, its design and knitting as well as intrinsic meaning of knitting mochilas. Therefore, the approach to this study is to restore the importance of this daily activity in its development, establishment of identity and lifestyle of the participants – within the framework of Cultural Psychology – and its contribution to preservation of values, laws and significance belonging to indigenous cultures.
The “art” of identity development—Graffiti painters moving through time and space
Authors: Watzlawik Meike
Published: August 2014

Adolescents choose to be graffiti painters for very different reasons. Depending on their motivations as well as their abilities, different developmental trajectories can be observed within a given group of graffiti painters. In addition, the significance of movement and places has to be considered. On the one hand, the adolescents must have access to certain groups so that these groups can become meaningful for the individual. On the other hand, moving through different places and through time can open up new opportunities as well as creating tensions around different experiences within and between identity facets. Identity development is thus not a static but an ongoing process. For the observer, different influential factors must be considered in order to achieve a rudimentary understanding of this complex process.
Functional reality of the quasi-real: Gegenstandstheorie and cultural psychology today
Authors: Valsiner Jaan
Published: August 2014

Cultural psychology is in need for a general theory that includes coverage of both the real actual and the possible realms of psychological phenomena, and of the relationship between the two. The tradition of Gegenstandstheorie developed in Graz in the beginning of the 20th century by Alexius Meinong has direct relevance for theory construction and methodological advancement in this direction. The contrast of existing subsisting and non-existing objects makes it possible to address issues of the study of cultural complexities. The unity of higher and lower order objects in the human psyche makes Meinong’s thinking compatible with the needs of our contemporary cultural psychology in its various versions. The limits of Meinong’s theory—the ontological primacy of objects and his focus on their classification—can be overcome by introduction of an explicitly developmental focus that his contemporary James Mark Baldwin attempted to formulate in his “genetic logic.” Implications of both of these traditions for our contemporary cultural psychologies are outlined, with a focus on the study of patriotism and art.
Imaging in abdominal trauma
Authors: Mehrzad Homoyoon , Jones Robert G , McCafferty Ian J , Mangat Kamarjit
Published: August 2014

Abdominal trauma is increasing and although penetrating wounds are also on the increase, blunt trauma remains more common. The cornerstone of management is accurate diagnosis and the advent of high-quality rapid CT scanning has revolutionised the treatment of serious abdominal injury. It has allowed the introduction of selective non-operative management which is applicable to many low- and intermediate-grade injuries, whereas application of interventional radiology can avert laparotomy in higher grade injuries. This review examines the pathophysiology of the commonest forms of abdominal injury and uses a series of cases to illustrate the impact of modern radiology in management.
Using Party Horns to Test Respiratory Function in Patients With Dementia
Authors: Higashijima Misako , Shiozu Hiroyasu
Published: August 2014

This study assessed the utility of party horns for quick, simple respiratory function testing in 66 inpatients with dementia to maintain safe eating activity. Relationships of forced vital capacity (FVC) to Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score and complete extension when blowing 40- and 80-cm party horns were examined. The FVC differed significantly by both MMSE score ( P = .000) and party horn score ( P = .000). Significant differences in FVC were found between groups categorized by MMSE score and in groups categorized by the ability to extend both party horns. Multiple regression analyses performed on possible FVC indicators identified a significant correlation for the party horn examination (regression coefficient: .562). Breathing is always coordinated with swallowing. Party horns seem highly effective as a simple tool for testing respiratory function in patients with early-stage dementia, and the ability to offer breathing rehabilitation for patients in need is likely to result in safer eating activity.
Chandigarh
Authors: Chalana Manish
Published: August 2014

This article traces the history of the greenbelt of Chandigarh, India’s first modernist city, designed by Le Corbusier. The zone’s protection was mandated by the Periphery Control Act of 1952, although the act’s contents are often misinterpreted and do not fully reflect the project team’s complex vision. This work clarifies the intentions behind the Periphery’s creation, and establishes its integration with the master plan. I demonstrate how ongoing transformations violate the spirit of the Periphery’s original purpose, but rarely the letter of the law. I highlight ongoing conflicts whose resolution will fundamentally shape the future of the Periphery and the master plan of Chandigarh.
A US$35 Million “Hole in the Ground”
Authors: Souther J. Mark
Published: August 2014

In the 1940s–1950s, Cleveland, Ohio, transit officials and a varied coalition of allies sought to construct a subway to distribute riders throughout downtown. Through two unsuccessful campaigns in the 1950s, the subway planning debate highlights the gradual erosion of downtown’s preeminence and corresponding rise of suburbia. It also sheds light on interest-based rifts within the downtown business establishment and across the social landscape of metropolitan Cleveland. More than transit history, the author argues, the mid-century Cleveland subway battles afford a close look at friction between influential leaders and ordinary citizens as well as competing place-based visions of the metropolitan future.
Location-specific expression of chemokines, TNF-α and S100 proteins in a teat explant model
Authors: Lind Monique , Sipka Anja S , Schuberth Hans-Joachim , Blutke Andreas , Wanke Rüdiger , Sauter-Louis Carola , Duda Katarzyna A , Holst Otto , Rainard Pascal , Germon Pierre , Zerbe Holm , Petzl Wolfram
Published: August 2014

The distal compartments of the udder are the first to interact with invading pathogens. The regulatory and effector functions of two major teat regions [Fürstenberg's rosette (FR); teat cistern (TC)] are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to establish an in vitro model with explants of the FR and the TC to analyse their response towards Escherichia coli LPS and Staphylococcus aureus lipoteichoic acid (LTA). Quantitative stereological analysis confirmed differences in the cellular composition of FR and TC explants. Chemokine (CXCL8, CCL5, CCL20) and TNF-α mRNA were expressed at low levels in both locations. Explant stimulation with LPS increased the mRNA abundance of all tested chemokines and TNF-α. Stimulation with LTA only induced CCL20 and CXCL8. LPS- and LTA-stimulated explant supernatants contained CXCL8 and CXCL3. Supernatants significantly attracted neutrophils in vitro. Compared with TC, the FR showed high constitutive mRNA expression of S100 proteins (A8, A9, A12). In the TC, both LPS and LTA significantly induced S100A8, whereas S100A9 and S100A12 expression was only induced by LPS. The novel model system underpins the role of the teat for recognising pathogens and shaping a pathogen- and location-specific immune response.
Managing severe peripartum hyponatraemia: A case report
Authors: Snow Timothy AC , Lim Jerry , Laing Christopher M , MacCallum Niall S , Brealey David A
Published: August 2014

We present a case of severe peripartum hyponatraemia that occurred following a major obstetric haemorrhage causing both an ischaemic stroke and Sheehan's syndrome and outline the investigations and management strategy required.
A favorable effect of hydroxychloroquine on glucose and lipid metabolism beyond its anti-inflammatory role
Authors: Hage Mirella P. , Al-Badri Marwa R. , Azar Sami T.
Published: August 2014

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a commonly used antimalarial drug in rheumatic diseases, has shown favorable metabolic effects on both glucose control and lipid profiles. We describe a case of a young woman with type 1 diabetes whose glycemic control was optimized with the introduction of HCQ as a treatment for her Sjogren syndrome in addition to a subtle yet measurable improvement in her lipid profile. An increasing body of evidence supports the beneficial impacts of HCQ in various ancillary conditions, including diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. However, mechanisms of action responsible for these effects remain ill-defined and may include alterations in insulin metabolism and signaling through cellular receptors. These favorable metabolic effects of HCQ and further understanding of underlying mechanisms may provide an additional rational for its use in rheumatic diseases, conditions associated with an elevated cardiovascular risk.
Intravenous thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke patients with negative CT perfusion: a case series
Authors: Mehra Ratnesh , To Chiu Yuen , Qahwash Omar , Richards Boyd , Fessler Richard D
Published: August 2014

Background

Computed tomography perfusion (CTP) is a commonly used modality of neurophysiologic imaging to aid the selection of acute ischemic stroke patients for neuroendovascular intervention by identifying the presence of penumbra versus infarcted brain tissue. However many patients present with evidence of cerebral ischemia with normal CTP, and in that case, should intravenous thrombolytics be given?

Purpose

To demonstrate if tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA)-eligible stroke patients without perfusion defects demonstrated on CTP would benefit from administration of intravenous thrombolytics.

Material and Methods

We retrospectively identified patients presenting with acute ischemic symptoms who received intravenous tPA (IV-tPA) from January to June 2012 without a perfusion defect on CTP. Clinical and radiographic findings including the NIHSS at presentation, 24 h, and at discharge, symptomatic and asymptomatic hemorrhagic transformation, and the modified Rankin score at 30 days were collected. A reduction of NIHSS of greater than 4 points or resolution of symptoms was considered significant.

Results

Seventeen patients were identified with a mean NIHSS of 8.2 prior to administration of intravenous thrombolytics, 3.5 after 24 h, and 2.5 at discharge. Among them, 13 patients had significant improvement of NIHSS with a mean reduction of 6.15 points at 24 h. One patient initially improved but had delayed hemorrhagic transformation and died. Two patients had improvement in NIHSS but were not significant and two patients had increased in NIHSS at 24 h, although one eventually improved at discharge. There was no asymptomatic hemorrhagic transformation. Mean mRS at 3 months is 1.76.

Conclusion

The failure to identify a perfusion deficit by CTP should not be used as a contraindication for intravenous thrombolytics. Criteria for administration of intravenous thrombolytics should still be based on time from symptom onset as previously published by NINDS.
Marchiafava-Bignami disease with hyperintensity on late diffusion-weighted imaging
Authors: Iwai Takayasu , Matsuo Koushun , Morii-Kitani Fukiko , Azuma Fumiko , Matsuo Hisayasu , Takada Masahiko , Nakagawa Masanori , Mizuno Toshiki , Yamada Kei
Published: August 2014

A 69-year-old man with a decades-long history of chronic alcohol consumption was admitted with gait disturbance (short steps and spasticity), deterioration of activity, and stuporous consciousness. Head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed hyperintensity on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging in the corpus callosum and frontal white matter. The lesion later became more apparent on diffusion-weighted imaging. The clinical diagnosis was Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD). As temporary treatment, refraining from alcohol consumption and administration of vitamins were prescribed. The condition of the patient gradually improved. The purposes of this study were to demonstrate the clinical and radiological variety of MBD and to identify practical methods of treatment of this pathology.
Health benefits and barriers to cell phone use in low-income urban U.S. neighborhoods: Indications of technology maintenance
Authors: Gonzales Amy L.
Published: August 2014

Little is known about the everyday health and safety benefits of cell phones for the U.S. poor, despite heightened risks of illness and exposure to crime for this population. Interviews with low-income, urban U.S. residents reveal that cell phones are an asset for psychological reassurance, crime prevention, and critical access to emergency help. At the same time findings reveal that these residents often have broken and disconnected cell phones that require constant upkeep, or technology maintenance. Reliance on second-hand, government, and no-contract phones ease cell phone ownership but also normalize intermittent disconnection leading to dependably instability. These findings demonstrate the extreme value of cell phone access for residents of poor neighborhoods, and at the same time indicate that disparities in cell phone access still persist and may be worsening.
Perceiving spaces through digital augmentation: An exploratory study of navigational augmented reality apps
Authors: Hofmann Sebastian , Mosemghvdlishvili Lela
Published: August 2014

The study aims to explore effects of navigational augmented reality (AR) apps on the users’ perception of their surroundings, and to analyze in which ways these effects are enabled as well as limited by the performance of AR apps on currently available devices. To answer these questions, an exploratory quasi-experiment has been conducted, consisting of three groups of participants, each group differing in their method for obtaining location information as well as the frequency with which this information is consumed. Semistructured pre- and postexperiment interviews with participants, questionnaires that were filled out by the participants after every app usage, and expert interviews with navigational AR app developers are employed in combination with analyzing the effect of augmented reality on the user’s perception of space. Surprisingly, it was found that AR users actually became less aware of their surroundings than non-AR navigational app users. This is mainly due to the comparatively worse performance of AR apps on currently available smartphones: The overall quality regularly suffers from a cluttered and confusing presentation, leading to considerable amounts of time spent “deciphering” the layout and functionality of the presented results. Erratic result behavior, caused by frequent movement delays and unexpected lag of the virtual objects further decreases the quality of the overall experience. Finally, some initially unexpected issues related to the social acceptability of augmented reality app usage in public places were encountered during the experiment, which are explained by the physically very involved method of interacting with AR apps, namely having to point and hold the device into the direction information is being sought over. Nevertheless, augmented reality was found to have a number of distinct advantages over other navigational apps, namely the ability to improve the users’ understanding of proximity, directions, and spatial relations.
Mobile phones and participatory communication for poverty eradication on public service broadcasting: The case of Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC)
Authors: Millanga Amani K.
Published: August 2014

All over the world people who use mobile phones to amplify their voices have revolutionised participatory communication in mass media. The use of mobile phones as instruments for participatory communication in public service broadcasting (PSB) has been growing and gaining strength in the so-called Third World. In this article it is argued that members of audience from different parts of Tanzania use mobile phones to participate in dialogue taking place on national radio (TBC-TAIFA) and/or national television (TBC1), and share their knowledge and lived experiences with the national audience as if they lived next door to each other. Further, the findings of this study show that TBC journalists use mobile phones to interact and involve the audiences in the processes of producing programmes. Consequently, TBC communication has become less hierarchical, more two-way, horizontal, and interactive. Moreover, the study reveals that the audiences use phone-in programmes on TBC as a platform to air the voices and concerns of the grass-roots population. Thus, the use of mobile phones as tools for participatory communication via TBC sets an agenda, which helps to bring about some social changes and transformation.
Maintaining social connectedness in a fast-changing world: Examining the effects of mobile phone uses on loneliness among teens in Tibet
Authors: Liu Xun , Liu Xinchuan , Wei Ran
Published: August 2014

This study examines how Tibetan teens use the mobile phone to maintain their social networks and how their social network connections via the mobile phone in turn affect their psychological well-being. In doing so, the study explores the effect of motives for mobile phone use and mobile phone skills as antecedents. Findings of a survey of 1,135 teen mobile phone users living in Tibet showed that they actively use the mobile phone as an important means of communication and a source of social support to help reduce loneliness. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of illuminating how the mobile phone fits into the lives of Tibetan teenagers who are geographically isolated and resource-poor.
Measuring usage concentration of smartphone applications: Selective repertoire in a marketplace of choices
Authors: Jung Jaemin , Kim Youngju , Chan-Olmsted Sylvia
Published: August 2014

Using the tracking data of 1,645 smartphone users from Nielsen KoreanClick’s panel, this study examines the degree of concentration in smartphone application use in South Korea. The findings from this study are consistent with what we have learned from previous research of usage concentration and selective repertoire in a multichannel and multimedia environment. Overall, the levels of concentration in app usage are high, particularly in the communication and social media categories. Empirical evidence also suggests the existence of network externality in mobile app communication.
Faecal calprotectin levels differentiate intestinal from pulmonary tuberculosis: An observational study from Southern India
Authors: Larsson Geir , Shenoy Koticherry Thrivikrama , Ramasubramanian Ramalingom , Thayumanavan Lakshmikanthan , Balakumaran Leena Kondarappassery , Bjune Gunnar A , Moum Bjørn A
Published: August 2014

Background

Current methods to establish the diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis are inadequate.

Objectives

We aimed to determine the clinical features of intestinal tuberculosis and evaluate inflammatory biomarkers in intestinal as well as pulmonary tuberculosis.

Methods

We recruited 38 intestinal tuberculosis patients, 119 pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 91 controls with functional gastrointestinal disorders between October 2009 and July 2012 for the investigation of clinical features, C‐reactive protein (CRP), faecal and serum calprotectin. Faecal calprotectin ≥200 µg/g was used as a cut‐off to determine intestinal inflammation of clinical significance. Three patient categories were established: (a) pulmonary tuberculosis and faecal calprotectin <200 µg/g (isolated pulmonary tuberculosis); (b) pulmonary tuberculosis and faecal calprotectin ≥200 µg/g (combined pulmonary and intestinal tuberculosis); (c) isolated intestinal tuberculosis.

Results

Common clinical features of intestinal tuberculosis were abdominal pain, fatigue, weight loss and watery diarrhoea. Intestinal tuberculosis patients had elevated median CRP (10.7 mg/l), faecal calprotectin (320 µg/g) and serum calprotectin (5.7 µg/ml). Complete normalisation of CRP (1.0 mg/L), faecal calprotectin (16 µg/g) and serum calprotectin (1.4 µg/ml)) was seen upon clinical remission. Patients with combined pulmonary and intestinal tuberculosis had the highest levels of CRP (53.8 mg/l) and serum calprotectin (6.5 µg/ml) and presented with signs of more severe disease.

Conclusion

Calprotectin analysis reveals intestinal tuberculosis in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and pinpoints those in need of rigorous follow‐up.