bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The web will kill them all: new media, digital utopia, and political struggle in the Italian 5-Star Movement
Authors: Natale Simone , Ballatore Andrea
Published: January 2014

This article examines the role of discourses about new media technology and the web in the rise of the 5-Star Movement ( Movimento 5 Stelle, or M5S) in Italy. Founded by comedian and activist Beppe Grillo and web entrepreneur Gianroberto Casaleggio in 2009, this movement succeeded in becoming the second largest party at the 2013 national elections in Italy. This article aims to discuss how elements of digital utopia and web-centric discourses have been inserted into the movement’s political message, and how the construction of the web as a myth has shaped the movement’s discourse and political practice. The 5-Star Movement is compared and contrasted with other social and political movements in western countries which have displayed a similar emphasis on new media, such as the Occupy movement, the Indignados movement, and the Pirate Parties in Sweden and Germany. By adopting and mutating cyber-utopian discourses from the so-called Californian ideology, the movement symbolically identifies itself with the web. The traditional political establishment is associated with “old” media (television, radio, and the printed press), and represented as a “walking dead,” doomed to be superseded and buried by a web-based direct democracy.
Hearing Status in Adult Individuals with Lifetime, Untreated Isolated Growth Hormone Deficiency
Authors: Prado‐Barreto Valéria M. , Salvatori Roberto , Santos Júnior Ronaldo C. , Brandão‐Martins Mariane B. , Correa Eric A. , Garcez Flávia B. , Valença Eugênia H. O. , Souza Anita H. O. , Pereira Rossana M. C. , Nunes Marco A. P. , D'Avila Jeferson S. , Aguiar‐Oliveira Manuel H.
Published: January 2014

Objective

To evaluate the hearing status of growth hormone (GH)–naive adults with isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) belonging to an extended Brazilian kindred with a homozygous mutation in the GH‐releasing hormone receptor gene.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional.

Setting

Divisions of Endocrinology and Otorhinolaryngology of the Federal University of Sergipe.

Subjects and Methods

Twenty‐six individuals with IGHD (age, 47.6 ± 15.1 years; 13 women) and 25 controls (age, 46.3 ± 14.3 years; 15 women) were administered a questionnaire on hearing complaints and hearing health history. We performed pure‐tone audiometry, logoaudiometry, electroacoustic immittance, and stapedial reflex. To assess outer hair cell function in the cochlea, we completed transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs). To assess the auditory nerve and auditory brainstem, we obtained auditory brainstem responses (ABRs).

Results

Misophonia and dizziness complaints were more frequent in those with IGHD than in controls (P =. 011). Patients with IGHD had higher thresholds at 250 Hz (P =. 005), 500 Hz (P =. 006), 3 KHz (P =. 008), 4 KHz (P =. 038), 6 KHz (P =. 008), and 8 KHz (P =. 048) and mild high‐tones hearing loss (P =. 029). Stapedial reflex (P <. 001) and TEOAEs (P =. 025) were more frequent in controls. There were no differences in ABR latencies. Hearing loss in patients with IGHD occurred earlier than in controls (P <. 001).

Conclusion

Compared with controls of the same area, subjects with untreated, congenital lifetime IGHD report more misophonia and dizziness, have predominance of mild high‐tones sensorineural hearing loss, and have an absence of stapedial reflex and TEOAEs.
Sevoflurane/remifentanil versus propofol/remifentanil for electroconvulsive therapy: Comparison of seizure duration and haemodynamic responses
Authors: Ulusoy Hulya , Cekic Bahanur , Besir Ahmet , Geze Sukran , Hocaoglu Cicek , Akdogan Ali
Published: January 2014

Objective

To compare the anaesthetic and convulsive effects of sevoflurane/remifentanil versus propofol/remifentanil combination in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Methods

In this prospective, randomized double-blind study, patients diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression were included for ECT. Prior to treatment, 1 µg/kg remifentanil was intravenously administered to all patients, followed by anaesthetic induction with either 0.5 mg/kg propofol or 8% sevoflurane. Following muscular paralysis with succinylcholine and hypnosis, bitemporal ECT was applied. Vital signs, depth of sedation, recovery parameters, motor and electroencephalography (EEG) convulsion activity and postictal suppression index scores were recorded.

Results

A total of 120 sessions of ECT were administered to 12 patients. Heart rate was higher in the sevoflurane group than the propofol group. Compared with the sevoflurane group, bispectral index level was lower in the propofol group during the induction period and higher during the recovery period. Anaesthetic induction and recovery times were lower, and average motor and EEG convulsion activity was longer, in the propofol group than in the sevoflurane group.

Conclusion

Propofol/remifentanil is more successful compared with sevoflurane/remifentanil in anaesthesia management during ECT since it provides quick induction and recovery, longer seizure activity and stable haemodynamics.
Sexual Offender Recidivism Among a Population-Based Prison Sample
Authors: Rettenberger Martin , Briken Peer , Turner Daniel , Eher Reinhard
Published: January 2014

The present study examines recidivism rates in sexual offenders using officially registered reconvictions in a representative data set of N = 1,115 male sexual offenders from Austria. In general, results indicate that most sexual offenders do not reoffend sexually after release from prison. More detailed, within the first 5 years after release, the sexual recidivism rate was 6% for the total sample, 4% for the rapist subgroup, and 8% for the child molester subgroup. The findings confirmed previous studies about sex offender recidivism which have shown that first-time sexual offenders are significantly less likely to sexually reoffend than those with previous sexual convictions. With regard to the relationship between age and sexual recidivism, the results challenged the traditional assumption of a clear linear function between age and recidivism. Taken together, compared with previous studies, the recidivism rates found in the present investigation are substantially lower than previous research has indicated.
Exploring Epistemic Injustice Through Feminist Social Work Research
Authors: Bell Karen
Published: January 2014

This article explores women’s experiences of assisted reproduction (AR) and epistemic injustice. Using feminist theory and qualitative data from a social work research project, I argue that the dominant discourse in AR is partial and inadequate and that these epistemological oversights are not accidental; the oversights are actively maintained to preserve power relationships and this constitutes epistemic injustice. Yet women are not completely silenced; elements of resistance and attempts to restore epistemic agency are also presented. The need for an epistemologically inclusive approach to AR and epistemic justice through social work research is reinforced.
An investigation on the effects of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube on mechanical and thermal properties of dopamine-bearing poly(amide–imide) composite films
Authors: Mallakpour Shadpour , Zadehnazari Amin
Published: January 2014

Composites of acid-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) that reinforced poly(amide–imide) (PAI) were developed. The obtained composites containing 5, 10, and 15 wt% MWCNT–COOH exhibited a relatively good dispersion on the macroscopic scale. MWCNT/PAI composite films have been prepared by casting a solution of precursor polymer containing MWCNTs into a thin film, and its tensile properties were examined. The mechanical and thermal properties of the composites were investigated. The incorporation of MWCNTs–COOH improved the mechanical properties of the composites compared with that of neat PAI. An improvement in thermal properties of the MWCNT/PAI composites was also observed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder x-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopies were also used to evaluate the MWCNT/PAI composite system.
Properties and characterization of biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and PLA/PEG/organoclay
Authors: Mohapatra Aswini Kumar , Mohanty Smita , Nayak Sanjay K
Published: January 2014

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was mixed at various weight percentage with biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) via direct melt compounding method. Nanocomposites of PLA/PEG, with two types of organoclay namely, cloisite 93A (C93A) and cloisite 30B (C30B) were also prepared by melt blending method. The crystallization behaviors of PLA/PEG and PLA/PEG/organoclay were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The isothermal crystallization kinetics has been investigated using the Avrami’s equation. In PLA/PEG, the PLA crystallized first followed by crystallization of PEG during the cooling. The viscoelastic behavior of the PLA/PEG and PLA/PEG/organoclay were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis where the nanocomposites showed higher magnitude of storage modulus. The plasticizing effect of PEG acts predominantly in the mechanical performance of PLA/PEG, which shows increased percentage elongation and impact strength in the blend. The sample with 20 wt% PEG showed optimum impact strength. Again, the nanocomposite with 3 wt% C30B exhibited better tensile strength and modulus than the sample with C93A. The characterization of fractured surface of the matrix polymer and the blend were compared through scanning electron microscopy. The rheological and compostability study of the system were further investigated.
Gender in the UK architectural profession: (re)producing and challenging hegemonic masculinity
Authors: Sang Katherine JC , Dainty Andrew RJ , Ison Stephen G
Published: January 2014

Architecture represents a creative, high profile and influential profession and yet remains under-theorized from a gender perspective. This article examines how gender is (re)produced in architecture, a profession that remains strangely under-researched given its status and position. The empirical work advances the theoretical concept of hegemonic masculinity via an analysis of gendered working practices and the agency of individuals through resistance and complicity with these norms. It reveals how architectural practice relies on long working hours, homosocial behaviour and creative control. However, whereas women perform their gender in ways which reproduce such gendered norms, white, heterosexual, middle class men can transgress them to challenge aspects of practice culture. This has significant implications for understanding the ways in which hegemonic masculinities are reproduced within creative workplaces.
Built to last: ageing, class and the masculine body in a UK hedge fund
Authors: Riach Kathleen , Cutcher Leanne
Published: January 2014

This article explores the ways in which male traders negotiate ageing in the highly competitive world of finance. It draws on a study of a UK hedge fund to show how ageing processes intersect with masculinity and class-based bodily practices to reproduce market-based ideals of the sector. Through developing the concept of body accumulation, this article provides a new framework for exploring ageing in an organizational context by demonstrating how masculinity, class and organizational values are mapped onto the traders’ bodies over time and in ways that require individuals to continually negotiate their professional value. This not only significantly advances current understanding of how one group of professionals navigate growing older at work, but also highlights the importance of understanding ageing as an accumulation process that takes into account temporal, spatial and cultural dimensions.
Compact system without moving parts for retrieving residuals from storage tanks
Authors: Xu Cong , Yu Hui
Published: January 2014

A compact retrieval system without moving parts was designed to lift and transport residuals in storage tanks to a higher elevation. The key component of the retrieval system, a curve reverse flow diverter (CRFD) with a vortex diode, was machined into a stainless steel disk to enable the entire system to be compact. The compact retrieval system can be installed in storage tanks through an existing narrow mounting hole. The pumping performance of the retrieval system was examined in terms of the effects of curve reverse flow diverter configurations, lift height, compression pressure, and suction pressure. Results reveal that the vortex diode with higher swirl resistance does not enhance the pumping capacity of the retrieval system. The pumping capacity of the retrieval system increased with increasing compression pressure and decreased with increasing lift height and suction pressure. During the compression phase of the retrieval system, the empty factor qc was found to be linear with the Euler number Eu. The compact retrieval system can resolve the difficulty to retrieve high-level radioactive residuals in storage tanks without radioactive leak and frequent maintenance.
Agential realism, social constructionism, and our living relations to our surroundings: Sensing similarities rather than seeing patterns
Authors: Shotter John
Published: January 2014

If Barad’s account of agential realism is correct, then the psychological “things” that we name as “thoughts,” “ideas,” “theories,” “knowledge,” or “observations,” and study as the products of processes hidden within the heads of individuals, are better talked of as emerging within material intra-actions occurring in activities out in the world at large. For, in placing the agential cuts, i.e., the distinctions we make between subjective and objective “things,” in different places at different times, we do not uncover pre-existing facts about independently existing things; instead, we ourselves bring such “things” into existence. So, although we might talk in social constructionism of our understandings as being produced by forms of negotiated understanding, such forms of activity can only be seen as having been at work in people’s performances after they have been achieved—and this is the case with many topics of our study in psychological research. Something, somewhere else altogether, guides us in the performance of our actions in relation to our surroundings than the “named things” we claim to have discovered in our research. It is the nature of this “something else,” and how it can be publicly studied, that I want to explore below.
Public libraries and non-users: A comparison between Manchester and Rome
Authors: Sbaffi Laura , Rowley Jennifer
Published: January 2014

This paper presents the findings of a study conducted with library managers from two major metropolitan areas, Greater Manchester in England and Rome in Italy. The study aims to compare practices, activities and policies adopted in the two cities to attract non-users, with particular attention to the approach that librarians take to resolving the non-user issue. This research also revealed differences in the way public libraries are used in the two areas. In Manchester, libraries are predominantly task orientated, offering access points for community services, whereas in Rome the focus is more on entertainment, leisure, and social events. The non-user profiles differ between cities, with non-users being mostly older teenagers and young adults in Manchester and mostly younger teenagers and pensioners in Rome. Reading groups, a key service for encouraging reading and familiarising with library facilities, are well established in England, with 90% of the libraries in Manchester accommodating one or more groups, compared to only 50% of the libraries in Rome offering usually a single group. In addition, Manchester libraries often have a range of specialised reading groups to suit a large variety of reading tastes. Libraries in both cities are aware of the need for proactive marketing and management of their web presence but should look at other countries’ strategies to expand their range of activities and programmes to attract more public.
Mycophenolate mofetil in the treatment of SLE and systemic vasculitis: experience at a single university center
Authors: Lourdudoss C , Vollenhoven R van
Published: January 2014

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is used off-label for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic vasculitis. The study aim was to investigate clinical use and treatment results with MMF in patients with SLE and systemic vasculitis. This study included patients with SLE or systemic vasculitis with ongoing or previous MMF treatment. Data on treatment outcome were obtained through medical record reviews. A total of 135 of 648 (21%) patients with SLE and 43 of 455 (9%) patients with systemic vasculitis had ongoing or previous MMF treatment. Among SLE patients, the most common organ manifestation at baseline (treatment start) was renal involvement (50%). Most of the systemic vasculitis patients had Wegener’s granulomatosis (GPA) (65%). Median dose of MMF was 2000 mg/day. Glucocorticoid (GC) doses were significantly reduced during MMF treatment from 21.7 mg/day at baseline to 8.3 mg/day at 12 months ( p < 0.05). Forty-six percent of the patients were good responders after 12 months. The most common adverse events (AES) leading to discontinuation were side effects in the gastrointestinal tract (40%) and general side effects (30%). “Survival-on-drug” analysis suggested that 40% of the patients remained on long-term MMF treatment. In conclusion, MMF was used in 21% of the SLE patients and 9% of the systemic vasculitis patients. MMF appeared to be effective with a reasonable survival-on-drug and a GC-sparing effect.
Liberating the Germans: The US Army and Looting in Germany during the Second World War
Authors: Givens Seth A.
Published: January 2014

As the US Army drove deep into Germany in early 1945, American soldiers looted civilian possessions on a large scale. While GIs did take items in Allied countries, what occurred in Germany was different and more extensive. Servicemen justified their actions by claiming wartime necessity, opportunities for profit or trade, keepsakes, and revenge for Nazi atrocities. Researching Americans looting in Germany provides the full narrative of war’s end, and troops’ interaction with a public that was still considered the enemy. Drawing on memoirs, journals, letters, interviews, and official US Army documents, this work seeks to extrapolate the reasons why GIs looted, while outlining the motivations of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force to stop such actions.
Truth-telling and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Valizadeh Leila , Zamanzadeh Vahid , Sayadi Leila , Taleghani Fariba , Howard A Fuchsia , Jeddian Alireza
Published: January 2014

Background:

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a potential cure for a range of life-threatening diseases, but is also associated with a high mortality rate. Nurses encounter a variety of situations wherein they are faced with discussing bad news with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients.

Research objective:

The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and strategies used by Iranian nurses related to truth-telling and communicating bad news to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients.

Research design:

A qualitative approach using content analysis of interview data was conducted.

Participants and research context:

A total of 18 nurses from the main hematopoietic stem cell transplantation center in Iran participated in semi-structured interviews.

Ethical considerations:

The Institutional Review Board of the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and the Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center affiliated with the Tehran University of Medical Sciences approved the study.

Findings:

In the first main category, not talking about the disease and potential negative outcomes, the nurses described the strategies of not naming the disease, talking about the truth in indirect ways and telling gradually. In the second main category, not disclosing the sad truth, the nurses described the strategies of protecting patients from upsetting information, secrecy, denying the truth and minimizing the importance of the problem. The nurses used these strategies to minimize psychological harm, avoid patient demoralization, and improve the patient’s likelihood of a fast and full recovery.

Discussion:

The priority for Iranian hematopoietic stem cell transplantation nurses is to first do no harm and to help patients maintain hope. This reflects the Iranian healthcare environment wherein communicating the truth to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients is commonly considered inappropriate and avoided.

Conclusion:

Iranian nurses require education and support to engage in therapeutic, culturally appropriate communication that emphasizes effective techniques for telling the truth and breaking bad news, thereby potentially improving patient outcomes and protecting patient rights.
Comparison of different serological methods to detect antibodies specific to Neospora caninum in bovine and canine sera
Authors: Ghalmi Farida , China Bernard , Jenkins Mark , Azzag Naouelle , Losson Bertand
Published: January 2014

Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite responsible for paresis in dogs and abortion in cattle worldwide. Dogs serve as a definitive host, while cattle serve as intermediate host. Many different methods have been developed to detect specific antibodies present in cattle and dog serum. In the present study, the dense granule protein NcGRA6 was incorporated in a latex beads agglutination test (LAT), and compared to other serological methods, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the direct agglutination test, the immunoblot, and the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Using the IFAT as the reference method, 100 sera isolated from Algerian cattle and 100 sera isolated from Algerian dogs, both possibly infected with N. caninum, were used to evaluate the LAT. The sensitivity, specificity, and kappa index were calculated for each host species and assay. For dog sera, the sensitivity and the specificity of the LAT was 76% and 100%, respectively. The McNemar test showed that the LAT was not significantly different from IFAT ( P > 0.05). For cattle sera, the sensitivity and the specificity of the LAT were 60% and 100%, respectively. The McNemar test indicated that the LAT was significantly different from IFAT ( P < 0.01) and that the LAT was only positive for cattle sera with titers of 1:800 or greater, indicating that LAT can be used for cattle in a clinical context. As well, the LAT has the advantage of being easy and rapid to perform compared to the other assays.
Identification of Lamanema chavezi Becklund 1963 infection in a llama (Lama glama) in the United States
Authors: Jarvinen Julie Ann C. , Whitley Elizabeth M. , Kreuder Amanda J. , Schleining Jennifer A.
Published: January 2014

Infection with Lamanema chavezi, a parasitic nematode of New World camelids, was diagnosed by examination of feces and formalin-fixed liver from a 14-month-old female llama ( Lama glama) that died after a 6-week illness. Infection with L. chavezi was initially suspected when a granuloma containing an unidentified nematode was detected microscopically in the hepatic parenchyma from a necropsy specimen. The subsequent diagnosis of L. chavezi infection was based on the morphologic features of 2 immature nematodes dissected from individual hepatic granulomas, characteristics of eggs detected in feces of the llama by centrifugal flotation in sugar solution (specific gravity: 1.30), development of third-stage larvae within the eggs after incubation of the llama feces at room temperature for ≥30 days, and the morphology of third-stage larvae released from the embryonated eggs. Collectively, these findings indicate that the llama, born and raised in Oregon, harbored an autochthonous L. chavezi infection. Eggs identified as L. chavezi were also detected by centrifugal flotation of pelleted feces from 3 of 7 herd mates of the llama indicating this parasite is endemic in the Oregon herd. The findings reported herein serve to alert diagnosticians and veterinary practitioners to the occurrence of L. chavezi in New World camelids in the United States and describe diagnostic features of this potential pathogen.
Design and application of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for the rapid detection of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius
Authors: Diribe Onyinye , North Sarah , Sawyer Jason , Roberts Lisa , Fitzpatrick Noel , La Ragione Roberto
Published: January 2014

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a commensal and opportunistic pathogen of dogs. It is mainly implicated in canine pyoderma, as well as other suppurative conditions of dogs. Although bacterial culture is routinely used for clinical diagnosis, molecular methods are required to accurately identify and differentiate S. pseudintermedius from other members of the Staphylococcus intermedius group. These methods, owing largely to their cost, are not easy to implement in nonspecialized laboratories or veterinary practices. In the current study, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), a novel isothermal nucleic acid amplification procedure, was employed to develop a rapid, specific, and sensitive S. pseudintermedius assay. Different detection strategies, including the use of a lateral flow device, were evaluated. The assay was evaluated for cross-reactivity against 30 different bacterial species and validated on a panel of 108 S. pseudintermedius isolates, originating from different dog breeds and locations within the United Kingdom. The assay was specific, showing no cross-reactivity during in silico and in vitro testing. When tested using DNA extracts prepared directly from 35 clinical surgical site swabs, the assay could detect S. pseudintermedius in less than 15 min, with a diagnostic sensitivity of 94.6%, superior to that of a polymerase chain reaction method. The LAMP assay also had an analytical sensitivity in the order of 101 gene copies, and the amplified products were readily detected using a lateral flow device. The LAMP assay described in the present study is simple and rapid, opening up the possibility of its use as a diagnostic tool within veterinary practices.
Late onset imatinib-induced Stevens–Johnson syndrome
Authors: Bois Evan , Holle Lisa M , Farooq Umar
Published: January 2014

Imatinib, a BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is known to cause mild to moderate cutaneous reactions in up to approximately 20% of patients. It rarely causes severe reactions, such as Stevens–Johnson syndrome, which can be life threatening. Typically, these rashes occur within two months of initiating therapy. We report a case of Stevens–Johnson syndrome induced by imatinib after several years of therapy, but later successfully was treated with nilotinib therapy.
Remodelling in statistically oriented fibre-reinforced materials and biological tissues
Authors: Grillo Alfio , Wittum Gabriel , Tomic Aleksandar , Federico Salvatore
Published: January 2014

We present a mathematical model of structural reorganisation in a fibre-reinforced composite material in which the fibres are oriented statistically, i.e. obey a probability distribution of orientation. Such a composite material exemplifies a biological tissue (e.g. articular cartilage or a blood vessel) whose soft matrix is reinforced by collagen fibres. The structural reorganisation of the composite takes place as fibres reorient, in response to mechanical stimuli, in order to optimise the stress distribution in the tissue. Our mathematical model is based on the Principle of Virtual Powers and the study of dissipation. Besides incompressibility, our main hypothesis is that the composite is characterised by a probability density distribution that measures the probability of finding a family of fibres aligned along a given direction at a fixed material point. Under this assumption, we describe the reorientation of fibres as the evolution of the most probable direction along which the fibres are aligned. To test our theory, we compare our simulations of a benchmark problem with selected results taken from the literature.
The relaxed linear micromorphic continuum: Existence, uniqueness and continuous dependence in dynamics
Authors: Ghiba Ionel-Dumitrel , Neff Patrizio , Madeo Angela , Placidi Luca , Rosi Giuseppe
Published: January 2014

We study well-posedness for the relaxed linear elastic micromorphic continuum model with symmetric Cauchy force-stresses and curvature contribution depending only on the micro-dislocation tensor. In contrast to classical micromorphic models our free energy is not uniformly pointwise positive definite in the control of the independent constitutive variables. Another interesting feature concerns the prescription of boundary values for the micro-distortion field: only tangential traces may be determined which are weaker than the usual strong anchoring boundary condition. There, decisive use is made of new coercive inequalities recently proved by Neff, Pauly and Witsch, and by Bauer, Neff, Pauly and Starke. The new relaxed micromorphic formulation can be related to dislocation dynamics, gradient plasticity and seismic processes of earthquakes.
Disability weight for each level of the Expanded Disability Status Scale in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Cho Joong-Yang , Hong Keun-Sik , Kim Ho Jin , Kim Su-Hyun , Min Ju-Hong , Kim Nam-Hee , Ahn Suk-Won , Park Min Su , An Jae-Young , Kim Byung-Jo , Kim Woojun
Published: January 2014

Background:

The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is the most widely employed ordinal disability scale in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, how far apart the individual EDSS levels are along the disability spectrum has not been formally quantified.

Objectives:

The objective of this paper is to generate refined disability weights (DWs) for each of the ordinal EDSS levels.

Methods:

We performed the person trade-off (PTO) procedure to derive DWs of five representative EDSS categories (2, 4, 6, 7 and 9), and DWs of the remaining EDSS categories were assigned by linear interpolation. The modified Delphi process was used to achieve consensus among raters.

Results:

DWs were 0.021 for EDSS 2, 0.199 for EDSS 4, 0.313 for EDSS 6, 0.617 for EDSS 7, and 0.926 for EDSS 9. Panel members achieved a high degree of consensus for each DW, as indicated by low coefficients of variation.

Conclusions:

Our DWs confirmed that EDSS is an ordinal scale with highly variable intervals. The availability of DW for each EDSS level allows direct comparison of each MS outcome state with other health states and provides a foundation for the estimation of the disability-adjusted life-years lost of individual patients.
Are neighbours alike? Practices of conviviality in Catalonia and Casamance
Authors: Heil Tilmann
Published: January 2014

Living together in neighbourhoods characterised by various aspects of diversity is central to the everyday life of Casamançais in both Catalonia, Spain, and Casamance, Senegal. Discursively, Casamançais speak about it similarly in both localities, construing co-residence on the neighbourhood scale as a sociality that builds on similar moral values such as relative equality, respect and consideration. At the same time, this sociality also implies negotiation, interaction and translation as central everyday practices. Investigating these practices reveals how they facilitate locally specific forms of neighbourliness. These practices are central to the suggested conceptualisation of conviviality as a process in which a fragile balance is maintained over the course of both cooperative and conflictual situations.
Re-orientalizing the Assassins in Western historical-fiction literature: Orientalism and self-Orientalism in Bartol’s Alamut, Tarr’s Alamut, Boschert’s Assassins of Alamut and Oden’s Lion of Cairo
Authors: Komel Mirt
Published: January 2014

The article analyzes the novelistic representations of the Assassins, originally a nickname for the Islamic sect of Nizari Ismailis that gained an almost independent currency in Western popular culture. The analysis will be based on a the following selection of past and contemporary Western historical-fiction literature: Vladimir Bartol’s Alamut from 1938, translated into French in 1988 and into English in 2004; Judith Tarr’s Alamut from 1989; James Boschert’s Assassins of Alamut from 2010, the first book of his Talon trilogy; and, finally, Scott Oden’s Lion of Cairo from 2010. The scope of the article is to demonstrate a double-bind re-orientalization of the Assassins in this selection of novels that significantly changes their traditional representations: on one side, they reshape the Assassins in forerunners of modern Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism, while on the other side, the Assassin is gradually transformed from an orientalized villain into an occidentalized hero, thus enabling a self-othering of the Western subject and an identification, rather than disqualification, with this specific Arabo-Islamic Other. The article’s highlighting of this double-bind re-orientalization therefore challenges Orientalism’s binary dichotomy of Occident/Orient and its ideological implications through the concept of self-Orientalism as a self-othering process.
Faxing feminism: The global women’s movement and the 1995 controversy over Huairou
Authors: Levenstein Lisa
Published: January 2014

In 1995, the global feminist movement launched a dramatic protest against the Chinese government’s attempt to move the NGO Forum for the Beijing Women’s Conference to the remote location of Huairou. The first international feminist protest to rely on digital technology, this unprecedented mass action by women throughout the world exposed both the promise and the pitfalls of using faxes, email, and the internet to rally a social movement around a common cause. Over the course of the protest, the same technology that linked feminists across national boundaries and enabled them to conduct an effective campaign had the potential to exacerbate power differentials between them.
Using the Extended Parallel Process Model to Understand Texting While Driving and Guide Communication Campaigns Against It
Authors: Cismaru Magdalena
Published: January 2014

Driving habits are changing, yet studies show that texting while driving remains widespread, leading to numerous accidents and deaths. This article proposes using the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) to understand texting while driving and to guide communication campaigns against distracted driving. This article also identifies, presents, and analyzes, in terms of their fit with EPPM, 11 campaigns that are designed to persuade individuals to abstain from texting while driving. Finally, this article presents recommendations to guide and improve future initiatives.
Leadership: A communicative perspective
Authors: Fairhurst Gail T , Connaughton Stacey L
Published: January 2014

This paper reviews the literature on communication in organizations most relevant to the study of leadership. Although leadership communication research has a history of significant overlap with leadership psychology, the value commitments of a communicative orientation now find expression in a large body of extant literature that this paper reviews. These value commitments, which cross several theoretical paradigms, serve as the organizing framework for this paper. The paper concludes with a research agenda for future leadership communication research.
Dichotomies, dialectics and dilemmas: New directions for critical leadership studies?
Authors: Collinson David
Published: January 2014

This article builds on Fairhurst and Connaughton’s proposals for future research agendas in leadership studies by critically examining three key themes in the leadership literature: dichotomies, dialectics, and dilemmas. The first section argues that mainstream leadership research frequently relies on conceptual dichotomies which are often multiple, inter-related, and proliferating. Critiques of dichotomization are suggestive of more dialectical forms of analysis and these are discussed in the second section. Dialectical studies can surface important questions about organizational power relations, paradoxes and contradictions that are typically under-explored within mainstream leadership studies. The third section proposes an additional, future research theme for critical perspectives, namely whether and if so why, how, and with what consequences leaders may engage in discourses of denial regarding the dilemmas and tensions of organizational life. The article concludes by arguing that re-framing leadership dichotomies as multiple, intersecting dialectics can open up fresh lines of enquiry and generate important insights about the complex and situated relations of power and identity that comprise leadership and followership dynamics.
The Anthropocene: A governance perspective
Authors: Biermann Frank
Published: January 2014

The classification of a new epoch in planetary history as the ‘Anthropocene’ is fundamentally changing the way we understand our political systems. Given the inherently political nature of human societies, the Anthropocene also has to be understood as a global political phenomenon. The paper elaborates on how the Anthropocene is changing societal interdependence relationships, and sketches foundations of an emerging new paradigm in the social sciences, ‘Earth System’ governance. The notion of Earth System governance is developed as both an analytical and a normative research problem that is of fundamental relevance for the disciplines of political science and governance studies.
The geology of mankind? A critique of the Anthropocene narrative
Authors: Malm Andreas , Hornborg Alf
Published: January 2014

The Anthropocene narrative portrays humanity as a species ascending to power over the rest of the Earth System. In the crucial field of climate change, this entails the attribution of fossil fuel combustion to properties acquired during human evolution, notably the ability to manipulate fire. But the fossil economy was not created nor is it upheld by humankind in general. This intervention questions the use of the species category in the Anthropocene narrative and argues that it is analytically flawed, as well as inimical to action. Intra-species inequalities are part and parcel of the current ecological crisis and cannot be ignored in attempts to understand it.
Agreement Between Self-Report and Medical Record Prevalence of 16 Chronic Conditions in the Alaska EARTH Study
Authors: Koller Kathryn R. , Wilson Amy S. , Asay Elvin D. , Metzger Jesse S. , Neal Diane E.
Published: January 2014

The gold standard for health information is the health record. Hospitalization and outpatient diagnoses provide health systems with data on which to project health costs and plan programmatic changes. Although health record information may be reliable and perceived as accurate, it may not include population-specific information and may exclude care provided outside a specific health care facility. Sole reliance on medical record information may lead to underutilization of health care services and inadequate assessment of population health status. In this study, we analyzed agreement, without assuming a gold standard, between self-reported and recorded chronic conditions in an American Indian/Alaska Native cohort. Self-reported health history was collected from 3821 adult participants of the Alaska EARTH study during 2004-2006. Participant medical records were electronically accessed and reviewed. Self-reported chronic conditions were underreported in relation to the medical record and both information sources reported the absence more reliably than the presence of conditions (across conditions, median positive predictive value = 64%, median negative predictive value = 94%). Agreement was affected by age, gender, and education. Differences between participant- and provider-based prevalence of chronic conditions demonstrate why health care administrators and policy makers should not rely exclusively on medical record–based administrative data for a comprehensive evaluation of population health.
Chest Pain and Ventricular Tachycardia in a Patient With Surgically Corrected Anomalous Right Coronary Artery From the Left Sinus of Valsalva
Authors: Habibi Susan E. , Shafi Sadia , Ali Asghar , Khan Rehan , Kaszala Karoly , Sumption Kevin F. , Szentpetery Szabolcs , Jovin Ion S.
Published: January 2014

We present a case of an adult patient who had anomalous origin of the right coronary artery (RCA) from the left sinus of Valsalva that had been treated surgically in the past and who presented years later with chest pain and runs of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. Coronary angiography showed a patent unroofed RCA with appropriately repositioned origin and no obstructive coronary artery disease. This case presents angiographic documentation of a technically satisfactory repair of anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery and suggests that potentially lethal arrhythmia can occur despite a technically satisfactory repair.
Modified Transseptal Repair for Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection Repair in All Age Groups
Authors: Kalangos Afksendiyos , Cherian Sanjay , Tissot Cécile , Myers Patrick O.
Published: January 2014

Little data are available in late-presenting children with unobstructed totally anomalous pulmonary venous connection. Eleven patients underwent repair at a median age of 6.5 months using a modified transseptal approach to improve access and avoid circulatory arrest. There were no early or late deaths, and none of the patients presented pulmonary venous stenosis at a median follow-up of 8.7 years.
Unusual Left Ventricular Pseudoaneurysm in a Child After Disseminated Bacterial Infection
Authors: Nair Vinitha Viswambharan , Malankar Dhananjay , Kothari Shyam Sunder , Das Shambhu , Gulati Gurpreet Singh , Airan Balram
Published: January 2014

Left ventricular pseudoaneurysms are rare in children. A six-year-old boy developed left ventricular pseudoaneurysm despite successful control of sepsis. The pseudoaneurysm was diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography and detailed by computed tomography. The child underwent successful surgical correction with partial excision and plication of the aneurysmal sac.
Perioperative Levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Correlate With Outcomes in Children and Adults With Tetralogy of Fallot Undergoing Corrective Surgery
Authors: Sethi Brijindera Singh , Kapoor Poonam Malhotra , Chauhan Sandeep , Chowdhury Ujjwal K. , Kiran Usha , Choudhury Minati
Published: January 2014

Background:

Previous studies reporting on tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) as a marker of inflammatory response (IR) in patients with congenital heart disease were limited by small sample size and variability in diagnosis. We report perioperative changes in TNF-α levels and their correlation with preoperative factors and clinical outcomes in a large homogenous group of patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) undergoing definitive repair at a tertiary care center.

Methods:

A total of 167 patients were divided into four groups on the basis of age. Group 1 included infants less than 1 year, group 2 included children between 1 and 12 years, group 3 included adolescents between 12 and 18 years, and group 4 included adults more than 18 years of age. Serum TNF-α levels were measured at three time points and correlated with perioperative variables.

Results:

The baseline TNF-α level correlated with patients’ nutritional status and degree of cyanosis in all four groups. The magnitude of IR in the postcardiopulmonary bypass (post-CPB) period as measured by TNF-α level was much higher and correlated more consistently with adverse clinical outcomes in the younger age group (groups 1 and 2). On multivariable analysis; age at operation, preoperative degree of hypoxemia and TNF-α levels were found to be independent predictors of clinical outcomes.

Conclusion:

We demonstrated a rise in serum TNF-α levels in patients with TOF undergoing definitive repair on CPB, which correlated with preoperative severity of cyanosis, nutritional status, and adverse clinical outcomes. The TNF-α levels may be monitored to identify cyanotic patients at an increased risk of exhibiting augmented IR to CPB.
Fourth Time Cardiac Retransplantation
Authors: Copeland Hannah , Gustafson Monica , Coelho-Anderson Romana , Mineburg Nicole , Friedman Mark , Copeland Jack G.
Published: January 2014

Beginning at age 11 years, our patient has had four heart transplants. Now, 26 years later at age 37, he is fully active. This case is presented to document a unique experience and to consider the difficult decision-making process and ethical issues of multiple cardiac retransplantation.
Video Fluoroscopy Swallow Study and Nutritional Support During Ambulatory Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation as a Bridge to Lung Transplantation
Authors: Hayes Don , Tobias Joseph D , Galantowicz Mark , Preston Thomas J. , Tzemos Kallirroe K. , McConnell Patrick I.
Published: January 2014

We present the successful completion of a video fluoroscopy swallow study and subsequent nutritional plan of a child bridged to lung transplantation with ambulatory venovenous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). With a limited number of programs bridging pediatric patients to lung transplantation with VV ECMO, a better understanding of nutritional support is needed to provide optimal care to this patient population awaiting organ donation.
Role of Tigecycline for the Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections
Authors: Wu Gary , Abraham Teena , Saad Nasser
Published: January 2014

Objective: To review and critically analyze the literature for the use of tigecycline for the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Data Sources: A search of the MEDLINE database was performed (2004 to July 2013). Search terms included tigecycline, Tygacil, pyelonephritis, cystitis, and urinary tract infections in addition to a manual search of references from the articles retrieved. Study Selection and Data Exaction: All studies of humans, English-language articles, clinical studies, observational studies, and case reports were evaluated. Data Synthesis: Fourteen cases of tigecycline use for UTIs were identified. No clinical trials were identified via the search of the MEDLINE database. Twelve of the 14 cases described positive clinical outcomes with use of tigecycline for the treatment of UTI. Microbiological clearance was evaluable in 11 patients, of which 9 patients achieved documented microbiological clearance. None of the patients had mortality attributable to the use of tigecycline for the UTI. Two of the 14 cases reported had patients with subsequent cultures growing tigecycline-resistant organisms. Conclusion: Case reports have documented clinical improvement/success with the use of tigecycline for the treatment of UTIs. However, use of tigecycline for the treatment of UTIs remains controversial because of limited data and the lack of randomized control trials demonstrating efficacy. Tigecycline should be avoided for the treatment of UTIs when well-established options such as aminoglycosides and β-lactams are available. When alternative options are nonexistent, tigecycline can be considered.
Glycol-split nonanticoagulant heparins are inhibitors of hepcidin expression in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Poli Maura , Asperti Michela , Naggi Annamaria , Campostrini Natascia , Girelli Domenico , Corbella Michela , Benzi Marina , Besson-Fournier Celine , Coppin Helene , Maccarinelli Federica , Finazzi Dario , Arosio Paolo
Published: January 2014

Key Points

Chemically modified nonanticoagulant heparins are strong inhibitors of hepcidin expression in normal and Bmp6−/− mice. These heparins abolish hepcidin induction caused by LPS, a model of inflammation, and are candidates for treatment of inflammatory anemia.